Category: NASCAR Cup Series

Joey Logano   No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway   

The Home Depot Team Notes of Interest

·         Joey Logano is looking for his first top-10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway and is hoping to do just that in the Jeff Byrd 500.  Despite having great qualifying efforts at the half-mile track, Logano has been unable to finish on the lead lap in his four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts.  Logano’s finishes are attributed to two blown tires (August of 2010), a pit road speeding penalty (March of 2010), an early-race incident (August of 2009) and an engine failure (March of 2009). 

·         About the last race: The Home Depot Toyota was running in the 10th position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when green-flag stops began on lap 235 of the 267-lap race.  Zipadelli made the call for a two-tire stop on lap 241 to gain track position, but the NASCAR Official in the pit told the team there had been a tire violation on the stop and Logano would have to serve a penalty.  It dropped Logano from sixth to 23rd and one lap down to the leader. 

·         The Home Depot Team is currently tied for 28th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings following the third race of the 2011 season.  The team has accumulated 53 points so far this season and sits 38 points out of the series top 10.

·         Logano will be back running double duty this weekend.  Aside from piloting the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota in the Jeff Byrd 500 on Sunday, Logano will once again race the No. 20 Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday.  Logano has two top-10 finishes in the Nationwide Series at Bristol in four starts.

·         Logano will make two public appearances at the track this weekend to meet and greet with fans.  Logano will be at the GameStop display on Friday night for the Food City Race Night from 7 – 8 p.m. at the track, and Sunday morning he will make a stop at to the Toyota Pit Pass Stage at 9:30 a.m.

·         The No. 20 Home Depot Team is taking chassis #278 for Logano this weekend in an attempt to turn this 2011 season around.  This is the chassis Logano drove to a fourth-place finish at Richmond last fall and to a 17th-place finish at Kansas Speedway.  The back-up chassis is #275 that Logano most recently drove to a sixth-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in October.

·         To access information on The Home Depot Team visit: www.joegibbsracing.com and follow twitter.com/homedepotracing, twitter.com/joegibbsracing and twitter.com/jlogano.  

Logano Quotes on Bristol: “I like Bristol. It’s a fun track.  I don’t think you will find a driver or a fan that doesn’t get excited for Bristol.  But as for luck, I don’t have any there.  Every time I go there now all I want is one uneventful race in the Home Depot Toyota.  Hopefully we’ll have an uneventful race this weekend, that’s what I’m looking forward to there. We were doing great for 400 laps last March at Bristol, and then I got a speeding penalty on the only green-flag stop of the day.  Fast cars have never been an issue, and we’ve always qualified well which is huge at Bristol, but for some reason I can’t get to the finish without something happening.  That’s kind of been the story of this season too, so maybe Bristol is the place that will change all that.  Heck, why not?”  

No. 20 Home Depot Team Primary Team Members: Crew Chief – Greg Zipadelli                                    Car Chief – Jason Shapiro                                      Engine Builder – Mark Cronquist            

Lead Engineer – Jacob Canter                               Engine Specialist – Michael Johnson                       Spotter – Mark Robertson   Over-The-Wall Crew Members: Jackman – Jason Tate                                            Front Tire Changer – John Royer                           Front Tire Carrier – Brett Morrell Gas Man – John Eicher                                           Rear Tire Changer – Coleman Dallarhide              Rear Tire Carrier – Eric Groen   Other Crew Members: Truck Drivers – Tom McCrimmon, Scott Crowell    Tire Specialist – Jerold Shires                                 Shock Specialist – Dusty Boyd

Mechanics – Scott Geerts, Todd Foster                  Pit Support – Bill Byrne                                            IT Support – Nathan Boone Second Engineer – Mike Lorusso

Mooresville, NC (March 15, 2011) –The No. 71 Eco-Fuel Saver Chevrolet heads to Thunder Valley this weekend for the Jeff Byrd 500 presented by Food City. Andy Lally is looking to improve upon last week’s 32nd place finish.

Lally, who currently leads NASCAR’s rookie standings, is excited to make his first start at Bristol.

Lally said, “We had some unfortunate luck to start our season, but I can feel the momentum shifting in the right direction. We have had some good runs, but haven’t been able to put the finishes together yet. The biggest thing for me, as a rookie, is continuing to adapt to these cars and this style of racing. Bristol is a track that is unlike any place I’ve ever raced before. While most of the other cup drivers grew up running short ovals just like this, I come from a road racing background. Most of the tracks we go to are new to me. I’m learning every day and every race.”

Many drivers cite Bristol as the most physically-demanding oval the series races on. While automobile racing is his passion, Lally also enjoys competing in mountain bike races as well as training in mixed martial arts. That background might aid him as he heads to the track often referred to as a “bullring.”

Qualifying will be critical at the ½ mile concrete oval. In the past 100 Sprint Cup Series races at the track, the winner has started in the top-10 80 times.

The No. 71 team had a solid run in this event last year, as it completed all 500 laps, en route to a 21st place finish.

Team owner Kevin Buckler said, “This is a track where we’ve run very well in the past. We’re working hard every day to improve our race team, and our short track program is part of that. I’m impressed with what Andy has been able to bring to our program this year and how he has been able to handle the adversity that has come his way early on. It’s a lot to deal with and he’s done a great job. We’re looking for a solid finish at Bristol to give us some momentum heading into this long stretch of the season coming up.”

While TRG Motorsports’ Sprint Cup Series team takes to Bristol, TRG’s highly successful sports car program will be looking for a win in this weekend’s 12 Hours of Sebring. Kevin Buckler and The Racer’s Group will be fielding a total of four entries at Sebring over the weekend.

Qualifying for the Jeff Byrd 500 will air Friday at 3:30 p.m. EST on SPEED. Race coverage will begin at 1:00 pm EST Sunday on FOX.

TRG is a full-service motorsports company offering a total driver ladder approach. This approach starts with track days, goes to club events, up into street stock series and culminates in the ultimate goal of professional motorsports. With sports car focused facilities in Petaluma, California (Infineon Raceway) and Millville, New Jersey (New Jersey Motorsports Park) the team can offer turn-key support as well as arrive-and-drive programs.

The company’s NASCAR operations are headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry and has the capacity to run ARCA, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series.

The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of motor racing. The team boasts Rolex Series GT championships in 2005 and 2006 and holds the record for the most wins in Grand-Am with 32. The team’s resume is highlighted by five championships, four Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona victories and a Le Mans 24 Hour win.

Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.com and www.theracersgroup.com.

Team 48 Bristol Motor Speedway

JIMMIE JOHNSON

2011 STARTS: 3 WINS: 0 TOP 5: 1 TOP 10: 1

CURRENT DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: 12th POINTS BEHIND 1st: 26

FINISH IN LAS VEGAS: 16th SPRING 2010 FINISH AT BRISTOL: 1st

TEAM ROSTERS WILL BE POSTED ON MEDIA.LOWESRACING.COM WHEN AVAILABLE

RACE NOTES

Bristol Motor Speedway

• Johnson has made 18 Sprint Cup Series starts at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he has earned one win, four top-five and nine top-10 finishes.

• Johnson has completed 97.2% (8764 of 9013) of competition laps at the .533-mile bullring and has led 497.

• He has an average start and finish of 15.1 and 16.1.

Chassis

• Johnson will pilot chassis No. 592 in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series event. He last drove that car to a runner-up finish at Kansas Speedway in Oct. 2010.

• Backup chassis No. 553 crossed the finish line first at Auto Club Speedway in Feb. 2010.

JIMMIE JOHNSON QUOTES

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE AT BRISTOL THIS WEEKEND?:

“I’m just excited to go back. I think we were in position in the fall race to fight for the win and race with Kyle (Busch). I feel good. After we won in the spring and coming back in the fall, just didn’t want to be too full of myself. Wanted to be able to go there and run well, but we backed it up there in the fall and had an awesome weekend. Unfortunately we crashed late in the race on the back straightaway. Looking forward to going back. We’re sitting decent in the points, but a good run at Bristol would move us in the right direction in the points. Look forward to going back.”

IS THE BRISTOL CAR ONE THAT YOU ARE STILL DEVELOPING?:

“Fortunately the short track stuff — over the years it does migrate a little bit toward the new technology, but Martinsville, Bristol — it doesn’t change. Guys joke around that their Bristol setups that they’re running today is what they ran in the 90s with the old, old car — Luminas and stuff like that. Some tracks, especially where down force isn’t involved, there’s very little change over the years there’s more change due to tires and the evolution of the tire than much of anything else.”

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’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

• 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 330 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 135 top-five and 204 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 11,015 laps (of 94,996) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 127,442 miles.

• He has finished on the lead lap 255 times.

Kevin Harvick

No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet

Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway

Budweiser Racing Team Notes of Interest

• Following the first off weekend of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team will compete in the Jeff Byrd 500 presented by Food City on Sunday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

• In 20 starts at the short track, Harvick has earned one win (March 2005), nine top fives and 11 top-10 finishes. In addition, the Bakersfield, Calif., native has completed 97.8 percent (9,791 of 10,013) total laps and has led a total of 390 laps. Harvick has scored an average starting position of 18.5 and an average finishing position of 12.3 at Bristol.

• Harvick will pilot chassis No. 304 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend at Bristol. He raced this car four times in 2010 and collected three top-10 finishes, including third at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (5/1), fifth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (6/27) and ninth at Richmond International Raceway (9/11).

• The driver of the Budweiser Chevrolet will pull double duty this weekend as he steps behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) entry for Kevin Harvick Inc. in Saturday’s Scotts EZ Seed 300. The race is scheduled to air on ESPN at 2 p.m. EDT/3 p.m. CDT. PRN and Sirius NASCAR Radio will provide the radio broadcast.

• In 20 NNS races at Bristol, Harvick has visited Victory Lane five times, and scored his most recent win there on March 21, 2009. The two-time series champion has also earned two pole awards, 13 top fives and 16 top-10 finishes. Harvick’s average finishing position is 7.5 at Bristol.

• This week in Budweiser Racing history: In 1984, Darrell Waltrip took home the win in the Valleydale 500 at Bristol, driving the No. 11 Budweiser Chevrolet for Junior Johnson. He started the race from third position, led 205 laps and took the checkered flag two seconds ahead of Terry Labonte, who finished second.

• Become a fan of Budweiser on Facebook. Exclusive information, photos and video footage of Harvick and the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team can be found on the Budweiser Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Budweiser.

• Follow along each weekend with Harvick and the team on Twitter. Check out @KevinHarvick for behind-the-scenes information straight from the driver of the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet. Get live updates from the track each weekend from @Black29Car, the PR team for Harvick. Also, follow @RCRracing and @RCR29KHarvick for additional information about the Richard Childress Racing organization.

Kevin Harvick discusses racing at Bristol:

What do you think of Bristol being the first short track race of the year? “Well technically, we consider it the second because we consider Phoenix a short track. I think Bristol is the first full-contact, short track race that we’re going to go to. It’s obviously a lot different complexion than it used to be. You can race all over the race track, and you have to really work on your car to get it to turn sooner into the corner. You never know whether you’re going to end up at the top or the bottom. It’s become an interesting track.”

At Bristol, we never know what kind of weather we’re going to get. Does that track change with the weather? “I think with the concrete surface it’s a lot more consistent than a lot of the other race tracks. It allows you to not have to worry about the inconsistency with the weather. I think it’s a lot more consistent than a lot of places that we go to.”

Talk a little bit about racing at Bristol: “Well you get the side-by-side (racing) and you get the bump and run, but you have to keep the fenders on at Bristol now. You have long stretches of green-flag runs. I can remember we ran 100 or 150 laps straight the last time we were there, so it’s different than it used to be.

“Bristol’s a lot better than it used to be. There’s a lot of room and a lot of long green-flag runs. It’s a much easier track to drive on than it used to be. You have to take care of your car a lot more than you used to, to be able to keep up. It’s a fun place to race. You’ll see when you get there if it’s high or low as far as the groove goes. You have a lot of options as a driver.”

Bristol Motor Speedway Track Facts

Track Length: 0.533 miles

Race Length: 500 laps/266.5 miles

Grandstand Seating Capacity: 160,000

First Race: July 30, 1961

Banking in Turns: 26 – 30 degrees (variable)

Banking on Frontstretch: 5 – 9 degrees (variable)

Banking on Backstretch: 4 – 8 degrees (variable)

Frontstretch: 650 feet

Backstretch: 650 feet

TV: FOX, 1 p.m. EDT/2 p.m. CDT

Radio: PRN, SIRIUS NASCAR Radio

BRISTOL, Tenn. (March 15, 2011) – – Since the Daytona 500, Bobby Labonte’s No. 47 has sported a unique look with a different sponsor weekly. During the fourth race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Labonte arrives with a household brand that is headquartered not far from the half-mile high-banked concrete oval of Bristol Motor Speedway.

Labonte’s Toyota Camry will be branded Bush’s Beans for the Jeff Byrd 500 presented by Food City. Bush Brothers & Company, which is based in Knoxville, Tenn., enters their ninth racing season with JTG Daugherty Racing.

“We use Bush’s Beans quite a bit because we cookout a lot,” Labonte said. “The Bush’s brand is an integral part of our race team. Bush Brothers & Co. is a great company with quality foods. I look forward to representing them well with the products they have. We’re aiming to do a really good job for them this weekend.”

The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has three top-five and 10 top-10 finishes at Bristol. His best finish came in March 2003 when he finished third to victor Kurt Busch.

“I’ve had some good runs in a Cup car and I won my first NASCAR Nationwide Series race there,” Labonte said. “Bristol is just one of those places that I think all the drivers like going to. There are so many different things that can happen in an instant. I just really enjoy short tracks and Bristol is a great place for fans to come out and watch.”

Short tracks are all about survival according to Labonte.

“The biggest key, as a team, is to complete 500 laps and be on the lead lap at the end,” Labonte said. “If you are on the lead lap at the end, you’ve got a fighting chance at it.”

To be successful at Bristol or racing in general, Labonte knows every second counts.

“Everything is so critical nowadays and it seems like you have to qualify 400 miles now,” Labonte said. “Lap times are just so close. So, your pit stops have to be good and tires have to be matched up and so on. We all have to be on our game as a team.”

The 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner has been given a shot in the arm with his newfound relationship with JTG Daugherty Racing. He enters Bristol only 29 points out of first place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points standings in 15th place.

“It’s a humbling sport no doubt – – I’ve got back up on a horse and I get to ride again,” Labonte said. “This is the passion of my life and I have fire in my stomach. You work so hard for something that you don’t want to let it go. You want to make the best of it and do the right thing for everybody. If you do that, it will work out. I will cherish these moments for the rest of my career.”

Live coverage of the Jeff Byrd 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 20th starts at 1 p.m. ET on FOX and Noon on PRN Radio.

Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance Jeff Byrd 500 presented by Food City Bristol Motor Speedway Sunday, March 20, 2011

DODGE AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

• Dodge has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Bristol: David Pearson, Bobby Allison (2), Richard Petty (2) and Kurt Busch.

• Dodge has earned eight poles at BMS: Bobby Isaac, Neil Bonnett, Ryan Newman (2), Kasey Kahne, David Pearson, Richard Petty and Kurt Busch.

• Richard Petty provided Dodge with its only sweep at BMS, claiming the win in both events during the 1975 season at what was then a .500-mile track.

• Kurt Busch has more Bristol Motor Speedway wins (five) than all other drivers currently in the top 10 in the 2011 driver standings combined.

• Dodge holds the track qualifying record at BMS, set by Ryan Newman in 2003 (14.908 sec. 128.709 mph).

THE DODGE BOYS

• Dodge has 207 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories.

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

• Dodge 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.

• Dodge has posted wins each season since it’s return in 2001 including seven wins twice (2002 and 2006).

DODGE NEWS AND NOTES

• Kurt Busch posted his first career victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol. It came in the 2002 spring race, his sophomore season. Busch also has the most recent Dodge win at BMS. He won the 2006 spring event. He is currently tied with Jeff Gordon with most wins (five) among active drivers.

• Kurt Busch is currently tied with Tony Stewart in Sprint Cup driver point standings – each with 113. Stewart is considered the “point leader” based on the NASCAR tie-breaker of best finish – his runner-up result in Las Vegas.

• Bobby Allison drove a Dodge to victory in the last race on the old .500-mile configuration (3/23/69); the track was reshaped and re-measured to .533-mile for second race.

DODGE HISTORICAL DATA

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm, Fla., 100 miles, .5-mile track.

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Win At BIR: David Pearson, 3/19/67, led 70 of 500 laps. 2011 NSCS Season’s Best

• Kurt Busch Start: 2nd – Phoenix Finish: 5th – Daytona • Brad Keselowski Start: 9th – Phoenix Finish: 15th – Phoenix • Robby Gordon Start: 30th – Daytona Finish: 16th – Daytona

DID YOU KNOW?

• Kurt Busch is the only Sprint Cup driver to record top-10 finishes in the first three races of the year.

• Robby Gordon career-best BMS start was at the 2002 spring race where he started on the outside pole.

• Brad Keselowski will be making his third Sprint Cup start at BMS.

• Kurt Busch has led 840 laps at BMS (15th most).

• Dodge is an Official Passenger Car of NASCAR.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Kurt Busch has recorded five wins, six top fives and 12 top 10s in 20 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway.

• It takes just under 15 seconds to complete one qualifying lap around the .533-mile BMS oval.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• Dodge’s Kurt Busch has won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race every year since 2002.

DODGE MOTORSPORTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Jeff really poured his heart and soul into the track for so many years and it’s great for the Food City folks to remember him this way. Bristol is voted year in and year out as the race fans’ favorite track and Jeff Byrd is due so much credit for that. I know it certainly adds to how much I want to win the race this weekend and hold up that trophy in his honor in Victory Lane.” Kurt Busch on Sunday’s race being named in honor of former BMS track president Jeff Byrd

FROM THE ENGINEER “Bristol used to be about who’s the baddest of the bad. It was all about drivers and how they could burst their way through the field and end up as the last man standing. Well, it’s certainly not that way anymore. With the new cars, nearly everybody finishes at Bristol now and with the new double-file restart rule, you could have half the field still on the lead lap when it’s all over. So how do you beat everybody else? Tires. Tires and tire management have been the key part of every Bristol win since the track was reconfigured and resurfaced in 2007. Whether to take two or four tires on the final pit stop versus how many laps are left and where you are in the running order will be the toughest decision the crew chief will have to make all weekend. Tires and tire decisions will no doubt play a large part in which driver we see in Victory Lane on Sunday.” Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering

FROM THE CREW CHIEF “As a crew chief you look forward to going to Bristol because you don’t have to worry about aerodynamics or ‘dirty air.’ It’s all about finding mechanical grip and forward bite. If you can do that your driver can be successful.” Paul Wolfe, crew chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger

DODGE QUOTES “Having cars as strong as ours was there last March is something you dream about. Not being able to capitalize on it and make it to Victory Lane was a real bitter pill to swallow.

“We’re heading back into Bristol with a ton of confidence that we can get our sixth win there this weekend. We just hope that we can have a Shell-Pennzoil Dodge that’s close to being as strong as our car was in this race last year. We’d love to have that kind of opportunity to win again at Bristol.” Kurt Busch, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T

“Short track racing and restrictor-plate racing are very similar in that you can get caught up in a wreck that you had nothing to do with. Bristol is a very aggressively-paced race. You have to stay tuned in to what’s going on the entire time if you want stay out of trouble. Penske Racing was able to win the 50th Daytona 500 and it would be great to pick up a win in the 50th anniversary year of Bristol.” Brad Keselowski, No 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T

“I am really looking forward to our first half-mile race this weekend. We had a decent run last spring, so I am looking forward to returning with the SPEED Energy Dodge Charger R/T. We are excited to have a new partner, Food City, on board for this weekend’s race!” Robby Gordon, No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge Charger R/T

Carl Edwards– NSCS BRISTOL ADVANCE

Team:           No. 99 Scotts Ford Fusion

Crew Chief:   Bob Osborne

Chassis:       RK-709   This car won at Homestead last November  

 QUOTES

Carl Edwards on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway : “This is two weeks in a row with Scotts on board and hopefully we can make it two wins in a row.  We’ve had success at Bristol in the past and the Cup cars are a lot of fun to drive there.  The track has three grooves and there are probably 20 guys who can win that race every time we go there since they repaved it.  Hopefully we’ll go and have a solid run for Scotts.  It’s the beginning of spring and we’ve had a lot of luck in Scotts cars in the past.”  

Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway : ” Bristol is a tough track.  It doesn’t take much to get caught up in someone else’s accident.  We had a good run last fall since we were able to qualify well and stay up front.  Qualifying is important at Bristol to start up front, get a good pit stall and stay up front all day.  We gained a lot of points back with the win in Vegas, so we need to stay out of trouble and keep the momentum going.”  

FAST FACTS

* ON A ROLL…Coming off a win in Vegas, Edwards enters Bristol third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings, seven markers behind point leader Tony Stewart.  He has earned one win and two top-five finishes in three starts this season.

* FOR THE RECORD… In 13 starts at the 0.533-mile bullring, Edwards has two wins, three top-five, five top-10 finishes and one pole. His average start is 21.2, and his average finish is 13.3.  Edwards has completed 6343 of 6513 (97.4%) laps attempted at Bristol .

* IN THE LOOP … According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics compiled over the last 13 races at Bristol, Edwards has turned 235 of the track’s fastest laps which is seventh highest, spent 3,878 laps (64.5%) in the top 15 and led a total of 282 laps (eighth most).  

* ON THE TRACK…The No. 99 will have Scotts EZ Seed as the primary sponsor. The crew will unload RK-709 for the weekend. This car first raced at Charlotte in October, and then went on to win at Homestead in November.

* REWIND, BRISTOL , MARCH 2010…With 50 laps to go Edwards was in ninth place.  He was in seventh place when the final caution of the race came on lap 484 for debris.  He came to pit road for right-side tires and returned to the track in third place behind his Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth with 10 laps to go.  Edwards lined up behind Kenseth, but when the green flag flew Kenseth spun his tires which slowed Edwards’ progress.  He fell back to sixth before he could get back in line which was where he finished the race.