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Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:

1. IZOD IndyCar Series to feature new rules for 2012

2. Busy days ahead for Pagenaud

3. Cape cars cover field at Sebring round of Cooper Tires Winter Fest

4. Freiberg joins Star Mazda with JDC Motorsports

1. IZOD IndyCar Series to feature new rules for 2012: Sporting and technical regulations that comprise the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series rulebook were distributed electronically to teams today by INDYCAR.

INDYCAR President of Competition and IZOD IndyCar Series Race Director Beaux Barfield said the goal was to re-format the 2012 rulebook for ease of use in conjunction with the debut of the Dallara DW12 chassis and participation by three engine manufacturers.

“A rulebook is written to protect the rights of its competitors and empower the officials,” said Barfield, who joined INDYCAR in January after several years as Race Director of the American Le Mans Series. “It’s that balance you’re trying to strike when you’re writing rules, and it’s very important in generating the product we long for on-track. I’m confident that we’ve created the proper balance with this rulebook moving forward this season.”

Highlights include:

• An instant messaging system during events between Race Control and officials, individual entrants or the entire field to communicate track conditions, warnings, penalties or other information. Team managers also will be able to directly contact Race Control. The system will complement radio communication.

• Standard INDYCAR tech bodywork parts must be able to fit a team’s car during technical inspection.

• A minimum of two Track Condition Radio steering wheel lights are standard. They will act in unison with dash lights and complement audio and trackside visual caution warning systems.

• Manufacturer points will be awarded on a race-by-race basis and added throughout the season to crown a Manufacturer Champion between Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus. The highest-finishing engine manufacturer earns 9 points; the second highest-placing manufacturer earns 6 points and the third-highest manufacturer receives 4 points.

• An oval Open Test has been added March 13 at Texas Motor Speedway to complement the private test Feb. 19-21 at the 1.5-mile oval and supplement the March 5-6 and March 8-9 Open Test at Sebring International Raceway.

Barfield said his intent was to review instead of rewrite. He will take notes throughout the season for points of discussion relating to the 2013 rulebook.

“For me, it’s important that certain rules make sense for my style, but be careful to not cut out too many elements that have value,” Barfield said. “There’s a lot of heritage to these rules that you want to preserve and make sure you don’t create any pitfalls by getting rid of items. At the conclusion of the 2012 season, this rulebook will be the base and we’ll start immediately on 2013.”

INDYCAR Vice President of Technology Will Phillips and the technical officiating group have been reviewing regulations since autumn with 2012 and beyond in mind as multiple aerodynamic bodywork kits will be introduced for 2013. INDYCAR also has added engine support engineers to aid Director of Engine Development Trevor Knowles and police the Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus programs.

The comprehensive technical inspection process, which measures, weighs and checks more than 100 items of the car, now will include matching INDYCAR standard car parts to an entrant’s car.

“Our goal is to ensure as quickly as possible that everybody is following the letter of the law and the intention,” Phillips said. “INDYCAR officials started with a clean sheet when developing the 2012 technical regulations, and through the diligent enforcement of the rules we can help maintain an environment of safety and fair competition that benefits the participants and fans.”

2. Busy days ahead for Pagenaud: Simon Pagenaud and his engineer with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, Ben Bretzman, have been almost inseparable the past few weeks as they process, plan and prepare for the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 25.

“We just had another deep conversation about the car; it’s something we talk about every day,” said Pagenaud, who will take the No. 77 Honda-powered Dallara DW12 out for a test drive Feb. 20-21 at Barber Motorsports Park (where last April he competed in his first of three IZOD IndyCar Series races). “It’s a very interesting time right now because the car is very interesting and different from the old car driving-wise and setup-wise. It’s just a matter of the group needing to have a certain chemistry to be ready for St. Pete. We’re in the right direction.

“I’m happy with the car to be honest already.”

To a degree, so is Bretzman, a veteran of open-wheel and sports car racing who joined the Schmidt organization in July. He and Pagenaud worked together at Highcroft Racing in 2010, when Pagenaud co-drove the American Le Mans Series championship-winning car.

“If you read the Internet, the first couple of months the car came out everyone was down on it and worried about speed,” he said. “It’s just been so long since people had new car. There are a lot of people in IndyCar that never had a new car. So it’s getting used to learning about a new car and what it takes to get up to speed. It will be learning all year; the fundamentals of this car are much different than the old car. Every time you get on the racetrack it will be something new.

“Between the three engine manufacturers and the competition it will be a clean slate. The competition is so high in IndyCar right now. With an equal playing field of cars now and the manufacturers it will be interesting to see where it goes. I think you’ll see multiple teams win this year.”

Scheduled to join Pagenaud at the 2.38-mile Barber road course that features 80 feet of elevation change will be Mike Conway of A.J. Foyt Racing, Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Alex Tagliani of Bryan Herta Autosport, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Graham Rahal of Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing, Charlie Kimball of Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing and Justin Wilson of Dale Coyne Racing. James Jakes will also be testing with Dale Coyne Racing.

On Feb. 23-24, Pagenaud, Tagliani, Sato and the four Chip Ganassi Racing drivers will be joined at Sebring International by Lotus Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Oriol Servia.

Additionally, Alex Tagliani (Feb. 19-21), Tony Kanaan (Feb. 21) and the Team Penske trio of Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves and Will Power (Feb. 21) will test at Texas Motor Speedway. JR Hildebrand will be at Phoenix International Raceway on Feb. 22. Feb. 25 is the homologation deadline – when Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus must submit final specifications to INDYCAR for their 2.2-liter, turbocharged V-6 engines.

“It’s a big gain for us for Simon to have driven car already (in mid-January at Sebring), to hear what he thinks of the car,” Bretzman said. “It will be a very busy week on track for four or five days straight in two different states. At Barber, our focus is much more on permanent road courses (Barber, Mid-Ohio and Infineon). That’s a lot more grip racetrack, a faster racetrack so we focus on those situations. Sebring is a pure street course and we have seven or eight of them on the schedule so that’s why everyone is living in Sebring right now.

“The setup of the car and the mentality of the car changes between the two, so there’s a lot to learn and figure out where we should take it.”

3. Cape cars cover field at Sebring round of Cooper Tires Winter Fest: Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing drivers Spencer Pigot and Matthew Brabham each brought home a race win as the Cooper Tires Winter Fest concluded a two-day race meeting at Sebring International Raceway.

Pigot, who claimed Race #1 on Feb. 6, held off the hard-charging Brabham in damp conditions to win the first of two races on Feb. 7.

Pigot, who finished second to Petri Suvanto in the 2011 Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship powered by Mazda season, took the lead from pole sitter and teammate Trent Hindman on the opening lap and built a three-second advantage.

Brabham got past Hindman and began to close on Pigot, who held on by .079 of a second. Hindman finished third to sweep the podium for the Cape Motorsports with Wayne Taylor Racing squad.

Brabham, by virtue of his fast lap in Race 2, started on pole in Race 3 and led flag to flag. Pigot, who started third, was able to pass Hindman again, but couldn’t challenge Brabham for his third win.

Hindman finished third for the third-straight race with Matthew DiLeo and Thomas McGrgor rounding out the top five.

The Cooper Tires Winter Fest concludes with three-races on Feb. 11-12 at Palm Beach International Raceway.

4. Freiberg joins Star Mazda with JDC Motorsports: JDC MotorSports will add American Ashley Freiberg to its driver line-up for the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear season. Seeking to repeat as series champion, the Minnesota-based squad will have the talented rookie behind the wheel in the Mazda Road to Indy series via the newly created TrueCar, Inc. “Women Empowered Initiative.”

The former Skip Barber Racing champion, who has four Star Mazda races on her resume, including a top-five finish in 2010 at the Autobahn Country Club, will contest the entire upcoming 18-race campaign, partnering with fellow up-and-comer Juan Piedrahita under the JDC awning.

“We are really excited about working with Ashley during the 2012 season,” stated JDC MotorSports team principal John Church. “The opportunity to work with Ashley and TrueCar is a real honor, and we look forward to a great season.”

“It’s hard to express how excited I am for this opportunity that TrueCar has given me,” Freiberg said. “I have an awesome team around me, with TrueCar, JDC, Burke Harrison, and Mike Zimicki. I am thrilled for the chance to work and learn with all of them this season. The only way to describe all of this coming together is like a ‘dream come true’. Let’s go racing!”

The 2012 season is just the latest step on Freiberg’s on-going quest to reach the top echelon of motorsports. The Illinois native, who currently resides in Vermont, first made her mark in the karting ranks, winning multiple races and championships. In 2007, she made the transition to car competition in Skip Barber.

Freiberg made history in 2010, becoming the first female to win both a Skip Barber National race and championships, capturing two Barber Series titles via a 25-win season. Thanks to this success, she was selected as one of six female racers in 2011 for the inaugural TrueCar ‘Women Empowered Initiative,” a multi-year commitment to support rising female racers in several series.

Source: INDYCAR, Press Release

Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR)

MOORESVILLE, NC (January 6, 2012)–

While the organization’s day-to-day competition activities will temporarily cease, key elements of RWR’s business staff will remain in place to continue development of future opportunities.

The team is currently assisting No. 66 driver, Steve Wallace, in exploring several exciting opportunities for 2012, with backing from his current RWR sponsors. RWR will continue to maintain and manage those sponsor relationships on Wallace’s behalf.

No. 62 driver, Michael Annett has been released from the team and will pursue other 2012 opportunities with his longtime family sponsor, Pilot Flying J.

Noted team owner Rusty Wallace, “This was a tough decision to make, but it was the prudent one from a number of perspectives. While we had several great partners–such as Pilot Flying J–on board for 2012, we just didn’t feel like we had enough sponsorship in place to accomplish all of our goals.

“A lot of teams would have run with the level of funding we have now, but we want to ensure that our team has the resources necessary to compete and to improve our operations. I promised myself and my family long ago that if the team wasn’t funded to a level with which we were comfortable, we just wouldn’t run it. I’ve worked way too hard to put part of my life savings into a race team.

“So, we collectively decided to take a break, regroup and focus on the future. We’ll keep working hard on sponsorship programs for Steve (Wallace) and for future seasons. This also allows us to focus on the other aspects of our companies and our brand as well, whether it’s our car dealerships, new track design projects, licensing, personal services or even something new.

“Nearly all of our current partners are staying on board with us to support Steve in 2012 and we’re really grateful for their support. We’re working hard on an exciting 2012 program for Steve and hope to have an announcement on his plans soon. We’re all very excited about working with our great group of sponsors both this year and well into the future.

“Most of all, I really want to thank all of our employees for their hard work and dedication. One of the hardest parts of this decision was knowing the impact that it would have on our employees and their families. It’s just the unfortunate reality that our sport is facing right now. We wish all of our employees the very best in the future.”

# # #

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. In 2011, the team–led by third-generation driver Steve Wallace–campaigned the No. 66, No. 64 and No. 62 cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last four seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

 - Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC., Press Release

Belardi Auto Racing

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Dec 7, 2011 -

Israel’s Alon Day, Britain’s Stefan Wilson and Venezuela’s Jorge Goncalvez joined Belardi Auto Racing for a two-day test at Palm Beach International Raceway this past Saturday and Sunday. Goncalvez and Day were on track Saturday while Wilson joined the team solo on Sunday.

“I had a great time this weekend at Palm Beach International Raceway. It was great to be a part of the test with Belardi Auto Racing, and everyone was awesome to work with,” Stefan Wilson said after the test. “I want to thank Brian, John and everyone involved for allowing me the opportunity to test with them.”

Stefan Wilson testing at Palm Beach International Raceway
Alon Day was equally pleased with test. “I didn’t know what to expect when I came here to the states, because I’m used to driving F3 which are quite slow with little downforce, and I think these [Lights cars] are two times as powerful. I didn’t know how the test would go. It felt a little strange at the start but I was happy to get used to the car really quickly just after a few laps. The test went quite well.

“This was my first time in America and my very first time in a Lights car. We just have to say thank you to Brian and John for accommodating us so last minute, and we’re very grateful. We had a great day, really enjoyed ourselves and cannot say enough good things about everyone we worked with at Belardi.”

Goncalvez, one of Belardi Auto Racing’s drivers from the 2011 season, enjoyed spending his Saturday being reunited with the team. “The test went just as planned, and it was a really great day. My car was great, and had some good runs [on track]. It’s always nice to work with everyone on the team.”

About Belardi Auto Racing

Belardi Auto Racing is a USF2000 and Indy Lights team based in Brownsburg, Indiana. The 2011 season saw two race wins, 10 podiums, 17 top-five finishes and 36 top-tens. Follow the team on Twitter, www.twitter.com/BelardiRacing and on Facebook, www.facebook.com/BelardiAutoRacing. Belardi Auto Racing can also be found online at www.belardiautoracing.com.

- Belardi Auto Racing, Press Release

Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, Calif. (Nov. 22, 2011) –

In total, the raceway distributed 9,657 pounds of food, bringing the 11-year total to more than 37,500 pounds of non-perishable food items delivered to area food banks.

“With so many people out of work, we’re getting more and more calls for food,” said Vicki Schnurpfeil, FISH volunteer coordinator. “This donation will help us get through the holidays and feed those who need it most.”

FISH (www.friendsinsonomahelping.org) has been helping Sonoma Valley residents in times of need since 1970 and provides not only food, but clothing, transportation and emergency rental assistance to Sonoma Valley residents in need.

The Redwood Empire Food Bank’s service has grown to meet the rising need for food assistance and has expanded to focus on providing as much healthy food as possible. The Food Bank, which opened in 1987 and assists more than 78,000 Sonoma County residents each month, also includes nutrition education as an integral part of many of its programs.

“The raceway delivered 2,920 pounds of food today, which will allow us to distribute 2,300 meals and make a huge difference this year,” said Billy Bartz, food drive and events coordinator at the Redwood Empire Food Bank.

“We are so grateful to Infineon for the donation,” said Diane Klauber of the St. Francis Solano Parish in Sonoma, which houses the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. “We have a line of people out the door already to receive food, and this made the difference between these people having food or not.”

Infineon Raceway was not alone in its efforts. It was joined in the food drive by Innerstave; Pedroncelli Motorsports; Destination RKA in Windsor; Rodoni and Sons Trucking; and support from the STP Wednesday Night Drags and Sonoma Drift powered by NOS programs. Sonoma Gourmet of Cotati also made a generous donation of gourmet food items.

For more information about Infineon Raceway community events, call 800-870-RACE (7223) or visit www.infineonraceway.com.

- Infineon Raceway, Press Release

TRG Motorsports

(Mooresville, N.C.) 11/18/2011 -

Oregon native, Mike Bliss, holds the highest finish in TRG Motorsports history with his 9th place run at Daytona last July. Bliss has fifteen NASCAR victories to his name, all coming in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He is known best for his 2002 championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“It’s great to be back racing in the Sprint Cup Series for TRG Motorsports. I’m going to give them everything I can to put this School Media Ford Fusion in the show and earn a solid finish,” said Bliss.

Greg Meyer, School Media representative commented:

“We are thrilled to team up again with TRG Motorsports this weekend. As we noticed last weekend, NASCAR is a great marketing platform to introduce our business to NASCAR fans nationally and compete at the sport’s highest level.”

Team owner Kevin Buckler notes Bliss’s reputation as a talented qualifier.

“We’ve worked really hard on the sponsorship side this week and we’ve secured School Media back for Homestead in addition to FLEX-BOX who’ll be taking their first step into the NASCAR realm. On the driver side, Mike is a veteran and knows how to get it done. He is a winner and he is a champion. He is a great qualifier which is exactly what we need right now. I know he is going to give us his all this weekend and I can’t ask for more than that.”

Coverage of the Ford 400 begins Sunday at 3:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

About School Media

School Media unlocks your educational independence.

School Media has developed an opportunity for you to control the funds your school relies upon for operation. Now, your dream of new books, computers, teachers, equipment and much more becomes a reality. Allocate the funds your district earns when and where you choose without waiting for permission or funding. www.schoolmedias.com

About FLEX-BOX

Flex-Box is a leading worldwide supplier of new and used shipping, storage and reefer containers. Based in Hong Kong, Flex-Box manufactures and ships containers to customers all over the world. For examples of Flex-Box containers and special features, as well as more information on some of the services, please visit: www.flex-box.com

About TRG Motorsports

TRG is a full-service motorsports company offering a total driver ladder approach. This approach starts with track days, goes to club events, up into street stock series and culminates in the ultimate goal of professional motorsports. With sports car focused facilities in Petaluma, California (Infineon Raceway) and Mooresville, North Carolina, the team can offer turn-key support as well as arrive-and-drive programs.

The company’s NASCAR operations are headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry and has the capacity to run ARCA, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series.

The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of motor racing. The team boasts Rolex Series GT championships in 2005 and 2006 and holds the record for the most wins in Grand-Am with 32. The team’s resume is highlighted by five championships, four Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona victories and a Le Mans 24 Hour win.

Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.com and www.theracersgroup.com.

- TRG Motosports, Press Release

Penske Racing

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (November 17, 2011) –

Under the terms of the new agreement, Shoes for Crews will become the official safety shoe provider for Penske Racing teams competing in the NASCAR Cup and Nationwide Series as well as the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“Shoes for Crews is excited to begin this new partnership with Penske Racing,” said Jim Dugan, Shoes For Crews Executive Vice President. “We look forward to not only working directly with Penske Automotive Group and the Penske Racing teams but also the opportunity to develop relationships with many of the organization’s partners as well.”

As an associate sponsor with Penske Racing, Shoes For Crews also looks forward to providing world-class experiences for their customers at NASCAR and INDYCAR events beginning in 2012.

“We welcome Shoes For Crews to the Penske Racing organization,” said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing. ”They set the standard for safety in the industry and we know they will be a trusted and reliable partner for our teams as we wrap up this racing season and look forward to 2012.”

About Shoes For Crews
Shoes For Crews (SFC) strives to create a safer workplace in all industries where floor hazards are a reality. The SFC team’s focus is to deliver the ultimate in slip-resistant technology as well as classic and fashion styling, through a complete line of footwear designed to improve the “quality of life” of the working person by combining slip-resistance, comfort and durability into all its products. With distribution centers in the United States, Canada and Ireland, SFC protects over 100,000 workplaces worldwide. To learn more, visit www.shoesforcrews.com.

About Penske Racing

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 349 major race wins – including a record 15 Indianapolis 500 victories, 411 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

- Penske Racing, Press Release

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Traxxas Toyota, and Ron Hornaday Jr., driver of the #33 OneMain Financial Chevrolet, hit the wall after an incident in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 350k at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 4, 2011, in Fort Worth, Texas. - Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR

There has been a lot of “discussion” about comparing Kyle Busch’s actions to what others have done in the past. But, in this situation, what some people seem to fail to realize is that they are comparing apples to oranges .

People are trying to put the “bump-n-runs” gone bad, the “boys have at it ‘bump of displeasure’” under caution and what transpired between Busch and Hornaday, into the same barrel.

What Kyle did, IS NOT the same thing, as he took the “boys have at it ‘bump of displeasure’” to another level; a level that NASCAR has now deemed “crossing the line.”

Kyle got in his “bump of displeasure” under the caution, but he didn’t leave it at that and kept going. It was the actions of him to keep going until he wrecked Hornaday intentionally, and in such a manner, that if it wasn’t for the HANS and SAFER barriers, that  Hornaday could of seen his last race, and that is the issue.

There wouldn’t be this issue if Kyle had just spun Hornaday out, but he kept banging, and banging, and banging until he focused his angle of impact to the right corner of Hornaday’s truck, that sent him head-on into the outside wall (hitting the left corner would of sent Hornaday into the opposite direction with a greater chance of recovery).

Now throw on-top that it was between two drivers, which for one was driving for a driver’s championship and a owner’s championship for the other; as well as, it was so early in the race, that it makes what happen even worse.

With all that being said, I would hope NASCAR will be consistent on the “line” that they have now “drawn in the sand,” and have deemed to be the line crossed. There is now an answer to the question of how far is too far with “boys have at it,” and there is a distinguishable boundary leading up to that “line.” And now, NASCAR should put it in writing as a specific rule (a safety rule violation at least) in the official NASCAR rule book (for all the series).

Speaking of rules, don’t be surprised that there are going to be more penalties coming (for Busch) as the one rule that always accompanies the other rule violations under the NASCAR rule book – Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) hasn’t been mentioned yet. You can probably count on it being mentioned after Monday’s meeting, and this rule is so broad that it can cover just about anything and it’s fines are unlimited.

As for Kyle, I side with Rusty Wallace’s position (which his statements from SPEED’S NASCAR RaceDay can be read here) of recognizing the talent he possess, but can’t condone the actions that he took Friday night (or some of the others that have happened this year). There was a lot of people that were hurt indirectly by his actions, as I could see that hurt and disappointment in both Coach Gibbs and Mike Helton’s faces. The damage spreads deep, but I speculate that he is going to get one more chance with everyone involved, and with possible fines and probation by his sponsors and Joe Gibbs Racing (not just NASCAR). So if that is the case….don’t blow it!

2010 NSCS Jeff Burton - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

Jimmie Johnson (who was fastest in Friday’s practice session and again during Saturday morning’s session) was second fastest with a speed of 165.035 mph.

Following Burton and Johnson on the speed chart was Denny Hamlin (164.896) who was third fastest, Jamie McMurray (164.745) fourth fastest, Kevin Harvick (164.681) fifth, Juan Pablo Montoya (164.627) sixth, Kasey Kahne (164.492) seventh, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (164.381) eighth, Martin Truex Jr. (164.363) ninth and Mark Martin (164.159) rounding out the top-ten in “Happy Hour.”

The teams will return to the track on Sunday for their 1:00 PM (EST) scheduled start of the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 (200 laps).

2010 NSCS Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500 Final Practice Session Speeds

# Denotes Rookie

Kyle Busch - Photo: Harold Hinson Photography

This was Busch’s second series pole of the 2010 season, his sixth series career pole and his first series pole at Dover International Speedway.

Sharing the outside pole with Busch will be Elliott Sadler, who ran a speed of 155.434 mph, and they will be followed by Johnny Sauter (155.407) who will be starting third, Johnny Benson (155.320) starting fourth, Mike Skinner (155.005) fifth, Ron Hornaday Jr. (154.972) sixth, Aric Almirola (154.885) seventh, Timothy Peters (153.938) eighth, Matt Crafton (153.866) ninth and James Buescher (153.551) rounding out the top-ten starting positions.

There was no one who failed to qualify.

The teams will return to the track later in the day (weather permitting) for their 4:45 PM (EST) scheduled start of the Dover 200.

2010 NCWTS Dover 200 Starting Lineup

# Denotes Rookie

Dodge Motorsports 2010

KURT BUSCH (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger) Finished 8th

“We had a really good Miller Lite Dodge. It was a very competitive car, a top-10 type car. You just hope to find yourself in good position at the end. I messed up coming off pit road (speeding on exit during green flag stop on lap 146). We were speeding, 60.55 (mph) in the last segment. So, I was off by a half-mile-an-hour on exit. We needed a yellow. We got down to the bitter end before we got in position for the lucky dog and got the yellow to get back on the same lead lap. There were a bunch of wrecks at the end. We were able to escape enough of them. We had enough fuel and we came home eighth. We didn’t lose any points today.

“To escape a bad situation like what we had today (damage to the right side near the door in a 10-car mishap on lap 83), we could have gotten hit four feet further back on the car and been put nose first into the outside fence. We didn’t’ get wrecked there. We didn’t do ourselves any favors by speeding on pit road, but we finished eighth. These are the type of days you have to bounce back. I hope we didn’t use up too much luck.”

STEVE ADDINGTON (Crew Chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger)

“I’m really proud of the Miller Lite Dodge team. They hung in there through all this mess today. I thought we were in good shape, had a good car. Kurt was kind of chillin’ out riding there and the 36 got spun and hit us in the door. We had a lot to overcome today. I’m real proud of the guys and the way Kurt handled it. We got a top-10 out of it. Kurt did an awesome job, just missing Jimmie (Johnson) on that last caution. That was close. Top to bottom, the race team did an awesome job.”

SAM HORNISH Jr. (No. 77 Penske Truck Rental/AAA Dodge Charger) Finished 24th

“Our Penske Truck Rental/AAA Dodge was on its way to having a really good day when we got collected in a spin late during a green-white-checker restart. The first part of our day was solid. We started 29th, gained track position and ran up front. We tried to be patient in the middle of the race and just ran into a fuel issue at the end. We were close on mileage and had a (fuel) pick-up issue at the end.”

JAY GUY (Crew Chief, No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger) Finished 34th

“We had an up-and-down day with our Penske Dodge. We had some damage on pit road when the 47 (Ambrose) caught our front-right quarter panel. We fought back and had a car that I thought could finish inside the top 10, but got collected in that first green-white-checkered restart. It’s a shame; Brad (Keselowski) drove a great race. Our race just ended under circumstances that happen a lot at speedway races — that’s big wrecks late in Cup races.”

- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release

Team Chevy Logo

JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS IMPALA: WINNER

FROM JAMIE MCMURRAY: “Unbelievable. Unbelievable.  I told my wife today, she was like if you win tonight….oh I am going to cry…it is so unreal. I thought if I made it without seeing my Dad or my wife, I’d be ok. (IN TEARS) It is unbelievable really. I can’t explain it. It is a dream. I mean it really it is.

“Where I was last year…and for Johnny Morris (Bass Pro Shops) and Chip (Ganassi) and Felix (Sabates), Bass Pro Shops to take a chance on me and let me come back, it means a lot to me. What a way to pay them back. Happy Valentines Day to my wife. My Dad is here, it is just very emotional.

“After we won Talladega, we went to McDonalds. I think tonight we will have a Big Mac.”

TALK US THROUGH THE LAST LAP: “Biffle helped me out. I spun the tires on the restart. It is just a gamble on which line to get the biggest run. Greg gave me an unbelievable push down the backstretch. Then when I saw the No. 88 (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.) behind me, I thought ‘Oh no’. He had a good car and Earnhardt at Daytona is just, I mean they win all the time it seems like. So you never know what to expect.

“I certainly thank the fans that stuck around. That was tough having to get in and out of the car but they stuck with us and it was cool to here the applause when I got back in car. Sprint for everything they do. I went to one of their parties the other night and Dan Hesson is just a great guy and it means a lot. Not only Sprint, but everybody that is a part of our sport. With the economy the way it is, we couldn’t be here to put this show without all these sponsors. I want to get with my team.”

KEVIN “BONO” MANION, CREW CHIEF, NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS IMPALA – Winner

“I guess this means I’m going to Disneyland! That was awesome. Chip, Felix, and Teresa give us everything we need. Brian Pattie, you couldn’t ask for a better teammate and brother. You’d better watch out for this Earnhardt Ganassi Team this year. Thanks to everyone who helped push.  I don’t know; I closed my eyes for the last lap.”

DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD IMPALA, FINISHED 2ND: “I am just disappointed to come that close and not win it but, I’ll tell you. We did the right thing by coming down and getting two tires. The AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet was pretty good all day. Just working on some handling issues. I don’t know if got them fixed or not. When it gets cold, everybody’s car handles good. I want to thank my team for working really hard. The engine shop did an awesome job. The car worked really good. I’m happy for Jamie and his crew chief Bono who helped me when I was younger.”

CLINT BOWYER, NO. 33 CHEERIOS/HAMBURGER HELPER IMPALA – Finished 4^th:

YOU NEVER SEE RACING LIKE THIS AT DAYTONA. WALK US THROUGH THOSE LAST TWO LAPS

“Yeah, the No. 88 (Earnhardt Jr), wow, what a push he gave me on the outside. Just holding on. Probably made a mistake there. I needed my teammate behind me on that restart. I chose the outside. Probably hindsight wasn’t the best decision, but the Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet was very strong and we had a lot of fun. This is the second year in a row we’ve had a 4^th place finish here at Daytona; hopefully we can get a little bit better.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S IMPALA – Finished 35th

WHAT HAPPENED?

“It was something with the drive, either the axel or the rocker broke in the rear end or something with the hub on the left side. We only have drive in the right rear tires, so something broke coming through Turns 3 and 4 and I just had the one wheel driving.”

WAS THAT A SAFETY ISSUE?  SHOULD THEY HAVE STILL BEEN RUNNING THE RACE?

“They are doing their best to get the show in. The thing keeps coming out (patch to fill the hole) whatever they’re putting in isn’t getting hard enough to stay. But we were all dodging it. Now we know where it’s at. Everybody is dodging it.”

SO YOU WEREN’T WORRIED ABOUT SAFETY AT ALL?

“No, when I thought I had a flat tire I was screaming the hole is really big hoping we’d get a caution (laughs) and then I realized we didn’t have a flat tire so it’s like, oh well. I was just looking for something.”

SO THAT DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE HOLE?

“It’s hard to say. I don’t think so. We’d been hitting it with the right side tires and something in the left side broke. So I don’t think it was that.”

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 GODADDY.COM IMPALA – Finished 12th

WAS THIS RACE A SAFETY ISSUE?

“It was pretty risky but the fans got what they paid for. It was a little risky to do it.”

IS THIS A CRUMMY WAY TO START OUT THE DRIVE FOR FIVE?

“Yeah, without a doubt. It sucks. But it’s a long season and we came out of here last year with a crashed race car and still came back. We have a little work ahead of us.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 SHELL-PENNZOIL IMPALA – Finished 7th

“It was wild. The No. 99 (Carl Edwards) doesn’t really know where he’s going. He went to the middle and kind of jammed it all up. But a great job by my Shell-Pennzoil guys. I just wish we knew we had somebody behind us who knew how to draft.”

ALL IN ALL, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THIS VERY ODD DAY?

“It’s been a great day for us. We just thought we had the car to beat and just zigged when I should have zagged.”

ON THE HOLE, HOW HARD WAS IT TO GAIN A RHYTHM?

“Ah, nothing really. It was fine.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET IMPALA – Finished 10th

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE DAY?

“It was a great day for the team with Jamie (McMurray) winning; that was huge. We both had good cars and good opportunities. I just got stuck on the bottom when I was running up front and lost a lot of ground. But overall, this is big. Starting the season like this is what we need.”

WHAT ABOUT THE BIG HOLE IN THE RACE TRACK? HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE DID THAT MAKE?

“It was nothing. It is what it is. I think the track did an amazing job making sure we could get the track ready and for all the fans here, we got the race in.”

HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE?

“Oh, yes. We’ve had problems before. People think it only happens here but it happens everywhere.”

TONY STEWART, NO. 14 OFFICE DEPOT/OLD SPICE IMPALA SS – Finished 22nd

HOW WAS YOUR RACE TONIGHT?

“It wasn’t very good for us.  We just missed.  We’ve missed it since we got here.  I’m not sure what we missed, but we’ll figure it out.”

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE HOLE SITUATION?

“NASCAR did the best job they could with it.  I mean, what can you think about?  It is what it is.  It’s not something that you plan for, but obviously NASCAR has done a lot of preparation in case something like that happens.  They were prepared for it.  The hard part is, you have to fix it, and they did a good job of that, especially in a crisis situation.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 US ARMY IMPALA, INVOLVED IN A CRASH ON LAP – Finished 34th: “I don’t know if Elliott (Sadler) blew a tire or lost control or what, but I got hit in the right rear and it shot me right straight in the wall. Luckily it stayed right side up this time. Unfortunate for this US Army Chevrolet. We were just biding our time in the back, working our way up when it singled up. I am not sure what happened, but I was the recipient.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE TRACK ISSUES? “That is just a part of the race track and it is unfortunate. I guess it will be a part of history. That is racing. It is part of a race track. It is not the first time it happened and it won’t be the last time it happens. There are more things than that to talk about we’ll see here at the end of the race.”

HOW DISAPPOINTED IS IT TO RUN ALMOST TO THE END? “Even more disappointing than you can think.”

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT IMPALA, FINISHED 26th:

TELL US WHAT HAPPENED THERE AT THE END: “The multiple green-white-checkereds worked for some and not for others. It was just a mess out there. I was real happy with our team, the effort that was put out. Our pit stops, the calls that Steve (Letarte, crew chief) made and our race car. It was really good. We didn’t get anything to show for it. Even prior to that, our car was so good, we just couldn’t get in the right line. It seemed like if we were in the inside lane, the outside was moving. If we were in the outside lane, the inside was moving. It takes all of those things to be able to go to the front and win here at Daytona. We were going for it and unfortunately it was just a mess out there on the last lap and someone got in our left rear and cut the left rear and away we went.

“Our car was really good, but it doesn’t matter because the green-white-checkered just didn’t work our way. Even there in the closing laps, Steve made a great call for the two-tire stop. Our car was driving great but every lane we were in just didn’t seem to be the right one. That is what it takes to win the Daytona 500. Congratulations to Jamie (McMurray). I know how much that means to him and that whole team. Obviously a disappointing day for us. Those last laps were bumper cars at 195 miles an hour. There is no other way to describe it. It is crazy. It is moments like that you wish some things were different. That is what we do and you know what, it puts a heck of a show on most of the time and madness the others. You don’t want to see races end like that. You want to see a great finish and there was a great finish for the win. From about 10th on back, it was pretty ugly.”

HOW WAS IT RUNNING OVER THE PATCH? “I never had any issues. That was the one thing that went my way today. When the hole started opening up, I was in the outside lane. I could see the cars starting to pull, I don’t know, dust, dirt, whatever it was out of it, it started to slip and slide around. It was real unfortunate for the fans. It shows how incredible our fans are to stick around and see that and almost see Dale, Jr. win.”

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- Team Chevy, Press Release

Ryan Newman

This was Newman’s 2nd series pole of the 2009 season, and his 3rd series pole at Martinsville Speedway.

Sharing the front row with Newman, and with a lap speed of 96.519 mph, will be Jeff Gordon, while Martin Truex, Jr. (96.509) will start third, Mark Martin (96.504) fourth, David Reutimann (96.117) fifth, Casey Mears (96.054) sixth, Joey Logano (96.034) seventh, Bobby Labonte (96.010) eighth, Reed Sorenson (95.995) ninth, and Kevin Harvick (95.908) will round out the top-10 starting positions.

The #73, driven by Josh Wise, was the only car that failed to make the race.

The teams will have two more chances (practice sessions) on Saturday to tweak, complete overhaul or whatever it takes in preparation for the drop of the The TUMS Fast Relief 500 green flag, which is scheduled for 1:30 PM (EST) on Sunday.

2009 TUMS Fast Relief 500 NSCS Starting Lineu

NSCS Mark Martin - (Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images)

Mark Martin captured his 47th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Award, as he ran a qualifying lap speed of 126.808 mph, for Saturday night’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

This is Martin’s 6th series pole of 2009, which matches the most poles that he has captured in one season, dating back to 1989. This is also his fourth series pole at Richmond International Raceway.

Sharing the front row with Martin is Martin Truex Jr., who ran a speed of 126.731 mph, and they will be followed by Virginia native Denny Hamlin (126.630) starting third, Jimmie Johnson (126.541) fourth, Kasey Kahne (126.452) fifth, Brian Vickers (126.251) sixth, Jeff Gordon (125.992) seventh, Kyle Busch (125.962) eighth, Brad Keselowski (125.921) ninth and Carl Edwards (125.786) rounding out the top-10 starting positions.

Tony Raines, in the #37, was the only driver who failed to make the race.

2009 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NSCS Starting Lineup

2009 NSCS Tony Stewart - (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Stewart, with his 34th career series win, had to start the Pocono 500 from the back of the field in a backup car due to a wreck in Saturday morning’s practice, was able to work his way to the lead and hod off Carl Edwards by 2.004 seconds.

Stewart and Edwards were followed to the drop of the checkered flag by David Reutimann in third, Jeff Gordon fourth, Ryan Newman fifth, Marcos Ambrose sixth, Jimmie Johnson seventh, Juan Pablo Montoya eighth, Jeff Burton ninth and Sam Hornish, Jr., rounded out the top-10 finishers.

Unofficial Top-12 in the Points Standings: 1. Tony Stewart – 2043 2. Jeff Gordon – 1972 (-71 Behind Leader) 3. Jimmie Johnson – 1940 (-103) 4. Ryan Newman – 1840 (-203) 5. Kurt Busch – 1819 (-224) 6. Carl Edwards – 1762 (-281) 7. Greg Biffle – 1753 (-290) 8. Matt Kenseth – 1745 (-298) 9. Kyle Busch – 1731 (-312) 10. Jeff Burton – 1725 (-318)11. David Reutimann – 1701 (-342) 12. Denny Hamlin – 1679 (-364)

2009 Pocono 500 NSCS Race Results