Category: NASCAR Cup Series

Carl Edwards – NSCS KANSAS ADVANCE

Team: No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion

Crew Chief: Bob Osborne

Chassis: RK-695 Last outing: Michigan – August, finished third

Also: raced Indy; finished seventh

Edwards, NSCS at Kansas Speedway:

Date Event S F Laps Led Status Money

10-4-09 Price Chopper 400 17 10 267/267 1 Running $150,131

9-28-08 Camping World 400 34 2 267/267 31 Running $259,575

9-30-07 Kansas 400 27 37 181/210 0 Accident $ 86,925

10-1-06 Banquet 400 27 6 267/267 7 Running $124,350

10-9-05 Banquet 400 5 3 267/267 1 Running $176,625

10-10-04 Banquet 400 16 22 267/267 0 Running $ 69,650

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

Cumulative 6 0 2 4 0 40 $867,256

Carl Edwards on racing at Kansas Speedway:

“Kansas takes everything. It takes a good engine, good qualifying effort and pit crew. The biggest thing I think it takes is a crew chief that understands how to make that car work through a long run there. So much happens at Kansas. The cars get tight, or they get loose in and you’ve got to really have a good crew chief. Fuel mileage is going to be key, too. I was fortunate to win the truck race there at Kansas. That was a huge victory and to win the Cup race would be unbelievable.”

Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Kansas Speedway:

“We are taking the same car we ran at Indy and Michigan to Kansas. It was a new car at Indy and we’ve had success with it both times it has run this year. We hope to come out of Kansas with at least a top-five finish. That has been our goal in the Chase is to finish top five in every race. So far we are only 50 percent since we didn’t get the finish in Loudon we wanted, but Dover was pretty good. It would mean a lot to Carl to get a win at his home track.”

Fast Facts

• Carl Edwards enters Kansas sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings, 73 markers behind Chase leader Denny Hamlin. In 28 starts this season, Edwards has accumulated seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes.

• FOR THE RECORD…Edwards will make his seventh Cup start at Kansas Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts, Edwards has two top-five and four top-10 finishes. His average start is 21st and his average finish is 13.3. His best finish (second) came in 2008.

• IN THE LOOP… According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics compiled over the last six races at Kansas, Edwards has turned 71 of the track’s fastest laps which is fourth highest, spent 824 laps (64.5%) in the top 15 (seventh highest) and led a total of 40 laps (10th highest). Edwards’ driver rating (94.2) is sixth best among active drivers.

• HOME TRACK… Edwards is a native of, and currently resides in Columbia, Mo. Only 130 miles away, he considers Kansas Speedway his home track in the Sprint Cup Series.

• ON THE TRACK…The Aflac team will be bringing chassis RK-695 to Kansas. Edwards raced this chassis most recently at Michigan in August where he finished third. He also raced it at Indy in July and finished seventh.

• REWIND, KANSAS, October 2009…Edwards spent much of the race trying to overcome a pit road speeding penalty which cost him a lap. He got the lucky dog on lap 148 while in 23rd place. He was able to work his way to 10th in the remaining laps of the race.

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?

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 – 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 – NSCS ADVANCE

Team:          No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion

Crew Chief:  Drew Blickensderfer

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

CORNELIUS, N.C.(September 28, 2010) – – Two months ago JTG Daugherty Racing named 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte as the No. 47 Toyota Camry driver for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 36-race schedule.

Today, the 21-time division winner tests with crew chief Frank Kerr and his new team for the first time at the half-mile oval of Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga.

“The biggest part for me during this test is communication – – understanding what the team wants from me,” Labonte said. “Building a relationship with my crew chief, engineers and team starts today. I know you have to have chemistry and everybody on the same page working in the same direction for success. You can’t buy confidence. You’ have to build it with your teammates and team members.”

Cohesion separates a good team from a championship contending team. Crew chief Frank Kerr and his JTG Daugherty Racing team are taking advantage of this fundamental test to get to know Labonte.

“You have to have chemistry,” Kerr said. “That’s what separates the good from the great. Bobby is a proven winner and a champion in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. He will bring a lot of knowledge and confidence along with his leadership ability.

“During this test we want to make sure Bobby is comfortable with the interior of the car and find out what he expects from us,” Kerr continued. “Some of it is about fundamentals. We want to make sure we have his seat in the right location and the pedals are where they need to be. We want to have everything perfect for him as we prepare for 2011.”

Kerr and Labonte may have only spent a small amount of time together, but they both have similar goals for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

“After JTG Daugherty Racing finished 18th in the points their first year in Cup, I would like to think we can be in a Chase position,” Labonte said. “This year was tough for the team as far as the points go, but it’s nobody’s fault and you can’t point a finger – – it’s just part of it. The resources are there and if we can concentrate and focus hard on it, I definitely think it’s attainable. We just have to do everything right and hold ourselves to that goal.”

“Bobby’s right,” Kerr said. “We are capable and we do have the resources in place. We just had too many DNFs (eight) this year and that really hurt us in the points. A lot of that was out of our control being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We’re starting fresh in 2011 and we will continue to be dedicated and work hard toward a common goal and that’s to be in contention for the Chase.”

Labonte is ready for a fresh start with Kerr and JTG Daugherty Racing as the team enters its third full-time season.

“They have all of the necessary resources along with the Toyota program and Michael Waltrip Racing technical alliance,” Labonte said. “You can see the progress growing with David Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr. week in and week out. I hope my experience will add to the program as I learn from those guys too. I haven’t had that opportunity the past couple of years with teammates. All the tools are there, it’s just how you apply them. The stars are lining up and you’ve just got to make sure you do it right.”

JTG Daugherty Racing, owned by Brad Daugherty, Jodi and Tad Geshickter, are looking forward to what the future holds.

‘We feel like our team has a lot to prove on track and we believe Bobby’s in a place in his career where he has something to prove too,” Daugherty said. “This first test begins a new chapter for JTG Daugherty Racing with Bobby Labonte. I’ve known him for a long time dating back to the 80’s racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and I’m a big fan of his. This test finally gets him in our car so that we can start working toward getting him in victory lane in 2011.”

“As energized and focused as we are to finish the season strong with Marcos, we are equally excited about the beginning of our testing program with Bobby Labonte,” said Geschickter. “The chemistry between driver, crew, and technology is tricky and it’s important for Bobby to get a feel for what we have and how it fits his driving style. We are fortunate to have a head start on the process so we can be at full speed when next season starts.”

For more information about Bobby Labonte, join his Facebook and Twitter pages.

www.twitter.com/bobby_labonte

http://www.facebook.com/Bobby.Labonte.Official.Page