Catchfence

DIRECTV Head2Head KnockOut Competition at Talladega:

Kurt Busch vs. Kyle Busch; Montoya vs. Johnson;
Hamlin vs. Edwards; Allmendinger vs. Truex

Event: Aaron’s 499
Previous Winner: Brad Keselowski (beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. by .175 of a second on April 26, 2009)
Date / Time: Sunday, April 25, at 1 p.m. EDT
Track: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway
Configuration: 2.66-mile oval (188 laps = 500 miles)
Banking in Turns: 33 degrees
Banking on Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees
Banking on Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch: 4,300 feet
Backstretch: 4,000 feet
First Sprint Cup Series Race: Sept. 14, 1969 – Talladega 500 (Winner – Richard Brickhouse)
Grandstand Seating Capacity: 143,231

NASCAR HOTPASS™ on DIRECTV is back, and it’s FREE to all DIRECTV customers. Four dedicated driver channels offering viewers multiple camera angles, real-time statistics and audio of the network broadcast augmented by live communication between the drivers and their pit crews is available for all 36 point-paying races during the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

This weekend at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, the DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout competition continues. The exciting new competition divides 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers into four regional brackets. Drivers go head-to-head against a new competitor each week in a single-elimination format and advance by finishing higher than the driver they are matched up against. After three rounds, the competition will be narrowed to the Fastest Four, who will then race for the DIRECTV NASCAR Head2Head Knockout title during the May 8 Showtime Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C) Raceway.

Winning drivers will accumulate cash prizes each week. A total of $500,000 will be donated to a charity of the driver’s choice during the competition. Fans will earn points for correct picks and will have a chance to win a new 2010 ROUSH^® Stage 3™ Ford Mustang, as well as the ultimate prize – $1 million – for the fan who picks a perfect bracket.

The DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout lineup for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega is as follows:

DIRECTV Channel 795:

Kurt Busch and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team of Penske Racing

Head2Head vs.

Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Pedigree Toyota team of Joe Gibbs Racing

Kurt Busch will make his 337^th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 19^th at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has 12 top-10 finishes in 18 Sprint Cup starts at Talladega, including four third-place results … The 31-year-old Las Vegas native has 21 wins and has 140 top-10 finishes in 336 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Busch’s 10^th full year in Sprint Cup … Won the 2004 Sprint Cup championship … Started 11^th and finished fourth last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks ninth in Sprint Cup points with one win and four top-10 finishes.

Kyle Busch will make his 195^th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 11^th at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has one win (April 2008) and four top-15 finishes in 10 career Sprint Cup starts at the 2.66-mile oval … The 24-year-old Las Vegas native has 16 wins and has 88 top-10 finishes in 194 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Busch’s sixth full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of fifth in 2007 … Won 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship … Started seventh and finished third last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks sixth in Sprint Cup points with three top-10 finishes.

DIRECTV Channel 796:

Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 TUMS Chevrolet team of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

Head2Head vs.

Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports

Juan Pablo Montoya will make his 118^th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his seventh at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has one top-10 finish and one pole (April 2009) in six career Sprint Cup starts at the 2.66-mile oval … The 34-year-old from Bogota, Columbia, has one win and 30 top-10 finishes in 117 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Montoya’s fourth full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of eighth in 2009 … Won 2000 Indianapolis 500, 1999 CART championship and has seven Formula One victories … Started 21^st and finished 34^th last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks 24^th in Sprint Cup points with three top-10 finishes.

Jimmie Johnson will make his 300^th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 17^th at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has one win (May 2006), seven top-10 finishes and two poles (April and October 2002) in 16 starts at the 2.66-mile oval … The 34-year-old from El Cajon, Calif., has 50 wins and has 186 top-10 finishes in 299 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Johnson’s ninth full year in Sprint Cup … Won the Sprint Cup championship in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 … Started fourth and finished second last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks first in Sprint Cup points with three wins and six top-10 finishes.

DIRECTV Channel 797:

Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota team of Joe Gibbs Racing

Head2Head vs.

Carl Edwards and the No. 99 Aflac Ford team of Roush Fenway Racing

Denny Hamlin will make his 160^th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his ninth at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has two top-10 finishes in eight career Sprint Cup starts at the 2.66-mile oval … The 29-year-old from Chesterfield, Va., has 10 wins and 81 top-10 finishes in 159 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Hamlin’s fifth full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of third in 2006 … Started 29^th and won last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks 11^th in Sprint Cup points with two wins.

Carl Edwards will make his 202^nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 12^th at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has three top-10 finishes in 11 career Sprint Cup starts at the 2.66-mile oval … The 30-year-old from Columbia, Mo., has 16 wins and 103 top-10 finishes in 201 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Edwards’ sixth full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of second in 2008 … Won 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship … Started 20^th and finished 33^rd last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks 15^th in Sprint Cup points with four top-10 finishes.

DIRECTV Channel 798:

A.J. Allmendinger and the No. 43 Insignia/Best Buy Ford team of Richard Petty Motorsports

Head2Head vs.

Martin Truex Jr., and the No. 56 NAPA Toyota team of Michael Waltrip Racing

A.J. Allmendinger will make his 89^th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his fourth at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has not finished higher than 30^th in three starts at the 2.66-mile oval … The 28-year-old from Los Gatos, Calif., has nine top-10 finishes in 88 Sprint Cup starts … 2010 marks Allmendinger’s third full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of 24^th in 2009 … Started 17^th and finished 13^th last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks 23^rd in Sprint Cup points with one top-10 finish.

Martin Truex Jr., will make his 162^nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 11^th at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway … Has two top-10 finish in 10 starts at the 2.66-mile oval … The 29-year-old Mayetta, N.J., native has one win and 40 top-10 finishes in 161 Sprint Cup starts … Won 2004 and 2005 NASCAR Nationwide Series titles … 2010 marks Truex’s fifth full year in Sprint Cup with a career-best point finish of 11^th in 2007 … Started 14^th and finished ninth last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth … Ranks 17^th in Sprint Cup points with three top-10 finish.

About NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV:

NASCAR HOTPASS is available free to all DIRECTV customers. More information is available at www.directv.com/hotpass.

- True Speed Communication for NASCAR HotPass on DIRECTV, Press Release