Category: NASCAR Cup Series

Here Are the Headlines:

Denny Delivers in Richmond

Hamlin, Busch Have Chance in Chase

Tundras Return to ‘Magic Mile’ RICHMOND RECAP: Camry driver Denny Hamlin was victorious in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Richmond International Raceway (RIR). Hamlin led six times for a race-high 251 (of 400) laps at the three-quarter-mile track en route to his series-best sixth victory of 2010 in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry. Three other Toyota drivers — Kyle Busch (second), Joey Logano (fourth) and Marcos Ambrose (fifth) — also recorded top-five finishes at RIR. Hamlin, from Chesterfield, Va., now has two wins (September 2009 and 2010) and six top-10 finishes in 10 NSCS starts at Richmond.

CHASE CHANCES: Hamlin and Busch will carry the Toyota banner in the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. Hamlin enters the 10-race, 12-driver playoff as the top seed with his six victories, holding a 10-point advantage over four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson. This year marks Hamlin’s fifth consecutive Chase appearance since joining the series in 2006, when he finished a career-high third in the final standings. Busch starts his fourth career Chase tied for third in the standings with Kevin Harvick — each with three wins — just 30 points behind Hamlin.

LOUDON LUCK: The Chase will kick off Sunday with a 300-lap event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). Hamlin has one win (spring 2007) and six top-10 finishes in nine starts at the one-mile oval, including a runner-up result in the first Chase race last season. Busch has five top-10 finishes in 11 NHMS starts, including a victory in the spring of 2006. Logano, from Middletown, Conn., became the youngest winner in NSCS history in the June 2009 race at NHMS, while Dave Blaney earned Toyota’s first ever NSCS pole in June 2007 at the track.

RACE REWIND: Trevor Bayne (third) was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Friday evening’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at RIR. Bayne started eighth in the Diamond-Waltrip Racing No. 99 Out! Pet Care Camry and matched his career best NNS result — a third-place at Gateway International Raceway in July. Camry drivers Reed Sorenson (fifth), Hamlin (sixth) and Busch (ninth) also recorded top-10 finishes at RIR. Busch remains third in NNS points following Richmond, despite running only 22 of 27 events. Toyota drivers Bayne (seventh), Steve Wallace (eighth), Jason Leffler (ninth) and Brendan Gaughan (10th) are also in the top-10 in points with eight races remaining on the 2010 schedule.

TUNDRA TIME: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) returns to action Saturday at NHMS. Toyota has three NCWTS victories at Loudon since joining the series in 2004 — Travis Kvapil (2004), Johnny Benson (2006) and Busch (2009). Last year, Busch led 75 (of 200) laps en route to victory lane. Todd Bodine continues to lead the series point standings after 18 of 25 races this season, holding a 261-point advantage over fellow Toyota driver Aric Almirola heading into Saturday’s race.

SPONSAFIER 2 VOTING: Toyota Racing announced the 100 national semi-finalists from the ‘Sponsafier 2’ contest on Tuesday, Sept. 14. Fans can vote from Sept. 14 through Sept. 23 for their favorite paint scheme designs at www.toyotaracing.com. The winning design will be unveiled at Phoenix International Raceway, Nov. 14.

BACK STORY: Background and images on the Toyota NASCAR program are available at www.toyotamotorsportsmedia.com.

TOYOTA 2010 NASCAR STATISTICS: Series Races Starts (Drivers) Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Times Led Laps Led NSCS 26 337 (29) 10 30 58 5 153 2,130 NNS 27 288 (29) 13 56 113 13 136 2,655 NCWTS 18 169 (24) 11 44 89 8 80 1,532

WEEKEND RACE SCHEDULE: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series @ New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sunday, Sept. 19 @ 1:00 PM (ET), ESPN — Race 27 of 36 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series @ New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Saturday, Sept. 18 @ 3:00 PM (ET), SPEED — Race 19 of 25

Dodge Motorsports NSCS Race Advance

Sylvania 300

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

NASCAR Sprint to the Championship – Race 1 of 10

www.media.chrysler.com

www.twitter.com/teamdodge

DODGE AT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

• Dodge has three wins at New Hampshire (Ward Burton, Ryan Newman and Kurt

Busch).

• Penske Racing’s Kurt Bush (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) leads all current Dodge

drivers with three Sprint Cup victories at NHMS.

• Busch won the rain-shortened spring event in 2008. He swept both events in

2004 prior to joining the Dodge family.

• Dodge holds the track qualifying record of 133.357 mph (28.561 sec.) set in

September 2003 (Newman).

• A Dodge has started from the pole in six of the last 12 races at NHMS when

qualifying was not postponed.

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 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.

• 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 Series Win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

David Pearson, 3/19/67, 75.937 mph avg. speed.

DODGE IN THE CHASE: NEW HAMPSHIRE

• 2004: Former Dodge drivers Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman were in the

inaugural Chase. Both had problems in the first event at NHMS with Newman

finishing 33rd and Mayfield 35th.

• 2005: Three Dodge drivers (Mayfield, Newman and Rusty Wallace) made the

Chase field with Newman winning the opener at NHMS. Newman ended up sixth,

Wallace eighth and Mayfield ninth in the final standings.

• 2006: Kasey Kahne was the lone Dodge driver in the Chase field. Kahne

started 33rd and finished 16th at Loudon.

• 2007: Kurt Busch was the lone Dodge representative; Busch started third and

finished 25th in the Chase opener at Loudon. He finished seventh in the final

Chase standings.

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

• 2009: Kurt Busch was the lone Dodge representative among the elite 12.

Busch started third and finished seventh at NHMS.

KURT BUSCH – INSIDE THE CHASE NUMBERS

• Competing in the Chase for the Sprint Cup for the fifth time: 2004 –

Champion, 2005 – 10th, 2007 – Seventh and 2009 – fourth.

• Enters the 2010 Chase fifth in the standings. He earned 20 bonus points for

wins at Texas and Charlotte

• Through 26 races this season, Busch has eight top-five and 15 top-10

finishes.

• Has competed in 58 Chase races since 2004, 40 of those have been in a Dodge

Charger, with 15 top-five and 32 top-10 finishes.

• Has three wins at The Magic Mile (2004 – 2, 2008). Best start at the

1.058-mile track was second in July 2007.

• Has finished sixth or better in last five races at New Hampshire. Started

third and finished third in spring race this year.

• In 19 races at NHMS, Busch has led 366 laps, sixth best all-time, with seven

top-five and 10 top-10 finishes and an average start of 13.4 and average

finish of 13.7.

• Kurt Busch has led 1,237 laps in the final 10 races.

• At the 10 tracks hosting a Chase event, Busch has 157 starts with nine wins

along with 38 top-five and 70 top-10 finishes.

NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY FAST FACTS

• New Hampshire’s 1.058 mile speedway has identical front and backstretches

that measure 1,500 feet.

DODGE MOTORSPORTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The one change that I’d like to see is a separate point system for the 12

Chase drivers. They should be running against each other and not the entire

starting field. That way, if you run into problems during a race and finish

30th, it doesn’t completely eliminate your chances. If it’s structured like

that, it will definitely add to the excitement by keeping it close all the way

down to the final race. You could still have eight or more drivers with a

shot at winning the title going into the final race weekend. Can you imagine

the publicity value of that scenario going down to the wire?”

Kurt Busch – No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger

ENGINEERING TALK

“So, the Chase begins this week at Loudon. The teams are no doubt ready with

their best chassis for this very-flat, 1.058-mile oval. They’ve had weeks to

prepare for it. But it’s not that easy. The very-flat Loudon is followed by

Dover, a one-mile track, but high banked. The next stop is the high-banked,

1.5-mile track at Kansas followed by Fontana, a test on a two-mile track. And

that’s just the first four races of the 10-race Chase. Teams are now

definitely in the crunch part of the season, a new engineering challenge and a

new chassis every week.”

Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering

DODGE DRIVER QUOTES

“I know from experience that if you can get it going in the right direction at

Loudon, you can keep the momentum growing and sort of build some insurance for

something bad happening later on during the 10-race stretch. But, on the

other end of the equation, with so much hype and such great expectations you

have going into the first race of the Chase, I’ve definitely seen just how

much of a blow it can be to get started on a bad note. When you look at my

career, winning the first Chase in 2004 – and especially what happened in the

years since then – mine is probably as good of example as any when it comes to

considering the importance of getting a good finish in that first race. I

guess it’d be really accurate to say that I’ve definitely seen the good and

the bad.”

Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger

“New Hampshire is one of the most challenging tracks that we run at because

the cars generally want to get loose entering the corners and there is no

banking to hold you. There are not a lot of places to run and be fast. You

want to be right down at the bottom (of the track) so your car has to be set

up for one particular area, but you still have to be able to move around a

little bit to get around people or take their

line away from them.

“We’re out there trying to help the No. 2 team get through some more things on

race weekend as far as trying to check some more stuff off the list. I think

that’s how we’re best served in trying to help them during the Chase.”

Sam Hornish Jr. No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

“I don’t have any specific goals for the Chase races that we don’t have any

other week. We want to go out and do the best we can and challenge for wins.

That doesn’t change because we can’t win the championship. It probably gives

us some added incentive to go for wins because we don’t have to worry about

points. You do have to be mindful of who you are racing because you don’t

want to put yourself in bad spots with a guy in the Chase, but if I have a

fast car I’m going to get all the positions I can.”

Brad Keselowski, No 12 Penske Dodge Charger

New Hampshire Motor Speedway Advance Notes

Race: Sylvania 300 on Sunday, Sept. 19

Track: New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-mile oval)

Location: Loudon, N.H.

Earnhardt Ganassi Media Contacts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)

Jarrod England No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet

Shayna Keller No. 42 Energizer Chevrolet

NOTES

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald’s Team

New Hampshire History: Jamie McMurray will be making his 16th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) on Sunday. At the 1.058-mile oval McMurray has two top-five starts of third and fifth (2004 and 2003 respectively). His best finish at NHMS also came in 2004 when McMurray drove to a fifth-place finish.

Richmond Recap: Jamie McMurray and the No.1 Bass Pro Shops Team looked to the second race at Richmond International Raceway as an opportunity to make one last push towards the top 12 in points-the cutoff for the chase. McMurray took the green flag for the Air Guard 400 and quickly started knocking off cars in front of him, moving up 17 positions by the first caution on lap 56. The driver was by far the biggest mover of the race, and his car’s speed was right there with the leaders. By lap 93, McMurray had set his sights on the top 10, working his way up to 13th. This would mark McMurray’s highest running position of the night as he radioed that his car was getting “really loose.” Because of the long green flag run from lap 241 until the end, McMurray would eventually lose one lap, eventually finishing 17th.

Visit McDonald’s: Race Fans! Stop by one of the four McDonald’s locations near New Hampshire Motor Speedway to curb your hunger. The McDonald’s can be found at 5 Tilton Road, Tilton, NH 03276; 111 Fisherville Road, Concord, NH 03303; 117 Loudon Road, Concord, NH 03301; 822 Central Street, Franklin, NH 03235.

“Bono” Goes Modified Racing: Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and Car Chief Gary Putnam will again be pulling double duty this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The duo will bring the No. 7NY Whelen Modified Car to the race track with Ryan Newman behind the wheel to race in the F.W. Webb 100 on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 1:00 (ET) live on SPEED. This will be the third race of the year for Manion, Putnam and Newman in the Modified Car after capturing wins at Loudon and Bristol earlier this season. The Modified is the Crew and Car Chief’s “labor of love” in their down time away from the hectic NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule.

Charlotte Ticket Package: Race fans who plan to attend the upcoming Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway should consider the Bass Pro Shops ticket package. Fans who purchase a ticket for $99 will receive the following:

· $25 Charlotte Motor Speedway Gift Card

· $15 off $100 or more Bass Pro Shops purchase

· Meet and greet with Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 Champion Jamie McMurray

· Professional hunting seminar at the Bass Pro Shops located at Concord Mills Mall

· Behind-the-Scenes tour of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing

For more information visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets/bassproshops

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Energizer Team

Birthday Wishes: Montoya will celebrate his 35th birthday on Monday following the event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Loudon History: Montoya will make his eighth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday. Montoya dominated this race last September when he led all practice sessions, broke the track record in qualifying on his way to capturing the pole position and led 105 of the 300 laps before coming home in third. Montoya again captured the pole position at the first 2010 NSCS visit to NHMS in June. He has completed 2034 of 2058 laps (98.8%) competed.

Returning Pole Winner: The No. 42 team holds back-to-back pole awards at Loudon after capturing the pole position for the 2009 September event and the 2010 June event. Montoya is one of six drivers to have started from the pole for two consecutive races at NHMS and the first since 2003-2004.

About Richmond: Juan Pablo Montoya and the Target team’s top-10 streak continued at Richmond International Raceway last Saturday evening. Montoya placed the No. 42 Target Chevrolet on the front row for the Air Guard 400, ran all but five laps in the top-10, led three laps and finished in the seventh position. The strong performance marked the fifth consecutive top-10 finish for the team and 13 total top-10 finishes this season. Crew chief Brian Pattie was also presented with the DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race award.

Welcome Energizer: The Energizer Bunny® will be powering the No. 42 car of Juan Pablo Montoya this weekend and he is all charged up and ready to Keep Going all the way to victory lane. The Energizer Bunny® is leading his company into new and exciting territory in 2011. From solar lights to exciting new chargers for smart phones proving Energizer is way more than just a battery company.

About Energizer: Energizer Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: ENR], headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of primary batteries, portable battery-powered devices, and portable flashlights and lanterns. Energizer is a global leader in the dynamic business of providing power solutions with a full portfolio of products including Energizer® brand battery products Energizer® MAX® premium alkaline; Energizer® Ultimate Lithium; Energizer® Advanced Lithium; Rechargeable batteries and charging systems; and portable flashlights and lanterns. . Visit www.energizer.com, www.facebook.com/energizerbunny.

Did You Know?: In the 26 Cup races so far this season Montoya and the Target team have two poles, 17 top-10 starting positions, one win, five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. Montoya has qualified in the top-10 for the last eight consecutive races and has five consecutive top-10 finishes starting with his win at Watkins Glen. He also has scored a driver rating in the top-10 for the last seven races starting at the Brickyard. Along with his on-track statistics the No. 42 sits in the top-10 in the following categories:

· Driver rating of 95.5, which ranks him sixth and the highest driver not in the top-12 in points

· 1795 times passed under green-flag conditions, lowest of all drivers

· 77.1% of quality passes, highest of all drivers

· Green flag speed (Third)

· Fastest drivers early in a run (Third)

· Fastest drivers on restarts (Fourth)

· 5385 laps in top-15 (Fifth)

· 358 Fastest laps run (Sixth)

· 676.20 Miles led (Sixth)

· Average running position of 13th (Sixth)

· 388 Laps led (Seventh)

· Fastest drivers late in a run (Seventh)

· Fastest speed in traffic (Seventh)

· Quality passes (Seventh)

Energizer Fun Fact: Did you know that the Energizer Bunny® has its own Hot “Hare” Balloon? The Hot “Hare” Balloon is the tallest hot air balloon in the world. At 166 feet tall, (the height of a sixteen-story building and 15-feet taller than the Statue of Liberty), the Energizer Bunny® Hot Hare Balloon is the world’s biggest hot air balloon. The Energizer Bunny® Hot Hare Balloon’s feet alone are gigantic at a 98 EEEE size.

CHASSIS INFO

No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1008. The No. 1 McDonald’s team will bring chassis #1008 to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. This chassis was last used at the first 2010 New Hampshire event in June where McMurray finished18th. The chassis was also used in April at Phoenix International Raceway where McMurray battled handling issues after an on track altercation forced a 24th-place finish.

No. 42 Energizer Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #907. Brian Pattie and the No. 42 team are bringing chassis #907 to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this weekend. The team last used this chassis at the first 2010 New Hampshire event in June where Montoya captured the pole position and ran in the top-10 for most of the afternoon before an on-track incident forced a 34th-place finish. This chassis was also used twice during the 2009 season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September and Martinsville Speedway in October where Montoya finished third in both events.

2010 STATS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

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

Jamie McMurray 26 2 3 7 9 14.1 17.3 14/14

Juan Pablo Montoya 26 1 2 5 13 10.7 17.8 16/17

CAREER STATS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

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

Jamie McMurray 284 5 6 37 89 19.8 19.2

Juan Pablo Montoya 135 2 4 17 40 17.6 19.9

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

Roswell, Ga. (September 14, 2010) – Shane Wilson, crew chief for the No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet and driver Clint Bowyer, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Saturday night’s Air Guard 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Wilson helped his team clinched the covered 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Series title. After an impressive fourh-place qualifying effort, Bowyer ran solid throughout the race and came home sixth, finishing ahead of the drivers who were close enough to take that 12th spot away. Now, Bowyer has the opportunity to vie for the championship in the 10-race Chase.

Entering the race in 12th, Wilson and company decided to go all out to win the race, not just finish high enough to retain his position in the standings. They accomplished that with a lightening fast car, quick pit stops and good calls from Wilson atop the box. He led 33 laps and never ran outside of the top-six for the entire 400-lap event.

“I can’t say enough about Shane and the entire No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet team,” said Bowyer. “They never give up and have dug deep these last few races to get us where we needed to be.”

“From the beginning of the weekend, Shane and the boys came prepared,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative Jeff Hammond. “Coming in under a lot of pressure, they unloaded well and stayed on top all weekend long. Keeping in the top-5 all night, they won the biggest battle of them all – getting that last spot in the Chase.”

WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Results

Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy led by Todd Berrier came into Saturday’s race with a determination to win. Having already secured a spot in the Chase, they felt prepared.

Starting from the 25th position, Burton worked his way up into the top 10 for the majority of the race and finally setting for a 13th finishing spot going into next week’s race at New Hampshire.

Marcos Ambrose and the No. 47 Kroger Toyota Camry, led by Frank Kerr took off from the 13th position and finished a remarkable 5th place!

Following two good practice sessions and a good qualifying effort, Ambrose felt ready to attack Richmond. Despite fighting some handling conditions, the Kerr-led team never let him down in the pits.

“I’m just really proud of my guys,” Ambrose said. “It was a lot of fun out there. The No. 47 Kroger Toyota kept getting better and it was the best it had been near the end of the race.”

WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Team

Berrier, Kerr and Hammond, along with representatives from the WYPALL Wipers brand, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners. In addition to the $500 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at season’s end.

Former winners of the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge include Tony Eury, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), Robbie Reiser (Matt Kenseth), Doug Richert (Greg Biffle), Mike Ford (Denny Hamlin) and Chad Knaus (Johnson).

About WYPALL Wipers

WYPALL is a brand of Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2004, WYPALL Wipers has been affiliated with some of racing’s top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provide race teams with a number of products that demonstrate strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.

The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the 2010 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.

Kasey Kahne

No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion

SYLVANIA 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Kasey Kahne and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford team return to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for the second time this season for Sunday’s SYLVANIA 300. In June’s race at the track, Kahne started second and led 110 laps before the car’s engine expired, leaving him with a 36th-place finish.

The Budweiser Ford team will utilize Chassis No. 637 this weekend. It’s the same car they ran in June at NHMS when Kahne led more than a third of the race.

In 13 starts at NHMS, Kahne has scored one top five and five top-10 finishes. His average start at the track is 15th and his average finish is 19.4.

With 10 races to go in the 2010 season, Kahne has earned two pole awards, six top fives and eight top-10 finishes. His average starting position is 12.3 and his average finish is 18.2. Kahne is currently ranked 18th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver point standings.

Follow along each weekend with Kahne and the team on Twitter. Check out @kaseykahne for behind-the-scenes information straight from the driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Ford. Get live updates from the track each weekend from @kk9team, the PR team for Kahne. Also, follow @RPMotorsports for additional information about the Richard Petty Motorsports organization.

Become a fan of Budweiser on Facebook. Exclusive information on Kasey and the No. 9 Budweiser Ford Team can be found on the Budweiser Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Budweiser.

For the online version of the Budweiser Racing media guide, please visit .

Kasey Kahne discusses racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

What are your thoughts on NHMS? “It’s a track that has very long corners, so it’s going to be important that we get our Budweiser Ford to roll really well through the center of the corners. The straightaways are long for just a one-mile track and the turns are extremely flat, so having good brakes that will last you to the end is important if you want to run well.”

SAM HORNISH JR.

No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Sylvania 300

September 19, 2010

Mobil 1 Team News and Notes

Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the Penske Racing No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, has made five Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. In June, after starting from the eighth spot, Hornish battled a loose-handling race car and secured a 23rd-place result at the 1.058-mile oval. His best finish at Loudon came in June of 2009 when he secured his first top-10 result at the track with an eighth-place effort.

Before heading to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hornish and the No. 77 team spent Tuesday of this week testing at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia.

Each week Mobil 1 crew chief Travis Geisler offers fans a glimpse into car setup for each racetrack on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit at washingtonpost.com. Geisler reports that at New Hampshire, tight corners require a loose racecar and older tires still have a lot of life left in them. Learn more at .

Hornish will appear at the AAA display in the midway at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to answer fan questions on Sunday, September 19, beginning at 9:15 a.m. EDT.

Hornish will also be on hand to sign autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer in Loudon on Sunday from 9:40 – 10:10 a.m.

Sam Hornish Jr. Quote

Why is New Hampshire Motor Speedway such a challenging track for drivers?

“New Hampshire is one of the most challenging tracks that we run at because the cars generally want to get loose entering the corners and there is no banking to hold you. There are not a lot of places to run and be fast. You want to be right down at the bottom (of the track) so your car has to be set up for one particular area, but you still have to be able to move around a little bit to get around people or take their line away from them.”

How do you help teammate Kurt Busch during the Chase for the NASCAR Cup?

“We’re out there trying to help the No. 2 team get through some more things on race weekend as far as trying to check some more stuff off the list. I think that’s how we’re best served in trying to help them during the Chase.”

Does the No. 77 team try to help teammate Kurt Busch during the Chase through testing?

“It’s important for us to try to learn as much as we can during our tests to help the Mobil 1 Dodge, but if they’ve got things that they want to try out and they didn’t get to do it at one of their tests, we can try it for them. Hopefully, our feedback can help them decide if they want to try it on a race weekend when we get limited practice time.”

Crew Chief Travis Geisler Quote

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

“Last year we had some good races in Loudon and I am excited to get back on track with a solid run at the flat one-mile oval. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a flat, short track which always proves difficult when trying to get a good balance on the handling of the race car. Having a car that will turn through the center and still have good forward drive off the corners is always a challenge. We’re looking forward to getting back to Loudon and improving on our run there in June.”

3rd Tissot win of season for No. 17 crew

Matt Kenseth’s pit crew claimed the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Saturday night’s (Sept. 11) Air Guard 400 Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway.

It was the third Tissot win of the season for the No. 17 over-the-wall crew out of the Roush Fenway Racing stable. The win moved Kenseth’s crew into a second-place tie with Jamie McMurray’s crew in the Tissot standings. Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 crew continues to lead the pit road competition 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.

Kenseth’s Crown Royal Ford spent the least amount of time on Richmond’s pit road – 157.637 seconds – during the 400-lap, 300-mile race. Coming in second was Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet (158.848) and third was Carl Edwards’ No. 99 Kellogg’s/Cheez-It Ford (159.202).

The No. 17 over-the-wall crew consists of: Justin Nottestad (front-tire changer), Joe Crossen (front-tire carrier), Dave Smith (rear-tire changer), Garrett Reding (rear-tire carrier), Cameron Cobb (jackman), Brad Robison (gasman) and Dave McDonald (catch can). The crew chief is Jimmy Fennig and the pit crew coach is Andy Ward.

“I think one of the reasons the No. 17 Crown Royal team had a successful night on pit road is because we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on night races and our night race technique,” said Ward. “The guys did a really nice job executing under pressure. This team has now earned its third Tissot award of the season, and I think that recognition gives our organization as a whole even more motivation to defend the title which the No. 16 team earned last season. I’m incredibly proud of this team for their accomplishments.”

Tissot has been the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR since 2006. The company is also the official timekeeper for a number of other sports, including the MotoGP World Championship, the Ice Hockey World Championship and the Cycling World Championship.

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2010 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Standings

Pos Team No. Pit Crew For Wins Prize Money

1 24 Jeff Gordon 4 $20,000

T2 17 Matt Kenseth 3 10,000

T2 1 Jamie McMurray 3 10,000

T4 56 Martin Truex Jr. 2 10,000

T4 18 Kyle Busch Team 2 10,000

T4 00 David Reutimann 2 10,000

T4 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000

T8 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000

T8 12 Brad Keselowski 1 5,000

T8 33 Clint Bowyer 1 5,000

T8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 5,000

T8 39 Ryan Newman 1 5,000

T8 2 Kurt Busch 1 5,000

T8 26 Boris Said 1 5,000

T8 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, N.H. (September 14, 2010) – The 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” begins with this Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) and Jeff Gordon believes a strength of the No. 24 team – consistency – could lead them to their first ‘Chase’ title and fifth championship overall.

Each of Gordon’s four title-winning seasons occurred during season-long points championships. The team’s consistency during those long campaigns played an important role, and Gordon believes that strength can also win a much shorter 10-race playoff.

“Consistency has always been one of our strengths which is why I think the old points system worked well for us,” said the 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001 Cup Series champion.

“And we’ll approach these 10 races with the same mindset. There are a lot of points to be gained and lost. “Sure, you’re trying to win each race, but 10 races is longer than many people realize. You want to make sure you get the absolute best finish you can each week and not put yourself into a position where you end up with a 30th- or-35th-place finish.

“Those are the things that allow you to put top-fives and top-10’s together to win championships.”

In 31 starts at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire track, Gordon has three victories (during championship seasons of 1995, 1997 and 1998), three poles, 14 top-fives and 17 top-10’s. Past performances at the track have Gordon enthused of a good start to the “Chase.”

“When I look at the 10 ‘Chase’ tracks, this is one of those that I feel we can have a really strong finish,” said Gordon, who will enter the event eighth in the standings and 60 points behind leader Denny Hamlin. “We tested recently at Milwaukee, and I believe that test will help us out this weekend.

“You don’t want to be in a hole after the first event.”

And a good effort on Sunday can be aided by a strong effort on Friday, according to the 82-time race winner.

“We’ve not qualified well recently, and that’s something we need to really step up in the Chase,” said Gordon, who will drive a specially painted No. 24 DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet in this weekend’s event. “A good qualifying effort leads to better pit stall picks and better track position at the start of the races. When we qualify well, we seem to perform better.”

While they still seek that elusive first win of the season, Gordon and company are eyeing more than just one. “We’re showing week in and week out that we’re a very, very strong team,” said Gordon.

“I still think we could have won three or four races up to this point – if not more – already this season. “And I can’t see why we can’t still win multiple races before this year is out.”

Jimmie Johnson

2010 Starts: 26 Wins: 5 Top 5: 10 Top 10: 14

Current Driver Point Standings: 2nd Points Behind 1st: 10

Finish in Richmond: 3rd September 2009 Finish at New Hampshire: 4th

NEWS

Jimmie Johnson is featured in the first-annual GOLF MAGAZINE No. 1 Issue, a cover-to-cover celebration of golf excellence. The October 2010 issue hits newsstands Sept. 14. Jimmie is a part of a 24-page People Portfolio that also includes interviews with Bill Murray, Larry David, Michael Jordan and other well-known golfers.

Johnson appeared in a segment on the final season premiere of The Oprah Winfrey Show on Monday, Sept. 13.

RACE NOTES

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Johnson has made 17 Sprint Cup Series starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where he has earned three wins, six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes.

Johnson has completed 98.7% (4906 of 4973) of competition laps at the 1.058-mile oval and has led 297.

He has an average start and finish of 9.1 and 9.0.

Chassis

Johnson last piloted chassis No. 540 to a win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June.

Back up chassis No. 520 has collected four wins in five starts – the most recent coming at Martinsville Speedway in March 2009.

QUOTES

WHAT HAVE YOU GUYS DONE ALREADY TO PREPARE FOR THE FIRST CHASE RACE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE? “New Hampshire has been on everyone’s mind since Daytona. Everybody knows that that race is coming and that is when the Chase starts and everybody hopes to be one of the twelve drivers in the Chase. As you start to lock in and know that you are going to lock in, you really draw all attention to that race and then all the races following. You start getting into Dover and looking into your set-ups for Dover and start to work on all those races, so we are in that category and we have been looking at Loudon and we feel very confident with the Loudon race track because we won there in the spring and we had a very dominant car throughout the day. So it’s top of mind for us too and we have been doing some testing too and I think the performance we had in Atlanta was a great step for this team at the 1.5 mile tracks. So hopefully we have got momentum and performance coming at the right time.”

WHEN PEOPLE SAY YOU LOOK VULNERABLE, THE FACTS DON’T BACK IT UP. YOUR FINISH IN THE LAST TEN RACES IS BETTER THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR. DOES IT FEEL ANY DIFFERENT? “No, it doesn’t. I know that last year we entered the Chase without the momentum that I wanted and I remember being a part of the celebration here and taking photos for the Chase and I was in a terrible mood. We ran so bad. I thought that we had been close, I guess, with our average finish leading into the Chase, and I just know from experience, the Chase is its own environment. When we wake up Monday morning and whenever drivers and teams start thinking about the Chase, probably Monday morning, most guys will kickback tomorrow and relax. There’s just a pit that develops in your stomach and doesn’t go away. It’s the championship pit and it’s there.

“We are all going to wake up with it and deal with it and some guys handle it better than others. I think our team the last four years has been really comfortable with that pit in their stomach and dealt with it well. I hope we can do it again. There’s no telling. It’s been awfully tough to win four in a row, but we’ll show up and give 100% and at the end of the ten races, if we give 100% and get beat, then we’ll go home and be proud of what we did. But if we squandered it away and do something stupid and say, we just didn’t give it our all, we’ll be disappointed. We just want to do our best.”

SPRINT CUP SERIES CAREER NOTES

Career Wins

Johnson has 52 wins in his Sprint Cup Series career, his most recent coming at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2010.

The El Cajon, Calif.-native is currently 10th on NASCAR’s all-time wins list, two victories 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 24 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 Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 20, 2010.

Career Starts

In 26 2010 starts, Johnson has collected five wins, 10 top five and 14 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 317 Sprint Cup Series starts, Johnson has posted 127 top-five and 194 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 10,764 laps (of 91,127) in his Sprint Cup career, covering over 122,262 miles.

He has finished on the lead lap 244 times.