Category: XFINITY Series

NASCAR XFINITY Series news and information

  • Reed Sorenson Dover II Quick Facts

    Reed Sorenson Dover II Quick Facts

    On the DG Chevy this week: Reese’s, Scott, Energizer, Slim Jim, Keebler, Gildan, Pine-Sol, Mello-Yello

    REED SORENSON QUICK FACTS

    No. 32 Dollar General Chevy

    Dover International Speedway

    OneMain Financial 200

    October 1, 2011

     

    No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

    • Sorenson Season In Review – Reed Sorenson and the No 32 Dollar General team continue to try and regain position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings with six races remaining in the 2011 season. After a 10th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway two weeks ago, Sorenson has notched one win, seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes along with 85 laps led. He currently sits third in the NNS point standings, just 47 points behind the leader.
    • Sorenson at the ‘Monster Mile’ – One of his favorite tracks on the circuit, Sorenson has impressive stats at Dover International Speedway. In 10 starts at the mile-long track, Sorenson boasts six top-five and nine top-10 finishes along with an average starting spot of 11.4 and average finish of 7.2. In the spring race at the ‘Monster Mile’, Sorenson had a successful outing, posting a third-place finish after starting 10th.
    • In the Loop: Dover – Sorenson ranks among the highest in NASCAR’s loop data statistics heading into this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway. Among Nationwide Series-only drivers, Sorenson is first in Average Driver Rating (100.9), first in Green Flag Speed (145.271 miles per hour), second in Laps in the Top-15 (1722) and third in Green Flag Passes (210).
    • Dollar General Supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month – Saturday, October 1st kicks off the month-long Breast Cancer Awareness campaign, now in its 25th year. On October 14th, Dollar General is partnering with Charlotte Motor Speedway to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure as well as honor 300 breast cancer survivors. The No. 32 Dollar General team will be decked out in pink uniforms throughout the race weekend to support the cause and the No. 32 Dollar General Chevy will also feature an all-pink paint scheme.
    • Fans Can Win Big with Dollar General Dollar General, an Official Partner of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™, is offering customers the chance to win more than 9,000 prizes including free gas for a year, a trip for two to Las Vegas for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week™ and $250,000. The “Race in to Win” sweepstakes officially launched August 28 and runs through November 12, 2011. When customers purchase qualifying items from DG, they are given a code on their receipt to enter online at dollargeneral.com.  It is the first-ever national retail program around the Chase, NASCAR’s version of the playoffs.
    • This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Sorenson will pilot TMS-126 in the OneMain Financial 200 at Dover International Speedway. This is the same car Sorenson drove to a third-place finish in the spring race at Dover. It was also on track at Loudon (15th), Iowa II (sixth) and Richmond II (eighth).

    Sorenson on returning to Dover:

    “I’m definitely excited to get back to Dover this weekend. It might be my favorite track that we get to go to. It has characteristics of a short track, but the speeds we get to are just so fast. This Dollar General team had a really strong race here in the spring with a third-place run. We are bringing back that same car so I’m hoping we can duplicate that effort. All we can do as a team is put ourselves in a position to finish well. We only have control over what we do and hope it’s good enough to move us back toward the front in this championship battle.”

  • Jason Leffler No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet News and Notes

    Jason Leffler No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet News and Notes

    JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

    No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet Impala

    Dover International Speedway

    OneMain Financial 200

    October 1, 2011

     

    Jason Leffler 2011 Season

    Starts

    Poles

    Wins

    Top-fives

    Top-10s

    DNFs

    28

    0

    0

    2

    12

    1

    Jason Leffler Dover International Speedway

    Starts

    Poles

    Wins

    Top-fives

    Top-10s

    DNFs

    16

    0

    0

    4

    9

    2

    • Taming the Monster… Jason Leffler knows his way to the winner’s circle at Dover International Speedway. The ‘Monster Mile’ is the site of his first-ever NASCAR win! After starting 10th in the 2003 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event, Leffler led for 57 laps en route to his first visit to NASCAR’s victory lane.
    • In the loop… According to NASCAR’s prerace loop data statistics, Leffler lands in the top-10 in several categories including: Closers (3rd), Quality Passes (10th), Fastest Laps Run (10th), Green Flag Passes (1st) and Laps Run in the Top-15 (2nd).
    • Dover International Speedway: By the numbers… In 16 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts, Leffler has claimed four top-five and nine top-10 finishes. He has an average start of 16.6 and an average finishing position of 13.2, with a 96.6% lap completion rate.
    • This week’s Impala… The No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions team will hit the track with chassis TMS-311 this weekend at Dover. This is a brand new chassis in the Turner Motorsports’ stable.
    • Number Swap… As in 2010, Leffler is sharing seat time in the No. 38 with Kasey Kahne, jumping behind the wheel of the No. 30 machine for eight events throughout the season. The number swap proved lucky for Leffler and his team in 2010, bringing home three top-five and seven top-10 finishes in eight starts in the No. 10. The streak seems to be continuing in 2011, with the team capturing five top-10s in six starts in the No. 30, including a ninth-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this month.
    • Scan It… If you are trying to hear Leffler’s team communication this weekend, remember to tune your scanner to the No. 38 primary frequency (466.9250). When you want to hear Kahne’s communications with the No. 38 Great Clips team tune your scanner to the No. 30 primary frequency (460.8875).
    • Turner Motorsports: In the Hunt… In 28 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 20 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes. All three of Turner Motorsports’ championship-contending drivers are inside the top-six in the driver point standings with Reed Sorenson in third, Justin Allgaier in fifth and Leffler in sixth.

    Jason Leffler on heading back to Dover International Raceway

    “Dover is a tough racetrack, but it is one of my favorites. It requires 100% attention at all times and is tough both mentally and physically on a driver. I’ve been to victory lane there once before and I would love to bring this No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions team back there with me. We are so close to getting it right and getting to the win and I am hopeful we can bring it home this weekend in Dover.”

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

    Follow Jason Leffler on Twitter! Twitter.com/JasonLeffler

    Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

  • Michael Annett Dover 2 News and Notes

    Michael Annett Dover 2 News and Notes

    The Headlines:

    Michael Annett Tallies 100th NNS Start: Saturday’s 200 mile race at Dover International Speedway marks 25-year-old driver Michael Annett’s 100th career Nationwide Series start. This weekend’s OneMain Financial 200 will be the Des Moines, Iowa native’s sixth career start on Dover’s one-mile oval. Annett has completed 1,008 of 1,014 (99.4 percent) of laps contested there. His best finish on the Monster Mile was a 13th place Rookie of the Race finish in September 2009, and his best qualifying effort at Dover was 11th in September 2010.

    Rusty Wallace Racing at Dover: Rusty Wallace Racing has earned five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 31 combined starts at Dover International Speedway. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have led 58 laps of competition on the one-mile oval and have completed 5,808 of the 6,255 (92.9 percent) of laps contested in those events.

    Annett Makes Special Visit to St. Jude: Following the race weekend at Dover International Speedway, Annett will visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Monday, October 3. The driver will meet and greet with patients at the Memphis, Tenn. pediatric cancer research center prior to making a special race-related announcement with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on Friday, October 7.

    Pilot Flying J Hosts Transportation Forum: Next week, Annett and his team owner, Rusty Wallace, will attend Pilot Flying J’s annual Transportation Forum at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn. on Monday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 4. Wallace will serve as a keynote speaker during the Transportation Forum’s general session presented by Goodyear on Tuesday.

    Annett Pumps for Charity: Following the forum, Annett will travel to Pilot Flying J’s hometown to serve as a celebrity pumper at the Pilot Travel Center location at 7686 Northshore Drive in Knoxville, Tenn. as part of Pilot Flying J’s annual Celebrity Pumpers event benefitting the United Way of Greater Knoxville. The yearly fundraiser includes local media personalities, elected officials and other celebrities who pump gas and greet the community. During the promotion, Pilot Flying J donates to United Way five cents from every gallon of gas sold and 10 cents of every dollar spent inside all of its Knoxville-area stores. In 2010, the event raised $62,080 and included more than 70 celebrity pumpers.

    Cast Your Vote: Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver voting is still underway on NASCAR.com. Fans can cast their vote for Michael Annett once per day by visiting www.NASCAR.com/nnsmpd. Voting runs from now until November 17. The winner of the Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver award will be announced at the year-end banquet on November 21.

    For the latest updates on Michael Annett, visit www.michaelannett.com.

    From the Cockpit:

    Michael Annett on the remainder of the 2011 season:

    “The off-week was great for us to get a good mindset for these final races in 2011, but I’m really excited to get back to the race track this weekend. We’ve only got six races left in the season, and we’ve really got a chance to prove ourselves in these final events. Not only will these last six races be crucial, but we’ve got some really cool sponsor-related initiatives coming up as well. I’m really excited to give back to Pilot Flying J both on and off the racetrack in the coming weeks.”

    Talking Shop:

    Crew Chief Rick Viers on the off-week before the final six races of the season:

    “We spent some time at TRD during the off-week working on the seven-post, making our cars better. Michael has done a great job this summer helping us improve our cars with some good feedback during practice and the races, and during this off-week we really focused on doing all we could as a team to be prepared for Dover and the final races before the season comes to a close.”

    Rick Viers on Dover:

    “I grew up about an hour-and-a-half from Dover International Speedway in Darlington, Md., so it’s always been a track that I enjoy visiting. It’s a great racetrack, and brings back good childhood memories for me. I remember going to Dover with my dad as a kid and sitting in the grandstands cheering on Richard Petty. I’m excited to head back there this weekend.”

    The Machines:

    Team 62 Primary: RWR-061 – The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team’s last outing with this chassis was at Bristol Motor Speedway in August where they notched a sixth place finish on sponsor Pilot Flying J’s home track.

    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 five convenient locations within a 100 mile radius of Dover International 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

    I-295, Exit 2B NJT

    600 Pennsville-Auburn Road

    Carneys Point, NJ 08069

    Flying J

    I-95, Exit 109A

    221 Belle Hill Road

    Elkton, MD 21921

    Flying J

    I-295, Exit 2C

    326 Slapes Corner

    Carneys Point, NJ 08069

    Flying J

    I-95, Exit 100

    1 Center Drive

    Northeast, MD 21901

    Pilot Travel Center

    I-95 and MD 222 Exit 93

    31 Heather Lane

    Perryville, MD 21903

    About Pilot Flying J:

    Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 locations in North America. The company employs more than 20,000 people and is the largest retail operator of travel centers in North America. Follow Pilot Flying J on Twitter at @pilottravel.

    Broadcast Info:

    Final Practice

    Friday, September 30, 12:30 p.m. ET

    ESPN2

    Qualifying

    Saturday, October 1, 12 p.m. ET

    SPEED

    OneMain Financial 200

    Saturday, October 1, 3:30 p.m. ET

    ESPN2

  • STEVE WALLACE / 5-HOUR ENERGY RACING NEWS AND NOTES – DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

    STEVE WALLACE / 5-HOUR ENERGY RACING NEWS AND NOTES – DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

    5-Hour Energy Team News and Notes

    . This Week’s 5 Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-064 in Saturday afternoon’s OneMain Financial 200. Built new for the 2011 season, this Toyota Camry debuted at Texas Motor Speedway in May, where Wallace finished 17th. The Greensboro, N.C. native has since used this car to record finishes of 16th at Dover International Speedway in May, 21st and 11th, respectively, at Kentucky Speedway Nashville Superspeedway in July. In its last two outings, this chassis finished eighth at Iowa Speedway in August, and 13th at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

    . Through 28 Races … With 28 races of the 2011 season in the record books, Wallace has accumulated two top-five, five top 10 and 14 top-15 finishes, an average starting position of 13.3 and an average finish of 15.8. Wallace has completed 98 percent of the laps contested (5,095 of 5,197) thus far.

    . Get to the Points … Wallace continues to maintain the eighth position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings. With six races remaining in the 2011 season, Wallace trails seventh-place driver Kenny Wallace by 22 markers, and holds a 13-point cushion over ninth-place contender Brian Scott.

    . Testing, Testing … The No. 66 team spent Monday, Sept. 26 and Tuesday, Sept. 27 at Toyota Racing Development’s Salisbury, N.C. engineering center, testing new parts and pieces on their simulators and compliance rigs.

    . Wallace at Dover … In 11 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Dover International Speedway, Wallace has recorded four top-15 finishes. His best finish at the one-mile oval is 11th, where he finished in May 2008.

    . Loop Data Says … Wallace’s 177 green-flag passes rank him eighth-best among the 82 drivers who have competed at the “Monster Mile” over the last six years. His 973 laps spent racing inside the top 15 rank him 12th-best among 54 drivers that qualified under the same criteria.

    . Welcome Aboard … 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Giant as a partner for this weekend’s race at Dover International Speedway. Giant branding will adorn the TV panel of Wallace’s No. 66 Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s race.

    . Last Time Out … Wallace was plagued with handling issues for most of the Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway when the Nationwide Series last competed two weeks ago, but his Doug Randolph-led 5-Hour Energy team’s never-quit attitude afforded the 24-year-old driver an 18th-place finish.

    . Rusty Wallace Racing at Dover … Rusty Wallace Racing has earned five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 31 combined starts at Dover International Speedway. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have led 58 laps of competition and have completed 5,808 of the 6,255 (92.9 percent) laps contested in those events.

    . Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 28 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 29 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 11,227 of 11,619 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 19 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Steve Wallace.

    . The Battle For Best in Class … Rusty Wallace Racing’s 14th-place position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner point standings is second-best among full-time, non-cup affiliated teams. Wallace’s No. 66 entry trails RAB Racing, currently ranked 13th, by 22 points.

    . 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.

    “I always look forward to racing at Dover. It’s an extremely fast track, it feels like you’re literally flying off into the corners. It’s an extremely narrow track, and you get a little bit of tunnel vision as the race goes on. We’ve ran well at Dover, but don’t have the finishes to really show for it, but we’ll try to get that fixed this weekend.” – Steve Wallace on racing at Dover International Speedway

    # # #

    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.

  • Elliott Sadler No. 2 Nationwide Series Advance – Dover International Speedway

    Elliott Sadler No. 2 Nationwide Series Advance – Dover International Speedway

    Elliott Sadler

    No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala

    NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 29 of 34 – Dover International Speedway II

    TAMING THE MONSTER MILE: Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial team will head to Dover International Speedway this weekend for the second NASCAR Nationwide Series event at the Monster Mile this season. In May, the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team finished sixth in a caution-extended contest at the one-mile track. After a pit road penalty and an untimely red flag for rain, the No. 2 OneMain Financial team fought back for a top 10 in a wild overtime finish.

    ONEMAIN FINANCIAL 200: The Nationwide Series race this weekend serves as a special event for the No. 2 team and KHI as OneMain Financial will be the title sponsor at Dover. Prior to the OneMain Financial 200, Sadler and KHI co-owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick will head to the organization’s headquarters in Baltimore, Md., to meet OneMain Financial employees. “As team owners, it’s exciting to see a sponsor like OneMain Financial activating and participating in NASCAR,” said KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick. “It shows how dedicated they are to the sport, which is great to be a part of. It’s fun that the race is in OneMain Financial’s backyard at Dover, and it should be a great weekend.”

    CONCRETE RACING: Sadler is no stranger to competition at the Dover, Del., concrete track. The Emporia, Va., native has competed at the track seven times in the Nationwide Series with three top-10 finishes. Sadler has also competed at the one-mile concrete oval 24 times in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a total of three top 10s, 188 laps led and a best finish of sixth in 2005. He also has a one start in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010 where he sat on the outside pole in a KHI truck and ran in the top five for most of the day until tire failure relegated the team to a 24th-place finish.

    KHI AT DOVER: KHI has made a total of 18 starts since 2005 at Dover. The organization has two top-five and seven top-10 finishes with a best finish of fifth scored in 2010 by team co-owner Harvick and in 2006 by Ron Hornaday.

    TO THE POINT: Sadler remains in the second position in the Nationwide Series Driver’s Point standings. With six events remaining on the schedule, Sadler sits 14 points out of the lead.

    OPEN TRACK SESSION: Ticketholders for the OneMain Financial 200 will have the opportunity to attend a free open track session before the race on Oct. 1 at Dover and will have special access to the frontstretch. Sadler and KHI co-owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick will make an appearance at the event, and the session will run from 10-11:30 a.m.

    CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 OneMain Financial team will unload chassis No. 064 for this weekend’s competition at Dover. This is the sixth time the No. 2 team has utilized this particular chassis, including a sixth-place finish when the Nationwide Series competed in the May event at Dover. The team also ran No. 064 at the March and August events at Bristol Motor Speedway (fourth and eighth), Nashville Superspeedway in April (13th) and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis in July (16th).

    PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sadler drove the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet to a sixth-place finish in the Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway. Sadler and the KHI team competed toward the front of the field for the entire race and brought home the team’s 20th top-10 finish of the season.

    THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Elliott Sadler

    How do you feel heading into this week’s race at Dover?

    “Man, Dover is a big weekend for us, and it is definitely a big weekend for OneMain Financial. It is the first time OneMain Financial has been the entitlement sponsor of a NASCAR race, so it is exciting for everyone. We know that there will be a lot of customers and employees from different branches, so there are high expectations for us to go there and do well. We think we have a really good setup, and we will be bringing a brand-new car that we know will be fast. We definitely want to run well in our sponsor’s race, and it is crunch time coming down to the championship, so our guys are as focused as ever. I’m thrilled for the opportunity to go out there and race under OneMain Financial’s banner for the Dover race.”

    MOST POPULAR DRIVER: Sadler is eligible for the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver award. Fans can vote for Sadler now through November 17 on www.NASCARNationwideSeries.com.

    OneMain Financial

    OneMain Financial (formerly CitiFinancial), based in Baltimore, Md, provides personalized loan solutions and one-on-one, local service at more than 1,300 branches nationwide. With a 99-year heritage of helping people realize their financial goals and dreams, their employees are part of the communities where they live and work. OneMain Financial works with each customer to find a solution that best fits their needs and budget, offering a simple and straightforward loan application, with fixed rates, and clear terms. Additional information may be found at OneMainFinancial.com.

  • Clint Bowyer No. 33 Nationwide Series Advance – Dover International Speedway

    Clint Bowyer No. 33 Nationwide Series Advance – Dover International Speedway

    Clint Bowyer

    No. 33 Rheem Heating, Cooling & Water Heating Chevrolet Impala

    NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 29 of 34 – Dover International Speedway

    BOWYER VS. DOVER, ROUND TWO: Clint Bowyer lost the battle against the “Monster Mile” during the NASCAR Nationwide Series first visit to the concrete oval in May of this season. The Emporia, Kan., native was collected in a wild, last-lap accident that left the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team with a 14th-place finish after leading 37 laps and running up front all day. Bowyer returns to the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Impala this weekend looking to add a third win to his series record at Dover International Speedway.

    BY THE NUMBERS: In 10 starts, Bowyer has two wins, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes and has led a total of 208 laps around the one-mile facility. In 18 Nationwide Series starts at the track, KHI has a record of two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Bowyer notched the organization’s best start of third in May while KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick and four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday hold the mark for best finish with fifth-place results in 2010 and 2006 respectively.

    ONEMAIN FINANCIAL 200: This weekend’s Nationwide Series race serves as a special event for KHI as OneMain Financial, the primary sponsor of the No. 2 team and driver Elliott Sadler, will be the title sponsor at Dover. Prior to the OneMain Financial 200, Sadler and Kevin and DeLana Harvick will head to the organization’s headquarters in Baltimore, Md., to meet OneMain Financial employees. “As team owners, it’s exciting to see a sponsor like OneMain Financial activating and participating in NASCAR,” said Kevin Harvick. “It shows how dedicated they are to the sport, which is something that is great to be a part of. It’s fun that the race is in OneMain Financial’s backyard at Dover, and it should be a great weekend.”

    RHEEM GOES PINK: Rheem will pull double duty this weekend serving as primary sponsor of Harvick’s No. 29 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. On Sunday, Rheem’s familiar black and red colors will go pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month which begins nationwide on Oct. 1. Additionally, Rheem will launch “Chasing the Cure,” a month-long program created to support the national effort and to raise awareness of the Young Survivor Coalition, a group dedicated to supporting women diagnosed with breast cancer that are under 40 years old. KHI co-owner DeLana Harvick will wear a special pink firesuit for the Sprint Cup Series race day, and a replica of the suit will be presented to the Young Survivor Coalition.

    CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Rheem team will unload chassis No. 066 when they arrive at Dover this weekend. This particular chassis has seen the most competition this season of any in the No. 33 KHI stable, having being utilized in seven events with a best finish of second twice (Richmond International Raceway with Paul Menard in April and Harvick at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July).

    PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Paul Menard returned to the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet as the Nationwide Series made its second trip of the season to Chicagoland Speedway on September 17. Menard qualified the KHI Chevrolet in the third position for the 200-lap event and competed among the top 10 throughout the day before finishing ninth.

    THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: CLINT BOWYER

    “I love Dover. It’s like Bristol, just a bigger, faster, meaner Bristol. I have two Nationwide Series wins at Dover. I’d love to make it three and get this No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet into victory lane this weekend, especially after the spring race here. We had the Rheem Chevrolet up front all day and led laps but got tangled in a wild wreck coming out of turn four on the last lap.”

    About Rheem:

    Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta. In its 86th year of operation, the company manufactures a full-line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar and hybrid heat pump water heaters; whole-home standby generators, controls, swimming pool and spa heaters; indoor air-purification products; and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Raypak, Ruud and Rheem, have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is the official heating, cooling and water-heating supplier to Richard Childress Racing (RCR), Kevin Harvick, Inc. (KHI) and is a primary sponsor of RCR’s No. 29 Sprint Cup Series car and KHI’s No. 33 Nationwide Series car and Camping World Truck Series No. 2 truck. Harvick was named Nationwide Series “Driver of the Decade” in 2010.

  • Dodge’s Brad Keselowski Receives Driver of the Year Award

    Dodge’s Brad Keselowski Receives Driver of the Year Award

    Brad Keselowski’s winning ways, overcoming a broken ankle and other injuries, helped him win the voting as the third quarter DRIVER OF THE YEAR 2011.

    [media-credit name=”Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]
    Left to right Ed Hinton (ESPN.com), Lewis Franck (Reuters), Keselowski, Mike Harris (Racintoday.com), Mike Vega (BostonGlobe).
    In the last seven NASCAR Sprint Cup races, in the quarter ending at Richmond International Raceway, he recorded two wins, four top-fives and seven top-12 finishes. And those two wins were earned within days of recovering from a broken ankle at a test session.

    Adding those victories to a previous one and an 11th place overall finish in NASCAR’s regular season Keselowski earned a wild card spot for his first Chase for the Sprint Cup.

    In the voting Keselowski took ten first-place ballots and totaled 117 points according to the DRIVER OF THE YEAR points system. Will Power, a Penske Racing teammate in the IndyCar series, had five first place votes and garnered 108 points. This was the first time that the same team owner (Roger Penske) had two drivers from different series finishing one-two.

    A total of 18 drivers scored points in the third quarter voting.

    In its’ 45th year, the DRIVER OF THE YEAR title is unique. A panel of 21 leading journalists from across the U.S. determines the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9, 6, 4,3,2,1 basis.

    Keselowski was presented his trophy and a Tissot wristwatch yesterday (Friday) at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

  • THREE-TIME CUP CHAMPION CREW CHIEF EVERNHAM JOINS SPEED CENTER AS ANALYST

    EXPERIENCE AS RACER, CREW CHIEF, TEAM OWNER AND CAR COLLECTOR OFFERS UNIQUE & VERSATILE VOICE TO SPEED™ TALENT LINEUP

    Beginning Sunday, Ray Evernham joins SPEED as a regular analyst on SPEED Center, the definitive motor sports news program. Evernham will be introduced on tonight’s show (11 p.m. ET), promoting his Sunday appearances (10:30 a.m. ET and 7 p.m. ET).

    Evernham, the dominant crew chief of the 1990s, when he partnered with driver Jeff Gordon for 47 wins in 216 starts, netting three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships, two Daytona 500 victories and a win at the inaugural Brickyard 400, has a wide-ranging resume that offers SPEED a fresh voice across multiple topics and platforms.

    “Bringing in Ray to talk NASCAR is a no-brainer,” said SPEED EVP of Programming & Production Patti Wheeler. “But he offers so much more … his knowledge and experience spread across multiple racing disciplines and automotive categories. There is no question that the addition of Ray Evernham strengthens our position as ‘the Motor Sports Authority’ and we expect this relationship to grow.”

    “I look forward to my new role at SPEED,” Evernham said. “They have a great team in place already and I am proud to join them. The opportunity to be involved with different types of motor sports and automotive programming has me really excited.”

    In addition to his success as a NASCAR crew chief, Evernham led the return of Dodge to NASCAR in 2000 as a team owner and continues to consult with multiple motor sports teams and venues. To learn more about Ray Evernham, please visit http://www.rayevernham.com/index.php.

    About SPEED™

    SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in nearly 84 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services, including SPEED2, a groundbreaking new broadband network featuring live, streaming and on-demand events complementing offerings of the linear network. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority.

    About FOX Sports Media Group

    FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets under Chairman & CEO David Hill.  Built with brands that are capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships. FSMG now includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 19 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus; FUEL TV; and Fox College Sports.  In addition, FSMG also includes FOX Sports Interactive Media, which comprises FOXSports.com on MSN, whatifsports.com and scout.com, reaching over 20 million unique visitors monthly.  Also included are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network, FOX Sports Skybox restaurants and FOX Sports Grills.

  • BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY AGAIN KICKS OFF SHORT TRACK SEASON IN 2012 AS NASCAR DATES REMAIN THE SAME

    BRISTOL, Tenn. (Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011) – *Bristol Motor Speedway will again kick off NASCAR’s short track season in 2012 in March and will welcome fans back for its second Sprint Cup event on the last Saturday in August.

    The main event in March, the Food City 500, which is the fourth Sprint Cup race of the season, takes place March 18. The IRWIN Tools Night Race, the sport’s most popular event, takes place Aug. 25.

    “We’re coming off of another spectacular August race week,” said BMS executive vice president and general manager Jerry Caldwell. “Overall, it was a great year, but we’re already looking for ways to make it even better in 2012. Once again, fans will get to experience Bristol early in the season and as always, our goal is to make certain it’s an unforgettable weekend, just like our August event.

    “Everyone knows that when it comes to supporting their sport, race fans have no equal. And I’ll take that a step further by saying that I believe Bristol Motor Speedway’s fans are the most loyal and passionate in NASCAR. We simply have the best fans in the world and we can’t wait to have them back next year.”

    NASCAR kicks off the BMS March race weekend with Ford Fan Friday March 16, followed by the Nationwide Series event March 17, and the Food City 500 Sprint Cup race March 18.

    August race week will begin with the Camping World Truck Series/Whelen Modified Series UNOH Perfect Storm 150 doubleheader Aug. 22. The Food City 250 Nationwide Series race is Aug. 24, followed by the IRWIN Tools Night Race Aug. 25.

    Season tickets, as well as March race weekend only tickets, are now available. To purchase tickets, please contact the BMS ticket office at its toll free number 1-866-415-4158 or 423-BRISTOL (274-7865). Tickets also may be purchased at www.bristoltix.com.

    * *

    Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary. The Company also equally-owns Motorsports Authentics, a joint venture formed with International Speedway Corporation to produce, market and sell licensed motorsports merchandise. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.speedwaymotorsports.com.

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  • Victory Junction Team Camp Challenge Ride Raises $80,000 for Children with Chronic Medical Conditions

    Victory Junction Team Camp Challenge Ride Raises $80,000 for Children with Chronic Medical Conditions

    Victory Junction Team Camp Challenge Ride Sponsored by Aetna

    Raises $80,000 for Children with Chronic Medical Conditions

    RANDLEMAN, NC (September 19, 2011) On Saturday, September 10 Victory Junction held its inaugural Team Camp Challenge Ride sponsored by Aetna and participants spent the day cycling through the scenic hills of North Carolina. The bicycle ride raised $80,000 for children with chronic medical conditions through participant fundraising and event sponsors including Aetna, the Dale Jr. Foundation, Walmart, and Krispy Kreme. The funds raised will allow Victory Junction to provide life-changing camping experiences to over 30 children.

    “I enjoyed volunteering at the Camp Challenge ride,” said Teresa Parks, Aetna employee and volunteer coordinator. “It inspired me to find other ways our organization can come out to volunteer throughout the year and also let others in the community know about the services being offered at Victory Junction.”

    Approximately 75 cyclists from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia participated in the first-time event, which provided several long-time supporters of camp their first opportunity to personally experience Victory Junction.

    “We chose to participate in the inaugural Team Camp Challenge Ride as we realize the good Victory Junction does for so many deserving children,” said Bubb Gelly, a member of the Carolina’s Credit Union Foundation and Team Little Guy.  “Team Little Guy members rode the 100K route with pride and knowledge that our participation was worthwhile.”

    Participants, volunteers, and guests were invited to enjoy breakfast, lunch, and camp activities throughout the day which included tours of camp, mini golf, the Tony Stewart maze, Victory Circle games, and live entertainment at the Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheater. The North Carolina Quarter Horse Youth Association took their support of Victory Junction to the next level by providing a group of over 20 volunteers to assist in a variety of areas at the event.

    “It’s important for our youth to know what they’re working for when they do fundraisers,” said Beth Plourd, North Carolina Quarter Horse Youth Association Advisor. “This event allowed them to attach a sense of purpose to their work and see it come to fruition at camp.”

    Victory Junction is looking forward to continuing the Team Camp Challenge Ride in 2012, and is hopeful that the event will grow as word spreads through the cycling community.

    “We could not have asked for a better first-time event,” said Austin Petty, Executive Vice President of Victory Junction. “Our staff and volunteers worked incredibly hard, the weather was perfect, and the positive feedback we’ve received from participants leaves no doubt next year’s Team Camp Challenge Ride will be even bigger.”

    -more-

    About Victory Junction

    Victory Junction is a year-round camping environment for children ages six to 16 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. Founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty in honor of their son Adam, the camp is located in Randleman, NC, with a second location opening soon in Kansas City, KS. Victory Junction offers programs for a range of disease groups and maintains strong relationships with more than 30 partner hospitals. Victory Junction’s mission is to provide life-changing camping experiences that are exciting, fun and empowering, in a safe and medically-sound environment. As a not-for-profit organization, the camp operates solely through the support of generous individuals, groups and corporations to provide this experience at no charge to children and their families. For more information or to donate, visit www.victoryjunction.org.

    About Team Hole in the Wall

    Team Hole in the Wall is a grassroots, fundraising program in support of Hole in the Wall Camps. Our members participate in marathons, cycling events and other athletic challenges or create and host events of their own to support the mission of the camps and provide children coping with serious illnesses with an empowering, camp experience that promotes joy, builds courage and instills hope. For more information, visit www.teamholeinthewall.org.

    About Aetna Inc.

    Aetna has a long tradition of giving and community support that crystallized in 1972, when the Aetna Foundation was established. Over the years, we have strengthened disease prevention programs, helped revitalize neighborhoods, supported the arts, provided aid to those in need, and listened to the diverse voices that shape our nation. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed $394 million in grants and sponsorships.