Category: XFINITY Series

On the DG Chevy this week: Suave, Eveready, Reach, Mucinex, Scope, Ajax, Glad, Double Stuff Oreo

REED SORENSONQUICK FACTS No. 32 Dollar General Chevy Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (LORI) 30th Annual Kroger 200 July 30, 2011   No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

* Sorenson Returns to the Top- After posting an eighth-place finish last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, Reed Sorenson returned to the top of the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) point lead. He currently holds a five point buffer over second-place Ricky Stenhouse Jr. So far this season, Sorenson has notched one win, seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes with 85 laps led. The Georgia- native also boasts a 10.8 average starting position and 9.3 finishing position.

* Returning to Where it All Began: Sorenson at LORI -The NNS points leader is a fan of short track racing and it shows in Sorenson’s stats at LORI- the spot of his series debut in 2004. In four starts, he has notched three top-fives, three top-10s, one pole award along with 49 laps led. Sorenson has completed 100 percent of the laps attempted and has an average starting spot of 6.8 and average finish of 5.8. Sorenson’s best career finish at the .686-mile short track is second which he tallied back in 2006.

* In the Loop at LORI -Along with his impressive statistics at LORI, Sorenson is the highest ranking NNS-only driver in five of NASCAR’s Loop Statistic categories: Average Running Position (5.2), Driver Rating (116.1), Fastest Early In a Run (105.274 mph), Green Flag Speed (103.314 mph), Speed in Traffic (102.812 mph).

* Turner Motorsports Continues to Impress- Only in its first full season of NNS competition, the four-car team of Turner Motorsports continues to make a name for itself on a weekly basis. In 81 starts this season, the team boasts three wins (Mark Martin, Justin Allgaier, Sorenson), 18 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes. Turner Motorsports, owned by Steve Turner, also has three drivers ranked in the top-six in the series point standings with Sorenson leading the way at the top.

* This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Sorenson will pilot TMS-115 in the Kroger 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway. This is one of the favorites for the Dollar General team, having raced at Phoenix International Raceway (fifth), Richmond International Raceway (12th) and most recently at Iowa Speedway, where Sorenson started fifth and finished fourth after leading 77 laps.    Sorenson on returning to LORI:

“I am pretty bummed about this possibly being the last time to race at this awesome short track. I’ve had some pretty good races here over the past couple of years and came pretty close to winning back in 2006. We are bringing a car this weekend that we have done well with this season which makes me hopeful for a good outcome on Saturday night. It was the same car we had at Iowa, and had it not been for that tire issue, I think we could have been in victory lane that day. I believe we will get it there yet, and I think getting the win at Indianapolis for Dollar General would be a great place for it.”

Follow the No. 32 team on Twitter!@No32TurnerNNS Follow Dollar General on Twitter!@DollarGeneral

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

Reed Sorenson Career Race by Race NNS Stats at LORI Year/Event Start Finish Laps Status Led 2004 – (July) 3 13 200/200 running 0 2005 – (July) 1 3 204/204 running 49 2006 – (July) 8 2 200/200 running 0 2010 – (July) 15 5 201/201 running 0 Avg. Start Avg. Finish Total Laps  Total Led 6.8 5.8 805/805  49

Career NNS Stats at LORI

Starts Poles  Wins Top-fives Top-10’s DNFs

4 1 0 5 5 0

JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

No. 38 Great Clips Impala

Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

Kroger 200

July 30, 2011

No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet News and Notes

Victory Lane at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (LORI) a Familiar Place for Jason Leffler… In 2007, Leffler captured his second-career NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) victory at LORI.

Leffler is SEVENTH among all-time victory leaders at LORI, tied with Parnelli Jones, with a total of seven wins.

1 NASCAR Nationwide Series win

4 National Midget wins

2 Silver Crown Series wins

In 2000, Leffler set the track record in the Silver Crown division that still stands today.

Leffler cites Parnelli Jones as one of his personal mentors and friends.

Leffler’s always a threat at LORI… In eight NNS starts at LORI, Leffler has one win, one pole, three top-five and four top-10 finishes. He has started inside the top-5 in three events and has never started outside the top-15.

A return to his racing roots… On Thursday night, Leffler will compete in the USAC Silver Crown race which is slated to start at 9pm.

This week’s Impala…. This weekend at LORI, the No. 38 Great Clips team will unload chassis TMS-116. This chassis last saw track time at Iowa Speedway where Leffler experienced an overheating problem which forced him to the garage and put him several laps down. Leffler also drove this chassis at Richmond Int’l Raceway and Phoenix Int’l Raceway, finishing 11th and 10th respectively.

In the loop… Leffler sits in the top-10 of several categories according to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics for the season thus far including Average Running Position (9th), Fastest Late in a Run (8th), Fastest on Restarts (6th), Green-Flag Speed (9th), Laps in the Top-15 (10th), Quality Passes (6th) and Fastest Speed in Traffic (7th).

Turner Motorsports: In the hunt… In 20 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 18 top-five and 41 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 the lead, Justin Allgaier in fourth and Leffler in sixth.

Great Clips reaches new milestone! Great Clips reached a long-time goal recently with the opening of their 3000th salon, located in Albert Lea, Minn. Congratulations Great Clips!

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.

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

Leffler on racing at LORI

“It’s always fun coming back to Lucas Oil Raceway. This has always been a really great race – fun for the drivers as well as the fans. The atmosphere is awesome and different than almost any place we go. It brings back memories of good old-fashioned Saturday night racing. It’s a very unique track and it takes a special technique to figure out how to get around it. It has progressive banking and there are several different lines you can run. To pull off a pass you pretty much just have to dive bomb into the corner and do a slide job. Over the years I have run a lot of laps here which I think gives me an added advantage. It’s difficult to find a better group of passionate race fans than what we have here in Indianapolis so I look forward to putting on a great show for them in the series’ final race here.”

Leffler on the final NNS race at LORI

“I have spent a lot of time at this track over the years, in both my open-wheel career as well as my NASCAR career, so obviously it holds special meaning to me. I want to thank everyone here for everything they have done to put on a great race for our series year after year. That being said, I think that moving this race over to the Brickyard, one of the most famed race tracks in the world, says a lot about the continued popularity and growth of the Nationwide Series. It’s going to be really great for all of our sponsors as it’s going to put them in front of a national – and worldwide – audience. Most of all, I think the fans are really going to love the change and the opportunity to see some more great racing at one of the most prestigious racing venues in the world.”

About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C., and will compete with three entries in the Camping World Truck Series and four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher, Brad Sweet, Steve Arpin, Blake Feese and Brandon McReynolds. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, which will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, Kevin Harvick Inc. for body and aero support, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Dollar General, Great Clips, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Monster Energy, BRANDT, Rexall, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.

JUSTIN ALLGAIER QUICK FACTS

No. 31 DEFT Chevrolet

Kroger 200

Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

July 30, 2011

No. 31 DEFT Finishes Chevrolet News and Notes

Allgaier Heads to the Hoosier State Fourth in Points… Allgaier remains in fourth-place in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) championship point standings, just 30 points behind leader and teammate Reed Sorenson.  All three championship-contending Turner Motorsports drivers are currently in the top-10, with Sorenson leading and Jason Leffler in sixth place.

Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (LORI) by the Numbers… The 25-year-old Turner Motorsports Chevy driver has two NNS starts at Lucas Oil Raceway.  He is credited with one top-10 finish coming in August of last year.  He has a 99.8% lap completion rate and an average finish of 14th.

DEFT Finishes Back on the Hood… Allgaier will look sporty under the lights with Deft Finishes on the hood of his No. 31 Chevy.  DEFT Finishes is a leader in the coating industry in the development of high performance, low volatile organic content (VOC) coating systems. DEFT Finishes has more than 35 years experience in lowering toxicity and air pollution in high performance primers and topcoats. Turner Motorsports uses DEFT paint products on their race entries in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NNS.

Headed Home… Tab Smith, mechanic on the No. 31 Chevy, heads home this week as the Nationwide Series rolls into Indiana. The South Bend-native has been with the organization since 2002, seeing it grow from a single-car ARCA team to the largest stand-alone team in the NASCAR garage.  Smith has one win at his home track, coming in 2007 with Jason Leffler behind the wheel. This year, Smith has been a part of the 31 team’s one win, six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.

This Week’s Impala… The No. 31 Deft Finishes team will hit the track with chassis TMS-129 this weekend at LORI.  This chassis last saw track time at Charlotte Motor Speedway where Allgaier started 15th, led five laps and finished in the 13th position.

In the Loop… Thus far in 2011, Allgaier ranks among the top-10 in several of NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics: Closers (3rd), Quality Passes (4th), Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap (6th), Fastest on Restarts (6th), Laps in the Top-15 (6th), Average Running Position (7th), Fastest Speed in Traffic (9th), Fastest Early in the Run (9th), Green Flag Speed (9th) and Fastest Late in the Run (10th).

Turner Motorsports In the Hunt… In 20 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 18 top-five and 41 top-10 finishes. All three of Turner Motorsports championship-contending drivers are inside the top-10 in the driver point standings and are eligible for the next Nationwide “Dash 4 Cash” at Iowa Speedway in two weeks.

Looking ahead at the Dash 4 Cash… After finishing among the top-four NNS regulars at Daytona International Speedway, Allgaier is qualified for the second Nationwide Insurance “Dash 4 Cash” race coming up next week at Iowa Speedway. He will compete with Turner Motorsports teammates, Leffler and Sorenson, and fellow championship contender Michael Annett.

Justin Allgaier on Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis:

“Lucas Oil Raceway is such a great track with a lot of NASCAR history around it. It’s definitely a track that I look forward to racing each year and it will definitely be missed,” said Allgaier.  “We had a great run last weekend in Nashville.  We need to keep this momentum up and bring home a great finish for Deft Finishes and continue to gain on the championship leaders.”

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

Follow Justin Allgaier on Twitter!Twitter.com/J_Allgaier

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

TREVOR BAYNE

Race:  Kroger 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway (.686-Mile Oval)

Team: No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford Mustang (Ricky vs Trevor.com)

Crew Chief: Chris Andrews

Chassis: RK-626-Last ran at Dover, May 2011, Finished 31st w/ Kevin Swindell

Broadcast Information: Saturday, July 30, 2011- 7:00 p.m. (ET) ESPN and 7:00 p.m. on MRN radio affiliates and Sirius channel 90

FAST FACTS

TREVOR BAYNE will make his 16th start of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Lucas Oil Raceway

TREVOR BAYNE at Lucas Oil Raceway..…In two starts Bayne has two poles

QUOTES

Trevor Bayne on racing at Lucas Oil Raceway: “I am anxious to get back in the car this weekend after a less than stellar performance last weekend at Nashville. I have been in position to win the last two times we were at LOR and I am really looking forward to Saturday night.  I love short-track racing and this race is all about the drivers.  We are pulling double-duty this weekend, so it will be a challenge to get the Nationwide car dialed in with limited practice time, but I am confident we will overcome that and put a nice run together on Saturday night.”

Crew chief Chris Andrews on racing at Lucas Oil Raceway: “Trevor has run well there in the past and has been on the pole the last two years.  It is another short flat track like New Hampshire that is setup nicely for his driving style. I am from Indiana, so it will be nice to get back to my home state. We are expecting nothing less than a top-five run this weekend.”

Florida native, Fain Skinner will pilot Rick Ware Racing’s #41 Carport Empire Ford Mustang on Saturday night for the running of the Kroger 200 at the Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.

Skinner, who has competed in the late model divisions in his home state of Florida looks to show the NASCAR fans why he was a threat each and every week for the past seven years, when it came to short track racing.

Making his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut, Skinner understands that patience is key.

“I got the opportunity to watch the RWR team at Daytona and got a great understanding of how patience plays a key in the race when it comes to the Nationwide Series. The races are longer and if you can be patient to the end, you give yourself a fighting chance, and that’s all that you can ask for.”

Owner Rick Ware is excited to have Skinner on board. “Fain is a great driver who we are proud to give the chance to showcase. He has won everything is there is to win in his divisions and we know he is a great fit with our organization of young, talented drivers and when we tested with him he confirmed our excitement.”

Carport Empire, the sponsor on Skinner’s #41, is one of the largest distributors of quality carports, carport garages, steel buildings and RV carports in the United States and currently offers installation in all 48 continental states. With a wide variety of metal and steel buildings, their products can handle any situation much like racing at the Lucas Oil Raceway.

“I am thrilled to have Carport Empire on board for my NASCAR debut. We have been great partners throughout my career and for them to have faith in my ability is a big boost and I am looking forward to continuing their presence with me and RWR for a long time,” stated Skinner.

Action begins on Saturday, July 30th with practice at 10:00am, qualifying at 4:35pm and the race is slated to start at 7:30pm

Follow Carport Empire at www.carportempire.com or @carport_empire on Twitter and on Facebook.

For more information please visit www.wareracing.com or follow the team on twitter @rickwareracing

Lebanon, Tenn. (July 25, 2011) – A 225 lap struggle with the handling of their Toyota Camry left Michael Annett and Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 Pilot Flying J team with a 14th place finish at Nashville Superspeedway this weekend. Saturday night’s Nationwide Series Federated Auto Parts 300 proved to be a challenging night for the 25-year-old driver. Faced with an extremely tight handling racecar, Annett fought to keep his black and yellow No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota in the top-15, yearning to race in the top-10 where he belonged.

“We tried several changes and adjustments during pit stops to get the car working better, and we just couldn’t get it where we wanted it. Once again my guys on pit road had some awesome stops, so I commend them for their continuous hard work,” said Annett, “I fought lap after lap to finish where we did, and I just wish we could’ve notched another solid finish in our sponsor, Pilot Flying J’s, home state of Tennessee. We’ll put Nashville behind us and look for a better night in Indy on Saturday.”

Crew chief of the No. 62, Rick Viers, noted, “I’m really proud of Michael for not giving up today. He toughed it out having a car that was difficult to drive, and we’ll have him a better hot rod for next week at Lucas Oil Raceway. We won’t let this weekend put a damper on our momentum. We’re heading to Indy looking for another strong finish for this No. 62 Pilot Flying J team.”

Despite finishing outside of the top-10 for the first time in four consecutive weeks, Annett still holds onto his ninth place position in the Nationwide Series championship point standings.

Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 Pilot Flying J team will return to America’s Heartland next week for the Hoosier State’s 30th Annual Kroger 200. Racing action at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis kicks off on Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET. Tune to ESPN2 and MRN Radio for live coverage of the 200 lap event.

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

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.

Elliott Sadler

No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet Impala

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 21 of 34 – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

HEADING TO INDY: Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial team will head to Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis this week for the 21st event of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season. Sadler will return to the 0.686-mile track in the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet for the first time since 1998. The driver has competed at the track a total of three times with a best finish of second in 1997 and 1998.

KHI AT LOR: The KHI organization has made eight starts at Lucas Oil

Raceway, with a total of one top-five and three top-10 finishes. Ron Hornaday holds the highest KHI finish at the Indianapolis track in 2007, bringing home a fifth-place finish.

DOUBLE DUTY: Sadler will double up this weekend, competing in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series events at Lucas Oil Raceway. Friday night, Sadler will hit the track in the No. 2 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet Silverado for the Truck Series event. He will turn around on Saturday for the Nationwide Series race in the No.2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet. Sadler has made five Truck Series starts this season with a best finish of second at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

HOMECOMING: Front tire changer on the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, Tim Sheets, will be returning to his hometown of Indianapolis this weekend as the series hits Lucas Oil Raceway. Sheets, who attended Carmel High School, has worked in the sport for more than 13 years and attended races at Lucas Oil Raceway growing up. “It’s always great to be able to race in Indianapolis in front of friends and family,” said Sheets. “It’s going to be a bittersweet race with the series not racing there next year.”

CHASSIS HISTORY: The OneMain Financial team will unload chassis No. 064 at Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend. This is the same chassis the team brought to the first race at Nashville Superspeedway this season, where Sadler drove to a 13th-place finish. The team also used this chassis at Dover (Del.) International Speedway earlier in May where they drove away with a sixth-place finish.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet finished 30th at Nashville Superspeedway after a broken gear on lap 179 forced the team to bring the car to the garage for repairs. The Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team quickly assessed the problem on the Chevrolet and was able to finish the event 32 laps down.

TO THE POINT: Following the race in Nashville, Sadler moves to third in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver’s Point Standings, 14 markers behind leader Reed Sorenson and five back from Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

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

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Elliott Sadler

How do you feel heading into this week’s race at Lucas Oil Raceway?

“This will be the first time going to Lucas Oil Raceway in a really long time. I’m used to racing at the big track for the last 12 years, but I’m excited to go back to LOR. It was one of the first races that I competed in the Nationwide Series in 1996. I love that race track, and the fans there are absolutely amazing. They are always wrapped all the way around the track, sitting on the hillside with their blankets and chairs, which is cool as a driver to see. It is always a great atmosphere to race at that place, and it always puts on a good show. It’s always a fun short track to go to, and I’m looking forward to racing there this year as the Nationwide Series will not be there next season.”

OneMain Financial

OneMain Financial is the premier community lender in the U.S. With more than 1,300 locations across the country, OneMain Financial has been serving communities since 1912. Additional information may be found at www.onemainfinancial.com.

Austin Dillon

No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 21 of 34 – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

BACK-TO-BACK WITH DILLON: For the second week in a row, Austin Dillon will join the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team as the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to the Hoosier State for a Saturday night showdown at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. Behind the wheel of the Rheem/Menards Chevrolet, the 21-year-old driver will make his fourth and final start of the season with the KHI team. It will also be Dillon’s second start at the 0.686-mile track. In 2009, he started from the 26th position and drove to an 18th-place finish.

KHI IN INDY: Lucas Oil Raceway is one of 17 tracks on the Nationwide Series current schedule at which KHI does not have a win and one of 14 without a pole. In eight starts at the track with several drivers behind the wheel, the organization has racked up one top-five and three top-10 finishes. Ron Hornaday holds the highest KHI finish at the Indianapolis track in 2007, bringing home a fifth-place finish.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Last Saturday Austin Dillon climbed behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet for the third time this season as the Nationwide Series returned to Nashville Superspeedway. Dillon, who won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event Friday night, qualified the KHI Chevrolet in the fourth position and maintained track position among the top 10 throughout the 225-lap event. The driver crossed the finish line third, his career-best finish in 10 Nationwide Series starts.

CHASSIS HISTORY: For this weekend’s race at Lucas Oil Raceway, the No. 33 Rheem/Menards team has prepared chassis No. 063. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick competed with this chassis on June 4 at Chicagoland Speedway. Harvick started in the 18th position and brought home a 13th-place finish.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: AUSTIN DILLON

What are your thoughts about racing at Lucas Oil Raceway this weekend?

“I don’t have many laps at Lucas Oil Raceway so I’ll have a little bit of a learning curve which will be interesting. The track is very cool. The racing is always great and the fans there are awesome. KHI builds great cars and has run well there in the past in both the Nationwide and Truck Series. We were fast last weekend at Nashville in this No. 33 Chevrolet. I’m excited to get back in the Rheem/Menards car this weekend and hopefully I’ll be able to thank Kevin and DeLana [Harvick] as well as Rheem and Menards for the opportunity in victory lane.”

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.

LEBANON, Tenn. (July 23, 2011) – Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), finished sixth Saturday evening in the Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. The event marked the seventh NNS race of 2011 for Hornish and his fourth start in the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge. Saturday’s result was the top finish of the season for Hornish.

Hornish started from the eighth position, after posting a qualifying time of 31.074 seconds or 154.431 miles per hour, during Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session. The performance marked the fourth time that the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge started in the top-10 this season. The No. 12 Challenger started the race strong as Hornish quickly found a rhythm and started to gain track position. By lap 8, Hornish had made his way into the sixth position.

Hornish radioed to crew chief Chad Walter to tell him that the car ran well through the center of the turns, but Hornish was hoping to improve the handling exiting the turns. On lap 42 the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge made its way down pit road for the first stop of the evening. After the crew changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and made a track bar adjustment, Hornish returned to the track in the seventh position.

When the night’s first caution flag flew on lap 82, Hornish came down pit road where the Discount Tire crew gave him two right side tires, fuel and made a wedge adjustment. The No. 12 Dodge gained one position in the pits and restarted the race in sixth place.

As the race progressed, Hornish reported that he had to adjust the brake-bias in order to give the car a better entry into the corners. By lap 118, the entire field had settled into a rhythm and the cars were all running very similar lap times. With about 100 laps remaining in the event, Walter radioed Hornish and advised him to keep working on track position.

When the caution flag flew for the second time on lap 127, the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge again made its way down pit road for another four tire stop. This time the No. 12 crew also made an air pressure adjustment and removed tape from the nose of the car to allow more air to flow to the rear brakes. With only 90 laps to go, Hornish restarted in the seventh position and quickly made his way around the No. 66 car of Steven Wallace for sixth place.

The race continued and Hornish maintained his position within the top six. As the third caution flag of the evening was displayed for debris, Walter called for a four-tire stop, fuel, a track bar adjustment and a round of wedge in the right rear to improve the car’s performance in the center of the turns. Due to a radio miscommunication, Hornish remained on pit road a little longer than expected and restarted the race in the 11th position.

When the race resumed on lap 183, with only 42 laps to go, Hornish quickly made his way up to the ninth position and then continued to improve his lap times until he caught the No. 16 car of Trevor Bayne and the No. 32 car driven by Reed Sorenson. After he passed both cars, Hornish set his sights on the No. 31 car of Justin Allgaier, who was running in the fifth position. Hornish pushed Allgaier to the very end but finished in sixth place behind race winner Carl Edwards.

“We had a pretty good run in our Alliance Truck Parts Dodge tonight,” said Hornish. “We just had one issue on that last restart. I sit at home and watch these races on TV and watch all these green-white-checkered (flag finishes) and we never get them when I race. The car was really good on the restarts. We just didn’t have the long-run speed that we needed. I’m really happy with our effort. The car ran great; we just couldn’t get the track position that we needed. On our last restart, we had a malfunction with our radio. (Crew chief) Chad (Walter) had an issue with his button on the radio. I’m not supposed to go until he tells me to go. I sat there and watched five guys go around me. But we were able to get those spots back and bring home a sixth-place finish. I think we had a top-five car tonight. We kept all the wheels on the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger tonight and raced them hard to the end.”

Hornish will next compete for Penske Racing in the No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, September 17 in the Dollar General 300.