Category: XFINITY Series

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW

No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet / No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

EVENT – STP 300 (200 laps / 300 miles) TRACK – Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval) DATE – Saturday, June 4, 2011 TV / RADIO – ESPN (coverage begins at 8 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:45 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet “I’m interested to see how our first stand-alone weekend at Chicago will go. There are only a handful of Cup regulars on the entry list for this weekend, so this will be another great opportunity for the Nationwide-only drivers to stand out.

“Chicago is unique in the fact that it has that curved back straightaway. We don’t see that anywhere else we go, aside from the dogleg at Phoenix. Typically there a lot of green-flag runs there too, so it could turn into a fuel-mileage race. Clean air is critical at mile-and-a-half tracks like Chicago, even more so with this new car.”

Danica Patrick No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet “I’m looking forward to coming back to NASCAR with Tissot and Go Daddy on board our No. 7 car. Both partners have been great supporters of our program at JR Motorsports. To be able to race at Chicago for a second time in a stock car is exciting, too. I think I’ve made some gains since we were last there. It won’t be easy, but hopefully we can continue to build on our progress from earlier this year.

“Being more familiar with these tracks gives our No. 7 team a much better platform for success. I said last year it was difficult to set goals without knowing what to expect. This year, I think we’ve raised the bar for ourselves a little bit with our performances earlier this season. It’s been a few months since I’ve been in a stock car and I’m excited to get back to it.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

DANICA’S RETURN – Patrick, a native of Roscoe, Ill., returns to wheel the No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. It marks her first stock car race since March 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway. In the four stock car races Patrick has entered this season, she has one top-five, one top-10 and three top-20 finishes. Her career-best finish of fourth came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this year. She finished 24th in her last race at Chicagoland Speedway.

PATRICK’S SCHEDULE – The remainder of Patrick’s schedule looks like this: Daytona International Speedway (July 1), Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Aug. 20), Richmond International Raceway (Sept. 9) and Kansas Speedway (Oct. 8). She’ll also race in the final three races of 2011 at Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 5), Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 12) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 19).

JRM IN THE WINDY CITY – JR Motorsports has earned a top-10 qualifying effort in four of its eight starts at Chicagoland since 2006. The organization scored one top-five and three top-10 finishes during that time.

ALMIROLA AT CHICAGOLAND – Almirola owns one Nationwide Series start at Chicagoland Speedway. Additionally, he has never finished worse than eighth in two Camping World Truck Series starts at the facility.

NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 squad owns six top-10 and 10 top-15 finishes this season. Almirola gained a position in the championship points after last weekend’s race at Charlotte and is currently ranked fifth (-51). The No. 88 team is 11th in owner points.

NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds one top-five, four top-10 and seven 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.

1 MILLION FACEBOOK FANS – JRM co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the first NASCAR-regular to surpass the one million fan mark on his Facebook page earlier this week. Earnhardt Jr.’s fan page, which is managed and updated by the staff at JRM, provides daily content including photos, videos, race results, and special offers to fans. Visit Dale Jr.’s page at www.facebook.com/DaleJr.

JRM DRIVER SIGNINGS – Fans have three chances to meet JRM drivers Aric Almirola and Danica Patrick this weekend. Patrick will be signing autographs at her merchandise hauler in the fan concourse area on Saturday, June 4, from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. CST. Both Patrick and Almirola will sign at the Nationwide Series autograph session from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. CST. Finally, Almirola will sign at the JR Nation merchandise hauler from 2:30 – 3 p.m. CST.

WIN DALE JR.’S CAMARO – 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 www.windalejrsride.com.

WATCH THE NEW “JRM 360” VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a new 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 new line-up this season.

VISIT THE RELAUNCHED ALMIROLA WEBSITE – Are you a fan of Aric Almirola? Visit his newly relaunched website at www.aricalmirola.com and get inside access to all the cool and interesting facts about the Tampa, Fla. native. The site includes a complete biography, photo gallery, and updated race reports.

NEW JRM RACING WEBSITE – JRMracing.com is the digital home of the JR Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series race teams. Visit it for more information about the company, its history, and drivers, including Aric Almirola, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Josh Wise. Watch exclusive video content, including the “JRM 360” series and pre-race reports with drivers and crew. Plus, get the latest scoop on shop activities with the daily briefing column.

Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes NNS Race Advance STP 300 Chicagoland Speedway Saturday, June 4, 2011

BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T

Career Starts: 152

Wins: 12

Top Fives: 65

Top 10s: 91

Poles: 8

Career Highlights:

·  Keselowski’s last NASCAR Nationwide Series win came at Gateway last fall (16 races).

·  He is the reigning NASCAR Nationwide champion.

·  Earned Penske Racing its first NASCAR champion last season.

·  In 2010, set career-bests in wins (6), top five’s (26), top 10s (29) and poles (5).

·  Set a NASCAR record 102 consecutive Nationwide Series races without a DNF (Did Not Finish) that ended at this year’s season-opening race at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

·  First Nationwide victory came at Nashville Superspeedway (2008).

KESELOWSKI AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY

·  Keselowski is making his fifth career Nationwide Series start at Chicagoland Speedway.

·  Highest starting position:  Second – 2010

·  Highest finishing position:  Third – 2008

·  Average starting position:  15.5

·  Average finishing position: 14.0

·  Laps Led:  31

·  Completed 799 of 803 laps run at Chicagoland

DID YOU KNOW

·  Penske Racing’s Sam Hornish Jr. will be piloting the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T on Friday at Chicagoland as Brad Keselowski will be in Kansas for Sprint Cup Series qualifying.

·  No Nationwide race winner at Chicagoland has started on the front row.

DODGE IN THE NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

·  Dodge won its first Nationwide Series championship last year when Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski claimed the driver’s title.

·  Dodge is fielding two entries in the Nationwide Series this year with Penske Racing.  Sam Hornish Jr. joins teammate Keselowski for a limited race schedule in 2011.

·  Dodge has 34 wins in the Nationwide Series, seven of which came in 2010.

STATS OF THE WEEK

·  In four career NNS starts at Chicagoland, Keselowski has posted one top-five and one top-10 finish.

·  Keselowski’s avg. finishing position this season: 11.4

·  Keselowski has nine top-10 finishes in last 11 NNS races.

THE NUMBERS

·  Dodge has two wins at Chicagoland Speedway.  Justin Labonte won in 2004 and Casey Mears in 2006.  Labonte’s win was by the closet margin in track history for the Nationwide Series — .418 seconds.

·  In his 2010 Nationwide championship season, Brad Keselowski’s average finishing position was 5.2.  His best start this season was second at Texas. His best finish of second also came at Texas.

FROM THE CREW CHIEF “Chicago is a pretty unique race track.  It’s a very fast 1.5-mile oval, so you need to make sure that you have done your homework in the aerodynamic department.  You also need mechanical grip because the track is very bumpy and the surface is becoming pretty worn.  I really feel like we are making gains in our intermediate program and a trip to Victory Lane is not far off.  That would be great validation for all of the hard work that the guys on this team are putting in each and every week.  We’ll get there.” Todd Gordon, crew chief, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T

DODGE QUOTE: “The most important thing you can do to help yourself with the non-companion weekends is surround yourself with good people.  It’s so much easier when all you have to worry about is getting in the car.  The logistics alone make it very taxing to go back and forth, so anything you can do to alleviate strain will pay off.  At the end of the day, I love driving race cars and I love competing in both the Cup Series and the Nationwide Series.  The enjoyment of being able to race in both series far outweighs any of the travel issues associated with it.” Brad Keselowski – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger

On the DG Chevy this week: Ritz, Ragu, Airwick, Listerine, Glad, Colgate Total, Gain, Eveready

REED SORENSON QUICK FACTS

No. 32 Dollar General Chevy

Chicagoland Speedway

STP 300

June 4, 2011

No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

•         Three is a Magic Number – Reed Sorenson and the Dollar General team posted their third consecutive top-five finish over the weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  With respective finishes of third, fourth and fifth in the past three races, Sorenson has quietly moved back toward the lead in the driver point standings and is only two points away from the top spot.  In 13 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races, Sorenson has notched five top-five and nine top-10 finishes with 83 laps led.  He has an average start of 11.1 and an average finish of 9.6.

•         Sorenson at Chicagoland Speedway – In four NNS starts at Chicagoland Speedway, Sorenson has three top-10 finishes with 30 laps led.  In all four starts, Sorenson has finished inside the top-15 and completed all laps attempted.  He has an average start of 18.8 and an average finish of 10.2.  Sorenson has scored a top finish of eighth on two occasions, once in 2006 and again last season.

•         Reading with Reed at Chicagoland – Wanting to do his part to aid in a key initiative to sponsor Dollar General, Sorenson will be reading to a group of children in the Kids Club Zone at Chicagoland Speedway at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.  Dollar General’s commitment to literacy is a very important aspect of the company’s culture.  Co-founder, J. L. Turner, was functionally illiterate when he started the company.

•         Turner Motorsports Teaming with STP – Turner Motorsports is very pleased to announce that they are joining forces with STP® this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, on a weekend in which the iconic brand is serving as title sponsor of the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race on Saturday and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.  The STP® logo, which has long been a presence in the sport, will be prominently featured on each of the team’s four entries in Saturday’s STP 300 – the No. 38 of Jason Leffler, the No. 32 of Reed Sorenson, the No. 31 of Justin Allgaier and the No. 30 to be driven by Mikey Kile.

Armored AutoGroup:

Armored AutoGroup Inc., headquartered in Danbury, Conn., is primarily comprised of the Armor All® and STP® brands. The current Armor All product line of protectants, wipes, tire and wheel care products, glass cleaners, leather care products and washes is designed to clean, shine and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces. The STP product line of oil and fuel additives, functional fluids and automotive appearance products has a broad customer base ranging from professional racers to car enthusiasts and “Do-it-Yourselfers”.

•         This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Sorenson will pilot TMS-118 in the STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. This car was the chassis of choice for teammate Mark Martin in his win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and his eighth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway.

Sorenson on the night race at Chicagoland Speedway:

“I have really enjoyed racing at Chicagoland Speedway for some reason.  It’s a little bit different than other mile-and-a-half tracks that we go to, but I think a night race there is going to be really exciting.  I’ve had some pretty decent runs in the couple of starts I’ve had at Chicago, so I’m expecting nothing less this weekend.  This Dollar General team has been running really well the past few weeks so I’m excited to see what we can do with this momentum.  We’ve just been unloading fast cars and then making all the right adjustments during the practice sessions and race.  Chicago is a great market for Dollar General and so I’d love to be able to give all their customers and fans something to cheer about by getting to victory lane.”

Sorenson on carrying the STP logo this weekend:

“We are very proud to have STP return to the Dollar General Chevy this weekend.  We have carried STP in different spots on the No. 32 car during the first part of the season as they serve as one of the great vendor partners with Dollar General on our race car.  It’s awesome to again be able to carry the iconic colors of STP, as well as have them serve as the race sponsor this weekend at Chicagoland.”

Follow the No. 32 team on Twitter! @No32TurnerNNS

Follow Dollar General on Twitter! @DollarGeneral

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

JUSTIN ALLGAIER QUICK FACTS

No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet

STP 300

Chicagoland Speedway

June 4, 2011

No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet News and Notes

• Home Is Where The Heart Is… Justin Allgaier, an Illinois-native, returns home this weekend. The NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) driver hails from Riverton, Ill., about 2.5-hours from Chicagoland Speedway. Allgaier, who got his start racing quarter-midgets throughout the Midwest, has captured one win, three poles, 14 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes in the Nationwide Series.

• Hometown Driver and Hometown Sponsor… Allgaier and his sponsor BRANDT, are both from the Chicago-area. Allgaier, who headed out Monday to spend time in his hometown, will stop by the BRANDT headquarters in Springfield on Thursday June 2nd from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. to meet fans and sign autographs.

• Welcome Aboard STP® … Turner Motorsports is very pleased to announce that they are joining forces with STP® this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, on a weekend in which the iconic brand is serving as title sponsor of the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race on Saturday and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. The STP® logo, which has long been a presence in the sport, will be prominently featured on each of the team’s four entries in Saturday’s STP 300 – the No. 38 of Jason Leffler, the No. 32 of Reed Sorenson, the No. 31 of Justin Allgaier and the No. 30 to be driven by Mikey Kile.

• Allgaier Heads to Chi-Town Fourth in Points… Allgaier remained in fourth-place in the NNS championship point standings after his 13th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He sits 22-points out of first, just behind leader Elliott Sadler. All three championship contending Turner Motorsports drivers are currently in the top-10, with Reed Sorenson in second and Jason Leffler in sixth-place.

• Allgaier’s Chicagoland Past… Allgaier and Chicagoland Speedway have a past. Prior to his NNS career, he logged laps in three ARCA Racing Series events, with his best finish of fourth in 2008.

• Chicagoland by the Numbers… The 24-year-old BRANDT Chevy driver has two NNS starts at Chicagoland Speedway. He is credited with two top-10 finishes, finishing 10th in both events. He has an average start of 10.0, an average finish of 10.0 and has a 100% lap completion rate.

• This Week’s Impala… The No. 31 BRANDT Chevy team will hit the track with chassis TMS-121 this weekend at Chicagoland. This chassis last saw racing action at Darlington Raceway where Allgaier started 12th and finished in the fourth spot. This chassis was also run earlier this season at Texas Motor Speedway where Allgaier started 12th and finished in the sixth position.

• In the Loop… Thus far in 2011, Allgaier ranks among the top-10 in several of NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics: Closers (1st), 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), Quality Passes (9th) and Fastest Early in the Run (10th).

Justin Allgaier on Chicagoland Speedway:

“I’m excited to head home and race at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. It will be a thrill racing in front of a hometown crowd and all of the BRANDT guests who will be in attendance. It gives you extra motivation to get that win we’ve come close to securing this year. Hopefully we will rebound from Charlotte and bring home a great finish, and earn premium championship points.”

Justin Allgaier on Having STP on the Car this Weekend:

“STP is such an iconic brand that is associated with our sport and I’m honored to have their logo on our car this weekend. Hopefully we can live up to their legacy and bring them to victory lane once again.”

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

JASON LEFFLER QUICK FACTS

No. 38 Great Clips Impala

Chicagoland Speedway STP 300

June 4, 2011

Leffler at Chicagoland Speedway, by the numbers… In seven NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts at Chicago, Leffler has logged two top-five and three top-10 finishes.  His best performance at the 1.5-mile track occurred in 2009 when he drove to a fourth-place finish after starting 12th.  Last season, he posted another top-five with a fifth-place finish after starting 19th.

This week’s Impala…. This weekend at Chicagoland Speedway the No. 38 Great Clips team will unload chassis TMS-131.  This is a brand new chassis in the Turner Motorsports stable with this weekend marking its on-track debut.

Turner Motorsports Teaming with STP – Turner Motorsports is very pleased to announce that they are joining forces with STP® this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, on a weekend in which the iconic brand is serving as title sponsor of the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race on Saturday and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on Sunday.  The STP® logo, which has long been a presence in the sport, will be prominently featured on each of the team’s four entries in Saturday’s STP 300 – the No. 38 of Jason Leffler, the No. 32 of Reed Sorenson, the No. 31 of Justin Allgaier and the No. 30 to be driven by Mikey Kile.  Armored AutoGroup: Armored AutoGroup Inc., headquartered in Danbury, Conn., is primarily comprised of the Armor All® and STP® brands. The current Armor All product line of protectants, wipes, tire and wheel care products, glass cleaners, leather care products and washes is designed to clean, shine and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces. The STP product line of oil and fuel additives, functional fluids and automotive appearance products has a broad customer base ranging from professional racers to car enthusiasts and “Do-it-Yourselfers”.

Turner Motorsports season at a glance… In 13 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched one win, 11 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes. Reed Sorenson, driver of the No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet is currently third in the driver point standings and trails leader Elliott Sadler by a scant two-point margin. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 31 Brandt Chevy Impala is only 22 points behind Sadler in fourth while Leffler is sixth, just three points outside the top-five.

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 Chicagoland Speedway “Chicagoland is a fast track with multiple grooves so it’s pretty easy to pass. You can run the high groove or the bottom groove and move around as much or as little as you need to based on how the car is handling.  Generally, you don’t see a lot of cautions during this race so it often comes down to fuel mileage and pit strategy in the end. We got bit last weekend at Charlotte with fuel mileage and took a hit in the point standings but there are times you have to make a gamble and sometimes it pays off and sometimes it doesn’t.  Still, I’m excited to get to Chicago. We had a great run going at Charlotte, running solidly in the top-five in the closing laps. The Great Clips team has grown stronger and stronger at these 1.5-mile tracks so I feel pretty sure that we can go in this weekend and be a top contender for the win this weekend at Chicagoland. We are happy to welcome the iconic brand, STP®, on all of the Turner Motorsports cars this weekend as they serve as title sponsor for this race.  We would certainly love to celebrate with them in victory lane.”

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 and Brad Sweet.

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, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.

Pastrana-Waltrip Racing announced Tuesday afternoon that they will be going on a limited schedule after the upcoming race at Chicagoland Speedway.  They will race at least eight more events this season, but will need sponsorship to add additional events. Rookie Ryan Truex Jr. will be in the car at Chicago.

[media-credit id=2 align=”alignleft” width=”229″][/media-credit]Team co-owner and executive vice president of PWR Blake Bechtel said that the team will entertain more sponsorship opportunities and would rather race a full-time schedule.

“This isn’t a performance decision, it is an economic decision,” Bechtel said.  “We started the year with a 10-race commitment to Ryan Truex, a seven race commitment to Travis and the race in Montreal with Patrick.  We believed we could fill in the open races but it is now time to make the very difficult decision to limit the liabilities.

“We have a great partner with Michael Waltrip Racing and our employees will be redeployed in other areas of the company while PWR is not racing.  The other silver lining is that we know we are going to race in 2012 with Travis, so this is a transitional period.

“Ryan is really starting to mature in the seat and the team is starting to jell with great runs at Richmond and Dover.  He deserves to run every week so that he can keep getting that valuable experience.  We will entertain and pursue other opportunities so that we may race more than the existing commitments.”

Travis Pastrana will still race in seven races for the team this season in the Nationwide Series, the first race being July 30 at Lucas Oil Speedway Indianapolis.  He will also race in September at Richmond, in Dover and Kansas in October, and in Texas, Phoenix and Homestead in November. Boost Mobile, Samsung Mobile and KMC Wheels will sponsor Pastrana in those races.

Patrick Carpentier will race for the team in Montreal with sponsorship from NAPA Auto Parts.

 

TREVOR BAYNE

Race: STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway (200 laps 300 miles)

Team: No. 16 Avnet/BMA Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Chris Andrews

Chassis: RK-646 Last Ran at Texas, April 8, 2011, finished 13th

FAST FACTS

* TREVOR BAYNE will make his ninth start of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Chicagoland Speedway in the STP 300

* TREVOR BAYNE at Chicagoland Speedway …In two starts Bayne has one top-15 finish

QUOTES

Trevor Bayne on racing at Chicagoland Speedway: “I’m looking forward to concentrating on our Nationwide program this weekend at Chicago. I am thankful to be able to get back into a race car and I am going to savor this moment forever. We as race car drivers are so blessed to be doing this for a living and I think we take that for granted sometimes. I am ready to get back to work and compete at the highest level. Our Nationwide program has been unstoppable as of late and I want to contribute to that success as much as I can. Chris Andrews and the guys give me awesome race cars to drive, so there is no doubt in my mind that we can win this thing on Saturday night.”

Crew chief Chris Andrews on racing at Chicagoland Speedway: “We are all glad to see Trevor back in the seat this weekend. I know he has been waiting for this moment a long time and I am confident he will take advantage of it and drive as hard as he can Saturday night. Our team got a taste of victory at Charlotte last weekend thanks to Matt Kenseth, so we know what it takes to set up a fast race car. Our preparation has to be impeccable to win in this series, and I believe that is what sets Roush apart from other race teams right now. There will be a lot of young drivers in the race, so our main focus is to stay up front and out of trouble. If we can make timely in-race adjustments on the race car I am confident we contend for a win this weekend.”

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – STP 300 ADVANCE

Team:              No. 6 RickyvsTrevor.com Ford Mustang

Crew Chief:        Mike Kelley

Chassis:            RK-635 

THE QUOTES

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 6 RickyvsTrevor.com Ford Mustang:  YOU HAVE RUN WELL IN RECENT WEEKS AND YOUR CONFIDENCE LEVEL MUST BE HIGH.  HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT?  “The confidence is definitely high, but I think it’s because of Jack Roush and everybody at Roush Fenway and Ford Racing sticking behind me.  Confidence is huge for us.  We were lacking it last year.  Obviously, when you crash 12 times in the first half of the season, nobody’s confidence is going to be very high.  We started questioning whether we could do this or not, but what I like about it is the great group of guys that are with me right now were with me all through last year.  They went through it with us and stuck it out and nobody left or gave up and quit.”

Mike Kelley, Crew Chief, No. 6 RickyvsTrevor.com Ford Mustang:  THE STP 300 IS THE FIRST NATIONWIDE SERIES RACE HELD AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY IN JUNE.  HOW HAS RICKY ADJUSTED TO GOING TO NEW TRACKS AND NEW CONDITIONS? “Ricky is a real quick learner.  He’s really progressed on knowing what he wants in a race car, how he wants it to feel, not so much about how fast it is but how he wants it to feel.  The weekends that he tells me the car feels really good in practice I don’t even have to look at the time sheets.  I know we’re going to have a good run.” 

THE FACTS

Stenhouse Jr. is second in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings, one point behind leader Elliott Sadler and one ahead of third-place Reed Sorenson. He leads fourth-place Justin Allgaier by 21 points and fifth-place Aric Almirola by 50…Has racked up three consecutive top-five finishes and four consecutive top-10s entering Chicagoland…Stenhouse has more top-10 finishes (10) and more bonus points (11) than any other NNS regular…Over the last three races he has gained three positions in the series standings and 23 points on the leader…Has 16 top-10 finishes in 35 career superspeedway starts… Has led at least one lap in each of the last three consecutive races and 12 times in eight races this season for 137 total laps…Won Coors Light Pole at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, his third pole in 52 career starts and his second of the 2011 season plus captured his first pole in four starts at Charlotte… Primary car for Chicago finished fifth at Nashville (Lebanon, Tenn.) Superspeedway (race No. 8)…Average starting position for Stenhouse this season is 7.0 while his average finish is 10.2…Has completed 2,515 of 2,576 possible laps (97.6 percent). 

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 Kevin Kramzer                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

                                                              #####

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.