Catchfence

“Tricky layout of Gateway International Raceway is place of next lesson on learning curve”

CHINA GROVE, NC (July 12, 2009) – Ken Butler III has had enough learning curves this year that he could probably create his own road course. Being a rookie in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition is a battle on its own. But, when you have to learn on the asphalt, and concrete, classroom of each track like the driver of the No. 23 Aaron’s Dream Machine Chevrolet one thing is for sure – it’s never boring.

KB3 will begin his next lesson on the 1.25-mile, egg-shaped oval of Gateway with the first practice sessions on Friday evening. Qualifying is Saturday afternoon before they flick on the lights to race later in the evening. Even a veteran driver will tell you GIR is a tricky track to figure out. But, because of the summer time variations in heat and track conditions, it makes it a slippery slope to climb.

The R3 Motorsports team has been down this road, or track, with KB3 a few times this year. The good part is the Georgia native is pretty adept at picking up the nuances of the new surfaces. So, he and the team will look to make that happen one more time in 2009 this Friday and Saturday night.

ANOTHER NEW TRACK TO LEARN, GETTING TIRED OF IT YET? “Actually, I have kind of enjoyed learning these new places and seeing what it takes to be successful at them. Everyone of them is different in the turns, how your car feels and how you get on and off pit road. The two practice sessions are good before qualifying, but you really can’t get the real feel of a new track until the actual race.”

WHAT DO YOU WORK ON MORE, QUALIFYING OR RACE SET-UP? “The good news is we’re in the top-30 in owner’s points so we don’t have to stress out so much on making the show. We definitely do some work on qualifying because we want a good starting position and pit stall. But, we try to see how the car is on long runs in preparation for the race. So, if I had to choose, I’d say we work more on race set-up.”

TALK ABOUT NIGHT RACING: “There’s something about the excitement level and energy you get from the crowd that transfers to me as a driver when we race on a Saturday night under the lights. The fans seem to be more riled up for the night races and that gets me pretty pumped up, too. ”

TUNE IN FOR THE WIN: You can catch all the NASCAR Nationwide Series action on ESPN2 this weekend beginning with Friday night’s final practice session at 9 p.m. (ET). On Saturday, qualifying will air at 5 p.m. with race coverage soon after at 9 p.m.; also on ESPN2.

- R3 Motorsports Press Release