Author: Official Release

  • TEAM DUPONT TO STAND OUT IN KANSAS?

    KANSAS CITY, Kan. (September 28, 2010) – Jeff Gordon’s statistics at the 1.5- mile Kansas Speedway are impressive, but can he and the No. 24 DuPont team stand out amongst the competition in Sunday’s Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods?

    TEAM DUPONT TO STAND OUT IN KANSAS? NASCAR’s top division first raced here in 2001, and Gordon led 53 laps en route to the inaugural victory. A year later, he once again visited Victory Lane after leading 116 laps. Overall, Gordon’s six top-fives (67 percent), seven top-10’s and 8.9 average finishing position in nine starts are tops among all drivers at the Kansas track.

    “When I look at the 10 races in the ‘Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,’ Kansas is the one that stands out to us,” said Gordon, who is eighth in the standings and 83 points behind the leader.

    “We won the first two races here, and that certainly gives us a lot of confidence each time we come back. “When you start off well at a track like we did, it quickly becomes one of your favorite tracks. Even when we aren’t at our best, Kansas seems to be one of our good tracks where we can post strong finishes.

    “We’ve had three consecutive top-five finishes here, but I think we’re a much better team going into this year’s race.” Last year, Gordon’s bid to capture the victory came up short as he trailed race winner Tony Stewart across the line by less than a second. Earlier this year, Gordon had a strong showing to finish third at Chicagoland Speedway – a track similar to Kansas. (more)

    -2- “We ran well at Chicago, and that’s probably the closest track [in terms of layout and banking] to Kansas on the circuit,” said Gordon.

    “Our intermediate program has been really strong this year, so that has us excited heading into the upcoming races.

    “Other than Charlotte, we have been good on the mile-and-a-halves and two- mile tracks this year. I’m really looking forward to this stretch of races, and we know we have to get better at Charlotte. “But that’s in a couple weeks. Right now, I can’t wait to get to Kansas.” And have another ‘stand out’ performance?

  • Team Lowe’s Racing – Jimmie Johnson – Kansas Speedway Preview

    Jimmie Johnson

    2010 Starts: 28 Wins: 6 Top 5: 11 Top 10: 15

    Current Driver Point Standings: 2nd Points Behind 1st: 35

    Finish in Dover: 1st October 2009 Finish at Kansas: 9th

    NEWS

    SAMSUNG HELMET OF HOPE FOR MORE: Jimmie Johnson will be a guest on SPEED Channel’s Trackside Live Friday night from Kansas Speedway. Johnson will be announcing the winner of the Samsung Helmet of Hope for More campaign, an online voting initiative in which one of the 12 charities selected to adorn Johnson’s race helmet will receive an additional $20,000.

    Participating charities each received a $10,000 grant and placement on Johnson’s Sprint Cup Series race helmet for the Oct. 10 event at Auto Club Speedway.

    Individuals can vote once per day for their favorite Samsung Helmet of Hope charity at www.helmetofhope.org. Voting ends Sept. 29 at 5 p.m. EDT.

    JIMMIE JAM LIVE BROADCAST: Team Lowe’s Racing is bringing race fans to the front row for the action during the Kansas race weekend with a live webcast of its exclusive Jimmie Jam series featuring Team 48 driver Jimmie Johnson and musical guest Jimmy Wayne.

    The special live coverage of the Jimmie Jam event can be viewed Thursday, Sept. 30 at 9:45 p.m. ET by visiting lowesracing.com.

    It provides fans a chance to tune in on their computers for a free glimpse into the evening – including a performance by Wayne and story-telling session with four-time, reigning NASCAR champion Johnson. The Jimmie Jam event will only be broadcast online, so Team Lowe’s fans will have a chance to see a very unique, exclusive event – from the very front row.

    The private Jimmie Jam event will be held in Kansas City for a limited number of guests. For more information about the live webcast of Jimmie Jam from Kansas, visit www.LowesRacing.com.

    RACE NOTES

    Kansas Speedway

    Johnson has made eight Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, where he has earned one win, two top-five and six top-10 finishes.

    Johnson has completed 98.6% (2050 of 2079) of competition laps at the 1.5-mile oval and has led 304.

    He has an average start of 5.6, his lowest average of all Sprint Cup Series tracks.

    His average finish is 10.2.

    Chassis

    Johnson last piloted chassis No. 592 to a third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September.

    Backup chassis No. 553 was driven to Victory Lane by Johnson at Auto Club Speedway in February.

    QUOTES

    JIMMIE JOHNSON: TALK ABOUT GOING TO KANSAS: “For a mile-and-a-half, I think that Chicago and Kansas are pretty similar. In years past, mile-and-a-halfs have been our bread and butter and have been really good for us. And Kansas has a really cool transition in and off the corners where you can run second and third lane. It is pretty friendly and you can search around and try to find a line. The asphalt has aged pretty quick there too which has allowed us to run multiple lanes and move around. So in general, it is a track with options. For a mile-and-a-half race track, it has a lot of options and I have enjoyed racing there over the years and have been able to get a win there.”

    CHAD KNAUS: CAN YOU SAY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED AS FAR AS THE CHASE IN THE FIRST TWO RACES OR YOU DON’T LEARN ANYTHING TILL THE MILE-AND-A-HALFS? “I feel good about it. If you go back and look at our performance in Chicago, we qualified respectable. We led a good portion of that race. I think if you go back and you look at how we ran at Charlotte Motor Speedway, we ran very competitive there. We basically took ourselves out of both of those races.”

    I think leading into that with Kansas being very similar to Chicago, looking forward to it. I think the performance we had in Atlanta was definitely a direction that you can see where we’re headed toward going into Charlotte Motor Speedway, Homestead, and definitely Fontana, we’re always excited to go there. We obviously won there in the spring. I think our big track stuff is pretty close. We’re excited about it. We know we’re never as good as what we want to be. We’re definitely going to be continuing to work on it, trying to improve our product, but I’m looking forward to it, definitely.”

    SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES

    Career Wins

    Johnson has 53 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 26, 2010.

    The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, one victory behind Lee Petty.

    He is second in total wins among active drivers, behind Jeff Gordon (82).

    Johnson needed only 296 starts to hit the 50 mark. Only three drivers have reached 50 victories quicker – Gordon (232), Darrell Waltrip (278) and David Pearson (293).

    Johnson has won at least three Cup races a season since he posted his first victory in 2002. He is the only driver in the modern era to win at least three races in each of his first eight full-time seasons.

    Johnson has won Sprint Cup Series races at all but four (Michigan, Chicago, Watkins Glen, Homestead) of the 22 tracks on which the series competes.

    Johnson was the first driver to win three of the first five races in The Chase.

    Johnson’s 10 wins in 2007 was the highest number recorded in a single season since Jeff Gordon posted 13 victories in 1998.

    The four-consecutive wins scored by the No. 48 team in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup ties a modern-era NASCAR record.

    Career Poles

    Johnson has collected 25 poles in his Sprint Cup career.

    The championship driver has earned at least one pole a year since his first full-time season in 2002.

    He had a career-high six poles in 2008.

    Johnson’s most recent pole position was at Dover International Speedway on Sept. 24, 2010.

    Career Starts

    In 28 2010 starts, Johnson has collected six wins, 11 top five and 15 top-10 finishes.

    Johnson has finished in the top five in the Sprint Cup Series point standings each year since his first full season in 2002.

    Johnson is the only driver to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup every year since the format was adopted in 2004.

    In 319 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 128 top-five and 195 top-10 finishes.

    He has a top-five finish at every track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

    Johnson has led a total of 10,955 laps (of 91,826) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 122,979 miles.

    He has finished on the lead lap 245 times.

  • Matt Kenseth – Crown Royal Black Racing – Kansas Advance

    Matt Kenseth – NSCS ADVANCE

    Team: No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford Fusion

    Crew Chief: Jimmy Fennig

    Chassis: Primary: RK-698 (last run at Richmond)

    Kenseth NSCS record at Kansas Speedway:

    Date Event S F Laps Status Earnings

    10/04/09 Price Chopper 400 23 39 134/267 Engine $128,290

    09/28/08 Camping World RV 400 3 5 267/267 Running $164,866

    09/30/07 Lifelock 400 2 35 206/210 Running $133,091

    10/01/06 Banquet 400 8 23 266/267 Running $129,516

    10/09/05 Banquet 400 1 5 267/267 Running $174,111

    10/10/04 Banquet 400 15 17 267/267 Running $77,650

    10/05/03 Banquet 400 37 36 220/267 Running $68,575

    09/29/02 Protection One 400 27 7 267/267 Running $89,400

    09/30/01 Protection One 400 13 32 238/267 Accident $53,900

    Races Wins Top 5s Top 10s Poles Earnings

    Cumulative 9 0 2 3 1 $1,019,399

    Kenseth on racing at Kansas Speedway:

    “Kansas is very similar to Chicagoland Speedway, but Kansas is just a little flatter in the banking than Chicago. Kansas is a good track, but it’s gotten to be a difficult place to pass during the race. It is a wide and flat track, but with the new car design, our challenge is making sure we can work on the set-ups to combat the fact that we can get pretty tight due to the aerodynamics of these cars. We’re just going to keep building upon what we’ve learned the past few weeks, and focus on making sure we make the right adjustments Sunday afternoon.”

    Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Kansas Speedway:

    “We’re bringing our car from Richmond and plan to run some of the set-ups that the No. 99 team ran at Chicago earlier this year since they had a great handling car. Our plan is to also use our settings from Dover since we felt we had a good car this past weekend as well and we’ll build off of those set-ups. Kansas is a typical 1.5-mile track but it’s a place that’s tough to pass with this new car because you find the car being aero-tight, so qualifying will be a main focus of ours on Friday. We’ll do a few runs in race trim and then switch over to work on qualifying.”

    FAST FACTS:

    • Kenseth has an average starting position of 14.3 and an average finishing position of 22.1 at Kansas

    • Kenseth has achieved one pole, two top-five’s, and three top-10’s at Kansas in the Cup series

    • Kenseth has completed 2,132 of 2,346 (90.9 percent) laps at Kansas and led for a total of 184 laps

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

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

  • David Ragan – Kansas Advance

    David Ragan – NSCS ADVANCE

    Team:          No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion

    Crew Chief:  Drew Blickensderfer

    Chassis:      Primary: RK-668   Last ran Indianapolis – finished 20th   

                       Backup: RK-620    Last ran Vegas – finished 23rd

    Ragan, NSCS at Kansas Speedway:

    Date        Event                              S          F       Laps           Led       Status           Money       

    10-4-09    Price Chopper 400           25        35     256/267      0          Running         $90,900

    9-28-08    Camping World RV 400    12        8       267/267      0          Running         $114,550

    9-30-07    LifeLock 400                    18        16     210/210      0          Running         $130,175

                               Races        Wins    Top-5s    Top-10s     Poles      Led            Money          

    Cumulative         3                0          0             1                0             0                $335,625

     

     

    Ragan on racing at Kansas Speedway:

    “I’m looking forward to getting back to a 1.5-mile track after all the short tracks we’ve been to lately.  Kansas is really similar to Chicago and that was one of our good tracks recently so I expect good things this weekend.  We had a good car last weekend in Dover, but had some bad luck on pit road.  Hopefully all can go well this weekend and we can get a solid finish in our UPS Ford.”

    Crew chief Drew Blickensderfer on racing at Kansas Speedway:

    “Kansas is very similar to Chicago and David had a good run at Chicago so we’re definitely looking forward to this weekend.  I think Kansas is a track where the new FR9 engine can really shine.  But track position is important, so we’ll need to be good on pit road to hope to stay up front.  Kansas should be a good weekend for our UPS Ford.”

    FAST FACTS

    • Ragan has three prior Sprint Cup starts at Kansas Speedway.  With those two starts Ragan has an average starting position of 18.3 and finishing position of 19.7.
    • Ragan has two prior Nationwide starts at Kansas Speedway.  His best finish came in the fall of 2008 where he qualified ninth and finished third.
    • Ragan has one prior Camping World Truck Series start at Kansas Speedway.  In 2006 he qualified third and finished sixth.
    • UPS Maximum Center Recognition—Kansas Speedway                                                                                                                                                 The Lenexa Feeders (SLIC 6629 FDR) has been selected as the UPS Maximum Center for this weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway. The Central Plans District center will have its number featured on David Ragan’s No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion.
  • Newman Enjoying Best Streak of Season; Next Stop Kansas

    KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Sept. 28, 2010) — Ryan Newman is in the midst of his best streak of the 2010 season with a finishing average of 8.2 during the last five Sprint Cup races. The 8.2 average finish is third best during this five-race stretch, behind Kyle Busch (4.6) and Carl Edwards (8.0).

    Newman, who missed the 12-driver Chase by one position, started his current streak with a sixth-place result in Bristol, Tenn. on Aug. 21. He went on to record finishes of eighth (Atlanta), 11th (Richmond), eighth (New Hampshire) and eighth (Dover).

    “We’re finding consistency and that’s always been a critical factor to attain success,” said Newman. “Had we run with this type of consistency we would without question be in the Chase, but it makes no sense to look back — that’s history and we can’t change it. But what we can do with our U.S. Army Chevrolet is to keep on running up front and posting strong finishing results in the remaining eight races. Driving the Soldiers’ car to victory lane would be the ultimate prize.”

    Newman’s average finish of 8.2 in the last five races is more than twice as good as his average finish of 17.0 in the first 23 Cup events.

    “We were always on the verge, but never could get it to click with regularity,” said No. 39 crew chief Tony Gibson. “We never lost faith in each other because we knew it was there. We could feel it and it was just a matter of time before it all came together. We’re still not where we want to be, you never can be satisfied in this business. But I am really proud of this Army team. We’re like our Soldiers — we never quit and we fight through adversity.”

    Newman and the No. 39 U.S. Army/Stewart-Haas Racing team are aiming to continue the torrid pace in Sunday’s Price Chopper 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway.

    In nine career starts at Kansas, Newman has one win (2003), three top fives and three top 10s. His success at the 1.5-mile track came early in his career with two runner-up finishes (2001 & 2002) and a victory (2003) in his first three starts. From 2004 to the present, his best finish was 16th in 2008.

    “It’s time to get back with finishes in Kansas that we’re capable of,” stated Newman, who enters Kansas as the highest non-Chase driver in points (13th). “We’ve been so-so on the mile and a half and two-mile tracks this season and look to change that this weekend. I know that Tony (Gibson) and the guys are working hard to get everything we can out of the remaining races.”

    Newman’s 2010 season statistics include, one win, two top fives, 10 top 10s and one pole.

    Newman’s Career Record at Kansas Speedway

    St Fn

    2001 17 2

    2002 3 2

    2003 11 1

    2004 7 33

    2005 11 23

    2006 15 24

    2007 42 43

    2008 15 16

    2009 30 22

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

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

    Front-tire carrier: Josh Mick, Houston, Texas

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

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

    Gasman: Michael Moore, Springfield, Mass.

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

    Catch Can: Andy Rueger, Seymour, Ind.

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

    ___________________________________________________

    Crew Chief: Tony Gibson, Daytona Beach, Fla.

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

    Spotter: Jimmy Kitchens, Hueytown, Fla.

    Engine Specialist: Jay Nolan, Jacksonville, Fla.

    Engineers: Johnny Klausmeier, Perry Hall, Md.

    Wes Gantt, Taylorsville, N.C.

    Engine: Hendrick Motorsports

    Shock Specialist : Brian Holshouser, Charlotte

    Tire Specialist: Jeff Zarrella, Southington, Conn.

  • Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance – Price Chopper 400 – Kansas Speedway

    Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance

    Price Chopper 400

    Kansas Speedway

    Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010

    www.media.chrysler.com

    www.twitter.com/teamdodge

    DODGE AT KANSAS SPEEDWAY

    • Dodge has one victory in 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway.

    • Dodge has one pole at Kansas Speedway – Kasey Kahne in 2006.

    • Dodge driver Kurt Busch is seeking his first top-five finish at Kansas Speedway. In nine races Busch has an average finish of 19.7.

    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.

    • Dodge has claimed two Sprint Cup victories in 2010.

    • 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.

    • Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at Kansas: Ryan Newman, 10/5/2003,  Banquet 400, 121.63 avg. speed.

    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 currently fourth in Chase standings, 59 points behind the leader.

    He was ranked fourth after two races in the 2009 Chase.

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

    • Busch gained one position in the standings after his fourth-place finish at Dover.

    • Through the first two Chase races this year, Busch’s average finish position is 8.5.

    • In 28 races this season, Busch has two wins along with nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

    • Has competed in 61 Chase races since 2004 (42 have been in a Dodge) with 16 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes.

    • His best Kansas start of seventh came in 2006; his best finish of sixth came in 2004.

    • In nine races at Kansas, Busch has led 81 laps with two top-10 finishes. He finished 11th last year.

    • At the eight remaining tracks hosting a Chase event this year, Busch has six wins, 26 top-five and 56 top-10s.

    KURT BUSCH – 2010 CHASE TRACKER

    Track Qualified Finish Pos. Behind +/-

    Loudon 12th 13th 5 -86 —

    Dover 8th 4th 4 -59 +1

    DODGE IN THE CHASE: KANSAS

    • 2004: Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman – Mayfield started third, led 72 laps and finished fifth. Newman finished 33rd.

    • 2005: Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman and Jeremy Mayfield – Wallace finished seventh, Mayfield 16th and Newman 23rd.

    • 2006: Kasey Kahne – He started from the pole and led 11 laps, but finished 33rd.

    • 2007: Kurt Busch – He qualified 12th, led 76 laps and finished 11th.

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

    • 2009: Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne – Kahne finished 21st and Busch 30th.

    DID YOU KNOW?

    • Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger, entered Kansas race week last

    year fourth in the NSCS driver’s standings – 75 points behind leader Mark

    Martin. Busch currently sits fourth in points trailing series leader Denny

    Hamlin by 59 markers.

    DODGE MOTORSPORTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK

    “We’re definitely going to try to help Kurt out as much as we can during the

    Chase. Penske Racing is in a unique position to do something that has never

    been done before and that is win three championships in three different

    series. Kurt is, obviously, the only driver we have in the Chase so we will

    play whatever role we can to help fulfill that side of our championship chase.

    We still want to win races ourselves, that is always the No. 1 goal, but

    there are things we can do and things we can try on our cars without

    jeopardizing the No. 2 car by having them run something untested.”

    Brad Keselowski, No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger

    ENGINEERING TALK

    “Some that complain about too many 1.5-mile tracks in the Chase are missing

    the mark if they include Kansas in that mix. The only similarity between

    Kansas and places like Charlotte, Texas, and Homestead is track length. With

    much less banking in the corners, Kansas average speeds are in the 175 mph

    range as opposed to the 190 mph averages seen at those other 1.5-mile tracks.

    Kansas requires a completely different and hybrid setup strategy that includes some flat-track thinking, some banked-track consideration, and hopefully some good notes from previous trips to this unique track.”

    Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering

    DODGE DRIVER QUOTES

    On the mental challenges of racing different tracks;

    “Each race track has its own personality. It could be something that a driver struggles with – like Turn 1 at a specific track that is hard to overcome. Or it could just be (its) basic layout that challenges a team as far as how they find their grip and to get the car handling well. A track like Kansas with the altitude there and the way that things shake up in the Midwest with weather mixture, you never know if the engine has the perfect combination.”

    Can you put into perspective how important the remaining 1.5-mile tracks in the Chase will be?

    “They do make up the largest quantity – a certain style of track. Kansas is pretty different compared to Texas and Charlotte and Homestead. It’s a challenging track. We only race there once a year. There are two tracks that we race at once a year – Kansas and Homestead. There’s that little bit of an uneasy feeling going there if you don’t have a solid notebook because you only race there once a year and it’s hard to find that speed.” Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger

    “We are going to these final races and are trying to do whatever we can do to help the No. 2 team. We know that by helping them, we’re able to go through twice as many things because they are trying something that could help us as well.”

    Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

    “Kansas is quite a bit different than some of the more traditional mile-and-a-half tracks, like Charlotte and Texas. It’s really similar to Auto Club Speedway in California. There are obvious differences in size as California is a two-mile track. Straightaway speed is not quite the same, but the corners are really similar. You can also run all over the track at Kansas, from the high lane to the low lane. It’s a great racetrack.”

    Brad Keselowski, No 12 Penske Dodge Charger

  • Kyle Busch’s Crew Captures Tissot Pit Road Award at Dover

    No. 18 crew closing in on Tissot lead with 3rd win of season

    Kyle Busch’s pit crew claimed the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday’s AAA 400 Sprint Cup race (Sept. 26) at Dover International Speedway.

    It was the third Tissot win of the season for the No. 18 crew, which moved into a three-way tie for second place in the Tissot standings. Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 crew continues to lead with four wins.

    The weekly-winning crew receives $5,000 from Tissot plus a Tissot V8 Quartz Chronograph watch. 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.

    The Joe Gibbs Racing team finished 1-2-3 in the Tissot pit road competition in Dover with Busch’s No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota spending the least amount of time on pit road – 254.478 seconds. Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 FedEx Toyota was second (255.463) and coming in third was Joey Logano’s No. 20 Home Depot Toyota (257.578).

    The No. 18 over-the-wall crew consists of: Nick Odell (front-tire changer), Brad Donaghy (front-tire carrier), Jake Seminara (rear-tire changer), Kenny Barber (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Fender (jackman), Tom Lampe (gasman), Jason Hinson (catch can). The team’s pit crew coach is Mike Lepp and the crew chief is Dave Rogers.

    “I’m real proud of this Interstate Batteries / M&M’s over-the-wall gang,” said Rogers. “They’ve been extremely fast and reliable all year. The Tissot Pit Road Precision Award is a testament to their speed, but their talent goes far beyond that. They are a fun group of guys to work with, they keep their egos in check, and they thrive on pressure. These guys are the real deal and are instrumental in the success of this race team.”

    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.

    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

    T5 56 Martin Truex Jr. 2 10,000

    T5 00 David Reutimann 2 10,000

    T5 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000

    T5 33 Clint Bowyer 2 10,000

    T9 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000

    T9 12 Brad Keselowski 1 5,000

    T9 33 Clint Bowyer 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

    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

  • Robert Richardson, Jr. looking for Yellow Brick Road to Kansas success

    CHINA GROVE, N.C. (September 28, 2010) – Robert Richardson, Jr. and the No. 23 Chevrolet of R3 Motorsports are looking to travel the mythical Yellow Brick Road to success at Kansas Speedway in this Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

    The 1.5-mile oval has been a fairly good track for the McKinney, Texas native in his past two starts with a 23rd and 22nd place finish, respectively. Like any team, R3 Motorsports is looking to find the key set-up and tire combination to improve on last year’s efforts and gain in the Owner’s Points.

    Fast Facts: Richardson will be making his 19th start of the 2010 season and 65th of his NNS career. To date, his best-career finish occurred at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July of this year when he crossed under the checkered flag in 15th place. So far in 2010, the quarterback-turned-driver has completed an impressive 95.5 percent (3,223 of 3,376) laps contested.

    Car Facts: Crew chief Steve Plattenberger and team will roll chassis No. 30 off the R3 Motorsports hauler for this weekend’s race. This Chevrolet was last used at Chicagoland Speedway in July, Charlotte Motor Speedway in May and Texas Motor Speedway in April. The team finished 23rd at both CMS and TMS with this car.

    Thanks Quality Suites: R3 Motorsports will be staying at the Quality Suites Airport in Kansas City this weekend and carry their logo on the No. 23 Chevrolet.

    Pigskin Prowess – NFL and college football stories are all over the place this time of year. Richardson’s achievements on the gridiron at McKinney (Tex.) High School and Southern Methodist University are well documented and noted. However, the team’s driver isn’t the only one at R3 Motorsports who’s had prominence with the pigskin.

    Steve Plattenberger was a starting center for Elon (N.C.) University after a successful career at Sunvalley (N.C.) High School. Car chief Mark Nelson played linebacker for the Aiken (Minn.) High School Gobblers. John Kidwell, shop mechanic, was a wide receiver at Citrus County (Fla.) High School. Tim Packman, Public Relations, played WR and DB for the Clarence (NY) Red Devils where they won in the Sectional Playoffs at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills.

    Richardson wasn’t the only starting quarterback in the shop. Brian Anderson made the calls and tossed the passes at Ft. Bragg (Calif.) High School where they made the playoffs his senior year. Bret Jones, engine tuner, still holds some records at Union (Mo.) High School for most punts blocked in one season (17) and longest pass reception from scrimmage of 65 yards. It should be noted Jones stands all of 5’4”.

    Did you know: Two drivers, Joe Nemechek and Denny Hamlin, won this race starting from 19th place; which is still the farthest back anyone has taken the green then checkers. No driver has won from the pole, but Jeff Burton won from the outside pole in 2002.

    Robert Richardson, Jr. quotes

    You’ve had some pretty good success at Kansas Speedway the last two times: “Yeah, we managed a 23rd and 22nd the past two years. Trust me, it’s not where we want to be when the checkered flag waves, but at least I know we have good notes to build off of for this year to get that better finish. Our equipment is good and the guys on the R3 Motorsports team put a lot of effort into getting our Chevrolets ready for the race.

    Outlook for this weekend: “Since this is the car we ran at Chicagoland, I know it’s going to be real good in the turns. That means a lot to a driver at a fast track like Kansas. The banking isn’t as steep at Kansas (15 degrees) as it as Texas or Charlotte (24 degrees), which means you have to finesse it up off the corners just a little better and can’t rely on momentum. We just need to gain as many positions as possible during the race and finish in the top-15 or top-20. Those are my goals for the weekend.”

  • Earnhardt Ganassi Racing – Kansas Speedway Advance Notes

    Kansas Speedway Advance Notes

    Race: Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods on Sunday, Oct. 3

    Track: Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval)

    Location: Kansas City, Kan.

    Earnhardt Ganassi Media Contacts at Kansas Speedway

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)

    Jarrod England No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet

    Shayna Keller No. 42 Target Chevrolet

    NOTES

    Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Team

    Kansas History: McMurray will be making his eighth NSCS start at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. His best start came just last year with a fourth-place starting position. He has two top-10 finishes, both when previously driving for current car owner Chip Ganassi, eighth and seventh in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

    Dover Review: Coming off a third-place finish at the “Magic Mile,” otherwise known as New Hampshire Motor Speedway Jamie McMurray and the No.1 Team looked to continue their success at the “Monster Mile,” or Dover International Speedway. McMurray and the No.1 McDonald’s team lined-up seventh and battled the “Monster Mile” for the majority of the day. Early on McMurray radioed that the car “felt good,” running inside the top 10 for the first 40 laps. However, McMurray would start to report “extremely loose” conditions as the track’s concrete started to turn black from the rubber being laid down by the field’s Goodyear tires. McMurray would battle for the remaining laps, eventually coming home with a 13th-place finish.

    Bass Pro Returns: This weekend the No. 1 team welcomes back primary sponsor Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Boats to the race track at Kansas Speedway for the annual race at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Fans should be sure to visit the Bass Pro Shops located just 20 minutes from the speedway in Olathe, Kansas. The store can be found at 12051 Bass Pro Dr.

    Home Is In The Heartland: Kansas Speedway can be considered a “hometown” track for both driver Jamie McMurray and partner Bass Pro Shops. McMurray is from nearby Joplin, MO and the Bass Pro Shops headquarters are located in Springfield, MO, both within three hours of the speedway.

    Did You Know?:

    · McMurray has an average starting position of 13.5 ranking him seventh among drivers

    · McMurray has qualified his No. 1 Chevrolet in the top-10 seven times in the previous 10 races

    · McMurray and the No.1 Team have finished inside the top 15 in seven of the last 10 races, this includes four top-five and five top-10 finishes.

    · With eight races remaining, McMurray currently has the best average starting position in his career

    · McMurray also has led 256 laps in 2010 surpassing his previous season best of 224 in 2004

    · McMurray has completed 8,206 laps out of 8376 possible laps (98%) this season

    Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team

    Kansas History: Juan Pablo Montoya will be making his fourth NSCS start at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Montoya had a career best weekend at Kansas last season with a starting position of 14th and best finish of fourth. He has completed 99.7% of the possible laps at Kansas; 742 out of 744 and has zero DNF’s.

    About Dover: The AAA 400 at the “Monster Mile” was one of the cleanest races ever run at the one-mile facility. The 400-lap event had just four cautions, two of which were for debris and the 19 laps under caution were the fewest at Dover in 13 years. Montoya and the Target team lined-up fifth and ran the green flag marathon race inside the top-15 for the majority of the day. When the checkered flag waved the No. 42 Chevrolet was credited with a 14th-place finish.

    Meet The Target Team: Visit the Chevy display area this Sunday, Oct. 3 to meet the No. 42 Target pit crew. The Target team will be signing autographs for race fans at the display from 10:15am-10:30am (CT).

    Making An Appearance: Prior to this weekend’s event at Kansas Speedway Juan Pablo Montoya is participating in the Tom Murphy Memorial Classic Golf Tournament on behalf of Chevrolet. The golf tournament will be held Thursday, Sept. 30 at The National Golf Club of Kansas City in Parkville, MO. Originally named the Sprint All-Star Charity Golf Classic, Sprint renamed the tournament in honor of Tom Murphy a Kansas City native and former Vice President for Corporate Brand Marketing at Sprint. Murphy passed away unexpectedly in August of 2009. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the following charitable organizations: American Red Cross, NASCAR Foundation, Victory Junction Kansas City, Turning Point and Thomas E. Murphy III Scholarship Fund.

    Did You Know?:

    · Earnhardt Ganassi Racing drivers have been awarded five Coors Light pole awards this season. The most out of any other team in 2010

    · Earnhardt Ganassi Racing has three wins in 2010 and is ranked fourth on the win list

    · Montoya and the Target team have accumulated two pole awards, one win, five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes this season

    · Montoya has led 388 laps in 2010 already matching his total laps led in 2009

    · Montoya has run 5,943 out of 8,376 laps in the top-15 this season (71%)

    · Montoya also has an average running position of 12.5 ranking him fourth among drivers

    Qualifying Consistency: Montoya has an average starting position of 10.3 this season ranking him third among drivers. He has qualified his No. 42 Target Chevrolet in the top-10 for the last 10 consecutive events dating back to Chicagoland in July. This marks the longest streak of all NSCS drivers in 2010. Montoya has started in the top-10 a total of 19 times this season.

    CHASSIS INFO

    No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1006. The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boat team will bring chassis #1006 to Kansas Speedway this weekend. This chassis has been used three times this season capturing the pole position twice at Chicagoland and Darlington and has two top-five finishes of second and fifth. It was also used in August at Michigan where the No. 1 started 19th and finished 20th. McMurray has led 143 laps with this chassis.

    No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #910. Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #910 to Kansas Speedway this weekend. This chassis has been used three times in 2010 at both Pocono events and at Las Vegas. Montoya has started in the top-10 in all three events, including the outside pole at the Pocono event in August and has a best finish of seventh at the first Pocono event in June.

    2010 STATS

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish Pts. Pos./(Prev)

    Jamie McMurray 28 2 3 8 10 13.5 16.7 14/14

    Juan Pablo Montoya 28 1 2 5 13 10.3 17.6 15/16

    CAREER STATS

    NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

    Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish

    Jamie McMurray 286 5 6 38 90 19.7 19.1

    Juan Pablo Montoya 137 2 4 17 40 17.4 19.8

    TEAM ROSTERS

    Tony Glover – Team Manager

    Steve Hmiel – Director of Competition

    No. 1 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown

    Crew Chief: Kevin Manion Boylston, MA Rear Tire Changer: Chris Taylor West Plains, MO

    Chief Mechanic: Gary Putnam Vernon, CT Rear Tire Carrier: Adam Mosher Fort Mill, SC

    Front Tire Changer: Cory DeMarco St. Louis, MO Gas Man: Benjy Grubbs Richmond, VA

    Front Tire Carrier: Doug Riepe Danbury, CT Catch Can: Eric Hoyle Asheville, NC

    Jack Man: Tracy Duncan Lincolnton, NC Spotter: Keith Barnwell Hudson, NC

    No. 42 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown

    Crew Chief: Brian Pattie Zephyrhills, FL Rear Tire Changer: Chris McMullen Troutman, NC

    Chief Mechanic: Heath Silver Asheville, NC Rear Tire Carrier: Chip Goode Statesville, NC

    Front Tire Changer: Trevor Lysne Fergus Falls, MN Gas Man: Mike Bodick Norwalk, CT

    Front Tire Carrier: Eric Bilyeu Waterford, MI Catch Can: Heath Silver Asheville, NC

    Jack Man: TJ Ford Charlotte, NC Spotter: Tab Boyd Pensacola, FL

  • JAMES BUESCHER TO PILOT THE NO. 11 TOYOTA CAMRY IN UPCOMING NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES RACE

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (September 27, 2010) – Braun Racing, which was recently acquired by Turner Motorsports, is pleased to announce that NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) driver, James Buescher, will pilot the No. 11 Toyota Camry in this weekend’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Kansas Speedway. Buescher will join teammate, Jason Leffler, in sporting the colors of Great Clips, the longest-running primary sponsor in the series.

    Buescher is no stranger to working with Braun Racing. The Plano, Texas-native made six starts for the team in 2008, accumulating one top-10 finish and one pole award in only his third start. The 20-year-old currently sits 13th in the NCWTS driver point standings with six top-five and eight top-10 finishes after competing in 17 of 20 events this season.

    Buescher will be paired with veteran crew chief, Stewart Cooper, who has worked with such talent as Kasey Kahne, David Reutimann and Tayler Malsam in 2010. He will also pilot the No. 11 entry for Braun Racing at Auto Club Speedway.

    Buescher, who drives the No. 31 Chevrolet Silverado in the NCWTS for Turner Motorsports, is extremely excited about heading to Kansas with Great Clips and Braun Racing.

    “First off, I can’t tell you how excited I am about the recent acquisition of Braun Racing by Turner Motorsports. I’m very happy to be working with these guys again. I had some great races in 2008 with Braun Racing and I even got my first Nationwide Series pole with them at Memphis Motorsports Park. I know how hard all the guys work and that the equipment is super competitive. I am excited to get back in one of the Nationwide cars and to represent Great Clips this weekend at Kansas.”

    Buescher’s racing career began in 2004 in the Bandolero Young Gun Series at Texas Motor Speedway. After winning the championship that year, he moved on to the Legends Series in 2005, claiming 24 victories in 56 starts and finishing the year second in the National Championship point standings. In 2006, Buescher competed in the ASA Late Model Series for Turner Motorsports, winning the championship and capturing Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver honors. In 2007 and 2008, the young driver competed in both the K&R Pro Cup Series and the ARCA Racing Series, claiming his first ARCA Racing Series win in his first start at Lakeland Speedway.

    In addition to his six NNS starts in 2008, Buescher made his NCWTS debut that year in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In 2009, the 19-year-old advanced to compete full-time in the NCWTS, bringing home one top-five and three top-10 finishes. That year he made two NNS starts finishing 11th and 13th at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway respectively. He also made four ARCA Racing Series starts, claiming two wins and three top-five finishes. Buescher has made 10 NNS starts in this year, in addition to his 17 NCWTS starts, 16 of which came in the Turner Motorsports No. 31 Wolf Pack Rentals entry.

    About Braun Racing

    Braun Racing is a leading team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that was handpicked four years ago by Toyota to help lead their entrance into the series. The team is proud to have claimed Toyota’s first Nationwide Series pole on February 24, 2007 at California Speedway and their first win at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 28, 2007. Founded by team owner Todd Braun in 2002, the team is in its eighth season of competition in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and is expanding into a four-car operation in 2010 with an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, David Reutimann, Jacques Villeneuve and Tayler Malsam. Braun Racing’s marketing partners includes Dollar General, Great Clips, Beringer Vineyards, AccuDoc Solutions, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF, Iron Horse Jeans, Bigspot.com, Northeastern Supply, SEM and Safety-Kleen. For more information on Braun Racing, visit www.braunracing.com.

    About Turner Motorsports

    Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its inaugural full season in NASCAR competition. Co-owned by Texas natives Steve and Sandra Turner, the racing organization is operated out of a 30,000 square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., which houses two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet entries piloted by James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael. In addition, the team fields part-time entries in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, with Carmichael behind the wheel and a full-time USARacing Pro Cup Series team with driver Logan Ruffin. Turner Motorsports recently acquired select assets of NASCAR Nationwide Series powerhouse team, Braun Racing, and is expanding to field three cars in the Nationwide Series in 2011. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.teamturnermotorsports.com.