Category: XFINITY Series

Carl Edwards– Ford 300 Advance

Team:           No. 60 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Crew Chief:  Mike Beam

Chassis:       RK-639 – primary. Last ran in Charlotte. Finished first.

RK-672 – backup. Last ran in Dover. Finished first.

Edwards, NNS at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Date Event St Fin Laps Money Status Led 11/19/2005 Ford 300 4 19 200/200  $       20,125 running 0 11/18/2006 Ford 300 3 2 200/200  $       64,650 running 22 11/17/2007 Ford 300 2 4 200/200  $       50,725 running 7 11/15/2008 Ford 300 2 1 200/200  $       89,770 running 66 11/21/2009 Ford 300 1 2 200/200  $       70,100 running 53 11/20/2010 Ford 300 8 6 200/200  $       28,600 running 0

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

Cumulative             6               1          4               5              1          148      $323,970

QUOTES

Carl Edwards on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“I love racing the Nationwide cars at Homestead. This race is very special because it presents two great opportunities for our team. One, we can get our ninth victory of the season which would be the best season we have ever had in the Nationwide Series. Second, to win the Nationwide Owner’s Championship. We have battled back from a huge point’s deficit and we are virtually tied with the No. 18 team going into Homestead. We know they are going to be tough. We are going there to battle it out on the race track and it will be fun. It will also be a great warm-up for Sunday’s race. It will hopefully be a successful ending for an amazing season with Mike Beam and the entire Fastenal team.”

Crew chief Mike Beam on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“We have had an amazing season so far and would like to top it off by winning the Owner’s Championship for Jack. We are bringing the same chassis that we won with at Charlotte. This race starts mid-afternoon and ends as the sun is going down so we will need to make the proper adjustments to keep our No. 60 Fastenal Mustang in front of the No. 18 car to be able to clinch the Owner’s Championship.”

FAST FACTS

So far in 2011, Edwards has eight wins, 22 top-five, and 26 top-10 finishes. Edwards captured his 37th career Nationwide win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Edwards has captured seven Coors Light pole awards so far in the 2011 Nationwide Series season. Only one point separates the points leading No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner’s standings. Only one finish guarantees the No. 18 a championship – a victory in Saturday’s Ford 300. Both teams have eight wins on the season, but the No. 60 has nine second-place finishes (the No. 18 has five) – giving the No. 60 the tie-breaker. The No. 60 would win the owner’s title by gaining one or more points on the No. 18 on Saturday. Edwards’ average finish is 5.7 at Homestead.

JUSTIN ALLGAIER QUICK FACTS

No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet

Ford 300

Homestead-Miami Speedway

November 19, 2011

No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet News and Notes

Homestead by the Numbers… The 25-year-old BRANDT Chevy driver has three NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS).  He is credited with a best finish of 11th coming in the 2010 season finale.

Point Out the Points… Allgaier took sole ownership of third-place in the NNS championship point standings after his ninth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway. Allgaier, who is on track to equal his best NNS championship finishing spot, sits 105 points out of first place.

This Week’s Impala… The No. 31 BRANDT team will hit the track with chassis TMS-313 this Saturday afternoon at HMS.  This chassis last saw track action at Kansas Speedway where Allgaier started from the 21st spot and went on to finish in the 11th spot.

A Look Back on 2011 For Allgaier and the No. 31 Crew… Allgaier joined Turner Motorsports heading into the 2011 season along with hometown sponsor BRANDT.  His season kicked into high gear at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a runner-up finish to teammate Mark Martin. Allgaier’s impressive season includes leading the NNS championship on two separate occasions and grabbing his second career win in dramatic fashion in front of hometown fans and sponsors at Chicagoland Speedway.  He notched one-win, six top-five and 17 top-10 finishes over the course of 33 races heading into the season finale at HMS.

Impressive 2011 For Turner Motorsports… In 33 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes. Both of Turner Motorsports’ championship-contending drivers are inside the top-10 in the driver point standings with Allgaier in third and Jason Leffler in sixth.

Justin Allgaier on Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“I’m ready to get to Homestead this weekend.  We’re coming off a few good runs that hopefully will continue as we finish out the season. It’s been a great year with everyone at Turner Motorsports.  We went to victory lane and were in contention for the championship and wins. I can’t thank everyone at BRANDT and Turner Motorsports enough for everything this year.”

Follow the No. 31 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No31TurnerNNS

Follow Justin Allgaier on Twitter! Twitter.com/J_Allgaier

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

Justin Allgaier Career Race by Race NNS Stats at Homstead-Miami Speedway

Year/Event

Start

Finish

Laps

Status

Led

2008 (Nov.)

26

28

192/200

running

0

2009 (Nov.)

20

20

199/200

running

0

2010 (Nov.)

18

11

200/200

running

1

Avg. Start

Avg. Finish

Total Laps

Total Led

21.3

19.7

591/600

1

Career NNS Stats at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Starts

Poles

Wins

Top-fives

Top-10’s

DNFs

3

0

0

0

0

1

No. 7 NASCAR Nationwide Series Team Penalized

For Rule Infractions At Phoenix International Raceway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 15, 2011) – NASCAR announced today penalties and fines to the No. 7 team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series as a result of rule infractions at Phoenix International Raceway.

The No. 7 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20A-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series rule book. The infraction occurred during the race on Nov. 12.

As a result of the violations, crew chief Tony Eury Jr. has been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until March 28, 2012.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Ford 300 Advance

Team:           No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford Mustang

Crew Chief:  Mike Kelley

Chassis:       RK-670 – primary – last ran at Charlotte – finished ninth.

RK–635 – backup – last ran at LOR – finished third.

QUOTES

Stenhouse, Jr. on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“Homestead is one of my favorite places to go so I am looking forward to it.  Last week we were able to gain some points in the Driver’s Championship so we can be more aggressive this week. I am confident that we can get this No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford back in Victory Lane and hopefully leave Homestead as the NASCAR Nationwide Champion.”

Crew chief Mike Kelley on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“Ricky finished fourth in his only start at Homestead last year. We have had a lot of success at intermediate tracks this year including two wins at Iowa. Our No.6 team has done a superior job all year. We have some cushion in the Driver’s Championship so I think we can get a little more aggressive on restarts this week. Our main goal is to get this No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford in Victory lane for the final race of the year.”

FAST FACTS

So far in 2011, Stenhouse Jr. has two wins, 14 top-five, 25 top-10, and three poles. Stenhouse Jr. is the current Nationwide Series point leader with a 41 point advantage over Elliot Sadler. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will clinch the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with a finish of 37th or better; or 38th or better with at least one lap led; or 39th or better with most laps led at Homestead.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and three in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact John Bauersfeld at 704.720.4621.

CHINA GROVE, N.C. (November 15, 2011) – Robert Richardson, Jr. and the No. 23 Chevrolet team of R3 Motorsports are closing out the NASCAR Nationwide Series season on a high note at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend.

Tia Rosa Tortillas, of the Bimbo Bakeries USA brand, and Takis Fuego, of the Barcel brand, are returning to the hood and quarter panels of the No. 23 Chevrolet for the season-finale on the 1.5-mile oval in South Florida. They were previously on board the car for the Texas Motor Speedway event earlier this month.

Tia Rosa Tortilla (www.tiarosa.com) will adorn the upper quarter and TV panels of the uniquely colorful Chevrolet. Tia Rosa, part of the www.BimboBakeriesUSA.com brands, will also have a marketing partner with Takis, a spicy corn snack, part of the Barcel brands (www.barcel.com) of parent company Bimbo, on the hood and decklid.

Richardson and team are looking to give them a good run as the Greg Conner-led team of R3 Motorsports gives it their all to end 2011.

Fast Facts: Richardson will be making his 23rd NNS start this year and 92nd of his career. To date, his best finish of 20th took place at Richmond during the May event. His best start of 23rd occurred at Talladega Superspeedway. During that span, the 29-year old native of McKinney, Texas has completed 3,503 of 4,348 laps contested.

Track Facts: This will be Richardson’s third start at HMS with the other two taking place last year and in 2007. His best finish of 20th took place last year. He’s completed 339 of 400 laps run with a blown engine in 2007 just 139 laps into the race attributing to that factor.

Tune in for the Win: The first NNS practice takes place on Friday from 9 a.m. til 10:50 a.m. ET, then another from 12:30 to 1:50 p.m. That will be on ESPN2. Qualifying takes place at 1 p.m. on Saturday with race action to follow on ESPN2 at 4:30 p.m. for all 200 laps. Radio coverage is on MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90.

Robert Richardson, Jr. Quotes: “This is great the folks from Tia Rosa Tortilla and Takis are coming back on board for the Homestead race. We had a great time with them in Texas and I’m looking to racing with them again this weekend.

“This track is a lot better since they made the improvements a few years ago to the banking. You can really get into the turns a lot harder because the banking is higher. It’s a good track and we’re looking forward to closing out the season on a good note.

“As is a tradition with our team, we stay over on Sunday and I take everyone deep sea fishing as a reward for their hard work. Always a good time for some guys who’ve worked hard all year.”

JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

No. 38 Great Clips Impala

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Ford 300

November 19, 2011

No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet News and Notes

The end of an era… In this weekend’s 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Jason Leffler will make his final start behind the wheel of the No. 38 Great Clips machine. Leffler has piloted this car for the last six seasons, making headlines for the world’s largest haircare brand with his famous faux-hawk hairdo. Leffler will continue to represent Great Clips in select projects, with his long-time sponsor serving as his primary sponsor in his quest for victory in the 2012 Chili Bowl Nationals in January.

Sixth in the standings…. Leffler has secured sixth-place in the 2011 driver championship point standings after a season that has included two top-fives and 12 top-10 finishes with nine laps led. He has an average starting position of 13.0 and an average finishing position of 13.9.

Leffler a solid contender at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS)… In eight NNS starts at the 1.5-mile oval, Leffler has captured three top-10’s as well as a pair of fourth-place finishes (2003 and 2008). He has an average start of 17.9 and an average finish of 13.5.

Turner Motorsports: A look back… In 33 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes. Mark Martin kicked off the season capturing the team’s first-ever NASCAR win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. It was Justin Allgaier’s turn in June when he nabbed his second-career win at Chicagoland Speedway and Reed Sorenson rounded the month out winning his first NNS race with the organization at Road America. Both of Turner Motorsports’ championship-contending drivers are inside the top-10 in the driver point standings with Allgaier in third and Jason Leffler in sixth.

In 24 NCWTS races in 2011, Turner Motorsports’ entries have earned 13 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes. The organization has earned five pole awards with James Buescher earning three, and Ricky Carmichael and Steve Arpin capturing one each. Buescher is currently sitting third in the championship point standings, 28 markers out of the lead.

Happy 10-Year Anniversary, Great Clips… This season marks Great Clips’ 10-year anniversary as a primary sponsor in the NNS. The Minneapolis-based Great Clips, Inc., which is currently the longest-running primary sponsor in the series, came onto the scene in 2001 as a primary sponsor of Akins Motorsports No. 38 entry, then driven by Christian Elder.

Leffler on SIRIUS’ Morning Drive every Wednesday… Don’t forget to tune in to SIRIUS Radio’s “Morning Drive” with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone every Wednesday at 10:30am to hear Leffler’s take on recent events in the Nationwide Series and what you can expect from the week’s upcoming race.

Jason Leffler on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway

“I really only have one goal going into this weekend and that is taking this 38 team and Great Clips back into victory lane. It’s been an up and down season but I know we have it in us to go out there and get the win. I can’t say enough about this team! These are some of the hardest working guys in the garage and I couldn’t ask for a better team to have behind me. I also want to thank Great Clips for their years of support. It has been a privilege representing them both on and off the track for the last six years. They are an amazing company to work with and I have enjoyed working with not just the corporate staff in Minneapolis, but the thousands of Great Clips franchisees, managers and stylists around the country as well. I look forward to continuing my relationship with Great Clips with events like the Chili Bowl Nationals in January.”

Follow the No. 38 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No38TurnerNNS

Follow Jason Leffler on Twitter! Twitter.com/JasonLeffler

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

Top-5 season…..The 2011 season for Reed Sorenson has definitely been a note-worthy one.  A fifth place finish in the driver’s standings will mark Reed’s second best season of his career.  In 2005, Sorenson finished the season 4th in the standings with two wins driving for Chip Ganassi Racing.  This season, Reed has driven 29 races for Turner Motorsports and now four races with MacDonald Motorsports.  This year, Sorenson added a win to his resume at Road America as well as seven top-5’s, and 18 top-10’s.

Reed at Homestead…..In four previous NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at the 1.5 mile progressively banked oval in South Florida, Reed Sorenson’s best finish was a 4th.  This came in 2004 in only his 5th ever start in the series driving for Chip Ganassi Racing.  Reed will be looking better that finish this Saturday in his Bullet Liner/Foametix No. 82 Dodge.

Meet Reed at Fan-Fest….. Fans will have the chance to meet Reed on Thursday, November 17th at Homestead in the NASCAR Championship Drive Fan-Fest events.  The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a 20 minute, on-stage Question and Answer session with the drivers.  Then at 5:20, fans will have the chance to meet and get autographs from the participating drivers until 6:00 p.m.

Rough weekend at Phoenix…..The Phoenix race was definitely one that Reed and the Bullet Liner/Foametix No. 82 team would like to forget. After getting damage early on in the race, Reed was back on the track before getting a flat right front tire and slamming into the outside wall.  Reed was un-injured in the accident but the same couldn’t be said for the MacDonald Motorsports No. 82.

About Burtin Polymer Laboratories (BPL) Burtin Polymer Laboratories (BPL) remains one of the foremost authorities in research, development, and commercialization of polyurethane systems produced for commercial roofing, commercial and residential insulation, flotation, adhesives, packaging, spray elastomers and custom molding products. Recently launched, its Bullet Liner® products are primarily used for pickup truck beds, tailgates, wheel wells and other similar vehicle protection applications. Also, part of the impressive line of Burtin Polymer Labs products is Foametix® Spray Foam Insulation, which is a series of light density, polyurethane spray-applied foam insulation systems designed for residential and commercial / industrial building applications.

About MacDonald Motorsports

The MacDonald family name has been in the racing circles since owner, Randy MacDonald, started his own driving career in the 1980’s. The provisions made by Randy’s father, Marrill “Doc” MacDonald, and mother Pat helped Randy start racing professionally and establish his own company. Randy’s father Doc helped him create business relationships and carry out other important functions of the team until finishing his own race in March of 2007. Despite his death, Doc’s impact on the team will not end, as MacDonald Motorsports continues on in his honor and memory.

Michael Annett Homestead News and Notes

Notes and Quotes:

Michael Annett up Two Spots in Points Race: Last week’s top-10 finish moved driver Michael Annett from 10th to eighth in the Nationwide Series championship point standings. He heads into the 2011 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway six points ahead of ninth place Brian Scott and seven points ahead of his teammate Steve Wallace who sits in 10th. Annett’s 10th place finish at Phoenix tallied his seventh top-10 finish of the season and Rusty Wallace Racing’s 13th top-10 finish in 2011.

Combos and Pilot Flying J Partner for Homestead: Mars Inc. brand Combos will join Pilot Flying J on Annett’s No. 62 car this weekend for the last Nationwide Series race of the season. The No. 62 car will feature a bag of combos on the rear quarter panel with the treats spilling out across the back of the car. The featured flavor of these stuffed pretzel snacks is buffalo blue cheese. In conjunction with the Pilot Flying J and Combos partnership for the Homestead race, Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J locations are offering a two for $4 promotion on assorted flavors of Combos through the end of November.

Racing to Save Lives: Annett will continue his support of his choice charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®, by again sporting their logo and website on his No. 62 Pilot Flying J/Combos Toyota Camry at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This weekend the logo will run in honor of nine-year-old St. Jude patient Lucas Solberg. Lucas’ family’s first sign that he had a problem was when the Miami, Florida child suffered from stomach problems. In a visit to a local emergency room, doctors ran tests and found Lucas to be affected by rhabdomyosarcoma, an aggressive soft tissue tumor that can arise virtually anywhere in the body. Lucas underwent chemotherapy and surgery to remove the bulk of the tumor in Miami, and the Solberg family decided on St. Jude after the surgery for radiation and chemotherapy treatment. He finished his treatment in May 2004 and now visits St. Jude for regular checkups.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Homestead: In 10 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes. The organization’s best finish on the 1.5 mile oval was driver Jamie McMurray’s second-place run in November 2004. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have completed 1,963 of the 2,003 (98 percent) laps contested in those events.

Laura Palenkas, Vice President of Marketing, Pilot Flying J, on the Combos and Pilot Flying J partnership for Homestead:

“Mars Inc. is already one of our great retail partners, and this is the first time we have partnered with an in-store brand on our race car. Since Combos is one of the most popular snack foods at our Pilot Flying J travel centers, it’s a natural tie and we are thrilled to have them on board. This partnership called for more than just a logo decal. We worked hard to make Combos a part of our look and give Mars Inc. great on-track exposure. I think everyone is pleased. We think Michael Annett and our new Mars partnership is a winning combo. It is a great way to finish the year and get a jump start on our planning for next season.”

Michael Annett on the Combos/Pilot Flying J partnership:

“We’re very excited to co-brand our Camry with Combos and Pilot Flying J this weekend at Homestead. It’s great to see such a well-respected brand team with Pilot Flying J on our racecar. We’re very excited to add Mars Inc. and Combos to our list of 2011 partners, and hope to carry this relationship into the 2012 Nationwide Series season. My main goal this weekend is to hold onto eighth in the points race and give Combos, Pilot Flying J and Rusty Wallace Racing the strong finish they deserve.”

Crew chief Rick Viers on the 2011 season coming to a close:

“Every member of the team has worked extremely hard this season and we’re well prepared for our final race in Homestead. Michael is a smart driver and I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of him and each of the guys who work on this car week in and week out. Our engineer, Jason Stockert, has been a huge asset to the team and Ryan McKinney, Brian Gainey, Dan Vincent, Dennis O’Connor and all of our guys back at the shop have given a great deal of effort into building a strong No. 62 team. I thank each one of those guys for all of their hard work and support this year. Michael’s holding onto eighth in driver points with a small gap between ninth and 10th. In the last 21 races, we’ve moved up five spots in the owner points race, more than any other team has in the owners standings. We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished and we’re looking forward to showing our strength again this weekend in Homestead.”

The Machines:

Team 62 Primary: RWR-059 – RWR’s No. 62 team most recently raced car 059 at Texas Motor Speedway. The team has also competed in this car at Iowa Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway in 2011.

Team 62 Back-Up: RWR-051 – The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team’s last race competing with this chassis was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

Pilot Flying J Locations on your way:

Pilot Flying J provides 21 Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J locations along the highways throughout Florida. Seven of these locations are conveniently positioned within a 200 mile radius of Homestead-Miami Speedway. For more information on Pilot Flying J and to map their nearest locations along your route, please visit www.pilotflyingj.com.

Pilot Travel Center

US 41 and SR 997

17696 SW 8th St.

Miami, FL 33194

Pilot Travel Center

Hwy 27 N

12200 NW South River Dr.

Medley, FL 33178

Pilot Travel Center

I-75 Exit 139 Luckett Rd.

6050 Plaza Dr.

Fort Myers, FL 33905

Pilot Travel Center

I-95 Exit 129

7300 West Okeechobee Rd.

Fort Pierce, FL 34945

Flying J

I-95 Hwy 68 Exit 131

100 North Kings Hwy.

Fort Pierce, FL 34945

Pilot Travel Center

I-75 Exit 161

26505 Jones Loop Rd.

Punta Gorda, FL 33950

Pilot Travel Center

FL Turnpike Exit 193

3051 State Road 60

Okeechobee, FL 34972

About Pilot Flying J:

Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 retail locations across North America. Pilot Flying J is also one of the Nation’s largest wholesale fuel providers, delivering over 500 million gallons of fuel to thousands of customers in 47 states and eight Canadian provinces. The company employs approximately 20,000 people and is the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America.

Broadcast Info:

Final Practice

Friday, November 18, 12:30 p.m. ET

ESPN2

Qualifying

Saturday, November 19, 1 p.m. ET

SPEED

Ford 300

Saturday, November 19, 4:30 p.m. ET

ESPN2

On the DG Chevy this week: Powerade, Scott, Gildan, Reeses, Slim Jim, Energizer, Keebler

JAMES BUESCHER QUICK FACTS

No. 32 Dollar General Chevy

Homestead Miami Speedway

Ford 300

November 19, 2011

No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

Welcome James Buescher – The No. 32 Dollar General team welcomes James Buescher to the seat of the Dollar General Chevrolet this weekend in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This will mark Buescher’s 11th NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start for Turner Motorsports in 2011. A title contender in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) competition, Buescher will be pulling double duty as he climbs behind the wheel of the Exide Chevrolet on Friday night.

Buescher at Homestead-Miami Speedway – Buescher will make his first NNS start at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend. However, the Texas native has made three NCWTS starts at the track claiming an average finishing position of 18.7.

Buescher 2011 NNS Stats – This season, Buescher has made 10 NNS starts for Turner Motorsports, primarily in the team’s No. 30 entry. In 2011, he has notched one top-five and three top-10 finishes to go along with an average starting position of 18.2 and an average finish of 15.9.

Down But Not Out – Buescher currently sits third in the NCWTS point standings, 28 points behind the leader. The young driver will do all he can to make up that ground on Friday night in the NCWTS season finale to try and claim his first series championship. In only his second full-time season, Buescher has put up some incredible statistics in 2011 including 10 top-fives, 19 top-10s, three pole awards and 264 laps led. In his 22 races this season, Buescher has finished outside the top-10 on only three occasions.

First Season Success for Turner Motorsports – In the team’s first full season of NNS competition, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes. Both of Turner Motorsports’ championship-contending drivers have been a mainstay in the driver point standings top-10 with Justin Allgaier in third and Jason Leffler in sixth.

This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Buescher will pilot TMS-309 in the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This car was last on track at the second Chicagoland Speedway event in September.

Buescher on getting in the Dollar General Chevy at Homestead:

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Dollar General Chevy this weekend in the season finale at Homestead. While I’ve worked mostly with the No. 30 team on the Nationwide side of things this year, it will be a great experience to go over and work with Trent [Owens, crew chief] and the No. 32 guys this weekend. I really want to thank Dollar General and Rick Dreiling for the chance I have to drive the DG Chevy this weekend. I’m hopeful we can bring home a solid finish for them.

“3-way battle in season finale at Homestead for NNS Rookie of the Year.”

Home race for Blake…..Blake Koch grew up in West Palm Beach, Florida, just one-and-a half hours north of Homestead-Miami Speedway.  All of Blake’s friends and family will be on hand this weekend to cheer Blake on in his quest to become 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year.

Blake Koch on Homestead…..“This is going to be one of the biggest races of my career and I’m so glad my family will be there to cheer me on.  My crew chief, John Monsam, has been making my Daystar.com No. 81 faster and faster each week and we’ve got to keep that going at Homestead.  Winning Rookie of the Year would be a dream come true and I’m going to do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal.”

Can Blake Win Roty?…..Even after beating Timmy Hill five races in a row, Blake now finds himself trailing Ryan Truex by three points heading into the season finale.  The 8th place finish by Truex earned him three bonus points for finishing in the top-10, putting him three ahead of Koch and Hill.  There is a lot that goes into the voting process for winning the Rookie of the Year title so anything still can happen at Homestead.  Even if Blake does not end up actually winning the prestigious award, it was still a banner year for both Blake and the MacDonald Motorsports team.  Both turned a lot of heads throughout the season and should be very proud of their efforts.

Phoenix Wrap-Up…..This past weekend in Phoenix, Blake and his Daystar.com No. 81 team had arguably their best performance of the season.  Blake matched his best qualifying result of his career by gridding 13th for second consecutive week.  Koch was equally as strong during the race, running in the top-20 all day long and recording his career best finish on an oval with a 14th place result.

Blake Appearance at Fan-Fest…..Fans will have the chance to meet Blake on Thursday, November 17th at Homestead in the NASCAR Championship Drive Fan-Fest events.  The event will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a 20 minute, on-stage Question and Answer session with the drivers.  Then at 5:20, fans will have the chance to meet and get autographs from the participating drivers until 6:00 p.m.

Follow Blake on Social Media…..Keep up with everything that Blake is doing by following him on Facebook and Twitter.  Facebook at www.facebook.com/BlakeKRacing and twitter @BlakeKochRacing.

Vote for Blake for NNS Most Popular Driver…..Remember to vote every day for Blake Koch for NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver. The link to vote is .

About Daystar Television Network Daystar is a Television Network committed to spreading this message across the world:  No matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, or who you are.  It is not too much for God to handle.   There is life, hope, and forgiveness waiting for you through Jesus Christ.  Find out more on www.Daystar.com.

About MacDonald Motorsports The MacDonald family name has been in the racing circles since owner, Randy MacDonald, started his own driving career in the 1980’s. The provisions made by Randy’s father, Marrill “Doc” MacDonald, and mother Pat helped Randy start racing professionally and establish his own company. Randy’s father Doc helped him create business relationships and carry out other important functions of the team until finishing his own race in March of 2007. Despite his death, Doc’s impact on the team will not end, as MacDonald Motorsports continues on in his honor and memory.