Tuesday
Martin Truex, Jr., Aric Almirola & Juan Pablo Montoya, 2009 Food City 500 NSCS Race Previews
Press Release
Martin Truex Jr. and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops®/Tracker Boats Team
Bristol Stats: Truex will be making his seventh NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. His best start was 11th, in this race last year. His best finish of 11th came in August of 2007.
Last Week: Truex and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats team finished 10th two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It was Truex’s first top-10 finish this season. He is currently 19th in 2009 NSCS points.
Bass Pro Shopping: Outdoor enthusiasts in the Bristol area can get all their hunting, fishing and camping supplies at the Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tennessee at 3629 Outdoor Sportsmans Place. The store is approximately two hours from Bristol Motor Speedway and can be reached at 865-932-5600.
Can I Have Your Autograph?: Truex will be meeting fans and signing autographs at the Bass Pro Shops souvenir rig on Saturday from 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm. The souvenir hauler will be located in the fan zone outside the track.
Rock On: Truex will be taking part in a video shoot for the rock band Saving Abel. The band will be at Bristol Motor Speedway filming the video for their new song, “Drowning”.
Good Ole Rocky Top: Almirola will be making his third NSCS start at Bristol Motor Speedway when he takes the green flag in this weekend’s Food City 500. In such a young career he has made quite a splash at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” He brought home an eighth place finish in his first NSCS start in 2008, which occurred at Bristol Motor Speedway. He followed this performance with a 13th place finish in the night race.
Finishing strong in Atlanta: Almirola and the No. 8 Cub Cadet team were able to work through some handling issues at Atlanta. This hard work ensured a good finish for the team, bringing the car home in 21st place. The finish helped move the team closer to a coveted spot inside the top-35 in owner’s points heading into the all important fifth race at Bristol.
The Name says it all: Champion Apparel will come on board to sponsor the No. 8 Chevrolet at Bristol Motor Speedway. Champion Apparel was announced as the official apparel provider for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, TARGET Chip Ganassi Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates at the beginning of 2009.
Since 1919 Champion has offered a full line of innovative athletic apparel for men and women including sport bras, activewear, team uniforms, sweats and accessories. Champion can be purchased at most sporting goods and department stores. For more information about Champion for men and women visit www.championusa.com. Champion is a brand of Hanesbrands Inc.
A Quarter-Century Old!: Driver, Aric Almirola celebrated his 25th Birthday this past weekend. The young driver certainly enjoyed the fact that he was able to do this from his home in North Carolina as it was the first off-weekend for the NSCS.
So here’s to you Ole Tennessee, Our Alma Mater true: Crew Chief Doug Randolph, a native of Morristown, Tennessee (located half-way between Knoxville and Bristol) is a 1988 graduate of The University of Tennessee. Randolph received his degree in Wildlife and Fisheries from the school famous for football, the Vol Navy, and a Bluetick Coonhound that roams the sidelines of every Vol sporting event. Don’t be surprised to see some Vol Orange on the No. 8 pit box this weekend as the team takes to the track.
Bristol History: Montoya will be making his fifth NSCS start at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. He earned the outside pole in Fall 2007 in just his second attempt at the .533-mile track, and went on to finish 17th on the lead lap. In this race last year, he scored his best NSCS finish to date at the track, driving his No. 42 to a 15th-place finish.
Meet Montoya: Montoya will be making an appearance at the TUMS display on Sunday in the Fan Zone at Bristol Motor Speedway. Montoya will sign for fans from 9:35 to 10:00 a.m. Fans are encouraged to stop by prior to the event to receive a ticket. Tickets are limited.
Happy Birthday: The Target team will celebrate two birthdays this weekend. Tire-carrier Eric Bilyeu will celebrate his 33rd birthday on Sunday, March 22 and the No. 42 Gasman and mechanic, Mike “Mongo” Bodick will turn 40-years-old on Sunday as well.
Local natives: Cousins Heath Silver and Andy Silver both call Bristol their home track, as they are from the Asheville area. Heath is the Car Chief of the Target Chevrolet and Andy is a mechanic on the team during the race weekend.
Tennessean: Tony Glover—a Kingsport, Tenn., native—is a team manager at the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Concord, N.C. race shop. He has been in racing for 36 years and throughout his career Glover has built the reputation as one of the top mechanical minds in motorsports. In addition, Glover has a knack for developing drivers and winning big races. Under his guidance, Ernie Irvan, Sterling Marlin and Joe Nemechek captured their first NASCAR Sprint Cup wins.
In the Points: Montoya now stands 21st in the NASCAR Driver Point Standings, 226 points behind leader Jeff Gordon.
Montoya Quotes:
“I like Bristol a lot. Of all the places I have ever raced, when someone asks me what track they need to go to I always tell them Bristol. As a driver you are up on the wheel all the time and you are always racing no matter where you are on the track.”
CHASSIS INFO
No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Kevin “Bono” Manion has decided to bring chassis #071. This chassis was last used in the season finale at Homestead Miami Speedway last year. Truex finished 10th in that event.
No. 8 Champion Chevrolet (NSCS): The No. 8 team will bring chassis number #38 to the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile” Bristol Motor Speedway.
No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #802. Pattie and the No. 42 team are brining chassis #802 to Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. This chassis ran twice last year by the 42 team (Pocono- Aug, Las Vegas- February).
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, Press Release
Article Tags: Aric Almirola, Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex Jr, Press Release, Sprint Cup Series
