Category: XFINITY Series

[media-credit name=”www.phoenixraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]BASHAS’ SUPERMARKETS 200 RACE REPORT

Michael Annett

No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang

Michael Annett started the 200-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Phoenix International Raceway from the 21st position. Annett finished the second event of the season as follows:

10th—Michael Annett, No.43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang

·         Saturday marked Annett’s first top-ten finish with Richard Petty Motorsports

·         Annett ran in the top-15 for the majority of the 200-mile event and was scored as high as ninth place in the final 20 laps of the race

·         With just 15-laps remaining in the 200-lap event Annett was running lap times as fast as the leader

·         The No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports crew made a myriad of adjustments throughout the race and after each pit stop the Pilot Flying J car’s handling  improved

·         Elliott Sadler claimed the victory Saturday afternoon in a race that saw three caution flags wave for a total of 15 laps

·         Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  was the highest finishing (third)Ford Mustang at Phoenix

·         Unofficially, Annett sits in eighth place in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings heading into Las Vegas next weekend

Annett’s Thoughts After the Race: “It was a very hard earned 10th place finish, I will tell you that. Starting back in 21st, everyone knows that Phoenix is a tough place to pass and it seemed like the first five laps of the restarts were where you were going to run until the next restart. We just kept making changes, really good changes, making it better and better but nothing that really woke it up. The last stop there we took two left side tires and it really woke the car up and we were able to drive up there in the end and gain five spots in that last green flag run to bring home a top-10, so I am pretty happy.”

Next up in NASCAR Nationwide Series action is the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 10, at 5 p.m. ET. The event will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Be sure to follow Richard Petty Motorsports on Twitter @RPMotorsports for behind the scenes updates, driver appearance information and qualifying and race updates. You can also check us out on Facebook.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Dodge PR

Phoenix International Raceway

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Post-Race Quotes

Brad Keselowski (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished 2nd YOU WERE LEADING, AND THEN ELLIOTT SADLER WAS ABLE TO GET AROUND YOU. WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE?  “You know all them (Richard) Childress cars were fast.  We saw that Kevin Harvick was probably the car to beat today and I’m sure Elliott’s car was about the same.  They had two good cars there.  Our Penske Dodges were good too.  We just came up short there.  Elliott was able to get by us there early in the run. Our car would kind of level back off to his after a few laps, but the first few laps we just couldn’t keep pace with him.  They did a great job and my team did a great job.  This team here has been redone again since the offseason.  The first two races of the year, to get two second-place finishes, that’s good, but we both want to wins and we’ve been really close.  I’m proud of the effort, proud of the Discount Tire team, and keep going after ‘em hard like we did today.”

SO CLOSE, SECOND AT DAYTONA LAST WEEKEND AND SECOND HERE AT PHOENIX TODAY. HOW CLOSE ARE YOU IN GETTING TO VICTORY LANE? “It’s been a great start for Jeremy Bullins (crew chief) and the Discount Tire team.  Jeremy came over to this team as a new crew chief to start this year.  Two second-place finishes, that’s a lot to be proud of.  We want to win.  Close, but we just needed a little bit more out of our Dodge today, but a great effort by the whole team.  It’s great to see Elliott Sadler win, a Nationwide regular. That’s so important to the series as well.  All and all, a great day for us and the series as well.”

YOU WERE GAINING ON (SADLER); DID YOU THINK THAT YOU WERE GOING TO CATCH HIM? “My car was a lot stronger, compared to Elliot’s, on the long run rather than short run.  We needed some more laps.  If he would have made one mistake, we would have had him.”

Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished 6th YOU HAD A RESPECTABLE RUN TODAY.  “Obviously, not quite what we wanted, but all in all our Challenger was pretty good.  We didn’t have enough short-run speed to be able to do what it took to be a top-five car.  But Chad (Walter, crew chief) made a good call there on the last stop, just taking fuel, to get us to the end and I was able to hold on and make sure that we didn’t lose anything from there.  Real happy with everybody sticking to it, just not giving up.  Our Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger was good at times, just not what we needed to win today.”

IT SEEMED LIKE WHEREVER YOU WERE ON THE TRACK AFTER A PIT STOP, SIXTH OR TENTH-PLACE, THAT’S WHERE YOU STAYED.  “We could gain a little bit here and there and then we’d lose a little bit.  Most of the day, wherever we started that run, we ended up there.  It can always be worse.  You can be going in the wrong direction.  The guys did a good job in the pits today.  They’re still learning how to work together. I think as we continue to get into the season, they’re going to get better and better.”

Keselowski Press Conference – Media Center

YOU WERE MAKING UP A LOT OF GROUND AT THE END OF THE RACE ON SADLER. THIS WAS ANOTHER GOOD EARLY SEASON PERFORMANCE FOR YOUR TEAM. “Absolutely.  The Discount Tire Dodge was okay.  We’re proud of our effort.  It has been a great start and it was a great finish last year.  We’re coming off four consecutive top twos.  I think that’s pretty good, one of ‘em a win.  You know, obviously, there’s been some changes to Penske Racing and to my team during the offseason and the Discount Tire 22 team.  And to come out of the gate and have two strong runs, that’s a lot to be proud of.  Obviously, we wanted to get one more spot and pick up the win, but Elliott was a little bit stronger and there’s nothing to be ashamed of running second here today.  But you know we’ll keep pushing and if we keep putting ourself in this position, we’ll get a win.”

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT’S GOING ON WHEN YOU AND SOME OTHERS DECIDE TO CUT THE APRON AT TURN TWO?  IT SEEMS VERY RANDOM.  WHY DO YOU DO IT?  “Why do I do it?  To pass cars; you know it’s quicker.  It’s definitely shorter.  It’s hairy and not a lot of fun to do, but you know as race car drivers, if there is any advantage to be had it’s our responsibly to find it and use it.  It is kind of rough on the car and it hurts inside the car (laughs).  That is a good question, why on some laps and not others.  You know you have to keep in mind that a car is like a fruit in the sense that it’s a perishable item.  It’s only made to run a certain amount of laps, cycles, etc.  Man, I’m just saying it has a shelf life.  It expires and when you use it in a manner like that, you’re going to make it expire quicker.  It’s a question of when it is helpful and when is it not?  You don’t want to take a bite out of the apple when it’s rotten.  You take care of it.”

WHEN YOU TOOK THE LEAD ON THAT RESTART, DID YOU FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT AT THAT POINT?  WERE YOU SURPRISED THAT ELLIOTT CAME UP ON YOU AT THAT POINT?  “Well, I felt good (laughs).  I don’t know about confident. Confident would come over laps, but it was obvious the first few laps that I didn’t have the speed that Elliott or the cars behind me did. I was hoping I could get out there and the car would settle in and we would drive away, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  You know that’s the way it is sometimes.  I don’t want to say it’s okay because it’s not, I mean, I want to win.  It’s part of the game and certainly something for us to work on and enable us to secure a victory because, obviously, we were in position to win.  But you know, like I said, for where we’re at with our team and where we’re at right now with everything, I’m very much encouraged.”

TOYOTA NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Post-Race Notes & Quotes Phoenix International Raceway – March 3, 2012

Joey Logano (eighth) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Phoenix International Raceway Denny Hamlin (ninth) started on the pole position and led four times for 56 laps at the one-mile race track. Other Toyota drivers in the field included Kyle Busch (11th), Brian Scott (14th), Mike Bliss (16th), Tayler Malsam (20th), Joe Nemechek (24th), Eric McClure (28th), Kenny Wallace (36th) and Jeff Green (43rd).

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 8th Was it hard to find a balance between loose and tight during the race? “We struggled a little bit. I thought we were going to be a lot better than that. We started off tight in the center and would get loose in and tried to fix it. We never get more front grip in the car and we tried to loosen the back up to try to help the front and just never really found any speed. We had what we had from the beginning. It’s a disappointment.”

How was your race? “It just wasn’t as good as we wanted it to be. We thought we were going to be really fast after practice yesterday when we ran and our car was good. Just tuning to a different track is some of it. We started the race and were pretty decent and drove up towards the front towards third or fourth and then everyone was able to get their cars better and we didn’t get any better. We just kind of stayed right at that part. We tried to get the car to turn. We took the back out, so we were looser into the corner. We didn’t really gain anything there. We just need to get up front and turn a little bit better.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 18 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 9th Did you take just left side tires on the final pit stop? “Yeah, it wasn’t the right thing I don’t believe. I think the 12 (Sam Hornish Jr.) did it last year and won the race. It was not for our car. We had a good car, it was just a bad two tires.”

How tough was this race? “It gives us information for tomorrow. That’s one thing, we at least know it wasn’t effective. The only thing is, I wish we would have made the same play, I think a little bit back on that. We should have just gone with what we knew because I want to take risks and try to win these Nationwide races, but we had a car that was capable of winning but we just didn’t have the right strategy there at the end.”

Do you think Saturday’s race is an indication of how Sunday’s race will be? “I think it’s going to be so tough. For whatever reason, these tires are not adhering to this race track very good. In my opinion, I think the tires are entirely too stiff and we were just all fighting it. We can’t get around each other because it’s so loose right now on the early run.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry, Kyle Busch Motorsports Finishing Position: 11th After the Nationwide race — Were you talking to Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin about today’s race or tomorrow’s race? “A little bit of both. Looking at everything. What they kind of felt. How their cars drove. What ours was doing. Seeing how we can make something better.”

How was your race today? “Unfortunately, we just didn’t have the day we were looking for today. We got up as high as third, but just way too tight. We couldn’t hold the race track with the front tires.”

Will you have some new cars in the near future? “Brand new car next week. This one might run again. And then another brand new one at California. Hopefully, some better stuff.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 14th MIKE BLISS, No. 44 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 16th

TAYLER MALSAM, No. 19 G-Oil Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 20th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 D.A.B. Constructors Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Finishing Position: 24th

ERIC MCCLURE, No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 28th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 RAB Racing Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard Finishing Position: 36th What happened to put you out of the race? “Man, I tell you what — the right front tire blew out like a bomb. It started pushing about four laps before that and I was telling my guys it was starting to push bad. I was trying to get underneath Sam Hornish — but there was no reason for it. I don’t know really what happened and why. Went down into turn three — it shocked me. It below out so big it blew the hood off and went right in the wall.”

JEFF GREEN, No. 10 Toyota Camry, TriStar Motorsports Finishing Position: 43rd

RICKY STENHOUSE JR., No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang (Finished 3rd) –  WHAT MORE DID YOU NEED THERE AT THE FINISH?  “I think we had the fast race car there at the end. We just couldn’t go on restarts. We couldn’t get the grip and tires we needed the first lap or two and that gave up a lot of track position. We bounced back, fought hard and got a third place finish out of it. Not too bad for how far we fell back a few times. I just want to thank all the fans for coming out here. We really appreciate it and glad we could put on a show for you.”

TREVOR BAYNE, No. 60 Ford EcoBoost Ford Mustang (Finished 7th) – “I thought we were going to get a really good run after that first start. We drove right to the lead and it was a stout car. The problem was we were too good on the short runs and it faded on the long run. We got too tight. It is unfortunate. I wanted to win this thing and I thought we had a shot at it all weekend but we just need to be better on the long run. Last time we were too good on the long run and everything was short. It is a gamble if you are going to hit it or not. We did our target, we got it good on the short run which was our goal, now we just have to find that middle balance so we can win one of these things again.”

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 43 Pilot/Flying J Ford Mustang (Finished 10th) – “It was a very hard earned 10th place, I will tell you that. Starting back in 21st, everyone knows that Phoenix is a tough place to pass and it seemed like the first five laps of the restarts were where you were going to run until the next restart. We just kept making changes, really good changes, making it better and better but nothing that really woke it up. The last stop there we took two left sides and it really woke the car up and we were able to drive up there in the end and gain five spots in that last green flag run and bring home a top-10, so I am pretty happy.”

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. PRESS CONFERENCE – YOU GAVE IT ALL YOU HAD OUT THERE TODAY, TALK ABOUT YOUR THIRD PLACE FINISH.  “Yeah, I love racing here. It felt like we had the fastest car there late in the runs and there at the end of the race. We just couldn’t get going on restarts. We would get down to turn one and it felt like we were on ice for 15 laps and then once we got going we were really fast. We have to get back to the shop and do our homework. It is pretty disappointing. We wanted to come here and win and felt this was a track we always have run well at, we just couldn’t get it done today.”

WAS THERE MUCH DIFFERENCE FROM THIS MORNING TO THE RACE TODAY?  “It seemed slicker at the start of the race but once we got going it was really good. I don’t think there was much difference. The outside lane came in on restarts toward the end of the race, which we thought it would, it took me awhile getting trapped on the outside on that first restart falling way back but the outside came in really well and it was a lot of fun.”

DID YOU TAKE TWO TIRES ON YOUR LAST PIT STOP?  “No, we didn’t take any there, we felt like that was going to be best for the way the restarts were going on cold tires for us so we stayed with the four tires we had.”

[media-credit name=”www.phoenixraceway.com” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Casey Roderick, No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang

Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 Fast Facts

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race No. 2; Bashas’ Supermarkets 200,

Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona

Race Information: Event: Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 Saturday, March 3 at 2:30 p.m. Local Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern) Track: Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway Qualifying: Saturday, March 3, at 11:05 a.m. Local Time Track Length: 1.0-mile paved oval.

Last Time Out; Daytona International Speedway: Together, Randy Hill Racing (RHR) and Casey Roderick made their Nationwide Series debut at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway in last Saturday’s DRIVE4COPD 300 at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. After qualifying 32nd, Roderick blasted his No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang into the top-10 but was collected in the “big one” on lap 103. The team would be regulated to an undesirable 36th place finish.

Welcome To The Copper State: This weekend, Randy Hill Racing (RHR) travels to Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway for the running of Saturday’s Bashas’ Supermarkets 200. Neither RHR nor Roderick have been to the one-mile speedway but look to be one of the 43 starters in the second NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season.

The Low-Down On Roderick: Casey Roderick, the 19-year old rising phenom from Lawrenceville, Georgia will look to make his fifth career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Saturday afternoon. The former Bill Elliott Racing development driver made three starts in 2011 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway and tackled his first superspeedway at “The World Center of Racing” last Saturday. He is also veteran and champion of the INEX Legends Car Series and multiple late-model winner.

Did You Know?: Roderick is a former winner in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards winning at New Jersey Motorsports Park in the Garden State 150 presented by the American Red Cross. After blowing a motor in the opening minutes of practice, Roderick who then was driving for Bill Elliott missed qualifying but earned a provisional to start the race 34th. During the 67-lap event, Roderick thundered his No. 51 Bill Elliott Racing Dodge Charger to the front of the field to lead seven laps including the last one to score his first career victory in only his fourth ARCA career start. At the conclusion of the 2011 season, Roderick has competed in 10 ARCA Racing Series events overall including three for Randy Hill Racing in 2011.

Two Rookies: Not only is Casey Roderick a rookie in the NASCAR Nationwide Series but car owner Randy Hill carries the rookie stripe in the garage area as well. Hill, a successful entrepreneur, rancher and inventor from Texas is in the midst of his second year on the Nationwide tour as a car owner. Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage, former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) owner Robert Yates and former NSCS driver Ken Ragan have all been influential in Hill’s foray into Motorsports.

Congratulations In Order: Last Saturday night, car owner Randy Hill was given Dallas Christian School’s prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award. Hill, a native of Garland, Texas and 1986 alum of Dallas Christian School (DCS). He was an outstanding athlete in high school and played on the 1985 State Championship Football Team. Hill received the award after his eagerness and devotion to continuing education in his home state of Texas. In December 2010, Hill donated brand new iPads to the entire faculty staff at DCS in order to improve learning experiences in the classroom.

Calling The Shots: Like Daytona, Randy Hill Racing in its alliance with Go Green Racing (GGR) will have crew chief Paul Andrews calling the shots on the No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang at Phoenix. David Ingram will heed the role as car chief for Saturday’s contest.

Vroom, Vroom: Did you know that Randy Hill Racing has NASCAR Nationwide Series die-casts available for purchase? Currently, the team has a healthy inventory of the No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang from the 2011 season available in both the 1:24 and the 1:64 scale models. Further information is available by visiting the Randy Hill Racing Facebook page. The team also plans on handing a few of the cars out to the fans this weekend at PIR, much like they did at Daytona last weekend.

Are You In The Know?: Casey Roderick and Randy Hill Racing are proud to be a part of the Facebook (Randy Hill Racing; Casey Roderick Motorsports) and Twitter (@RandyHillRacing; @CaseyRoderick1) cravings. Stay connected for the latest information, results and sweet surprises from us all year long.

Randy Hill Racing, Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway Pre-Race Quotes: Casey Roderick, driver of the No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang

On Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway: “Man, Daytona was great. I just wished we would have left there with better results, because our finish was definitely not an indication of our performance. Everyone at Randy Hill Racing did a fantastic job. It was an incredibly stout field but I feel we were able to prove ourselves on the track. I can’t thank Randy (Hill) enough for giving me the opportunity to race; it’s something I will never forget.”

On Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway: “I think it’s going to be another positive weekend for Randy Hill Racing. I consider myself a good short-track racer and with the leadership of Paul (Andrews) and David (Ingram), I think our No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang will be someone to contest with. The track went through a major overhaul last year but I think the racing is a lot better for the fans and drivers alike which should make Saturday’s race exciting.”

On A Realistic Goal For Saturday Afternoon: “Well, first, we’re a go-or-go-homer, so we have to make the race on time, which I think we are definitely capable of doing again. Once that’s settled, we can turn our attention towards the race and plan on finishing somewhere in the top-20 on Saturday afternoon.”

On Racing In The NASCAR Nationwide Series: “I can’t even begin to describe all the feelings. I’ve wanted so long for the opportunity to race in NASCAR and Randy Hill Racing has made those dreams become a reality. Everyone is very supportive from the folks at NASCAR to the other teams and drivers; it’s just a refreshing feeling for someone like me. I know what this team is capable of; I just hope luck is on our side this weekend and we can prove that we belong here.”

Randy Hill Racing, Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway Pre-Race Quotes: Randy Hill, owner of the No. 08 Randy Hill Racing Ford Mustang

On Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway: “I was extremely proud of Casey (Roderick) and everyone on the RHR team. We were able to come down to Daytona, overcome a blown motor in practice, qualify solidly for the race and be a contender when push came to shove. It’s unfortunate that the “big one” ruined our chances of a gratifying finish, but that’s just reality of restrictor plate racing. Nonetheless, I think we turned some heads last Saturday.”

On Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway: “I’m eager to get things rolling in Phoenix. Our Ford Mustang should be real good and I think this is a track that fits Casey’s mojo. It’s a long-race, so patience will be crucial and handling I think will be everything, but I have a good feeling about Saturday’s race.”

On A Realistic Goal For Saturday Afternoon: “Most definitely, I think we’re capable of finishing somewhere in the top-20. We’re still learning and growing as a team, but we’ve poured a lot of resources into our program with the goal of coming to the track and being a competitive fixture.”

PRIOR RESULTS:

Casey Roderick, Phoenix International Raceway NASCAR Performance Record:

Date       Event                    Start     Finish         Laps Status

No prior NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway.

The Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 (200 laps / 200 miles) is the second of 33 events on the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule. The first practice session of the weekend begins on Friday, March 2 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. live on SPEED. A final “happy hour” practice session has been etched in from 2:10 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. also live on SPEED. Qualifying is set for the following day, Saturday, March 3 scheduled to lift off at 11:05 a.m. The field will take the green flag later that day just after 2:30 p.m. with live coverage on ESPN2, the Motor Racing Network (Radio) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Satellite Radio, Channel 90). Pre-race coverage of the anticipated thriller is tentatively scheduled to lift off at 2:00 p.m. also on ESPN2. All times are local.

Fast Links:

Driver / Team: Randy Hill Racing on the web: RandyHillRacing.com

Sanction: NASCAR Nationwide Series: NASCAR.com.

Twitter: @RandyHillRacing and @CaseyRoderick1.

PHOENIX RACE PREVIEW

Michael Annett• No. 43 Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang

Annett will make his sixth career start in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Phoenix Annett enters Phoenix in 16th spot in the Nationwide driver point standings Annett’s best finish (10th) came in 2011 at Phoenix International Raceway

Michael Annett on Racing in Phoenix: “Phoenix is one of my favorite tracks to race on. I really like the flat one-mile tracks and PIR is really fast. I had a strong top-10 finish last year on the new configuration and I think since the track has been repaved it puts on a really good show for the fans, especially when we’re racing on the dogleg on the backstretch. At Phoenix it is really important to have good horsepower to drive off of the corners and I’m really looking forward to having a Ford powerhouse under the hood of my Pilot Flying J car this weekend.”

Annett on Racing at Daytona Last Week: “Racing at Daytona is always fun, but it didn’t quite turn out the way we wanted it to last weekend. I had a great car with a lot of horsepower under the hood and my Pilot Flying J Ford could run up front. It’s a shame we got caught up in a wreck at the end because I know we had a good chance of finishing really well.”

Crew Chief Philippe Lopez’s Thoughts on Racing in Phoenix: “I’m excited to go out west and get on a flat one-mile track to see what our Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang is capable of doing. Daytona is always kind of a chess match and we can’t always control what happens on the track. Phoenix will be a true test of what Michael and the car are capable of doing. Michael has run really well at Phoenix in the past and had a top-10 finish last fall on the newly paved track. I know the crew has worked really hard the past month to get this program put together and we are all anxious to get unloaded and see what we’ve got this weekend.”

Chassis History: The No. 43 RPM NASCAR Nationwide Series team has prepared chassis No. 644 for the 200-mile race at Phoenix International Raceway. This Pilot Flying J Ford Mustang is brand new to Richard Petty Motorsports this season.

Notes: Annett has six NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway. His best finish (10th) at the one-mile track came in 2011. His best start (14th) at the Phoenix-area track came in 2009. Annett has completed 1,157 of 1,203 laps attempted at PIR.

Looking for a Pilot or Flying J store near Phoenix? There are 5 Pilot or Flying J stores within 100 miles of Phoenix International Raceway. One store is only 10 miles away from the racetrack. (Pilot Travel Center (I-10 Exit 133) 900 North 99th Avenue, Avondale, AZ 85323). There are 16 stores within 250 miles of the track. Go tohttp://www.pilotflyingj.com/locationsfind the nearest locations.

Can’t get enough of Annett? Michael will visit the Ford Display at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday at 10 a.m. for a 15 minute Q-and-A session.

Don’t forget to check out the Richard Petty Motorsports website at www.RichardPettyMotorsports.com for the latest news, updates and weekend race reports.

Race Information

Track: Phoenix International Raceway

Laps: 200 Laps/200 Miles

Track Size: One-Mile

TV Information: 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Radio Information: 4 p.m. ET on MRN

Be sure to follow Richard Petty Motorsports on Twitter @RPMotorsports for behind the scenes updates, driver appearance information and qualifying and race updates. You can also check us out on our Facebook page at Richard Petty Motorsports.