Category: XFINITY Series

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet / No. 7 VooDoo Ride Chevrolet EVENT – Top Gear 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)

TRACK – Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad-oval)

DATE – Saturday, May 28, 2011 TV /

RADIO – ABC (coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EST) / PRN (broadcast begins at 2 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet “Charlotte is not a typical race week for us.  Usually we’re running around getting things together before we catch a plane to the racetrack, but not this week.  It’s fun to be close to home, and we always have a lot of sponsor appearances and autograph sessions scheduled around Charlotte.  We have a good time with it all.  It seems to be a race that everyone wants to attend – family, friends and sponsors.  If I was a race fan there’s no way I’d miss out on coming to Charlotte during race weeks.  This is the place to be.  Charlotte Motor Speedway and all the race teams do a great job interacting with our fan base, and there is so much for fans to do here.  The whole city almost gets a homecoming feel to it.”

Josh Wise No. 7 VooDoo Ride Chevrolet “I’ve driven some cool looking cars in my day, but this VooDoo Ride Chevrolet ranks right up there on the list. The big green skull on the hood looks awesome. I’m sure it will look great on the racetrack, too.  We’ve got a lot of things lined up for this week surrounding race weeks.  I’ll be running go karts at NASCAR Speed Park on Wednesday and we’ve got a couple autograph sessions to attend.  Plus, fan day is Friday at the JRM shop and that’s a blast.  Anyone who’s in town should come check it out.  It will be a lot of fun for sure.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK – VOODOO RIDE CHEVROLET DEBUTS –Wise’s No. 7 Chevrolet will feature the VooDoo Ride paint scheme this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  The black scheme showcases VooDoo Ride’s chilling skull logo on its hood and quarter panels.  VooDoo Ride is a car care and lifestyle company co-founded by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2007.  It produces a vast array of car care products, including all surface speed detailer (named Mojo), high-gloss tire finish (Hypd), synthetic liquid polish (Silq), wheel and tire cleaner (Shoq), car wash soap (Juju), scratch remover (Hexx) and micro fiber cloths (Jakd).  Visit its website at www.voodooride.com.

2011 RACE WEEK ACTIVITIES AT JRM – Beginning on Thurs., May 26, and continuing through Mon., May 30, fans are invited to JR Motorsports in Mooresville, N.C. for festivities surrounding Charlotte race week.  Highlighting the action is an autograph session on Fri., May 27 from Noon to 1 p.m. ET with Aric Almirola, Josh Wise, and Kelley Earnhardt.  Karsyn Elledge, L.W. Miller, and late model driver, Josh Berry will also be signing for fans.  A total of 150 tickets will be distributed for the session.

MEET ALMIROLA AND WISE –There will be plenty of opportunities for fans to meet JR Motorsports drivers Josh Wise and Aric Almirola this week.  Fans can join Josh Wise, along with several other NNS drivers, at the NASCAR Speedpark at Concord Mills Mall in Concord, N.C. on Wed. May 25th for the “NASCAR Fan’s Choice Challenge” go kart event from 6 – 8 p.m. ET.  Wise also will be signing autographs at Nationwide Autograph Evening at Food Lion’s Speed Street in downtown Charlotte (corner of Third and Tryon Streets) on Thurs., May 26, from 8 – 9:30 p.m. ET.  Aric Almirola will appear at the Unilever Display at Speed Street (on Tryon St. between 3rd and 4th Streets) on Fri., May 27 from 2 – 3 p.m. ET. Both drivers will attend an autograph signing at the JR Nation merchandise hauler in the fan concourse area at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 28, from 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.

KELLEY EARNHARDT CAMEO IN NEW BRAD PAISLEY VIDEO – JR Motorsports general manager Kelley Earnhardt joined a host of other NASCAR personalities in appearing in CMA Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley’s latest music video entitled “Old Alabama.”  The video premiered last weekend at the NASCAR Sprint Cup All Star Race.  In the video Earnhardt drives a classic Corvette while lip-syncing to Paisley’s lyrics, and even tries her skills at a burnout.  “Old Alabama”, which is the second single on Paisley’s new album “This Is Country Music”, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this week.  Aside from being named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 2011, Paisley is a three-time Grammy Award winner. Other NASCAR personalities appearing in “Old Alabama” include Jeff Gordon, Erin Crocker, Darrell Waltrip and Rick Hendrick.  Watch the music video for “Old Alabama” hereat VEVO.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.

WISE IN 2011 –Wise’s 2011 statistics in seven races with the No. 7 team include two top-10s and four top-15 finishes.  He led a total of 10 laps in the No. 7 Chevrolet (Nashville, Dover). Wise also holds three previous Nationwide Series start at Charlotte with a best finish of 18th. The Riverside, Calif. is ranked 10th in the driver championship standings (-129).

ALMIROLA AT CHARLOTTE – Almirola owns one top-five and two top-10s in five Nationwide Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  He finished eighth in the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet with JRM last fall. He also has two top-10 finishes in two starts in the Camping World Truck Series.

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 at least a top-10 finish. The team occupies 14th position in owner points.

NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 squad owns five top-10 and nine top-15 finishes this season.  Almirola is currently ranked sixth (-52) in championship points. The No. 88 team is 12th in owner points.

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.comis 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.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Top Gear 300 ADVANCE

Team: No. 6 Fastenal Ford Mustang Crew Chief: Mike Kelley Chassis: RK-595

THE STATS

Date Event S F Laps Status Winnings 10-16-09 Dollar General 300 7 40 12/200 Accident $15,070 5-29-10 Tech Net 300 22 40 8/203 Accident $19,788 10-15-10 Dollar General 300 13 14 200/200 Running $22,393

Races Wins Top-5s Top-10s Money Cumulative 3 0 0 0 $57,251

THE QUOTES

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 6 Fastenal Ford Mustang: COMMENT ON HOW MUCH CHARLOTTE CHANGES FROM RUN TO RUN. “Man, it does change a lot, but I think that’s where I get to come into play. You’ve got to change what you’re doing throughout the race. Even practice run to practice run you’ve got to change what you’re doing. I feel like I’ve gotten better at knowing what to do throughout the race and how to make the car get around the racetrack when it’s not handling very well. I feel like we’ve got a pretty good shot at it.” IS CHARLOTTE GOING TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING RACE OF THE SEASON? “It’ll be one of the most challenging. We’ve been super-fast on the mile-and-a-halfs when we unload and then we get super-loose in the race. It’s going to be slick so hopefully it won’t make that condition too loose.” IS IT OVERBLOWN WHEN SO MANY PEOPLE SAY THEY WANT TO RUN WELL AT CHARLOTTE? “I don’t think it’s overblown. Heck, I want to run good at every racetrack no matter if it’s Charlotte or California, it doesn’t really matter. Charlotte is a cool racetrack so I mean everybody wants to run good at a fun racetrack but I don’t think it’s any added pressure.”

Mike Kelley, Crew Chief, No. 6 Fastenal Ford Mustang: “You always want to perform well at Charlotte. We get to see a lot of the people that work and build these race cars and sign the checks and it means a lot to us to have the Roush Fenway family there. For as many times as we’ve gone there, as many times as we’ve tested there, that track will always throw you a curve ball. This is a day race and it’s hot and slick and the cars won’t drive as good.”

THE FACTS

Stenhouse Jr. is third overall in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings, eight points behind leader Elliott Sadler and one behind second-place Reed Sorenson. He leads fourth-place Justin Allgaier by 12 points and fifth-place Jason Leffler by 35…Will be making his fourth NNS start at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend…Enters Top Gear 300 with two consecutive top-five finishes and three consecutive top-10s (10th-place or better in each of his last three starts)…Has racked up more top-10 finishes (nine) and more bonus points (10) than any other NNS regular…In the last two races he has gained two positions in the standings and 16 points on the leader…Has finished in the top-10 in all six superspeedway starts this season including three top-fives…Has 15 top-10 finishes in 34 career superspeedway starts and has qualified inside the top-10 in 17 of those races…Led 41 laps at Iowa, the most he has led in a race this season and has led 11 times in seven races this season for 125 total laps…Primary car for Charlotte is the same Ford Mustang Stenhouse drove at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (race No. 4)…Average starting position for Stenhouse this season is 7.5 while his average finish is 10.7…Has completed 2315 of 2376 possible laps (97.4 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.

KASEY KAHNE QUICK FACTS No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet Impala Top Gear 300 Charlotte Motor Speedway May 28, 2011

Kasey Kahne 2011 NNS Season Starts Poles Wins Top-fives Top-10s DNFs 4 0 0 1 2 0

No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet News and Notes

· Rexall welcomes Kasey Kahne… This weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS), Kasey Kahne will make his debut in the No. 30 Rexall Chevrolet. Kahne’s Turner Motorsports teammate, Reed Sorenson, has made two starts this season in the Rexall Impala with 11th and 14th-place finishes at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway, respectively.

·Familiar voice on the radio…The Top Gear 300 marks Kahne’s first start in the No. 30, but not his first Nationwide Series run with veteran crew chief, Stewart Cooper. The No.30 Rexall crew is the same team Kahne works with when he jumps behind the wheel of Turner Motorsports’ No. 38 entry. Under Cooper’s guidance this season, Kahne has earned one top-five and two top-10 finishes, leading 43 laps with a 100% lap completion rate.

·Kahne knows his way to victory lane at CMS…In 16 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts at CMS, Kahne has one pole award and one victory to his credit. He has collected one top-five and four top-10 finishes, and has led a total of 140 laps. Kahne is also credited with three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at CMS.

·One year ago… Last year’s Spring Charlotte race was an exciting one for Kahne and the team he will again work with in this year’s in the event. Starting from the fifth spot, Kahne was dominating the field, leading for a total of 29 laps, before an alternator issue took him out of contention for the win. He was forced to relinquish his 11-second lead on the field to come to pit road where his crew could change the battery in his No. 38 machine. Adding insult to injury, the team was forced to come to pit road for a second battery change before the problem was worked out. The issue relegated him to a 26th-place finish, four laps down to the race winner.

·This week’s Impala… The No. 30 Rexall team will hit the track with chassis TMS-124 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kahne has raced this chassis twice this season, bringing it home to an 11th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April and a seventh-place finish Darlington Raceway in May.

Kasey Kahne on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway

“One of the keys to success at Charlotte is that you have to be able to run anywhere on the race track.  Your car has to turn really good at certain areas on the track and the front-end has to be in the track.  I have a lot of faith in this Turner Motorsports team and never doubt that they are going to give me a good car to race.  I work really well with Stewart Cooper (crew chief) and this entire crew and feel like we are really close to bringing home a win.  Last year at Charlotte, we easily had the best car on track and even had an 11-second lead on the field, but experienced an alternator problem which ruined our day.  I am confident when this Rexall team unloads this weekend, we are going to have just as good, if not better of a car, and be able to contend for the win.”

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

Kasey Kahne Career Race by Race NNS Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway Year/Event Start Finish Laps Status Led 2002 (May) 20 29 188/200 Running 0 2002 (Oct.) 20 32 169/200 Engine 0 2003 (May) 6 6 200/200 Running 0 2003(Oct.) 11 8 200/200 Running 0 2004 (May) 3 25 198/200 Running 0 2004 (Oct.) 11 36 114/200 Crash 0 2005 (May) 1 41 53/200 Crash 40 2005 (Oct.) 36 12 200/200 Running 0 2006 (May) 11 16 199/200 Running 0 2006 (Oct.) 15 43 7/203 Crash 0 2007 (May) 32 1 200/200 Running 43 2007 (Oct.) 12 17 200/200 Running 16 2008 (May) 4 16 202/202 Running 11 2008 (Oct.) 33 11 200/200 Running 0 2009 (Oct.) 16 8 200/200 Running 1 2010 (May) 5 26 199/203 Running 29

Avg. Start Avg. Finish Total Laps Total Led

14.8 20.4 2729/3208 140 Career NNS Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway Starts Poles  Wins Top-fives Top-10’s DNFs 16 1 1 1 4 4

No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

·         Riding the Wave of Momentum -Reed Sorenson and the Dollar General team posted their second consecutive top-five finish over the weekend at Iowa Speedway.  After leading 77 laps, the most of any driver during the event, Sorenson went on to finish fourth.  In 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series races, Sorenson has notched four top-five and eight top-10 finishes with 83 laps led.  He has an average start of 11.5 and an average finish of 10.0.  Sorenson remains second in the driver championship point standings, just seven behind the leader.

·         Sorenson at Charlotte Motor Speedway- In nine starts at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sorenson has one top-five and three top-10 finishes, along with five laps led.  He has an average start of 16.7 and an average finish of 21.9.  Sorenson’s best finish of fifth came in his first race at the track back in 2005.

·         Lending a Hand to Habitat for Humanity -On Friday morning, Sorenson, along with Turner Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler, James Buescher and crew members, will join Habitat for Humanity of Cabarrus County in a Women Build project in Concord, N.C. The team will be at the build site from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with drivers available to the media from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  The “Women Build” was started over 20 years ago in Charlotte, N.C. and is now an international movement accounting for over 1,750 women-built Habitat homes across the United States.  Even though the event is termed a “Women Build”, men are encouraged to participate and work in honor of an important woman in their lives.

·         Supporting His Dollar General Teammate in Indianapolis -After he finishes the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon, Sorenson will head to Indianapolis to cheer on Dollar General teammate Ed Carpenter, who is competing in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday.  Carpenter, driver of the No. 67 Dollar General car for Sarah Fisher Racing, will start eighth in the 100th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.

·         Race Week Activities -Sorenson will be taking part in two additional race week activities in the days leading up to the “home race” at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Both on Wednesday, May 25, Sorenson will be on hand at the NASCAR Hall of Fame from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. for an autograph session and then at the NASCAR Speedpark at Concord Mills for a karting event from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

·         This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Sorenson will pilot TMS-122 in the Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This car has been on track at Texas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway this season, finishing seventh and eighth respectively.

Sorenson on the home race at Charlotte Motor Speedway: “I’m excited to race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend.  It’s great for us to be able to have the week at home as well as participate in events for all the fans that come to town for the races.  Everyone usually has a lot of friends and family in town too, and having them here would make a win that much more special for our team and Dollar General.  We’ve been so close these past few weeks to reaching that goal, and I really think it’s right around the corner for our team.  The guys have been preparing me awesome race cars and I’m excited to get out on the track at CMS to see what we have this week.”

Sorenson on attending the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday: “I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to attend the 100th running of the Indy 500 this weekend with Dollar General.  I know that my DG teammates on the IndyCar side have worked really hard to prepare for the race at Indianapolis and it showed in their qualifying effort over the weekend.  It should be a great event and I’m excited to see the race.”

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 Charlotte Motor Speedway Year/Event Start Finish Laps Status Led 2005 – (May) 6 5 200/200 running 0 2005 – (Oct) 4 35 123/200 crash 5 2006 – (May) 22 21 199/200 running 0 2006 – (Oct) 38 38 94/200 crash 0 2007 – (May) 30 42 53/200 crash 0 2007 – (Oct) 15 25 181/200 crash 0 2009 – (Oct) 8 16 199/200 running 0 2010 – (May) 20 8 203/203 running 0 2010 – (Oct) 7 7 200/200 running 0 Avg. Start Avg. Finish Total Laps  Total Led 16.7 21.9 1452/1806  5 Career NNS Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway Starts Poles  Wins Top-fives Top-10’s DNFs 9 0 0 1 3 4

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Pastrana-Waltrip Racing adds another talented young driver to its lineup this weekend as Cole Whitt drives the No. 99 Red Bull Toyota in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 19-year-old driver races fulltime in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and is the youngest driver to ever lead the truck series point standings. In eight truck series starts, the Alpine, Calif., native has one pole, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. Two-time K&N Pro Series East champion Ryan Truex will be back behind the wheel at Chicago.

 

COLE WHITT QUOTES

 

 

WHITT ON HIS FIRST NATIONWIDE RACE AT CHARLOTTE: “All the Pastrana-Waltrip guys have been awesome to work with, and all their equipment has been super nice. It’s nice to jump into a car like that. It just gives you some confidence going into the weekend. More than anything I am excited to see how the new Nationwide Series cars drive. I have two Nationwide starts but it was in the old car. I don’t know what to expect from the new car, but I am pretty sure Jerry Baxter (crew chief) will have the car pretty good right off the truck. It’s just a matter of me getting used to the track. Luckily, driving the truck race last week should help me a lot, and hopefully I will be able to carry that experience over to this weekend.”

 

ON WHAT HE LEARNED FROM THE TRUCK RACE: “More than anything, I learned you have to have a car you can race at the end. A lot of the guys were racing really hard at the start of the race, and it really didn’t get them anywhere. We kind of rode out the beginning of the race and waited for the end. This is one of the longer races for the Nationwide Series, so it’s going to be a long race. More than anything we need to get the car right for the end of the race and keep the fenders on it. The last 50 laps is really the time to let it all hang out.”

 

 

NOTES OF INTEREST

 

 

• Michael Waltrip Racing and Pastrana-Waltrip Racing will hold its annual Fan Day on May 25 in Cornelius, N.C. Truex will sign autographs starting 5:30 p.m. Michael Waltrip along with David Reutimann, Bobby Labonte, Martin Truex and Brett Moffitt will also be in attendance. Visit: www.michaelwaltrip.com for event details.

 

• Michael Waltrip Racing, Gary and Blake Bechtel and Travis Pastrana own Pastrana-Waltrip Racing that fields Toyota Camrys out of the MWR shop in Cornelius, N.C. The Bechtels’ have owned cars in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series since 1990. The Morgan Hill, Calif. residents’ teams have visited victory lane 10 times in the Nationwide Series.

 

• Whitt finished 15th in his Nationwide debut last November at Phoenix and followed up with a 17th-place showing a week later at Homestead.

 

• Whitt is the only Camping World Truck Series driver to finish on the lead lap in all seven races this season, all at tracks he has never raced. He has completed 1,134 laps, 89% of those coming inside the top-15.

 

Joey Logano / No. 20 GameStop Toyota Preview – Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway

No. 20 GameStop Toyota News, Notes & Paint Scheme:

·     LOGANO HOPES TO “KONGREGATE” HIS TEAM IN VICTORY LANE AT CMS:  This weekend, the No. 20 GameStop Toyota will carry the colors of online gaming hub Kongregate for the Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Kongregate is a leading browser-based game site with over 13 million monthly unique visitors who spend more than 23 million hours playing per month. As part of the GameStop Corporation network, the site features a unique community and social platform including achievements, profiles, chat, messaging, forums, and levels, which unifies more than 40,000 totally free games into a cohesive and addicting experience. Based in San Francisco, CA, Kongregate was founded in 2007 by brother-and-sister team Jim Greer, a game industry veteran, and Emily Greer, an interactive marketing executive.

·     LOGANO TO BE FEATURED ON CNN:  While in town this weekend for the Charlotte races, Logano will film a show with CNN at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.  CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield will be filming her show called “Face to Face” with Logano and several other of NASCAR up-and-coming stars.  Whitfield, a weekend anchor on CNN, has hosted the “Face to Face” interview series and sat down with a number of high-profile celebrities, including Ted Turner, Russell Simmons and Salman Rushdie.  Whitfield herself had the idea to do a show on NASCAR’s up-and-coming drivers, including Logano.  As part of the show, Whitfield will also partake in a ride-along at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Airdate for the show has not yet been set, but will be later in the summer.

·     THE BIGGEST RACE TO WIN?  CMS OF COURSE:  Charlotte Motor Speedway stands as a “home race” for most of the NASCAR Nationwide Series teams.  That is no different for Joe Gibbs Racing and Logano.  Being a home track for a majority of the teams, Charlotte easily stands as one of the most important races to win all year long on the Nationwide Series schedule.  Logano has had mixed success at Charlotte in the Nationwide Series.  Dating back to his first race at the track in 2008, Logano has three top-five finishes in five starts. Outside of those top-five finishes, Logano has two 14th-place finishes.  Logano has also led laps in four of the five events at Charlotte that he’s participated in.

·     CHASSIS:  The JGR team will take chassis #20124 to Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend.  This is the first time this chassis will hit the track in 2011.  Chassis #20121 will serve as the team’s backup.

·     STAT OF THE WEEK:  33.  Logano’s DNF at Dover International Speedway broke a streak of 33-straight races for Logano in the NASCAR Nationwide Series of running at the end of the race.  Before the last-lap accident at Dover, Logano’s last DNF was at Texas Motor Speedway back in late 2009.

·     THE RACE:  The Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, NC; 1.5-mile oval) is set for Saturday, May 28, 2011.  The race will be broadcast on ABC at 2:30 p.m. EST, with radio coverage on PRN starting at 2 p.m. EST.

Logano’s 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Season Stats: Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish 8 0 4 6 1 89 $207,560 6.1 6.6

Logano’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats: Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish 74 8 37 60 16 1436 $2,741,764 7.1 7.0

Logano’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Laps Led Earnings Avg. Start Avg. Finish 5 0 3 3 0 67 $139,143 8.6 8.0

Joey Logano Quotes: “Charlotte is probably one of the most important races to win each year on the Nationwide Series schedule because it is a home track for all of us.  We all have particular tracks around the country that we call our ‘home track’ but Charlotte is where most of us live now and where all of the shops are.  And because of that, there are always a lot of guests and people from the teams that to come to the track on race weekend that don’t normally get to see us race when we are traveling.  So to win at Charlotte is something that is pretty important to every driver out there.  I know I really want to get a win there too.

“Charlotte is also probably my favorite track.  It’s just a great place to race, and I’ve been lucky enough to have been pretty good there over the years.  Last year, we finished third and fourth in our two Nationwide Series races at Charlotte after only getting one top-five run there in my first three races, so I’ve learned a lot about the place.   Another bonus about this weekend’s race is that it’s the second race with the new Nationwide Series car at Charlotte, so we’ve already got a few notes based on last year’s race there.  We are not starting from scratch on what these new cars handle like.  So that should be a big positive for us and for the No. 20 GameStop team.

“I’m also pretty pumped to get back behind the wheel of the GameStop car this weekend because the No. 20 team has a ton of momentum right now.  They got a win at Richmond with Denny (Hamlin) and ran well at Darlington, then we almost came back to win the race at Dover, where we had the best car for sure.  And last weekend in Iowa, they ran strong even though they didn’t quite have the finish they should have.  So we’ve got a lot going for us now and I really don’t know if there is a better overall team in the Nationwide Series right now.”

Adam Stevens Quotes: “I’m pretty excited about the weekend, because Joey is good at Charlotte and I think the guys like Joey, Kyle, Carl and others are going to have an advantage after racing in the All Star race last weekend.  The biggest thing about the race this year is the new tire combination that we’ll have going into the race.  There seems to be a lot more grip than last year and you could see that watching the All Star race last weekend.  The Cup cars were really fast.

“Another thing we learned from watching the All Star race is that it’s going to be a track position race for sure.  You would need to come up with a strategy that is going to put you out front or near the front.  It’s going to be very hard to pass.  I expect the setup stuff to be similar to Texas, and we ran strong there and learned a lot of things about these new cars.  Plus, we’ve got some notes to go off of from last year’s race at Charlotte where they ran the new car.  Of course, it’s always nice to be home for a weekend as well.”

No. 20 GameStop Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Driver – Joey Logano                                              Crew Chief – Adam Stevens                                   Car Chief – Mike Sibley Race Engineer – Curtis Ratzlaff                             Shock Specialist – Joel Weidman                         Front-end – Nick Fuller Rear-end – Dave Rudy                                           Tire Specialist – Chris “Yoshi” Jones                      Engine Tuner – Roger Purcell Truck Driver – Tim Clancy                                      Jackman – Jason Tate                                          Gasman – John Eicher                            Front Tire Changer – John Royer                         Front Tire Carrier – Brett Morrell                           Rear Tire Changer – Coleman Dollarhide              Rear Tire Carrier – Eric Groen

PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD:The NASCAR Nationwide Series comes home to racing’s backyard, Charlotte Motor Speedway, for the 13th race of the 2011 season. Elliott Sadler will take on “The Beast of the Southeast” in a Nationwide car for the first time since 2006. Sadler has eight Nationwide Series starts at the track, with one top five, one top 10, and a best finish of second (2005). Sadler made a Charlotte start for Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) in 2010, racing one of the team’s Truck Series entries to a fifth-place finish after starting fourth.

PICKING FAVORITES:Charlotte Motor Speedway is a favorite of Sadler’s, especially because it is the site of milestones and successes for the 16-year NASCAR veteran. Sadler made his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at the 1.5-mile quad-oval in 1998 and earned a pole at the track in the fall of 2005. Sadler has a combined total of 34 starts at the track and has led has led 223 laps across NASCAR’s top-three series.

RECORD BREAKER: Sadler has proven that he has what it takes to go fast at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In the fall of 2005, he broke the track’s speed record when he laid down a lap of 193.216 m.p.h. in Sprint Cup Series qualifying, nearly five miles per hour faster than the previous year’s speeds. In addition to clocking the fastest lap ever on the track, he vaulted Charlotte Motor Speedway to the title of fourth fastest non-restrictor plate track on the NASCAR circuit.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 OneMain Financial team will unload chassis No. 072 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Sadler raced this chassis to a fifth-place finish in its on-track debut at Texas Motor Speedway in April.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP:In front of a sold-out crowd, Sadler brought home a fifth-place finish in his first visit to Iowa Speedway. Overcoming a pit road speeding penalty early in the race, Sadler fought his way back through the field to earn his seventh top-five finish of the season, maintaining a seven-point advantage in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver’s Point standings.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Elliott Sadler Charlotteseems to be a favorite track for a lot of drivers. What do you think about CMS? “I love it; it’s one of my favorite tracks that we race. It’s one of the tracks that I feel fits my driving style very well and it has always been good to me. I have the track record at Charlotte Motor Speedway in a Cup car, so it’s pretty cool to be known as the fastest guy to ever go around that racetrack. It’s a fun track, and it offers a lot of opportunity as far as multiple grooves. I feel good heading to Charlotte in this Nationwide car. We ran well earlier in the year at Texas, so we should run well there.”    CitiFinancial CitiFinancial, soon to be OneMain Financial, is the premier community lender in North America. With more than 1,300 locations across the United States. CitiFinancial has been serving communities since 1912.  Additional information may be found at www.citifinancial.com.

Citi Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

@KHI_NNS @Elliott_Sadler @OneMainRacing @KevinHarvick @DeLanaHarvick @KHI_TruckSeries

Fast Facts:

Elliott Sadler Nationwide Series Statistics at Charlotte Motor Speedway Starts: 8 Wins: 0 Poles: 0 Top 5: 1 Top 10: 1 Laps Led: 0 Average Start: 15.6 Average Finish: 23.0

Race Info: May 28, 2011 Charlotte Motor Speedway Top Gear 300 1.5-mile Quad-Oval 200 Laps/ 300 Miles

Broadcast Info: TV:ABC will broadcast live at 2:30 p.m. EST Radio:PRN will broadcast live at 2:00 p.m. EST

Car Specs: Chassis:072 Engine:Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)