PREVIEW – Scott Wimmer (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)
EVENT – Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
TRACK – Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval)
DATE – Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009
TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3:00 p.m. EST)
FINALE WITH JRM – Saturday’s race will be Scott Wimmer’s sixth and final race with JR Motorsports in 2009. Earlier this season, Wimmer earned his best finishes of the year while driving for JRM, with top-10s at Darlington and O’Reilly Raceway Park. At Milwaukee, Wimmer led 39 laps, a season-high lap statistic for both Wimmer and the No. 5 team.
SUNFLOWER STATE STATS – Wimmer has four starts at Kansas with one top-10 finish (2003). He’s led three laps and earned an average finish of 15.8. Wimmer has never finished outside the top-15 while piloting a Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway.
INTERMEDIATE SUCCESS – In the six intermediate races the No.5 team entered in 2009, the team earned two top-fives, coming at Las Vegas and Atlanta, and a top-10 finish at Darlington. Additionally, the team led 21 laps (five at Chicago, 16 at Atlanta) at intermediate tracks.
JRM TEAMMATES – Wimmer’s addition to the JRM driver lineup in 2009 has benefited both the No. 5 and the No. 88 teams. Brad Keselowski earned a win, four top-four finishes, and an average finish of 4.6 in the five races Wimmer served as his JRM teammate.
NO. 5 CHEVROLET SEASON – The No. 5 Chevy has competed in 19 races in 2009 and earned four top-five, nine top-10 finishes and one pole. The 5 car has led 98 laps this season. Its average finish is 15.7, and its average start is 10.9.
CHASSIS INFO – The No. 5 Fastenal team will run chassis 382. The team rebuilt this chassis after the spring Dover race.
ROCKIN’ THE RIVER CONCERT SERIES: The Dale Jr. Foundation will host the “Rockin’ the River” Concert Series at Whisky River in uptown Charlotte beginning Oct. 1. Five weekly concerts held each Thursday during October will make up the series. Acts including the Carter Twins, Gavin DeGraw, Jessie James, Rehab, Blake Shelton and Phil Vassar are performing in a fundraising effort benefiting The Dale Jr. Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Victory Junction Gang Camp. For more information, visit http://whiskyriver.tickets.musictoday.com.
DEGREE V12 CHALLENGE – NASCAR fans still have a chance to team up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski in the Degree V12 Challenge. Players compete against each other for a chance to win a variety of great prizes including tailgate entertainment systems, gaming packages, cash, and more! Visit www.DegreeRacing.com to register for the Degree V12 Challenge and begin racing to win. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/27/09. Visit www.DegreeRacing.com for complete rules.)
WIMMER (thoughts on final race with JRM this weekend) – “It has been a blast working with the No. 5 team throughout this season, and I’d like to thank Dale Jr. and Kelley (Earnhardt) for such a great opportunity. We finished ninth at Darlington and ORP, so that is certainly something we can be proud of this year. This No. 5 crew is one of the most talented teams in the garage, and although we’re happy with top-10s, we can do better. That is the focus this week heading into Kansas. We want to do our best to improve on those finishes.”
WIMMER (on the team’s performance to date) “Although we’ve had a limited schedule this season, the performances we showed in those races is a testament to the professionalism and dedication of this team. Nearly every race we’ve been running with the leaders, we’ve just had some bad luck at the end of races.”
WIMMER (on the distinctions of Kansas Speedway): “Kansas is similar to the other intermediate tracks, but it has certain characteristics that make it unique. You usually see some long green-flag runs, so you need a car that handles well on the long run. The corners differ a lot from most tracks, and with the race surface aging, it’s getting much bumpier. The groove has widened out a lot, too. When we first started racing there the bottom was the fastest way around the track. Now, you can go two, or sometimes three wide, without much of a problem. From a driver’s standpoint, that is something that makes for a lot of fun – a track where you can move your line around and get the best out of your car.”
- JR Motorsports Press Release