Author: Official Release

Many a chapter in the 60-year history of the Wood Brothers racing team has been written at Charlotte Motor Speedway, site of this weekend’s Bank of America 500.

There was Speedy Thompson’s win in 1960, the Woods’ first triumph on a superspeedway. And then their streak of 13 straight poles in the 1970s with David Pearson and Neil Bonnett doing the driving, and Michael Waltrip’s win in the All-Star race in 1996. All told, the Woods have run 101 races at Charlotte, winning 20 poles and six points-paying races.

This weekend begins a new chapter in the Woods’ history at Charlotte as veteran Donnie Wingo takes over as crew chief of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion, which will be carrying a special paint scheme for the 500.

The paint scheme is the work of Carson Luther, an eight-year-old resident of Wildwood, Mo., whose “Fired Up for a Cure” design was selected as part of Ford’s Customer Service Division’s contest to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and raise funds for research for Type 1 diabetes.

Luther was on hand at the Wood Brothers shop just down the road from the speedway this week for the unveiling of the car carrying his design.

“I wanted fire and flames on my car, and thought the blue would make the flames stand out,” he said. “I want a cure for diabetes more than anything, even all the LEGOs in the world.”

Team co-owner Eddie Wood said he and his team are proud to be carrying Carson’s colors.

“It’s a neat paint scheme, and we’re honored to be a part of this program and to be able to help raise money for such a worthwhile cause,” he said.

The No. 21 Fusion and the special paint scheme are already winners.

Luther raised $5,341 for JDRF with his design. That number, added to the money raised by the designs that were submitted, brought the total for the contest to $33,391 for research for Type 1 diabetes, and nearly $150,000 in donations the past three years.

Luther and his family will be special guests of the Wood Brothers this weekend, but they won’t be the only new faces in the team hauler.

Sprint Cup veteran crew chief Donnie Wingo comes over from Roush Fenway Racing to lead the effort in preparing the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion. He replaces David Hyder, who left the team last week by mutual agreement with the Woods.

Driver Bill Elliott said he’s ready to go to work with Wingo, who got his first Cup win as a crew chief back in 1990 when an old friend of the Woods – and one of their former drivers – Morgan Shepherd won at Atlanta.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Elliott said. “It’ll be a different page in the book, probably a different feel in the car, but Donnie’s been around a long time, and he brings a lot of knowledge to the table.

“I’m sure there will be some unknowns at first, but we’ll just have to go in there with our heads up and see how it goes.”

Qualifying for the Bank of America 500 is set for 7:10 p.m. on Thursday, and the race is scheduled to get the green flag just past 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with TV coverage on ABC.

CONCORD, N.C. (October 13, 2010) – With six weeks remaining on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, Marcos Ambrose and JTG Daugherty Racing welcome a week at home thanks in part to Charlotte Motor Speedway hosting the Bank of America 500 on Saturday.

“It’s really nice to be home for a week,” Ambrose said. “As a driver, I probably travel over 150 days a year with races and appearances. So, it’s really a luxury for us to be home with our families for a week. With Tabitha being in school now, the girls are not able to travel with me like they used to. So, I’m maximizing my time at home with them this week.”

Not only are Ambrose and JTG Daugherty Racing in close proximity to the 1.5-mile quad-oval, so is one of their major sponsors Lance. Lance, a Charlotte-based company, has been dedicated to providing fresh snacks options for a busy lifestyle and has evolved into a multi-million dollar national company since 1913. Lance will prominently be displayed on the No. 47 Toyota Camry for a third time this season this time in front of a hometown crowd.

“Lance came on board with us for our second full-time season of competition and they are a great partner of ours,” said Tad Geschickter, co-owner of JTG Daugherty Racing. “We’ve built a strong relationship and we look forward to complimenting their efforts by continuing to bring awareness to the brand.”

Ambrose is helping spotlight Lance as he is prepared to top his best Charlotte Cup finish of 22nd-place (10/17/09) in his fourth attempt at the Concord, N.C. track. He also has four NASCAR Nationwide Series starts and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the venue.

“We’re looking to change our luck at Charlotte and I feel like we have a good shot at a solid finish there,” said Ambrose, who finished 33rd in the most recent event at Auto Club Speedway. “We’ll have a good package for this race. It will be interesting to see how the track changes throughout the weekend because it is going to get cold. It’s supposed to be in the upper 30’s Saturday night.”

“The weather conditions will change the track,” crew chief Frank Kerr added. “The speeds will change – – they will pick up. Then we will be concerned with the splitter hitting the ground.”

For the Bank of America 500, Kerr and his JTG Daugherty Racing team have prepped a car Ambrose finished fifth in the All-Star Showdown at Charlotte in May, 28th at Chicagoland Speedway in July and 10th at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September.

“It’s the same car we ran well with during the Showdown earlier this year,” Kerr said. “We’re looking forward to being back. I always like racing at Charlotte because it is the racing hub. Winning at Charlotte ranks pretty high on everyone’s list because its home and it gives you bragging rights.

“It’s a cool track like no other,” Kerr continued. “Charlotte has its own characteristics. The banking in Turn 1 is something else with a big drop like Dover International Speedway. The car loads up in that corner and carries a lot of speed. Once you get through Turns 1 and 2, Turns 3 and 4 are more of the handling corners. The place is amazing. It’s Charlotte, what more can you say.”

Live coverage of the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway airs on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET. PRN Radio will also carry the race.

47 fewer Sprint Cup cautions in 2010 compared to 2009 after 30 races

21 fewer Nationwide Series cautions in 2010 compared to 2009 after 30 races

SERVICEMASTER CLEAN ‘BY THE NUMBERS’ FOR CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

1 – fewest ServiceMaster Clean cautions for a race at Charlotte Motor Speedway (10/14/62)

6 – number of ServiceMaster Clean jet dryers available at CMS this weekend for track drying

4 of the 12 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup have yet to win in 2010 (Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth)

7 of the 30 Sprint Cup races this season have been extended beyond the scheduled distance following a late ServiceMaster Clean caution

8 – number of drivers that have swept both Sprint Cup regular-season races at CMS in the same year; no driver has swept both races and the Sprint All Star Race (Kurt Busch has a chance to become the first Saturday night)

12 different Sprint Cup race winners in 2010

13 – most ServiceMaster Clean cautions for a Sprint Cup race this season (Martinsville)

14 of the 103 races at CMS have been won from the pole; 30 of 103 have been won from the front row

16 different Sprint Cup pole winners in 2010

22 – most ServiceMaster Clean cautions for a Sprint Cup race at CMS (5/29/05)

107 points separate the top five in the Chase point standings after the first four races

105 minutes – approximate time it takes for the ServiceMaster Clean jets to dry the 1.5-mile track

4,500 ServiceMaster Clean franchise locations around the world

Sprint Cup

111 of the 211 ServiceMaster Clean cautions in the first 30 Sprint Cup races this season were for accidents, 40 for debris and 27 for spins

211 ServiceMaster Clean cautions in the first 30 Sprint Cup events this season; 258 after 30 races last year

1,071 of 8,843 laps completed in the first 30 Sprint Cup races this year have been under a ServiceMaster Clean caution; 1,225 of 6,955 after 30 races last year

1,536.630 of 12,059.928 miles completed this season in the 30 Sprint Cup races have been under a ServiceMaster Clean caution; 1,719.388 of 11,621.305 after 30 races last year

Nationwide Series

187 ServiceMaster Clean cautions in the first 30 Nationwide Series events this season; 208 after 30 races last year

112 of the 187 ServiceMaster Clean cautions in the first 30 Nationwide events this season have been for accidents, 31 for debris and 26 for spins

875 of 5,484 laps completed in the first 30 Nationwide Series races this season have been under a ServiceMaster Clean caution; 964 of 5,661 after 30 races last year

1,193.611 of 7,342.931 miles completed this season in the 30 Nationwide Series races have been under a ServiceMaster Clean caution; 1,285.233 of 7,353.464 after 30 races last year

RACE INFO:

Event: Bank of America 500

Date/Time: Oct. 16, 2010/3 p.m. EST

2009 winner: Jimmie Johnson

2009 polesitter: Jimmie Johnson

Distance: 334 laps/501 miles

Track Length: 1.5 miles

Banking: 24 degrees

Track Shape: Quad Oval

EXPRESS NOTES:

Hamlin, FedEx Racing Eighth at Auto Club: Denny Hamlin marched forward from the back of the field to claim an eighth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway last weekend and keep his Championship hopes very much alive through four Chase for the Sprint Cup races. Hamlin battled into the top-ten by the halfway point of the race and looked poised to challenge for the win before late restarts shuffled him back ahead of taking the checkered flag in eighth. Hamlin and team head home to Charlotte trailing current points leader Jimmie Johnson by 36 points.

Hamlin at Charlotte Motor Speedway: This weekend will mark Hamlin’s 11th Cup start at Charlotte and his 182nd career Cup start. Earlier this season, Hamlin and the #11 team endured early damage to the FedEx Office Camry, making a long race longer as they were forced to work through significant repairs on their way to a 18th place finish in the Coca-Cola 600. As the race moved from day to night, Hamlin maintained his position in the top five, but a spin by Jimmie Johnson on lap 274 forced Hamlin low on the track to avoid contact and, in doing so, he clipped the edge of the infield grass, causing significant damage to the front splitter. The team took advantage of several pit stops to repair what they could on pit road but the damage was enough to keep Hamlin from challenging the leaders at the end. Lucky dog passes kept the #11 on the lead lap and Hamlin charged forward before the checkered flag waved to claim 18th spot on the night. Last fall, Hamlin led 54 laps and looked ready to challenge for the win. Unfortunately, an engine part failure that forced Hamlin from the race and the FedEx Toyota on the transporter on lap 192 saw the team scored 42nd on the night. In the summer of 2009, during a weekend full of weather-interrupted racing, Hamlin posted a well-deserved 11th-place finish in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600. The #11 team ran in the top-ten throughout the race, only falling outside at the end when pit stops decided the final order. Fall races at Charlotte have been a mixed bag for Hamlin and team. In 2008, Hamlin ran comfortably in the top-ten before a lap 233 incident caused damage to the car and left Hamlin unable to regain the performance he enjoyed up to that point. In 2007, just as Hamlin appeared poised to bring home a top-five finish, transmission issues that had been threatening for much of the race finally crippled the #11 under caution. The ensuing repairs forced Hamlin to ride out the remainder of the race in fourth gear while mired back in the pack. He would ultimately take the checkered flag in 20th place. In 2006, a lap one multi-car wreck caught Hamlin and the ensuing damage sent him immediately to the garage for significant repairs. He returned to the track but wasn’t able to improve beyond a 28th-place finish. Hamlin made his debut at Lowe’s in 2005. In only his second-ever Cup start, Hamlin pushed the #11 forward from a starting position of 39th to claim his first-ever top-ten finish.

Race Series Date Start Finish Laps (Led)

Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup May 30, 2010 7 18 400/400 3

NASCAR Banking 500 Sprint Cup Oct. 17, 2009 17 42 192/334 54

Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup May. 25, 2009 13 11 227/227

Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup Oct. 11, 2008 12 16 334/334

Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup May 25, 2008 16 24 399/400 1

Bank of America 500 Nextel Cup Oct. 13, 2007 11 20 337/337

Coca-Cola 600 Nextel Cup May 27, 2007 6 9 400/400 1

Bank of America 500 Nextel Cup Oct. 14, 2006 22 28 265/334

Coca-Cola 600 Nextel Cup May 28, 2006 8 9 400/400 25

UAW-GM Quality 500 Nextel Cup Oct. 15, 2005 39 8 336/336 1

Averages/Totals 15.1 18.5 93.2% 85

Charlotte Chassis – JGR 279 and 288: The team will unload JGR 279 at Charlotte this weekend. This car recorded a ninth-place finish at Dover two weeks ago. Chassis JGR 288 will serve as the backup.

FedEx Ground Ohio Valley District Along for the Ride in Charlotte: The #11 FedEx Ground Camry will carry the letters OHVL on the B-posts this weekend in recognition of the Ohio Valley District team. The team is being recognized for their consistently strong performance in package care. The Ohio Valley district encompasses the Northern Kentucky hub and its satellite facilities in southwestern Ohio, eastern Indiana, and northern Kentucky.

HAMLIN CONVERSATION – Charlotte:

You have talked a lot about the importance of staying in the middle of the fight through the first half of the Chase, are you comfortable with your position?: “We knew we that we couldn’t beat ourselves through these first races and we haven’t so we feel pretty good. We would have liked better finishes at a couple of tracks and to be in the lead in points but we’re in good shape heading to some tracks where we think we’ll be competitive. We just want to be racing our races and not worrying about anyone else – if we can do that, it gives us our best chance of success.”

What has experience here at Charlotte, both in the 600 and in the fall race, taught you?: “For one it really helps to qualify good here. We always feel good about our equipment here but we’ve had some cases where we’ve been caught in traffic and had contact or something happen that has hurt us early. And then we just can’t beat ourselves at this track. We’ve been really good here but we need to make the end and that means good changes, good stops and a smart drive by me.”

A year ago you had one of the dominant cars before being knocked out of the race – is this a place you’ve improved as much as any other track?: “I would say it is. This is a place I struggled with early on but a place where I have really benefitted from Kyle (Busch). Everyone knows how strong he is on these types of tracks and he’s shared a lot of information with me – I know it’s made me better here and with the improvement in our intermediate program it means we can come to big tracks like this and be right there with any car.”

2010 FEDEX RACING – TEAM ROSTER

Crew Chief: Mike Ford – Morristown, Tenn.

Car Chief: Chris “Spider” Gillin – Smithtown, NY

Shocks: Tim Sparkman – St. Louis, Mo.

Engineer: Mike Wheeler – Southholt, NY

Tire Specialist: Patrick Mullen – Brick, N.J.

Windshield: Bobby “Spike” Christenson – Spokane, Wash.

Mechanic: Rick Bray – Placerville, Calif.

Hauler Driver: Jerry Hess – Lancaster, Pa.

Mechanic: John Furino – Long Island, NY

Hauler Driver: Frank Hodel – Blythe, Calif.

Spotter: Curtis Markham – Fredericksburg, Va.

Front Tire Changer: Jonathan Sherman – Monroe, La.

Rear Tire Changer: Mike Hicks – Salisbury, N.C.

Rear Tire Carrier: Heath Cherry – Belmont, N.C.

Front Tire Carrier: Brandon Pegram – Statesville, N.C.

Jackman: Nate Bolling – Swanton, Ohio

Motor Specialist: Chris Woodward – Franklin, NH

Gas can: Scott Wood – Liberty, S.C.

Catch Can: John Eicher – London, Ky..

JGR Athletic Director: Michael Lepp – Charlotte, N.C.

Roswell, Ga. (October 12, 2010) – Scott Miller, interim crew chief for the No. 33 Hartford Chevy and driver Clint Bowyer, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway.
 
Coming into Kansas, Bowyer and team were a bit distraught following the past couple of weeks where they have been under deep scrutiny. While crew chief Shane Wilson is on a four-race suspension, Richard Childress appointed former crew chief and existing Director of Competition for Richard Childress Racing, Scott Miller to the job.
 
Miller came with the desire to turn this team around. Although Bowyer remains 12th in the points’ standings, Miller made a critical call towards the end of the race that put them in a position to win.
 
Leading for 27 laps, Bowyer seemed to be on his way to victory, but the caution flag flew on lap 184, and Miller summoned his driver to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel. Bowyer returned to the track in third, while others chose to only take two tires.  But with fresh rubber, Bowyer was able to slingshot past Jimmie Johnson to take home the 2nd place finish behind winner Tony Stewart.
 
“Scott called a pretty impressive race after not being in the crew chief’s seat for over a year,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative Jeff Hammond. “To come in and take over the No. 33 team and finish 2nd is remarkable. Despite all of the controversy and stress, he managed to make good calls throughout the weekend and during the race.”
 
WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Results
Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy led by Todd Berrier finished 23rd after wrestling with loose-handling conditions, racing between 17th and 28th spots for the better half of the race.
 
Unfortunately most of the adjustments made in the pits didn’t improve the No. 31 machine resulting in a below par finish.
 
Marcos Ambrose and the No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota Camry, led by Frank Kerr, finished a disappointing 33rd position after enduring grip issues along with high oil and water temperatures.

“It just was not our day,” said Ambrose, who completed 193 of 200 and started the race from the 26th position. “We spun out a few times during the race. It was a tough day for us. Fortunately, we were able to soldier on to finish the race.”

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.

Kasey Kahne

No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion

Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

• With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams racing close to home this weekend, Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Ford, will be logging miles on the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway as well as off the track, through the streets of Uptown Charlotte, N.C.

• On Saturday night Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford team are scheduled to race 500 miles at the speedway in the Bank of America 500. The following morning, Sunday, Oct. 17, Kahne will host and participate in the Kasey Kahne Foundation “Five Kahne sponsored by Bank of America,” a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) charity run and kids’ dash in Uptown Charlotte. Scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., the run starts at Bank of America Stadium and concludes at the NASCAR Hall of Fame where ESPN reporter Marty Smith will lead a Q&A session with Kahne following the run.

• The Kasey Kahne Foundation, which has pledged $500,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities, aims to raise awareness for next year’s grand opening of the new Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte located on Morehead Street across from Levine Children’s Hospital at Carolinas Medical Center. In addition, proceeds from the event will establish a scholarship fund for advance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education field trips to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for students associated with the NC STEM Community Collaborative.

• Those that don’t wish to run in the 5K, but still want to contribute to the cause can participate instead in Kasey’s Lead Foot Challenge. To register, or for additional information, visit www.kaseykahnefoundation.org.

• Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford team enter the weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway fresh off of their seventh top-five finish of the season. The fourth-place run at Auto Club Speedway moved Kahne up two spots in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings to 19th position.

• In 13 starts at the 1.5-mile track, Kahne has scored three point-paying wins (including the 2006 Bank of America 500), five top fives and seven top-10 finishes. His average starting position at the track is 9.4 and his average finish is 11.6.

• With six races remaining in the 2010 season, Kahne has earned three pole awards, seven top fives and nine top-10 finishes.

• 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 Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Five Kahne 5K scheduled for Sunday:

Are you looking forward to Charlotte race week? “Yeah, I always like Charlotte, especially the racing because it’s a good track for us. Then just being close to home and being able to do some things whether it’s with the fan club, sponsor stuff or with our foundation like this year with our 5K on Sunday morning, I think all of that stuff is kind of exciting and gives you something to look forward to.”

The track has gone through a lot of changes physically the last couple of years. Has it altered how the cars react? “It hasn’t changed a whole lot. That track is pretty similar every time we go back with the feel. The cars have changed a lot with the setups as far as what we do and what other teams do, so we just need to keep working hard at that. If we hit on it, we’ll be up front this week. That’s just one of our tracks that we’re good at.”

Are those 1.5-mile tracks the kind you enjoy most? “They’ve always suited me the most. I was able to kind of figure them out a lot quicker than some of the other tracks.”

Your foundation is hosting a 5K on Sunday. Are you an avid runner? “I like running and staying in shape, and I would say I probably run about 10-12 miles a week. I’ll run three or four miles at a time, it just depends on the day and what I have scheduled.”

How did the 5K come about? “My trainer at KKR (Ryan Von Reuden) thought it would be neat and my sister (Shanon Adams) started working with him on the foundation side. With the Ronald McDonald House, the Hall of Fame, and Bank of America being in downtown Charlotte, it was a good fit for a lot of the partners we’ve had the last few years, so it all came together and I’m looking forward to it. Budweiser is going to be a part of it, too, so it should be exciting and hopefully a lot of people will come and sign up. It’s going to be a good time.”

I’m sure you would like that 5K event to be a victory celebration as well, right? “I’d rather be a bit tired going into the race on Sunday morning.”

Is it true that as the host, you will the lead the pack from start to finish for Sunday’s 5k? “No, that’s not true. I would struggle with that because there are going to be some fast runners participating (laughing).”