Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Author: Official Release

  • Sam Hornish Jr. NSCS Charlotte Motor Speedway Preview

    SAM HORNISH JR.

    No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

    Charlotte Motor Speedway – Bank of America 500

    October 16, 2010

    Sam Hornish Jr. Charlotte Motor Speedway Racing History

    DATE SERIES RACE START FINISH LAPS STATUS

    5/30/2010 NSCS Coca-Cola 600 14 17 400/400 Running

    10/17/2009 NSCS NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America 22 40 298/334 Running

    5/25/2009 NSCS Coca-Cola 600 26 16 227/227 Running

    10/11/2008 NSCS Bank of America 500 36 22 332/334 Running

    5/25/2008 NSCS Coca-Cola 600 20 13 400/400 Running

    5/24/2008 NNS Car Quest Auto Parts 300 13 39 66/202 Accident

    Mobil 1 Team News and Notes

    • Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, has performed well at intermediate venues like Charlotte Motor Speedway since transitioning to Cup Series racing in 2008. Hornish has a total of 48 starts at tracks over one mile but less than two miles in length, with an average starting position of 21.3 and an average finish of 26.9, while he has secured three top-10, five top-15 and 24 top-20 finishes.

    • In a total of five Cup Series career starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hornish has one top-15 and three top-20 results with an average finish of 21.6 and best effort of 13th (2008) at the 1.5-mile oval. In addition, Hornish won the Sprint Showdown qualifying event for the All-Star Race at Charlotte in 2009.

    • Last weekend at Auto Club Speedway, Hornish rallied to score a 15th-place finish in the Cup Series event at the Southern California venue after battling a tight-handling race car for much of the afternoon. The result marked the sixth top-15 finish for the Mobil 1 team this season.

    • Mobil 1 crew chief Travis Geisler offers fans a glimpse into car setup for each racetrack on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit at washingtonpost.com. Geisler reports that at Charlotte, things are a little loose and drivers tend to get “nosey” heading into the turns. Learn more at http://wapo.st/d1rrKN.

    • Hornish will be on hand to sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer on Saturday, October 16 from 3:50 – 4:20 p.m. EDT at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    Sam Hornish Jr. Quote

    Charlotte Motor Speedway is a track that really seems to suit you. Why do you enjoy racing there so much?

    “Charlotte Motor Speedway has a lot of grip. The track doesn’t change much from day to night; it just gets a little tighter. It’s a place that suited me from the beginning. The first time I went there I didn’t really like it, but now I feel like I know what the car needs and I always look forward to racing there. Charlotte races different than a lot of other places because the track surface is not abrasive and the tires last. The way Charlotte is paved, it handles a lot different than the other 1.5-mile tracks.”

    Do you feel that tire consistency has helped your performance at Charlotte Motor Speedway?

    “Goodyear has been really consistent with the tire they have taken to Charlotte. They haven’t had any tire failure issues so they keep bringing the same tire back. It seems like at most tracks, they bring a different tire back for the next race because someone has had problems there. Charlotte has been pretty consistent with the tire and I think that’s one of the reasons why we have run the way we have there.”

    Crew Chief Travis Geisler Quote

    What are your thoughts on this weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway?

    “The Mobil 1 Dodge team is excited to get back to Charlotte Motor Speedway and run under the lights in front of the hometown crowd. Charlotte is such a fast track and the cooler temperatures should make for plenty of grip on Saturday night. The tire that Goodyear brings to Charlotte does not lose a lot of grip during each fuel run, so the drivers can push the car pretty hard without paying a penalty at the end of the run.”

  • Bowyer’s Crew Wins Tissot Pit Road Award at California

    Clint Bowyer’s crew captured the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race (Oct. 10) at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.

    It was the third win of the season for the No. 33 crew, which moved into a four-way tie for second place in the overall Tissot standings with six races remaining. Jeff Gordon’s crew continues to hold on to a one-race lead with four wins.

    Along with $5,000 going to the weekly winning pit crew, the team with the most Tissot Pit Road Precision Award wins at the completion of the 36-race schedule will receive a $105,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the over-the-wall crew members and driver.

    Bowyer’s No. 33 The Hartford Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road during the Pepsi Max 400 – 290.065 seconds. Coming in a close second was Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet at 290.355 seconds and third was Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet at 293.442.

    “Man, I have to say that the No. 33 boys were on their game Sunday,” said Bowyer, who was the event runner-up. “Their pit stops were spot on and that helped us gain the lead and put us in contention for the win at Fontana. They work real hard day in and day out to make sure that they perform at their best come race time. And, its recognition like this that rewards them for their dedication in helping us focus on our weekly goal to win races.”

    Bowyer’s over-the-wall crew consists of: Jason Pulver (front-tire changer), Austin Craven (front-tire carrier), Dustin Necaise (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Nick Terry (jackman), Bryan Smith (gasman) and Michael Hodges (catch can). The pit crew coach is Matt Clark.

    2010 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Standings

    Pos Team No. Pit Crew For Wins Prize Money

    1 24 Jeff Gordon 4 $20,000

    T2 18 Kyle Busch 3 15,000

    T2 17 Matt Kenseth 3 15,000

    T2 1 Jamie McMurray 3 15,000

    T2 33 Clint Bowyer 3 15,000

    T6 56 Martin Truex Jr. 2 10,000

    T6 00 David Reutimann 2 10,000

    T6 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000

    T9 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000

    T9 12 Brad Keselowski 1 5,000

    T9 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 5,000

    T9 39 Ryan Newman 1 5,000

    T9 2 Kurt Busch 1 5,000

    T9 26 Boris Said 1 5,000

    T9 16 Greg Biffle 1 5,000

    T9 29 Kevin Harvick 1 5,000

    2010 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Winners

    Daytona, 2/14 Juan Pablo Montoya Team

    Fontana, 2/21 Jeff Gordon Team

    Las Vegas, 2/28 Martin Truex Jr. Team

    Atlanta, 3/7 Martin Truex Jr. Team

    Bristol, 3/21 Brad Keselowski Team

    Martinsville, 3/29 Clint Bowyer Team

    Phoenix, 4/10 Matt Kenseth Team

    Texas, 4/19 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team

    Talladega 4/25 David Reutimann Team

    Richmond, 5/1 Ryan Newman Team

    Darlington, 5/8 Jamie McMurray Team

    Dover, 5/16 Matt Kenseth Team

    Charlotte, 5/30 Jeff Gordon Team

    Pocono, 6/6 Kyle Busch Team

    Michigan, 6/13 Kurt Busch Team

    Sonoma, 6/20 Boris Said Team

    Loudon, 6/27 Jeff Gordon Team

    Daytona, 7/3 Jeff Gordon Team

    Chicago, 7/10 Jamie McMurray Team

    Indianapolis, 7/25 Jamie McMurray Team

    Pocono, 8/1 Greg Biffle Team

    Watkins Glen, 8/8 Kyle Busch Team

    Michigan, 8/15 Tony Stewart Team

    Bristol, 8/21 David Reutimann Team

    Atlanta, 9/5 Tony Stewart Team

    Richmond, 9/11 Matt Kenseth Team

    Loudon, 9/19 Clint Bowyer Team

    Dover, 9/26 Kyle Busch Team

    Kansas, 10/3 Kevin Harvick Team

    Fontana, 10/10 Clint Bowyer Team

    About Tissot

    For Tissot, “In touch with your time” is far more than an advertising claim. This phrase expresses the brand’s DNA; its proven dedication to being perfectly in tune with the technology and tastes of each era. Tissot has been growing and developing its tradition of innovation since 1853. From the early days to the present, in its home in Le Locle in the Swiss Jura mountains, Tissot has translated craftsmanship and precision into stylish timepieces now sold in over 150 countries around the world. Special materials, advanced functionality and meticulous design detail join forces to create the luxury of accessibility. Today, Tissot is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor of Swiss watches, as well as official timekeeper and partner of NASCAR®, FIBA, AFL, CBA, MotoGP and the World Championships of Cycling, Fencing and Ice hockey. The tradition of innovation lives on, keeping closely in touch with the times.

  • Jason Leffler ready for battle under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway

    JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

    No. 38 Great Clips Toyota Camry

    Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Dollar General 300

    October 15, 2010

    • Braun Racing looking for more hardware from Charlotte Motor Speedway… Braun Racing has two trophies from Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) in their display case and they are hoping to add to that collection this weekend. Dave Blaney gave the team their first win at the track in October, 2006. In May of 2008, Kyle Busch gave the team their second trophy when he drove the No. 32 Dollar General Camry to victory lane.

    • Leffler at Charlotte Motor Speedway, by the numbers… In 14 Nationwide Series starts at CMS, Leffler has one-top five and four top-10 finishes. He has led laps in seven of those events for a total of 80 laps led. His best performance at the 1.5-mile track came in the spring of 2004 when he started from the ninth spot and finished fourth, leading for 36 laps

    • Fourth race for the Nationwide Series’ “New Car”… Drivers and teams will participate in an extended test session on Wednesday afternoon at the Concord, N.C.-based track. This will mark the ‘new car’s’ fourth and final appearance of the season before it is introduced full-time in 2011.

    • “Tech Talk” with Jason Leffler and Joe Balash… Jason Leffler will join NASCAR Nationwide Series Director, Joe Balash, at the Nationwide Insurance display on Friday at 2pm for “Tech Talk” with the fans at CMS. “Tech Talk” is designed to tell fans about the “new car” that will be introduced full-time in 2011.

    • Dollar General Serving as Title Sponsor at Charlotte… Longtime Braun Racing marketing partner, Dollar General, will serve as title sponsor for this weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    • Did you know? Great Clips is the longest-running sponsor in the Nationwide Series…Minneapolis-based Great Clips, Inc. came onto the scene in 2001 as a primary sponsor of Akins Motorsports No. 38 entry, then driven by Christian Elder. Kasey Kahne drove the car from 2003-2005, before Leffler took over the wheel in 2006.

    • Braun Racing acquired by Turner Motorsports… Recently it was announced that Turner Motorsports acquired select assets of Braun Racing. The team will continue to operate as Braun Racing for the remainder of the 2010 season. Plans for Turner Motorsports in 2011 include fielding three entries in both the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series (NNS). The NNS driver lineup will be announced in October.

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

    Leffler on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    “Charlotte Motor Speedway provides some really fun racing. With the fast speeds and three-wide racing, it’s a lot of fun. We all consider Charlotte to be our hometown track and, even though most of us are not from here, this is a place we have all made our home. This will be the first time we have raced the ‘new car’ here and I’m looking forward to it. This Great Clips team has run pretty well in these ‘new cars’ so I feel like we have a shot to be a strong contender on Friday night. Braun Racing already has two wins here and we are hoping to make it three this weekend in the Dollar General 300.”

    Equipment Information

    The No. 38 Great Clips team will unload chassis #104 in this weekend’s Dollar General 300. This is the same chassis Leffler piloted at Michigan Speedway, where he started fourth and finished 34th (engine), and Richmond international Raceway, where he started ninth and finished 14th.

    Jason Leffler Statistics

    Charlotte Motor Speedway Career NASCAR Nationwide Series

    No. Starts: 14

    Best Start: 5th (spring, 2008)

    Best Finish: 4th (spring, 2004)

    Average Start: 25.4

    Average Finish: 19.2

    Top-Fives: 1

    Top-10’s: 4

    Laps: 2541/2778 (91.5%)

    Laps Led: 80

    DNF’s: 4 No. Starts: 253

    Wins: 2

    Top-5 Finishes: 39

    Top-10 Finishes: 91

    Poles: 8

    Average Start: 17.2

    Average Finish: 17.1

    Laps Led: 604

  • ODYSSEY Battery Co-Primary Sponsor of Cope Twins as They Make NASCAR History in Martinsville Speedway Truck Series Race

    ODYSSEY® Battery Co-Primary Sponsor of Cope Twins as They Make NASCAR History in Martinsville Speedway Truck Series Race

    Twin Nieces of Daytona 500 Champ Derrike Cope Ready to Show They Belong in one of NASCAR’s Top Series

    READING, Pa. October 12, 2010 – ODYSSEY® Battery byEnerSys® announced today that it will be a major co-primary sponsor of the Cope Twins – Amber and Angela – who will become the first twins in history to compete in the same race in one of NASCAR’s top three series.

    Twins have never competed in a NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series race, but that will change when the 27-year-old sisters will get behind the wheel in the Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 23.

    Twin nieces of 1990 Daytona 500 Champion Derrike Cope, both Amber and Angela have guaranteed starting spots in the No. 01 Dodge and the No. 6 Dodge. Both will have identical paint schemes – solid black with white ODYSSEY® Battery logos, which will adorn the hoods as well as the TV panels. Having the twins compete in the same race – their debut in the Truck Series – is a joint effort between Derrike Cope Racing, Stratus Racing Group, Daisy Ramirez Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing.

    “The teams and the twins have been waiting patiently to get to this historical occasion,” said Derrike, a two-time winner in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series who now competes in the Nationwide Series. “The opportunity to showcase their driving talents will happen in Martinsville soon.”

    “This is what we have strived for since we started racing go-carts at age nine,” said Angela, who along with Amber, are originally from Puyallup, Washington. “We successfully ran go-carts for years across the Northwest, then moved to North Carolina over five years ago with a dream to race stock cars or trucks. We will now get the opportunity to earn the respect of our competitors.”

    The Twins’ resume includes countless go-cart victories and multiple championships. Since moving east they have competed in super late models and ARCA, although be it on a limited basis. While they haven’t been in an ARCA car in more than a year, their Uncle Derrike has had them testing at various venues, preparing for this – their shot.

    “I know female racers come and go in our sport, but it all comes down to driving on a consistent basis,” said Derrike. “The twins are smart, attractive and have talent. They understand that there is a learning process associated with becoming successful. Angela and Amber will commit their time and energy to the sport. We are pleased to have ODYSSEY® Batteries as co-primary for this historic race. Their support has been crucial to our success.”

    Opening practice for the Martinsville Truck race is set to begin at 10 am on Friday, October 22, followed by final practice at 1:10 pm. Qualifying for the 36-truck field will be at approximately 4:40 pm, immediately following time trials for the Sprint Cup Series cars. The Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Series Truck race gets the green flag at 1 pm on Saturday, October 23.

    The co-primary sponsorship of the Cope Twins continues a motorsports effort by ODYSSEY® Battery, which has been with Richard Childress Racing since 2009.

    For more information about ODYSSEY® Battery,visit www.ODYSSEYbattery.com.

    ABOUT ENERSYS

    EnerSys®, the world leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications, manufactures, distributes and services reserve power, motive power and starting, lighting and ignition (SLI) batteries, chargers, power equipment, and battery accessories to customers worldwide. SLI batteries are used for trucks and buses, passenger cars, boats, personal watercraft, ATVs, motorcycles and garden tractors. The company also provides aftermarket and customer support services to its customers from more than 100 countries through its sales and manufacturing locations around the world. For more information about EnerSys and its ODYSSEY® batteries, visit www.enersys.com or www.ODYSSEYbattery.com.

  • Richard Petty Driving Experience Announces Additional Kansas Speedway Dates

    Stock Car Rides and Drives Available On Remaining October Weekends

    (Concord, NC) October 11, 2010 – Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) and Kansas Speedway announced that the world leader in NASCAR-style Driving and Ride-Along Experiences will be on the 1 ½ mile track October 15-17, 23, 24, 30 and 31, offering fans the opportunity to strap into a NASCAR race car for as low as $59.

    “We’re thrilled to add these dates at Kansas Speedway,” said Mike Bartelli, Chief Marketing Officer of Petty Holdings and Richard Petty Driving Experience. “It is certainly one of our favorites among the 24 tracks we visited in 2010, and we love how people come from all over the Midwest to join us whenever we’re there.

    “We’re happy to announce that RPDE has added additional dates at Kansas Speedway,” said Kansas Speedway President Pat Warren. “RPDE offers fans an opportunity to see what drivers experienced in the Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods on Oct. 3 as they chased the checkered flag.”

    RPDE also announced that its famous Ride-Along Experience will be available for only $59 on these October dates. Regularly $109, the Ride-Along puts the guest in the passenger’s seat with a professional instructor driving at speeds of up to 155MPH.

    The Ride-Along can be purchased from RPDE at the race track on the above dates.

    For more information, call 800.237.3889 or visit www.drivepetty.com.

    -end-

    About Richard Petty Driving Experience:

    Richard Petty Driving Experience, a motorsports entertainment and automotive services company headquartered in Concord, N.C., produces and facilitates NASCAR-style stock car drive and ride-along experiences, auto manufacturer ride and drive programs, safe driving programs, mobile marketing events and production services to the film industry. The company offers rides and drives at more than 20 major speedways around the country and has permanent facilities in Las Vegas, Orlando, and Concord, NC. For more information, call 1-800-237-3889 or visit www.drivepetty.com

    About Kansas Speedway:

    Kansas Speedway is now offering single event tickets for each of our races in 2011, including both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. Season tickets, which include a Track Pass that allows fans to watch the pre-race concert and driver introductions from the infield, are also available. Tickets are on sale now by calling 866.460.RACE or logging onto www.kansasspeedway.com. Parking is always free at Kansas Speedway and fans can bring in one 6x6x12-inch soft-sided cooler with their favorite food and beverages.

  • Joey Logano / No. 20 GameStop Toyota Preview – Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    No. 20 GameStop Toyota News, Notes & Paint Scheme:

    • STILL NO NEW CAR BLUES… NOT FOR LOGANO & NO. 20: The Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with mark the fourth and final NASCAR Nationwide Series “new car” race of the 2010 season. The new car, which will be run in all of the events in 2011, has been good for the No. 20 team this year. Logano finished second and sixth with the new car at Daytona and Michigan respectively, and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin ran sixth at Richmond during one of Logano’s off weekends. The car is designed to be safer and more similar to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series current car. The car is also more economical for the teams and branded better for the fans.

    • ROCKING OUT IN CHARLOTTE… WITH GUITAR HERO: The No. 20 GameStop Toyota will have a “rocking” paint scheme this weekend in Charlotte. The sixth installment of the ever-popular Guitar Hero series, named Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, will adorn the side of the No. 20 Toyota this weekend. Delivering the quintessential rock music collection that focuses on guitar shredding hits from bands such as Black Sabbath, Slipknot and Megadeth and larger-than-life band anthems from Queen, Muse and KISS, players can unleash more rewards and unlockable content than ever before in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock’s Quest Mode, the franchise’s first ever story-based mode, and Quickplay+, which invites challenge-starved fanatics to test their rock skills. Running on the powerful Guitar Hero engine that has been expanded and refined and with encores from the addictive, award-winning gameplay features that made Guitar Hero one of the most popular franchises of all-time – such as Party Play, Competitive modes and any combination of up to four instruments –the game offers a complete interactive and connected experience bringing friends and foes to the stage in the ultimate rock music experience.

    • EVERYTHING YOU LEARN MAKES YOU STRONGER: The No. 20 GameStop team has been busy in the past few weeks testing at a number of different tracks in preparation for this weekend’s Dollar General 300 at Charlotte and the final Nationwide Series “new car” event. The team tested at the half-mile Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, GA several weeks ago and then tested at the one-mile Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina late last week. Each time, the team tested several different setup packages under the new car to get a better idea of what makes the new cars faster. While the team didn’t test the exact chassis that they are taking to Charlotte (#20107, which also ran in Michigan), crew chief Kevin Kidd says the team learned a lot and has a better baseline to start.

    • GET WELL “WAHOO”: It’s been a tough ride for recent Joe Gibbs Racing hire Charles “Wahoo” Sampson. Sampson, who took over for the No. 20 GameStop team as truck driver in Dover, worked for just a couple of weeks before being admitted to the hospital and having surgery this past weekend while the rest of the team traveled to California. Sampson is recovering at home and will be back at the shop and with the team as soon as possible. So the entire GameStop team wishes “Wahoo” a speedy recovery.

    • STAT OF THE WEEK: 18. Joey has recorded an amazing 18 straight top-10 finishes this season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In fact, his 18 races would rank Joey third on the all-time list of consecutive top-10 finishes in the Nationwide Series. However, since Joey has taken several races off in the middle of his streak, they will not count towards the record. Sam Ard holds the record for the most consecutive top-10 finishes with 42 straight.

    • FEATURED ON THE No. 20: GameStop #2366 in Huntington Beach, CA will be the featured store on the lower rear quarter panel of the No. 20 GameStop Toyota this weekend in Charlotte.

    Logano’s Season-To-Date NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats:

    Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish

    21 2 12 20 6 567 $800,450 5.0 5.0

    Logano’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats:

    Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish

    62 8 30 50 13 1299 $2,397,429 7.5 7.2

    Logano’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

    Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish

    4 0 2 2 0 59 $104,293 9.8 9.0

    Joey Logano Quotes:

    “Charlotte is always a different weekend all around. First, you are right here at home, so there are always a lot of friends and family that come out to the track. Also, this is just Charlotte and a place everyone wants to win. Charlotte is a tough place to race. The track seems like it would be just like so many other of the 1.5-milers that we run, but this place has a lot of different characteristics that you don’t see anywhere else and is really sensitive to the weather, so that makes Charlotte a challenging but fun place.

    “I’m really anxious to run the new car here. Not only have we been testing the car and making grounds on what we need to do to make them faster, but Charlotte has been one of my better tracks in the Sprint Cup Series and since we’re running the new Nationwide car here, hopefully some of the experience will come over here. Charlotte is one of the few tracks I’d say my Sprint Cup finishes have been regularly better than my Nationwide finishes. So, I think we have a lot to gain this weekend and I’ve got a lot of confidence in my team.

    “We’ve got Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock this weekend on the car and that is really cool. I’m a huge music fan. I listen to pretty much anything from rock to pop to country to classic rock. So having Guitar Hero on the car is really cool. I’ve looked at some of the songs that are on the new game and there is some really good music on there. And that game is for people like me; those who wanna have some fun, but aren’t very gifted when it comes to playing instruments.”

    Kevin Kidd Quotes:

    “We are coming into Charlotte with a lot of great expectations because we’ve had some successful tests with the new Nationwide Series car the last couple of weeks. We didn’t light the world on fire, but sometimes, that isn’t what you want in tests. You want to learn what works and what doesn’t work. Sometimes, it’s just as good to learn some ideas that don’t work, because you don’t have to worry about going down that direction on race weekend. So, our tests were real successful, and I think we’ve got a better idea on what it is going to take to make our new Nationwide Series cars be as good or maybe better than our old-style cars.

    “Charlotte is a very important race for us as an organization, as it is for everyone, because it is hometown for the team. Everyone wants to run good in Charlotte because you normally have a lot of extra people there that visit since the shop is just 20 minutes away. So we are going to do what we can to go out there and get this No. 20 GameStop Toyota back in Victory Lane. We want to win one of these new car races this year as an organization, and I think the No. 20 guys have a shot this weekend.”

    No. 20 GameStop Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

    Crew Chief – Kevin Kidd Car Chief – Tony Hamm Engine Builder – Mark Cronquist

    Lead Engineer – Mike Lorusso Engine Specialist – Dan Bajek Spotter – Mark Robertson

    Jackman – TJ Ford Front Tire Changer – Nick Krizmanich Front Tire Carrier – Aaron Shields

    Gas Man – Chris Webb Rear Tire Changer – Chris McMullen Rear Tire Carrier – Matt Tyrell

    Catch Can – Brian Larson Truck Driver – Charles Sampson & Ashley Brotherton

    Tire Specialist – Ryan Martin Shock Specialist – Joel Weidman

  • R3 Motorsports to attempt first Sprint Cup Series race of year this weekend

    Johnny Sauter to drive No. 23 Pink and Blue for Two Toyota at Charlotte

    CHINA GROVE, N.C. (October 11, 2010) – R3 Motorsports will attempt to make their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the year this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Taking the wheel will be 336-NASCAR race veteran Johnny Sauter from Necedah, Wisconsin for the practice and qualifying sessions.

    The team didn’t have a Primary Marketing Partner for this race, so R3 has donated the entire sponsorship area of the No. 23 Toyota to the cancer-screening awareness cause of Pink and Blue for Two (PB42) and their upcoming fundraiser later this month. This initiative was formed by Emerson Newton-John whose aunt, nationally renowned entertainer Olivia Newton-John, is also a member of the organization that promotes breast and prostate cancer awareness and testing.

    With this being their first Sprint Cup Series attempt of the year, Sauter and the Scott Eggleston –led crew will have the daunting task of qualifying on time. If Sauter can repeat what he did at in the Sprint Cup race at the 1.5-mile oval of CMS in May, there will be one happy No. 23 Pink and Blue for Two Toyota team in the garage area.

    Fast Facts: Sauter has made 80 Sprint Cup Series starts in his career, four earlier this year with the most recent being at Charlotte in May. For that race, Sauter qualified 22nd driving for another team.

    Track Facts: Through nine previous starts at the 1.5-mile track, Sauter had his best qualifying attempt in 2006 when he started 14th. His best finish took place in the fall 2005 race when he finished 16th.

    Car Facts: Scott Eggleston, the 2001 Daytona 500 champion crew chief for Michael Waltrip at Dale Earnhardt, Inc., will be heading up the team’s Sprint Cup Series effort.

    Did you know: Of his 80 NSCS starts, Sauter’s best finish was fifth place at Richmond International Raceway in the fall of 2007.

    Johnny Sauter Quotes

    What is your mindset when you have to get into a race on speed?  “Other than the obvious pressure of having to make the race and not screw up the car in practice or qualifying – not too bad. (Laughs) The one thing you can be sure of when you have to make the race on time is your whole focus is on your qualifying set-up and how to get around the track as fast as possible for those two laps. So, you learn what you can in the practice session and then give it your all for qualifying. I’ve worked with R3 Motorsports before and we had a good run in their Nationwide car at Phoenix (finished 15th) earlier this year.”

    How about the pink and blue paint scheme on the care for breast and prostate cancer screening: “When it’s for a cause as good as what they’re doing to remind men and women to get regular screenings, I’m all for it and love the idea and scheme. The colors look good on the black background, too. You won’t have trouble finding our car on the track, that’s for sure.”

    For more information about Pink and Blue for Two and their upcoming fundraiser, log on to their website at www.PinkandBlueforTwo.com

  • Robert Richardson, Jr. to drive No. 23 Pink and Blue for Two Chevrolet at Charlotte

    R3 Motorsports donates entire car to cause championed by Emerson and Olivia-Newton John

    CHINA GROVE, N.C. (October 12, 2010) – Robert Richardson, Jr. and R3 Motorsports are teaming up with a worthwhile cause for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will be the fourth, and final, race with the new-style Nationwide Series cars this season.

    Richardson will drive the No. 23 Pink and Blue for Two (PB42) Chevrolet to help raise awareness for breast and prostate cancer testing. Pink and Blue for Two is an initiative started by Emerson Newton-John and is fully supported by his aunt, world renowned entertainer Olivia Newton-John, to raise cancer-testing awareness for men and women. Later this month, the group’s second PB42 fundraising event takes place on Wednesday, October 27 at Busch Gardens Theme Park in Tampa, Fla.

    The main goal of PB42 links the strikingly similar statistics between breast and prostate cancers and encourages couples to help remind one another to go to their Dr.’s for screenings. Also on the car will be a decal highlighting Olivia’s self-breast examination kit for women called Liv Aid.

    “This is great that R3 Motorsports has been kind enough to donate their entire Chevrolet to our cause for the Charlotte races this weekend,” said Emerson Newton-John. “We have been working hard to launch this campaign into a high-visibility market, and this opportunity with R3 to showcase our campaign in NASCAR is a great step in that direction. I thank them for this.

    “The No. 23 car is going to look awesome under the lights and I know this will greatly help raise awareness for PB42, Olivia’s self-screening kit and our fundraiser later this month. When I called to tell her what was going on for the Charlotte race and what R3 Motorsports did for us with www.PinkandBlueforTwo.com on the car she was very, very pleased.”

    Fast Facts: Richardson, 28, will be making his 67th NASCAR Nationwide Series start, 21st of the season and fourth at the high-banked oval of CMS. In his three previous Charlotte starts, his best qualifying effort was 28th in 2008 and best finish was 23rd, which occurred in the spring race this year.  For the season, the native of McKinney, Texas has completed 3,596 of 3,726 laps contested (95.8%) in those 20 races this year.

    Crew Chief Fill-In: For this weekend, veteran crew chief and engineer Walter Giles will be helping out R3 Motorsports and the No. 23 NNS team. Giles spent time with the team last year for a few races.This will free up regular crew chief Steve Plattenberger to oversee both the Cup and NNS cars this weekend for the team.

    Car Facts: Giles and regular engineer Jeff Kirkendall will have chassis No. 54 at their disposal this weekend. This will be the first time the car has seen any on-track action and was newly built for this race.

    Robert Richardson, Jr. quotes

    This is the final race with the new-style NNS cars this year: “Yeah, we’ve tried to get used to it and better with it every time. We had that new car at Michigan and it got destroyed right at the end of the race. So, we did what we know how to do best and built this one from the chassis up. I just hope we get a good reading about everything and get the car dialed in during the test day on Wednesday. Then, come Thursday and Friday, we can work on getting it faster and faster for qualifying and the race.”

    You’ll have Walter Giles on the pit box again this weekend: “Walter has a ton of experience and we only got to work together for a few races last year. I’m looking forward to him being up there, working with me and the team and seeing what he can do to help us. Steve (Plattenberger) needs to be freed up to work between the Cup and Nationwide garages this weekend, so this works out great for everyone.”

    Pretty cool paint scheme you have for this weekend: “This is a pretty special deal for R3 Motorsports and the folks with Pink and Blue for Two. When this came up, we quickly realized we could help more people by raising the awareness for breast and prostate cancer testing by having them on our car. The colors look great on our Chevrolet, and helping Emerson and Olivia-Newton John with their cause and their fundraiser later this month is pretty special, too.”

    For more information about PB42, see www.PinkandBlueforTwo.com online.

  • Ryan Truex and Martin Truex Jr., OUT! Pet Care Toyota Charlotte Preview

    CORNELIUS, N.C. — For the second time in three weeks, brothers Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Truex will drive OUT! Pet Care Toyotas for Diamond-Waltrip Racing in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race.  Ryan, 18, climbs in the No. 99 Toyota for Friday night’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway joining older brother and two-time series champion Martin who will pilot a reversed paint scheme No. 00 Toyota. In the brothers first race together at Kansas on Oct. 2, Martin finished fifth in the No. 00 and Ryan finished 15th in the No. 99. 

    QUOTES

    Ryan Truex on Martin:  “My brother has had a huge impact on my career.  He has taught me so much about racing.  I think the best advice he has given me is to be patient.  He has also taught me to take what the car will give me and not try and get a win out of a 10th-place car.  If you try and get too much from the race car the chances of you wrecking are pretty high.  My brother has been an awesome role model to me and I really look forward to racing against him again this weekend.”

    On Charlotte:  “It’s the new car and we’ve ran well with that so far. I think Charlotte will be more my kind of race track. It’s fast, high-banked and it looks like a lot of fun. I’ve never run there but I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be good to work with Jerry (Baxter, crew chief) again. I feel like we learned a little bit about each other and made some steps at Kansas.”

    Nationwide Goals:  “I want to go out there and get some good finishes and log all the laps I can.  The more seat time I can get the better I will be prepared for the 2011 season.  I want to go out there and earn respect from some of the veteran drivers.  I also want to continue to build on what the No. 99 team has done so far this season.  They have a lot of momentum on their side and they have been really competitive.  I would also really like to grab a few top 10 finishes before the season is over.”

    Martin on Charlotte:  “I’ve had some really good races at Charlotte. It’s pretty cool to race against my brother again this weekend.  I would much rather race against him then watch him race.  I get really nervous watching him race for some reason.  I can’t imagine what my dad goes through watching us both race.  He has to be a nervous wreck.”

    NOTES OF INTEREST

     

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

     

    • Casey Mears will drive the No. 00 during the open practice session on Wednesday.

     

    • Martin Truex Jr. is 11 years, 8 months and 19 days older than Ryan Truex.

     

    • Longtime crew chief Mike Greci will serve as Martin’s crew chief on the No. 00.

     

    • Martin Truex Jr. won Nationwide Series titles in 2004 & 200 with 13 wins in 97 starts.  

     

    • Martin Truex Jr. owns six series starts Charlotte—best finish of fifth came in May 2006.

     

    • Ryan Truex is the only teenager to win back-to-back K&N Pro Series East titles and first driver to bring a title to Michael Waltrip Racing.

     

    • Ryan Truex will race the No. 99 for the rest of 2010 except in Texas where Martin will drive.

     

    · Martin Truex Sr. competed in 15 Nationwide Series races 1989-1998. His best career finish of 12th came at Nazareth Speedway in 1994. He won an East Series race at New Hampshire in 1994.

  • TUMS Fast Relief 500 At Martinsville Speedway Could Be A Chase-Changer For Several Drivers

    MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 11, 2010) – Four races into the Chase for the Sprint Cup there are still at least a half-dozen drivers with a legitimate chance at winning the championship. And for at least four of them, Martinsville Speedway and the TUMS Fast Relief 500 on October 24 could be where they make their big move.

    When the checkered flag waved at Auto Club Speedway Sunday, Tony Stewart had the victory and made a big jump in the Chase standings to fifth, Jimmie Johnson had retained his Chase lead and Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon had remained solidly in the hunt.

    With just one race to go before the TUMS Fast Relief 500, Hamlin is just 36 points behind Johnson. Harvick is 54 points back and Gordon trails the leader by 85 points. Stewart moved from 10th to fifth with the win and is 107 points in arrears.

    And while Johnson has been dominant at Martinsville Speedway the past few years, Hamlin, Harvick, Gordon and Stewart all have to be excited about the only short-track stop in the Chase.

    Hamlin is the defending champion of the TUMS Fast Relief 500 and also captured the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 on the half-mile oval last spring. He ended a three-race win streak by Johnson in the spring of 2008 and has won three of the last five Martinsville Cup races.

    While it has been a few years since Gordon won at Martinsville, he leads all active drivers with seven Martinsville victories. He was third here in the spring and fifth last fall.

    Stewart has a couple of Martinsville wins to his credit and has momentum on his side after winning in California Sunday. Even though he is more than 100 points behind with five races remaining in the Chase, he thinks he’s got a good shot at picking up a third Sprint Cup championship.

    “We’re doing everything we can do,” said Stewart, who disliked Martinsville’s tight layout early in his career, but since has developed quite a fondness for it. “We’re going to need some help, but we’re doing everything we can do. I’m proud of these guys, and just so thankful … they refuse to give up, they refuse to back down. We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing here.”

    Then there’s Harvick who sits 54 points behind Johnson. He was reared in California, but these days he calls Martinsville Speedway his home track, living just over a half-hour away. He hasn’t won a Cup race at Martinsville, but has a couple of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins here along with a Nationwide Series victory.

    “I love racing at Martinsville. I get to sleep in my own bed and just have to go a few miles up the road. That makes life a lot easier, ” Harvick said recently. “There’s something about the place I’ve always liked. It’s a place like where we all got started, a short track. There’s always a lot of beating and banging there. And though we haven’t won, I think we’ve gotten better and better there.”

    Tickets for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 begin at $25 and range to $77.

    Tickets to the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on October 23 are $30 in advance, with children 12 and under admitted free.

    Tickets for Farm Bureau Insurance Pole Day, which features practice and qualifying for both the Kroger 200 and the TUMS Fast Relief 500, are $15, children 12 and under admitted free.

    Tickets for all events may be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com online.