Category: XFINITY Series

REED SORENSON QUICK FACTS

No. 32 Dollar General Chevy

Richmond International Raceway

Bubba Burger 250

April 29, 2011

No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet News and Notes

· Movin’ On Up… – After a busy week in Nashville, Reed Sorenson and the No. 32 Dollar General team put together another solid finish at Nashville Superspeedway. Sorenson scored an eighth-place finish, his third top-10 in as many weeks. The finish moved Sorenson up one spot in the driver point standings to fourth, four points behind leader and teammate Justin Allgaier.

· Sorenson at Richmond International Raceway – In his seven NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts at Richmond International Raceway (RIR) Sorenson has recorded two top-five and five top-10 finishes with four laps led. He has an average starting position of 10.3 and average finish of 14.3 with a top finish of fifth, which he scored twice.

· No. Dollar General Team Picture of Consistency – With the exception of a slight hiccup at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, the Dollar General team has been extremely consistent over the first eight races of the season. Between drivers Reed Sorenson and Mark Martin, the No. 32 team has notched one win, three top-fives and seven top-10s. The team is ranked fifth in the owner point standings, 27 points out of the lead.

· Dollar General Exceeds Million Dollar Goal In Autism Awareness Campaign – Throughout the month of April, Dollar General is offering customers the opportunity to make donations to Autism Speaks during check-out to honor Autism Awareness month. Through the generous support and donations from their customers, Dollar General has raised over one million dollars to date for Autism Speaks. The Autism Speaks logo will appear on Dollar General’s NASCAR Nationwide Series No. 32 car, driven by Reed Sorenson, throughout the month of April to raise awareness for the campaign.

· This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Sorenson will pilot TMS-115 in the Bubba Burger 250 at RIR. Sorenson ran this car earlier in the season at Phoenix International Raceway where he finished fifth. The team also took this chassis to Iowa Speedway for the Goodyear Tire test earlier this month.

Sorenson on Friday night racing at Richmond:

“I really enjoy racing on Friday nights- especially at a short track like Richmond. Racing under the lights just adds an element of excitement for us as drivers and most of all for the fans. We continue to put up really consistent finishes with this Dollar General team and I’m excited to carry that momentum into the weekend. We have all the right pieces with this No. 32 group- great cars and motors, a solid team and great sponsor in Dollar General. I’m really hopeful we can put all of them together this weekend and get to victory lane this weekend.”

Follow the No. 32 team on Twitter! @No32TurnerNNS

Follow Dollar General on Twitter! @DollarGeneral

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook!Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

· Richmond International Raceway (RIR), by the numbers…Leffler has 16 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts at RIR with two top-five and three top-10 finishes as well as one pole to his credit (spring, 2006). His best performance came in the fall of 2004 when he started 14th and finished fourth. He is ranked 10th in number of laps led at the ¾-mile oval with 82.

Leffler also has one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) pole at Richmond to his credit. In his only NCWTS start at RIR (2002), Leffler captured the pole and led for 85 laps before finishing 12th.

· Leffler’s In the Loop… According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Leffler is ranked in the top-10 in a number of categories at RIR including Closers (7th), Green-Flag Passes (3rd), Laps Led (9th with 82), and Laps in the Top-15 (6th).

· This week’s Impala…. This weekend at RIR, the No. 38 team will unload chassis TMS-116. This chassis last saw track time at Phoenix International Raceway where Leffler brought home an 11th-place finish after starting 13th.

· In the standings… With a 15th-place finish last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway, Leffler fell to third in the NNS point standings just two points behind Turner Motorsports teammate, Justin Allgaier, and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., who are tied for first-place.

· Start of a new era for Turner Motorsports… The 2011 season marks the start of a new era for Turner Motorsports. The team has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series, fielding three entries in the NCWTS and four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). Three of the team’s regular NNS drivers (Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson and Justin Allgaier) have been pegged as viable contenders to win the 2011 NNS driver championship.

· Happy 10-Year Anniversary, Great Clips… This season marks Great Clips’ 10-year anniversary as a primary sponsor in the NNS. The Minneapolis-based Great Clips, Inc., which is currently the longest-running primary sponsor in the series, came onto the scene in 2001 as a primary sponsor of Akins Motorsports No. 38 entry, then driven by Christian Elder.

· Leffler on SIRIUS’ Morning Drive every Wednesday… Don’t forget to tune in to SIRIUS Radio’s “Morning Drive” with Mike Bagley and Pete Pistone every Wednesday at 10:30am to hear Leffler’s take on recent events in the Nationwide Series and what you can expect from the week’s upcoming race.

Follow the No. 38 team on Twitter!Twitter.com/No38TurnerNNS

Follow Jason Leffler on Twitter! Twitter.com/JasonLeffler

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

Leffler on racing at Richmond International Raceway

“Richmond is a great track that has a short-track feel but has speedway characteristics with the speeds you are carrying. There are always two grooves of racing so there’s a lot of side-by-side beating and banging which is fun as a driver and exciting for the fans. I really enjoy racing there, especially under the lights. It’s really important to keep the fenders on the car in order to get a good finish because the cars are a little bit more aero- sensitive, than somewhere like Bristol. I’m ready to get back to some good short track racing and hopefully get this Great Clips Chevy back into 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

Paul Menard

No. 33 Menards Chevrolet Impala

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race 9 of 34 – Richmond International Raceway 

MENARD TAKES ON RICHMOND: Paul Menard is set to make his second NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the 2011 season this weekend in the No. 33 Menards Chevrolet Impala at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. In 10 previous starts, the Wisconsin native has collected two top-five and four top-10 finishes and has led 160 laps around the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval.

KHI SUCCESS: Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) co-owner Kevin Harvick is no stranger to victory lane in Richmond. The driver has five Nationwide Series wins at the Virginia track, including his most recent win in his own equipment last September.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Austin Dillon made his KHI debut and his first start for 2011 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway. After starting from the third position, Dillon powered the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet to a seventh-place finish. The top 10 was the team’s sixth in eight races so far this season.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Menards team has prepared chassis No. 066 for this weekend’s event at Richmond International Raceway. This chassis has seen competition in two events this season. Harvick and the No. 33 KHI team collected a third-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in February and brought home a sixth-place finish at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March.

MENARD’S THOUGHTS ON RICHMOND:

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the No. 33 Chevy this weekend and looking forward to racing at Richmond. I really like racing there and have had some good runs in the past. We had a great race at Texas a few weeks ago, so I’m looking forward to picking back up where we left off and getting another good run in with this KHI team.”

Media Access:Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Tiffany Breaux at KHI at tbreaux@kevinharvickinc.com.

About Menards:

With 255 stores in 12 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.

HEADING HOME: This Friday, Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial team head to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, the stop on the circuit that Sadler considers his “home track.” Located only 45 minutes from his home in Emporia, Virginia, Sadler has more NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Richmond than any other track on the NNS circuit. In his 15 races at RIR, Sadler has earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes. Sadler has also led 58 laps at the 0.75-mile d-shaped oval and has completed 97.0% of laps attempted at the track.

HERE ‘TIL THE END: This weekend, the No. 2 Chevrolet Impala will sport the familiar OneMain Financial paint scheme, which has already adorned the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) machine three times this season. Richmond will kick off the organization’s 26-race streak as primary sponsor of the No. 2 until the end of the 2011 season.

DID YOU SPOT IT? April 27th kicks off the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) segment of the Nationwide Insurance Code Spotter Sweepstakes. Play the Nationwide Insurance Code Spotter Sweepstakes for your chance to win a one-of-a-kind Race Weekend Road Trip VIP Experience. Find out what it takes to be part of a NASCAR Nationwide Series race team with a visit to the KHI race shop. Watch Sadler’s racecar as it’s packed into the hauler and then road trip all the way to the infield at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and much more! Enter now at CodeSpotter.com.

AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH: During the month of April, Sadler and the rest of the NASCAR community will celebrate Autism Awareness month. Sadler, whose niece was diagnosed with Autism a few years ago, started the Hermie and Elliott Sadler foundation which raises funds to help educate those who have children that are affected by the spectrum disease which reportedly affects 1 in every 110 children in the United States.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 OneMain Financial team will utilize chassis No. 068 this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. This is the same chassis that Sadler raced to a 12th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in February.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Elliott Sadler fought the handling of his racecar for the duration of the Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway, wheeling the No. 2 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet to a hard-fought 13th-place finish. In the 16-year veteran’s debut at the 1.333-mile track, Sadler’s Chevrolet Impala transitioned from very tight to very loose, preventing the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship contender from earning his fifth consecutive top-five finish. Despite dropping three positions in the point standings, Sadler remains only five points outside of the points lead.

THOUGHTS FROM THE DRIVER: Elliott Sadler

How do you feel going to your home track of Richmond International Raceway?

“It’s always great going back home to Richmond. My dad and I have been going there for years and years, not only when I was racing, but watching my uncle race and watching my brother race. I was there the day that it went from a half-mile racetrack to a three quarter-mile racetrack. It’s only 45 minutes from my house in Emporia, so it’s very special place for me being that it’s home.”

What would it mean to take the checkered flag at Richmond?

“It’s a place where I reached out to my crew chief Ernie Cope and said ‘Man, it’s really important to go there and run good and be competitive.’ To get a trophy at Richmond to me is just as important as winning a race at Daytona or Indy or Charlotte. It’s definitely one track on the list that I’d like to conquer before my career is over.”

Media Access: Members of the media can now log on to www.kevinharvickinc.com to gain access to press kit information online. For more information, please email Jessica Trippy at KHI at jtrippy@kevinharvickinc.com.

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.

Kyle Busch (second) was the highest-finishing Toyota driver in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Nashville Superspeedway.

Camry driver Joey Logano earned a fourth-place result in the 300-mile race at the 1.33-mile Tennessee race track.

Logano, who started from the pole, led five times for 30 laps and Busch led three times for 39 laps in the 225 lap race.

Other Camry drivers in the 43 car field included Kenny Wallace (12th), David Reutimann (14th), Ryan Truex (16th), Steve Wallace (17th), Michael Annett (19th), Brian Scott (22nd) and Kevin Conway (24th).

Four Toyota drivers are currently in the top-15 in the unofficial NNS points after eight of 35 races — Scott (eighth), K. Wallace (ninth), Annett (10th) and S. Wallace (11th).

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 1st What did you need to catch Carl Edwards at the end of the race? “It was just a little bit of everything. We just missed a little bit of chassis, a little under the hood and a little aero probably, too. The guys have done a really nice job with this car and have gotten us to where we’ll be competitive each and every week. We’ve won a few and today we just weren’t the best car — the 60 (Carl Edwards) was definitely the best car. Congratulations to Carl. This Z-Line Designs Camry was good today, just not the best — we were pretty good.”

How was your race? “It was a good day. The Z-Line Designs Camry was a second-best car. We knew that yesterday through practice. We saw it on the track. We worked our guts out to try to make some changes to it and the guys did a great job, they just didn’t quite have enough today. We saw that all throughout the race. I got out there and led a little bit, but knew I was only biding my time out there. We had some fun, but all in all, if you look back on the season so far, it’s been pretty good for us. Every time we’ve had a good run, we’ve been able to be in the top-three. Sometimes you have a bad run and you end up with a blown engine or a loose wheel or get spun out at Talladega. Today was a good day.”

How was the battle with Carl Edwards at the end of the race? “It was a good race for us today. The Z-Line Designs Camry was fast, just not quite fast enough. We just kind of lacked a little bit in every area and could only muster a second-place today. We felt pretty good about where we were and how we ran. We could keep up with Carl (Edwards), but it seems like the old car to the new car — we’ve kind of flip-flopped a little bit. It seems like the 60 (Carl Edwards) is the car to beat every single week but all the Roush cars are pretty quick. We just need a little bit more with our Camrys and once we get that, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with once again.”

Did you think you had enough to challenge Carl Edwards for the win? “We put on a little bit of a race there. Brad (Keselowski) was right behind us and kind of lurking in the distance there. It was kind of cool to do that. Carl (Edwards) got a run on me, got to the bottom. I could keep the top lane momentum going a little bit, but I knew I couldn’t do it between turns three and four — I was just too tight down there. So, I let Carl go and him having the wrong trajectory into the corner, he kind of slipped up the track and I came back to his bottom — just a little crossover. I didn’t quite finish that pass. He had a really fast car and we could keep up with him momentarily, just not for the whole run that we needed to. It was a good show right there. It was a little bit or racing back and forth. It was cool to see that there was a second lane here. I thought Goodyear brought a really good tire for us that laid rubber right out of the gate — the first laps on the race track. We could move it and spread the lane out a little bit. I felt like it was pretty good racing there. Spent most of my time on the high side in turns one and two.”

Does the wind affect you during a race like today? “I think the biggest thing is blowing us into turn three a little bit. It kind of makes it a little more difficult to hit the bottom. Other than that, we’ve seen some really high winds at Texas at a place we go 190, close to 200 mph. That makes it a lot more interesting than here at Nashville.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Harvest Investments Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 4th How was your race? “We were fourth, I felt like we were a third-place car — it just took us a while to get there. We just fought a lot of different things today. We gave my Cup guys a weekend off

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Nashville Superspeedway Dodge Motorsports PR

Nashville 300 Post-Race Quotes NASCAR Nationwide Series

http://twitter.com/teamdodge www.media.chrysler.com

BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished Third “A decent day for our Discount Tire Dodge. You hate to be happy with third-place. It was a good effort. We need to find a little bit more speed. The Roush cars just have more speed and when you put a driver like Carl Edwards in a car like he had today, he’s going to win the race. You give him the best car and he’s going to win with it. We’ve got some work to do. We’ll get our Penske cars faster.”

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP FOR YOUR TEAM? “We’ll keep working on our program. We’ve made our cars better; we just need to find more speed. We’ll get there and give them a run for their money. We ran a strong race. The guys did a great job on pit road. We just need to find speed in all areas. We’re a lot better than we were at the start of the season. I’m not cutting down tires every week like I was at the start of the season. We’re getting closer.”

WHERE WERE YOU GUYS MISSING SPEED TODAY? “Just through the corners. I just can’t get my car to drive off like I need it to in the center (of the corner). The Roush guys have something figured out with their cars because they really stick in the corners.”

TODD GORDON (crew chief, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T) “A bit of a struggle today. We still haven’t found the speed in this Discount Tire Dodge that the 60 (Edwards) and 18 (Busch) had today. We’ll keep working on it. We’ll find it. The Roush cars are pretty quick right now. We’re just struggling rolling through the center of the corner.”

THE EVENT.

EVENT: Nashville 300, Round 7 of 34 in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series

DATE / TIME: Saturday, April 23, 2011, 2:00 PM CT

VENUE: Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, TN (1.33-Mile Oval)

DISTANCE: 225 Laps, 300 Miles

TV (PRE-RACE): NASCAR Countdown, ESPN (Live-2:00 PM ET)

TV (RACE): ESPN (Live-3:00 PM ET)

RADIO: MRN Radio / Sirius NASCAR Radio (Live)

THE HEADLINES.

THE STORY: For the first time in the team’s brief history, Rusty Wallace Racing will field a third car for this weekend’s event, with Toyota Sprint Cup veteran, David Reutimann at the helm of the No. 64 Flatout Flatbread Toyota Camry. The No. 64 team is currently scheduled to compete in at least seven 2011 Nationwide Series events; Reutimann will split driving duties for those races with former No. 64 driver, David Stremme and 2011 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown winner, Jason Bowles. Aspen Dental will sponsor four of the seven events.

CARTER IN COMMAND: RWR General Manager and former Sprint Cup crew chief, Larry Carter will return to the pit box to lead the No. 64 team in its limited schedule. In his most recent crew chief role, Carter guided Steve Wallace to a lead-lap top-20 effort in this year’s Daytona 500-the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut for both Wallace and RWR.

DAVID REUTIMANN AT NASHVILLE: Reutimann has been a force with which to be reckoned at Nashville Superspeedway, with three top-five and six top-ten finishes in his eight career starts there. His average finish of 11.6 at Nashville is third best among drivers entered in Saturday’s race. Reutimann won Nashville’s August 2005 NASCAR Truck Series race and has three top-ten finishes in his three Truck Series starts there.

A HELPING HAND: RWR’s fleet of No. 62, No. 64 and No. 66 cars-along with the other Toyota factory teams-will carry graphics supporting the American Red Cross’s Japan Disaster Relief efforts again this weekend in Nashville. Toyota has a strong connection to Western Tennessee, with engine blocks and automatic transmission parts being manufactured at a plant in nearby Jackson. Donations to support the Japan relief efforts can be made online at redcross.org.

THE MACHINES.

TEAM 64 PRIMARY: RWR-064-A car usually assigned to Steve Wallace’s No. 66 5-Hour Energy team, chassis 064 made its Nationwide Series debut several weeks ago in Texas. In that race, Wallace manhandled an extremely loose race car to salvage a top-20 finish.

GOING FLATOUT.

WELCOME FLATOUT FLATBREAD: Rusty Wallace Racing is pleased to welcome Flatout Flatbread to its stable of partners. Flatout will serve as primary sponsor of David Reutimann’s No. 64 team in this weekend’s event.

ABOUT FLATOUT FLATBREAD: Flatout Flatbread is a Michigan-based company selling healthy and tasty flatbreads across America. Started in 1998, Flatout is the fastest growing alternative to sliced bread. Its line includes Flatout Flatbreads, Artisan Foldit and Edge On Baked Flatbread Crisps. Flatout appeals to the whole family with fun and easy recipes from wraps to pizza to Panini. Flatout products are sold in deli bakery sections of all major grocery retailers and drug chains. For more on Flatout Flatbread, please visit flatoutbread.com.

JUST SAYIN’.

RUSTY WALLACE ON THE ADDITION OF A THIRD TEAM: “We’re very excited about this new addition to our program. Not only does it allow us to grow partnerships with companies like Aspen Dental and Flatout Flatbread, but it also allows us to evaluate our race cars even further. It’s not a secret that we haven’t run as well as we expected in 2011 and having a veteran like David Reutimann giving additional feedback may help speed up our COT learning curve. At the same time, David Stremme did a great job for us in 2008 and I really feel like Jason Bowles has the potential to be fast at the Nationwide level. I’d like to thank Aspen Dental and Flatout Flatbread for supporting us, as well as the folks at MWR and Toyota for allowing David Reutimann to help us a bit.”

THE EVENT.

EVENT: Nashville 300, Round 8 of 34 in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series

DATE / TIME: Saturday, April 23, 2011, 2:00 PM CT

VENUE: Nashville Superspeedway, Lebanon, TN (1.33-Mile Oval)

DISTANCE: 225 Laps, 300 Miles

TV (PRE-RACE): NASCAR Countdown, ESPN (Live-2:00 PM ET)

TV (RACE): ESPN (Live-3:00 PM ET)

RADIO: MRN Radio / Sirius NASCAR Radio (Live)

THE HEADLINES.

THE STORY: Steve Wallace and Team 5-Hour Energy strum their way to Music City this weekend looking to seize opportunity in the first of the 2011 stand-alone “opportunity” races. After a slow start to RWR’s 2011 Nationwide Series campaign, Nashville could prove to be an oasis for Wallace. The one and one-thirds-mile circuit has been one of Wallace’s strongest venues in recent years; he has three top-ten finishes in the last four races there. Wallace heads into this weekend’s event also hoping to benefit from a new teammate in Sprint Cup veteran, David Reutimann, who is driving a third No. 64 Toyota for RWR this weekend.

STEVE WALLACE AT NASHVILLE: Steve Wallace has well established himself as one of the contenders at Nashville in recent years, scoring three top-ten finishes in his last four starts on the Tennessee oval. He scored his second career Nationwide Series pole position at Nashville’s June 2007 event, in what was only the 15th race of his first full Nationwide Series season. Wallace started ninth in last year’s running of this race-and was well on his way to his third-straight Nashville top-ten-before being collected by an accident in which he would suffer a broken right foot. Wallace’s three career top-tens at Nashville are tied for his personal best at any one track.

A HELPING HAND: RWR’s fleet of No. 62, No. 64 and No. 66 cars-along with the other Toyota factory teams-will carry graphics supporting the American Red Cross’s Japan Disaster Relief efforts again this weekend in Nashville. Toyota has a strong connection to Western Tennessee, with engine blocks and automatic transmission parts being manufactured at a plant in nearby Jackson. Donations to support the Japan relief efforts can be made online at redcross.org.

THE MACHINES.

TEAM 66 PRIMARY: RWR-058-A new car for 2011, RWR-058 has been rebuilt following its Nationwide Series debut several weeks ago at Auto Club Speedway. In that event, Steve Wallace scored his fifth straight top-15 start at Auto Club, but was involved in an early-race spin that caused damage to the front end of his Toyota.

TEAM 66 SECONDARY: RWR-052-Rebuilt as an intermediate car for 2011, car 052 has yet to make its 2011 on-track debut. It scored a top-15 finish in its first start at Daytona last year.

THE ENERGY SHOT.

WELCOME, KROGER: 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Kroger as a partner for the Nashville event. Kroger branding will appear on the television panel of Steve Wallace’s No. 66 car during Saturday’s race. This weekend’s event is the first of six races in which Kroger will appear on the No. 66 car. Kroger will also be featured on Wallace’s No. 66 next weekend in Richmond.

FROM THE COCKPIT.

Q: The RWR teams have had somewhat of a slower start to 2011 than many people predicted over the off-season. What’s your take and what’s your focus for 2011 going forward?

A: “Well first, I can tell you that my focus never changes. I go to every race focused on winning and doing everything I can to make that happen. As a race car driver, if that ever changes, you need to find a new job, that’s for sure. It’s pretty clear to everyone that we didn’t start out the year with our COT program where it needed to be. NASCAR put us on the same chassis as the Cup cars and we all knew it was going to be an enormous hill to climb. No one at RWR is happy or content with where we are right now; we’re all working as hard as we can-along with the guys at Toyota Racing Development-to get the RWR cars up front where they need to be. I know that we’re not going to stop until we do.”