Category: XFINITY Series

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Bucyrus 200 ADVANCE

Team: No. 6 RickyvsTrevor.com Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Mike Kelley

Chassis: RK-659

THE QUOTES

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 6 RickyvsTrevor.com Ford Mustang: “Road America is a fun racetrack. I drove there last year and a couple years before that so I’m pretty familiar with the racetrack, which is a good thing. I felt like we had speed there last year but had a transmission problem. We’re looking for a good showing. It’s a fun race and a fun weekend.”

YOU GREW UP RACING ON SHORT TRACKS AND IN SPRINT CARS. HOW DIFFICULT WAS THE TRANSITION TO THE HEAVIER STOCK CARS AND THE ROAD COURSES? “It’s huge. Going from dirt to asphalt to heavier cars has been a huge learning experience for me. I’m still learning each and every time I go out on the track and then when you transfer that over to a road course where you’ve got all different types of corners and things you have to do, shifting and things like that, it throws another element in there. It’s a big learning experience.”

Mike Kelley, Crew Chief, No. 6 RickyvsTrevor.com Ford Mustang: “Road America is a really long course. It’s really weird. The driver takes off and you don’t see him again for a long time. It takes a lot of spotters. It’s a beautiful road course. It’s through the woods and it’s kind of like a fair atmosphere. It’s a short race, 50 laps, so you can’t get behind and the race, in laps, will be over before you know it.”

HOW DO YOU SET THE CAR UP AT ROAD AMERICA? “You go with a neutral setup. We go with something that’s comfortable for Ricky that he can get in and off the slow corners but not be too free on the high speed corners. He’s a decent road course racer. Our goal is to go there and maintain a good points day, not let anything crazy happen, make sure the race car stays on the track and the motor keeps running all day. I almost look at the road course races as a prevent defense. We’re going there to not lose points.”

THE FACTS

Stenhouse Jr. leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings by two points over second-place Elliott Sadler and is four ahead of third-place Reed Sorenson. He leads fourth-place Justin Allgaier by 17 and fifth-place Aric Almirola by 54 points…This is the third time in 2011 that Stenhouse has led the series championship standings…His best finish in two previous road course races was 24th last year at Montreal…Has racked up four top-five finishes in the five races…Stenhouse has more top-10 finishes (11) and more bonus points (13) than any other NNS regular…Has led at least one lap in each of the last five consecutive races and 12 times in 10 races this season for 176 total laps…Average starting position for Stenhouse this season is 6.6 while his average finish is 9.9…Has completed 97.9 percent of total possible laps this season (2,839 of a possible 2,901).

THE TEAM

Name Duties

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Driver Mike Kelley Crew Chief

Seth Barbour Engineer

Richard Letendre Car Chief Chris Letourneau Front Tire Changer Kyle Coolidge Front Tire Carrier Will Sturgill Jack Man Josh Frankos Rear Tire Changer Jon Bernal Rear Tire Carrier Brian Carr Gas Man/Truck Driver CB Gilbert 2nd Gas Can Mike Calinoff Spotter Larry Lally 2nd Truck Driver Edgar Alleman Engine Tuner/Support Lance Allen Pit Support Joe Elliott Pit Support Kenny Deguisto Pit Support Jeff Cordero Pit Support Geoff Doucette 2nd Spotter

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About Roush Fenway Racing Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and three in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW

No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet / No. 7 AER Manufacturing Chevrolet

EVENT – Bucyrus 200 (50 laps / 202.4 miles)

TRACK – Road America (4.048-mile 14-turn road course)

DATE – Saturday, June 25, 2011

TV / RADIO – ESPN (coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 5 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola

No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet

“This is going to be my first trip to Road America and I’m excited to see what it has in store for our TaxSlayer team. I’ll be honest, road racing certainly isn’t my specialty. But I think it’s going to be a good learning experience for me. Plus, I’ve got one of the most talented road racers as a teammate in Ron Fellows. He’s a great guy, and he’s always willing to help out and share techniques with me.

“The three road races on our schedule could become game changers when it comes to the Nationwide Series championship. It may be a feast or famine type scenario with the Nationwide regulars. Most of us don’t have a lot of experience road racing, so it could get interesting. My goal is to start by keeping our TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet on the course. It sounds easy enough, but it can be extremely difficult. It’s important to get your braking done in a straight line before you enter the corner and be able to roll through the corners with enough speed. It’s easy to overdrive the corner and just as easy to underdrive it, too. It’s a delicate balance.”

Ron Fellows

No. 7 AER Manufacturing Chevrolet

“Road America is one of my favorite road courses. It’s long and fast, and great for racers. And the setting, in amongst lots of trees and rolling hills, is typical of a few great tracks built in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Watkins Glen (International) and Mosport (International Raceway) come to mind as similar tracks.

“I have really enjoyed driving for JR Motorsports. It’s a privilege to be back with AER Manufacturing as well. They’ve been a phenomenal supporter of my racing over the years. There are great people on this 7 team and there has always been a strong sense of family at JRM. I like that. Although this is my fourth season with the organization and we’ve only done six races together, I think we have some pretty good results to show for it.

“When we finished second at Road America last year, we all felt pretty fortunate to have finished with clean fenders. It was all about survival in the closing laps. We had a strong car, but needed a little something extra to have a chance to win. We’ve talked about what we need to better this time around and will give it our best shot come Saturday.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

FELLOWS REUNITES WITH TEAM JRM – Ron Fellows, a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, reunites with JR Motorsports for this weekend’s Bucyrus 200 at Road America. Known for his road-course talents, Fellows drove to a runner-up finish in this event last year with JRM. He owns six career starts with the organization, earning one win (Montreal ’08), three top-fives and four top-10 finishes. Fellows has piloted the No. 5 and No. 88 Chevrolets in previous races, but this marks his first time driving the No. 7.

DEBUT FOR ALMIROLA – Aric Almirola will see action for the first time at the massive four-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wis. this weekend. Although he owns over 160 starts between NASCAR’s top-three series, Almirola has only competed in two road course races through his career (NNS at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ’07 and NSCS at Watkins Glen International ’08).

AER MANUFACTURING RETURNS – AER Manufacturing, a world leader in the engine remanufacturing industry for more than 60 years, will serve as the primary sponsor of the No. 7 Chevrolet this weekend. The company has been a supporter of Fellows for 22 years in the Trans Am Series, NASCAR and the American Le Mans Series. Fellows drove an AER Manufacturing branded JRM Chevrolet at Road America in 2010.

TEAM JRM AT ROAD AMERICA – JR Motorsports scored a top-five and two top-10 finishes in last year’s race at Road America. Ron Fellows drove the No. 88 Chevrolet to a second-place showing, with fellow Canadian J.R. Fitzpatrick racing his way to a seventh-place finish in the No. 7 Chevrolet.

FELLOWS IN NNS – Fellows’ Nationwide Series history goes back 14 years to 1997. In his 18 career races, he scored four wins, eight top-five, and 10 top-10 finishes. Fellows earned two poles, led 200 laps, and had an average finish of 16.3 with an average start of 8.1.

NO. 88 SEASON STATS -The No. 88 team owns one top-five, seven top-10 and 12 top-15 finishes this season. Almirola is currently ranked fifth in the championship driver points (-54). The No. 88 team is 11th in owner points.

NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds one top-five, five top-10 and eight top-15 finishes in 2011. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Josh Wise have shared driving duties in the No. 7 Chevrolet throughout the year, each scoring a top-10 finish. The team occupies 14th position in owner points.

JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES – A longtime sports car and road-racing veteran, Fellows is credited with three class championships in the American Le Mans Series, two class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 19 overall victories in the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans-Am Series as a member of the Corvette Racing Team. His NASCAR credentials include six overall wins (two in the Camping World Truck Series), and two runner-up finishes in Sprint Cup competition.

JRM AUTOGRAPH SIGNING – Almirola and Fellows will attend an autograph signing at the JR Nation merchandise hauler in the fan concourse area on Saturday, June 25, from 11:30 a.m. – 12 noon CST.

WIN DALE JR.’S RIDE – There is still time to win the keys to Dale Jr.’s Camaro. The Dale Jr. Foundation is giving fans the chance to win one of three prizes with the purchase of a $25 raffle ticket, including a shot at Earnhardt Jr.’s own 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. The contest will run through Sept. 1, 2011, with all proceeds benefitting The Dale Jr. Foundation. For complete details visit http://www.windalejrsride.com/ www.windalejrsride.com.

WATCH THE “JRM 360” VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website 72&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.jrmracing.com> www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a video series entitled “JRM 360”. It’s a light-hearted look at the inner workings and extraordinary personalities at JRM’s shop in Mooresville, N.C. A daily briefing column that gives fans the scoop on day-to-day activities at the shop is also part of the line-up this season.

Carl Edwards–Bucyrus 200 Presented by Menards Advance

Team:           No. 60 Fastenal Ford Mustang Crew Chief:  Mike Beam

Chassis:       RK-663 – primary- New Nationwide chassis                      RK–664 – backup- New Nationwide chassis

Edwards, NNS Road America :

QUOTES Carl Edwards on racing at Road America:

“The most demanding weekend of the year is this one. Two tough road courses that are thousands of miles apart.  Billy Johnson will practice and set up the Fastenal Mustang in Wisconsin Friday while I practice and qualify the Aflac Fusion in California , then we will travel to Road America to race Saturday, then back to Infineon for Sunday’s race. I feel that Saturday’s race will help me prepare for Sunday and will make up for the lost practice in the Sprint Cup car. There is a lot of pride in winning on a road course, and a win at either event would be huge!”

Crew chief Mike Beam on racing at Road America:

“Carl is the defending champ here so he knows how to get around this track. We are bringing a new Nationwide chassis that we have tested and it is super strong. Precision on pit road will be a key factor in the outcome of this race.”

FAST FACTS

* So far in 2011, Edwards has four wins, nine top-fives, and 11 top-10s.

* Edwards’ captured his 33rd career NASCAR Nationwide win at Michigan International Speedway last weekend

* Edwards has captured four Coors Light pole awards so far in the 2011 Nationwide Series season.

Michael McDowell / No. 18 Pizza Ranch Toyota Preview Bucyrus 200 at Road America

No. 18 Pizza Ranch Toyota News & Notes:

·     “RIGHTS AND LEFTS” A RIGHT FIT FOR McDOWELL:  Many people know Michael McDowell for his near rookie season ARCA Championship, his horrifying Sprint Cup Series wreck at Texas Motor Speedway or his highly personable off-the-track demeanor.  One thing most people don’t know about McDowell is that he came up through the racing ranks not only making left hand turns, but also turning right most of the time.  Like most racers, McDowell made his early mark in go-kart racing.  However, once it was time to move on from there, McDowell chose to go road racing instead of oval racing.  Following go-karts, McDowell headed to the Star Mazda Series, where he was the 2003 Rookie of the Year and the 2004 North American Champion.  Following his Star Mazda career, McDowell co-drove a Daytona Prototype with Champ Car veteran Memo Gidley. The duo finished sixth in the Rolex Sports Car Series Championship in 2005 and gave Finlay Motorsports its first victory in Mexico City.  Also in 2005, McDowell made his Champ Car debut at Mexico City, finishing 11th.  The following season, McDowell again drove in the Rolex Series and the Grand-Am Cup Series, finishing fourth in points and collecting one win (at VIR).  It was only then that McDowell began on an oval-track career, racing in the ARCA Racing Series in 2007, where he finished second in points and was Rookie of the Year.

·     WELCOME BACK TO PIZZA RANCH:  Pizza Ranch, the largest regional pizza restaurant chain in Iowa , Minnesota , North Dakota and South Dakota , will return as sponsor of the No. 18 Toyota this weekend at Road America.  Pizza Ranch and Joe Gibbs Racing formed their relationship in 2009 with Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Pizza Ranch Toyota at Iowa Speedway, where the Pizza Ranch team finished a strong second.  Since then, Pizza Ranch has been a sponsor with JGR for a number of races and will continue that relationship into 2011, where they will sponsor the No. 18 in four events; three with Michael McDowell (both Iowa Speedway events and Road American) and one with Kyle Busch (Michigan, where Kyle finished third).  Pizza Ranch specializes in pizza and chicken and has grown steadily with franchises currently in nine states. Pizza Ranch offers a host of dining options to include a pizza/chicken/salad bar buffet, carry-out pizza, or delivery of chicken and pizza to the home. Pizza Ranch puts the customer first with extraordinary hospitality and service.

·     ROAD AMERICAN VICTORY LANE FAMILIAR GROUND FOR McDOWELL:  Michael McDowell has had a lot of success during his road racing career and Road America is no exception.  McDowell has visited Road America’s Victory Lane on two different occasions, both coming during Michael’s Star Mazda days.  McDowell won the pole and race in the 2003 Star Mazda event at Road America and followed that up in 2004 by winning the Star Mazda race at the Elkhart Lake track once again.  In the Nationwide Series, Road America has been good for Michael as well.  Last season, he qualified fifth for the event and was running in the top-five before a blown engine knocked him out of the event.

·     CHASSIS:  The JGR team will take chassis #131 to Iowa this weekend.  The chassis is brand new and built as a road course car. This will be the chassis’ first time on the track.

·     STAT OF THE WEEK:7. During his 2004 championship season in the Star Mazda Series, Michael won seven races at seven different tracks (Mid Ohio, Lime Rock, Infineon, Mosport, Road Atlanta, Road America, Phoenix Int’l Raceway).

·     THE RACE:  The Bucyrus 200 at Road America (Elkhart Lake, WI; 4.048-mile road course) is set for Saturday, June 25, 2011.  The race will be broadcast on ESPN at 5:30 p.m. EST, with radio coverage on MRN starting at 5 p.m. EST.

McDowell’s 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Season Stats: Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish 1 0 0 1 0 19 $27,328 2.0 7.0

McDowell’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats: Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish 73 0 0 7 0 27 $1,788,334 25.1 23.5

McDowell’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats at Road America: Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish 1 0 0 0 0 0 $14,015 5.0 33.0

Michael McDowell Quotes: “I feel very fortunate just to have the opportunity to race with Joe Gibbs Racing because I’ve been in this sport a few years now and kind of just bid my time with some start and parks, so for me it gives me a real opportunity to show my speed and my ability.  It’s also just a real pleasure to drive something that is that good.  It’s fun and it makes this whole racing gig worthwhile.  The people over at Joe Gibbs Racing are just first-class in every sense of the word.  And the equipment they bring to the track is just amazing.  That was something I took away from our first race together at Iowa.  Even when I thought I wasn’t going as fast as I could be, we were still top-10 in the speed charts.  So, to know that you have that good of a car gives a driver like myself a lot of confidence.

“I’m really excited to get back on a road course in some Joe Gibbs Racing equipment and it couldn’t come at a better track for me.  I’ve got two victories at Road America in the Star Mazda Series in 2003 and 2004.  I qualified fifth there in the Nationwide car last year for McDonald Motorsports and was running well until we had engine issues.  So, it’s a good track for me for sure and to drive the No. 18 and have great equipment and great pit stops is really going to give us a shot at winning the race.  It’s something I’ve been looking forward to a long time.

“I’m also really excited to be associated with Pizza Ranch again.  They weren’t originally scheduled to do this race at Road America, but they are a great company and they have a lot of faith in both myself and JGR, so the best thing we can do is go out there and be competitive all day long and be there racing for the win at the end of the race.  There are a lot of good drivers in the Nationwide Series and these road course races always bring out some road course ringers, so that will make it a tough day.  But I’m confident that we can go into this weekend as one of the teams to look at.  My relationship with Jason Ratcliff (No. 18 crew chief) is getting better and better and we learned a lot about each other in Iowa.  So hopefully, we can improve on our Iowa finish and hopefully I will be able to capitalize on the opportunities that I get at Joe Gibbs Racing and get another win for the 18 car.”

No. 18 Pizza Ranch Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Driver – Michael McDowell                                     Crew Chief – Jason Ratcliff                     Car Chief – Charlie Brock Race Engineer – Matt Lucas                                  Shock Specialist – Brad Rothlin            Front-end Mechanic – Todd Brewer Rear-end Mechanic – Jason Clements                  Tire Specialist – Matt Sauer                  Setup Specialist – Kevin Kelley Engine Tuner – Chris Woodward                          Truck Driver – Dennis Valverde             Jackman  – Kenneth Purcell Gasman – Chris Webb                                            Front Tire Changer – Matt Ashbrenner Front Tire Carrier – Bryce Hildebrand                   Rear Tire Changer – Jonathan Sherman Rear Tire Carrier – Brad Sutton                             Windshield – Dennis Valverde

RICKY CARMICHAEL QUICK FACTS N

o. 30 Monster Energy Chevrolet Impala

Bucyrus 200 Road America

June 25, 2011

No. 30 Monster Energy Chevrolet News and Notes

·         Welcome aboard Ricky Carmichael… 15-time AMA champion and full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) driver, Ricky Carmichael, is set to make his 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) debut in the No. 30 Monster Energy Chevrolet at Road America. Carmichael made his NNS debut in 2010, finishing a career-best 18th at Kansas Speedway. He is scheduled to make three more NNS starts in 2011 at Daytona International Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Phoenix International Raceway.

·          Road America is a first for Carmichael… This weekend’s event at the 4.048-mile, 14-turn road course will be Carmichael’s first visit to the famed track. It will also mark his first road course race in any of NASCAR’s top-three series.

·         This week’s Impala… The No. 30 Monster Energy team will hit the track with chassis TMS-303 this weekend at Road America. TMS-303 is a brand new chassis in the Turner Motorsports stable.

·         Road racing with Ricky…  In his time in the K&N Pro Series East (2008), Carmichael made stops at two road courses on the series’ schedule, Watkins Glen International and Lime Rock Speedway, bringing home 12th and ninth-place finishes, respectively.

·         Meet and Greet… Before hitting the track on Friday, Carmichael will make a special appearance at country music star, Tim McGraw’s, Thursday night performance in Milwaukee. In addition to a pre-show meet and greet with the three-time Grammy Award winner, he will be introduced on stage and stick around for the show.

·         Welcome aboard Q-Mart… Q-Mart Marketplace will be featured on the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 30 Monster Energy Impala this weekend at Road America. Q-Mart Marketplace is a locally owned company featuring 18 convenient locations. They promise “Guaranteed Everyday Value”. Any time you walk into one of their stores, you will find great products and great prices. They feature a “State-of-the-Art” customer loyalty program that offers great deals everyday! Customers earn points with every purchase which can be redeemed for FREE gasoline and store merchandise.

·         See the No. 4 Monster Energy Silverado… Carmichael’s NCWTS show truck will make four stops in the Sheboygan-area. On Friday, June 24th the show truck will visit Q-Mart store No. 218 – 3715 Washington Avenue Sheboygan, WI – from 12 – 2 p.m., and later that day, Q-Mart store No. 235 – 1230 North Taylor Drive Sheboygan, WI – from 3 – 5 p.m. On Saturday, June 25th it will be at Q-Mart store No. 221 – 3626 South Taylor Drive Sheboygan, WI – from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and later at Q-Mart store No. 219 – 1050 Highway 32 North Sheboygan Falls, WI – from 12:30 – 2p.m.  

Carmichael Quotes

You have two K&N Pro Series East road course races under your belt where you finished pretty well. Did that help drive the decision for you to run Road America?

“I like to race road courses. I did pretty good my first few times I raced them with the East Series. It requires quite a bit of discipline and it brings back memories of the motorcycle days when every weekend we would go to a track and it was a different design. It requires you to memorize things very fast and it speeds up the learning process when it’s not the same thing all the time. For sure, when the opportunity came about to get in the Nationwide car for a road course, I was really excited. I really do enjoy road course racing.”

Do you enjoy road course racing?

“Yes, I enjoy road course racing. It’s really fun. It’s always fun to switch things up. It has always catered to my racing style and I can compare it to motocross, which helps.”

Obviously, it is hard to make many specific comparisons between motocross and racing on four wheels. That being said, can you draw any comparisons now that we’re talking about road course racing as opposed to an oval?

“There are a lot of comparisons between road racing and motocross. With as many turns as it has and memorizing the track and having that much focus to remember where you are on the track, that’s very, very similar to motocross. So, I look forward to going to road courses just for the fact that I think that it kind of levels the playing field out for me. Going to the road courses with guys who always race ovals, it kind of narrows the gap a little bit. In motocross you go to tracks that are designed differently every week, not just an oval, so you have to get used to memorizing a different designs like you do with a road course. So, that is another reason why I like road racing so much.”

You had a chance to run some laps at Road America last week. What were your impressions of the race track?

“Yeah, [Justin] Allgaier, [Reed] Sorenson, James [Buescher] and I had a chance to drive some Mazda sports cars with Chris Cook out there last week. Last week was a great opportunity for me to get a visual of the track. We had a great time with Chris Cook helping us out. We were driving a lot different cars than the Nationwide cars, but it was very beneficial to get some time on the track. When I go up there this week I will be able to fire off right away in practice and not have to worry about memorizing the track. If anything, I think it gives me an advantage over the guys who haven’t been there. I was really impressed with the track.  It was really fun. I can’t wait to get out there and race!  It’s going to be a really fun weekend.”

What parts of the track will provide opportunities to pass and what parts of the track will you have to focus more on just staying on the pavement?

“Well I think there are three great passing zones. Getting into turn one is heavy breaking, and could be a good passing zone. If you can get a good exit out of turn seven coming into turn eight, it’s a hard left hander, I think that’s a great passing zone. Also, the corner just after the kink is another great passing zone. If you want to pass a guy you are going to have to make sure you are on your game.

As far as staying on the pavement, I think that is the key all the way around the track as far as any road race that you go to. So, I am really thankful for the opportunity to go there and I just want to put in consistent laps and bring the No. 30 Monster Energy Impala back with a top-10 finish. That’s my goal.”   

Follow the No. 30 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No30TurnerNNS Follow Ricky Carmichael on Twitter!Twitter.com/RickyCarmichael  Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

REED SORENSONQUICK FACTS

No. 32 Dollar General Chevy

Road America Bucyrus 200

June 25, 2011

No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

·         Sorenson Season in Review- As the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) marches toward the halfway point in the season, Reed Sorenson continues to make a name for himself in the championship point standings.  After 15 races in 2011, Sorenson has earned five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes along with 83 laps led.  He has an average starting position of 11.1 and average finish of 9.5.  Sorenson is currently ranked third in a very close points battle, just four markers out of the lead.

·         There’s a First Time for Everything -Sorenson will be making his track debut this weekend at Road America in an NNS car.  Formula One champion Jacques Villenueve was behind the wheel of the No. 32 Dollar General machine in last season’s event at the 4.0-mile road course where he started second and finished 25th after suffering electrical issues.  Sorenson will rely heavily on the experience his Trent Owens-led team gained from that race as well as Villenueve’s input. 

·         Getting the Lay of the Land -Last week, Sorenson joined teammates Ricky Carmichael and Justin Allgaier at Road America to drive Mazda sports cars around the track with Chris Cook.  While Mazda cars are very different than the NNS cars drivers will pilot this weekend, the experience allowed the Turner Motorsports drivers to get a feel for the course, as two of the three drivers had yet to see it. 

·         Sorenson on Road Courses -Sorenson has made four NNS starts at road courses; two each at Mexico City and Watkins Glen, respectively.  In those starts, he has a combined average start of 26.2 and average finish of 29.8. 

·     Dollar General Team Holding Steady in Top-Three -After their seventh-place finish last weekend at Michigan International Speedway with Mark Martin at the wheel, the Dollar General team continues to hold on to third-place in the owner point standings.  The team notched another top-10 finish, bringing their 2011 team total to 13 which leads all NNS teams.   

·         This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Sorenson will pilot TMS-300 in the Bucyrus 200 at Road America.  This is a brand new road course chassis for the No. 32 Dollar General team.

Sorenson on racing at Road America for the first time: “Going up to Road America this weekend is going to be a new challenge for me.  It’s one I’m looking forward to though.  I think the first thing I need to do is make sure I have a handle on mapping out the track and which way the turns come at me.  Finding out where the passing zones are will be huge as well.  Fortunately, one of the factors that will even out the playing field is the new Nationwide Series cars.  The guys that were here last year used the old style cars.  I’m definitely going to lean on Trent (Owens, crew chief) and the experience he and the guys gained having Jacques (Villenueve) in the Dollar General car in last year’s race.  I’m really excited to get up to Road America and see what we can do.  I think we’ll definitely have some fun!”

Rick Ware Racing (RWR) is proud to announce that current Trans Am and Rolex Grand Am Series driver, Doug Harrington will pilot the #41 New Orleans Voodoo Ford Mustang at Elkhart Lake Wisconsin’s, Road America this weekend.

Harrington joined Rick Ware Racing over the winter as the organization made its debut at Daytona International Speedway for the running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in the GT Class finishing an impressive 11th.

“Harrington impressed us all during the tests and in the race.  He is really quick and should adapt very smoothly to the heavier Nationwide Series cars,” stated Rick Ware.

Harrington recently finished second at VIR last month in his own Trans Am Series car in preparation for the Bucyrus 200 at Road America.

“I have always wanted to race in NASCAR and thanks to RWR and the Arena Football Leagues, New Orleans Voodoo, I have the opportunity to compete against NASCAR’s elite road racers,” said Harrington.

The Arena Football League’s, New Orleans Voodoo will be also making their debut in a cross marketing program set up with Rick Ware Racing.

“The paint scheme is awesome for the New Orleans Voodoo and we look to represent them well this weekend.  We had the pleasure of visiting a home game last month and the fans are pumped to see their teams colors turn left and right this weekend,” claimed Ware.

Action gets underway on Friday, June 24th at 1:00 pm EST with Nationwide Series practice. Qualifying is scheduled to begin on Saturday at 3:05pm EST with the race at 5:30pm EST. For more information please visit www.wareracing.com or follow the team on twitter @rickwareracing

JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

No. 38 Great Clips Impala

Road America Bucyrus 300

June 25, 2011 

No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet News and Notes

Jason Leffler 2011 NNS Season Starts Poles  Wins Top-fives Top-10’s Avg. Start Avg. Finish DNFs 15 0 0 1 7 14.5 12.6 0       

* Leffler’s road course stats…Despite his nickname (“Lefturn”), Leffler has had some impressive runs at tracks that have right-handed turns as well.  In a total of 14 road course starts in NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) competition, he has four top-10 finishes with one top-10 at each of the road courses in which he has competed.  Watkins Glen International  – 6 starts      

Best start: 11th (2008) / Best finish: 8th (2008) Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – 4 starts        Best Start: 14th (2008) / Best Finish: 7th (2008)  Road America – 1 start       Best start: 19th (2010) / Best finish: 8th (2010)       Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – 3 starts       Best start: 23rd (2007) / Best finish:  6th (2007)          

* 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 Early in a Run (10th), Fastest Late in a Run (9th), Fastest on Restarts (5th), Green-Flag Speed (9th), Laps in the Top-15 (9th), Quality Passes (6th) and Fastest Speed in Traffic (7th).     

*  Turner Motorsports season at a glance…In 15 NNS races in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched two wins, 13 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes. All three of the team’s NNS regular drivers are in the top-five in the championship point standings with Reed Sorenson sitting third, Justin Allgaier holding the fourth spot and Leffler tied for fifth.         

* 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.

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Leffler on racing at Road America “I like the fact that we get to pepper the schedule with a few road courses here and there.  With 34 races a year, it’s nice to mix things up a little bit every now and then. I actually enjoy racing at road courses.  It provides a different challenge than what we are used to week-to-week which keeps things fresh.  Road America is one of the great American road courses with a lot of history behind it. I loved racing there last year. It’s a tough course with very few good passing zones so when you see an opportunity to make a move you have to go for it. We came home with an eighth-place finish last year in our first ever trip there and we would be more than satisfied to be able to duplicate that effort this time around.”

About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas-native, Steve Turner, the racing organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series 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 house 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, Mikey Kile, Steve Arpin and Blake Feese.  The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, who 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, Monster Energy, BRANDT, Rexall, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com