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JR Motorsports — NNS Richmond Preview

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW

No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet / No. 7 NASCAR The Game 2011 Chevrolet

EVENT – Bubba Burger 250 (250 laps / 187 miles)

TRACK – Richmond International Raceway (.75-mile D-shaped oval)

DATE – Friday, April 29, 2011

TV / RADIO – SPEED (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:15 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola

No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

“I’d say Richmond probably ranks fairly high on my favorite’s list. It’s not number one in my book, but it’s certainly up there. I have always loved short track racing, and Richmond is one of the best short tracks we get a chance to run on. It’s always cool getting a chance to run under the lights. For me, it reminds me a lot of where I came from.

“It’s great to have Hellmann’s back on the car this weekend. They’ve been a long-time supporter of JR Motorsports, and I’m excited to get to the track and work on improving our finishes from the past couple of weeks. Sure we’ll take a top-10 finish, but at the end of the day, I don’t think top-10s will be enough to win the championship. Top-fives and wins are going to be the key to clinching a championship. That’s what we need to really focus on.”

Josh Wise

No. 7 NASCAR The Game 2011 Chevrolet

“Last week was a great opportunity for our No. 7 team to finally get a finish we deserved. There have been times in the past where we’ve had a top-10 car and something happened to prevent us from finishing there. But last week we were able to run up front for a time, lead some laps, and show what our team is capable of.

“Now we get a chance to race at a great track in Richmond. I think if you took a poll, most drivers really enjoy short track racing because the majority of us grew up on local short tracks. I’m pumped to head up there and hopefully build on what we showed last weekend.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

ALMIROLA COMPETING IN SHORT TRACK SHOWDOWN – This Thursday night Aric Almirola will return to his roots and climb behind the wheel of the No. 88 TaxSlayer.com late model, owned by Keith Pile, to compete in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond International Raceway. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Denny Hamlin Foundation. Tickets are $25 and are general admission only. Children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. The event will air at 8 p.m. EST on SPEED on April 28.

EXCLUSIVE RICHMOND PREVIEW VIDEO – Visit http://www.jrmracing.com/ www.jrmracing.com on to watch this week’s exclusive Richmond preview video. Hear firsthand how Almirola and Wise regard the nostalgia of short-track racing at night, and listen to the secrets of brake conservation with crew chiefs Tony “Pops” Eury Sr. and Tony Eury Jr.

WISE RACER- Wise has three starts at Richmond, but Friday’s Bubba Burger 250 marks his first start at the facility with JR Motorsports. His 2011 statistics in three races with the No. 7 team include one top-10 and two top-15 finishes. He also led a season-high five laps in the No. 7 Chevrolet last weekend in Nashville.

ALMIROLA AT RICHMOND – Almirola made his first career Nationwide Series start at Richmond in 2006, and has competed at Richmond two times since. Driving for JRM behind the wheel of the No. 7 Chevrolet, he earned his best finish of 11th last fall. It marked the first and only time he has driven the No. 7 Chevrolet for JRM. In Almirola’s five short track races with JRM, he’s earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes (ORP, Phoenix and Bristol).

SHORT TRACK EXCITEMENT – The “Pops” Eury-led No. 88 team finished last spring’s Richmond event in third place with driver Jamie McMurray. It was JR Motorsports’ best finish at the .75-mile oval. The organization has earned three top-five, four top-10 finishes, and led 97 laps since 2006 at Richmond.

NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 NASCAR The Game 2011 team holds one top-five, three top-10 and five top-15 finishes this season. 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. Patrick earned the team’s best finish of the season when she finished fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, becoming the highest finishing female in any NASCAR national touring series race. The team occupies 14th position in owner points.

NO. 88 SEASON STATS – After its fourth top-10 finish of the season last weekend at Nashville, the No. 88 Hellmann’s team’s season tally comes to seven top-15 finishes. Almirola is currently ranked seventh (-7) in championship points, and the No. 88 is 11th in owner points.

DRIVER APPEARANCES – Aric Almirola and Josh Wise will both appear at the JR Nation merchandise hauler in the fan concourse area to sign autographs on Friday, April 29 from 3 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST.

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 pre-race reports with drivers and crew.

April 26, 2011
Carl Edwards BUBBA Burger 250 Advance

Carl Edwards– BUBBA Burger 250

Team: No. 60 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Mike Beam

Chassis: RK-610 – primary – raced in Phoenix -Finished second.

RK–596 – backup – new Nationwide chassis

QUOTES

Carl Edwards on racing at Richmond International Raceway:

“Our Fastenal team has been on a roll. We have been running great and having fun. I am excited for the race on Friday night. It has been a great race track for us in the Nationwide Series. We have won some races and had some epic battles. I think everyone looks forward to that race. It is short track racing on a Friday night.”

Crew chief Mike Beam on racing at Richmond International Raceway:

“We are coming off a dominating win in Nashville. Richmond is another track that Carl has had a lot of success. We are bringing the same car that we finished second with at Phoenix. Hopefully we will be able to take this Fastenal Mustang back to victory lane.”

FAST FACTS

* Last year, Edwards finished the season with four wins, 19 top-fives, 27 top-tens and three poles. * Edwards’ captured his 31st career NASCAR Nationwide win at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend. * Edwards’ average finish at Richmond is 7.1. * Edwards’ is currently second in the Owner’s points. Eight points behind the No. 20 Joe Gibbs team.

2011 No. 60 Team

Name Duties

Mike Beam Crew Chief

Scott Graves Engineer

Heath Landis Car Chief

E.C. Nichols Shock Specialist

Brett Ragan Chassis Mechanic

Darrell Haskins Driveline Mechanic

John Maybry Truck Driver

Bennie Stevens 2nd Truck Driver

Sean Ballentine Tire Specialist

Troy Cupples Engine Tuner

Darren Beach Gas man

Jeremy Neeley Jackman

Josh Shipplett Front Tire Carrier

Thomas Hatcher Front Tire Changer

Garrett Reding Rear Tire Carrier

Jason Romesburg Rear Tire Changer

Dale Hoffman B Team Leader/Pit Support

Tyler Paxton Fuel Runner/Pit Support

Jason Hedlesky Spotter

April 26, 2011
Sam Hornish Jr No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger Preview-Bubba Burger 250

SAM HORNISH, JR.

No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger

Richmond International Raceway – Bubba Burger 250

April 29, 2011

No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Team News and Notes

. Sam Hornish Jr., driver of the No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger, will make his fourth start of the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season Friday night in the Bubba Burger 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

. Hornish has made a total of 23 Nationwide Series starts since 2006. The former IndyCar Series champion has produced seven top-15 NNS results during that span. He has also captured one top-five, three top-10 and nine top-15 starting positions while competing in a limited NNS schedule over the last five plus years.

. This weekend marks the fourth outing for Hornish and crew chief Chad Walter, who will call the shots for the No. 12 Dodge Team during Friday night’s race. Walter served as the crew chief on the No. 12 Penske Racing Nationwide Series team in the past and helped guide driver Justin Allgaier to a top-six championship finishes in each of the last two seasons.

. Hornish heads to Richmond with momentum after finishing 13th in the NNS race at Talladega Superspeedway on April 16.

. This will be Hornish’s third NNS race at Richmond International Raceway and his ninth NASCAR start at this track overall. Hornish last ran a NNS race at Richmond in the spring of 2008 and finished 15th.

. Hornish will visit injured soldiers at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC in Richmond, Va. on Thursday, April 28.

Sam Hornish Jr. comments on this weekend’s Bubba Burger 250

“I couldn’t be more excited for this weekend’s race at Richmond. It’s one of my favorite tracks and I have had a lot of success here, both in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the IndyCar Series, so I was thrilled when I saw I would get the opportunity to race here again in the Nationwide Series. The last time I ran a PPG-sponsored Dodge was at Pocono a few years ago and we came home fourth, which has been the best NASCAR finish of my career. I am hoping that the momentum and luck can carry over to this weekend for the No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger.”

Crew Chief Chad Walter comments on this weekend’s race at Richmond

“I love Richmond. It is hands-down my favorite track that we will go to this season. As a crew chief, it is very challenging so I can only imagine the challenges that it brings to a driver. It doesn’t get much better than racing on a Friday night at Richmond. Our No.12 Olympic Paints Dodge looks awesome and I can’t wait to see it under the lights. The fans here are always passionate about their short track racing and we can’t wait to unload our Dodge Challenger and show them what we have.”

April 26, 2011
HOORAHS & WAZZUPS: PICKING GUITARS IN NASHVILLE

[media-credit name=”Joe Dunn” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series took their annual Easter weekend break and that provided a well deserved opportunity for the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series to shine in the national spotlight. Both series spent the previous weekend at the Nashville Super Speedway where those special Gibson guitars, custom painted by renown artist Sam Bass, were waiting for the winners.

HOORAH to Carl Edwards and Roush Fenway Racing for winning the Nationwide Series event at Nashville. During the pre race practice session, Edwards described his car as being “terrible” and called qualifying, where he earned the seventh starting position, “a struggle.” But there was no evidence of those concerns once the race started. Edwards’ Ford Mustang led the race five times for a total of 148 laps and outgunned Kyle Busch in the waning moments of the race. The victory marked his second win, and sixth top ten finish, of 2011 as well as his 31st career series win which ties him for fourth, with Jack Ingram, on the all time series win list. Known as “Concrete Carl”, Edwards seems to always do well at concrete tracks like Nashville. Last Saturday marked his fourth win, in 12 starts, there as well as his sixth win on a concrete oval.

HOORAH to NASCAR’s new points structure and the impact its had on the Nationwide Series championship standings. Justin Allgaier left Nashville as the series’ points leader. However the separation between the first seven positions in the standings is only seven points.

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HOORAH for Kyle Busch for once again dominating a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event last Friday night in Nashville. When it comes to Busch’s accomplishments, outside of the Sprint Cup Series, it generally all about racking up some impressive numbers and the Nashville race was no exception. The event marked his second win of the season and his 26th series win. In two starts, on Nashville’s concrete oval, Busch has two wins, two poles and has led 271 of the posted 300 laps. Also, during the course of this race, he passed the 20,000 mark in total laps led in all three of NASCAR’s national touring series. That feat was actually rather easy for Busch to accomplish because he led 140 of the 150 posted laps Friday night. It also marked the 11th win for his self owned Kyle Busch Motorsports since its inception two years ago.

But this is not to imply that his latest truck series win was easy. Ron Hornaday Jr pressed him hard during the final laps and passed him with eight laps to go following a restart. But the final yellow flag of the race came with only five laps remaining and this time Busch was the winner in the double file restart contest. Unfortunately for Hornaday, his truck wiggled on the final lap and he had to settle for a fourth place finish which allowed Busch to score the win with a 1.061 seconds margin of victory.

That leads to a HOORAH to the so called “new Kyle Busch” for being extremely careful how he handled that custom painted Gibson guitar trophy. That was a far cry from “old Kyle Busch” who once destroyed one of those beautiful instruments while acting like a hyped up rock star.

HOORAH goes to Nelson Piquet Jr and his second place finish in his Kevin Harvick Inc Chevrolet. That feat was a personal best for the series rookie, and ex formula one driver, who’s trying to establish a new career in NASCAR. His efforts at Nashville already has observers saying “a star is born.”

WAZZUP with that bizarre pit road incident, with the new vented fuel can, during Timothy Peters’ pit service? The team’s gas man had difficulty getting the gas can’s nozzle to release from the fuel entry mechanism. Meanwhile the truck came off of the jack and Peters left the pit box. Fortunately the gas man didn’t give up and managed to dislodge the fuel can. Both the crew member and his gas can hit the ground but they fell inside of the pit box lines so there was no penalty. Amazingly, during the same pit stop sequence, the very same thing happened to driver James Buescher’s gas man.

For something like this to happen to one team is rare, but for it to happen to two different teams within a matter of seconds of each other is rather bizarre. This new vented gas can has presented some concerns in the past most notably due to the entire load of fuel not getting into the gas tank. Perhaps it’s time for NASCAR officials to take a look at the nozzles of these cans if they have not done so already.

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We have double final HOORAHs this week with both of them going to the SPEED Channel. The first one is for the racing channel’s recent milestone 200th broadcast of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The hard work of this broadcast team, both in front and behind the cameras, has helped bring this outstanding racing series to the forefront of national attention that it deserves. Having said that, WAZZUP with driver Matt Crafton creaming the lovely Krista Voda with anniversary cake? Actually it was all in good fun and, after wiping off her face, Voda quipped “I’m the only one on the staff who got dessert.”

The second HOORAH for the SPEED Channel is for the documentaries they are showing on the lives and careers of the NASCAR Hall of Fame class of 2011. Last weekend’s presentation featuring iconic team owner Bud Moore was outstanding.

April 26, 2011
Trevor Bayne Richmond NNS Advance

TREVOR BAYNE

Race: Bubba Burger 250 at Richmond International Raceway (250 laps 187.5 miles)

Team: No. 16 Roush Fenway Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Chris Andrews

Chassis: RK-613 New Car

Broadcast Information: Saturday, April 29, 2011- 7:00 p.m. (ET) SPEED and 7:00 p.m. on MRN radio affiliates and Sirius channel 128

FAST FACTS

* TREVOR BAYNE will make his ninth start of the season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Richmond International Raceway in the Bubba Burger 250

* TREVOR BAYNE at Richmond …In three starts Bayne has one top-five and two top-10 finishes

QUOTES

Trevor Bayne on racing at Richmond International Raceway: “I am going to enjoy running under the lights at Richmond. I have had some success there in the past, so I am confident we can compete at very high level this weekend. We are within striking distance of the point lead, so our goal is to be leading by the end of the night.”

Crew chief Chris Andrews on racing at Richmond International Raceway: “The key to Richmond is handling and track position. If we can qualify up front, get on and off pit road fairly clean and stay out of trouble, we will be in contention this weekend.”

April 26, 2011
Roush Fenway Richmond Advance

Roush Fenway Richmond Advance

Roush Fenway Marches Forward to Richmond Last weekend brought an off weekend for the Sprint Cup Series and yet another Roush Fenway victory in the Nationwide Series at Nashville . This weekend the teams will take to the short track excitement of Richmond International Raceway, where Roush Fenway has taken home the checkered flag on 14 occasions.

Crown Royal 400 Sat. 4.30.11, 7:30 p.m. EDT FOX TV, MRN, Sirius 128 David Ragan No. 6 UPS Ford Greg Biffle, No. 16 3M Ford Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Carl Edwards, No. 99 Scotts Ford Bubba Burger 250 Sat. 4.29.11, 7:30 p.m. EDT SPEED TV, MRN, Sirius 128 Ricky Stenhouse, No. 6 Roush Fenway Ford Trevor Bayne, No.16 Roush Fenway Ford Carl Edwards, No. 60 Fastenal Ford Roush Fenway History at Richmond Overall, Roush Fenway has started 260 races at Richmond in NASCAR action, winning 14 times, while bringing home 75 top-five and 122 top-10 finishes, 12 poles and leading a total of 4,273 laps across all three of NASCAR’s major series.

On the Sprint Cup Side Roush Fenway has made 161 Cup starts dating back to 1988 at Richmond , winning on four occasions, with the first coming in 1990 and the last in 2005. Current Roush Fenway driver Matt Kenseth won at Richmond in the fall of 2002.

Winning Trends Roush Fenway has won four Cup races at RIR, with three of the four wins coming in the fall. Roush has not won a ‘spring’ race at Richmond since Feb. 25, 1990.

Roush Fenway Richmond Wins 1990-1 Martin Cup 1998-2 Burton Cup 2002-2 Kenseth Cup 2005-2 Busch Cup 1993-1 Martin NNS 1993-2 Martin NNS 1997-1 Martin NNS 1998-1 Burton NNS 1999-1 Martin NNS 2000-2 Burton NNS 2005-1 Edwards NNS 2008-2 Edwards NNS 2009-2 Edwards NNS 1999 Biffle Truck 2009-2 Edwards NNS 1999 Biffle Truck Nationwide Dominance at Richmond Roush Fenway has won nine times in the Nationwide Series at Richmond . In fact, Roush Fenway won its first two NNS races at Richmond in 1993 and never looked back. All in all, three different drivers have won a total of nine times in NNS action at Richmond , including Carl Edwards who has three wins there. In addition, Roush has 37 top fives and 52 top 10s in NNS racing at RIR.

Winning! Through the first eight weekends of the 2011 season, Roush Fenway has already accumulated four wins (two in the Nationwide Series and two in the Sprint Cup Series). Carl Edwards has been responsible for three of the four wins, including last weekend’s win at Nashville . In addition, Edwards leads the Sprint Cup point standings and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., is tied for the lead in the Nationwide Series.

RickyvsTrevor.com RickyvsTrevor.com, a new website launched by Roush Fenway Racing, promises to provide not only an inside glimpse of two of NASCAR’s fastest rising stars, but a behind the scenes look at the competitive nature that drives their racing success on the track. The site will feature ongoing competitions ranging from on-track performances to battles of brawn, brain, and maybe even a test of their musical abilities. Bayne and Stenhouse’s Ford Mustangs will highlight the site this weekend.

April 26, 2011
Ryan Truex, No. 99 Pastrana-Waltrip Toyota Richmond Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 99 Pastrana-Waltrip Racing driver Ryan Truex heads to Richmond International Raceway for a Friday night showdown under the lights. This marks the 19-year-old driver’s second trip to the 3/4-mile D-shaped oval and only the second time in his Nationwide Series career that he is not seeing a track for the first time. After a solid run in Nashville last Saturday afternoon, Truex hopes his experience at Richmond and on other short tracks will lead him to his first career top-10 finish in the Nationwide Series. Currently, a 12th-place finish at Michigan is the rookie’s career best finish in the Series.

The 2009 & 2010 K&N Pro Series East champion is scheduled to race at least 10 races in 2011 while action sports star Travis Pastrana will drive the No. 99 Toyota in seven races beginning at Indianapolis in July.

QUOTES

RYAN TRUEX ON RICHMOND: “I like it a lot. It’s nice to go back to a short track. It’s a place where the racing is more in the driver’s hands. You don’t have to worry that much about aerodynamics and things like that. You just have to worry about your car handling good and hitting your spots on the race track. We ran good at Richmond in the Nationwide car last year even though our finish doesn’t show it. We got a lap down early in the race and were never able to get it back. By the end of the race, Mike Greci (crew chief) had the car handling good and we were running laps as fast as the leader. Hopefully, we can start where we finished last year and bring home a top-10 finish.”

ON GOING BACK TO A TRACK WHERE YOU HAVE RACED ON BEFORE: “I am looking forward to it. I won’t have to spend the first hour of practice learning the track. I know how I want my car to feel at Richmond so we shouldn’t have to make big swings and adjustments during practice. They should just have to make minor changes to make the car feel comfortable.”

ON RACING UNDER THE LIGHTS: “I like night races because it’s not as hot and I think it’s more fun for the fans to watch. Friday night short track racing takes me back to when I first started racing. The fans can see the sparks of the cars when we get together. I think it just adds more excitement to our races.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

· 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.

· Truex will visit Dover International Speedway on Wednesday from 11 a.m.- 2:45 p.m. The Mayetta, N.J., native will help sell tickets, sign autographs for all the fans and give pace car rides to media and fans who attend the event.

· Truex is the only teenager to win back-to-back K&N Pro Series East titles (2009 & 2010) and he is the first driver to bring a championship to Michael Waltrip Racing.

· Pastrana will race in the K&N Pro Series East race and Denny Hamlin’s “Short Track Showdown” charity race at Richmond International Speedway on Thursday night.

April 26, 2011
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. BUBBA burger 250 Advance

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – BUBBA burger 250 ADVANCE

Team: No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Mike Kelley

Chassis: RK-645

THE STATS

Date Event

S F Laps Status Winnings

4-30-10 BUBBA burger 250 15 20

250/252 Running $24,343

9-10-10 Virginia 529 College Savings 250 23 4

250/250 Running $32,343

Races Wins Top-5s Top-10s

Money

Cumulative 2 0 1 1

$56,686

THE QUOTES

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang: YOU RAN

WELL AT RICHMOND LAST SEPTEMBER. “That was the first race with the Mustang and we felt like we had a little bit better car than where we finished so definitely looking forward to going back. We’re going back with the same setup we had and just work on it from there.”

WHAT IS THE BIG CHALLENGE ABOUT RACING AT RICHMOND? “Drive off the corner. It seems like everybody gets pretty loose there up off and felt like that’s where we were strong there last time, just being able to get the power down up off.” HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE FALL RACE FOR YOUR TEAM

LAST YEAR TO BUILD SOME MOMENTUM FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON? “It was good. It kind of helped us just carry it on. It gave us a direction for this year.”

Mike Kelley, Crew Chief, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang: “Richmond has been a really good race track for us. I thought we could have won the race with the first COT car race there last year with Ricky. I really learned some stuff working with him in the spring race there. We didn’t finish that good in the spring race; we got down early but the last 100 laps of that race he was probably the fastest car on the track. We went right back there in the fall and again we didn’t qualify where we needed to. We qualified 23rd and he drove right to the front and came home with a solid top-five finish. Richmond is a racer’s racetrack. It’s a high speed short track under the lights bullring racing and the drivers can make a difference. Having Ricky behind the wheel will be exciting.”

WHY DO YOU LIKE RICHMOND? “It’s not so aero-dependent. It’s shocks and springs and bars and driver feedback and get up on the wheel and rub ‘em if you need to. There’s nobody I would take with us than the guys on the team and no driver I’d swap out more than the one that sits behind our wheel. You got all that together on a Friday night at Richmond and it can be exciting.”

THE FACTS

Stenhouse Jr. is tied with Justin Allgaier for the lead in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship standings, two points ahead of third-place Jason Leffler and four ahead of fourth-place Reed Sorenson…The top seven drivers in the standings are separated by just seven points…Stenhouse Jr. has racked up six top-10 finishes in eight starts this season, the most of any NNS regular…Won the pole position March 19 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, the most recent NNS short track race…His fourth-place finish at Richmond last fall was his first top-five finish on a short track and one of three he claimed during the 2010 season…Will be making his ninth career NNS short track start on Friday night…Enters Richmond with 7.87 average starting position and has completed 1,461 of 1519 total possible laps (96.18 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

Spotter Mike Calinoff

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

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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.

April 26, 2011
John Deere and Iowa Dealers Sponsor NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Presented by Pioneer

NEWTON, Iowa – April 26, 2011 – John Deere is partnering with 10 of its Iowa dealers to sponsor the Iowa John Deere Dealers 250 presented by Pioneer NASCAR Nationwide Series Race. The race is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on May 22nd at Iowa Speedway in Newton , Iowa .

John Deere and the participating Iowa dealers will host more than 3,000 customers during the race. Jeff Oldham, Division Sales Manager at John Deere, explains that the track provides a great venue to connect with their customers.

“Iowa Speedway can hold more than 55,000 fans, and the Nationwide Series Races at this track consistently sell out,” says Oldham . “Because many of our customers are avid race fans, we are very excited about the sponsorship with our dealers, and look forward to an exciting race on the fastest track (under 1 mile) in the nation.” The Iowa John Deere Dealers 250 Presented by Pioneer NASCAR Nationwide Series race creates a national stage to spread positive messages about agriculture – especially the benefits of alternative fuels. NASCAR’s three national touring series will run on fuel blended with 15 percent American ethanol from corn grown in the United States during the 2011 season.

“Powering race cars at high speeds is the ultimate in ethanol performance,” said Todd Frazier, Pioneer business director for Iowa and Missouri . “Just as science and innovation are constantly improving the performance of the cars on the track, they are helping to develop alternative fuels that Iowa agriculture can deliver.” Iowa Speedway Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Chuck Spicer believes the John Deere-Iowa dealer partnership is a natural fit given a large portion of their fan-base is tied to agriculture.

“We’re very grateful to have John Deere and their dealers on board,” says Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Chuck Spicer. “Their sponsorship enables us to create an exciting race-going experience for our fans that’s fueled – literally – by one of the biggest names in the agricultural industry in Pioneer.”

In addition to the race sponsorship, John Deere and its dealers will give away a one-year lease on a 825i Gator XUV to 10 lucky customers. You can enter to win at one of these participating dealer locations:

·         Barker Implement & Motor Co. Inc., Lenox

·         Bodensteiner Implement Co., Elkader

·         Elder Implement, Co., Inc., Muscatine

·         Ernie Williams Ltd., Algona

·         GreenValley AG & Turf, LLC, Mt. Vernon

·         Horizon Equipment, Manning

·         K.C. Nielsen LTD, Humboldt

·         Schenkelberg Implement Co., Carroll

·         Southard Implement Co., Marshalltown

·         Van-Wall Equipment, Inc., Perry

John Deere is also using their sponsorship to highlight a cause they are passionate about – Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa .

“We’ve invited the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa to choose a wish child recipient to open the race as the honorary Grand Marshall. We want to help raise even more awareness to the Foundations’ efforts to help kids with life-threatening medical conditions,” stated Oldham Join us at the Iowa John Deere Dealers 250 Presented by Pioneer NASCAR Nationwide Series Race on May 22nd to support Iowa ’s agricultural industry and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Iowa . Call 1-866-GO-RUSTY or visit www.iowaspeedway.com to get your tickets now!

About Deere & Company Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land – those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere (www.JohnDeere.com) has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity.

About Pioneer Hi-Bred A DuPont business headquartered in Des Moines , Iowa , is the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, providing high-quality seeds to farmers in more than 90 countries. Pioneer (www.pioneer.com) provides agronomic support and services to help increase farmer productivity and profitability and strives to develop sustainable agricultural systems for people everywhere. Science with Service Delivering Success™.

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April 26, 2011
R3 Motorsports and Richardson ready for Friday night racing at Richmond

CHINA GROVE, N.C. (April 26, 2001)– The No. 23 North Texas Pipe Dodge of R3 Motorsports and driver Robert Richardson, Jr. are looking forward to some Friday night under the lights racing at Richmond International Speedway this weekend.

The ninth race of the NASCAR Nationwide Series season is being run on the .75-mile Virginia oval. For fans and drivers alike, the excitement level gets turned up a notch when it comes to Friday-night racing action.

For some, it goes back to their short track days on the dusty ovals of dirt and asphalt racing. But for Richardson, Friday night sporting events were a little different back home in his pre-driving days.

The 29-year old driver’s Friday-night action took place on the gridiron of his McKinney (Texas) High School football field as the team’s quarterback. Since then, he’s traded helmets; but the feeling of competing is still something Richardson enjoys and thrives in doing on a Friday night. P

ut 43 drivers on the track as dusk settles over the speedway, and the air of excitement and adventure starts to elevate as the sun descends behind the horizon. With that, comes an intensity to gain as many positions – and points – as possible through all 250 laps.

Fast Facts:Richardson will be making his 78th- career NASCAR Nationwide Series start this weekend. Currently sitting 22nd in driver points after eight races in 2011, his best qualifying effort was 26th, at Talladega, and finish of 22nd, at Las Vegas. The No. 23 North Texas Pipe Dodge team of R3 Motorsports sits 32nd in Owner’s Points, 10 markers out of the guaranteed-lock position of 30th place. As of Tuesday morning, there are 42 entries in the NNS race.

Track Facts:This will be Richardson’s third start at Richmond, with the other two taking place in the spring of 2008 and fall of 2009. His best finish was 28th in the ’09 race. His completion rate is 97.2% (489 of 503) for laps contested, which the team needs to continue to gain as much as possible from this race.

Car Facts:Walter Giles and team are taking chassis No. 54 to Richmond. This will be the second time out for this Dodge, with the first coming at Phoenix where they finished 24th.

Tune in for the Win:This weekend will mark the first time SPEED will carry a NNS race live. Matter of fact, they have it covered for all the NNS action from Richmond starting with the final practice session at 10:30 a.m. ET on Friday, then qualifying at 4 p.m. and race action beginning at 7:30 p.m. MRN affiliates and Sirius XM Radio Ch. 128 will also carry the race on their radio networks, as well.

Robert Richardson, Jr. Quotes Talk about making a return to Richmond:“That is a great track on the NASCAR circuit and it is so cool how it’s laid out for a .75-mile oval. The one thing I do know is you have to be set up real well to come off of Turn 2. That’s where most of the action seems to take place. Coming off of Turn 4 isn’t too bad because you have that wide arch of the D-shape that makes up the frontstretch.”

What’s your mindset for racing under the lights on a Friday night:“For the fans, I know they love it because they get to see some great racing. For me, and I know we’ve talked about this 100 times, but it goes back to my football days when we played all our games on Friday nights under the lights. Those were some great times and it carries over to the mindset for what it takes to race on a Friday night. We just need to go out there, be good for all 250 laps and make sure we’re there at the end. I know one thing, this team is going to give it everything they can for a good finish under the lights of Richmond.”

April 26, 2011