TEAM CHEVY NOTES AND QUOTES
CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE 200
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY
JANUARY 28, 2011

JOEY ATTERBURY, NO. 62 MITCHUM MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GS.R, FINISHED 7^TH  IN CLASS AND OVERALL: TALK ABOUT THE START OF THE RACE AND YOUR AMAZING RUN TO THE FRONT OF THE FIELD: “It was good. The key was to stay consistent out there and move our way forward. The Camaro was great out there. Put power down extremely well. We were able to go from 21^st to first. It was fantastic.

“In the middle of the race, everyone settles in a little bit. I had a good fight with Matt Bell in the No. 9 Stevenson Camaro. We were just a little bit more consistent out there. He drove the tires a little hard so we were able to get by him.  Then it was just kind of smooth sailing the rest of the time. There were a few more yellows but that just played into our favor with fuel strategy. It is all ended up nicely.”

LAWSON ASCHENACH,  NO. 62 MITCHUM MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GS.R, FINISHED 7^TH  IN CLASS AND OVERALL: TALK ABOUT THE END OF THE RACE AND THE STRONG TOP-10 FINISH: “We’ll take it. We are very happy considering the work we had to get accomplished yesterday. Everyone did a really good job. The team did awesome and obviously the Chevy Camaro was just awesome. I can’t thank Chevrolet and Mitchum enough for the opportunity.

“Right at the end there, we just couldn’t get it. We had a great car. We couldn’t ask for anything better. The setup was great, the power was great, everything was good, we just had nothing for the BMWs. Hopefully some changes will be made and we will be back on top here real soon.”

ROBERT STOUT, NO. 6 MITCHUM MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GS.R, FINISHED 10^TH   IN CLASS AND OVERALL: TALK ABOUT THE START OF THE RACE TODAY: “It my first time here with Mitchum Motorsports; first time in the Camaro here this weekend. A lot different than anything I have ever driven before. It was a lot of fun. Very good good horse-powered car. We went out there with expectations to get into the top-10 and I have personally never run in GRAND-AM and have only had a handful of laps here at Daytona. My qualifying was basically my first full session out on track so I came in here pretty green.

“But overall, it was really good. I had a really good co-driver (Jeff Bucknum) with me. It ended up with a good result. We came out with a top-10. I am really happy and looking forward to Miami.”

JEFF BUCKNUM, NO. 6 MITCHUM MOTORSPORTS CAMARO GS.R, FINISHED 10^TH   IN CLASS AND OVERALL: TALK ABOUT YOUR FINISH OUT THERE TODAY: “The race was a very good finish to a rough weekend. I am very pleased with that. We struggled with getting Robert (Stout), the new driver up to speed. I mean he is good, he is talented. We just didn’t get him enough laps to get comfortable. He did a great job just bringing the car back to me in whatever position on the lead lap.

“We weren’t sure what the balance was going to be on the car, it was actually really good. We had  a little clutch problem that made sometimes when we shifted, I would miss a shift, but other than that I think we could have easily contended for, if we had the chance to be up front early on, we had a car that could win a race.

“The yellows, in my situation, because we were coming from the back, I welcomed every yellow we could get because it would close the field back up which we gave me new opportunities to catch and pass people. When it gets all stretched out, of course, you just really can’t catch people, it is too spread out.”

CHRIS MITCHUM, TEAM OWNER, MITCHUM MOTORSPORTS NO. 6 AND NO. 62 CAMARO GS.R: EARLIER TODAY, YOU SAID YOUR TEAMS WOULD BE BETTER IN THE RACE THAN THEY WERE IN QUALIFYING YESTERDAY. SO, OBVIOUSLY, YOU’RE NOT SURPRISED BY TODAY. “No, I’m not surprised. I’m actually quite happy. I’m a little surprised by the pace of some of our competitors, not surprised by our pace. I think we did a very excellent job. Joey (Atterbury) was able to come up from his difficult qualifying spot, all the way up to the lead at one point, so once he got to the lead that’s when we decided to start our strategy and get the car in. We pitted as soon as we could to make the race on fuel, and it worked out perfect. That part of it, and I couldn’t be happier with my driver lineup in both cars, as well as how well they performed. Lawson (Aschenbach) did a great job of bringing it home for us, on that last lap picking up two spots, on the white-flag finish. And Robert Stout, being a rookie, having to start in the back of the GS field, keeping the car clean, keeping it happy, and then we were able to get Jeff Bucknum into the car, and Jeff just kept his head down, we were fighting a little bit of a clutch problem on the 6 car and he was actually able to turn fast-enough times to get up to the tail of the 62, and both of those cars actually drafted their way inside the top 10 and Lawson made a big move at the end. So, I’m not surprised at all by the pace of the cars. Very happy with the teams. It was definitely a recovery for us, but we did exactly what we desire to do: We wanted to finish inside the top 10 and start our championship out with some points, and that’s what we got.”

IN TERMS OF THE CAMARO, HOW DID THE DAY TURN OUT AS FAR AS YOUR EXPECTATIONS? DID YOU LEARN ANYTHING ABOUT THE CAR? “We learned a lot about the car. We had a whole development last year, solely focused to be ready for this year, to try different things. We did learn even more today. There’s obviously all of the development that we had that was in the car, we’ve still got a couple of areas to work on. Right now, it’s a lot of small improvements. We don’t have any big swipes to take. We’re not at the end of the development curve, by any means, but what it takes to be competitive in this series is a whole bunch of small fixes, that are very minor and will add up to something in the end. We think we have something for them in Homestead. I think both cars will be really strong in Homestead.”

JOEY ATTERBURY MADE UP A LOT OF GROUND EARLY. HOW DID HE DO IT? “Joey, actually, was just very good today. Sometimes, when you look at the beginning stints of these races, it depends how hard you’re willing to push and how clean you can do it. And Joey pushed a little harder than everybody else around him. He was able to pass the number 9 Stevenson car – they had a great race going, I’m not sure what they’re failure was – but they are actually instrumental in our finish by helping us with the parts we needed. The biggest highlight, next to our finish, is knowing we have competitors in the field that we’re all looking for the same result.”

 

MATT BELL, NO. 9 STEVENSON CAMARO GS.R, FINISHED 28^TH IN CLASS, 54^TH OVERALL AS A RESULT OF BROKEN CV AXLE:  WHAT HAPPENED TO PUT THE CAR BACK IN THE GARAGE? “It looks like we’ve got a broken CV, so basically the axle seized up, and eventually it just started slipping. So, John (Edwards) was out there and just couldn’t put any power to the ground.”

YOU RAN UP FRONT WHEN YOU WERE IN THE CAR. “It’s good. The thing about this class, it is very close racing between all of the makes. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get by Joe Foster in the Mustang. Having some issues there. A lot of rough racing, but my job is to bring the car back in one piece. But, unfortunately, an axle broke. I don’t know if it was me or just fate, but it’s unfortunate.”

DID YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE CAMARO TODAY? “We ran the car last year, and it is wholesomely different than it was before. We’ve got a new differential, we’ve got new dampers on the car. We’ve moved weight around a little bit. Also, we do have less fuel and so it sort throws a lot of what we learned last year out the window. We have learned a lot and every weekend we’re learning more.

“This Stevenson crew is amazing, and they’re just taking volumes of information from all of our experiences that we’re learning here – even down to the unfortunate things like a broken CV axle or even some damage to the front end, how that affects our aero. Maybe how we can make a quicker fix, something we can do something like that. I’m excited to go to Homestead and finish out the rest of the year, and see how high up we can go, and I’m sure a win is in the cards for this thing.”

 

OTHER TEAM CHEVY FINISHERS:

ASHLEY MCCALMONT/ERIC CURRAN, NO. 00 CKS AUTOSPORT CAMARO GS.R, FINISHED 14^TH IN CLASS AND OVERALL

DAVE MUNDY/TONY RIVERA, NO. 01 CKS AUTOSPORT CAMARO GS.R FINISHED 20^TH IN CLASS AND OVERALL

Note: Team Chevy press releases, high-resolution images, and media kit can be downloaded from the Team Chevy media website: 

About Chevrolet: Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

ROUSH Performance gears up for 2011 season opener at Daytona entering two cars  

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After a solid 2010 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season, Jack Roush Jr., and Billy Johnson are back in action with sights set on the 2011 championship, but this time they will be piloting a brand new No. 61 Ford BOSS 302R Mustang.  The ROUSH Performance team will again add a second car to the stable with drivers Roly Falgueras and new talent Shelby Blackstock who will share the No. 51 Ford Mustang.  

The ROUSH Performance team had an impressive 2010 season finishing in the top five in nine out of 10 races, with six podium finishes and two wins. The team fell just eight points shy of the championship while acquiring the most driver and team laps led, and winning in Homestead; marking team owner Jack Roush Sr.’s 400th victory in racing.

  “The 2010 season was a great year for us,” says Johnson. “There have been a lot of changes in the off season with a new crew chief, Jeff Campey, and most notably our new BOSS 302R.  We learned a lot in both the Homestead and Daytona tests about the car.  It’s quick but we have been working hard to make it last over the long haul like our old FR500C and we are preparing to come to Daytona ready for action.”

In 2009 Jack Roush Jr., finished fifth in the driver points.  In 2010 he finished third in points with co-driver Billy Johnson.  

“If we keep this yearly improvement, we should attain our goals for 2011,” said Roush Jr.   Joining the team and driving the No.51 ROUSH Performance Mustang is Puerto Rican Roly Falgueras and young gun Shelby Blackstock.  Falgueras is returning to Grand-Am GS action after a brief hiatus racing GT cars in South America .  This will be Blackstock’s first Grand-Am start, but after showing speed in both the Skip Barber series and Mustang Challenge cars, as well as a solid performance in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, the up and coming star is surely someone to keep an eye on.  

“I’ve kept track of Shelby for a year now and am looking forward to working with him and seeing what the kid can do,” said team manager Brad Francis. “Roly has been doing this for a while now and is a solid addition to the team.”

“I am very excited to compete in my first Grand-Am race,” said Blackstock. “To be driving for such an historic team like Roush is quite a privilege.”  

While new to the team, Campey is not new to the game.  Having years of experience as a crew chief under his belt ranging from ARCA to NASCAR, he is a great addition to the No.61 program. 

Combining Campey with Francis makes for a strong combination with decades of experience.  

“I love sports car racing and it’s in my blood,” said Campey.  “In fact I first started working for the Roush organization in IMSA before moving over to NASCAR years later.  The team is already proven winners and we have an outstanding driver lineup with Jack Roush Jr., and Billy Johnson.  It’s also an honor to be able to work hand in hand with Brad Francis. 

We also have a great crew who have been working very hard in the off season preparing our new BOSS 302R and I hope to contribute to this effort to make everyone’s hard work into a year-end championship.”  

The 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season will kick off at Daytona International Speedway on January 28.

Angelelli Qualifies 2nd in DP; Taylor 2nd in GT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 27, 2011) – Max Angelelli and Jordan Taylor paced Chevrolet’s qualifying efforts Thursday in the manufacturer’s first event as an official promotional partner of GRAND-AM Road Racing.

Angelelli, driving the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Chevrolet Dallara, qualified outside front row in Daytona Prototype (DP), and Taylor, in the No. 88 Autohaus Camaro GT.R, qualified second in GT for this weekend’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“That was good,” Angelelli said after a fast lap of 1:40.133 (127.990 mph) at Daytona International Speedway. “We have a good car and a good engine…. We’re looking forward to this season. This Chevy-powered car – we’re going to be fast.”

Taylor’s fast lap occurred late in the qualifying session.

“I went out basically to try and get a gap in qualifying just get in clean air, no traffic,” said Taylor (1:48.821, 117.771 mph). “I caught traffic in the middle of the session, but once I got a clear lap on that last lap, it was a really good lap. I got a little bit of a lockup in turn one, but other than that it was a pretty solid lap. We have not had one issue with our Camaro – so, so far, so good for a 24-hour event.”

Chevrolet announced its partnership with GRAND-AM Road Racing and team lineup earlier in the day.

“It is good to see all of the hard work by the Chevy teams during the off season paid off with front row starting positions in both the DP and GT classes,” said Mark Kent, GM Racing Director. “While starting up front in a 24-hour race isn’t critical, it’s definitely a morale boost for our teams.”

Other Team Chevy qualifiers: In DP, Antonio Garcia (No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet Coyote), sixth, and Alex Gurney (No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley), 10th. In GT, Robin Liddell (No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R), seventh, and Oliver Gavin (No. 07 Banner Racing Camaro GT.R), 19th.

The Rolex 24 at Daytona starts Saturday at 3:30 p.m.

Matt Bell, driver of the No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R, qualified fifth in Continental Tire Challenge GS. Other Team Chevy qualifiers in GS: No. 00 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R, 16th; No. 62 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R, 21st; No. 6 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R, 26th; and No. 01 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R, 27th.

The Continental Tire Challenge GRAND-AM 200 begins Friday at 1:30 p.m.

Note: Team Chevy press releases, high-resolution images, and media kit can be downloaded from the Team Chevy media website: 

About Chevrolet: Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Offers Contingency Program for DP, GT and GS Teams  

DETROIT (Jan. 26, 2011) –Chevrolet will be more visible both on and off the track this year, as an official promotional partner of GRAND-AM Road Racing for the first time.  

Chevrolet will supply the official pace vehicle and have a major at-track presence for the races at Elkhart Lake (Wisc.) in June and Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International in August.  

“Being a partner with GRAND-AM is an exciting opportunity for Chevrolet,” said Jeff Chew, marketing manager, Chevy Racing. “In addition to being the pace vehicle later this summer, Chevrolet also will bring its Team Chevy Racing Display trackside for the fans to enjoy. Chevy’s display showcases its full lineup of award-winning cars and trucks.”    

Additionally, Chevrolet is offering a contingency program to support its teams competing in the Daytona Prototype and GT classes of the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, and the Grand Sport class of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

  Chevrolet has three teams competing in both DP and GT, and five teams in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS class. The season opens this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with the 49th Rolex 24 At Daytona.   Note: Team Chevy press releases, high-resolution images, and media kit can be downloaded from the Team Chevy media website: 

About Chevrolet:

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Milwaukee, WI – January 27, 2011 – Tradition and local pride unite at the Milwaukee Mile as MillerCoors and Beer Capitol Distributing will join together to be a prominent sponsor of the Milwaukee 225 IndyCar event, June 18-19, 2011.

The deal makes Coors Light the official beer sponsor of this summer’s Milwaukee 225 IndyCar race at The Mile. In addition to signage and hospitality, the sponsorship also establishes Coors Light as the title sponsor of the race’s pole qualifying day.

“We have a long history of supporting great racing at the Milwaukee Mile and look forward to an exciting race this summer,” said Jim Wright, MillerCoors general manager-sales for Wisconsin.  “Coors Light, The World’s Most Refreshing Beer, is the perfect complement to an afternoon spent enjoying hot racing action on the track. And thanks to our outstanding partners at Beer Capitol Distributing, we’ll be able to ensure race fans have that ideal experience at the track.”

MillerCoors and Beer Capitol Distributing join several other Milwaukee businesses who have chosen to show support of this legendary local event. David Hobbs Honda will be sponsoring the Firestone Indy Lights race (David Hobbs 100), and will be the official car dealership of Racefest weekend. Chris McGrath, the Milwaukee 225’s promoter, indicates a title sponsor may be just around the corner.

“The Milwaukee 225 is rich in history, but also about local pride and a promising future,” says McGrath. “This is an exciting time for the state as well. With the Packers headed to the big game, Wisconsin will be first on the national stage. When the drivers and teams of the IZOD IndyCar Series come to town this summer, fans will experience the excitement, danger and speed, while businesses can showcase their wares and show support for this once-a-year Wisconsin tradition.”

For additional information about the Milwaukee 225 or to order tickets, please visit www.MilwaukeeMile2011.com or call 1-800-722-3840.   About Beer Capitol Distributing Beer Capitol, a distributor of malt beverages in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties for MillerCoors, has been in existence for 30 years this May, delivering excellence in taste to all on- and off-premise accounts in southeast Wisconsin. We pride ourselves on being a community leader and making sure we give back to the market place. We are part of delivering fun in southeast Wisconsin, always with responsibility.

About MillerCoors Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers.  MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MGD 64 completes the company’s premium light beer portfolio, offering consumers fresh, crisp taste at just 64 calories.  MillerCoors brews premium beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel’s craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, WI and two microbreweries, the 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to create America’s best beer company by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact.  MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.

About Avocado, LLC Founded in 2008, Avocado designs and implements custom motorsports marketing programs for businesses, race teams and drivers, using three principles – accountability, momentum and results – to drive business. This individualized strategy permits clients to participate in producing exactly what they want. By controlling the executables, Avocado ensures those expectations are met. Avocado is located 20 minutes north of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Carmel, Indiana.

About AB PROMOTIONS, LLC AB Promotions is joint venture between Avocado, LLC and BMG Event Productions formed specifically for promoting and managing the 2011 Milwaukee Mile IndyCar race and associated weekend entertainment and activities. Named for the first letters of its corporate namesakes, AB is comprised of the complementary resources and talents of key personnel from Avocado Motorsports and BMG Event Productions.

After 61 years in the NASCAR racing business, the Wood Brothers have two long-standing relationships that stand above the rest – their ties to Ford Motor Company and to David Pearson.

Both of them will be prominently represented on their No. 21 Ford Fusion for the 2011 season. Ford Customer Service Division is returning as the team’s primary sponsor with its Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands for the 11th straight season, and the team has dedicated its year to Pearson in honor of his induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The season-opening paint scheme, a red-and-white car with gold numbers, is the same as the Woods ran on the 1971 Mercury that Pearson began driving at Darlington in the spring of 1972. The magic was apparent from the start as Pearson won both the pole and the race that weekend. It was the first of his 43 wins and 51 poles in the Wood Brothers Mercury.

An announcement will be made at the Concord, N.C., airport on Thursday, and Pearson is expected to be on hand along with several members of his crew from the 70s, a group that included Glen Wood, Leonard Wood, Delano Wood, Kenny Martin, Cecil Wilson and Butch Moricle, as well as Len and Eddie Wood.

Eddie Wood, one of the team’s current co-owners, said he was especially pleased to be starting the season with Motorcraft/Quick Lane and Fordparts.com backing his car and with the opportunity to honor Pearson.

“As we begin our 61st year, we’re really excited to have Ford Customer Service Division back for the 11th straight year,” Wood said. “And we’re proud to be able to honor David Pearson as a friend and as a 2011 inductee into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”

Wood acknowledged that of all the drivers who have been at the wheel of the No. 21 over the years, one stands head and shoulders above the rest.

“We’re most associated with Pearson,” he said. “Almost half of the 97 races we’ve won came with him as the driver.”   Having Pearson and the old crew come to Concord for Thursday’s announcement means a lot to Wood and the current members of the team.

“It’s really humbling,” he said. “David and Leonard together, made Wood Brothers Racing. What they did is almost unheard of in terms of racing today. They won 11 of the 18 races they started in 1973, and all but one was on a superspeedway.”

In that impressive season, the team also had two runner-up finishes and a third.

Their 1976 season was another dominating performance as they won 10 times in 22 starts and swept the Triple Crown, the sport’s big three races – the Daytona 500, World 600 and Southern 500.

Among those who find the Woods’ accomplishments with Pearson something to behold is the team’s current driver, rookie Trevor Bayne.

 Bayne, 19, is the youngest driver ever to take the wheel of the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion. As he’s toured the team shop and visited with members of the family like Leonard Wood, he’s come to appreciate the car he’s driving and the special paint scheme it will carry in 10 races this year.

“I remember that famous paint scheme with the gold numbers,” he said, “David Pearson made it famous. It’s a real honor to be a part of that history.”

Yorktown, VA – January 25, 2011

Precision Performance Motorsports (PPM) with drivers Rick and Brandon Gdovic, the only father and son team in televised NASCAR competition, announced today it will participate in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2011, visiting such legendary tracks as Richmond International Raceway, Dover International Speedway, and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“Running in the K&N Pro Series East is a step in the right direction for our team”, said Brandon Gdovic, driver of the #46 Aquis Communications Dodge. “We are well prepared and have excellent talent on board.”

PPM has added to its arsenal the talents of former Nationwide Series crew chief Todd Lohse, former Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series driver Kenny Hendrick, and veteran motorsports marketing manager Zac Boals.  Lohse will take on crew chief duties for the #46 Aquis Communications Dodge driven by 2010 NASCAR Whelen Series Asphalt Rookie of the year, Brandon Gdovic, while Hendrick will crew chief the # 64 Aquis Communications Dodge of seasoned driver Rick Gdovic.

“We are excited about the opportunity to compete at the K&N level,” said Rick Gdovic, “the increased exposure with the series being televised on Speed Channel nationally will bring great value to our sponsors and the experience of the new personnel will enhance our success in the series.”

About NASCAR K&N Pro Series East

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East was established in 1987 and previously titled as the Busch East Series.  The series merged with the K&N Pro Series West in 2003 to form the Grand National Division.  The series has established the careers of many of today’s top drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series including Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Joey Logano.  For more information about the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East please contact:

            Jason Cunningham

            K&N East Series Media Coordinator

            704-201-6658

            jcunninham@nascar.com

About Precision Performance Motorsports

Precision Performance Motorsports is located in Yorktown, Virginia.  The team will compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East with drivers Brandon Gdovic and Rick Gdovic.  For more information and the race schedule please see: www.BrandonGdovic.com and www.RickGdovic.com or Brandon Gdovic’s Bio at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y1YCUrbyDQ

About Aquis Communications

Headquartered in Yorktown, Virginia Aquis Communications is a subsidiary of ComSoft Corporation. Aquis has been servicing the Healthcare, government, public safety, industrial and educational industries for over 30 years. Aquis Communications is a leading provider of critical communications systems, emergency management systems and telecom expense management. Products and services include, emergency mass notifications systems, wireless messaging and paging, telemetry, in-building and campus-wide wireless networks, telecommunication expense and asset management (TEAM) as well as consulting and engineering services. Aquis is the premier provider when it comes to critical communications and telecom expense management.  For more information please see www.aquiscommunications.com

No. 23 Allegiant Chevrolet

Toyota Speedway at Irwindale

NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown

January 26, 2011

 

Spencer Gallagher Geared Up for Showdown Action at Irwindale! 

Clark-Diederich Racing, the Spencer Clark Driven Foundation (SCDF) and Allegiant Travel Company have partnered together to compete in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West for 2011 with Spencer Gallagher behind the wheel. Gallagher will pilot the No. 23 Allegiant Chevrolet and challenge for one of the coveted spots in the Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale.  The Los Angeles-area event known as the most prestigious race on NASCAR’s developmental series calendar will be televised live on SPEED and likely include the 2010 season champions from all seven of NASCAR’s Regional Series.

Notes of Interest:

• Clark-Diederich Racing and the No. 23 Allegiant team make their All-Star debut! 

Clark-Diederich Racing was created this year by TJ and Debbie Clark who have reunited their late son’s sponsor (Allegiant) and Crew Chief (Chris Diederich) to continue Spencer Clark’s legacy in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. The Clark family has been working with young, aspiring race car drivers for the past several years in Legends, Bandoleros and Late Models through the Spencer Clark Driven Foundation (SCDF). Spencer Gallagher has been a student of the SCDF since he first started racing Bandoleros at the age of 12. Since then he has competed in Legend Cars and Superlate Models at the “Bullring” in Las Vegas, winning the world title on the road course in 2010. He’s a 21 year old student at University of Nevada, Las Vegas who is known for his heart, dedication and desire to be an extremely successful race car driver.

• Spencer Gallagher on upcoming NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Season and Showdown

“I am really looking forward to the 2011 racing season, competing against some of the best young talent on the west coast, as well as some of the guys in the K&N East Series and the ARCA Series. We’re really just trying to get as much seat time and experience as possible this year. Our goals are to try and be as consistent as possible, keep the fenders on the car and be in contention for the Rookie of the Year Honors. TJ, Debbie and the Spencer Clark Driven Foundation have all played a crucial part in my development not only as a driver, but as a person. I am truly grateful to have the support of so many wonderful people and I cannot thank them enough. Hopefully we will have a good weekend at the Toyota All-Star Showdown and come away with a top-10, maybe even a top-5. We’ll have to see how it all shakes out.”

• Spencer Clark’s Legacy to continue in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West

Las Vegas native, Spencer Clark started his NASCAR career in the K&N Pro Series West with great success. By the age of 19, Clark had proven to be an immensely talented young race car driver with one pole, three top-5’s and four top-10’s in his first eight K&N Pro Series West starts. In March of 2006, he made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at his hometown track, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sadly Spencer Clark’s career and life were cut short on May 21, 2006 when he was a passenger in a fatal car accident outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

• Crew Chief, Chris Diederich, to help fulfill the Clark’s Dream 

Chris Diederich has been a longtime family friend of the Clark’s and has worked with TJ since the mid 90’s in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2005, Diederich reunited with the Clark’s and was the Crew Chief for Spencer Clark in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and Nationwide Series. After the tragic accident in 2006, Diederich continued to further his career in NASCAR by moving to Charlotte and becoming the Crew Chief for Kenny Wallace in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The upcoming 2011 season will bring back together the Clark’s, Diederich and Allegiant as they set out to fulfill the Spencer Clark dream with the young and talented Gallagher.

TJ Clark on the Spencer Clark Driven Foundation:

“I felt my son encouraging me to help others strive for their dreams as he did. I never knew the depth of young drivers that he was helping. In a time of grief, many people were telling me how Spencer helped them or their kid and what that meant to them. It made me very proud and thankful and I realized this would be a great way to honor my son. So the Spencer Clark Driven Foundation was created in 2008 and started with a team of 2 Bandoleros, 10 Legends and 2 Superlate Models racing at the “Bullring,” Spencer’s home track. We have continued every year since and helped 26 different kids improve and grow as they chase their racing dreams. Now the opportunity has come for us to take it to the next level.”

About Allegiant:

Allegiant, travel is our deal. Las Vegas-based Allegiant Travel Company (NASDAQ: ALGT), is focused on linking travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations such as Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix-Mesa, Orlando, Fla., and Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla. Through its subsidiary, Allegiant Air, the company operates a low-cost, high-efficiency, all-jet passenger airline offering air travel both on a stand-alone basis and bundled with hotel rooms, rental cars and other travel-related services. In 2010, Allegiant was ranked number one for low-cost carriers in Aviation Week’s Top Performing Airline study and ranked 25 on FORTUNE magazine’s Fastest-Growing Companies list.

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