Category: XFINITY Series

JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

No. 38 Great Clips Impala

Texas Motor Speedway

O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

November 5, 2011

 

No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet News and Notes

Where it all began… Turner Motorsports calls Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) their home track, winning their first championship at the track with Steve Turner’s youngest daughter, Kris, driving a Bandolero in 2004. The organization was headquartered in Hallettsville, Texas until making the move into NASCAR and to Mooresville, N.C. in 2009.Testing the NASCAR waters in 2009, the organization made their NCWTS debut at their home track. In 2010, the team went full time NCWTS racing, fielding entries for Ricky Carmichael and Buescher. In late 2010, the organization made the announcement from the TMS media center that they had acquired Braun Racing and would run three NCWTS and four NNS entries in 2011. That same weekend, Buescher grabbed Turner Motorsports’ first-ever pole award.

In one year, Turner Motorsports has collected four poles, 12 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes in the NCWTS and notched three wins, 21 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes in Nationwide Series competition. Buescher is currently second in the NCWTS points battle, while Justin Allgaier and Jason Leffler are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the NNS point standings.

Texas Motor Speedway: by the numbers… In 14 starts at the Ft. Worth-based track, Leffler has one top-five and five top-10 finishes. He is credited with one pole award and five laps led. He has an average starting spot of 15.8 and an average finishing position of 14.0.

This week’s No. 38 Impala… The Great Clips team will unload chassis TMS-127 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. This is the team’s “go-to” chassis as it has more seen more track time than any other car in rotation. Leffler has driven TMS-127 at Kentucky Speedway (13th), Michigan Int’l Speedway (10th), Dover Int’l Speedway (11th), Charlotte Motor Speedway (21st) and Darlington Raceway (9th), Atlanta Motor Speedway (9th), Chicagoland Speedway (12th), Kansas Speedway (13th) and in the series’ last event at Charlotte (11th).

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 Texas Motor Speedway

“Texas is a really fun track to race! It’s fast and slick with a wide racing surface. You can pretty much run anywhere on the track you want to based on how your car is handling. Turn two is the trouble spot there. The banking holds you really good and then, at the last second, the banking falls off. If you aren’t careful you can get caught out there and pick up a bad push at the very end or, if you’re pushing before that, it can snap you loose. It definitely has its own unique characteristics but it is a great track and the racing is always really good. Since this is the Turner family’s home track we all really want to win. It’s really important to put on a good show for the Turner Motorsports hometown fans and get this Great Clips Chevrolet back into victory lane!”

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

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW

No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet

No. 7 GoDaddy.com /

DanWheldonMemorial.com Chevrolet

EVENT – O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge (200 laps / 300 miles) TRACK – Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad oval) DATE – Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 12:55 p.m. EST) / PRN (broadcast begins at 12:30 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet

“The racing surface at Texas is totally different from the spring to the fall race. When you go there in November the track seems to have a lot more grip and it’s really fast. As a race team, just the fact that we have gotten so many top-five and top-10s this summer, it changes our confidence a lot. We’re building momentum. At the beginning of the year we were showing up at the racetrack hoping to run up front. Now we show up knowing we can get a top-five if we do everything right. Keeping momentum on your side is very important.”

Danica Patrick No. 7 GoDaddy.com / DanWheldonMemorial.com Chevrolet

“It’s exciting to be heading into these final weeks of the season. Consistency is a big key to success and being in the Go Daddy car for the last three races is a good thing. It will help me get comfortable with the car and the more time I can spend with my crew leading up to next season the better.”

Comments on wearing a special Dan Wheldon Tribute Helmet this weekend: “I am humbled and proud to be wearing a special paint-out of my helmet in honor of Dan this weekend at Texas. This helmet will be auctioned off after the race with all proceeds, along with my prize money from this race, going to the Dan Wheldon Foundation. Dan was a good friend, and I will miss his great personality and positive attitude. I hope everyone will join me in supporting Susie and their two young boys at DanWheldonMemorial.com.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

DANICA PATRICK TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF DAN WHELDON – Danica Patrick and https://www.godaddy.com/ GoDaddy.com will honor the memory of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, through a memorial paint scheme on the No. 7 Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway. The No. 7 hood will showcase Wheldon’s “Lionheart” logo in bold letters across a black hood. Underscoring the black letters are the words “Dan Wheldon: 1978 – 2011”. DanWheldonMemorial.com will also be featured on the TV panel of the No. 7.

WHELDON TRIBUTE HELMET – Throughout the Texas race weekend, Danica Patrick will wear a special tribute helmet in remembrance of her friend Dan Wheldon. The race-used helmet will be auctioned off via the Dan Wheldon Memorial auction in the coming weeks. Visit DanWheldonMemorial.com for more information.

DANICA PATRICK’S MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Danica Patrick will be available to members of the NASCAR media at 12:15 p.m. CT in the Texas Motor Speedway media center deadline room. She will be addressing the media on the special Dan Wheldon memorial paint scheme that will appear on both the No. 7 https://www.godaddy.com/ GoDaddy.com Chevrolet and on her helmet.

PATRICK AT TEXAS – Patrick finished 22nd in her lone stock car start at Texas in the fall of 2010. In eight starts there in the IndyCar Series she earned two podium finishes (3rd in 2007 and 2nd in 2010) and an average finish of 8.8.

NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 2011. The team occupies the 11th position in owner points, sitting 32 points outside the top-10. Every driver of the No. 7 this season has scored a top-10 finish. The list includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Patrick and Josh Wise.

SEASON TOTALS FOR PATRICK – On the year, Patrick has one top-five and three top-10 finishes. She has led 14 laps and earned an average finish of 16.1. Patrick holds three top-15 finishes in her last five starts.

PATRICK AT-TRACK AUTOGRAPH SIGNING – Patrick will sign autographs at the GoDaddy.com merchandise hauler (limited to 100 wristbands), located in the fan concourse area, on Friday, Nov. 4, from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time.

JR MOTORSPORTS IN THE LONE STAR STATE – The bulk of the team’s success at Texas has come in the fall race at the 1.5-mile facility. Since 2006, the organization notched two top-five and four top-10 finishes in seven starts at Texas during the month of November.

QUALITY PASSER – From NASCAR Statistical Services, Almirola is ranked first in the quality passes category at Texas Motor Speedway. A quality pass is defined as passing a car running in the top 15 while under green-flag conditions. The Tampa, Fla. native holds 69 total quality passes, averaging 34.5 per race.

ALMIROLA AT TEXAS – Almirola has two starts at Texas Motor Speedway with a best finish of 12th in the Nationwide Series. He owns eight starts there in Camping World Truck Series competition with one top-10 finish, and two starts at the Sprint Cup Series level.

NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 team’s season tally now stands at seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. Almirola is currently ranked third in championship points (72 points behind second-place Elliott Sadler and four points ahead of fourth-place Justin Allgaier), with the No. 88 Chevrolet eighth in owner points.

ALMIROLA AT-TRACK AUTOGRAPH SIGNING – Almirola will sign autographs at the JR Nation merchandise hauler, located in the fan concourse area, on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. local time.

WATCH JRM RACING.COM’s VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website http://www.jrmracing.com/ www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a multitude of videos into its video gallery. http://www.jrmracing.com/media/videos/ Click here to view race preview videos, the “JRM 360” series and more.

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. – O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

200 laps/300 miles

Team: No. 6 Sam’s Club/Member’s Mark Angus Beef Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Mike Kelley

Chassis: RK-654 – primary – Last ran at Bristol – finished 11th.

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

QUOTES

Stenhouse, Jr. on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“After two weekends off, I am ready to get back to the track. Texas Motor Speedway suits my driving style. We have Sam’s Club and its Member’s Mark Angus Beef brand on our Ford this weekend. We have every intention to get our No. 6 Ford Mustang back to Victory lane and keep our points lead.”

Crew chief Mike Kelley on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“Not only are we thinking about the points but we want to win this race for Sam’s Club and its Member’s Mark Angus Beef brand. Our No. 6 team has been fast on pit-road all year so with flawless pit stops and minor adjustments, I feel confident we can get this No. 6 Ford Mustang back to victory lane.”

FAST FACTS

So far in 2011, Stenhouse, Jr. has two wins, 14 top-fives, 23 top-10s, and three poles.

Stenhouse, Jr. is the current Nationwide Series point leader with a 15 point advantage over Elliot Sadler.

In 2011, Stenhouse Jr.’s average start is 7.3; average finish 9.3.

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 http://www.roushfenway.com/ www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact John Bauersfeld at 704.720.4621.

Patrick Returns To Stock-Car Racing After Finishing 2011 INDYCAR Season

Wallace Will Set Mark For Career Nationwide Series Starts At Texas

By The Numbers, Keselowski Due For Nationwide Win At Texas Motor Speedway

FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 1, 2011) – The NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to Fort Worth this week for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge – one of three stops left on the 2011 schedule – with just 15 points separating the top two championship contenders.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has held the points lead for the past 11 races – the longest stint any driver has led the standings all season – and his position atop the championship has been fueled by two wins and 23 top-10 finishes, including 14 among the top five. Trailing just 15 points behind Stenhouse Jr. is NASCAR veteran Elliott Sadler, whose season has been paced by 22 top 10s, including 12 among the top five, but no visits as yet to Victory Lane.

“The biggest things that I think us, as a race team, worry about are the things you can’t really control on the weekend,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “Your transmissions, your engines, etc. Now that we have the lead, we’ve prided ourselves the whole time on not making mistakes.

“We made mistakes (at Kansas) and fortunately for us we bounced back from it and finished in the top five, but we can’t have those mistakes on pit road being a big issue. It’s tough in these Nationwide races to come back. The competition is so stout throughout the field that it’s tough to just start at the back and come up to the front.

The series is coming off a two-week break after running at Charlotte, where Stenhouse Jr. and Sadler finished ninth and fourth, respectively. Both Stenhouse Jr. and Sadler feel comfortable behind the wheel at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway, but Sadler has an advantage in terms of experience. Sadler has made seven Nationwide Series starts at Texas – including a best of second – but he also has 18 Sprint Cup starts as well, including a victory in 2004. Stenhouse Jr. has just three Nationwide starts at Texas Motor Speedway.

“I’m pumped to go back to Texas,” Sadler said. “We had a great race there back in the spring with a top-five finish. Texas is a track that I’ve had success at in the past, including a win in the Cup Series back in 2004. I have a lot of confidence coming back here, especially after doing so well here in the past.

“We feel good about our team, about our car and about our plan to battle for this championship. Our team has done their part, so we just have to go out there and put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I’m looking forward to a great race as we try to get our best finish and gain the most points that we can.”

Despite the lack of starts at Texas compared to Sadler, Stenhouse Jr. has improved in each visit and is coming off his best qualifying effort (4th) and finish (5th) in April’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300.

“(Texas) is a race track that I’ve liked since I got there,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “It was the first mile-and-a-half track that I ran wide open at when I first got there and really felt comfortable at. I feel like it’s a drivers’ track and you really have to stand up in the seat and use a lot of throttle and that’s the kind of tracks I like.”

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge gets underway Saturday at Noon CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (817) 215-8500 or visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.

Click here for the official O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge entry list.

Taking Stock

Danica Patrick returns to the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday after completing the IZOD INDYCAR Series season with a 10th-place championship finish.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge will mark Patrick’s 10th Nationwide Series start with JR Motorsports this season. Patrick’s first stock car race at Texas came in the 2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, in which she finished 22nd.

“Texas is very unique from a visual perspective,” Patrick said. “I feel more comfortable (at Texas) than other tracks that I’ve raced at in a stock car even if I’ve raced there before just because Texas is so visually unique. I feel like I just have a good feel for it as a driver and visually that I can move around and just be familiar with it.”

Patrick’s best finish in her nine Nationwide starts this season is fourth at Las Vegas. Last season, she made 13 Nationwide Series starts and posted her best finish, 19th, during the season finale Homestead -Miami Speedway.

Milestones

NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace will establish the record for career Nationwide Series starts when he takes the green flag for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Wallace, the 48-year-old St. Louis native who made his NNS debut at 24, will make his 520th career Nationwide Series start to snap a tie for the mark he currently holds with Jason Keller.

During his 22-year Nationwide Series career, Wallace has nine wins, 170 top 10-finishes, 65 top fives and 10 poles. Fifteen of those current 519 starts have come at Texas Motor Speedway, where he has a best finished of ninth (2005, spring).

“When I think about 519 starts, I actually in a weird way don’t think of the Nationwide Series,” Wallace said. “I’ve had 344 Sprint Cup starts – 10 full years in the Cup series, so when you add it up it’s like 870-something starts altogether. As appreciative I am to be in the Nationwide Series, it’s not really that 519 I’m thinking about. I’m thinking about being ranked 13th all-time in the history of NASCAR and being a good B-plus driver.”

5, 4, 3, 2…

Defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Brad Keselowski will make his 11th Nationwide Series start at Texas in the upcoming O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge and if his previous four finishes are any indication for his finish Saturday, he’ll be hosting a Victory Lane celebration.

In the 2009 O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, Keselowski posted a fifth-place finish and has consistently earned a better position each race since then – fourth in the 2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, third in the 2010 O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge and second in April’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300.

“Texas is an extremely fast track in any kind of car, but no stock car gives you the sensation of speed that the Nationwide Series car does,” Keselowski said. “It actually feels faster than a Cup car. You enter Turn 1 at around 190 to 195 miles per hour, depending on whether you are in race trim or qualifying trim. If your car is handling the way it needs to, you’ll go through that corner without lifting, or barely lifting, out of the throttle.”

During last season’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, Keselowski clinched the 2010 Nationwide Series championship. Though he isn’t a championship contender this season, per NASCAR’s new points system that only allows drivers to compete for one of NASCAR’s top-tier championships, he has earned four Nationwide Series wins in his 26 starts this season.

Last Lap

Reed Sorenson is closing out the NASCAR Nationwide Series season with MacDonald Motorsports after parting with his full-time ride at Turner Motorsports. Sorenson, one of only three full-time Nationwide Series drivers with a victory this season, currently is fifth in the championship standings. Sorenson and Elliott Sadler are the only two drivers among the top five in the standings that have earned top-five finishes at Texas. Both Sorenson and Sadler have each posted three top-five finishes in the Nationwide Series at “The Great American Speedway!” … Race fans can take their own lap around the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola Family Track Walk with NASCAR drivers Jamie McMurray, Kurt Busch and Bobby Labonte. Following Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, race fans can enter the track through grandstand Gate 121 to participate in the event, which begins approximately 30 minutes after the race. Admission is free for any fan with a race ticket.

5-Hour Energy Team News and Notes

. This Week’s 5 Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-070 in Saturday afternoon’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge. This is a brand new 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry that will be put through its first paces this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

. With Heavy Hearts, We Race … The Wallace family lost their patriarch on Sunday, October 30. Russ Wallace passed away at the age of 77 from complications of a stroke. In memory of Wallace, both Rusty Wallace Racing entries will feature “in memory of Russ Wallace” in place of the driver’s names.

. Three to Go … With 31 races of the 2011 season in the record books, Wallace has accumulated two top-five, five top 10 and 15 top-15 finishes, an average starting position of 13.5 and an average finish of 16th. Wallace has completed 98.2 percent of the laps contested (5,692 of 5,797) thus far.

. Get to the Points … Wallace’s 13th-place finish at Charlotte dropped him one position, to ninth, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings. Wallace trails eighth-place driver Brian Scott by seven markers, and holds an 11-point advantage over his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate, Michael Annett, for the 10th position.

. Wallace at Texas … In 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Wallace has recorded two top-10 finishes. His best result at the 1.5-mile oval is ninth, which he posted in April 2010.

. Welcome Aboard … Rusty Wallace Racing and 5-Hour Energy are pleased to feature Tom Thumb on the TV panel and Murphy Oil on the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 66 Toyota this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

. Rusty Wallace Racing at Texas … In 21 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned three top-10 finishes with drivers David Stremme and Steve Wallace. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have led 30 laps of competition and have completed 4,048 of the 4,216 (96 percent) laps contested in those events.

. Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 31 of 34 races completed thus far in the 2011 season, Rusty Wallace Racing’s three NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded a combined three top-five, 12 top 10 and 31 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 12,424 of 12,819 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 19 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Steve Wallace.

. Cast Your Vote … Voting has begun for the Most Popular Driver of the Year award in the Nationwide Series. Fans are encouraged to log onto NASCAR.com to vote for their favorite driver from the series once per day until voting ends on Thursday, November 17.

. Fall Break … Wallace and the No. 66 team took advantage of the final off-weeks in the 2011 schedule by heading to Rockingham Speedway for a test session on Monday, October 24. The following day, the Doug Randolph-led team spent the day at the wind tunnel in Mooresville, N.C. Additionally, Wallace entered a couple of UARA Late Model races, including last weekend’s event at Concord Motorsports Park, where he picked up his fourth series win in dominating fashion – winning the pole and leading every lap along the way.

. Loop Data Says … According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Wallace is tied with three other drivers as the series’ fifth-best closers at Texas Motor Speedway. Over the last 13 events there, the Greensboro, N.C., native has gained an average of .8 spots over the final 10 percent of laps in each race. Wallace has improved a total of eight positions in the 10 races he has competed in there.

. Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Wallace and his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate Michael Annett on Friday, November 4 from 1 – 2 p.m. CT at the Pilot Flying J store located at 2400 Alliance Gateway in Fort Worth, Texas.

. Cast Your Vote … Voting has begun for the Most Popular Driver of the Year award in the Nationwide Series. Fans are encouraged to log onto NASCAR.com to vote for their favorite driver from the series once per day until voting ends on Thursday, November 17.

“Texas Motor Speedway is super-fast. The surface there has really aged and it’s very abrasive. You’ll see guys wide open all the way around the track in qualifying trim, but once the tires wear a bit in the race, you’re definitely lifting and even having to use some brake if your car’s not handing very well. As the track has aged, it has also gotten really bumpy, especially in Turns 1 and 2. You’re going so fast here that you have to be really careful not to let those bumps upset your car.” – Steve Wallace on racing at Texas Motor Speedway

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About Living Essentials, LLC

Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

Carl Edwards– O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge Advance

Team: No. 60 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Mike Beam

Chassis: RK-638 – primary – Last ran in Chicago – finished second.

RK–672 – backup – last ran in Dover – finished first.

QUOTES

Carl Edwards on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“I am really looking forward to returning to Texas Motor Speedway with Eddie Gossage and the guys. We won the earlier Nationwide race and we are closing in on the owners’ points lead. I love racing there and the fans are great. Our goal is to gain as many points as possible and get our Fastenal Ford Mustang in victory lane.”

Crew chief Mike Beam on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“We won there in the spring so we will carry that knowledge into this race. We have had a lot of success on the mile-and-a-half tracks so far this year. With the proper adjustments and flawless pit stops, we should be able to get this Fastenal Ford Mustang back in victory lane and sweep the 2011 Nationwide races at Texas.”

FAST FACTS

So far in 2011, Edwards has eight wins, 20 top-five, and 24 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.

The No. 60 Mustang is three points out of first place in the NNS owner’s championship.

Edwards’ average finish is 11.2 at TMS.

JAMES BUESCHER QUICK FACTS

No. 30 ABF Chevrolet Impala

O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

Texas Motor Speedway

November 5, 2011

James Buescher 2011 NNS Season

Starts Poles Wins Top-fives Top-10s DNFs

8 0 0 1 3 1

No. 30 ABF Chevrolet News and Notes

. Home sweet home in the Lone Star state… James Buescher won’t have to travel far to race this weekend; the Plano, Texas-native currently resides in Katy, Texas, just outside Houston. The 21-year-old has a long and storied history at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS), winning his first championship in a Bandolero car at the track when he was 14-years-old. In 2010, he claimed Turner Motorsports first NASCAR pole in the November NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) event and also grabbed the pole in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) June stop at the track.

. Where it all began… Like Buescher, Turner Motorsports calls TMS their home track, winning their first championship at the track with Steve Turner’s youngest daughter, Kris, driving a Bandolero in 2004. The organization was headquartered in Hallettsville, Texas until making the move into NASCAR and to Mooresville, N.C. in 2009.Testing the NASCAR waters in 2009, the organization made their NCWTS debut at their home track. In 2010, the team went full time NCWTS racing, fielding entries for Ricky Carmichael and Buescher. In late 2010, the organization made the announcement from the TMS media center that they had acquired Braun Racing and would run three NCWTS and four NNS entries in 2011. That same weekend, Buescher grabbed Turner Motorsports’ first-ever pole award.

In one year, Turner Motorsports has collected four poles, 12 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes in the NCWTS and notched three wins, 21 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes in Nationwide Series competition. Buescher is currently second in the NCWTS points battle, while Justin Allgaier and Jason Leffler are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the NNS point standings.

. Calling the shots… For his limited run in the Nationwide Series, Buescher will work with veteran crew chief Stewart Cooper. Cooper has worked with several drivers in 2011 including, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Boris Said and Carmichael.

. Home track stats… In three NNS starts at TMS, Buescher has captured one pole award (November 2010) with his best finish of 11th coming in 2009. In his five NCWTS starts at his home track, Buescher has captured three top-10 finishes and is also credited with one pole award (June 2011).

. Double-duty driver… As he has done several times this season, Buescher will pull double duty this weekend at TMS, running both Friday night’s NCWTS race and Saturday’s NNS event. Buescher is having a career-year in his full-time pursuit for the NCWTS championship. He has collected 10 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes in 22 starts, finishing outside the top-10 on only three occasions. He has captured two pole awards and led 208 laps. He is currently second in the championship point standings, just 11 points behind leader Austin Dillon with two races left on the schedule.

. By the numbers – NNS… TMS will mark Buescher’s ninth NNS start of 2011. In his previous eight starts he is credited with one top-five and three top-10 finishes. In 31 total series starts, he has claimed two pole awards, one top-five and five top-10 finishes.

. This week’s Impala… The No. 30 ABF team will hit the track with chassis TMS-310 this weekend at TMS. TMS-310 made its debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Kahne drove it to a fifth-place finish after starting in the seventh spot.

James Buescher on returning home to Texas

“This is obviously a very special weekend for me. I have had so much success at Texas Motor Speedway and it is where my racing career really took off. Everyone says it, but racing in front of a home town crowd is awesome, however it does add a little bit of pressure. I’d like nothing more than to get my first win at Texas. It would be special not only for me, but also for the whole Turner family. I met Steve and Sandra while I was racing at Texas Motor Speedway and they have been so supportive of me and my career over the years. We are going to have tons of friends and family here this weekend, so I really want to bring home two great finishes for everyone here at Turner Motorsports.”

Follow the No. 30 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No30TurnerNNS

Follow James Buescher on Twitter! Twitter.com/JamesBuescher

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

CHINA GROVE, N.C. (November 1, 2011) – Scott Riggs is looking forward to all 200 laps of action at Texas Motor Speedway in the No. 03 McKinney Pipe and Steel Chevrolet of R3 Motorsports this Saturday afternoon.

Despite the fact he’ll have to qualify in on time, the winner of four NASCAR Nationwide Series races has some pretty good numbers on his side at the Ft. Worth facility. In his two previous starts at the 1.5-mile oval, Riggs has started in the 12th and fourth positions in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

The funding for this weekend came from within the R3 Motorsports family, literally, as Jan Richardson, wife of team owner Robert Richardson, Sr. and mother of driver Robert Jr., put her company on the No. 03 Chevrolet for sponsorship. This was done as birthday present to herself; which is next week Monday.

Fast Facts: Riggs will be making his 97th NNS career start and 11th of the 2011 season. His best finish this year came at Darlington Raceway when he placed 13th in the No. 23 Chevrolet of R3 Motorsports

Track Facts: The Durham, N.C. native has two previous NNS starts at TMS; which were in his last full NNS seasons in ’02 and ’03. He finished fourth in ’02 and second in ’03 giving him two top-five finishes for both starts while completing all 316 laps contested.

Tune in for the Win: There are two practices on Friday morning, with the second one from 11:40 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. ET being aired on ESPN2. Qualifying takes place later in the day at 6:30 p.m. on SPEED TV. Then, come race day on Saturday, switch back to ESPN2 for the green flag at 1 p.m.; which can also be heard on PRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90.

Scott Riggs Quotes: “This is going to be pretty cool this weekend running as a full-race teammate to Rob Jr. with R3 Motorsports. We’ve been working pretty well throughout this year and I know this is a big weekend for the Richardson’s with it being their home track.

“The pressure to qualify your way in is always on someone in my position, but I’m fairly confident we’ll be okay once we get to practice and see what we have in our No. 03 Chevrolet. From there, we’ll work our way through the race and get a great finish.

“I’m very thankful for Jan Richardson to make this weekend possible for our team. Now it’s up to us to give her a good birthday present in return.”

TREVOR BAYNE

Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge (200 laps 300 miles)

Team: No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Chad Norris

Chassis: RK-625-Last ran at Chicago, September 2011, Finished 11th

Broadcast Information: Saturday, November 5, 2011- 12:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN2 and 12:00 p.m. on PRN radio affiliates and Sirius channel 90

FAST FACTS

* TREVOR BAYNE will make his 27th start of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Texas Motor Speedway

* TREVOR BAYNE at Texas Motor Speedway… Bayne has four top-15 finishes in four starts in Nationwide Series competition

QUOTES

Trevor Bayne on racing at Texas: “I am pulling double duty again this weekend, so I will be extremely focused on running well in both series. We ran ok at Texas in the spring, so I am ready to get on the race track and try to make something special happen this weekend. That first Nationwide win has eluded us all year but we have been very close at times. I think Texas sets up nicely for what we want to accomplish. We are going to be aggressive with our race strategy and setup and hope for the best. Chad has been staying on me these past few weeks about being aggressive and letting it all hang out because we only have three races.”

Crew chief Chad Norris on racing at Texas: “I told Trevor we need to race with a sense of urgency these last three weeks. It is hard to win one of these things, so we are going to do our best to put Trevor in a position to succeed this weekend. We have been working hard on our intermediate program and I am confident we will be up to the challenge at Texas.”