Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Author: Official Release

  • RUSTY WALLACE RACING FAST FACTS: GATEWAY II

    The Event: 5-Hour Energy 250 (Round 32 of 35 in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series)

    · Venue: Gateway International Raceway, Madison, IL (1.25-mile oval)

    · Date / Time: Sat. October 23, 2010 / 3:30 PM ET

    · Distance: 250 miles / 200 laps

    · TV / Radio: ESPN2 (live at 3:00 PM ET) / MRN and Sirius NASCAR Radio (live)

    Steve Wallace—No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry

    · Steve Wallace heads to Gateway on the heels of a top-five finish and top-ten start there earlier this year. In five attempts at Gateway, Wallace’s record includes three top-ten starts overall.

    · The final event at Gateway is bittersweet for Steve Wallace; father and team owner Rusty, is one of St. Louis’s favorite sons and a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.

    · No. 66 primary sponsor, 5-Hour Energy is the title sponsor of this weekend’s event. Wallace’s only prior start at Gateway with 5-Hour Energy livery on his No. 66 resulted in a top-five effort (2010).

    · Wallace’s 11 top-ten finishes in 2010 mark a career high. He is the third RWR driver to post a double-digit top-ten total in a single season. Prior: Kenny Wallace (1989-1992), David Stremme (2008)

    · The primary chassis for Wallace this weekend in RWR-036, the same car which he piloted to a fifth-place effort earlier this year at Gateway.

    Brendan Gaughan—No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Camry

    · With Gaughan’s wife, Tatum, set to deliver their first child any day now, former RWR pilot David Stremme, will be on site this weekend to substitute for Gaughan if necessary.

    · Gaughan is a prior winner at Gateway, having been victorious in the 2003 Truck Series event there. He posted a top-five start in this year’s first Nationwide Series race at Gateway.

    · His effort buoyed by new crew chief Jason Overstreet, Gaughan enters Gateway with top-15 finishes in two of his last three starts; the last time he accomplished this was entering the July Chicago event. Gaughan ran among the top-ten in the other of those three starts (California II), before becoming the victim of an accident with Michael Annett.

    · Gaughan’s primary chassis for Gateway is RWR-037, which he has piloted to three top-ten finishes this year (Phoenix I, Richmond I and Loudon). Gaughan drove chassis 037 in this year’s first event at Gateway, in which transmission issues relegated him to 17th-place finish, after starting fourth.

    Kenny Wallace—No. 28 Illinois Corn Farmers Toyota Camry

    · For the first time in team history, RWR will provide three teams with technical support for this weekend’s event at Gateway, as it supports Kenny Wallace and his No. 28 team.

    · Wallace’s car features a new primary sponsor for this weekend’s event, the Illinois Corn Growers Association and its Illinois Corn Marketing Board. This group represents the hard-working corn farmers of Illinois, one of America’s top corn-producing states.

    · RWR competition director Wes Ward will serve in a consulting role for Wallace this weekend. Ward served as Wallace’s crew chief at PPC Racing in 2004 and 2005, seasons which produced a total of 21 top-ten finishes for Wallace, en route to overall driver rankings of ninth and seventh, respectively.

    · On race day, Wallace’s No. 28 car is scheduled to be serviced by a developmental pit crew compiled by RWR, with assistance from Joe Gibbs Racing.

    · Kenny Wallace remains RWR’s most successful driver to date. Driving Rusty Wallace-owned cars from 1989-1992, Kenny compiled three wins, 26 top-fives, 62 top-tens, seven poles and a runner-up finish in the 1991 standings.

    · Despite his older brother’s superstition, Kenny Wallace’s Illinois Corn Farmers Camry features green as one of its main colors. This is the first time since February 1992—with Wallace at the helm—that a car built by a Rusty Wallace-owned team has featured the color green.

    · Wallace’s primary chassis for this weekend is RWR-018. Chassis 018 has made a total of five starts in 2010, all with Brendan Gaughan at the helm.

    · Wallace is also a St. Louis native and is well-known as an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinals.

    Additional Notes of Interest:

    · Rusty, Steve, Kenny and Mike Wallace will be featured in one of two NASCAR press conferences this weekend at Gateway, to discuss the final race at their “home track.” The press conference will be held on Friday at 12:30 in the infield media center. Tentatively, one on ones will be available afterwards.

    · Please vote for RWR’s entry in the Toyota Racing Challenge, a special charity round of Toyota’s “Sponsafier.” RWR’s entry, “Beaumobile,” promotes pet adoption and features Beau, Greg Wallace’s cocker spaniel that was rescued literally just minutes from being put down. Visit the following link and vote each day through November 1: !

  • Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford Team Martinsville Advance

    Kasey Kahne

    No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion

    TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway

    • Last Sunday, Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Ford, was the 29th runner to cross the finish line in the Kasey Kahne Foundation Five Kahne five-kilometer run in Uptown Charlotte, N.C., but this Sunday he’s looking for a better result in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

    • Kahne completed the 3.1-mile run with a time of 22 minutes, 52 seconds (average pace 7:22). The event featured 302 runners, including fellow NASCAR drivers Brad Sweet (21:20), Jimmie Johnson (24:06), Joey Logano (25:36) and Coleman Pressley (28:24). Participating NASCAR media members included ESPN’s Marty Smith (23:23), NASCAR.com’s David Caraviello (27:45) and SceneDaily.com’s Bob Pockrass (31:48). Approximately $30,000 was raised by the run for the Kasey Kahne Foundation. Beneficiaries include the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte and the NC STEM Community Collaborative.

    • When Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford team arrive at Martinsville Speedway this weekend they will look to improve upon recent runs at the speedway. While their best result in the last seven races at the track is 17th, Kahne and the No. 9 team have finished as high as second at the 0.526-mile track. In 13 races at Martinsville Speedway, Kahne has scored one top five and two top-10 finishes.

    • Kevin “Kiwi” Duncan, shock specialist and rear tire carrier for the No. 9 Budweiser Ford team, is one of the 43 crewmen selected to serve as grand marshals for Sunday’s TUMS Fast Relief 500. Duncan, a native of Hamilton, New Zealand, raced motorcycles for years and worked with IndyCar Series teams for years before moving over to NASCAR.

    • In the 2010 season Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford team have scored three pole awards, seven top fives, nine top-10 finishes and led 337 laps. Kahne is currently ranked 21st in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings.

    • Follow along each weekend with Kahne and the team on Twitter. Check out @kaseykahne for behind-the-scenes information straight from the driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Ford. Get live updates from the track each weekend from @kk9team, the PR team for Kahne. Also, follow @RPMotorsports for additional information about the Richard Petty Motorsports organization.

    • Become a fan of Budweiser on Facebook. Exclusive information on Kasey and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford Team can be found on the Budweiser Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Budweiser.

    • For the online version of the Budweiser Racing media guide, please visit .

    Kasey Kahne discusses racing at Martinsville Speedway:

    What are your thoughts on racing at Martinsville? “As a driver, I’ve learned a lot about racing at Martinsville. The first time I raced at the track, I could barely go around it. I wasn’t even close to qualifying well. The next year, I was better and the car drove ten times better than the year before and we ran second. It’s a tough track and I think that some people pick this track up quicker than others, but I also think that you need a car with a good set up to win a race at Martinsville.”

    Does patience play a large role there? “I think it does, but hopefully not as much because you’re not worried about aero here. It’s more about handling and getting the car to turn and trying to get as much forward drive off the corner as you can. That’s the good thing about Martinsville, there’s no real aero tight there. If you’re tight, you’re tight – your car just isn’t turning that day.”

  • Trevor Bayne — NNS Gateway II Advance

    Trevor Bayne – NNS ADVANCE

    Team: No. 16 Team Wendy Ford Fusion

    Race: 5-Hour Energy 250 – Gateway International Raceway

    Crew Chief: Rick Viers

    Chassis: RK- 346

    FAST FACTS:

    ROUSH FENWAY RACING WELCOMES TEAM WENDY TO THE NO. 16 – This weekend at Gateway International Raceway, the No. 16 Ford will feature newest Roush Fenway Racing partner, Team Wendy. A leader in protective equipment manufacturing, Team Wendy’s sole mission is to promote helmet safety and to provide the best gear for head protection available. Team Wendy’s Zorbium® Action Pad (ZAP) helmet liner suspension system is the only authorized system for the US Army, Marine Corps and National Guard.

    BAYNE GETS FIRST START IN NO. 16 – Trevor Bayne will be in the No. 16 car for the first and only time this season at Gateway this weekend.

    Bayne’s crew chief and team will remain in tact, but his car number will change. Erik Darnell returns to the No. 16 3M Ford for his final race next weekend at Texas and Colin Braun will finish out the remainder of the season in the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford.

    BAYNE AT GATEWAY – Bayne has made two previous Nationwide Series starts at Gateway International Raceway. In his most recent start in July, Bayne finished a career-high third after starting from the pole and leading 19 laps. Coincidently, Bayne started alongside current teammate Colin Braun in that race, and both went on to score career-high finishes.

    BAYNE AND VIERS GO TO PRACTICE – On Thursday, Bayne and crew chief Rick Viers will travel to the Edward Jones Dome to attend a St. Louis Rams football practice. Both avid football fans, and Viers a former high school football player, will get the rare opportunity of seeing how the NFL’s Rams prepare for their game weekends.

    ROUSH FENWAY RACING AT GATEWAY – In 21 starts at Gateway International Raceway, Roush Fenway Racing has notched four wins, nine top-fives, 16 top-10s, two pole awards and 276 laps led. The wins were tallied by Greg Biffle (1) and Carl Edwards (3). Edwards has the most recent win which came at the July race.

    GATEWAY CHASSIS SELECTION – Crew chief Rick Viers has selected RK-346 for this weekend’s 5-Hour Energy 250 at Gateway International Raceway.

    This is the same car teammate Colin Braun drove to a seventh-place finish after starting second at the track earlier in the season.

    Bayne, on going to Gateway:

    “St. Louis is an awesome track for us. I qualified on the pole and finished third there earlier this season. That was my first top-three in the Nationwide Series.

    “It’s a short track and I really like racing short track racing.

    It’s what I’ve grown up racing on, and I’m very comfortable there.

    Both corners are very different, so you have to match the setup with one corner and just hang on in the other. It’s a lot of fun there, I enjoy it and I’m looking forward to going back to Gateway this weekend.”

    Crew chief Rick Viers, on racing in St. Louis with Bayne:

    “What a great opportunity the No. 16 team has this week. Having Team Wendy as a new sponsor is really an honor and the type of work they are doing is very exciting. In our last race at Gateway, we started second and finished seventh, our best race to date with Colin [Braun]. We are now returning with Trevor, who knocked Colin off the pole and finished third, and we expect him to be very competitive this weekend. We believe we have the tools to put our driver in a position to win.”

    Viers, on going to practice with the St. Louis Rams:

    “Getting to attend the St. Louis Rams practice is a really rare opportunity for Trevor and me. Not so much for Trevor because he does things like this a lot, but the fact that both of us get to go together.

    Some of the real solid relationship and team building comes at times away from the track and race weekend. This trip gives Trevor and I the opportunity to work on that for sure. Not only that, but it will be really cool to see how other professional teams get themselves ready for their game weekends.”

  • Roush Fenway Martinsville Advance

    Tums Fast Relief 500

    Sun 10.24.10, 1:00 p.m. EDT

    ESPN TV, MRN, Sirius 128

    David Ragan, No. 6 UPS Ford

    Greg Biffle, No. 16 3M Ford

    Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford

    Carl Edwards, No. 99 Aflac Ford

    Roush Fenway Looks to Carry Momentum to Martinsville

    After rebounding with a strong outing last weekend at Charlotte, Roush Fenway will look to continue that momentum as the Sprint Cup Series rolls into the short track of Martinsville Speedway, where Roush Fenway has won four times in the Series.

    In the Chase

    All three of Roush Fenway’s Chase eligiable cars bounced back with solid runs at Charlotte and each will look to build on that this weekend at Martinsville. Greg Biffle used a fifth-place run at CMS to climb back up to eighth in the standings, while Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth remain at seventh and 11th.

    Roush Fenway at Martinsville

    In 158 starts at the half-mile paper-clip shaped track, Roush Fenway has turned more laps at Martinsville Speedway than any other venue in the Sprint Cup Series, with 76,133 laps completed. During that span, Roush Fenway has collected four wins, four poles, 25 top-five and 56 top-10 finishes. All-in-all Roush Fenway carries a 16.2 average finish to Martinsville this weekend.

    Winning Formula

    Roush Fenway has won four Sprint Cup races at Martinsville, with three different drivers. However, the team has not visited victory lane at the track since the fall of 2002. Roush Fenway also boasts two truck wins in 46 starts at Martinsville (Fall of ’03 and ’05).

    RFR Martinsville Wins

    1992-1 Martin Cup

    1997-2 Burton Cup

    2000-1 Martin Cup

    2002-2 Busch Cup

    2003-2 Wood Truck

    2005-2 Craven Truck

    Looking Back

    Roush Fenway had its overall most successful outing at Martinsville in the spring of 2002 when it placed all four of its cars inside the top 10. In addition, RFR posted a 1-2 finish at the track in the spring of 2000. Ironically, Roush Fenway has not placed more than one car inside the top five at Martinsville since that finish in 2000.

    Chase Races at Martinsville

    Carl Edwards finished third at Martinsville in the fall of 2008, for Roush Fenway’s top Martinsville Chase finish, on a day that saw two Roush Fenway Chase cars inside the top 10 and three inside the top 12; Matt Kenseth finished eighth and Greg Biffle was 12th. Kurt Busch and the No. 97 team finished fifth at Martinsville in the fall of 2004 in Roush Fenway’s first Chase outing at the track and Matt Kenseth was fifth there in 2007. All-in-all Roush Fenway has three top-five and five top-10 finishes in 17 Chase eligible races at Martinsville.

    Roush Fenway at Martinsville Speedway

    Races Win T5 T10 Pole Laps Led AvSt AvFn Miles

    CUP 158 4 25 56 4 76133 1324 20.2 17.1 40045.5

    NNS 3 0 0 1 0 750 0 28 19.3 394.5

    TRUCK 46 2 14 24 3 10256 270 12.4 12.3 5394.6

    207 6 39 81 7 87139 1594 20.2 16.233 45834.6

  • Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance – TUMS Fast Relief 500 – Martinsville Speedway

    Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance

    TUMS Fast Relief 500

    Martinsville Speedway

    Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010

    www.media.chrysler.com

    www.twitter.com/teamdodge

    DODGE AT MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

    • Rusty Wallace posted the last Dodge win at Martinsville in the 2004 spring event, one of seven victories for Wallace at the .526-mile track.

    • Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) won at Martinsville in 2002 prior to joining the Dodge Motorsports family.

    • Dodge has 10 wins at Martinsville including three sweeps (1953, 1956 and 1975).

    • Busch is the only current Dodge driver to earn a pole at Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 2006).

    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 wins since the manufacturer’s return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.

    • First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at Martinsville Speedway: Lee Petty, 200-lap race on .500-mile dirt track, 5/17/53. Jim Paschal won the October event, giving Dodge its first season sweep at the track.

    DODGE IN THE CHASE: MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY • 2004: Ryan Newman and Jeremy Mayfield represented Dodge in the Chase. Newman claimed the pole and led nine laps en route to a third-place finish. Mayfield qualified 11th and finished sixth.

    • 2005: Dodge drivers making the elite 10 were Ryan Newman Jeremy Mayfield and Rusty Wallace. Newman finished 10th, Wallace 19th and Mayfield 28th.

    • 2006: Kasey Kahne was the only Dodge driver to make the Chase. He started 32nd and finished seventh.

    • 2007: Kurt Busch was the lone Dodge representative in the Chase. Busch started 11th and finished 31st.

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

    • 2009: Kurt Busch, the lone Dodge entry in the Chase, started 37th and finished 17th.

    FAST FACT

    • Kurt Busch won the 2002 fall race from the 36th starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started at Martinsville. In 20 starts at the .526-mile track, Busch has a pole, one win, two top fives and four top 10s.

    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 30th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend, 237 points behind the leader.

    • Busch was ranked sixth, 177 points behind the leader, after five races in the 2009 Chase.

    • In 20 previous starts, Busch’s average finish at Martinsville is 21.6; his average start is 19.0.

    • Finished 10th in the point standings after 26 races; ranked fifth after the reset for the 2010 Chase.

    • Through five Chase races this year, Busch’s average finish is 14.2 • In 31 races this season, Busch has two wins along with nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

    • Has competed in 64 Chase races since 2004 (45 have been in a Dodge) with 16 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes.

    • Busch’s career-best Chase finish at Martinsville was fifth in 2004. He started seventh and led 120 laps.

    DID YOU KNOW?

    Lee Petty earned Dodge its first NASCAR victory at Martinsville Speedway in 1953 without leading a single lap. Herb Thomas led the final 127 laps until a check of the scoring cards revealed that Petty had actually won the race. No change was issued on lap leaders.

    DODGE MOTORSPORTS ENGINEERING QUOTE OF THE WEEK – HOWARD COMSTOCK “Seven of the last nine races in the Chase are all on high-speed, high-banked tracks. Exactly in the middle of all of that is Martinsville. Neither high-speed nor high-banked, Martinsville remains one of the biggest engineering challenges in Sprint Cup competition. At .533 miles in length with almost no appreciable banking in the corners, the great question is how can you accelerate, stop, and turn a 3,450-pound car 1000 times over 500 laps without failing any components. This is when all of that stress testing done over the years to all of those critical drive-line components is going to pay dividends.”

    DODGE DRIVER QUOTES

    “We’re coming back into Martinsville with a lot of confidence and a really positive attitude about racing there this weekend. We’ve run very well there through the years, but you wouldn’t know that by just looking at the statistics. The biggest thing is that it’s been seldom that we’ve been able to put together a whole race at Martinsville. We’d start out strong and not be able to get the good finishes we needed. Many times we’ve been strong enough to win a 400-lap race there, but the problem is that Martinsville races are 500-lappers, not 400.”

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

    “At Martinsville, you just have to stay out of trouble, try to keep your nose clean and keep the brakes on the car as much as you can. It’s definitely a tough track, but I feel like I am learning more and more of what I need to do each time we go there. I’ve been to all the tracks enough now that there have been good points that we’ve had during a race. I try to tell myself that if I run well like I have before, and don’t do some of the things that didn’t work out, we’re going to run inside the top 10, if not better.”

    Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

    “The No. 12 team had a very successful race at Martinsville in the spring. That was my Cup debut and even though I had a few Truck Series starts there, it was really like going there for the first time. We ran solidly in the top-15 for most of the day and we were able to bring our car home in pretty good shape. I was really proud of the effort that everyone put in. Hopefully, we can ratchet that up a notch or two and get a top-10 effort out of it this weekend.”

    Brad Keselowski, No 12 Penske Dodge Charger

  • ROUSH FENWAY RACING ANNOUNCES TEAM WENDY AS SPONSOR FOR NO. 16 TEAM AT GATEWAY

    Concord, N.C. (Oct. 19, 2010) – Roush Fenway Racing announced today that Team Wendy has been added to its stable of sponsor partners and will join the No. 16 NASCAR Nationwide Series team this weekend at Gateway International Raceway with Trevor Bayne behind the wheel.

    The Cleveland-based Team Wendy was founded in 1997 by Dan T. Moore as a memorial to his daughter Wendy, who died from a traumatic brain injury while skiing. The protective equipment manufacturer has made it its sole mission to promote helmet safety as well as provide the best protective head gear available on the market today. Team Wendy’s Zorbium® Action Pad (ZAPÔ) helmet liner suspension system is the only system authorized for use by the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and National Guard. This system is procured through the mandatory source, National Industries for the Blind (NIB), as part of the AbilityOne™ program.

    “We are very excited about our new partnership with Roush Fenway Racing,” said Scott Burk, Team Wendy CEO. “Both Team Wendy and the entire NASCAR family have had a long-standing relationship with the military. Our main goal is to provide the most protective equipment available for the most extreme conditions, whether a battlefield or the racetrack. So sponsorship of a flagship NASCAR team like Roush Fenway makes tremendous sense.”

    As Roush Fenway Racing’s newest addition to its driver lineup, Bayne will be making his second Nationwide Series start at Gateway. In his most recent trip to the 1.25-mile track in July, Bayne started from the pole and finished a career-high third after leading 19 laps.

    “I’m thrilled at the opportunity to drive the Team Wendy Ford this weekend,” said Bayne. “The work they do and their commitment to safety is so important, especially for our military, which affects us all. This No. 16 team had a really great run at Gateway in July and we are looking for more of the same again this weekend.”

    About Roush Fenway Racing

    Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating nine motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and five in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Trevor Bayne, Colin Braun, Brian Ickler, and Paul Menard. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

    About Team Wendy

    Team Wendy is the manufacturer of Zorbium®, an energy-absorbing material engineered to provide the highest level of impact protection.

    Since 2005, Team Wendy has provided the most protective, standard-issue issue helmet liners used by the U.S. Army, Marine Corps and National Guard. Team Wendy’s helmet liner systems are the only military products on the market proven to significantly reduce the likelihood of concussion, blunt force trauma and traumatic brain injury. Team Wendy’s Zorbium® line of products is also being developed for use in athletic helmets, vehicle seating and other applications where protection performance is paramount. Team Wendy is a certified Small Business Administration HUBZone company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Team Wendy – Overprotective and Proud of It. ™

  • JR Motorsports — NNS Gateway II Preview

    JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW

    No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet/No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

    EVENT – Gateway 250 (200 laps / 250 miles)

    TRACK – Gateway International Raceway (1.25-mile oval)

    DATE – Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010

    TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 3 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3 p.m. EST)

    Josh Wise

    No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet

    “This is a weekend I’ve had marked on my calendar for a while now. Ever since JRM told me I’d get an opportunity to drive the No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet, I’ve been really excited. I enjoyed working with Tony (Eury) Jr. and all the guys on the 7 car this year, but being able to get in the 88 car is an amazing opportunity. I just want to make the most of it at Gateway for Bill Jordan and all the good folks at Delta Apparel and Realtree Outfitters.

    “Gateway has been a decent track for me, and I’m comfortable running there. My last trip there was with the 7 team earlier this year. We were fortunate enough to finish eighth, which was my best run for them. So I can’t think of a better place to try out the 88 car than Gateway. It’s a little weird to think this is the last time we’ll be racing there. Even though the series has been racing at Gateway for 12 years, it’s a neat track with a lot history in the sport.”

    Danica Patrick

    No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

    “I think things are slowly starting to come together for this Go Daddy team. It’s like we have bits and pieces of our race where we show real progress, but something always seems to come up. Our results over the past two weeks are evidence of that. It’s something that comes with the territory. It’s just the unpredictability of racing. We’ll be able to put the whole package together at some point, so we just need to continue to be patient. The good news is, the groundwork is definitely there.

    “Pit road is another area we can work on. I felt like I was hustling (getting off pit road last week), but getting up to speed on cold tires is always a display of your comfort level with the car and your ability to take it to the limit and know where that limit is. I’m sure there’s some speed to be found on green-flag stops. We’ll have to look at it and see if there are places to improve for next time.”

    JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

    SPECIAL GUEST AT ST. LOUIS BLUES GAME – Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, will attend Friday’s National Hockey League (NHL) matchup featuring the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks vs. the St. Louis Blues. Patrick is a special guest of the St. Louis Blues, representing the NASCAR Nationwide Series and she will be ceremoniously dropping the puck to begin the game.

    WISE IN THE 88 – Despite eight starts with JRM’s No. 7 team this year, Josh Wise will get his debut in the team’s flagship No. 88 Realtree Outfitters Chevrolet at Gateway. Wise becomes the ninth driver to pilot the No. 88 Chevrolet in 2010. The team has notched one win, seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes on the year. They’ve also led a total of 110 laps, and are coming off consecutive top-10 finishes. Aric Almirola, Steve Arpin, Kelly Bires, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Jamie McMurray, Greg Sacks and Elliott Sadler are all racers that have shared driving duties in the 88. The team is ranked eighth in owner points.

    2011 PLANS UNVEILVED – JR Motorsports co-owner and general manager, Kelley Earnhardt announced last week that Danica Patrick will compete in the first four races of the 2011 Nationwide Series schedule with the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 19), Phoenix International Raceway (Feb. 26), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 5) and Bristol Motor Speedway (March 19). The races beyond that have not been determined, although Patrick will take on a schedule similar to that of her 13-race rookie campaign.

    NO. 7 TEAM TO DATE – The No. 7 team has secured six top-10 finishes and led 42 laps with seven different drivers in 2010, including Aric Almirola, Steve Arpin, Landon Cassill, J.R. Fitzpatrick, Danica Patrick, Scott Wimmer and Josh Wise. The GoDaddy.com team is ranked 16th in 2010 owner points.

    WISE AT GATEWAY – Wise has two starts at Gateway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, with his best finish of eighth coming in the No. 7 Chevrolet earlier this year. The 27-year-old also had an eighth-place showing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2007. His most successful race at Gateway was in an ARCA race in 2007 when he started from the pole with a track-record speed and led 35 laps en route to a second-place finish.

    DANICA’S SEASON – Patrick embarks on her 10th race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend at Gateway. In her previous nine starts, she’s earned a career-best finish of 21st at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Her season-best qualifying effort of 14th came two weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway.

    WISE WITH JRM – Gateway marks Wise’s last stint driving for JRM in 2010. The native of Riverside, Calif. has earned one top-10 (Gateway), and six top-15 finishes driving the No. 7 Chevrolet in eight races this season. His average finish in those races is 13.1. Aric Almirola and Danica Patrick will finish out the remainder of the season in the No. 88 and No. 7 Chevrolets.

    MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Patrick will be available to members of the NASCAR media on Friday, Oct. 22, at 12 p.m. CST in Gateway International Raceway infield media center.

    FREE JR NATION CREW FAN CLUB – Dale Jr. and JR Motorsports encourage fans to join the JR Nation Crew Fan Club for free. The official fan club provides members with exclusive ticket and merchandise offers, in addition to JRM blogs, forums, and chat rooms to interact with other members of JR Nation. For more information, visitwww.jrnation.com.

  • Mike Skinner Martinsville Speedway Event Preview

    No. 5 Randy Moss Motorsports International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra News and Notes

    • This Week’s Tundra… The No. 5 International Truck/Monaco RVs Toyota Tundra team and driver Mike Skinner will race MDM-106 in Saturday’s 200-lap NCWTS event at Martinsville Speedway. Earlier this season, Skinner was behind the wheel of MDM-106 running fourth at Martinsville Speedway when contact with another competitor eliminated his chance of victory. More recently, the International Truck/Monaco RVs team competed with MDM-106 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and finished in the 13th position.

    • Success at Martinsville Speedway… Skinner has visited victory lane three times at Martinsville Speedway tying him with Dennis Setzer as the winningest NCWTS driver at the Virginia short track. Known for starting up front, Skinner’s three poles rank him second on the all-time list for NCWTS poles at Martinsville Speedway. The 53-year-old veteran leads all NCWTS competitors with 608 laps led around the 0.526-mile track.

    • Little Skinner… Be on the lookout for Skinner’s “Mini Me” prior to the race on Saturday afternoon. Skinner’s grandson will join him for the weekend at Martinsville Speedway and will be wearing a firesuit with the International Truck/Monaco RVs colors just like his grandpa.

    • Toyota Loyalty… Skinner is the only driver to have piloted a Toyota Tundra in every NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. The two teamed up in 2004 when the manufacturer entered the NASCAR arena.

    • Watch and Listen… The Kroger 200 will be broadcast live on SPEED with coverage beginning at 12:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, October 23. Live flag-to-flag coverage can also be heard on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 128, beginning at 12:45 p.m. EST.

    Mike Skinner on driving at Martinsville Speedway

    “I can’t wait to go back to Martinsville [Speedway]. It’s a track where I’ve had a lot of success in all different aspects of my career, and it’s a place that I always look forward to. I’ll have one of my grandsons with me for the race this weekend, so that makes it even more special. He only comes to a handful of races each season, but we always have a lot of fun when he’s at the track. The International Truck/Monaco RVs team has been hard at work the last few weeks; between testing and a few other things they’ve done, I think we’ll have a very competitive Toyota Tundra this weekend.”

    Crew Chief Stacy Johnson on racing at Martinsville Speedway

    “Mike has been extremely competitive at Martinsville [Speedway]. Our team had a great truck there earlier this season and I think the International Truck/Monaco RVs team has only improved since then. We had a good test at Gresham Motorsports Park and successful trips to both the wind tunnel and seven-post to prepare our truck. I think you’ll see the No. 5 Toyota Tundra racing near the front of the field before the checkered flag falls on Saturday.”

  • Defending Winner Timothy Peters Excited For Return To His Home Town Track; Martinsville Speedway

    TIMOTHY PETERS QUICK FACTS

    Martinsville Speedway

    Kroger 200

    October 23, 2010

    • Peters at Martinsville…Timothy Peters heads to his home track this weekend as the defending race winner. Peters led 84 laps en route to his first career victory at the Virginia paperclip last fall. Martinsville Speedway is a track that Peters knows well. In nine previous starts, he has earned five top-10 and two top-five finishes including one trip to Victory Lane in 2009 and a fourth place finish earlier this spring. Peters is hungry for the win again this fall and knows just what it takes to get there.

     

    • It’s All In The Preparation…Timothy Peters used the three weeks off to prepare himself for this event at Martinsville Speedway. On October 3rd, he participated in the Virginia Is For Lovers 300 Late Model race at his home track. Peters completed the entire 200 lap event and earned a sixth place finish overall. Last Friday, Peters and his Red Horse Racing team headed to The Motor Mile in Radford, VA to shake down the Martinsville primary chassis. The #17 learned some things at the test they feel will play into their favor on Saturday.

                                                                     

    • Every Point Counts…As the season winds down, Peters knows that every point he earns in these last five events will be valuable. Currently tied for fifth in the driver point standings, Peters is determined to gain as many spots as possible before the checkered flag falls at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He is just 35 points behind the fourth spot and 161 points back from second.

     

    • Wiss On Board At Martinsville… Wiss® cutting products have been earning a reputation for craftsmanship and long life since 1848. Go to any race garage or pit toolbox and chances are you’ll find several pairs of Wiss Metalmaster® compound action snips … they’ve been the preferred brand with sheet metal pros for over 50 years. The wide Wiss product line now includes snips, scissors, industrial shears, utility knives, and HVAC tools … all with famous Wiss quality built in.  

     

    Timothy Peters on racing at Martinsville Speedway “ I’m really looking forward to Martinsville this weekend. My face just lights up when I say the word “Martinsville”! I just hope we can repeat what we did last year. I’ve always loved that place; it just fits my driving style. It was so special to get my first win in front of all the home town friends and family. Martinsville is kind of like Daytona because you never know what’s going to happen. I think the extra 200 laps from the late model race is really going to help me. We just need to keep the fenders on and be up front at the end and I think we will have a strong shot and getting back to Victory Lane.”

    Jeff Hensley on racing at Martinsville Speedway  “I love Martinsville race week because it’s close to home. We had a good run in the spring. We finished fourth but we know where we got beat and how we got beat and we know how to  make it better. We just missed it a little in March but I’m confident we will have what it takes this weekend. With this race being 50 laps shorter than it was in the spring, Timothy will be racing hard every lap. We just need to keep the truck in good shape and be there in the end.”

    Equipment Information Timothy Peters will compete with chassis #137 in Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. This is the same chassis he raced at Martinsville in March where he started fifth and finished fourth.  

    Timothy Peters Seeks Sponsorship Partner Peters is still seeking sponsorship for his #17 Toyota Tundra. Red Horse Racing is currently running the #17 without primary sponsorship. For more information on sponsorship opportunities please contact Tom DeLoach at 704-662-0039.

  • Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion Named WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Roswell, Ga (October 19, 2010) – Kevin “Bono” Manion, crew chief for the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet driven by Jamie McMurray, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    As temperatures cooled drastically from the start of the race until the end, McMurray made seven quick pit stops throughout the evening, and Manion made the right adjustments during each to help him advance the No. 1 car from its 27th starting position. McMurray took the lead for the first time on lap 133 of the 334-lap event, but it was the final 22 laps that paid off.

    On the last restart on lap 312, in which Bono chose not to pit under caution, McMurray kept his track position and found himself second to Kyle Busch. Once the green flag waved, McMurray inched ahead of Busch coming out of turn two in first and held on for the win, his third of the season.

    “It was just our night,” said McMurray, who led three times for 65 laps. “Our car was unbelievable those last like 25 or 30 laps, it was effortless to drive and it had a lot of speed in it. It was just a really good night for us.”

    “Going back to May, (where McMurray finished 2nd in the Coke 600 at CMS) Bono and the team had a great performance, and they just picked up where they left off here at CMS,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative Jeff Hammond. “His strong leadership and making the right adjustments put Jamie and the No. 1 car in the position to win.”

    WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Results

    Frank Kerr and his driver Marcos Ambrose came home a solid 16th in what was an up-and-down evening. Kerr had the No. 47 Camry strong all night, and Ambrose overcame a spin as well as a pit road penalty to secure their respectable finish.

    Todd Berrier, Jeff Burton and the No. 31 CAT team finished in a disappointing 20th after Burton experienced a loose handling race car late in the event. He had been in the top 10 most of the race prior to the handling woes.

    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 (Jimmie Johnson).

    About WYPALL Wipers

    WYPALL is a brand of Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2004, WYPALL Wipers has been affiliated with some of racings 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.