Catchfence

No. 29 Holiday Inn / Holiday Inn Express Impala SS

Event: Zippo 200 at The Glen – August 8, 2009

Venue: Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International

Jeff Burton’s NASCAR Nationwide Series Performance History at Watkins Glen International

NOTES:

· This Week’s Holiday Inn/Holiday Inn Express Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International … Jeff Burton will drive Chassis No. 071 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable this weekend. Built in 2007, Burton drove this Holiday Inn Chevrolet to a 10th-place finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal after starting 33rd. In April 2008, Scott Wimmer finished seventh with this RCR-prepared machine at Autòdromo Hermanos Rodrìguez in Mexico while Burton piloted this No. 29 racer to a 14-place effort at The Glen last August. Over the offseason, the Holiday Inn-sponsored chassis was outfitted with 2009 Impala SS modifications.

· Statistically Speaking …

o Rankings … Burton is tied for seventh all-time in NNS competition with four top-10 finishes at the 11-turn upstate New York road course.

o Driver Rating … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, over the last four NNS events at Watkins Glen, Burton ranks fourth with a Driver Rating of 110.8. Driver Rating is a formula that combines the following categories: wins, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The Driver Rating number is used as a pre-race prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator. The maximum number of points a driver can earn in each race is 150.

o Burton’s Last Three Races at Watkins Glen … The South Boston, Va., native boasts a 7.3 average finish over his last three NNS races at The Glen. He was scored inside the top 15 for 81.3 percent (200 of 246) of the laps contested in those three starts.

o Since Joining RCR … In four NNS road course races since joining RCR in 2004, Burton has only one finish outside the top 10 (a 14th-place finish at Watkins Glen last year). In those same starts, he has completed every lap of competition and boasts an eight-place average finish.

o RCR’s Stats at The Glen … In 12 NNS starts at The Glen, RCR-prepared Chevrolets have one win (Kevin Harvick – 2007) and earned five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C.,-based organization has earned a 9.5 average finish to go along with a respectable 14.2 average starting position. RCR drivers have led 111 laps of competition and have completed all 986 laps of NNS competition.

o RCR’s Road Course History … In 24 NNS road course starts, RCR has earned two victories (2007 – Kevin Harvick at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Watkins Glen), eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. Seven different drivers out of the five-time NNS champion’s stable have combined to earn a starting average of 15.8 and a 10th-place average finish, while completing all but one of the 1,876 laps contested in those starts.

· Double Duty at The Glen … In addition to his NNS duties, Burton will pilot the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen. The 22nd points-paying race on the NSCS schedule will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.

· Rearview Mirror … Stephen Leicht and RCR’s No. 29 team overcame a mid-race accident to finish 10th at Iowa Speedway last weekend. The solid effort allowed the Holiday Inn Racing team to maintain seventh position in the NNS owners’ point standings.

· Hometown Spotter … Rocky Ryan, Burton’s spotter in the NNS and NSCS, calls Smithtown, N.Y. his hometown. In addition to being ‘the eyes in the sky’ for Burton on race weekends, Ryan also works in the communications department at RCR’s headquarters in Welcome, N.C.

· CIPT Marks First Anniversary … One year ago, Richard and Judy Childress announced the formation of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, located at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston Salem, N.C., whose mission would be to prevent and treat the leading cause of death in children. Twelve months later, CIPT has designed an intensive first-responder training pilot program that will serve as a replicable national model and established 10 partnership and affiliates, including the World Health Organization/Centers for Disease Control and the Pediatric Medical Device Institute.

Additionally, the Institute held a national conference that represented the first significant research dialogue on pediatric trauma and developed a consortium of 15 cross-appointed faculty, including nationally recognized researchers among pediatricians, pediatric surgeons and biomedical engineers. While progress has been made, hard work of education, prevention and research continues. Each year, serious injuries claim the lives of more than 12,000 children in the United States – more than all other causes combined. The Institute’s goal is to save these lives and to help kids affected by these injuries recover to lead a more normal life. To learn more about CIPT or to help children across the nation by donating, please visit www.childresspediatrictrauma.org or call 1-866-635-8190.

· Race Broadcast Information … The Zippo 200 at The Glen will be televised live on ESPN2 on Saturday, August 8 beginning at 2:30 p.m. EDT. The race will also be broadcast on MRN and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 22nd event of the 2009 NNS season will air on the same day beginning at 10 a.m. EDT on ESPN2. MRN and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio will also broadcast live updates of time trials.

· Mark Your Calendars … In honor of its 40th anniversary, RCR will host a Fan Day at the Welcome, N.C. complex on Thursday, October 22 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Activities include driver and pit crew autograph sessions, self-guided tours of RCR’s Sprint Cup and Nationwide shops as well as ECR’s engine shop, radio remotes, musical entertainment, pit crew competition, viewing of the DALE movie, question-and-answer session with team owner Richard Childress and much more. General admission to RCR’s Fan Day is just $5, which will benefit the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma.

· Online With the Times … To keep up with the latest news and information about Richard Childress Racing and to view exclusive online content, visit the team’s official website at www.RCRRacing.com. For qualifying and race results, check us out at www.twitter.com/RCRRacing.

Jeff Burton Quotes:

How important is it to have a good qualifying run at Watkins Glen?

“Qualifying is really important at Watkins Glen because track position is so vital. Driving hard at The Glen produces speed. There are some race tracks where if you overdrive your car, you actually go slower, but Watkins Glen isn’t one of them. You have to get on the edge and go.”

How much do you race the track versus racing the competitors at Watkins Glen?

“The race at Watkins Glen gets really crowded. Turn 1 is especially difficult with traffic. The double-file restarts will be tough because Turn 1 is so narrow. Restarts will be the most stressful part of the race for everyone. The rest of the race, you can race the track. It’s very important to pay attention and hit your marks to keep your car in the right place at the right time. As a driver, you gain time in certain areas of the track and mainly focus on your car. On restarts, you not only have to pay attention to your car, but you also have to worry about the rest of the cars around you.”

As you’re driving the car at Watkins Glen, pit road wall is on your right, whereas at every other track you visit, it’s on the left. How different is it for you to have your crew start their pit stop on the opposite side of the car from what you’re used to?

“It’s not that different. You still need to get on pit road clean and hit your marks. For the driver, it’s hitting your mark on the right and not the left. It’s not that big of a deal. You are usually coming to pit road by yourself at Watkins Glen because there are not a lot of cautions like you have on the ovals. It’s a little less hectic so it actually makes it a little easier.”

Doug Randolph (crew chief) Quote:

What are your thoughts as you head toward the first road course race of the Nationwide Series season?

“We’re excited because our car has proven it can run well. Last year, this same chassis was used and they should have had a top-five finish, but, unfortunately, the fuel-mileage gamble didn’t work out for Jeff (Burton) and No. 29 team. Jeff has run well on road courses in the Nationwide Series and we’re hopeful that’ll continue this weekend. Our first goal is to qualify up front because of how important track position is on a road course. As the race unfolds, our hope is to stay up front and, as the fuel strategies play out, contend for a solid finish at the end. ”

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release