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Category: XFINITY Series

NASCAR XFINITY Series news and information

  • Edwards Sweeps Weekend, Wins with FR9 Engine

    Mooresville, NC (November 15, 2010) Carl Edwards’ Ford Fusion has been on an impressive winning streak, earning front row starting positions and capturing the win in the last two Nationwide Series races.  Edward’s also qualified on the pole during this week’s Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway and swept the weekend by winning the Kobalt Tools 500.

    Edwards drives the #99 Aflac Ford Fusion powered by Roush Yates’ new FR9 engine.  The FR9 is the first Ford purpose-built race engine ever engineered and produced at Roush Yates Engines in Mooresville, NC.  The new Ford engine has been integrated slowly into the Sprint Cup Series throughout the second half of the 2010 season with help from Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports’ cars racing the engine intermittently.  It has been a remarkable learning period for the FR9, with a total of 5 poles and 3 wins, including Edwards’ win this weekend that required both horsepower and efficient fuel mileage to beat Championship contenders Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin.

    “The new FR9 engine that Ford helped us with certainly was a factor today,” said Jack Roush, owner of Roush Fenway Racing.  “The fact that we were able to save gas and still have enough speed to maintain position on the race track was all very good.  I’m thrilled to be in Victory Lane this weekend.”

    Even though a Championship is out of reach for Ford this year, the FR9 engine has shown an impressive increase in performance and reliability throughout the second half of the 2010 Sprint Cup season.  These improvements bring enthusiasm to the Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines camps, as they plan to run the FR9 in all Ford cars for the full 2011 Sprint Cup Season.

    “I’m excited to be running the FR9 in all Fords for the entire 2011 Sprint Cup Season and soon to come for the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series,” said Doug Yates, CEO of Roush Yates Engines.  “Carl’s win at Phoenix is just another testament to the power Roush Yates’ FR9 engine is capable of.  Everyone at the engine shop has been working hard to get this engine just right, and we are extremely proud of Roush Fenway Racing and their accomplishments with it this year.  I look forward to watching the FR9 race at Ford Championship weekend next week at Homestead, as well as the 2011 Sprint Cup Season.”

    To learn more about the FR9 engine and how you can get the same power that Carl Edwards has in your race car, please contact Jeff Clark at 1-877-361-1545 or visit our website at www.roushyatesparts.com.

    About Roush Yates Engines

    Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you’d expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow. In 2009 Doug Yates purchased his father’s half of Roush Yates Engines to become a co-owner in the company.

    As CEO, Doug Yates leads a staff of 180 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test, and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, Dirt Late Model, Sprint cars, and NHRA Pro Stock. At Roush Yates Engines, the mission is Power Performance, which is achieved through innovation design, precision engineering, and skillful craftsmanship. Building the best engines in racing today, providing service that’s second to none, and honoring a commitment to research and development are the heart of Roush Yates Engines.

  • Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt: A Tale of Two Phoenix Rookies

    Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt: A Tale of Two Phoenix Rookies

    Patrick, straddling both IndyCar and the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been trying to gain seat time and experience in her No. 7 GoDaddy JR Motorsports stock car. She was especially looking forward to racing for the first time at the track in the Valley of the Sun, a home game for her.

    “I remember at Charlotte last month everyone was thrilled to be racing close to home,” Patrick said prior to the race. “Now I get my turn for a hometown race.”

    While Patrick has raced her IndyCar at Phoenix, the Wypall 200 served as her stock car debut at her home track.

    “It’s a place I thought was cool in an Indy Car, and I’m sure it will be a handful in a stock car,” Patrick said. “It’s challenging, and I’m sure it will be even more so in a stock car with less grip.”

    Patrick’s words proved prophetic as the race was full of challenges for her. She started the race in the 28th position and remained in that position, logging laps as she familiarized herself with the track.

    Patrick made little progress forward, however, and that is how her trouble began. At least twice, she had close contact with other race cars back in the pack, once with Tony Raines which resulted in a tire problem, and another time with Alex Kennedy, against whom she later took retaliatory action.

    Her troubles intensified when she lost control and hit the wall hard, sending her to the attention of her pit crew for repairs. Patrick, who had set a goal of finishing in the top 15 prior to the race, finished 32nd, seven laps down to race winner Carl Edwards.

    In stark contrast to Patrick’s much heralded and intensely scrutinized Phoenix Nationwide start, Cole Whitt and his Red Bull Racing team took to the track, both making their Nationwide debuts. Whitt, who is just 19 years old, has raced primarily in the K&N Pro Series, where he finished fourth in the point standings and runner up for rookie of the year honors for the 2010 season.

    “It’s going to be fun and cool to see how we stack up against some of the bigger guys,” Whitt said prior to the race. “I have all the confidence in the world in my team, my cars and everything that we are putting together, so I have no doubt that we will go out there and run good.”

    “I approach every race in attack mode,” Whitt said. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure we are as fast as we can be.”

    Although Witt had never raced Phoenix in a Nationwide car, he has had experience at Phoenix International Raceway. Whitt raced twice in USAC midgets, winning the USAC Silver Crown portion of the 2009 Copper World Classic for his first victory on pavement.

    Prior to the race, Whitt also got some coaching from Red Bull Racing’s Cup stars, Brian Vickers and Scott Speed. Vickers particularly cautioned the youngster to “pick his battles wisely.”

    Both Vickers and Speed urged their rookie driver to understand the fine balance between standing your ground against the veterans, while also not letting them push you around.

    “You don’t want to make enemies on your first day,” Vickers told Whitt prior to the race. “The veterans can make your life miserable.”

    For his Nationwide debut at PIR, Whitt, behind the wheel of the No. 84 Red Bull car, had to qualify his way into the race with no owner’s points available. He not only made the show, starting in the 21st position, but also turned heads by being the fastest car in Nationwide happy hour practice at 130.496 mph.

    For his part, Whitt heeded all of his teammates’ advice. He kept his nose clean, stayed out of trouble, and brought the car home for a top-15 finish.

    “I’ve got to thank Red Bull, Toyota and everybody that came together to make this thing happen,” Whitt said after the race. “We really didn’t mess up a whole lot. I think it was a track position race and we just couldn’t quite get up front where we needed to be.”

    “Everything went good,” Whitt continued. “We came out here to prove ourselves and I think we did pretty decent. We came out for a top-15 and that’s what we had.”

    For Whitt and Patrick, the tale of the two Phoenix Nationwide rookies could not have played out more differently. While Patrick struggled, beating and banging to finish laps down, Whitt managed to move ahead, keeping his nose clean and achieving that top-15 finish that has eluded Patrick throughout her Nationwide season.

    The other tale of these two Phoenix Nationwide rookies, however, is even more divergent. Patrick will finish up her Nationwide rookie season at Homestead and is set to race again next year, while Whitt’s plans for the future remain uncertain.

  • Edwards wins NNS race at Phoenix

    Edwards wins NNS race at Phoenix

    With two racing remaining in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series some teams and drivers were searching for solution for 2011. Entering the Wypall 200 at Phoenix International Raceway Brad Keselowski and the Penske/ Discount Tire #22 team already have the driver’s championship locked up. The only other top fight is between that #22 team and the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 team for the owners championship. Gibbs was leading entering this race.

    From the drop of the green flag, and even before, it was obvious that Carl Edwards wanted this win bad. He battled early in the race with Joey Logano, who led 23 laps early in the race. Up front for the first 100 laps it was Edwards, Kyle Bush, Kevin Harvick, Justin Allgaier and Logano.

    With 50 laps remaining in the race the top 5 battling were Edwards, Bush, Harvick, Keselowski and Logano. With 30 laps to go Bush was forced to pit for a cut rear tire change, no caution came out and he went down a lap to the leaders. Although he fought hard to regain ground and made his way to the first cart none lap down, the needed caution was not forthcoming. Kyle did manage to get past the leader to finish on the lead lap, but at 16th place, the last car on the lead lap, the hopes of the owners championship for Joe Gibbs Racing is all but a memory.

    In the closing laps it was Edwards out front with a commanding 4.5 second lead over second place Kevin Harvick. Carl would come home the winner once again, followed across the line by Harvick, Logano, Keselowski and Sorenson in fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Almirola, Stenhouse Jr., Allgaier, Braun and Steven Wallace 10th.

    Trevor Bayne, who had to qualify on speed in the RFR unsponsored #17 car started 9th and remained in the top 15 most of the day. His intention is to turn laps as he hopes to maintain his championship points position after being released by Diamond-Waltrip Racing. Racing smart, with no real points battle in sight, Bayne brought the #17 home in 14th place, giving Roush Fenway racing five cars in the top 15 for the day.

    The fight on the other end of the spectrum included a few teams with their eyes on the top 30 points position. That’s the elusive number to get your car locked into the first five races of 2011. Those teams in the battle include the #70 of ML Motorsports and driver’s Shelby Howard and Mark Green. Howard only runs a 22 race schedule, but a partnership agreement between ML Motorsports and Jay Robinson Racing provides the 70 car with more equipment and a second driver in David Green. It’s a strange situation since Howard replaced Green as the primary driver for ML after 4 races in 2009. The 70 came to PIR in 30th, 101 points ahead of the 81 team. The 35 of Mark Smith and the 23 of Robert Richardson were only 41 points ahead of the 70.

    The tension for that coveted 30 spot heated up on lap 20 of this race as Mark Green and the #70 car headed for the garage with a ‘blowed up’ transmission and engine. The folks back at ML Motorsports got a sigh of relief as the #81 car finished 26th keeping the #70 locked in the field going into the final race at Homestead.

    For Indycar star, Danica Patrick this was another day of over exaggerated media coverage, a bit of almost racing, a bit of beating and banging and of course the obligatory whining. The final result for Danica was in line with her previous 10 races, finishing seven laps down in 32nd place.

    Unofficial Race Results

    WYPALL 200 powered by Kimberly-Clark Professional

    November 13, 2010 | Race 34 of 35

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 – 60 Carl Edwards Ford 195 10 200 Running
    2 – 33 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 170 0 200 Running
    3 – 20 Joey Logano Toyota 170 5 200 Running
    4 – 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 160 0 200 Running
    5 – 32 Reed Sorenson Toyota 155 0 200 Running
    6 – 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 155 5 200 Running
    7 – 16 Colin Braun * Ford 146 0 200 Running
    8 – 12 Justin Allgaier Dodge 142 0 200 Running
    9 – 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. * Ford 138 0 200 Running
    10 – 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 134 0 200 Running
    11 – 9 Brian Scott * Toyota 130 0 200 Running
    12 – 40 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 127 0 200 Running
    13 – 98 Paul Menard Ford 124 0 200 Running
    14 – 17 Trevor Bayne Ford 121 0 200 Running
    15 – 184 Cole Whitt Toyota 118 0 200 Running
    16 – 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 120 5 200 Running
    17 – 23 Coleman Pressley Chevrolet 112 0 200 Running
    18 – 15 Michael Annett Toyota 109 0 200 Running
    19 – 35 Tony Raines Chevrolet 111 5 200 Running
    20 – 28 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 103 0 200 Running
    21 – 10 Ricky Carmichael Toyota 100 0 200 Running
    22 – 11 James Buescher * Toyota 97 0 200 Running
    23 – 99 Ryan Truex Toyota 94 0 198 Running
    24 – 27 Alex Kennedy Ford 91 0 198 Running
    25 – 5 David Starr Chevrolet 88 0 198 Running
    26 – 81 Michael McDowell Dodge 85 0 198 Running
    27 – 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 82 0 197 Running
    28 – 87 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 79 0 197 Running
    29 – 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 76 0 197 Running
    30 – 183 John Borneman III Ford 73 0 197 Running
    31 – 21 Morgan Shepherd Chevrolet 70 0 195 Running
    32 – 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 67 0 193 Running
    33 – 38 Jason Leffler Toyota 64 0 119 Out
    34 – 100 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 61 0 115 Running
    35 – 179 Tim Andrews Ford 58 0 36 Running
    36 – 49 David Green Chevrolet 55 0 31 Running
    37 – 90 Danny O’Quinn Jr. Chevrolet 52 0 27 Running
    38 – 70 Mark Green Chevrolet 49 0 20 Out
    39 – 91 David Gilliland Chevrolet 46 0 20 Out
    40 – 34 Charles Lewandoski Chevrolet 43 0 15 Running

  • Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NNS Final Qualifying – Phoenix

    Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010

    Denny Darnell

    Scott Sebastian

    Dodge Motorsports PR

    Phoenix Int’l Raceway

    WYPALL 200

    Post-Qualifying Quotes

    NASCAR Nationwide Series

    ddarneldarnellcommunications.net

    ssebastian@darnellcommunications.net

    www.media.chrysler.com

    JUSTIN ALLGAIER (No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger) Qualified 3rd “I just didn’t have the grip that I thought the car was going to have. Yesterday, we had a little more grip. That lap is probably beatable. I feel like I left a little out there. At the same time, this race car has been awesome. The Verizon Dodge guys have done a great job. This is the same car that we had at Gateway. I feel like, for me, that was a big deal because we ran so well there and these two race tracks are so much alike. We’ll just wait and see what happens. I feel like we have a great opportunity to have a strong finish today and as long as we can stay within ourselves, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

    TALK ABOUT HOW TOUGH IT CAN BE RACING AT PHOENIX?

    “This is probably one of my favorite race tracks. I always forget about it until we come back. It’s like, ‘Man, I know why I love this place so much.’ During the day, it’s a lot different than it is during the night. We were pretty good here at night. I feel like during the day it might throw some people a curve ball. At the same time, I feel like our guys have really hit the nail on the head and feel like we have a great opportunity to win one.”

    BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger) Qualified 12th “Time after time we come here to Phoenix and the early qualifying draw kills you. The track gets better after about the fifth or sixth car. It’s frustrating. We have a car that’s capable of sitting on the pole, but the draw kind of dictates that it won’t. The important part is the race. The Discount Tire Dodge Charger is plenty fast. I think that we’ll be fine for the race.”

    HOW DOES IT FEEL TO COME TO THE TRACK AS THE 2010 NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES CHAMPION?

    “It’s feels awesome. All the recognition of the fans and from your fellow competitors makes you really humble to be a part of this sport. There are just so few people that are so talented that get to be a champion. You’ve got Mark Martin and others that are great race car drivers and never get the chance (to win a championship) and you look back and go, ‘Wow, I’ve done something really amazing.’”

  • On Pit Road: 2010 winding down looking gloomy

    On Pit Road: 2010 winding down looking gloomy

    As teams and driver’s in NASCAR’s number two and three series arrive at Phoenix looking past the final two races, things are not looking rosy.

    I caught up with some of the players in the garage at PIR to ask how they see 2011 shaping up. In the NASCAR Nationwide Series there is a lot of uncertainty for sure. Kenny Wallace announced earlier in the year that depending on how he performs in 2011, it may be his final curtain for NASCAR as a driver. I had heard earlier in the month of changes coming to Jay Robinson Racing for next year, including the possible shuttering of the #28 team. When I spoke with Kenny at PIR he was pretty blunt. “ I am embarrassed, I can’t run another season in cars with no power. I don’t know right now what the answer is, but we can’t keep doing this.”

    If Kenny is looking for another ride for 2011, the pickings are slim. RCR announced earlier that they will not return to the series in 2011 and have an arrangement to turn the #21 over to Morgan Shepherd. But folks inside the Shepherd camp admit that it is getting harder and harder to keep showing up at the track week in and week out with little to no sponsorship money. Add that sponsor problem to the cost of building all new cars for next year, combined with the ‘purse’ cuts in 2010 and more cuts in line for 2011, and it spells more doom and gloom. The day of the single car teams is looking dim and could provide little more than start and park teams.

    While the larger operations, such as Roush Fenway, Joe Gibbs, and Hendrick/JR Motorsports have room to work with Cup revenue and sponsor exposure with their Cup drivers, these smaller one and two car teams are in a real bind. ML Motorsports, out of Indiana is another single car team that could be promising with driver Shelby Howard. For 2010, they teamed up in a partnership with Jay Robinson Racing and driver Mark Green to fill in for the races other than the 22 Howard runs. This effort has pushed the #70 team into the top 30 and a guaranteed starting spot each week, and will lock them in for the first five races of 2011. But the uncertainty at Jay Robinson Racing may put that program in jeopardy for next year.

    A few weeks back Diamond Waltrip Racing released promising developmental driver Trevor Bayne. Wasting no time, RFR signed the talented young Knoxville, TN driver and placed him in a spare car in the NNS for the final races. In a surprise move, RFR made a deal to put Bayne in the legendary Wood Brothers #21 Sprint Cup car at Texas Motor Speedway. An impressive Bayne finished on the lead lap consistently running along side seasoned veterans in the series. That race earned Bayne NASCAR’s approval to attempt the 2011 Daytona 500. Now NS or will this signal the release of Ricky Stenhouse of Colin Braun?

    At about the same time, leading rookie of the year contender Brian Scott was released from his ride after Braun Racing sold out to Turner Racing. Scott managed to stay running and continue to compete for the ROTY honors. He is driving in the 09 RAB racing car now but has signed on with Joe Gibbs Racing for 2011. When Scott moved into the 09 car the team had gone through a myriad of drivers and musical crew members. With Scott came the switch to Toyota and the question now becomes, will the 09 team become part of JGR, with RAB leaving the series?

    The Nationwide teams are not alone as the Camping World Truck Series also has a lot of teams in financial straights. Danny Gill, who started to the season with two trucks in the opening race at Daytona, both finishing in the top 10. He had kept both teams in the top 25 in points until the lack of sponsorship forced him to pull the #95 truck from contention. Struggling each week, Gill managed to keep his #46 team locked in, but he was running out of money. A few weeks ago Eddie Sharp Racing made a deal for the #46 team for some of their developmental drivers. The Sharp deal brought in new Toyota Trucks to use. NASCAR veteran Steve Park took the wheel of the #46 truck at PIR.

    When I spoke with Gill On Pit Road at Phoenix, he confided that he simply ran out of money. He has sold the #46 ‘team’ to ESR who be buying all new Toyota trucks from Kyle Bush Motorsports in 2011. The physical assets of the #46 team have been sold to another individual and the Gill Motosports shop in Murfreesboro, TN will be closed by the end of November.

    Truck Series Rookie contender Jennifer Jo Cobb who entered the series this year with financing from her own clothing line told me that she is uncertain at this point what the future holds. She attempted a handful of Nationwide races this year with the intention to go full time in 2011 in that series, but wrecked cars and no sponsor money ended that quest. “ There will be no idea of a full time Nationwide run next year” she told me Friday night before her truck race. “ At this point, I don’t know what we will be doing next year, except that I will tell you that I will be at Daytona. After that, it depends on sponsorship.”

  • Last Chance to Own a Piece of History

    Charlotte, N.C. (Nov. 12, 2010) – Carl Edwards winning his 50th NASCAR career victory this past weekend in Texas has only been a part of the memorable wins that he has gathered so far this season. From his win at Gateway International Raceway to the inaugural win at Road America, Edwards has been busy working hard on and off of the track.

    One of his efforts came as a result of his victory at Road America where on October 25 it was announced that Edwards had teamed up with one his NASCAR Nationwide Series sponsors Copart, Inc. to auction off some of his personal memorabilia. Included in the auction is the Harley Davidson motorcycle he won from Road America, a race-used fire suit, the hood of his No. 60 Copart Ford and an autographed pit crew uniform. Edwards’ intention is to donate all auction proceeds to Back2Back Ministries’ orphanages.

    Copart.com started accepting maximum bids on October 25. However, the final live auction will take place on November 15. To date, the motorcycle bid is up to $5,800, the fire suit is $500, the hood is $250 and the crew shirt is at $125. Using social media to promote this auction, Copart estimates that over 600 people have signed up as new members on Copart.com with the hope of helping Edwards in his charitable cause.

    Between now and the live auction on Monday, November 15, fans are encouraged to visit Copart.com for a chance to own a piece of Carl Edwards’ history. Once a member, folks can place their bid on any of the Edwards’ memorabilia and enter a sweepstakes with a chance to win one of 500 No. 60 Copart Ford die cast cars.

    About Roush Fenway Racing

    Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating eight motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, and Paul Menard. 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 for sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

  • Kevin Harvick Inc.’s Lucky Charm Returns for 2011 Season

    KERNERSVILLE, N.C. (November 12, 2010) – Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) has a lucky charm with the Armour® Vienna Sausage paint scheme. KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick has driven in three NASCAR Nationwide Series events where the Armour® Vienna Sausage paint scheme has adorned the sides of the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet. Harvick has visited victory lane with the Armour Vienna Sausage paint scheme all three times. Harvick and Armour® raced to victory at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway and Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in 2010 and also partnered for Harvick’s history-making win in 2009 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway when he recorded his first-career victory in a KHI-owned Nationwide Series entry.

    Most recently Armour® Vienna Sausages rode along for another historical win as four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday won his first-career Truck Series victory at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in October 2010.

    The “lucky charm” paint scheme will return to KHI in 2011 to serve as primary sponsor for four race events in both the Truck and Nationwide Series. The Armour® Vienna Sausage colors will be represented in Truck Series events at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on the No. 2 Truck and Atlanta Motor Speedway on the No. 33 Truck. Armour® Vienna Sausage will have representation in the Nationwide Series at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway with driver Kevin Harvick and Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway with driver Elliott Sadler. Armour® Vienna Sausage will also serve as an associate sponsor on the No. 33 KHI Nationwide Series and the No. 33 Truck Series entries when they are not the primary sponsor.

    “We are very pleased and excited to extend our partnership with KHI for another year,” said Eric Hintz, Vice President of Marketing for Pinnacle Foods. “Kevin and DeLana Harvick and their entire team are absolute professionals and represent our brands like Armour Vienna Sausage and Vlasic Pickles so well.

    We’ve been very fortunate to visit victory lane with the Armour Vienna Sausage car/truck every time we’ve raced,” Hintz continued. “Is it lucky? I’d like to think that the hard work by everyone on the KHI team coupled with some great driving sets up the team for success. Maybe there’s a little Armour Vienna Sausage magic too.”

    KHI co-owner Kevin Harvick also looks forward to enjoying the benefits of the Armour® Vienna Sausage relationship. “I’m very proud that Armour® Vienna Sausage and Pinnacle Foods are going to continue their relationship with KHI. The paint scheme has gone undefeated in the Nationwide Series, and now they’re undefeated in the Truck Series as well. At KHI, we are proud to not only help them grow their brand awareness, but we are even happier to help them expand their business with the relationships we have been able to foster within the program. It will be a lot of pressure on the drivers who get to run the paint scheme next year, but I’m sure they will all be up to the challenge.”

    It seems that regardless of who climbs behind the wheel, when the blue and gold colors of Armour® Vienna Sausage are on the hood and quarter panels of a KHI race vehicle, they somehow always find their way to victory lane. The scheme has become a true modern day lucky charm.

    About Pinnacle Foods:

    Pinnacle Foods Group LLC, with offices in Mountain Lakes and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products in the frozen foods and dry foods segments. The dry foods segment consists primarily of Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings; Vlasic® pickles, peppers and relish; Armour® canned meats; Open Pit® barbeque sauce and Mrs. Butterworth’s® and Log Cabin® syrups and pancake mixes. The frozen foods segment consists primarily of Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts; Swanson® and Hungry-Man® frozen dinners and entrees; Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® frozen seafood; Celeste® pizza; Lender’s® bagels; and Bird’s Eye ® vegetables and dinners.

    About Kevin Harvick Inc.

    Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

  • NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: The Nationwide Series at Phoenix

    NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: The Nationwide Series at Phoenix

    The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be a major part of the big racing weekend at the Phoenix International Raceway with Saturday’s running of the Wypall 200. The series’ championship is of course all ready resolved but there are some issues regarding the Owner’s Championship and of course there is always the bragging rights that comes with saying you were number one in the valley of the sun.

    THE STORY BREAKDOWN.

    The hot garage topic from the Nationwide Series these days seems to be centered around NASCAR’s anticipated decision and announcement regarding the status of Sprint Cup drivers entering the series’ Saturday events.

    For the past couple of years this particular topic has been somewhat of a double edged sword in every sense of the word. One of the arguments states that the influx of the Sprint Cup drivers racing in the Nationwide Series flies in the face of the series’ original intent: a stepping stone and training ground for up and coming drivers. The proponents of that argument also points out that the Cup influx, and their on track successes, are taking the upper tier prize money away from the full time series team owners. Both points have a great deal of validity.

    On the other end of this issue is an equally valid point of view from the track owners and promoters who will tell you that the presence of the Cup drivers in these races sells extra tickets. The television networks who broadcast the Nationwide Series also view their presence as a basic foundation for potential ratings. A prime example of this were the numbers from last Saturday’s Texas race which was reported to be up from this time last year.

    There’s a very good possibility that NASCAR officials will be making an announcement, somewhere in the next two weeks, regarding their intent on this matter. The hot garage speculation seems to be leaning towards the Cup drivers being allowed to race in an unlimited number of Nationwide Series races but under the condition that they will not be eligible to win the series’ championships. Under the proposed plan drivers who choose to race full time in both series, such as series champion Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards, will be required to declare which championship they wish to seek for 2011. Again, the operative words at this point in time are: “garage speculation.”

    *************

    Nationwide Series fans already know that Brad Keselowski made early work of winning the 2010 series championship, for Roger Penske Racing, last Saturday in Texas. What remains undecided at this point in time is the series’ Owner’s Points Championship. Joe Gibbs Racing, thanks largely to the contribution from driver Kyle Busch, currently leads those standings and holds an 81 points advantage over Keselowski’s team. If the Gibbs #18 team wins this title then it will mark the first time since 2008, and only the fourth time in series history, that the driver and owner championships were won by two separate teams.

    *************

    Regarding the pre race favorites to win Saturday’s Nationwide Series events there are four standouts. The first one is Carl Edwards the defending race winner. Edwards has three wins at Phoenix, in 11 starts, and currently has an excellent average finish ratio of 6.5.

    Of course you never overlook the win potential of Kyle Busch. He’s won three of the last six series events at Phoenix. He currently has an average finish ratio of 9.6 in 10 Phoenix starts.

    Also keep an eye on Kevin Harvick Saturday. He only has one series win in 16 starts at Phoenix but he hold the Nationwide track record for top five finishes at 12. He’s also finished within the top five in the last six consecutive events there and has top fives in 10 of his last 11 starts.

    Also on the favorites list for Saturday is newly crowned series champion Brad Keselowski. He’s still looking for his first win at Phoenix but has a respectable 13.9 average finish ratio in ten starts. Keselowski has also ran up a streak of 100 consecutive races without a DNF, did not finish.

    *************

    THE RACE BREAKDOWN

    The Wypall 200 is 200 laps/200 miles around the Phoenix International Raceway’s one mile, basically flat, oval.

    The race has 48 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. 18 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning these teams are not guaranteed a starting berth because they are currently outside of the Nationwide Series top 30 in owner’s points. These teams will have to earn a starting berth based on their qualifying speeds.

    Two of the drivers on the go or go home list, Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Green, have guaranteed starting berths because they are entitled to past champion’s provisional’s.

    Saturday’s Wypall 200 will be broadcast live by the ESPN2 Network beginning with the pre race show at 430 pm eastern time.

  • Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma’am – Travis Pastrana comes to NASCAR

    Wham, Bam, Thank you Ma’am – Travis Pastrana comes to NASCAR

    Michael Waltrip Racing along with Gary and Blake Bechtel has teamed up with Travis Pastrana to form Pastrana-Waltrip Racing. Pastrana, the star of MTV’s “Nitro Circus,” will compete in seven Nationwide races in 2011 and plan on running in 20 races in 2012.

    Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images for NASCAR
    Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images for NASCAR

    “I’ve been following NASCAR closely for years as a fan of the sport with competing in the sport a life-long dream,” Pastrana said. “I decided it was time to try and turn that dream into reality and with the help of the Bechtel family, Michael Waltrip Racing and Wasserman media group I’m now one step closer!”

    This has been the most exciting Chase in recent memory but the news of Travis Pastrana coming to NASCAR in the Nationwide Series next season has me even more fired up.

    Combine the adrenaline-fueled atmosphere of NASCAR with the no fear, anything goes approach of Travis Pastrana and anything is possible. It could be a crashing disaster or an electrifying roller coaster ride of success.

    Wham!

    One thing is certain; you won’t want to miss a minute.

    Pastrana has been a star since the first ever MotoX Freestyle event at X Games in 1999 where he won a gold medal. He followed this up with two more gold medals in 2000 and 2001.

    His passion and willingness to risk everything has made him a fan favorite. The excitement that Pastrana brings to any event is infectious. You never know what he will do. You do know that you want to be there to see it.

    Bam!

    Pastrana is perhaps most well-known for the first double backflip in the Best Trick competition at the MotoX Games in 2006. But his talents and the need to challenge himself always have him searching for the next adventure.

    Recently, Pastrana has been focused on the rally racing scene. He’s the youngest ever U.S. Rally Champion and has to his credit over 150 wins, 22 event victories, and four straight Rally America National Championship titles. He has also been dominant at ESPN X Games Rally Car Racing events where he has earned two gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal.

    Pastrana’s entry into NASCAR will surely bring a much-needed antidote to the vanilla interchangeable driver parade that has grown stale.

    With a charisma that matches Dale Earnhardt Jr and a built-in X Games fan base, Pastrana could be the fuel to reignite NASCAR.

    Thank you, Ma’am!

  • RUSTY WALLACE RACING NEWS AND NOTES: PHOENIX II

    –The Top-Ten Points Battle Heads to the Valley of the Sun–

     

     

    The Event:  Phoenix 200  (Round 33 of 35 in the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series)

     

    • Venue:  Phoenix International Raceway (1.0-mile oval)
    • Date / Time:  November 13, 2010 / 4:30 PM ET
    • Distance:  200 laps / 200 miles
    • TV / Radio:  ESPN2 (Live at 4:00 PM ET) / MRN Radio, Sirius NASCAR Radio

     

     

    Steve Wallace, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry

     

    • Points Race Continues:  Steve Wallace and his 5-Hour Energy team head to the Valley of the Sun this weekend looking to clench their place among the top-ten in the year-end point standings.  Assuming Wallace starts the Homestead event, he can clench tenth-place by leaving Phoenix with a margin of 162 points or greater over his 11th-place teammate, Brendan Gaughan.  Wallace currently leads Gaughan by 145 points.

     

    • Pointing Forward:  Wallace is also in the middle of a ferocious fight for seventh through tenth in the standings.  He currently sits a mere 77 points adrift of seventh-place Trevor Bayne.

     

    • Wallace at Phoenix:  Steve Wallace scored his first Phoenix top-ten in last year’s running of this event.  His tenth-place effort set off a streak of five straight top-ten finishes that ran through this season’s event at Las Vegas.  In this spring’s event at Phoenix, Wallace, sporting a broken foot, ran among the top-ten for the first 110 laps, before a tire failure ended his day.

     

    • Streaking:  Wallace and the 5-Hour Energy squad enter Phoenix with four finishes of 12th or better in their last six races.  They also sport four top-ten starts during that span.  Wallace has been ranked among the top-ten in NNS driver points for 21 straight weeks, the seventh-best such streak in the series; he has been among the top-ten for 47 of the last 55 weeks.

     

    • Flat-Out:  Wallace sports three top-ten finishes (ORP, Iowa, Gateway I) and five finishes of 12th or better (New Hampshire, Gateway II) on flat tracks this season.

     

    • The Machine:  Steve Wallace’s primary car for this weekend is RWR-042.  Car 42 last ran at ORP during the summer, where Wallace’s piloted it to the outside pole, en route to a top-ten finish.

     

     

    This Week’s 5-Hour Energy Shot

     

    • Welcome Aboard:  5-Hour Energy Racing is pleased to welcome Circle K Convenience Stores to its family of partners; Circle K branding will appear on the television panel of Steve Wallace’s No. 66 car this weekend at PIR.  For more than 50 years, Circle K has been one of North America’s most popular and successful operators of convenience stores. Today, there are more than 3,300 Circle K stores across the USA and over 4,000 international locations.

     

    • 5-Hour Energy Show Car Appearances in Phoenix:

     

    • �
      • Friday, November 12, 2010, 12:00 PM-2:00 PM:  Safeway 3151, 9090 South Estrella Parkway, Goodyear, AZ 85338
      • Friday, November 12, 2010, Contact Store for Time:  Safeway 1511, 14175 West Indian School Road, Goodyear, AZ 85448
      • Saturday, November 13, 2010, 11:00 AM-2:00 PM:  Circle K 1130, 11502 West Southern, Tolleson, AZ 85353

     

    • Did You Know?:  The key ingredients in 5-Hour Energy are also available in everyday foods – like broccoli, avocados, bananas and apples – or already in you.  5-Hour Energy contains zero sugar, only four calories and as much caffeine as a cup of the leading premium coffee.

     

     

    Brendan Gaughan, No. 62 Alliance Parts Toyota Camry

     

    • Trucking Along:  Rusty Wallace Racing is pleased to welcome Alliance Parts as the primary sponsor of Brendan Gaughan’s No. 62 team this weekend.  Alliance Parts is a brand of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of Class 4-8 vehicles.  The brand offers a range of new and remanufactured reliable parts and accessories at an affordable price to the commercial transportation industry.  For more information, or to locate the nearest Alliance Parts dealer, visit alliancebrandparts.com.

     

    • Double Duty:  Brendan Gaughan will make his first Sprint Cup Series start since 2004 this weekend, as he wheels TRG’s No. 71 South Point Hotel & Casino car in Sunday’s event at PIR.

     

    • Gaughan at Phoenix:  In three career NNS starts at Phoenix, Brendan Gaughan has posted one top-five and two top-ten finishes, including a fourth-place effort this spring.

     

    • Flattening the Competition:  Although he professes not to be a short track expert, Gaughan has shown much prowess on flat tracks this season, with four top-ten finishes (Phoenix I, Richmond I, New Hampshire, ORP).

     

    • The Machine:  Brendan Gaughan will pilot RWR-018 this weekend in Phoenix.  Car 18, a workhorse of the RWR fleet, has made seven 2010 starts, including one with Kenny Wallace at the controls last month in the 5-Hour Energy 250 at Gateway.

     

     

    # # #

     

     

    About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

    North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace—one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time.  The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan, respectively.  In 2009, RWR stood as the only team with multiple drivers among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver standings.  For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

     

     

    About 5-Hour Energy

     

    Made by Living Essentials, LLC, 5-Hour Energy is the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots.  5 Hour Energy is available nationwide in major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade.  Living Essentials sells over 7 million bottles of 5 Hour Energy per week.  For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

     

     

    About Alliance Parts

     

    Alliance Parts offers a range of new and remanufactured reliable parts and accessories at an affordable price to the commercial transportation industry. Alliance brand parts are available at more than 1,000 retail locations, including Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses dealerships in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, or to locate the nearest Alliance Parts dealer, visit alliancebrandparts.com.

     

    Alliance Parts is a brand of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America and a leading manufacturer of Class 4-8 vehicles.  Daimler Trucks North America produces and markets commercial vehicles under the Freightliner, Sterling, Western Star and Thomas Built Buses nameplates.  Daimler Trucks North America is a Daimler company.