Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

Category: XFINITY Series

NASCAR XFINITY Series news and information

  • BRANDT RETURNS TO TURNER MOTORSPORTS IN 2012

    BRANDT RETURNS TO TURNER MOTORSPORTS IN 2012

    Justin Allgaier to pilot the No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 14, 2011) – Turner Motorsports announced today that BRANDT is returning to the multi-car team as primary sponsor of the No. 31 Chevrolet driven by championship contender Justin Allgaier. Allgaier finished the 2011 season third in the overall NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) championship point standings, notching one win, six top-five finishes and 17 top-10 finishes, with the win coming at Chicagoland Speedway, the home track of BRANDT and Allgaier.

    BRANDT President and CEO, Rick C. Brandt, is enthusiastic about the company’s return to NNS competition with Turner Motorsports.

    “We are extremely pleased with the outcome of our first season in NASCAR and look forward to returning as a championship contending team with Turner Motorsports and Justin Allgaier in the Nationwide Series,” said Brandt. “We look to expand on the successes we had with the program both on and off the track in 2011 and take the program to the next level in 2012.”

    Turner Motorsports owner, Steve Turner, is pleased to welcome BRANDT back on board as an integral part of his NNS program.

    “We are thrilled to have BRANDT back as a primary partner for the 2012 season,” said Turner. “Just like Turner Motorsports, BRANDT is a family-based company, whose values and ideals align well with ours. Also, Justin [Allgaier] is a great fit for BRANDT, having grown up not far from the company headquarters.  We believe 2011 was a great start to our partnership, but plan for the 2012 season to be even better as we contend for more wins, and ultimately, a Nationwide Series championship.”

    Allgaier, a Riverton, Ill. native, has made a name for himself coming through the national stock car racing ranks. “Little Gator”, a nickname Allgaier earned for his size and aggressive nature behind the wheel, started racing Midget and Sprint cars at age six before moving onto stock cars as a teenager. After capturing the ARCA Racing Series championship in 2008, he graduated to the NNS and claimed Rookie-of-the-Year honors with three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. The 25-year-old scored his first NNS victory in 2010 at Bristol Motor Speedway and rounded out the season with two pole awards, eight top-five and 20 top-10 finishes.

    ###

    About Brandt Consolidated, Inc.: BRANDT was founded in 1953 to help farmers adopt new and profitable technologies for their operations. The company has experienced aggressive growth under the leadership of President and CEO Rick Brandt. Innovation, technology and strong customer service are a few of the core beliefs that have made BRANDT a leader in today’s agriculture industry. Brandt’s focus is providing the products and services that gives growers the best opportunity for maximum return on their investment and build a stronger, healthier and more abundant food supply. Visit BRANDT on the web at: www.brandt.co

    About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, has completed its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Great Clips, BRANDT, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Monster Energy, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.

  • The 2011 Nationwide Series Year in Quotes Review

    The 2011 Nationwide Series Year in Quotes Review

    Daytona: “You just know. After 30 years of doing this, I know.” — Tony Stewart

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]The season started with a photo finish between Clint Bowyer and Tony Stewart with the margin of victory being 0.007 seconds. But Stewart says he knew that he had won before NASCAR relayed the official timing. The victory was the fourth straight for Stewart in the event.

    Phoenix: “I think from last year I owe Kyle one little bump and I thought about taking it but it’s a new year and I thought I could get by him clean.” — Carl Edwards

    The two dominant drivers in the NNS have to be Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. At Phoenix Busch led all 200 laps on his way to victory as Edwards did his best to steal it at the end. While he says he owed Busch one from 2010, Busch said in victory lane he didn’t know what Edwards was talking about.

    Las Vegas: “I just decided I wasn’t going to run out of gas.” — Mark Martin

    Mark Martin wasn’t supposed to be in victory lane at Vegas but the wheel hit the No. 32. Martin stole the win as Brad Keselowski hit the wall on the final lap. The win helped Martin stay ahead of Kyle Busch as the all-time wins leader before Busch tied and broke the record later in the season.

    Bristol: “I feel like God has given me the opportunity to race in NASCAR and I owe it to the fans, sponsors, that I am not a start and park driver. I’m here to race.” — Jennifer Jo Cobb

    The green flag hadn’t even fallen at Bristol before there was drama. The short-track in Tennessee plays host to the best of rivalries but it’s rare for it to between driver and owner. Cobb stepped out of the car before the start of the race when told by the owner that she needed to start and park.

    Fontana: “We stole this one, it wasn’t ours.” — Kyle Busch

    The day that Busch doesn’t dominate a NNS race and win is surprising but that was the case in California. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards had the field covered and separated themselves for much of the day. That was until the No. 18 team used pit strategy to get Busch out front and pick up another win.

    Texas: “The crowd at Texas it a little bit wild.” — Carl Edwards

    No longer are backflips enough for Edwards when he wins a race. At the end of 2010 he started going into the grandstands to get up close and personal with the fans. In Texas he discovered that going into the stands was a lot easier then coming back out.

    Talladega: “What a day. We just have a small crew; just a small team, trying to do what we can do week by week and we gave ‘em a run for their money today. I wish it would have ended under green.” —- Joe Nemechek

    The plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega provide a great chance for a driver to shock the NASCAR world. Trevor Bayne did as much in the Daytona 500 in the Sprint Cup Series in 2011. Here though, Nemechek didn’t get the win but thought he could have for his self-owned, underfunded team had the race gone to completion.

    Nashville: “Them Roush cars are just so dang fast, all of them.” — Brad Keselowski

    A common theme in 2011 was the resurgence of Roush Fenway Racing and Ford. Both Keselowski and Kyle Busch found it hard to beat them and said they had an advantage. At Nashville Keselowski finished third behind Edwards and Busch.

    Richmond: “Well, I guess NASCAR decided that we should be the tail end of the one lap down cars, I’m not really sure how they decided that … They’re gonna have to explain that to me” — Aric Almirola

    Following a pit road speeding penalty NASCAR placed Almirola at the rear of the field. After contesting that NASCAR had made a mistake he fought back to finish 14th but still wasn’t happy about what had happened. A few weeks later Reed Sorenson would line up incorrectly on a restart, which NASCAR did not correct.

    Darlington: “That seems to be my best style here at Darlington, beat ‘em up as much as you can and see if you can win with it.” — Kyle Busch

    It wasn’t pretty and he certainly didn’t have the best looking car, but Busch always finds a way to win. At Darlington the track ‘Too Tough to Tame’ reached out and abused his car a few times but it didn’t help the competition stop him from winning again.

    Dover: “That was pretty wild man, I thought I was going over the wall.” — Clint Bowyer

    The fireworks that normally appear at Daytona and Talladega when it comes to spectacular but scary wrecks appeared in Dover this year. On the final lap coming off turn four Joey Logano got loose while racing Carl Edwards. He bounced off the wall and came down the track where Bowyer hit him and flipped on his side down the frontstretch.

    Iowa: “I couldn’t think of a better place to win.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    The 2011 season was that of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. From wrecking, being benched and fighting for his job in 2010, Stenhouse came back with a vengeance. He gave the Cup drivers a run for their money every week and finally broke through for his first win at Iowa – where he had wrecked in 2010 – by holding off teammate Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski.

    Charlotte: “Once I cleared Carl I waved to him like, ‘OK we got ‘em’ but then he passed me back and I felt pretty stupid.” — Matt Kenseth

    With an ill Trevor Bayne sidelined it was 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth getting a chance at the No. 16. In a one-race deal Kenseth came in and won after putting on a great battle with teammate Carl Edwards after he nearly gave it away.

    Chicago: “I got a big grin on my face from ear to ear and turned left and as soon as I got even with him, I ran out of fuel.” — Justin Allgaier

    There are many arguments for and against fuel mileage races but in Chicago it couldn’t have been more exciting. Allgaier and Carl Edwards battled each other and their fuel gauges with little laps left. On the final lap Edwards ran out going down the backstretch and Allgaier ran out shortly after. Both drivers coasted all the way around to the checkered flag.

    Michigan: “This track definitely needs a motor and we have it.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    Leading the race with less than 10 laps to go it looked like Stenhouse Jr. was about to pick up his second career win. But teammate Carl Edwards wasn’t about to let Stenhouse have it as he took it away as Stenhouse’s car got too tight at the end. In Detroit’s backyard Edwards and Stenhouse powered Ford to a one-two finish.

    Road America: “That is why [Jacques Villeneuve] should quit driving NASCAR no sense. I hope Max Papis punches his dumbass in the mouth.” — Kevin Harvick

    Road course ringers are supposed to be the professionals who whip on the NNS regulars. But Jacques Villeneuve didn’t give them a good name in 2011, as he was involved in numerous incidents that prevented himself and others a chance to win. When he took out Max Papis at Road America it was the team owner of the car Papis was driving that let loose on his Twitter page.

    Daytona: “Kept it straight, kept my foot in it too. I know that’s probably not the right thing to do when there’s a crash but I was going for broke in the GoDaddy car.” — Danica Patrick

    Again running a limited schedule for JR Motorsports, Danica Patrick nearly won at Daytona and it wouldn’t have been a fluke. Drafting with teammate Aric Almirola and now Sprint Cup team owner Tony Stewart, Patrick led a majority of the race and was in content heading to the finish. A last lap wreck kept her from a top five finish.

    Kentucky: “He’s just got to make up his damn mind up on the box.” — Kevin Harvick

    Never one to hold his tongue, Harvick makes sure others know where they stand with him. That includes his team on pit road and his crew chief, who he ripped on after Kentucky following pit calls he didn’t agree with.

    Loudon: “I hope some day we get to 200.” —- Kyle Busch

    It took longer than he expected but Busch finally broke Martin’s record. It was his 49th career win in the NNS and his 100th across all three series. Busch hasn’t hidden the fact that he wants to win 200 races to join Richard Petty in the record books.

    Nashville: “Heavenly father we thank you tonight for all your blessings. We want to thank you tonight for these mighty machines that you’ve brought before us. Thank you for the Dodges and the Toyotas, thank you for the Fords and most of all we thank you for you the Roush and Yates partnering to bring us the power we see before us tonight. Thank you GM Performance technology and R07 engines. Thank you for Sunoco racing fuel and Goodyear tires that bring performance and power to the track. Lord I want to thank you for my smoking hot wife tonight, Lisa. And my two children Eli and Emma, or as we like to call ’em, the little E’s. Lord I pray that you’ll bless the drivers and use them tonight, may they put on worthy of this great track. In Jesus name, boogity, boogity, boogity, amen!” — Pastor Joe Nelms

    Quote of the year, ’nuff said. No one remembers the race after that.

    Indianapolis: “Ricky really deserved to win this race with the car he had but things kind of fell our way tonight.” — Brad Keselowski

    The fastest car doesn’t always win and Keselowski made sure of that in Indy. When a late race caution and subsequent readjusting of the lineup put Keselowski near the front he engaged in a hard battle with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. He used up the No. 6 just enough to get by him to lead the final seven laps and took the win after Stenhouse had nearly the entire race.

    Iowa: “I was aggressive there at the end, you gotta do what you gotta do to win. I wasn’t going to let another one slip by us.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    A week later Stenhouse made sure that he ended up in victory lane when he again spanked the field at Iowa. He battled hard with teammate Edwards and traded paint with him when he felt needed. The two traded barbs afterwards but Stenhouse went home with the trophy.

    Watkins Glen: “It was one of those feelings like, we’re going to see this race on ESPN Classic if we could have gotten to duel it out at the end.” — Kurt Busch

    When Brad Keselowski broke his ankle testing he asked Cup teammate Kurt Busch to sub for him at The Glen. Busch won the pole and dominated the race, battling with his younger brother Kyle during parts of the event. A fuel mileage race ended the possibility of the two fighting for the win late in the race.

    Montreal: “Only girls pull hair.” — Steve Wallace

    Another recurring theme in 2011 was that of Steven Wallace being involved in accidents. The No. 66 was constantly being torn up and in Montreal he wrecked Patrick Carpentier, who was racing in his final NASCAR race. After the race Carpentier’s crew chief got a handful of Wallace when expressing his displeasure with the move.

    Bristol: “Wish I was the one in victory lane right now and not sitting over here in second by three inches.”—- Joey Logano

    Never the bride, always the bridesmaid, at least that’s what some viewed Logano as in 2011. Coming up short in Bristol to his teammate in a photo finish Logano said he did everything he could to win besides wrecking Busch.

    Atlanta: “I will tell you one thing: I’ll find him after the race and it’ll be between me and him.” — Reed Sorenson

    When teammates wreck each other it’s never good, except for outsiders who get to watch what happens next. When Justin Allgaier wrecked Sorenson in Atlanta when Sorenson was battling for the championship, he vowed to find him after the race and settle it.

    Richmond: “One of those deals and hate the way it all turned out but all in all, it’s short track racing I guess.” — Kevin Harvick

    At first Harvick tried to calm that his intentional wrecking of Trevor Bayne was caused because he got loose. Afterwards though he admitted to racing hard with Jason Leffler and then Bayne who got into the back of him and was then retaliated upon.

    Chicago: “I’m going to take every one of those freakin’ lapped cars and wreck ‘em.” — Brad Keselowski

    Trying to make his way through the slower traffic in front of him, Brad Keselowski lost the lead to Carl Edwards midway through the race. He vented on the radio to his team but after he regrouped was able to hold off Edwards for the win.

    Dover: “Fun, fun day. Just got beat, got beat up all day by Carl.” — Clint Bowyer

    Unlike the first race at Dover where Bowyer was sliding on his door over the finish line as Edwards won, Bowyer was able to battle to the finish in September. Unfortunately he came up short to a very fast Roush Fenway Ford.

    Kansas: “He races way over his head and he’s very fortunate that his dad has a lot of money and spends a lot of money on his racing and that’s a big factor in what he’s got going on.” — Aric Almirola

    There were many highlight moments between Almirola and Brian Scott in 2011 and at Kansas the two traded more than paint. Scott accused Almirola of racing him too hard and blocking him from getting in the pits. Almirola came back and said that Scott was overreacting as always.

    Charlotte: “I may give that car a kiss before I go to bed tonight.” — Jack Roush

    Even after pancaking the right side of his car, Carl Edwards went on to win at Charlotte for his eighth win of the year. Team owner Jack Roush said afterwards that he couldn’t be prouder of his organization for building great racecars and rebounding for a horrible 2010.

    Texas: “I don’t know if you could script a story like the year I’ve had.” — Trevor Bayne

    He started the year by wining the Daytona 500 just a day after he turned 20 years and in his second career Cup start. But a few weeks later Bayne was sidelined from running for the NNS championship when he fell ill. Then in November he finally won his first NNS race after beating teammate Carl Edwards.

    Phoenix: “Every 10 years, I guess, I get to come to victory lane here for the first time in a different kind of car, so it’s pretty special.” — Sam Hornish Jr.

    It’s been a tough road in NASCAR for Sam Hornish Jr., who lost his Cup ride following sponsorship woes and bad performances. Not one to give up he decided to stay in stock cars and give it more time, running a limited schedule in 2011. At Phoenix he shocked everyone when he won his first race after dominating the final 100 laps of the race.

    Homestead-Miami: “This is a dream come true.” — Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    The story of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will be told for many years to come. In 2010 he wrecked more than he raced, was then benched by owner Jack Roush before getting a second chance in the second half of the season. He came back to win Rookie of the Year honors before embarking on a championship tour in 2011. Stenhouse won two races and looked like a completely different driver than who was on track a year ago.

  • Defying the Odds: Timmy Hill Wins Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year

    Defying the Odds: Timmy Hill Wins Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year

    For much of the season, the focus was on the big teams – Roush-Fenway Racing, Kevin Harvick Incorporated, Turner Motorsports and others. Though at the other end, there were teams out there fighting to run strong week-in-and-week-out to accomplish their goals.

    [media-credit name=”timmyhill15.com” align=”alignright” width=”237″][/media-credit]Rick Ware Racing was one of those teams and at the end of the year, they accomplished their main goal. They ended the season with Timmy Hill winning Nationwide Rookie of the Year.

    “I can’t thank this team enough,” Hill said. “When it was crunch time, they pulled through. They have done it all year with our back against the wall!”

    It was a season full of hurdles with lots of lessons being learned along the way.

    “Previously before Nationwide, I’ve run short races at local half mile tracks,” the 18-year-old said in a phone interview. “In the NASCAR Nationwide Series, most of the races are about 300 miles long so I had to learn to pace myself throughout a race, knowing that the race was long and you got to be there at the finish to get those good finishes. So I’ve learned I’ve got to pace myself and be there at the end.”

    The driver of the No. 15 Poynt Ford had his fair share of struggles, though also had times during the season that stood out. An 11th place finish at Road American would mark Hill’s best finish of the season.

    Competing against the veterans of the Nationwide Series would be enough to intimidate a new driver. Though on top of that, there are some Sprint Cup Series regulars who would come run some Nationwide Series races.

    “I feel like with those guys, it gives you something to shoot for,” Hill said of the cup drivers. “At the same time, it makes it kind of tough because it’s hard for the new guys, like myself, to try and shine when these superstars come down to the Nationwide Series and take all the spotlight.”

    One of those Sprint Cup regulars who run the Nationwide Series, Carl Edwards, is whom Hill considers his racing hero.

    “One thing that stood out to me is he’s always a nice guy,” Hill said. “He always the guy that I wanted to attire myself after because he’s always clean on the race track, good driver, good with the fans; that’s the guy that I always try to patter myself after.”

    Hill began racing at the age of nine in go-karts.

    “Previously, my dad used to race through the 90s and the early 2000s,” he said. “I always wanted to do it growing up ever since I was a little kid. I kept bugging my dad over and over again. He finally let me drive a go-kart and I just got hooked right away.”

    Racing in go-karts in 2005, Hill won over 80 races and multiple championships, including two World Karting Association (WKA) championships. Hill then began the moving his way up the ladder from the Bandoleros to Legends to Allison Legacy Series to the ARCA Racing Series, and lastly the K&N Pro Series in 2010.

    The transition from the Allison Legacy Series to NASCAR Nationwide Series racing marked a big step for the young driver.

    “The Allison Legacy Cars and the smaller cars, they race on the half-mile tracks, like Bristol,” he said. “You go to a mile-and-a-half and these faster tracks, it’s a whole different ball game and it’s like starting over, so to speak. You have to learn everything over. Basically what comes into play is all the aerodynamics and you got to pay attention to what’s going on as you see a lot of different things than the short tracks.”

    To go with the races being longer as you move up, Hill stresses the element to drivers trying to get into the higher ranks.

    “A lot of times you see the guys that they only have a couple races that they get to run,” he said. “They go out, try too hard and end up taking them self early so they don’t get time to learn or time to shine. “So the biggest thing is these races are long, pace yourself and be there at the end.”

    Hill says for next year, he is looking to consistently get good finishes to finish top-10 in points.

    “At the beginning of this year, I had to learn all the tracks and the ins-and-outs of the series and it took me awhile to get going,” he said. “Next season, our main goal is to go out and get good finishes; top-15 finishes are what we’re looking for every week and to be there. Our goal for the points is to finish in the top 10 in driver’s points and top 10 in owner’s points.”

  • Brendan Gaughan to Compete in Limited NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedules for RCR

    Brendan Gaughan to Compete in Limited NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Schedules for RCR

    WELCOME, N.C. (December 8, 2011) – Veteran NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan will compete in 10 races on the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule, driving Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33 Chevrolet Impala, and in eight races on the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule, driving RCR’s No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado.

    Gaughan, 36, is the 2002 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year and competed fulltime in the Nationwide Series in 2009 and 2010, earning one pole and 17 top-10 finishes in 71 career starts. He finished ninth in the 2009 driver championship point standings and 11th in 2010. The two-time NASCAR Camping World Series West champion (2000-2001) has also earned eight victories and 63 top-10 finishes in 187 Truck Series starts, finishing 12th in the 2011 driver championship point standings. Gaughan was also part of the five-driver lineup that won the GT3 division of the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race at Daytona International Speedway.

    “The last few years, I have been racing for teams that try to buy their engineering or equipment from organizations as great as RCR, but doing that is never the same as racing for RCR,” said Gaughan. “I have always steered away from switching to a part-time schedule in the past but I had to look at where I would have the best opportunity to win races again and the opportunity to race for Richard Childress is one I couldn’t pass up. By sharing the Nationwide Series seat with RCR’s Cup Series drivers, I know I’m going to be in the best equipment in the garage and have the best opportunity to win races to get myself back to where I want to be and that is to compete fulltime again.”

    Gaughan’s Nationwide and Truck Series races will be sponsored by South Point Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, with the exception of two Nationwide Series events which will be sponsored by Menards.

    The Las Vegas native’s 18-race schedule will kick-off with the Truck Series event at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and includes visits in both series to his home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gaughan’s Nationwide Series events include races at Iowa Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Dover (Del.) International Speedway and Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway among others. His Truck Series line-up includes events at Texas Motor Speedway, where he is a four-time winner, Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and others, as well as the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

    “Brendan is a proven race winner and champion so we’re excited to have him driving for RCR,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing. “He will be a great addition to RCR’s overall driver lineup as we re-launch our NASCAR Nationwide Series program and continue the strength of our Camping World Truck Series program in 2012.”

    The complete crew chief and remaining driver lineup for the No. 33 Nationwide Series team and the No. 2 Truck Series team will be announced at a later date.

    For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit www.rcrracing.com .

    -30-

    About Richard Childress Racing

    Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its current Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties Chevrolet). Its Nationwide Series program includes Elliott Sadler (No. 2 One Main Financial Chevrolet), 2011 Camping World Truck Series champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Advocare Chevrolet) and Brendan Gaughan (No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino/Menards Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. and Brendan Gaughan (No. 2 Potomac Family Dining Group/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet), Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Chevrolet) and 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion Ty Dillon (No. 41 Chevrolet) will compete in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series season.

  • Stenhouse Jr., No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Team Extend Title Celebration

    Stenhouse Jr., No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Team Extend Title Celebration

    Driver Champion And His Team Visit Nationwide Headquarters For Full Day Of Activities

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 8, 2011) – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver champion, and his No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing team, will take part in a full day – and evening – of activities today, hosted by series sponsor Nationwide Insurance in its headquarters’ hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

    This is the fourth consecutive year that Nationwide Insurance has welcomed the series driver champion to its home turf, and the second year in succession that his entire team – this year led by crew chief Mike Kelley – also has made the trip. Since the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet immediately followed this year’s season finale on Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, today’s schedule allow Stenhouse’s championship celebration to continue a bit longer.

    “It’s still a surreal feeling to be the NASCAR Nationwide Series champion,” Stenhouse said. “I wake up every day and ask myself, ‘Did it really happen?’ I’m so thankful for Nationwide Insurance and everybody that has made it possible for us to race in such a great series. I’m looking forward to being at Champion’s Day in Columbus. It’s an honor and a privilege to represent Nationwide as their champion today and for the rest of my life.”

    Stenhouse’s portion of the day begins with an exclusive on-line live chat for Nationwide associates. In the meantime, the No. 6 team will receive a tour of Nationwide’s corporate headquarters. After the chat and tour, Stenhouse and his team will sign autographs for Nationwide associates on site.

    Following lunch, the driver champion team will head to nearby Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League, for a tour of the facility and a game of broomball on the Jackets’ home ice. Next up is a trip to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank where Stenhouse, Kelley and the No. 6 team will challenge a team of Nationwide associates to pack as many boxes of food items as possible in a time allotment. The food will assist needy families in the Columbus area during the holiday season.

    A unique experience follows as team members will be introduced to a Columbus, Ohio original: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream. The company’s founder, Jeni Britton Bauer, will be on hand to discuss her inspiration for her unique ice cream shops and flavors. The store insists there will be enough ice cream on hand to keep the hungry No. 6 team happy.

    The day concludes with a short trip back to Nationwide Arena where the team will enjoy the 7 p.m. ET matchup between the Blue Jackets and the Nashville Predators. Stenhouse will be a featured guest on the FOX Ohio pre-game show. He’ll also take part in a Q&A session in the Fan Lounge before an autograph session with fans in between the first and second periods.

  • 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Top Performances

    2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Top Performances

    Bounty Of Unique Stories Flavor NASCAR Nationwide Season

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 6, 2011) – Remember standing at the ice cream counter as a kid? So many great flavors to choose from that sometimes you gave in to a double or triple scoop? That’s the way the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season ended up – so many great stories were told.

    From the “pick-a-series” rule that gave driver championship contenders an opportunity to truly chase a championship, to the first full year of competition for the new car, to new stars and veterans alike taking center stage, this past season was one that made its own headlines.

    There certainly were some outstanding performances that took place during the recently completed 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. The following is a look back at some of those standout performers and memorable races, as selected from discussions with the national series directors, competition department and NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications managers. Additionally, click on the following links for special audio, video and photo packages commemorating the 2011 season.

    Top Driver

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Redemption may be an over-used word in athletic achievement, but there’s no better way to describe Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s recovery from infamy to the fame of winning the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship.

    The story is worth repeating. Stenhouse, 24, barely made it through a 2010 season in which he filled Roush Fenway Racing’s shop with the remains of numerous Ford race cars. Relieved of his driving duties at one point in 2010 by owner Jack Roush, Stenhouse’s NASCAR career hung by the thinnest of threads. But the native of Olive Branch, Miss., listened – and learned – from the experience. He rebounded to claim Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors, in the process erasing the largest deficit in series history.

    Stenhouse kept that momentum in 2011, winning two races, three Coors Light Pole Awards and piling up 16 top-five and 26 top-10 finishes. Stenhouse earned his first NASCAR national series win – and a reputation for never backing down – at Iowa Speedway in May, coming out on top of a door-to-door battle with his teammate Carl Edwards. His signature moment came three months later, also at Iowa, when he won despite a last-lap engine failure as Edwards rammed into Stenhouse’s rear, blasting him across the finish line.

    Elliott Sadler (Honorable Mention) – His first full NASCAR Nationwide Series season since 1998 didn’t exactly get off to the rousing start Elliott Sadler had hoped for. He finished 38th at Daytona and left Speedweeks ranked 27th with just six points to his credit.

    But the NASCAR veteran recovered, climbing to the points lead twice and challenging Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in what effectively was a two-man race throughout the last half of 2011. Sadler was a victim of an untimely wreck in the seasons’ penultimate race at Phoenix, costing him a real opportunity to take the title chase versus Stenhouse down to the season finale at Homestead-Miami. Still, his return to the series was a hit with the fans, who voted Sadler as the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ Most Popular Driver in an online poll on NASCAR.COM.

    Comeback Driver of the Year

    Reed Sorenson – Reed Sorenson led the points standings three times in the season’s first 20 races, took home the coveted Harley Davidson Sportster motorcycle trophy after winning a wild race at Road America and collected a cool $200,000 as highest finisher among eligible drivers in two of the first four NASCAR Nationwide Series “Dash 4 Cash” races. That was the high.

    He was involved in an accident with his Turner Motorsports teammate, Justin Allgaier, resulting in a 32nd-place finish at Atlanta. He fell to 40 points behind the leader with eight races left, effectively ending his championship hopes. Then following the race at Dover, he was released by Turner. He was still third in the standings, but without a ride to keep that status. That was the low.

    Despite a seemingly insurmountable task, he was able to work out a season-ending deal with MacDonald Motorsports. His finishes, although not what he had been accustomed to, were consistent enough to lock him into fifth place in the final championship standings.

    Kenny Wallace (Honorable Mention) – Driving for an independent team – RAB Racing – and, by his own decision, without a paycheck – Kenny Wallace spearheaded one of the most unsung comebacks of 2011. In the process, he cemented himself in the record books by becoming the all-time starts leader in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

    Following the 2010 season, Wallace underwent a personal reinvention. He lost weight, got fit and rediscovered his “inner race-car driver” with his move to RAB. In addition to overtaking Jason Keller as the series’ starts leader – and becoming just the second driver in series history to surpass 500 starts – Wallace partied like it was 2005 registering or matching the following bests, all since that season: his first top-five finish, 11 top 10s and a seventh-place final championship ranking.

    Top Team

    RAB Racing with Brack Maggard – Before becoming the primary face of RAB Racing, Robby Benton, 32, got started in NASCAR doing summer jobs in Robert Yates’ shop before serving on Davey Allison’s crew. He still displays a pair of Allison’s racing gloves on his office wall.

    Before this season Kenny Wallace, 48, had produced solid numbers in a NASCAR career that totaled over 800 starts among its three national series. But he felt as though he was running out of time to continue to prove himself on the track.

    The two joined forces in 2011, providing proof for one another that they could compete – and how. Benton’s RAB Racing team finished 14th in the final 2011 owner standings, the highest among single-car independent teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Its turnaround can be traced back to 2010, when Boris Said edged Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Max Papis at the finish line in Montreal, giving Said his first NASCAR Nationwide Series win while rewarding Benton and RAB with the organization’s first victory. More importantly, RAB learned it belonged.

    This year, Wallace brought with him a renewed energy. He helped lead the fourth-year organization into uncharted territory, where it thrived. In addition to RAB finishing tops among one-car independents in the owner rankings with an average finish of 15th, Wallace was seventh in the final driver standings, collecting one top five and 11 top 10s. Since 2008, the team’s only previous top-five/top-10 finish was Said’s victory.

    Roush Fenway Racing (Honorable Mention) – It took a while – four years to be exact – but Carl Edwards tenaciously ran down the three-time defending champion Joe Gibbs Racing to give Roush Fenway Racing its second NASCAR Nationwide Series owner championship. Edwards won the 2007 driver championship, a season in which Richard Childress Racing was the owner champion.

    With Ricky Stenhouse Jr. winning the 2011 driver championship, this year marked the first time that the same owner claimed both the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and owner titles with different teams.

    JGR’s No. 18 Toyota, helmed mostly by 2009 series champion Kyle Busch, appeared unbeatable in the early going, winning five of the season’s first 10 races. But Edwards and Roush Fenway’s No. 60 Ford team, backed by veteran crew chief Mike Beam, kept chipping away at the deficit. He closed on his rival in September and kept up the pressure through the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

    Edwards competed in 34 of the season’s 34 races. GRAND-AM Road Racing veteran Billy Johnson drove the No. 60 at Road America and was headed for a top-five finish before being struck down by mechanical problems.

    Top Breakthrough Performer

    Timmy Hill – Winning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in one of the most hotly-contested battles in series history is a testament to the resilience of Timmy Hill and his Rick Ware Racing team.

    To begin the climb, Hill didn’t race in the season-opener at Daytona. He wasn’t yet 18. Twice during the season, RWR tragically lost a member of its team. Then, just one week after Hill had been honored at the season-ending banquet as the series’ top rookie, another member of the RWR organization unexpectedly passed away.

    But through it all, Hill managed to grow in the moment. He battled fellow rookies Blake Koch and Ryan Truex from the moment the trio began racing against each other at Phoenix in February. His main competition turned out to be Koch, as Truex wasn’t able to secure a ride for the season finale, losing his rookie standings lead in the process.

    Hill’s best result was 11th at Road America. He also posted finishes inside the top 20 at Talladega, Chicaogland, Richmond and Darlington. His Chicago result came three days before his high school graduation. He and Koch, who became good friends throughout the battle, finished just one position apart six times. The rookie award came down to the final race where the driver who finished in the best position between the two would claim the honor. Koch finished 23rd. Hill was 21st.

    Hill is now the youngest rookie award-winner in NASCAR’s three national series.

    Blake Koch (Honorable Mention) – Koch didn’t race at Daytona to open the season. He also wasn’t entered at Las Vegas. But with full sponsorship and a fresh, upbeat attitude in addition to solid skills, Koch’s season with MacDonald Motorsports truly began at Auto Club Speedway and showed improvement throughout. He drew close to Timmy Hill for the rookie honor at the season’s quarter pole and even took a slim lead late, thanks in part to a five-race string of finishes that bested Hill, including matching his career-best finish of 14th at Phoenix. But the string broke at Homestead, the worst time for Koch’s award aspirations.

    Top Race

    NAPA Auto Parts 200, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – Marcos Ambrose, the class of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Montreal field, every year had continuously failed to bring home a victory for various reasons. He vowed to return to this event until he won. His chances this year again looked slim after having to start at the rear for missing qualifying while traveling from his NASCAR Sprint Cup duties in Michigan – which took him from a plane to a helicopter to a boat to finally get to his spot on the starting grid – just before the race.

    He also had to deal with the hometown favorites: Jacques Villeneuve (the polesitter), Patrick Carpentier (making his last start before retiring) and Alex Tagliani (also started on the front row).

    Villeneuve led 29 of the first 44 laps but his chances went away when he and Ambrose tangled in Turn 1 after a restart with 26 laps remaining. Ambrose powered through the mishap and kept pushing through the field, finally taking the lead from Tagliani on Lap 65. This time he held on around the final turn to take an improbable victory.

    The excitement continued after the race when Carpentier’s frustrated crew chief Jerry Baxter grabbed Steve Wallace by the hair while Wallace was still in his car. Baxter’s pit road rage was in response to Wallace spinning out the local hero on Lap 56, ruining Carpentier’s final race.

    U.S. Cellular 250, Iowa Speedway (Honorable Mention) – In its short NASCAR Nationwide Series history, Iowa Speedway is quickly becoming a track where the outcome can be counted on as one to remember.

    Both races at the .875-mile track this season were sellouts (as have all series races there); both were thrillers and both had the same winner – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – and the same protagonist – Carl Edwards.

    But the August race resulted in one of this year’s top moments.

    As he was leading out of Turn 4 on the final lap, Stenhouse’s engine unexpectedly gave way. Edwards, running a distant second but making obvious headway after Stenhouse’s misfortune, had his view blinded by the smoke and oil from Stenhouse’s expiring motor and plowed into the rear of the No. 6 Mustang. That short chain-reaction sent Stenhouse across the finish line first. The victory, and Stenhouse’s championship season, was indeed “Smashing,” as the next day’s headline blared in the Des Moines Register.

  • Hunt Brothers Pizza Partners with RCR for Multi-Team Program

    Hunt Brothers Pizza Partners with RCR for Multi-Team Program

    WELCOME, N.C. (December 5, 2011) – Hunt Brothers® Pizza,the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry, will sponsor two of Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series teams as well as the No. 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team with Kevin Harvick through a multi-year partnership agreement that begins in 2012.

    Hunt Brothers Pizza will be the primary sponsor for three NASCAR Nationwide Series races on the No. 33 Chevrolet Impala when Harvick is the driver: May 26 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.; June 29 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky.; and August 24 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. The No. 2 Chevrolet Impala, with driver Elliott Sadler, will carry the Hunt Brothers Pizza primary sponsor paint scheme for the July 22 NNS event at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. In addition, the Nashville, Tenn.-based company will be an associate sponsor throughout the NNS season for the No. 2 and the No. 33 Chevrolet teams.

    Hunt Brothers Pizza will also continue its season-long associate sponsorship of Harvick and RCR’s No. 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, beginning with the Daytona 500 in February.

    “We’re so excited to partner with one of the most legendary racing organizations in NASCAR for the 2012 and 2013 Nationwide Series,” said Scott Hunt, CEO of Hunt Brothers Pizza. “We’ve had an outstanding relationship with Richard Childress Racing this past year in the Sprint Cup Series and are ready to celebrate some more big wins together next year.”

    The 2012 season marks the fifth year of Hunt Brothers Pizza as a NASCAR sponsor. Hunt Brothers Pizza was a major associate partner of Kevin Harvick Incorporated in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011, winning a combined 13 races between the three series as well as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owners Championship.

    “Hunt Brothers Pizza has been a great partner with Richard Childress Racing and Kevin Harvick Incorporated this past season,” said Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing. “The Hunt Brothers Pizza company is a great American success story and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them through our new NASCAR Nationwide Series program.”

    For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit RCRRacing.com.

    About Hunt Brothers Pizza

    With more than 6,000 locations in 28 states, Hunt Brothers® Pizza is the nation’s largest brand of made-to-order pizza in the convenience store industry. Perfect for today’s on-the-go lifestyle, Hunt Brothers Pizza offers regular, thin crust, and breakfast pizzas with All Toppings No Extra Charge®, plus the Hunt Brothers® Wings in Southern Style and Hot ‘n Spicy flavors. Family owned and operated for over 40 years and headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., the company provides all of the food products, marketing programs, equipment and training for convenience stores to operate their own turnkey pizza program. For additional information, please visit www.huntbrotherspizza.com.

    About Richard Childress Racing

    Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Development Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 RCR Development Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

  • ESPN2 to Air NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series Season Reviews

    ESPN2 to Air NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series Season Reviews

    With one of the most competitive NASCAR seasons in history now in the record books, ESPN2 will take a look back at the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series seasons in a pair of programs to air later this week.

    The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, which ended with Tony Stewart winning his third championship in a hotly-contested battle that went to the final lap of the final race, will be reviewed on Friday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m. ET.

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series season, in which Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won his first NASCAR championship, will be reviewed on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 3 p.m.

    Both 30-minute programs, produced by the NASCAR Media Group, will feature highlights and interviews with drivers and other newsmakers who contributed to the competition in 2011.

    In 2012, ESPN networks will again televise the final 17 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, including all 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. In addition, ESPN networks will again be the home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series all season. NASCAR Now, ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program, will return in February.

    All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 throughout 2012 will be available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.

  • Toyota NASCAR Notes & Quotes Champions Week Nov 2011

    TOYOTA NASCAR NOTES & QUOTES Week of November 28 – December 4, 2011

    TOYOTA TIDBITS — NSCS Champions Week CAMRYS ON CUP CIRCUIT:  Toyota drivers combined for six wins, 39 top-five finishes and 78 top-10 results in 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races.

    Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin both claimed wins in 2011, with Busch taking four checkered flags (Bristol, Richmond, Kentucky and Michigan) and Hamlin winning once (Michigan).

    Kasey Kahne also visited victory lane (Phoenix) driving for the Red Bull Racing Team in 2011.

    Hamlin and Busch competed in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff — Hamlin’s sixth-straight Chase and Busch’s fifth appearance in the last six years — and finished the season ninth and 12th in the standings, respectively.  Kahne (14th) and Martin Truex Jr. (18th) also finished the season in the top-20 in points.

    BUSCH BREAKS RECORDS:  The 2011 season was a record-breaking year for Busch.  In July, he became the third driver to earn 100 wins across NASCAR’s three national touring series — and he currently has a total of 104 NASCAR victories.  He also became the all-time NNS wins leader in August and now has 51 series triumphs.  Furthermore, Busch made his 300th start in a Toyota in August and now has 322 combined starts in a Camry and Tundra, trailing David Reutimann (329) for the most starts for the manufacturer.  Busch has 83 wins in a Toyota across NASCAR’s three series — the most of any Toyota driver.

    NATIONWIDE NUMBERS:  Camry drivers totaled 10 wins, 38-top five results and 86 top-10 finishes in 34 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races in 2011.  In 20 NNS starts, Busch totaled eight wins (Phoenix, Bristol, California, Talladega, Darlington, New Hampshire, Bristol and Richmond) and tied Carl Edwards for the most in the series.  Busch’s JGR teammates Hamlin (Richmond) and Joey Logano (Daytona) each recorded one win during the 2011 NNS season.  Camry driver Kenny Wallace was the top-Toyota driver in the final NNS point standings, finishing in seventh-place — his best showing since 2005.

    TUNDRA TALK:  Tundra drivers combined for 10 wins, 35 top-five showings and 73 top-10 finishes in 25 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races in 2011.  Busch claimed a series-high six victories (Phoenix, Nashville, Dover, Charlotte, Kentucky and New Hampshire) in 2011, marking his third-straight year leading the series in wins.  In 41 starts over the past three seasons, Busch has captured 21 victories.  The 2011 campaign also marked the second-straight year for Busch’s team, Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM), to capture eight wins — Busch with six victories and both Hamlin (Martinsville) and Kahne (Darlington) won a race in a KBM Tundra.  Timothy Peters (Indianapolis) and Michael Waltrip (Daytona) also won races in 2011. Tundra driver Peters finished the season fifth in the driver point standings — his best career-result — and Todd Bodine continued a seven year streak in the top-10 in points after ending the year in sixth-place.

    HALF DECADE DOWN:  The 2011 season marked the Camry’s fifth year competing in the NSCS and NNS.  In five years in the NSCS, Camry drivers have competed in 179 races and captured 39 wins and 31 pole positions, recorded 167 top-five finishes and 314 top-10s.  In five NNS seasons, Camry drivers have participated in 174 events where they’ve claimed 64 wins, 54 pole positions, 251 top-10 finishes and 497 top-10s.  Busch won the 2009 NNS driver’s championship — the Camry’s first driver’s championship in NASCAR — and Toyota won three NNS manufacturer’s championship (2008-10).

    GRESHAM TAKES TITLE:  Max Gresham captured the 2011 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) driver’s championship when he finished third in the season-finale at Dover.  The 18-year old Georgia native claimed two wins and nine top-five finishes in 12 starts and completed every lap run during the year.  Gresham’s title was the second for JGR in five years — Logano won the 2007 championship — and the fourth for Toyota in that span (Ryan Truex, 2009 and 2010).

    BACK STORY:  Follow Toyota Racing on Twitter (@toyotaracing) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/toyotaracing).   Background and images about the Toyota NASCAR program are available at www.toyotamotorsportsmedia.com.

    NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):  Toyota drivers increased the number of race tracks where the Camry has visited victory lane in the NSCS to 20 of 23 facilities … The Camry claimed its first win  at Kentucky Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway — leaving only three race tracks where the Camry still seeks a NSCS trophy — California’s Auto Club Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway … Toyota drivers swept the top-three finishing positions for the first time in the NSCS at Richmond in April with Busch (first), Hamlin (second) and Kahne (third) … Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) will run three Camrys in 2012 with drivers Clint Bowyer and Mark Martin joining Martin Truex Jr. … Martin will run a 25- race schedule in the No. 55 MWR Camry and team owner Michael Waltrip will run five races … Camry driver Bobby Labonte returns for a second season at JTG-Daugherty Racing in the No. 47 Camry in 2012 and will work with veteran crew chief Todd Berrier … Berrier has eight career wins as a crew chief and most recently worked with Jeff Burton at Richard Childress Racing during the 2011 season. – more –

    DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How will the Joe Gibbs Racing team improve for the 2012 season? “I think our cars will get better.  I think that they already are getting better.  We’ve seen year over year if something happens in those two months when there’s no racing, teams find things and other teams lose things.  I’ve done testing at different race tracks trying to work on our program and getting it better.  I am very happy with the direction we are heading. We have improved our position in every Chase race.  It’s easy when were as bad as the first three races, but two races in we were 60 points behind and since then we lost 20.  It’s just one of those things where it was not a good Chase for us and I know that next year we’re going to have some better race cars to come to the race track with and we’ve already found some things that I feel like that make me more comfortable in the race car and that will show up next year.”

    Do you have any plans for the off-season? “Just relax — I don’t have anything set in stone.  I’ve been on the schedule for the last 10 months.  It’s time to not have one.”

    KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Will fuel injection impact fuel mileage next season? “I think going to the EFI (electronic fuel injection) is going to change it a little bit. Maybe not as much as we all expected it to be.  It’s just the engineers are certainly getting better with it.  It might not change right away because we don’t know everything we need to know about it, but I figure over time it’s just like anything else.  We’ll learn from it, develop with it and get better at it.”

    Do you have any off-season plans? “To get away and to have nobody be able to get a hold of me — that would be nice.  We’ll see how it goes, you know.  The off-season is typically not very off — you’re still working.  I’ve already got a photo shoot and then a commercial shoot two weeks later.  And, then it’s Christmas and all kinds of other stuff.  So, it will be busy — I’m sure.”

    MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing How much did your team improve in the final weeks of the season? “Really, I think our team has done a nice job all year as far as bringing fast race cars to the race track.  There have been some other things that we’ve missed on — part failures and making mistakes and things that’s really hurt us in the points.  But, we’ve had fast cars all year long.  For us this season, it’s been a lot of what could’ve been or what might have been.  Going into the off-season, I feel like we know our strengths and our weaknesses and what we need to work on to be better.   But, as far as the group of guys I have and the cars that we’ve been bringing to the race track, we’ve made huge strides especially at the end of the season here with the mile-and-a-half type tracks where we struggled through the mid part of the season quite a bit.  We made huge gains there, so we’re excited going into the off -season of what we need to work on and come out of the box strong next year.  For us, we just need consistency.  We’ve got the speed, we’ve got the team to do it, we’ve got the team to do it and we’ve got great guys that go over the wall and pit the car.  We just need to be smarter, race smarter and make less mistakes next year.”

    What are your plans for the off-season? “Relaxing for a few days first.  Going to go and do a little fishing down in the (Florida) Keys for a couple days and unwind. We’ll go home and have a good Christmas, do a little hunting and a little fishing and this or that.  A little bit of everything.”

    KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Camry, Red Bull Racing Team How was your season with the Red Bull race team? “It’s been a really awesome year for myself.  It’s been a great season.  A lot of fun to work with everybody and they’ve given all us all a great opportunity.  I wish it was halfway through.  I wish the season was 50 percent of the way through and we had a lot more to go this year because I feel like right now is by far the best that I’ve been as a Cup driver and that we’ve had as a team.  Everything put together, I think this h as been our strongest time ever.  I’ve been running really good.  The whole Red Bull team has done a great job.  I think just winning the race at Phoenix and running good with Red Bull and the team not giving up — I think that’s been my highlight.  Just watching how hard everybody has worked and how great of a job they have done as the season came to an end.”

    NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):  Kenny Wallace (seventh) was the top Toyota driver in the NNS point standings … Brian Scott (eighth), Michael Annett (ninth) and Steve Wallace (10th) also finished in the top-10 in points … Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Camry team finished second in the NNS owner championship standings, back three points behind the No. 60 team … Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced they will field a NNS team in 2012, in addition to competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

    BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How was your first season at Joe Gibbs Racing? “We fought hard ever since Daytona.  We didn’t have the performance or the results that we wanted until about the middle of the year.  This team — we flipped the switch.  Kevin (Kidd, crew chief) and I really got on the same page and we started having good runs.  We were a pretty good team the second half of the year.  Definitely performed the last quarter of the year with some top-five finishes, and got a pole at Chicago.  We’re going to focus really on the last part of the year and continue to build and do the things that we started doing at the middle of the year that will make us better to come back in 2012 and be even stronger.  I don’t see any reason why this team can’t make the progress through the off-season and come back with the yellow and black Dollar General car and have a team good enough to run for the championship.  I feel like Kevin Kidd and I have a relationship that is on really good terms.  We’re really communicating well.  We’re going to continue to work through the off-season just as hard — if not harder — than we worked all year.  Come back and be a really strong team.”

    Do you have any off-season plans? “I’m going to move into my new house.  I’m going to spend New Year’s down in the Bahamas with the family and come back in January and train real hard for a month to get ready for the season.”

    MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot/Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing What will you work on during the off-season? “The biggest thing I need to learn is what the crew chief needs, so when I feel something out on the track, I can better pinpoint to him what corner of the car really needs help — what I’m really feeling.  These cars are getting so sensitive to little shock changes and quarter or a half pound of air pressure.  If I could pick out the exact corner and use past experiences and be able to say, ‘Hey, we did this last time and it really helped I think,’ that would definitely make myself a better driver.”

    Do you have any off-season plans? “I’m going to travel a little bit. Definitely going home to Iowa for Christmas and get through the holidays and come back to work at the shop and just start making this program a lot better.”

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):  Timothy Peters (fifth) was the top Toyota driver in the NCWTS points standings … Tundra drivers Todd Bodine (sixth), Brendan Gaughan (12th), David Starr (13th), Miguel Paludo (17th) and Max Papis (18th) also finished in the top-20 in the points … Since entering the NCWTS in 2004, Toyota drivers have tallied 90 victories and 81 pole positions in 200 races … The Tundra recorded its 200th NCWTS start in November (Homestead) … ThorSport announced the team will campaign Tundras in the 2012 season with drivers Dakoda Armstrong, Matt Crafton and Johnny Sauter in the NCWTS … The team will also field a Camry in the ARCA Racing Series for nine-time series champion Frank Kimmel.

    TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Tire Kingdom/Service Central, Red Horse Racing What did you learn in 2011 that will help your team get a running start on 2012? “We learned a lot of technical information this season, but the main thing for the No. 17 team was just getting all the chemistry right with all the members of our team.  I felt like the last few races of the season our team really gelled, I was able to give feedback to Butch (Hylton, crew chief) that he needed so that the truck worked and gave me the feel that I wanted.  It seems like every year when you get to Homestead, you wish you had seven or eight more races, you finally find your rhythm and get to running well as the season ends.  The best thing is that we finished the season strong and I was able to make it on stage at the banquet for the first time in my career, it just gives you a good feeling when you achieve one goal and only makes you want to set the bar higher for the next year.”

    TOYOTA 2011 NASCAR STATISTICS Series Races Starts (Drivers) Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Times Led Laps Led NSCS 36 423 (20) 6 39 78 7 224 2,497 NNS 34 262 (22) 10 38 86 5 100 1,611 NCWTS 25 264 (32) 10 35 73 3 65 1,115 CONTACTS (on-site in Las Vegas for Champion’s Week )

  • Penske Racing Teams Up with ADP, Inc.

    ROSELAND, N.J. and MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 30, 2011) – ADP®, a leading provider of human resource outsourcing, payroll services, benefits administration and integrated computing solutions for vehicle dealers, today announced it has teamed up with Penske Racing to become an official sponsor of that winning organization.

    One of the world’s largest providers of business outsourcing solutions, ADP will become the official payroll service of Penske Racing under the terms of the new agreement.

    “ADP is an industry-leading company that brings over 60 years of experience in creating effective business solutions,” said Roger Penske. “We are pleased to have them join the Penske Racing family and we look forward to working with them and developing this relationship for the future.”

    With over half a million clients across the globe, ADP plans to take full advantage of its new partnership with Penske Racing to entertain its customers at both NASCAR Cup Series and Nationwide Series, as well as IZOD IndyCar Series, events beginning next season.

    “We want to thank Roger Penske and everyone at Penske Racing for the opportunity to partner with their organization,” said Carlos Rodriguez, President and CEO of ADP. “ADP is excited to work with Penske Racing and to explore new business opportunities within the Penske organization as well as with their other premiere racing partners.”

    About ADP

    Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADP), with about $10 billion in revenues and approximately 570,000 clients, is one of the world’s largest providers of business outsourcing solutions. Leveraging over 60 years of experience, ADP offers a wide range of human resource, payroll, tax and benefits administration solutions from a single source. ADP’s easy-to-use solutions for employers provide superior value to companies of all types and sizes. ADP is also a leading provider of integrated computing solutions to auto, truck, motorcycle, marine, recreational vehicle, and heavy equipment dealers throughout the world. For more information about ADP or to contact a local ADP sales office, reach us at 1.800.225.5237 or visit the company’s Web site at www.ADP.com.

    About Penske Racing

    Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 350 major race wins – including a record 15 Indianapolis 500 victories, 412 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.