Tuesday
Robert Richardson, Jr. is Nationwide Driver of the Week for Atlanta race
Press Release“Will take part in NASCAR.com initiatives, in-car cameras on ESPN2 broadcast”
Richardson will pilot the unsponsored No. 23 Chevrolet for Saturday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The fast 1.54-mile oval suits the likes of Richardson, who has always favored the faster tracks. And, making it even more fun for the 28-year old from McKinney, Texas is the fact he’s the Nationwide Driver of the Week.
That includes a NASCAR.com online chat this Wednesday and a featured preview story. During the race, ESPN2 will have in-car cameras and Nationwide will be doing some other initiatives with Richardson throughout the week, as well. Follow along for times and links on the team’s Facebook page of R3 Motorsports.
Fast Facts: Richardson will be making his 64th-career NNS start and 18th of the 2010 season. To date, his best finish was 15th at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July. He’s earned two top-20 finishes and completed 96 percent (3,051 of 3,183) of the laps contested this season.
Track Facts: In two previous starts at AMS, Richardson has a best start of 21st (spring ’08) and finish of 22nd, which he did in this race last year. He’s completed 95.7 percent (376 of 393) laps in the two events.
Car Facts: Steve Plattenberger and team will roll out car No. 43 for this weekend’s race. This car was last used by Alex Kennedy at Gateway where he finished 28th after getting a flat tire just eight laps into the race.
Did You Know: Only three of the previous 18 races have been won from the pole at AMS. Jeff Gordon did it in 1992, Greg Biffle in 2003 and Carl Edwards in 2005. Kyle Busch, Mark Martin and Dick Trickle have the most poles with three each.
Atlanta is one of the tracks to your liking with the high banks and high speeds:
“Yes, this is one track where speed is a big factor for the race. If you have a fast car, you better have a car that can handle well, too. The thing about Atlanta is it’s a multi-groove track and the surface is one of the best for all the 1.5-miler tracks we go to on the circuit. The turns are so long you feel like you’re spending more time in the turns than you are on the straights. If we can get that part hooked up, I feel like we have a chance for a good run.“I’ve enjoyed racing there the past two times and look forward to having a good run this weekend. Hopefully, we can keep better ourselves in the Owner’s Points and keep that momentum going through these last 10 races.”
Thoughts on being the Nationwide Driver of the Week: “That’s a pretty cool deal they have going on for our series this year. It gives a chance for someone like me and our team to get some of the exposure the front runners get every week. I think it’s a great thing they’re doing and I’m looking forward to the online chat on Wednesday and having the in-car cameras during the race. I’m going to do my part to make sure the fans watching have a good run Ato follow on Saturday night, too.”
- R3 Motorsports Press Release
Article Tags: Alex Kennedy, AMS, Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards, Dick Trickle, Gateway (Ill.) International Raceway, Great Clips 300, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NNS, ORP, O’Reilly Raceway Park, R3 Motorsports, Robert Richardson Jr, Steve Plattenberger
