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  • Trevor Bayne A Ford Mustang Virgin No More

    Trevor Bayne A Ford Mustang Virgin No More

    In just his third race with Roush Fenway Racing since getting the boot from Michael Waltrip Racing, driver Trevor Bayne made his Ford Mustang debut in the Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “I like them,” Bayne said simply about the new Mustang. “They look cool, that’s for sure.”

    Unfortunately, Bayne did not have quite the result that he would have wanted for his inaugural run in his new No. 17 Roush Fenway ride. The young driver finished in the 17th position after starting in the back of the field in 25th.

    “I don’t think the finish really shows how we ran,” Bayne said. “That’s the sad thing for this team because we just had a bad qualifying run for some reason.”

    “The car got really tight on us,” Bayne said of his qualifying run. “But we worked our way up toward the front and got up to 11th at one time and I think that’s about where we belonged.”

    In one of the stranger twists of the Nationwide Dollar General 300, the cycle of pit stops played a significant role in the race finishing order. Several late race cautions and a strange resetting of the field due to an error made by NASCAR during a lug nut pit call also shook up the field.

    “We had great pit stops that really helped us,” Bayne said. “But it cycled out funny when some of the guys stayed out on the green-flag stop. That put us back to about 17th and track position was just so big tonight that once we got in dirty air our car would lose all of its handling.”

    Bayne attributed his not so stellar finish to his inability to fight his way forward to that dirty air, especially on the last restart with just a few laps to go in the race.

    “We were just a victim of our car being in bad air,” Bayne said. “I think they did a great job with it. We’ll get this Ford Mustang there eventually.”

    Bayne also confessed that his Mustang went from tight to very loose, especially as the track cooled. That loose condition was something that Bayne said he expected as it is characteristic of the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “We kind of expected that,” Bayne said. “It really freed up and that’s a characteristic of this race track. We just didn’t know how much it would free up and it was a lot. I think we were definitely fighting free most of the night.”

    Bayne also had a tussle on the track during the race with another young gun, Steven Wallace, who was behind the wheel of the No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota. Wallace’s car hit the wall, suffering severe damage and lead to a very disappointing 29th place finish.

    “He started coming up and I gave him all the room I could possibly give him,” Bayne said of Wallace. “You can’t check up in those situations very much and I was just hoping he knew I was there.”

    “We just barely touched, but it was enough to send him,” Bayne said. “I hate when stuff gets torn up but it was either his stuff torn up, or I could have hit the wall missing him, and I don’t want to tear up my stuff either.”

    With his third race and his virgin Mustang run under his belt, Bayne continues to settle in at Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne is officially the 45th driver to take the wheel for the team, along with several other young guns in the stable with him.

    “I knew there would be a learning curve as we got used to the team,” Bayne said. “But I’m excited about it.”

    “I’m already feeling at home in this organization and that’s important,” Bayne said. “To have a long-term commitment from someone is one thing, but to feel like you belong there is another. I have both of those right now and that’s awesome.”

    Bayne especially appreciates the history and winning ways of Roush Fenway. The youngster is especially enamored of his new team owner, Jack Roush.

    “It’s really cool to be a part of an organization that already has a history like Roush Fenway,” Bayne said. “I know that winning is part of their blood. Hopefully, we can add to those win totals very soon.”

    “Jack is awesome,” Bayne said. “I have never known an owner to be so involved; and involved is the key word here. It’s pretty incredible to see someone like that, who is as accomplished as Jack is. That is very impressive to me.”

    The nineteen year old Bayne will drive for his team owner and hero in the Nationwide Series for the rest of the 2010 season. He is currently eighth in the Series point standings heading into the next race at Gateway on October 23rd.

  • Statement From Martinsville Speedway President W. Clay Campbell On Passing Of Jeff Byrd

    Statement from Martinsville Speedway President W. Clay Campbell on the passing of Bristol Motor Speedway President Jeff Byrd:

    “I’m saddened at the loss our good friend Jeff Byrd. I’ve known Jeff well going back to his days with R.J. Reynolds and Winston. He had such a passion for this business back then and was determined to help take our sport to another level. That determination carried over to his leadership at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was a guy that was just always a pleasure to be around. He had that kind of personality. He will be missed but not forgotten. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

  • NASCAR: Danica Patrick Looks For Driving Coach

    NASCAR: Danica Patrick Looks For Driving Coach

    It is no secret that Danica Patrick’s into NASCAR has not gone as well as anticipated. There are those who have criticized her not only her approach, but even her mere participation.

    However, there may be hope at the end of the line for us all. Patrick may be getting a coach who can help change her fortunes.

    Patrick’s coach going forward could be NASCAR veteran Mark Martin.

    “It would be nice if somebody could help me, whoever it is — I would take any help,” Patrick said on ESPN.com. “Like he [Martin] said, you need somebody to get in the car and say this is the setup, go drive it after they’ve driven it. It’s one thing to say drive this line, do this or that, but when you don’t have maybe the car that can do that, it’s just words, so it would be nice for someone to throw me in a car after they’ve driven it so I get a real feel for it.”

    Patrick has spoken to Martin on two separate occasions. They spoke for about an hour when they first met at Phoenix Raceway in 2006 and then again following her wreck at Dover International Speedway, a couple weeks ago.

    She says she’d be welcome to Martin’s advice, if he can fit it in his schedule.

    “He’s incredibly busy, obviously, with a full season and I would take anything he’d be willing to give,” she said.

    For Patrick, having a veteran driver to help her find the feel of the race car would be a good start. It would allow her to observe what she needs to find in the car and be more competitive. It was said that during a test, Kelly Bires set up the car. Afterwards, she drove the car and ran lap times around his.

    However, this could be seen as a scapegoat for Patrick. Part of the learning process for a stock car driver, is being able to find the feel of the car via the seat of their pants. Then they must apply the right changes necessary to fit the driving style. One of the requirements for success is to have the best set-up. By allowing Patrick to skip this critical step, could this hurt her process in that part of the development?

    Despite the foregoing negativity, having Martin as a coach would be a good thing. She could use Martin’s experience to discuss potential problems in future races and receive advice.

    Considering she had no stock car experience before running the Nationwide Series, Patrick is doing well. A lot of drivers already have that feel prior to finding it at the short track ranks. Therefore, having to go through the process at a higher degree of competition will make the issues more apparent.

    She also showed improvement during her race at the Auto Club Speedway, running in the top 15, before being taken out.

    There’s also been talk that running both series has hindered her ability to find that feel, which could be true due to using differing driving styles. These next two months running the weekly Nationwide, could either prove or disprove that theory.

    However, it could also show her growth as a driver and the fact that she is finding the feel through hard work.

  • NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR going green; E15 fuel next season

    NASCAR chairman Brian France announced on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway that NASCAR’s all three of its national series will move from unleaded fuel to an ethanol blend next season.

    The switch to Sunoco Green E15 is another step by NASCAR to “go green”.

    E15 blend is a mixture of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. The ethanol portion is produced from renewable resources at Sunoco’s facility in Marcus Hook, Pa.

    “This is the most visible thing that we can do to let our partners and our fans know that NASCAR is taking a slow, steady march as an industry.” France said.

    “When we said we had to accelerate our green efforts, this was a centerpiece.” France said. “It’s certainly the most visible thing we can do. It’s also one of the more difficult things that we do.”

    Jamie Allison, director, Ford North America Motorsports, provided a statement from Ford Racing’s perspective on this new initiative.

    “Safe. Green. Smart. Quality. These are the four pillars of Ford Motor Company and it’s our mission that we are committed to on a daily basis. The journey toward more environmentally-friendly solutions in the automotive business and motorsports is never-ending and we applaud NASCAR for taking this important step toward an ethanol blend of fuel.”

  • Keselowski cruises NNS to victory at Charlotte

    Keselowski cruises NNS to victory at Charlotte

    Brad Keselowski cruised to his 11th career Nationwide Series win and fifth of the season on Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

    “It was a great run. The start of the race was pretty frustrating. We started third, had a great qualifying effort.” Keselowski said. “I’m so mentally exhausted after this race. I might be bias, but this was the best race that I’ve seen in my life. That was awesome!”

    The final caution flag came out on lap 187. The race was restarted with an 8-lap shootout between Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Lagano and Justin Allgaier.   Keselowski cleared Truex Jr. with five laps remaining and cruised to victory by 1.138 seconds to win his first race at Charlotte.  

    “I have never been so disappointed to run second. It looked like if those last couple cautions hadn’t come out, we were going to be in good shape. Just a little too tight after that last run there. It’s a shame because on the green flag runs we were really fast and really just called off the adjustments and then we got too tight later.” Truex Jr. said.  

    Kyle Busch dominated the three quarters of the race and led a race high of 84 laps. Busch and Justin Allgaier made contact late in the race.  Busch faded back and finished in sixth place.  

    Allgaier finished third, Logano fourth and Clint Bowyer finished fifth.  

    “The Penske Dodge Challenger was awesome. These Verizon guys do a great job week in and week out. We don’t always get the results, but tonight they worked their tails off and we got a good finish.” Allgaier said.  

    Danica Patrick scraped the wall on lap 11. Patrick battled back to finish 21st.  

    “It seems like every time we have a chance to have a great finish we crash.” Patrick said. “And every time we have a pretty average night we finish and we finish in the 20s.”
       

    Lap Notables:   On lap 187, Steve Wallace gets into the wall on the backstretch.   On lap 182, Brian Scott spins on the frontstretch and drags his trunk-lid down the track.   On lap 72, Robert Richardson Jr. got loose in turn two and backed into the outside wall collecting Ryan Truex.   On lap 64, Brian Scott got loose and spun coming out of turn four.   On lap 10, Michael Annett got loose between turns one and two, collecting Joe Nemechek and Shelby Howard. Nemechek suffered heavy damage.   Parker Kligerman, No 26, making his first start at Charlotte brought out the first caution flag of the night on lap 2. Parker lost control in turn four and backed into the outside wall.    

    Unofficial Race Results

    Dollar General 300, Charlotte Motor Speedway

    Race 31 of 35 – October 15, 2010

    Pos. St. No. Driver Make Pts. Bon. Laps Status
    1 3 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 190 5 200 Running
    2 5 100 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 175 5 200 Running
    3 9 12 Justin Allgaier Dodge 165 0 200 Running
    4 4 20 Joey Logano Toyota 165 5 200 Running
    5 1 21 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 160 5 200 Running
    6 10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 160 10 200 Running
    7 7 32 Reed Sorenson Toyota 146 0 200 Running
    8 15 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 147 5 200 Running
    9 2 1 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 138 0 200 Running
    10 14 33 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 139 5 200 Running
    11 21 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 130 0 200 Running
    12 19 11 David Reutimann Toyota 127 0 200 Running
    13 11 60 Carl Edwards Ford 124 0 200 Running
    14 13 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. * Ford 121 0 200 Running
    15 24 38 Jason Leffler Toyota 118 0 200 Running
    16 30 10 James Buescher * Toyota 120 5 200 Running
    17 25 17 Trevor Bayne Ford 112 0 200 Running
    18 39 43 Josh Wise Dodge 109 0 200 Running
    19 12 16 Colin Braun * Ford 106 0 200 Running
    20 34 34 Tony Raines Chevrolet 103 0 198 Running
    21 18 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 100 0 198 Running
    22 23 25 Kelly Bires Ford 97 0 198 Running
    23 43 24 Eric McClure Ford 94 0 198 Running
    24 27 5 David Starr Chevrolet 91 0 197 Running
    25 35 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 88 0 197 Running
    26 31 81 Michael McDowell Dodge 85 0 196 Running
    27 42 28 Kenny Wallace Chevrolet 82 0 195 Running
    28 22 9 Brian Scott * Ford 79 0 192 Running
    29 16 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 76 0 188 In Pit
    30 38 27 Hermie Sadler Ford 73 0 188 Running
    31 40 40 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 70 0 176 Running
    32 37 35 Jason Keller Chevrolet 67 0 170 Running
    33 41 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 64 0 130 In Pit
    34 20 104 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 61 0 118 In Pit
    35 6 98 Paul Menard Ford 63 5 117 Out
    36 32 15 Michael Annett Toyota 55 0 73 In Pit
    37 17 99 Ryan Truex Toyota 52 0 72 In Pit
    38 28 156 Kevin Lepage Toyota 49 0 25 In Pit
    39 29 70 Shelby Howard Chevrolet 46 0 19 In Pit
    40 26 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 43 0 12 Out
    41 36 87 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 40 0 10 In Pit
    42 33 136 Jeff Green Chevrolet 37 0 4 In Pit
    43 8 26 Parker Kligerman Dodge 34 0 3 In Pit
  • Bowyer takes Dollar General 300 pole

    Bowyer takes Dollar General 300 pole

    Brad Keppel

    Clint Bowyer captured the pole for Friday nights Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a lap of 182.174 MPH (29.642secs).

    Ryan Newman qualified second, Brad Keselowski third, Joey Logano fourth and Martin Truex Jr. qualified fifth.

    “A solid lap for this Discount Tire Dodge Challenger.  I’m pretty happy with our effort.  The 21 ran a heck of a lap.  I think that we needed to be a little bit tighter.  It looks like we’ll start somewhere near the front which will give us a good pit stall for tonight.  We’re fast and we start up front.  All is good.” Keselowski said.

    Danica Patrick qualified 18th.

    Starting Lineup

    Dollar General 300, Charlotte Motor Speedway

    October 15, 2010 | Race 31 of 35

    Pos. No. Driver Make Speed Time Behind
    1 21 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet 182.174 29.642  
    2 1 Ryan Newman Chevrolet 181.732 29.714 -0.072
    3 22 Brad Keselowski Dodge 181.629 29.731 -0.089
    4 20 Joey Logano Toyota 181.385 29.771 -0.129
    5 100 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota 181.36 29.775 -0.133
    6 98 Paul Menard Ford 180.475 29.921 -0.279
    7 32 Reed Sorenson Toyota 180.288 29.952 -0.31
    8 26 Parker Kligerman Dodge 180.234 29.961 -0.319
    9 12 Justin Allgaier Dodge 179.904 30.016 -0.374
    10 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 179.874 30.021 -0.379
    11 60 Carl Edwards Ford 179.533 30.078 -0.436
    12 16 Colin Braun* Ford 179.372 30.105 -0.463
    13 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.* Ford 179.176 30.138 -0.496
    14 33 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 179.158 30.141 -0.499
    15 88 Aric Almirola Chevrolet 179.087 30.153 -0.511
    16 66 Steve Wallace Toyota 178.956 30.175 -0.533
    17 99 Ryan Truex Toyota 178.861 30.191 -0.549
    18 7 Danica Patrick Chevrolet 178.548 30.244 -0.602
    19 11 David Reutimann Toyota 178.512 30.25 -0.608
    20 104 Jeremy Clements Chevrolet 178.459 30.259 -0.617
    21 62 Brendan Gaughan Toyota 177.754 30.379 -0.737
    22 9 Brian Scott* Ford 177.596 30.406 -0.764
    23 25 Kelly Bires Ford 177.462 30.429 -0.787
    24 38 Jason Leffler Toyota 177.375 30.444 -0.802
    25 17 Trevor Bayne Ford 177.311 30.455 -0.813
    26 49 Mark Green Chevrolet 177.119 30.488 -0.846
    27 5 David Starr Chevrolet 177.107 30.49 -0.848
    28 156 Kevin Lepage Toyota 177.032 30.503 -0.861
    29 70 Shelby Howard Chevrolet 176.922 30.522 -0.88
    30 10 James Buescher* Toyota 176.806 30.542 -0.9
    31 81 Michael McDowell Dodge 176.58 30.581 -0.939
    32 15 Michael Annett Toyota 176.401 30.612 -0.97
    33 136 Jeff Green Chevrolet 176.292 30.631 -0.989
    34 34 Tony Raines Chevrolet 175.85 30.708 -1.066
    35 1 Mike Wallace Chevrolet 175.41 30.785 -1.143
    36 87 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet 175.33 30.799 -1.157
    37 35 Jason Keller Chevrolet 175.296 30.805 -1.163
    38 27 Hermie Sadler Ford 174.854 30.883 -1.241
    39 43 Josh Wise Dodge 174.531 30.94 -1.298
    40 40 Mike Bliss Chevrolet 173.812 31.068 -1.426
    41 23 Robert Richardson Jr. Chevrolet 170.702 31.634 -1.992
    42 28 Kenny Wallace+ Chevrolet 158.144 34.146 -4.504
    43 24 Eric McClure Ford 173.438 31.135 -1.493

     

  • Double-Dippers – NASCAR To Address Issue of Cup Drivers in Nationwide Series

    Double-Dippers – NASCAR To Address Issue of Cup Drivers in Nationwide Series

    On Tuesday, NASCAR held a meeting with Nationwide Series owners to discuss a variety of issues surrounding the series.

    One issue was the topic of “double-dippers,” drivers who compete in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. Series Director Joe Balash said at Auto Club Speedway that they’d be discussing every option available.

    Some owners were waiting for this meeting to happen so they could start to determine who they want driving their cars. With the new car, rising costs and fewer people willing to put up money, this meeting was important in that it could easily determine how the Nationwide Series is known down the road.

    This year, as in year’s past, the issue has been the failure of Nationwide-only drivers to win races: Justin Allgaier is the only one to win a race this year and appears to be without a ride for next year due to his struggle to find sponsorship. With the lack of success of Nationwide-only drivers, sponsors who are looking into the series want a Cup driver to get them exposure.

    The Nationwide Series is known for developing drivers and allowing them to grow into Cup drivers. Without funding, however, drivers can’t get the opportunity to compete and follow what was formerly known as the A-B-C (ARCA-Busch [now Nationwide]-Cup) program.

    A couple different scenarios have been suggested to NASCAR, and each one was to be brought up for discussion on Tuesday.

    In the first scenario, any driver who is in the top 35 in the Sprint Cup Points Standings would not be allowed to compete under the same structure as the Nationwide-only teams. This would allow the best Nationwide-only driver to be determined by the end of the year.

    However, the negative side to that will be people questioning the validity of the championship. You’ll have those saying that, “Yes, so-and-so is the champion; however, this guy did this, so rightfully it is his.” Basically, it’d be the same game that was played when the Sprint Cup Chase to the Championship came out. Over time, that scenario has diminished with people complaining about validity; however, it took time, and in some people’s eyes, ended up taking a shot at NASCAR’s character.   

    The second scenario discussed would limit Sprint Cup drivers to participating in only one Nationwide Series practice session for each race while Nationwide-only drivers would get two practice sessions. With the new car going into full effect for next year and no additional testing planned after Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway in February, this proposal would give the Nationwide regulars a better opportunity to set up their cars.

    The disadvantage is that, at times, Cup drivers have gotten no practice and still been able to set up their cars. They’ve done it by having a better feel for their cars during the race or during the previous Sprint Cup practices. Sprint Cup drivers are also more experienced, giving them an advantage in knowing what they need to do to run upfront.

    The last scenario would limit the number of races per year that Sprint Cup drivers can enter. Some would set the limit as low as five, while others would set it at 12. Regardless, Nationwide-only drivers would get more opportunities behind the wheel due to the decreased availability of Sprint Cup drivers, hopefully allowing them to win more races and gain confidence by competing against drivers of similar ability.

    The disadvantage to this scenario is that Sprint Cup drivers bring fans to the races and provide the Nationwide Series the majority of its current fan base. Eliminating these drivers for x-amount of races could possibly hurt the fan base, which in return would hurt ticket revenues and sponsorship money.

    Regardless which scenario comes into play, Balash says they will look at everything.

    “We’ll analyze points, no points, car rules, closed-top fuel systems and more,” Balash said. “Our thoughts are to position the Nationwide car so it drives and feels like a Nationwide car where one Nationwide shop is competing against another Nationwide shop. We can accomplish that by eliminating the rear sway bar, to save money with tapered spacers and new gear rules.

    “The key is to make the cars safer, eliminate additional costs and make our series unique on the racetrack.”

  • Patrick To Race In First 4 Nationwide Series Events of 2011

    JR Motorsports Unveils New No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Friday, October 15, 2010) – Danica Patrick will drive the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the first four NASCAR Nationwide Series events of 2011, JR Motorsports officials announced today at a press conference at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  The races beyond that have not been determined, although Patrick will take on a schedule similar to that of her 13-race rookie campaign.

    The first four races include the season-opening DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 13) followed by the 200-mile race at Phoenix International Raceway (Feb. 26), the 300-mile race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, (March 5) and the 150-mile dash at Bristol Motor Speedway (March 19).  Patrick will then return to the IndyCar Series to dedicate full-time attention to open-wheel racing, making sporadic returns to NASCAR throughout the year.

    Friday’s announcement also included the unveiling of the 2011 paint scheme for Patrick’s No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet (photos available upon request).  JR Motorsports co-owners Kelley Earnhardt and Tony Eury Jr., the team’s general manager and crew chief, respectively, joined Patrick for the unveiling and schedule announcement.

    “I know we’re all anxious to get the whole schedule put in place, but I’m extremely excited to be able to confirm our participation in the first four races of the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, and also unveil another beautiful Go Daddy car,” Patrick said.  “Go Daddy has been extremely good to me in both series.  I know Bob Parsons is a huge fan of our racing program, and I thank him for all the support.  We’ll have four extremely challenging and unique races to start our 2011 season, and I’m anxious to return to a lot of those tracks with at least a little bit of familiarity.”

    One track she will not be returning to is Bristol Motor Speedway, as it will mark her first appearance at the challenging half-mile speed bowl.  Patrick will join teammates Aric Almirola and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in competing in the Bristol race.

    “Danica has shown immense dedication in her NASCAR endeavor,” Kelley Earnhardt said.  “She proved last week (at Auto Club Speedway) that even a little bit of experience goes a long way, as she drove an exceptional race.  Starting this weekend at Charlotte, she will compete in each of the final five races of 2010.  Add the first four Nationwide races of next season, and that’s a solid stretch of seat time she will get to continue learning the intricacies of these race cars.  She has done a commendable job so far given the limited seat time, and we appreciate her work ethic and dedication to Go Daddy and our race team.”

    Patrick is currently in her first season in competitive stock car racing, as she has driven the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in eight of 13 scheduled races so far this year.  She just wrapped her 2010 IndyCar campaign, finishing 10th in the championship point standings.

    “When Danica drives, she drives with a vengeance,” said Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. “She’s as passionate a competitor as anyone in sports right now, and an undeniable inspiration for people who dream big!”

    For more information on Patrick and Go Daddy racing, visit www.GoDaddy.com.

    About JR Motorsports:

    JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s seven-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  In 2008 JRM enjoyed a breakout season with four Nationwide Series victories between its two teams. The company followed suit with four more wins in 2009. The JR Motorsports facilities are based out of Mooresville, N.C., and include the JR Nation retail store, Hammerhead Entertainment, and DEJ Realty. For more information on JR Motorsports, visit www.dalejr.com.

  • Bayne Settling In at Roush Fenway

    Young Gun Looking forward to solid future with team

    CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 15, 2010) – Trevor Bayne will take part in just his third race for Roush Fenway Racing in tonight’s Camping World 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Bayne battled to an 11th-place start last weekend at California and has shown great promise in his first two outings with the team, despite little to no preparation time.

    “I knew there would be a learning curve as we get used to the team,” said Bayne. “But I’m excited about this weekend. We had a test session on Wednesday and its really the first time that we’ve had time to work together as a team and hopefully get the car set up how we need it for me.”

    Still, Bayne his happy to be settling in as the 45th driver to take the wheel in a NASCAR race for Roush Fenway.

    “I’m already feeling at home in this organization and that’s important; to have a long term commitment from someone is one thing, but to feel like you belong there is another. I have both of those right now and that’s awesome.

    “It’s really cool to be a part of an organization that already has a history like Roush Fenway,” said Bayne. “I know that winning is part of their blood. It is something that they know how to do. Hopefully, we can add to those wins totals very soon.”

    Prior to joining Roush Fenway, the 19-year old sensation started all 28 races in the Nationwide Series this season, running to 10 top-10 finishes and five top fives. After getting acclimated in the series, Bayne totaled three poles, nine top 10s and five top fives in his last 14 Nationwide starts, and he came to Roush Fenway ranked seventh in the Nationwide Series standings.

    Bayne also acknowledged that he looks forward to working for iconic team owner Jack Roush.

    “Jack is awesome,” said Bayne. “I have never known an owner to be so involved; and involved is the key word there. He is just in it. I’ve seen him at the shop three times now and I’ve only been a part of the deal for about a week. It’s pretty incredible to see someone like that, who is as accomplished as Jack is. He doesn’t have to be there, but that is just where his heart is. He’s a racer and he wants to be there. That is very impressive to me.”

    Bayne understands the acclimation process from one team to another is not an easy task, but he feels the challenge will be well worth the effort. For the moment, he is busy looking forward to what he feels will be a bright future with his new team.

    “You have to spend a lot of time with it. It’s just like any relationship outside of racing – it takes time. I’ve been at the shop everyday so far, just trying to get to know the guys and hanging out. It is just as important to do that away from the track as it is at the track. I think everything is going really well right now as far as chemistry with the guys. As far as the cars go, that will take time. But the chemistry off the track, will affect the cars on the track. Once we know what I’m looking for in the race cars that part will turn around also.”

    As Bayne becomes more familiar with his new team, he is also starting to make his second and third trips to many of the circuit’s tracks, which should lead to even improved results.

    “Having been there before, that makes a huge difference. When we unload in practice I know where the car has to be good at and I know how the track changes as the race goes on for adjustments and that is just a big difference. After going there a couple of times you just start to learn those things and it becomes second nature. I’ve started to figure out some of the big tracks and I’m starting to look forward to going back to them.”

    Bayne will compete in his second race at Charlotte tonight. He qualified second and started on the outside of the front row here in the spring; while finishing 17th.

    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 five in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Colin Braun, Brian Ickler, Paul Menard, Erik Darnell and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

  • Foundation Donors To Ride With Dale Jr. Monday At Charlotte Motor Speedway

    “I enjoy bringing people into my world and letting them see what I see.” – Dale Jr.

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Oct. 15, 2010) – To help those less fortunate, The Dale Jr. Foundation is giving others the chance of a lifetime.

    Charlotte Motor Speedway will host “Dale Jr. Day” this Monday, Oct. 18, in a major fundraising initiative that gives fans the chance to take laps around the 1.5-mile facility with Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s seven-time Most Popular Driver.   The event will be The Dale Jr. Foundation’s primary fundraising event of the year in providing funds for local charities – including Make-A-Wish and Victory Junction Gang Camp – with an emphasis on kids.

    Dale Jr. Day is a joint effort between The Dale Jr. Foundation and NASCAR Racing Experience.  Fans have the option of seven different packages, and while each features its own uniqueness, all donors will have the opportunity to participate in a fan question-and-answer session with Earnhardt Jr.  For event information and package details, log onto www.nascarracingexperience.com/NRE/DaleJrDay/index.html or www.TheDaleJrFoundation.org.

    “Ever since we started the foundation, we have one big fan event a year to help raise money for the charities we support,” Earnhardt Jr. said.  “It’s a big deal to me and a big deal to my fans.  We always have overwhelming support, and I really appreciate that.  This will be the first time we’ve done a fundraising event that actually involves me driving a race car, so I’m pretty excited about that.  I like to bring people into my world and let them see what I see.  I think they’ll find a new appreciation for what we all do as drivers.”

    The event is open to the accredited members of the media.  Earnhardt Jr. will be available for a media session immediately after the Q&A and ride-arounds. (Please contact JR Motorsports Communications for media RSVP.)

    “We’ve tried to come up with ways to give value back to our donors through special events like Dale Jr. Day, and we hope for a good turnout this Monday,” said Camille Thompson, marketing manager for The Dale Jr. Foundation.  “Our ‘hard card’ membership offers cool merchandise in return for donations, and our eBay program has everything from sports and music memorabilia to autographed die cast cars and fire suits.  We like to give back to those who give to us.  Most people don’t realize The Dale Jr. Foundation is almost 100 percent funded by contributions from donors, so we appreciate any amount fans are able to give so we can continue to do good things for underprivileged and critically ill children.”

    One lucky Make-A-Wish® child will see his dream come true when he pairs up with Earnhardt Jr. for a ride around the track.  Thanks in part to an anonymous donation to The Dale Jr. Foundation, the child will live out his lifelong dream of riding with his favorite NASCAR driver during the day’s activities.

    Earlier this year, Dale Jr. granted his 200th Wish for Make-A-Wish, making him one of the top five wish-granting athletes in the 30-year history of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  The 200th wish was chronicled on ESPN’s My Wish Series this summer.

    Proceeds from Dale Jr. Day will benefit Blessings in a Backpack, Make-A-Wish, The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, and Speedway Children’s Charities.

    About The Dale Jr. Foundation

    The Dale Jr. Foundation is a non-profit charity dedicated to giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.  Since its founding in 2007, The Dale Jr. Foundation has helped over 200 organizations a year.  For more information on all its charitable efforts, and to learn more about how to donate, visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org