Category: XFINITY Series

NASCAR XFINITY Series news and information

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

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

    5-Hour Energy Team News and Notes

    . This Week’s 5 Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-068 in Saturday afternoon’s Dollar General 300. This is a brand new 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry that will be put through its first paces this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway.

    . Through 27 Races … With 27 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 13.2 and an average finish of 15.7. Wallace has completed 98 percent of the laps contested (4,897 of 4,997) thus far.

    . Get to the Points … Wallace continues to maintain the eighth position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings. With seven races remaining in the 2011 season, Wallace trails seventh-place driver Kenny Wallace by 21 markers, and holds a 21-point cushion over eighth-place contender and Rusty Wallace Racing teammate, Michael Annett.

    . Wallace at Chicagoland … In five NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway, Wallace has recorded three top-20 finishes. His best finish at the 1.5-mile, D-shaped tri-oval is 12th, where he has finished twice. Additionally, the 24-year-old driver has has completed 98.9 percent of the laps contested (992 of 1,003) and has been atop the leaderboard for two laps.

    . Former Winner … While Wallace has not yet won at Chicagoland Speedway in Nationwide Series competition, he has visited Victory Lane there once before. Driving the No. 61 machine for Rusty Wallace Racing, Wallace won the sixth running of the ARCA Series race from the pole in 2006.

    . Intermediate Averages … In 102 NASCAR Nationwide Series intermediate track starts, Wallace has accrued one pole, three top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, and has led 12 laps.

    . Welcome Aboard … 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Dominick’s and Casey’s as partners for this weekend’s race at Chicagoland Speedway. Dominick’s branding will adorn the TV panel of Wallace’s No. 66 Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s race, while Casey’s logos will be displayed on the lower rear quarter panels.

    . Last Time Out … Wallace appeared to have a top-five finish in his sights last Friday night at Richmond International Raceway, but a flat right rear tire two-thirds of the way through the event relegated the 24-year-old driver to a 16th-place finish.

    . Rusty Wallace Racing at Chicagoland … Chicagoland Speedway hasn’t been kind to Rusty Wallace Racing over the years. In 12 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts, Rusty Wallace Racing has earned just one top-10 finish, coming in June 2011 when Michael Annett drove the No. 62Toyota to a ninth-place finish in theSTP 300. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have led three laps of competition and have completed 2,129 of the 2,406 (88.5 percent) laps contested in those events.

    . Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 27 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 10,581 of 11,219 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 Robby Benton, currently ranked 13th, by 21 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’m looking forward to getting to Chicago this weekend. We’ve struggled on the mile-and-a-half tracks this year, but we’re bring a brand-new 5-Hour Energy Toyota, and we feel that we’ve made some gains. Heading back to a track where you’ve won, it always gives you a little extra confidence. We’ve had some good runs over the last several weeks, and we’ll look to do the same this weekend.” – Steve Wallace on racing at Chicagoland 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.

  • Best Western PLUS Timber Creek Inn partners with Ware Racing

    Best Western PLUS Timber Creek Inn partners with Ware Racing

    The BEST WESTERN PLUS Timber Creek Inn & Suites of Sandwich, IL Partners with Rick Ware Racing and Whitney Motorsports for the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series Events at Chicagoland Speedway

    Fort Worth, TX. (September 12th, 2011) — Through a partnership with Linkous Enterprises, Inc. (LEI), The BEST WESTERN PLUS Timber Creek Inn & Suites and Convention Center will host Rick Ware Racing and Whitney Motorsports for the upcoming NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events at Chicagoland Speedway. The BEST WESTERN PLUS Timber Creek Inn & Suites logo will be prominently displayed on the RWR Nationwide Series race entree No. 15 Chevrolet driven by Rookie of the Year contender Timmy Hill for the Dollar General 300 on Saturday, September 17th and on the # 46 Whitney Motorsports Ford driven by Scott Speed for the GEICO 400 Sprint Cup event held on Sunday, September 18th, 2011.

    “We are excited about returning to the Chicagoland Speedway and to the Timber Creek Inn & Suites for a second time this year. The hotel and the racetrack were both very kind to us in June and we look forward to our return to the area,” said team owner Rick Ware. “As owner of the ‘Biggest Little Team in Motorsports’ we have always realized our sport and our team thrives with the support of companies such as Timber Creek Inn & Suites and we look forward to having their guests join us for the race and putting on another good show for them. We’re excited about going back into the Chicagoland area; we know we’re going to have a great place to stay and a great place to race. And our driver Timmy Hill is in a heated battle for Rookie of the Year contention in the Nationwide Series so it should be fun. We look forward to seeing some great racing and some great race fans while we are in the greater Chicago area.”

    Rick Ware Racing competes in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and has also participated in the Grand American Road Racing Series Rolex 24 at Daytona. Not only is Ware the team owner, but he is also a former driver, having made numerous starts in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. He finally hung up his helmet in 2003 to focus on building a competitive multi-faceted race team. The team website is www.wareracing.com and can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

    Whitney Motorsports competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and is owned by Dusty Whitney of Ann Arbor, MI. Scott Speed is the driver and Tony Furr is the Crew Chief of the # 46 Ford race entry. The team website is www.whitneymotorsports.com and can be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

    “We’re excited about again working with LEI and their NASCAR race team clients, and we’re very pleased it’s with Whitney Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing,” said Cindy Prohl, the director of sales for the BEST WESTERN PLUS Timber Creek Inn & Suites. “Both teams have started from the ground up and in less than two years blossomed into good competitive teams that can compete within their respective race series. We watched our hotel being built from the ground up just a few years ago too, and we’re proud to be one of the destinations for race teams and race fans alike whenever they come to the Chicagoland Speedway.”

    The Dollar General 300 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Chicagoland Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, September 17th with the green flag expected to drop at 2:30pm. The GEICO 400 for the Sprint Cup Series Chicagoland Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, September 18th with the green flag dropping at 1:00pm. The Nationwide Series race will be televised live on ESPN2 and the Sprint Cup race will be televised live on ESPN and both races can be heard on select affiliates of the MRN Radio network nationwide and on Sirius XM Radio Channel 90.

    For information on race weekend lodging and rates at the BEST WESTERN PLUS Timber Creek Inn & Suites, please visit www.timbercreekinnandsuites.com or call the property directly at 630-273-6000 and ask for our special “NASCAR” rates.

  • Joey Logano / No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota Preview – Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway

    Joey Logano / No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota Preview – Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway

    Joey Logano / No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota Preview

    Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway

    No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota News & Notes:

    . LOGANO HELPING JGR No. 18 IN SEARCH FOR OWNER’S TITLE: While most people are used to seeing Joey Logano behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, this weekend things will look a little different. Logano will pilot the No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota, normally run by Kyle Busch, this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway in an effort to help the No. 18 team win its third-straight NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship and fourth-straight for Joe Gibbs Racing as an organization. Logano was a part of the championship winning team from 2008, when he and several other drivers shared duties in the No. 20 JGR Toyota. The last two seasons (2009, 2010), Kyle Busch and others have helped the No. 18 JGR team win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship. Heading into this weekend’s event at Chicagoland, the No. 18 team holds a 48-point lead over the No. 60 Roush-Fenway Racing team and a 100-point lead over the No. 6 Roush-Fenway Racing team with just seven races remaining. Busch, Kelly Bires, Michael McDowell and Drew Herring have all spent time behind the wheel of the No. 18 JGR Toyota during the 2011 season. It won’t be Logano’s first time ever driving the No. 18 in Nationwide Series competition. He drove the No. 18 Toyota during his rookie season of 2008 at Michigan, finishing seventh.

    . SPORT CLIPS CONTINUES PARTNERSHIP WITH JGR AND LOGANO: Sport Clips, a national sport-themed hair-care franchise for men and boys that can be found in 38 states, will continue its partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway by sponsoring the No. 18 Toyota driven by Joey Logano. This will mark the second race of the season Sport Clips has rode on the side of the No. 18 and the eighth race overall they have sponsored a JGR racecar in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The season has been a successful one for Sport Clips, as they’ve racked up two wins, coming with Denny Hamlin in Richmond and Logano at Daytona, a race Logano called the biggest win of his career. Founded in 1995, Sport Clips has over 810 stores nationwide, including 54 Chicago area locations. Sport Clips will also be the primary sponsor on the No. 18 Toyota at Dover International Speedway in October with Logano behind the wheel.

    . LOGANO-BUSCH ONE-TWO BECOMING A NORM: Despite the fact that JGR teammate Kyle Busch is taking this weekend off in Chicago, the two recorded their 10th-career one-two finish a few weeks ago at Bristol in an amazing photo finish. In fact, both of Logano’s races at Chicagoland Speedway have resulted in one-two finishes between he and Busch. In 2009, Logano beat Busch to the checkers, while last season, it was Busch getting the upper hand. Logano and Busch have finished first and second in 10 races since the start of the 2009 season. Of those 10 head-to-head battles, Logano has won four (Nashville 2009, Kentucky 2009, Chicago 2009, Kansas 2009) and Busch six (Loudon 2009, Texas 2010, Chicago 2010, Dover 2010, Talladega 2011, Bristol 2011).

    . CHASSIS: The JGR team will take chassis #132 to Chicagoland Speedway. That chassis last raced at Loudon, where Logano ran in the top-five much of the race before two late spins ended his day early. The team will take chassis #117 as a backup.

    . STAT OF THE WEEK: 7, 16, 22 The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team has recorded seven wins, 16 top-five finishes and 22 top-10s this season. Drivers who have shared the ride this season include Kyle Busch (18 starts, two poles, seven wins, 16 top-10s), Michael McDowell (five starts, one pole, four top-10s), Kelly Bires (two starts, one top-10) and Drew Herring (one start, one top-10) behind the wheel.

    . THE RACE: The Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway (Joliet, IL; 1.5-mile D-shaped oval) is set for Saturday afternoon, September 17th, 2011. The race will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 3:30 p.m. EST, with radio coverage on MRN starting at 3:00 p.m. EST.

    Joey Logano Quotes:

    “I’m ready to get back in the Nationwide car this weekend at Chicagoland. Chicago has been a really good track for me on the Nationwide side. I’ve got a first and a second in my two races there. That is a pretty good track record I guess. And it’s a track that I like a lot. There are some similarities to Kentucky, where we’ve always been pretty good as well. Kentucky, Kansas and Chicago have been three really good tracks for me in my Nationwide Series career and I’ve won at all three, so that goes to show you we’ve always been strong on the 1.5-mile tracks. This year, we haven’t been as strong on the mile-and-half tracks with the new Nationwide Series car, but we are getting there. We are learning things at each track we go to and using that to make the cars better for the next time we go back to one. We’ve got our work cut out for us because some of the other cars have been really strong on the intermediate tracks, but I have total confidence in my guys. Every time we unload at the track, I feel like we have a shot to win and it will be no different this weekend.

    “The crazy thing about this weekend will be driving the No. 18. It will be weird to climb in the window of the car and see the No. 18 on the side instead of the No. 20. But that is what we need to do as an organization to help the No. 18 team win the Owner’s Championship. This team has had a lot of great runs this year and won a lot of races with Kyle. Hopefully we can go out there and get another win and help extend that points lead. And, at the end of the year, it would be pretty cool to know you were a part of helping the team win a third-straight Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship and four-straight for Joe Gibbs Racing.

    “I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Championship team from 2008 when we won it with the No. 20 team. That was an amazing feeling and started a pretty strong stretch for JGR as an organization. I know Joe (Gibbs), JD (Gibbs), Steve (DeSouza) and everyone associated with the Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide program takes great pride in it and that winning the Owner’s Championship is something we want to do going into the year. To be able to win four-straight Owner’s titles, especially with the number of different drivers who have been in the No. 18 this year and the really tough competition that the Nationwide Series has this year, would be amazing feat.”

    No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

    Driver – Joey Logano Crew Chief – Adam Stevens Car Chief – Mike Sibley

    Race Engineer – Curtis Ratzlaff Shock Specialist – Joel Weidman Front-end – Nick Fuller

    Rear-end – Dave Rudy Tire Specialist – Chris “Yoshi” Jones Engine Tuner – Roger Purcell

    Truck Driver – Tim Clancy Jackman – Jason Tate Gasman – John Eicher

    Front Tire Changer – John Royer Front Tire Carrier – Brett Morrell

    Rear Tire Changer – Coleman Dollarhide Rear Tire Carrier – Eric Groen

  • James Buescher Chicagoland Speedway Preview

    James Buescher Chicagoland Speedway Preview

    James Buescher

    No. 31 EXIDE BATTERIES Chevrolet

    Chicagoland Speedway – Fast Five 225

    September 16, 2011

    No. 31 Exide Batteries Chevrolet News and Notes

    . This Week’s Silverado… The No. 31 Exide Batteries team will bring chassis TMS-204 to Chicagoland Speedway for Friday night’s150-lap race. TMS-204 last saw racing action in Atlanta where NASCAR Sprint Cup Series star Ryan Newman wheeled it to a fifth-place result.

    . Battery Strong…James Buescher and the No. 31 Turner Motorsports team will again sport the black and blue Exide Batteries colors this Friday night outside the “Windy City”. This will be the Atlanta, Ga.-based company’s eighth appearance as the primary partner on the No. 31 Chevrolet during the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series campaign.

    . Wedding Planning… Buescher and his bride-to-be Kris Turner spent last week in Costa Rica finalizing their nuptial plans. The duo will be tying the knot in the tropical paradise on January 14th in front of a number of family friends.

    . Consecutive Finishes… Buescher has been a roll since late April. In the last 13 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races, Buescher has picked up 19 spots in the championship point standings and has an average finishing position of 5.85. He and the No. 31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet team have accumulated seven top-five and 13 top-10 results in addition to a pole position during this stretch. Buescher has accumulated more top-five and top-10 results than anyone else in the NCWTS during the 2011 season.

    . New Point Leader… After his13th consecutive top-10 finish two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Buescher captured the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series point lead. The Texas native sits 12 markers ahead of second place Johnny Sauter with eight races remaining on the 2011 schedule.

    . Follow Me… Visit www.twitter.com/jamesbuescher or www.facebook.com/jamesbuescherracing for the latest news and updates on James Buescher and the No. 31 Exide Batteries team.

    . Watch and Listen… The Fast Five 225 can be seen live on Friday, September 16th on SPEED. Race coverage will begin at 7:30 pm EST. The event can also be heard live on MRN Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 90.

    James Buescher on driving at Chicagoland Speedway

    “Chicagoland Speedway has proven to be one of the best tracks on the circuit. Turner Motorsports already has a win there this season when Justin Allgaier went to victory lane in the Brandt Chevy. We have been really working on our mile-and-a-half package. We struggled a little bit in Atlanta a couple weeks ago but I know [engineer] Hal [Ralston] and [crew chief] Michael [Shelton] have been spending a lot of time on the pull down machine trying new combinations.

    “We need to keep our blinders on for the next ten weeks and continue to do what we have done all season which is focus on our race. We haven’t focused on what everyone else is doing which has allowed us to zone in on what works for us at Turner Motorsports. I am so proud of these guys and what we have accomplished as a group. We will continue to run our race and will see where we are when Homestead comes around.”

  • Elliott Sadler No. 2 Nationwide Series Advance: Chicagoland Speedway II

    Elliott Sadler No. 2 Nationwide Series Advance: Chicagoland Speedway II

    Elliott Sadler

    No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala

    NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 28 of 34 – Chicagoland Speedway

    WINDY CITY RACING: Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet will return to Chicagoland Speedway for the second time this season for the Saturday afternoon NASCAR Nationwide Series event. In the first appearance of the season at the track, the OneMain Financial team was in contention for the win and led 29 laps before right-front tire issues spoiled the night. Sadler finished 11th in the event.

    SADLER IN JOLIET: Sadler has started four times in the Nationwide Series at the 1.5-mile track with a best finish of 11th earned earlier this season. The driver also has 10 starts at Chicagoland in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He earned a top-10 finish in 2003, crossing the finish line in the ninth position.

    TEN FOR KHI: KHI has made 10 starts at Chicagoland, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this season. KHI, in its 10th year of competition this season, has yet to earn a victory at Chicagoland. The organization has one top-five and four top-10 finishes with KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick earning the best finish of seventh after starting from the pole in last season’s race at the track.

    CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 OneMain Financial team will unload chassis No. 070 at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. This is the sixth time the No. 2 team utilized this particular chassis this season with a best finish of third at both Darlington Raceway in May and Iowa Speedway in August. The team also raced with this chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (12th), Chicagoland (11th) and Kentucky Speedway (fifth).

    PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet team earned a sixth-place finish under the lights last Friday night at Richmond International Raceway in the Nationwide Series event. The KHI team maintained a top-10 position for the entire race and scored their 19th top 10 of the season with the hometown driver from Emporia, Va., behind the wheel.

    TO THE POINT: Sadler remains in the second position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver’s Point Standings. With seven events remaining on the schedule, Sadler sits 16 points out of the lead.

    THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Elliott Sadler

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

    “I am definitely looking forward to going back to Chicagoland. We had a great car there in the spring, and we were leading the race when we had a flat tire with about 15 laps to go, so that was heartbreaking. We are taking the exact same car back to Chicago, and it has been a pretty good track for me over the years. We have been good in the Cup Series there in the past, and we were great there in the spring with the Nationwide Series, so high expectations leading into this weekend. It will be a day race, which may be a little bit different, but we are excited to get back!”

    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.

  • Paul Menard No. 33 Nationwide Series Advance: Chicagoland Speedway

    Paul Menard No. 33 Nationwide Series Advance: Chicagoland Speedway

    Paul Menard

    No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala

    NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 28 of 34 – Chicagoland Speedway

    CHICAGO BOUND WITH MENARD: The NASCAR Nationwide Series returns to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend with Paul Menard returning to the driver’s seat of the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala. Menard will make his fifth start this season with the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team. In four previous starts, the Eau Claire, Wis., native finished inside the top six with a best finish of second at Richmond International Raceway in April. Menard also qualified the KHI Chevrolet inside the top 10 for each race, including starting on the pole at Michigan International Speedway in June.

    TEN FOR KHI: KHI has made 10 starts at Chicagoland, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this season. KHI, in its 10th year of competition this season, has yet to earn a victory at Chicagoland. The organization has one top-five and four top-10 finishes with KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick earning the best finish of seventh after starting from the pole in last season’s race at the track.

    PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Rheem team headed to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the Nationwide Series second visit of the season at Richmond International Raceway last Friday night. Harvick started from the 13th position and fought through early-race handling issues only to get involved in a late-race accident that left the team with a 20th-place finish.

    CHASSIS HISTORY: For the Nationwide Series’ second race this season at Chicagoland, the No. 33 Rheem/Menards team prepared chassis No. 071. This will be the eighth time the KHI team will utilize this particular chassis, most recently with Harvick at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he drove to a fourth-place finish. Chassis No. 071 has a trio of third-place finishes as top results.

    THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: PAUL MENARD

    “This is a big weekend for me. Chicago is close to home and is the closest track to home that I’ll get to run, and I have spent a lot of time in the area through the years. There will be a lot of friends and family there as well as Team Members from our Chicagoland stores. We’ll look to continue our success from the previous races and get the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevy its first win.”

    About Menards:

    With 263 stores in 13 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.

  • Even with an Extra $100,000 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finds Little Solace in Third Place Finish

    Even with an Extra $100,000 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Finds Little Solace in Third Place Finish

    Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won an extra $100,000 on Friday night and extended his championship point lead but he was still disappointed.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”235″][/media-credit]After finishing third in his Fastenal Ford, Stenhouse didn’t hide the fact that he wanted more. Never leading a lap Friday night but coming close battling with the leaders like teammate Carl Edwards and eventual winner Kyle Busch, the Tennessee driver has come a long way in order to be upset with a top five finish.

    “It was a great race for us,” Stenhouse said. “We worked hard on it all night. We struggled a lot more than we expected to. We felt like the past couple of races here we had something that could win the race but we struggled with our Fastenal Mustang a little bit.”

    Stenhouse’s performance bagged him the aforementioned $100,000 from Nationwide’s “Dash 4 Cash” program. He was the highest finishing driver of those eligible and the win puts him in the running for another $100,000 payday at Charlotte next month. It was an added reward for the 6 team after a solid performance Friday night.

    “That was a great points day for us and all the Roush cars were fast,” Stenhouse said. “We have to keep doing this every week. We didn’t make mistakes tonight, I don’t think we had one area that we made a mistake in, other than not getting our racecar where we needed it to be. Other than that, we have to stay positive. We have been running really well and go on to Chicago.”

    Entering Chicago and the final seven races of the 2011 NNS season, Stenhouse holds a 16 point lead over Elliott Sadler and a 45 point lead on third place Reed Sorenson. With two victories this season, the most of any NNS regular, Stenhouse can’t find much to be upset with, except whom he’s been finishing behind lately.

    “It is definitely frustrating,” Stenhouse said about Cup drivers Busch and Edwards beating him. “I wanted to be a little more excited about winning that Dash 4 Cash. Finishing third makes it tough to do that.”

    During portions of the race Stenhouse felt he had a car capable of running with Busch. For 10 laps Stenhouse would run some of the fastest laps on the track before starting to fall off. The car would get tight and he would be spinning the tires.

    “It is disappointing to finish third but then again it is good to be up there racing with those guys,” Stenhouse said. “They are champions and win a lot of races, so to be in contention to win is a good thing in this series.”

    Stenhouse’s two victories came by overtaking the Cup drivers. At Iowa in May he bested teammate Edwards and Brad Keselowski. Then at the same track last month he again bested Edwards in a fantastic finish. Cup drivers have won 23 of 27 NNS races this season with Busch taking home eight trophies and Edwards six.

    Following in their tire tracks though has been the resurgent Stenhouse and company. Friday night he was best in class for the NNS regulars, unable to catch the powerhouses in front of him. Stenhouse said he struggled in turns three and four, which allowed Busch and Edwards to pull away from him down the frontstretch.

    “I would gain on them in one and two and then we were a little too tight in three and four,” Stenhouse said. “I would have to basically stop the car to get it to turn and go the other way. That is really what we struggled with all night.”

    As Stenhouse moves forward he knows where he can do better and it comes from in the driver’s seat. Drivers like Busch and Edwards know exactly what they need and how to communicate with their team.

    “Sometimes I think I struggle with that,” Stenhouse revealed. “Telling them exactly what I need to make my car faster. Kyle made his better and he normally makes it better every pit stop it seems like. Carl was better at the beginning and was catching him at the end, he just ran out of time I think.”

    While crew chief Mike Kelley and the No. 6 team made Stenhouse’s car better on Friday, they too ran out of time. Moving forward for the team as they chase their first championship, being able to make the car better will be an important key to success.

    Said Stenhouse, “We just tried something to get us a little bit extra and go after those guys and it just didn’t work for us.”

  • Michael Annett Rallies 11th Place Finish in Richmond International Raceway Night Race

    Michael Annett Rallies 11th Place Finish in Richmond International Raceway Night Race

    September 10, 2011 (Richmond, Va.) – Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 Freightliner Trucks team claimed an 11th place finish this weekend in Richmond International Raceway’s Virginia 529 College Savings 250. Driver Michael Annett’s 11th place result moved him to ninth in the Nationwide Series championship point standings, eight markers ahead of 10th place Brian Scott and 21 points behind his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate Steve Wallace.

    Annett qualified 26th for the 250 lap event and battled a tight handling racecar through the first caution of the race on lap 66. In for fresh Goodyears, fuel and adjustments, Annett restarted 18th. Annett began working his way towards the front of the pack, and the handling of his Camry began to improve. Back under caution on lap 139, Annett returned to pit road for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments. The No. 62 Freightliner Trucks Toyota restarted 14th on lap 145.

    As soon as the field returned to green, the No. 88 and No. 11 cars were involved in a wreck in front of Annett. Thanks to help from his spotter, Rocky Ryan, Annett dodged any damage. In for scuffs and fuel, the No. 62 car restarted the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 in 19th with 97 laps to go.

    During the next green flag run, Annett reported that his Toyota was the best it had been all night. He continued to race his way closer to the top-10. Caution number six came out on lap 210 with the No. 62 Freightliner Trucks Camry scored in 12th. Annett visited pit road for a fuel top-off, four tires and adjustments to air pressure. The 25-year-old Rusty Wallace Racing driver drove through the checkers in 11th.

    Ninth place points contender, Annett, will next race at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, September 17. In his last race at the 1.5 mile oval, Annett finished ninth. The Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

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

    About Freightliner Trucks:

    Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets Class 4-8 trucks and is a Daimler company, the world’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer. For more information on Freightliner Trucks, go to www.FreightlinerTrucks.com.

  • Ryan Truex, No. 20 Schick Xtreme3 Toyota Camry, Richmond Post-Race Report

    Ryan Truex, No. 20 Schick Xtreme3 Toyota Camry, Richmond Post-Race Report

    Richmond International Raceway

    Virginia 529 College Savings 250

    September 9, 2011

    No. 20 Notes of Interest

    -Ryan Truex qualified 11th for Friday’s race, but had to drop back to 42nd to start the race due to an ignition problem with the No. 20 at the command to start engines. The Joe Gibbs Racing team quickly fixed the issue and was able to get him out before the green flag.

    -Truex wheeled the No. 20 Schick Xtreme3 Toyota from the back of the pack into the top-20 only 25 laps into the race. His crew chief, Adam Stevens, kept Truex calm by reminding him they had plenty of time to get to the front and told him to take care of his equipment. He broke into the top-15 by Lap 60.

    -Carl Edwards was good on the long runs, but a series of cautions in the middle of the race allowed Kyle Busch to have a taste of the lead on the restarts. It also gave Truex an opportunity to break into the top-10 by Lap 83.

    -With 75 laps to go, Truex battled side-by-side with the No. 16 of Trevor Bayne for the 7th position. By holding his preferred bottom line, he was able to make it as high as 3rd with 30 laps to go and protected 4th position from Kenny Wallace for the remainder of the race.

    -The 4th place finish marked Truex’s 2nd top-10 in the Nationwide Series, the other also coming at Richmond, earlier this year.

    -Truex will be behind the wheel of the No. 20 next week in Chicago. He is also scheduled to drive at Dover, Kansas and Phoenix. While partial sponsorship has been announced, opportunities for partnership still exist.

    Ryan Truex on Fighting Back from 42nd

    “It helps so much when you’ve got a good car. These guys at Joe Gibbs Racing work so hard and they build such great race cars. It’s a pleasure to be able to drive them and be out there racing with these guys. We had to start off from 42nd, and I just took my time. I was patient. I made my way up to the front. We had an awesome car. I can’t thank these guys enough.”

    Truex on his First Top-5 Finish

    “It was crazy. I just can’t thank these guys enough for giving me such a good car. This is my first top-5 and to have Schick Xtreme3 onboard and everybody here is so cool. I’m having a lot of fun out here and I want to thank everybody for sticking behind me. To get a reward like this is just really nice.”

    Truex on Car Handling and Tire Strategy

    “In the long runs, we were really good and it was just from me saving the right rear the whole beginning of the run. We weren’t the fastest car in the short runs, and the car was somewhat loose, but as we would run and keep making laps, we would start catching those guys and they would all come back to us. I think I learned a lot, and tonight helped me a lot with tire strategy and being able to save my stuff.”

    Race Notes

    -Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Kyle Busch, won the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway by .696 seconds over Carl Edwards.

    -Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 3rd, and Kenny Wallace rounded out the Top 5.

    -JGR teammate, No. 11 Brian Scott, finished 32nd due to an accident on Lap 147 with No. 88

    Time of race: 2:03:45

    Cautions: 6 for 48 laps

    Lead changes: 10

    Attendance: 38,000

    Race Results

    1. Kyle Busch

    2. Carl Edwards

    3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

    4. Ryan Truex

    5. Kenny Wallace

    6. Elliott Sadler

    7. Aric Almirola

    8. Reed Sorenson

    9. Justin Allgaier

    10. Joe Nemechek

    11. Michael Annett

    12. Mike Bliss

    13. David Stremme

    14. Jeremy Clement

    15. Mike Wallace

    16. Steve Wallace

    17. Timmy Hill

    18. Danica Patrick

    19. Brad Keselowski

    20. Kevin Harvick

    *32. Brian Scott

    Follow Ryan Truex on Twitter! http://Www.Twitter.com/RTruex00 Twitter.com/RTruex00

    Follow Ryan Truex on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/RyanTruex Facebook.com/RyanTruex

  • Kyle Busch Steals a Nationwide Win from Edwards in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250

    Kyle Busch Steals a Nationwide Win from Edwards in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250

    The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway Friday night was pretty much Carl Edwards’ for the taking, after dominating most of the race. The fateful blow came when Edwards lost three positions during the final round of pit stops under caution.

    [media-credit name=”Ted Seminara” align=”alignright” width=”242″][/media-credit]Kyle Busch won his 51st Nationwide race of his career, his eighth this season in 19 starts by edging Edwards out at the finish line by just .696 seconds., followed by Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ryan Truex and Kenny Wallace rounding out the Top-five.

    “Carl was certainly really, really god there, and I thought at first we were probably a third- or fourth-place car, and then kind of worked on it and made it a second- or third-place car,” Busch said. “We were keeping up with Carl, and then, on that final pit stop, my guys really put the pressure on, knowing how quick they’d been on pit road all night — and they did it once again.

    “We were able to get off first, and I think Carl came off fourth, so when we had the restart there, he got mired up in traffic there, and that gave us some room to get out … [crew chief] Jason [Ratcliff] and these guys made some awesome adjustments all night, making the car a little bit better — just be able to make it a little more drivable. Every run we got closer, and then, there on that last run, we had track position and a good car.”

    The battle between Edwards and Busch started on lap three as the two battled for second place behind race leader Brad Keselowski. By lap seven Edwards took over the lead and left the other drivers in his dust.

    The first caution flew at lap 65 after Black Koch spun on the frontstretch after a nudge from Aric Amirola. Edwards resumed his lead on lap 79 as the green flag restarted the race. Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Trevor Bayne and Steve Wallace rolled out 2nd through fifth respectively.

    The second caution waved on the very same lap of the restart as Keselowski brushed the wall, followed by a crash in turns three and four between Kevin Harvick and Jason Leffler.

    Busch took the lead coming off pit road on lap 85 with Edwards behind in second place. Edwards took back his lead position on lap 87. Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne takes the second position from Busch on lap 114 and has his sights on Edwards.

    The yellow flag flew for the third time after Danica Patrick locked up her breaks heading into turn three and spinning Keselowski in the process. The race restarted on lap 143 only to have the caution flag thrown again on the same lap for the second time in the race after Brian Scott and Michael Annett crash in turns three and four. Scott’s car was turned by Amirola, who proved to be none to pleased and attempted to make his way towards Amirola’s car before being retained by a NASCAR official.

    Busch retook the lead off of pit road on lap 153, followed once again by a second place Edwards. Just six laps later the yellow flag flew for the fifth time after Eric McClure hot the wall. Busch reigned supreme by taking the lead from Edwards once again on lap 170 but Edwards would not go quietly and reclaimed his number one spot on lap 175.

    Kevin Harvick slammed Tevor Bayne, crashing him on the backstretch bring out the race’s sixth caution on lap 209. Busch once again exited pit road in the lead on lap 220, Edwards however exits fourth behind Stenhouse Jr. and Truex. With just 30 laps to go, Edwards would have to give it everything he got to try to regain his lead.

    Edwards’ hard charge looked promising as he moved into the top three by lap 226. By lap 235, he dove under Stenhouse Jr. in turn two to move into the second position. It looked as if Edwards would catch Busch as the margin between them whittled down to about eighth tenth of a second by lap 239, but in the end Edwards’ car would not sustain the power to propel him to the finish line first.

    Busch celebrated in victory lane, scoring his 51st Nationwide Series win, extending the driver’s own record for the most in the division’s history. All eyes should be on Busch for the Sprint Cup race Saturday night. He won it last year and is a favorite to sweep the weekend at RIR.

     

    Unofficial Race Results
    Virginia 529 College Savings 250, Richmond International Raceway
    http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=27
    =========================================
    Pos. No. Driver Make Points
    =========================================
    1 3 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 0
    2 2 60 Carl Edwards Ford 0
    3 6 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Ford 41
    4 10 20 Ryan Truex * Toyota 40
    5 5 9 Kenny Wallace Toyota 39
    6 8 2 Elliott Sadler Chevrolet 38
    7 16 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 37
    8 17 32 Reed Sorenson Chevrolet 36
    9 22 31 Justin Allgaier Chevrolet 35
    10 15 87 Joe Nemechek Toyota 34
    11 26 62 Michael Annett Toyota 33
    12 18 19 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 32
    13 14 70 David Stremme Chevrolet 0
    14 28 51 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 31
    15 24 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 29
    16 7 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 28
    17 38 15 Timmy Hill * Ford 27
    18 32 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 26
    19 1 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 0
    20 13 33 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 0
    21 37 28 Derrike Cope Chevrolet 23
    22 39 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 22
    23 40 52 Kevin Lepage Chevrolet 21
    24 41 89 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 20
    25 42 39 Luis Martinez Jr. Ford 19
    26 27 30 Ricky Carmichael Chevrolet 0
    27 35 81 Blake Koch * Dodge 17
    28 4 16 Trevor Bayne Ford 16
    29 11 38 Jason Leffler Chevrolet 15
    30 20 14 Eric McClure Chevrolet 14
    31 9 1 Jamie McMurray Chevrolet 0
    32 12 11 Brian Scott Toyota 12
    33 21 40 Josh Wise Chevrolet 11
    34 25 141 Johnny Chapman Chevrolet 10
    35 30 171 Matthew Carter Ford 9
    36 23 44 Jeff Green Chevrolet 8
    37 36 175 Carl Long Ford 7
    38 43 142 Tim Andrews Chevrolet 6
    39 34 248 Dennis Setzer Chevrolet 5
    40 19 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 4
    41 31 103 Scott Riggs Chevrolet 3
    42 33 146 Chase Miller Chevrolet 2
    43 29 147 Brian Keselowski Chevrolet 0