Category: XFINITY Series

Trevor Bayne – Phoenix Advance

No. 17 Roush Fenway Ford

Wypall 200

Sat., Nov.13, 2010

4:30 p.m. EST

ESPN2, TV, MRN, Sirius 128

Bayne in 2010

Starts: 33

Top 5s: 5

Top 10s: 10

Top 15s: 19

Poles: 3

Avg Start: 13.7

Avg. Finish: 16.4

High Finish: 3 (twice)

Bayne Excited for Short Track Run at Phoenix

After making his Sprint Cup debut last weekend in Texas, Trevor Bayne settles back into the Nationwide Series this weekend at Phoenix, where he will welcome the return of a shorter track to the schedule.

Bayne at Phoenix

Trevor Bayne will make his third Nationwide Series start at Phoenix this weekend. In two previous starts, Bayne has averaged a 23rd-place finish. He finished 14th in this race last season, but got caught up in an accident and finished 32nd in the spring.

Sprint Cup Debut in Mirror

Bayne finished 17th in his Sprint Cup debut last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, turning all 334 laps of the race and staying on the lead lap. Of the 12 drivers that make up the 2010 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Baynes 17th-place finish was higher than the debut of eight of the 12, and only two of those 12 were able to finish the race on the lead lap.

Roush Fenway at Phoenix

Roush Fenway has won seven times in the Nationwide Series. All-in-all Roush Fenway has made 48 starts, while turning in 19 top fives, 33 top 10s and five poles in Nationwide action at PIR. Four different drivers have won in the Nationwide Series at Phoenix, with the first win (Jeff Burton) coming in 2000 and the last win coming in last year’s fall race (Carl Edwards). Roush Fenway swept the Nationwide Series at Phoenix last season, with Greg Biffle winning there in the spring.

Bayne at Phoenix

Starts: 2

Top 15s: 1

Poles: –

Avg Start: 35

Highest Finish: 14

Avg. Finish: 23

On Phoenix:

“Phoenix is not really comparable to any track we go to. It actually reminds me of Concord Motor Sports Park, which is a short track here in North Carolina and one of my favorite race tracks.

“(Turns) three and four are obviously different, but (turns) one and two are very similar at the two tracks. At Phoenix you can hit the bottom, run up to the wall and turn down again for the little dog leg. I love that corner at Phoenix. That section is probably one of my favorite sections of any track we go to. So If I can just get (turns) three and four down where it’s really flat and really sweeping, I think we can have a good weekend.

“I love turns one and two, I just wish that three and four had a little more banking and a tighter corner, because it makes your car drive totally different at both ends of the track.”

Crew Chief Ricky Viers:

“We are taking back the same car the team raced at Phoenix earlier in the year and qualified eighth. After coming off a solid week at Texas, Trevor (Bayne) and the No. 17 team feel we have a great opportunity to score our best finish of the season at Phoenix.”

JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW

No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet/No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

EVENT – Wypall 200 (200 laps / 200 miles)

TRACK – Phoenix International Raceway (1-mile oval)

DATE – Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010

TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 4 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 4 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola

No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet

“One of the coolest aspects about Phoenix is that it’s a mile track, but it races like a short track. Most everyone in this series grew up racing short tracks, so it will be familiar territory. You’ll see some close-quarters racing and it can get pretty dicey at times because the track gets slick.

“I’ll take any chance I can to race, so I’m grateful to be running triple duty through the end of the year. But I’m still focused on helping Pops (Eury Sr.) and this GT Vodka team prepare for a championship run next season, so we need to do our best to make that a reality this weekend and next.”

Danica Patrick

No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

“I remember at Charlotte last month everyone was thrilled to be racing close to home. Now I get my turn for a hometown race. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed. I’m excited for that. It’s going to be a lot of fun to race this close to home at Phoenix. 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. I think Phoenix is a great track. It’s challenging, and I’m sure it will be even more so in a stock car with less grip.

“Our Go Daddy team has two more chances to get a top-15 finish this season. That still is something I’m aiming for. Our team is certainly good enough, now it’s a battle of staying out of trouble. We failed to do that last weekend at Texas, and it put us a ways behind. Everyone says Phoenix is similar to a short track, which certainly is area I need to work on. I’m looking forward to getting onto the track this weekend.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

GO DADDY’S NASCAR FAN 1ST – Go Daddy drivers Danica Patrick and Mark Martin are participating in Go Daddy’s NASCAR Fan 1st on Thursday, Nov. 11, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. MT at the Chase Field Rotunda in Phoenix. Fans will have the chance to meet the Go Daddy drivers, get their autographs and try for a shot to cash-in on the Go Daddy “Cash Machine.” The event is free to the public and is also open to the media.

DOUBLE HOMECOMING – It will be a homecoming of sorts for both Go Daddy and driver Danica Patrick this weekend at Phoenix. Go Daddy’s headquarters are stationed in nearby Scottsdale, Ariz., while Patrick resides in the Phoenix area.

ALMIROLA AT PHOENIX– Almirola has five starts between NASCAR’s top three series at PIR. His best showing was a top-five finish in the Camping World Truck Series in 2009.

SEASON LONG STATS FOR 88 – The GT Vodka team has notched one win, seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes on the year. They’ve also led a total of 116 laps. Aric Almirola, Steve Arpin, Kelly Bires, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Jamie McMurray, Greg Sacks and Elliott Sadler are all racers that have shared driving duties in the 88. The team is ranked eighth in owner points.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Patrick will be available to members of the NASCAR media on Friday, Nov. 12, at 11:45 a.m. in the PIR infield media center.

ALMIROLA WITH JRM – Five of Almirola’s six NNS starts have come in JRM’s flagship No. 88 Chevrolet this season. The native of Tampa, Fla. has one top-five and three top-10 finishes with the team. Almirola has also led laps in four of those five starts, and earned an average finish of 11.0.

NO. 7 TEAM TO DATE – The No. 7 team has secured six top-10 finishes and led 42 laps with seven different drivers in 2010, including Aric Almirola, Steve Arpin, Landon Cassill, J.R. Fitzpatrick, Danica Patrick, Scott Wimmer and Josh Wise. The GoDaddy.com team is ranked 17th in 2010 owner points.

DANICA’S SEASON – Patrick embarks on her 12th race of her rookie campaign in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this weekend. In her previous 11 starts, she’s earned a career-best finish of 21st at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with her season-best qualifying effort of 14th coming at Auto Club Speedway. Patrick has finished no worse than 22nd in her past three starts.

JRM SOCIAL NETWORKING – Join the JR Motorsports team on Facebook at Facebook.com/dalejr

and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/jrmotorsports.

FREE JR NATION CREW FAN CLUB – Dale Jr. and JR Motorsports encourage fans to join the JR Nation Crew Fan Club for free. The official fan club provides members with exclusive ticket and merchandise offers, in addition to JRM blogs, forums, and chat rooms to interact with other members of JR Nation. For more information, visitwww.jrnation.com.

Carl Edwards – NNS ADVANCE

Team: No. 60 Copart.com Ford

Crew Chief: Mike Beam

Chassis: RK-674

QUOTES

Carl Edwards on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:

“Our Copart team is coming off a spectacular win in Texas. That’s exactly what we need to do. We need to take the momentum into Phoenix and Homestead and win the next two races. Phoenix is an excellent track for us and we have had a lot of success there. The plan is to go there and win.”

Crew chief Mike Beam on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:

“Carl won the race in Phoenix last fall. After coming off the win in Texas, the team has great moral and energy to be even more competitive. With accurate pit stops we should have the perfect combination to help get us into victory lane Saturday.”

FAST FACTS

-FLASHBACK…last week in Texas, after leading 59 laps Edwards went to win. This victory makes his 50th career NASCAR win.

-CARL EDWARDS…will make his 12th Nationwide Series start at Phoenix International Raceway Saturday. In April, Edwards finished sixth after starting from the pole position.

-FOR THE RECORD… Edwards’ average start in Phoenix is 6.8 and his average finish is 6.5. He has three poles and three wins at Phoenix.

-THE CAR…The No. 60 team will take chassis RK-674 to Phoenix. This is the same chassis that Edwards ran earlier this season at Gateway, Dover and Bristol.

-ON THE TRACK…This weekend Copart.com will serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 60. Visit Copart.com to bid on exclusive Carl Edwards memorabilia including the motorcycle he won earlier this season at Road America.

-IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES…Roush Fenway Racing has seven wins, 19 top-five and 33 top-10s in 48 Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway.

2010 No. 60 Racing Team

Name Hometown

Mike Beam Hickory, NC

Hal Ralston Staunton, VA

Heath Landis Forest City, NC

EC Nichols Detroit, TX

Brett Ragan Unadilla, GA

Kenny DeGuisto Garland, TX

Jay Maybry Camp Bello, SC

Bennie Stevens Hampton, TN

Justin Edgell Salisbury, NC

Troy Cupples Normal, IL

Jason Hedlesky Clinton, MI

Tom Hatcher Middleburg, FL

Frank Brassfield Fort Walton Beach, FL

Jeremy Neeley Trenton, GA

Michael Smith Hiddenite, NC

Dale Hoffman Allentown, PA

Jon Moore Gainesville, GA

Darren Beach New Franklin, MO

SUCCESS IN THE DESERT: Closing in on the final races of the 2010 Nationwide Series schedule, Bakersfield, California native Kevin Harvick returns to one of his most successful NASCAR tracks, the one-mile tri-oval of Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Harvick will pilot the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet this weekend for his 17th-career Nationwide Series start at the track. In 16 previous starts at PIR, Harvick has earned one win, 12 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. His average start is 9.5 and average finish is 7.7.

In addition to his success on the track in the Nationwide Series, Harvick has 15 Cup starts with two victories, three top-five and six top-10 finishes. In the Truck Series, Harvick has 10 starts with four wins (all in KHI-owned trucks), five top-five and five top-10 finishes.

TRIPLE EFFECT? THINK AGAIN: This week will mark the first time in four years that Harvick will not pilot a KHI truck in the Camping World Truck Series in the November event at the one-mile Phoenix track. For his competitors, this could be a good thing. Harvick has won the last two Truck Series events at the track and has won four of the last five Truck Series races he has entered at PIR. To say this is one of his favorite tracks may be an understatement, but this year, Harvick will step aside and hand the reins of the No. 2 truck over to Richard Childress Racing teammate Clint Bowyer and focus his attention on a double dose, competing in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series and the No. 29 Shell Chevrolet in the Sprint Cup Series.

ELITE GROUP: Harvick became the first driver at PIR to win a race in all three of NASCAR’s elite series by scoring his first Truck Series win in 2002, followed by a sweep in 2006 of the Nationwide and Cup Series events. Kyle Busch has also completed this task at PIR. Harvick is one of only five drivers to accomplish this feat of winning in all three of NASCAR’s top Series at the same track and one of only 20 drivers to win in all three series.

In addition to his wins at PIR, Harvick completed this same feat at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this year when he won the NASCAR Truck Series event in March. To accompany his Truck win, Harvick won his first career Sprint Cup Series race at the 1.5-mile track in 2001 and earned his first Nationwide Series win at the track in 2009.

BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER KEVIN HARVICK:

Does Phoenix fall into the same category as a short track like Martinsville or Richmond? “I don’t really see Phoenix as a short track. Even though places like Phoenix and New Hampshire are only a mile, they both have a lot of room to race. Phoenix is always a fun race track. There are always at least two lanes, and sometimes even more, to pass.”

What makes Phoenix International Raceway a good track for you?: “Phoenix is a place for me that’s a lot of fun just because it’s a place where I grew up racing and the track hasn’t changed a whole lot. Obviously the surroundings have changed a little bit on the outside, but it’s a place that I enjoy going to. I enjoy the flat tracks and it creates a unique challenge because the asphalt’s worn out and it’s got a lot of cracks and crevices. It’s one of those places where you have to get your car to handle a little bit differently on each end and you have to drive a little different on each end. You have to get your car to handle and have good forward bite up off the corner.”

What is your favorite memory from Phoenix? “A lot of things have happened at Phoenix. I have been fortunate to win in all three divisions. I ran one of my first truck races there in a truck that we built ourselves and was fortunate to win. I grew up racing at Phoenix. That was kind of like our Daytona every year for the Southwest Tour and Winston West. It is a good place to race and always a lot of fun to go back and see friends and family you don’t see a lot. There are just a lot of memories on the track and off the track. I don’t know if I can narrow it down to just one.”

CHASSIS HISTORY: For the 34th stop of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, the No. 33 Rheem team will unload chassis No. 058 for team co-owner Harvick. Most recently, this chassis was piloted by Mike Bliss at Gateway (Ill.) International Raceway where he earned the fourth starting position and led 10 laps before coming up one spot short to finish second. This chassis’ previous on-track appearances include the July race at Gateway International Raceway where Harvick started the race 10th and following a late-race accident finished 16th, New Hampshire Motor Speedway where Harvick started the race third and led six laps before finishing seventh. Prior to New Hampshire, this chassis was on track at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway where Harvick finished the race seventh and the race earlier this season at Phoenix International Raceway where Harvick scored a second-place finish.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Entering the final three-race stretch of the 2010 season, Harvick piloted the No. 33 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet from the second position to an eighth-place finish during the 33rd stop of the 2010 Nationwide Series season in the Lone Star State at Texas Motor Speedway. Fighting a loose-handling car from the start of the race, Harvick overcame a bad set of tires and a slow pit stop to earn the team’s 28th top-10 finish of the year.

ARE YOU A FOLLOWER? Twitter users can now keep up-to-date with Kevin Harvick Inc.’s NASCAR Nationwide Series by following @KHI_NNS. In addition, you can follow KHI’s Truck Series teams @KHI_TruckSeries. Want more from KHI? Follow KHI’s co-owners Kevin and DeLana Harvick @KevinHarvick and @DeLanaHarvick.

ONLINE MEDIA KITS: Media members can now access KHI media kits online at KevinHarvickInc.com. Included on the site are driver bios, driver and team images, KHI history and statistics, team profiles and schedules. Please contact Alicia Deal (adeal@kevinharvickinc.com) at KHI for access to the new site.

Kevin Harvick

Nationwide Stats at Phoenix

Year No. Team Start Finish

2010 33 KHI 10 2

2009 33 KHI 4 2

2009 33 KHI 6 5

2008 33 KHI 4 3

2008 33 KHI 5 4

2007 21 RCR 6 5

2007 77 KHI 35 9

2006 21 RCR 6 2

2006 21 RCR 14 1

2005 21 RCR 10 4

2005 21 RCR 7 4

2004 21 RCR 6 13

2003 21 RCR 1 2

2002 29 RCR 12 37

2001 2 RCR 2 3

2000 2 RCR 25 27

*KHI: Kevin Harvick Inc.

*RCR: Richard Childress Racing

About Rheem:

Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is a privately held company with headquarters in Atlanta, Ga. In its 81st year of operation, the company distributes throughout North America and world markets an award-winning line of eco-friendly, technologically advanced residential and commercial heating, cooling, water heating, whole-home standby generators, controls, pool and spa heaters, indoor air purification products and commercial boilers. The nation’s leading consumer products review magazine recently reported that Rheem products have been rated most reliable among all leading brands by tens of thousands of consumers. The premium brands of Rheem Manufacturing Company include Ruud, Raypak and Rheem. Rheem Manufacturing Company is the primary sponsor of Kevin Harvick Inc.’s No. 33 Chevrolet Nationwide® Series car and is an associate sponsor of KHI’s No 33 truck in the Camping World Truck Series.

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.

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

· No. 20 IN AN IMPORTANT POINTS BATTLE: While the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver’s championship has already been decided, and the owner’s points battle is still being contested between the No. 18 and the No. 22 cars, Logano and the GameStop team are in a points battle of their own. All season long, the No. 20 Toyota has been in a battle with the No. 33 of Kevin Harvick Inc. for the third-place points position in the owner’s standings. With two races remaining, Logano and the GameStop team are just 67 points behind the No. 33 for the third position. Logano closed the gap considerably last weekend with his fourth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

· PDP & AFTERGLOW IN “CONTROL” OF THE No. 20 IN PHOENIX: Each and every week, the No. 20 GameStop Toyota carries a special look, most of the time featuring looks of the hottest games on the market. This week, the No. 20 will have a special “glow” to it. Performance Designed Products (PDP) and its AFTERGLOW™ line of gaming system controllers will adorn the No. 20 GameStop Toyota at Phoenix International Raceway. PDP’s AFTERGLOW™ line of controllers features an array of LED lights that shine through the clear casing and can be turned on and off, or set to light up when the controller vibrates. PDP’s AFTERGLOW™ line includes controllers for the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3. PDP’s AFTERGLOW™ product line has met with critical acclaim since the products’ launch in May of 2010.

· APRIL REDEMPTION ON LOGANO’S MIND: Phoenix International Raceway hasn’t been a bad track for Logano statistically. The 20-year-old had recorded top-10 finishes in all three of his previous starts at the one-mile oval, including a fourth-place run in the spring race of 2009. However, it’s the race in April of this season that stands out the most in his mind. Logano found himself in the lead with just 10 laps to go in the spring race at Phoenix. However, contact on pit road with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch caused damage to Logano’s No. 20 Toyota and resulted in Logano falling from first to an eventual 10th-place finish over the race’s final laps.

· STAT OF THE WEEK: 50%. Logano is now batting .500 when it comes to his NASCAR Nationwide Series career and top-five finishes. With his fourth-place run at Texas Motor Speedway, Logano now has 32-career top-five finishes in 64 Nationwide Series starts dating back to his first start in 2008. Therefore, one out of every two races that Logano has entered in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, he has found himself finishing in the top five.

· FEATURED ON THE No. 20: GameStop #4977 in Rosemont, IL will be the featured store on the lower rear quarter panel of the No. 20 GameStop Toyota this weekend in Phoenix.

Logano’s Season-To-Date NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats:

Starts

Wins

Top 5

Top 10

Poles

Laps Led

Earnings

Avg. Start

Avg. Finish

23

2

14

22

6

575

$868,750

5.2

4.9

Logano’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats:

Starts

Wins

Top 5

Top 10

Poles

Laps Led

Earnings

Avg. Start

Avg. Finish

64

8

32

52

13

1307

$2,465,729

7.4

7.1

Logano’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats at Phoenix International Raceway:

Starts

Wins

Top 5

Top 10

Poles

Laps Led

Earnings

Avg. Start

Avg. Finish

3

0

1

3

0

21

$81,868

7.7

8

Joey Logano Quotes:

“I’m ready for Phoenix considering the wave of momentum my Joe Gibbs Racing teams have been on in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series. It’s not like I think I’ve really changed anything in my driving style, but things are just clicking right now in both series and that builds your confidence and makes you go out there and think that you can win every race you enter. And the confidence I’ve gotten from running good in the Sprint Cup Series is definitely coming over to the Nationwide side when I get in the GameStop Toyota. I know that we can win the race every time we unload the car. We just need to put together a perfect weekend, and we’ll get it.

“Phoenix is a cool track, because it is unlike anywhere else we go the rest of the year. It’s flat and a mile long, a little like New Hampshire, but the dogleg in the backstretch really makes it unique. It’s not what you would call a cookie-cutter racetrack, and that always makes going there a lot of fun. I’ve had a decent amount of success there, but not until this year did I say I felt like I could win a race there. I thought we had a good shot back in April until we got together with Kyle in the pits. Now, I want to go back and finish what we were 10 laps away from.

“I got a chance to see what the car is going to look like in Phoenix, and it’s crazy looking. It’s got a big controller on the hood and has some really cool colors to it. I always like racing some of these cars that look totally different. That is one of the best things about GameStop. You never know what is going to come out of the trailer until you see if for the first time. I think a lot of the other teams look forward to seeing what our cars look like ever week as well.”

Kevin Kidd Quotes:

“Like Joey told me earlier this week, we’ve got some unfinished business at Phoenix, and we plan on going there and trying to get the win this weekend. It’s always a little tough to swallow not winning a race when you are leading with less than 10 laps to go like we were in April. But we have to put that behind us and just use that at motivation to get the GameStop Toyota up to the front.

“We’re taking a different car this time then we ran at Phoenix earlier this year, but it’s a car that we’ve run several times before and had success with it. It’s been our Loudon car the last couple of years. We won a pole with it last year and led laps both times we’ve had it there. Joey also ran it at Phoenix last year and started second and finished fourth, so it’s a good car. We know we can take some of our notes from those New Hampshire races and the past Phoenix races and try and put this car back into Victory Lane. We’ve got a points battle to look out for and the best way to make up points is to finish ahead of everyone else.”

No. 20 GameStop Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing Team

Crew Chief – Kevin Kidd Car Chief – Tony Hamm Engine Builder – Mark Cronquist

Lead Engineer – Mike Lorusso Engine Specialist – Dan Bajek Spotter – Mark Robertson

Jackman – TJ Ford Front Tire Changer – Nick Krizmanich Front Tire Carrier – Kyle Coolidge

Gas Man – Chris Webb Rear Tire Changer – Chris McMullen Rear Tire Carrier – Matt Tyrell

Catch Can – Brian Larson Tire Specialist – Ryan Martin Shock Specialist – Joel Weidman

Mechanics – Matt Aschbrenner & Ben Chase Truck Driver – Charles Sampson & Ashley Brotherton

Colin Braun – NNS ADVANCE
Team:        No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford Fusion
Race:        WYPALL 200
Crew Chief:        Chad Norris
Chassis:        RK- 461
       
FAST FACTS:
BRAUN MAKING RETURN TRIP TO PHOENIX – Colin Braun will make his second
trip of 2010 to Phoenix International Raceway in the No. 16 Con-way
Freight Ford this weekend.  In his first race in April, Braun started a
promising eighth, but finished 24th after being caught in a multi-car
accident on the front stretch during a restart.

CON-WAY FOR FINAL TWO – Long-time Roush Fenway Racing sponsor/partner
Con-way Freight will be on board the No. 16 Ford for the final two races
of 2010 with Braun behind the wheel.  In his 22 prior starts this year,
Braun has notched four top-10 finishes. 

INTERMEDIATE TRACK STATS – Of his four top-10 finishes in 2010, all but
one (Michigan) came at intermediate tracks (tracks measuring between one
and two miles in length).  This is good news for Braun as he heads to
both Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead Miami Speedway, as both
are intermediate tracks.

ROUSH FENWAY RACING AT PHOENIX – In 48 Nationwide Series starts at
Phoenix International Raceway, Roush Fenway Racing has notched seven
wins, 19 top-fives, 33 top-10s, five pole awards and 1164 laps led.  The
wins were tallied by Carl Edwards (3), Greg Biffle (2), Matt Kenseth,
and Jeff Burton. 

PHOENIX CHASSIS SELECTION – Crew chief Chad Norris has selected RK-461
for this weekend’s WYPALL 200 at Phoenix International Raceway.  Braun
last drove this car in July at O’Reilly Raceway Park where he finished
12th after starting seventh.

Braun, on heading to Phoenix:
“I’m really excited to get back in the Con-way Freight Ford this
weekend at Phoenix.  My first start there in the spring clearly didn’t
end the way we were hoping with the accident on the restart and so I’m
hoping to kind of get a second shot at the finish I know this team
deserves.  Chad [Norris, crew chief] and the guys worked hard in the
short time they had with this car and so I’m hopeful we can get a good
showing out on the west coast this weekend.”

Crew chief Chad Norris, on racing with Braun at Phoenix:
“We are excited to have Colin [Braun] back in the No. 16 car here
going into the remaining two races of the season.  I know he qualified
well at Phoenix in the spring and just got caught up in a wreck.  Our
over-the-wall guys have been getting it done for us on pit road the past
few weeks so if we can avoid trouble, I think we have the chance to get
Colin a solid top-10 finish this weekend in Phoenix.”

Trevor Bayne stood up to the pressures of making his Sprint Cup debut in one of the sport’s most famous cars at NASCAR’s fastest track and brought the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion home with a very respectable 17th-place finish in the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Bayne’s day didn’t start as smoothly as he would have liked, as he had to drop from his 28th starting position to the rear of the field for the start of the race because of a transmission change. But once the green flag flew he drove toward the front and ran as high as 14th during the 500. He had to overcome some frustrating moments on pit road – though no fault of his own or his crew – but each time he made up the lost positions once he returned to the track. Naturally, he said afterward that he was pleased with the way things turned out in his first race in NASCAR’s elite division.

“That was awesome man,” Bayne said. “We had a terrible pit stall because we were right with the guys we were racing with, and I couldn’t get it in and out and got boxed in a few times.

We had to pass so many cars, like 10 or 15 a run until pit stops. Finally [David] Reutimann helped me out and stayed over to the left in his box and that really helped us.”

Bayne said driving the Wood Brothers’ Ford Fusion was a far different experience that what he’d known racing in the Nationwide Series, where the 19-year-old standout has just 48 career starts.

“That was incredible,” he said. “These things are so much fun. I wish I could do it every weekend. It was a blast to drive, and to be that fast for a first run is incredible.

“Donnie Wingo, everybody at Wood Brothers Racing and Roush Fenway and Ford I want to thank for giving me this opportunity. I don’t really know what to say. That was as good or better than we expected so I am really pumped about it.”

Bayne’s finish was the seventh top-25 run for the Wood Brothers in just 12 starts this season, but team owner Eddie Wood said that when the years go by, the Texas race likely will be known as much for being Bayne’s debut as anything else that happened that day.

He said Bayne showed great poise and was very comfortable behind the wheel.

“Trevor did a great job for his first race, especially with the pressure of having to qualify on speed,” Wood said. “In the race, he drove like he’d been driving these cars for years. He already has the savvy of a veteran.”

Wood ought to know. Over the past 60 years, his team has employed some of the most talented and experienced racers NASCAR has ever known.

The Wood Brothers and the Motocraft/Quick Lane crew return to the track in two weeks for the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010

Texas Motor Speedway

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Post-Race Quotes

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BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger) Finished Third/Clinched Nationwide Championship “We wanted to win the race; it was a great fight there at the end. I’m thrilled for my Ruby Tuesday/Discount Tire Dodge team. This is an awesome team that just fights real hard. We wanted to win the race; it just didn’t go in our favor. We had a strong showing, placing third. That’s what it takes to run up front and be there at the end. I’m proud of the effort all season long. Everyone at the shop that gets us to the races and gives us the fast race cars that we need to win races and a championship. It’s very special.”

HOW DOES IT FEEL TO GIVE ROGER PENSKE HIS FIRST NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP? “It’s pretty awesome. He’s the Captain. I’m not sure how many (overall) wins that he has, I can’t think of anybody that has more. This one was awesome and it’s incredible that we were able to get him a championship.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WINNING THE FIRST NNS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR DODGE? “It’s pretty awesome. My family has a lot of history with Dodge in the Truck Series and it’s like I grew up with the brand. Dodge made a huge commitment to the Nationwide Series this year with the Charger and Challenger and to be able to give Ralph (Gilles, President and CEO of Dodge) and all the employees back in Auburn Hills (Mich.) the championships is really cool. All their support has made a huge difference this season. I got to drive really fast and cool Dodge Chargers and Challengers this year and to give them a championship is really special.”

PAUL WOLFE (Crew Chief, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger) WHAT DOES WINNING THIS NATIONWIDE CHAMPIONSHIP MEAN TO YOU?

“For me, I haven’t had a lot of time to think about it. We get so into the day-to-day job in trying to win races that I really haven’t sit back and thought about what it means yet. I’m sure over time that it will sink in. It’s pretty cool. It’s the first championship for a lot of us; for our sponsors and Dodge and a lot of the crew guys and for our boss RP (Roger Penske). He has probably done everything in motorsports that you can do, but get this championship. It’s pretty special that we could do it for Penske Racing and all the hard work that goes into it. I’m just proud of the effort. I thought that we did a good job as a team, carrying each other throughout the year. Those weekends that we didn’t give Brad the best car, but somehow he found his way to victory lane and vice versa. I feel like there were days where he was off a little bit, but we just have really good race cars and were able to find victory lane. We won the championship.”

ROGER PENSKE (President and CEO, Penske Racing) “At the end day, when you think about not being in the winner’s circle at Indy and not winning that championship, this is right up there with it. Brad has done an outstanding job. All of the guys from top to bottom have been so good and so committed. To have the reliability and durability of the car and a driver that stays out of trouble, now we know that he’s a great race car driver. He drove Kyle Busch really clean today and you see what happened. It was a great finish.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WINNING THE NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES DRIVER’S CHAMPIONSHIP? “Obviously, Brad is a great driver. Paul (Wolfe, crew chief) and all the team members that put this together, this deal came together quickly. At the beginning of the season, we had a vision on how to win this championship. We had the reliability and our guys put it together.”

YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO CHAMPION BRAD KESELOWSKI?

“Well, I saw him as a great driver. He had a little edge on him which you want. He’s not afraid to go. He’s his own man. To me, we had the horse that he could ride. It all worked and we’ve got a champion.”

WHERE DOES THIS RANK IN ALL OF YOUR MOTORSPORTS ACHIEVEMENTS?

“We’ve been in NASCAR a long, long time. To me, it’s like winning the Indy 500 for the first time. What can you say; it’s a team sport and a team effort. To me, that’s what we came here for. Paul Wolfe, the whole group, they worked their heart out and we got the results.”

MIKE NELSON (Vice President – Competition, Penske Racing) “It’s been an awesome year with a new team. We had a good solid foundation with what Chad (Walter, crew chief) and Justin have done with the 12 car. We’ve been able to build on that with Paul (Wolfe, crew chief) and Brad. We appreciate Discount Tire and Ruby Tuesday for coming on board and Dodge has been there all along. I’m excited about what we’ve just accomplished and look forward to more. We have a couple of races left.”

JUSTIN ALLGAIER (No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger) Finished 13th “The Verizon Dodge Charger was good. For the second race in a row, we just couldn’t get off pit road. That didn’t help us. All in all, my guys did a great job. We didn’t have the car we wanted in practice, but they went to work and made a really good race car out of it. Track position really hurt us. At the end, we changed tires and the car just didn’t take off like we needed. We also had a couple of things happen right in front of us on a couple of the restarts.

“It was a great job by the 22. For Brad and Roger (Penske), the season they’ve had is really awesome. They were able to win the championship this race and we were able to win the Nationwide Dash-for-Cash and the $75,000. That’s pretty cool.”

PARKER KLIGERMAN (No. 42 GetMoreVacation.com/Bandit Chippers Dodge Charger) Finished 34th “It was definitely a very long day. We didn’t have the Dodge Charger we were looking for. I have to thank GetMoreVacation.com for coming on board with us. Sorry we couldn’t give them a great showing like we usually have, but there will be days like this. We were trying to make something out of our day and finish the race, but I got turned there at the end and hit the wall.

“Last night, we had a great run in Brad’s (Keselowski) truck, finishing ninth. We came in today looking to build on that, but we were off today. You’ll have days like that.”

Kyle Busch (second) was the highest finishing Camry driver in Saturday’s 205-lap NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Texas Motor Speedway.  

Busch led three times for a race-high 107 laps in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 18 Z-Line Designs Camry.  

Joey Logano (fourth), Martin Truex Jr. (fifth), Jason Leffler (sixth), Reed Sorenson (seventh) and Steve Wallace (10th) also earned top-10 results for Toyota at the 1.5-mile track.  

Other Toyota drivers in the field included David Reutimann (15th), Brendan Gaughan (17th), Michael Annett (18th), Brian Scott (32nd) and Ricky Carmichael (35th).  

Eight Toyota drivers are in the top-15 in the unofficial NNS driver points following Texas — Busch (third), Leffler (eighth), Logano (ninth), Wallace (10th), Gaughan (11th), Sorenson (12th), Annett (12th) and Scott (14th).  

JGR’s No. 18 Camry driven by Busch currently leads the unofficial NNS owner’s point standings, holding a n 81-point lead, with two races remaining in the 2010 season.

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Z-Line Designs/Conn’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position:  2nd What happened to your car at the end of the race? “They (Carl Edwards) got better adjustments or something, but they got a lot of speed out of their car towards the middle and end of the race.  That’s not what lost it.  The restart there, Carl (Edwards) jumped the restart.  NASCAR never wants to be the outcome of the race, but yet every other week they are.  It doesn’t surprise me that they aren’t this week.” Did you feel like the leader took advantage on the final restart? “Oh yeah, he (Carl Edwards) went before the double red marks on the wall.  My understanding in the rules, you’re not supposed to.  You can’t make up two car lengths on a guy who already has two car lengths on you by the start finish line.  It’s not going to happen.  I got too far behind and couldn’t run up on him.  The race was lost instantly.” How was your race today? “It was a good day.  It started out really good.  Our car was fast there in the beginning but we just didn’t quite have the speed it took there towards the end of the race with the way the 22 (Brad Keselowski) and the 60 (Carl Edwards) made adjustments and got going really, really good.  We just didn’t have the speed quite like they did.  I don’t know if it was under the hood or through the corners.  Through the corners it seemed like I could make up a little ground, but I couldn’t maintain it down the next straightaway.  Disappointing day finishing second.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position:  4th How was your race today? “When we started the race we weren’t very good at all and we were running about eighth or ninth I think there for a little bit. We did a good job to get the car good.  The best we could make was a fourth-place car.  We tried with everything we could do with the GameStop Toyota, we just really wanted to get GameStop in victory lane here since it’s kind of their hometown here.  I wanted to do that for them, but we came up a little short.  We kind of knew when the race started that we weren’t going to be great and was really going to try to have to work hard in this thing and try to get it close.  This is as close as we got.  We were a fourth-place car at best and that’s where we finished.  It’s disappointing, but at the same time at least we didn’t do worse.” Did you think Carl Edwards jumped the final restart? “I have no idea.  I just went when I did.  I don’t know.  I saw him (Carl Edwards) go and I went.  I couldn’t see the marks because I was behind Kyle (Busch) there so I didn’t see the marks there on the restart.  I didn’t see it and I went with all I had anyway.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 99 Out! Pet Care Toyota Camry, Diamond Waltrip Racing Finishing Position:  5th How was your race? “Not bad.  We’ve run about fourth or fifth it seems like every time we’ve run these old cars and we just don’t quite got it figured out like the (Joe) Gibbs Racing guys and the 22 (Brad Keselowski) and the 60 (Carl Edwards).  Jerry Baxter (crew chief) and all of the guys on this Out! Pet Care Toyota did a great job today.  The best we were was fourth or fifth all day and we ran fifth. We’re just missing a little bit with the old car, but excited about the new cars they’ve been building for next year and getting to run them some next year.”

JASON LEFFLER, No. 38 Great Clips/DIY Network Garage Mahal Toyota Camry, Braun Racing Finishing Position:  6th

REED SORENSON, No. 32 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Braun Racing Finishing Position:  7th How did your car handle during today’s race? “The Dollar General Toyota was pretty decent today.  We started out tight in the center and snappy loose off.  After our second pit stop the car’s handling was very tight.  Trent (Owens, crew chief) and the guys did a good job with the adjustments and we got ourselves another solid finish.  We lost track position with the speeding penalty, but I think we passed more cars than anyone today.  A good seventh-place finish for this Dollar General team.  Thanks to all of the guys for a great effort this weekend.”

STEVE WALLACE, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing Finishing Position:  10th

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 11 Rexall/Dollar General Toyota Camry, Braun Racing Finishing Position:  15th

BRENDAN GAUGHAN, No. 62 LoanStar Title Loans Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing Finishing Position:  17th

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 15 Pilot Flying J Coffee Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Finishing Position:  18th

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 09 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, RAB Racing Finishing Position:  32nd

RICKY CARMICHAEL, No. 10 Monster Energy Toyota Camry, Braun Racing Finishing Position:  35th

Statements From Ralph Gilles And Roger Penske About NASCAR Championship

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Nov. 6, 2010) – In response to Brad Keselowski clinching the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship today at Texas Motor Speedway, the first NASCAR title for Penske Racing and first for Dodge in the Nationwide Series, Ralph Gilles (Dodge President and CEO) and Roger Penske (Penske Racing) offer the following statements:

“Winning the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship is a remarkable achievement for Brad Keselowski, Penske Racing and Dodge. Brad not only won the championship, but drove the Dodge Challenger to victory in two of the four new car races. The countless hours spent maximizing the performance of the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger for competition has produced the ultimate reward – the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. We’re extremely proud of our partnership with the entire team at Penske Racing. The competition this year has been intense, making this championship even more satisfying. This is the perfect end to an amazing season.”

Ralph Gilles – Dodge President and CEO

“What a terrific season it has been for Brad and the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge team in the Nationwide Series. Penske Racing is very excited to share our organization’s first NASCAR championship with our partners at Dodge. We want to thank Ralph Gilles and his team at Dodge Motorsports for their hard work and dedication and we look forward to many more celebrations in Victory Circle with both the Chargers and the Challengers in the future.”

Roger Penske – Penske Racing