Bobby Labonte

HARRISBURG, N.C.

From a brand perspective, we do know he drinks Coca-Cola, drives a Toyota Tundra, races a Toyota Camry, uses Kingsford Charcoal to cook his BUBBA burger with Bush’s Baked Beans on the side, uses SCOTT paper towels, cleans up with Clorox cleaning products, has a REESE Towpower hitch and Highland SportWing bike rack, but what else?

For starters, he’s a family man. He married the love of his life Donna on March 29, 1991. Together they have a daughter named Madison who is 14 years old. Occasionally, Madison follows her dad around the circuit, but during the off season the shoe was on the other foot. Labonte was traveling to see her compete in volleyball tournaments. The Labontes also have a son. Tyler is 17 years old and towers over his father. His interests are politics and he’s in the process of obtaining his pilot’s license while determining which college he will attend.

“Family is super important to me,” Labonte said. “I make sure I do the best job I can and at the same time wish I can do better. It’s not easy with the travel schedules, but it’s something you have to work really hard at doing. We make sure we take 45 minutes at the table for dinner and we get caught up during that time. Right now, Madison is busy with her volleyball games and Tyler has his political views that are a hot topic we talk about a lot. Tyler’s also interested in getting his pilot’s license and he has already soloed. We also talk about colleges he is interested in at the moment.

“Donna and I try to spend as much time with the kids as possible,” Labonte continued. “Each night, we have a ping pong tournament at the house right now and the four of us have been to the racquet ball court in Thomasville, N.C. Also, Tyler and I fly remote control planes, race remote control cars and work out together in our gym at home some. It’s a hard balance and sometimes it’s hard for all of us to sit down and have a family dinner.”

Labonte is also an avid cyclist and a philanthropist. Each year Labonte holds an event called Share the Road Memorial Ride and this time it will take place on May 20th. It came from members of the local cycling community who had a desire to honor and remember area cyclists who lost their lives while riding. The idea is to pay tribute to their lives by making the community a better place to live by helping provide housing to those in need and promoting cycling safety for adults and children. Last year, they started the ride at Bobby Labonte Enterprises in Archdale, N.C. They held two rides through Randolph County. One 30 mile ride and a 50 mile ride. Hundreds showed up and they expect more this year.

“My brother-in-laws introduced me to the sport,” Labonte said. “I watched it on television and then started riding bikes. I enjoyed the challenge, the enjoyment of the road, the enjoyment of seeing things and going to different places and it’s a neat activity that is good for exercise. It’s fun and clears your heart and soul at times if need be.

“We held a memorial ride last year for David Sherman that also benefited the Bikes Belong Foundation and Habitat for Humanity of High Point, Archdale and Trinity (N.C.),” Labonte continued. “This year we are stepping up the program in our community. It was nice to meet everyone that participated last year and I enjoy being a part of that culture.”

Heavily involved in the community, Labonte formed The Bobby Labonte Foundation in 2003, which is responsible for the ride. His foundation is dedicated to providing aid for a variety of charities throughout North Carolina. In addition, Bobby has a great love for children and focuses on philanthropies that cater to children with special needs. Another event the foundation will host this year is a Celebrity Golf Classic benefiting Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) at TPC Piper Glen in Charlotte, N.C. on May 8. The Celebrity Golf Classic benefits the Charlotte Chapter of the JDRF.

“We formed the Bobby Labonte Foundation because my family wanted to help people in the community,” Labonte said. “If we can make any impact at all, that’s what is really important to my family.”

Another interesting fact about Labonte is that he is an owner of a yogurt and smoothie business operation. Labonte recently opened a Red Mango in High Point, N.C. Red Mango boasts the best smoothies and frozen yogurt in town. There are over 150 locations nationwide with the first being opened over five years ago. Labonte loved Red Mango so much that he decided to open one in his community and he’s a regular.

“I have a passion for trying to eat healthy and be healthy and I had a passion for the Red Mango brand,” Labonte said. “There was a local Greensboro business man, Steve Mosh, that owned a Red Mango and I was a frequent customer. Fortunately, I was able to meet Steve and we became partners on a store in High Point together. First and foremost, I was a fan of the product and then figured out how to be involved in it. I’m looking at opening another location in the future.”

Labonte also owns his own Late Model team called Bobby Labonte Racing (BLR). His driver hails from Jacksonville, Fla. Earl Pearson Jr. (aka Hurricane) has driven to five national dirt late model championships and three of them occurred with Bobby Labonte Racing in 2007, 2008 and 2009. Pearson returns to BLR for another season.

“I always wanted to give back to grassroots racing because it’s where we all came from,” Labonte said. “It’s been good having the team. Earl and the guys have won a lot of races, a few championships and we’ve been able to have a fun time with the team. We had an off year last year, but we reorganized and got back to basics. We were building our own chassis and got off base. We’re looking forward to a better season.”

If owning a yogurt business and a Late Model team was not enough, Labonte has a marketing agency he is very passionate about called Breaking Limits. Founded in 2007, Breaking Limits is a sports and entertainment marketing agency that works with top brands to build and implement exceptional sponsorship programs with a focus on reaching defined business objectives. Breaking Limits is a full-service entity with a focus on communications, consulting and events.

“I had an inkling to start a marketing agency and it’s something I want to do for years to come,” Labonte said. “I see firsthand what we do for sponsors and the work that goes into public relations and marketing to make the program successful. We have a good group of people formed that make it happen. I’m a very small percentage of it. As time goes on, I plan to be a bigger part of it. It’s a natural fit for me and having an agency was going to come about at some point in time anyway. So, I figured I’d do it now and let it grow and have a strong business as years go on.”

When Labonte has downtime, he travels the country for hunting. One of his most recent hunts took him to Douglas, Wyoming at Wagonhound Outfitters that offers elite, trophy outfitted hunts for elk and more in the heart of the Laramie Mountain range.

“At the end of last season, we went to Douglas, Wyoming to hunt for elk,” Labonte said. “I got one and it was awesome to be able to do that from 610 yards. We went twice this past year and look forward to going back. Bill Jordan has been gracious to let me be on his show during some of these hunts. It’s always a great time.

“Then right before Christmas, Chris Williams, my son Tyler and I went up to Virginia and did some pheasant hunting,” Labonte said. “It was nice to get away and do that for a few days with Tyler.”

Out of the woods, Labonte is a techy. He follows the latest trends with social media and has the latest gadgets to stay connected. He even has his own application and is a huge fan of Mac, iPhone and iPad.

“I literally just left the Apple store after spending three hours in the place,” Labonte said. “That might sum it up right there. I’ve always been a gadget guy and tech person. The Apple product is a great product and so many people use it. For me, it’s easy to use, so vibrant, colorful and just endless on what you can do. I’ve always been on the cutting edge of something new it seems like.”

To unwind, Labonte normally puts on his flip flops and finds his way to the nearest beach. However, Labonte’s next beach trip will entail a lot of work as he enters Daytona Beach, Fla. for Speedweeks. Labonte was in the hunt last season down to the final lap of the Daytona 500 in his No. 47 Kroger Toyota Camry and ended up with a fourth-place finish. He hopes this year, he’s in position to snatch the coveted Harley J. Earl trophy.

“It’s our Super Bowl, it’s the race everyone wants to win,” Labonte said. “We were in the hunt last year and would like to be in a similar position this year to have a shot at winning. It’s the one trophy that’s missing that I would like more than anything to have and man, were we close last year.”

Source: JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release 

Toyota Motorsports Logo

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Kroger Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing

What is it like to be a small team in NASCAR? “It’s got its pros and cons. It’s definitely not going to be easy, but there are a lot of things that we can do as a small team that will make some differences. The great support of Toyota and their facility and what they give us is like being a part of a big organization. It’s just now that Tad (Geschickter, team owner), Jodi (Geschickter, team owner) and Brad (Daugherty, team owner) have to put the funding into it to make that happen. There are a lot of good things with that and I think that’s a plus for us. With a small group — everybody has to pull their weight. I do believe there is a challenge for us, but at the same time we’ll have to hit everything right and if we do then we’ll have more success than not.”

Do you feel a responsibility to lead the team with your experience level? “I think there is a part that is a responsibility that I have, but its spread out. There’s a lot of professionals in the team that have been around the sport as long as I have too in many different ways. I look at it that we all are going to share the thoughts and experience that we might have together. Not one person can do it and not one person can take the load. Hopefully, that’s the key, is that we all will be able to make it happen together and not really put it on anybody’s shoulders. Hopefully, take some of the relief off of Tad (Geschickter, team owner) having to do some things and let him do what he does best and give Todd (Berrier, crew chief and general manager) the reigns to do what he does best and all that stuff. That’s the things that I’ve seen over the last 10 years and through racing — it’s built on a team, it’s not built on one person. Trust me, what I might say or what I might think I have seen in the past might not work today and it might not be the best thing for our team. Hopefully, we can just work together and make the right decisions together and proceed on like that. All the experience we have will help out.”

Do you think making the 2013 cars look more like production cars is good for NASCAR? “I think so. I hated to see it when it went to the common template or a common looking race car with just decals looking different. It definitely takes something out of it. The fans that we have look at that and really want to see that. That’s the cars they go buy. It’s not a F1 car, it’s not an Indy Car — you don’t go buy those at the dealership. I do believe that’s a big key for all the manufacturers and I think that’s going to get them enthused more than they have been. I think it’s definitely a key that we can go back to that, ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ thing, which is what it was based upon.”

What does Todd Berrier bring to the race team? “With his (Todd Berrier, crew chief) experience that he has — what he can bring to the table. He can do a lot of things that maybe some people can’t do. He’s going to be able to multitask and do those things. He’ll admit that maybe he doesn’t know anything about that so he will let somebody else take care of that. If you admit that and know that going into it then it’s always a better way than saying, ‘Hey, I know everything.’ I’ve known Todd for a long time — he’s got a great track record and is very successful. I never worked with him one-on-one, but he’s worked on my cars before when we had problems at a short track here and there back a long time ago. I know him real well and I know that he will be able to do things that I haven’t had in the past. He’s the perfect fit for this organization and for this team because he can multitask and he can do several things. He can make people accountable for what they need to be accountable for.”

What are your expectations for this year? “We’re looking for a top-20 at the end of the year for sure. There’s going to be some stronger race tracks for us that we will go to and we’ll know we have more confidence at than we will at some of them because we may not have all the best of everything that a lot of the other guys might have on us. It will all be good and we will all make it happen. There’s a lot of things that we can do and that we even started doing towards the end of the year with the same people and same equipment that we said, ‘Hey, let’s do some different things.’ With pit strategies and this and that — it resulted in better finishes. All of a sudden when you’re out finishing 15th, 16th, 17th — it’s way better than 22nd, 23rd, 24th. The equipment didn’t change — it was just a matter of thought processes and things like that on how we handle things. I think every Sunday — no different than any other team, we’ll give it our best and have some races that we know we will have more confidence going into. All in all it’s going to be a great way to build our race team into a bigger team next year as well.”

How do you think NASCAR’s ‘Boys, have at it’ has impacted the racing? “I guess it kind of comes and goes every so often. They (NASCAR) will let everybody have at it – then they’ll fine you a lot. Then you don’t have at it. Then they’ll say, ‘We need to have at it again.’ Then they won’t fine you as much. Then they will fine you a lot so you don’t have at it anymore. I think this is just one of those things where you have to just find your balance.” -more-

TODD BERRIER, crew chief, No. 47 Kroger Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Do you want to wait until 2013 to become a two-car team in order to wait for the new car design? “The new car is going to be a fair amount of work going in and this year we had a fair amount of work starting in October to get this thing going. We would love to have two cars now, but it just didn’t make sense having to put all the development work in and all that stuff knowing that all the new stuff is coming in 2013. Having another team would also allow us to have greater resources and anytime we have other people to bounce ideas off of and teammates and things like that — it’s just going to enhance our whole program. We’re focusing to be that. I don’t really want to be a whole lot bigger than that. I’ve been a part of things a lot bigger than that and I think two is the number we’re shooting for at this point.”

How do you compare working with a smaller team versus the large teams? “I’ve been a part of things smaller than this up to things larger than this. It is cool to know that we do have a small group of people and we all impact it a lot. If one person lays out of work today — everybody is going to have to work five minutes to make it up. Before, when you grow these things into monsters, you can have 10 people lay out and you didn’t even know anybody was missing. The only thing different is that we have resources and pretty much the same resources — I think with Toyota and their backing and the things they support us with, it’s no different than what I’ve been used to.”

Are you surprised by all of the resources from Toyota Racing Development? “I’ve only been part of virtually one racing team my whole life and we had, what I thought, was everything to race and I thought we had more than anybody had. We did have a lot of things as a team, but then when you go and look at what Toyota has done and the facility they built and some of the equipment they have. Toyota has made a huge commitment to it and a lot more of a commitment than any of the individual teams have made. Those guys have everything it takes — above and beyond anything I’m used to. The way you schedule it and the way you work on things and all that stuff there is pretty cool. On our side of things, we just have to empower a group of people to be able to use that part of it.”

What are your expectations for this season? “My expectations are to be able to go win one or more of the speedway races and to run 15th to 20th every week. I’m really content with that this year. I think if I expected to go run in the top-five every weekend and then we ran 15th to 20th — we would be too worried about finishing in the top-five rather than working to make our car as good as possible during the race.”

Source: Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

JTG-Daugherty Racing

HARRISBURG, N.C.

BUBBA burger is scheduled to have prominent position on Labonte’s car during the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Penn. June 10 and also during the Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. on September 16.

”BUBBA burger is excited to return as a sponsor of JTG Daugherty Racing,” according to Billy Morris President/CEO of BUBBA foods. “NASCAR Fans have grown to be great fans of BUBBA burger at the track and at home. It was an easy decision for us to partner with great brands like Kingsford Charcoal, Bush’s Beans and SCOTT Products for our Racing Season is Grilling Season promotion. Together we will win on the track and off the track.”

Additionally, BUBBA burger is scheduled to have presence on Labonte’s machine as an associate sponsor for the full season. BUBBA burger is an obvious fit for JTG Daugherty Racing’s retail theme ‘Racing Season is Grilling Season’.

“BUBBA burger has activated a lot in our sport and it’s great to hear they are sponsoring our Toyota Camry this year,” said Labonte. “BUBBA burger used to be JTG Daugherty Racing’s partner and I know Tad (Geschickter) is happy to have them back. They fall right into the team’s marketing theme ‘Racing Season is Grilling Season’ and they are the #1 branded frozen burger in the United States.

“They compliment JTG Daugherty Racing’s existing partners, such as, Kingsford Charcoal, Bush’s Beans and the Scott Brand,” Labonte continued. “Oh, and they have some fun tag lines: You’ll NEVER Bite A Burger Better Than A BUBBA!! and The Burger that Says BITE ME!!”

The BUBBA burger is sold nationwide throughout the United States as well as world-wide through the U.S. Military Commissary system. BUBBA burger® is a natural choice for quality and convenience, using only top choice meat to produce our uniquely shaped, gluten free BUBBA burgers. Take them right from your freezer to your grill, BUBBA burgers come in many varieties to fit your taste. Race to your favorite local grocers freezer and grab some BUBBA burgers so that you are sure to receive the
Checkered Flag from your family and friends.

For more information on products, recipes or to ask questions, visit WWW.BUBBAFOODS.COM or the official BUBBA burger fan page on Facebook at facebook.com/TheOfficialBUBBAburgerFanPage for all of the latest news, events and contests. BUBBA burger can also be found on Twitter at twitter.com/BUBBAburger.

Products

The BUBBA burger® facilities are designed to produce the safest and highest quality burgers in the country. This way when the burgers come out of your freezer and onto your grill or skillet‚ you know they will be tasty and juicy no matter which of our varieties you choose! All of our BUBBA burgers are 100% natural and gluten free.

Original BUBBA burger

This is the BUBBA that started it all! A 1/3-lb of juicy, 100% USDA choice chuck that doesn’t need more than 10 minutes to cook, a BUBBA burger® has the taste and texture you are looking for. Get ‘em in 2-lb. or 4-lb. packages. Feed yourself, your whole family and friends with a box of the Original BUBBA burgers®.

Sweet Onion BUBBA burger

There ain’t nothing better than sweet onion with your burger. Our Sweet Onion BUBBA burger® is packed with REAL sweet onions and 100% USDA choice chuck. So delicious, you don’t need extra fixins. Feed yourself or your whole family with a 2-lb or a 4-lb box of the 1/3 pound Sweet Onion BUBBA burgers®.

Certified Angus Beef® BUBBA burger

We’re mighty proud of our “Certified Angus Beef®” BUBBA burger. It was honored to be the Winner of “Nation’s Best New Beef Product Marketed by a small company”. This 1/3 pound burger is made from 100% “Certified Angus Beef®” Chuck with the “Certified Angus Beef®” Seal of Approval. Available in both 2-lb. and 4-lb. packages!

Turkey BUBBA burger

Bubba Foods is excited to welcome the newest member to the BUBBA burger® family of products. The new Turkey BUBBA burgers® have hit the market and are moving fast! The Turkey BUBBA burgers® are made of 100% All Natural White Turkey and have the classic BUBBA burger® shape. The Turkey BUBBA burgers® are 4 oz. burgers with 160 calories each, 5 grams of fat and lower sodium. The Turkey BUBBA burger® meets the criteria of the American Heart Association® for its low saturated fat content and low cholesterol, providing a healthy choice for those desiring a great BUBBA burger® taste. The American Heart Association seal is even on the box! All of the juicy quality you would expect from BUBBA burger! Our 2 lb. box contains 8 of our 4 oz. Turkey burgers!

Jalapeno BUBBA burger

The Jalapeno BUBBA burger is made from 100% U.S.D.A. Beef Chuck with 100% real Jalapeno Peppers. Bubba is really spicing things up with the addition of the one and only Jalapeno BUBBA, “YEEYEEYEHA …Now That’s Hot!” Our 2 lb. box contains 6 of our 1/3 lb. Jalapeno BUBBA burgers! Just look for the box with our mascot, Bubbino!!

Mini BUBBA burger Gourmet Bites

These 3 oz. Mini BUBBA burgers are perfect for all occasions, no matter how big or small the event may be! Using the same quality choice chuck as our Original BUBBA burger, our Mini Gourmet Bites™ are just the right size for a snack or meal for the family, and are perfect for all parties. And they fit perfectly on a dinner roll!

You’ll NEVER Bite A Burger Better Than A BUBBA!!

- JTG Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Kroger Logo

Kroger-USO Race Car Honors Kroger Associates who are Service Members

CINCINNATI, Ohio (January 25, 2012) – - The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) will have major presence during the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, returning as primary sponsor of JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 Toyota Camry with 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte.

“We are pleased to have Kroger helping us kick off our season at Daytona again,” Labonte said. “They are a great partner of JTG Daugherty Racing. They enjoyed the race last year and we were in the hunt for the win. We were able to stay out of trouble to be in contention on the final lap. If we can be that fortunate this year and put ourselves in position again, anything can happen.”

Once again, the Kroger car will carry the USO logo in The Great American Race on Sunday, February 26. In 2011, the Kroger family of stores expanded its partnership with the USO through Honoring Our Heroes, a year-long campaign to support members of the armed forces and their families. With the help of customers, associates and key partners, the program generated $1.5 million to assist the USO’s programs to support troops and families. Kroger will present these funds to the USO during the pre-race ceremonies at the Daytona 500.

This company-wide campaign with the USO will continue in 2012. The USO is the nation’s leading organization providing morale-boosting programs and services to enhance the quality of life for troops and their families around the world.

“Kroger really does a nice job with the USO program,” Labonte said. “They are donating over one million dollars to the USO. That’s amazing.”

Kroger and JTG Daugherty Racing also will thank the hundreds of Kroger associates from across the country, who are active duty and reservist members of our armed forces. They are paying special tribute by placing the names of these men and women on the hood of the car for the Daytona 500.

For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.

To learn how you can help the USO in its mission to serve our service men and women – Until Every One Comes

Home ® – please visit www.uso.org.

About the USO

The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families millions of times each year at hundreds of places worldwide. We provide a touch of home through centers at airports and military bases, top quality entertainment and innovative programs and services. We also provide critical support to those who need us most, including forward-deployed troops and their families, wounded warriors and their families and the families of the fallen.

The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency. We rely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors. In addition to individual donors and other corporate sponsors, the USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners: American Airlines, AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, The Boeing Company, Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Procter & Gamble and TriWest Healthcare Alliance. We are also supported through the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). To join us in this patriotic mission and to learn more about the USO, please visit www.uso.org.

About Kroger

Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 338,000 associates who serve customers in 2,439 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The company also operates 796 convenience stores, 363 fine jewelry stores, 1,067 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger was recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in the U.S. The company focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and grassroots organizations in the communities it serves. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 125 million meals a year through its partnership with more than 80 Feeding America food banks. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.

Source: JTG Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Empire Racing LLC Thumbnail

Ben comes to Empire Racing with an 18-year career in the motorsports industry. Leslie’s background includes experience in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, where he worked with drivers such as former Sprint Cup Series champions Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Bobby Labonte, and defending Nationwide Series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

“This is a great opportunity to be working with a growing team like Empire Racing,” Leslie said. “I had the opportunity to work with Sean at Kansas last year. He has a very good feel for the car and excellent ‘car control’. The whole organization is dedicated to putting out the best equipment every race.”

Sean Corr

Leslie spent the majority of his Sprint Cup career with Roush Fenway Racing, where he got his NASCAR start in 1994 as a mechanic and tire changer. In 1998, he was named car chief for the No. 26 Ford of Johnny Benson and was later promoted to interim crew chief, which led to a permanent crew chief position with the championship-winning organization.

Leslie’s career highlights include rookie of the year honors with Kenseth in 2000 and a runner-up championship finish with Mark Martin in 2002, which encompassed a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Coca-Cola 600.

Following the 2002 season, Leslie went on to fulfill crew chief positions with organizations such as Wood Brothers Racing, Yates Racing and Hall of Fame Racing. He also has served as field director at Ford Racing for several years.

In 2010, Leslie returned to Roush Fenway Racing and was named crew chief of the No. 6 Ford driven by Stenhouse Jr.

For more on Sean Corr, Empire Racing and marketing partnership opportunities for the 2012 racing season, please visit empireracingllc.com.

Are you FORD tough? Connect with Roush Yates Performance Products and Roush Yates Engines through their official web site at roushyatesparts.com.

Connect with Sean Corr and Empire Racing through Facebook by clicking here. Tweet with Sean Corr through Twitter @EmpireRacingLLC.

About Empire Racing:

Established in 2009, Empire Racing LLC. Is a two-tier professional Motorsports organization consisting of dirt and asphalt competition. Sean Corr, a 27-year old hailing from Goshen, New York pilots the team’s automobiles in the DIRTcar Series and Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In 2012, the team will once again attempt to run for a championship in the ARCA Racing Series and selected NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events .The team is headquartered in Goshen, New York with an additional operation in Mooresville, NC

- Empire Racing Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How was the morning test session? “So far, so good. It’s good to be back in a race car and get the feeling for everything and work the bugs out a little bit — not only me, but the team. Just everybody just kind of putting all the things together and getting everything in place for when we come back down here in a month or so.”

What are your plans for this afternoon’s test? “Just get some drafting in. Also, seeing exactly what — ‘A,’ NASCAR is going to tolerate or, ‘B,’ what the cars will tolerate being able to push or whether we can’t. Excited about being back in the M&M’s car again and, of course, having the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) support that’s here this week, so that’s been really good.”

How will the rule changes impact the two-car tandems? “We don’t know right now. We think it’s going to impact it quite a bit. We used to be able to figure it out how we could push and keep pushing for a run. Now, I think it’s going to be all the way back to where you’re only going to have maybe a lap or two.”

DAVE ROGERS, crew chief, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How was the morning test session? “We’re pretty happy with the performance of our Toyota Camry this morning. The transition to the TRD motor package you know working with Joe Gibbs Racing has been really smooth. The introduction of EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) has been really smooth, so we’re really excited about that. We’re mid-pack on the board. Obviously we want to be better, but fairly pleased with what we’ve got. The fab (fabrication) shop built us a new race car over the off-season — new chassis, new body and unloaded really smooth, so pretty pleased with this morning’s efforts. We’re going to make a few more qualifying runs in the afternoon and then probably around two o’clock we’ll go out there and play around with the 20 (Joey Logano) car and the 11 (Denny Hamlin) car and see what this two-car tandem draft is going to look like now that NASCAR has some made rule changes.”

How long do you think you can push with the new rules? “Everyone has their guesses. I think everyone would tell you probably a lap, but that’s something we’re going to work on. NASCAR’s trying to answer the call of the fans and try to put us back in the pack, but as racers we know that two cars linked up together is faster, so we’re always going to try to migrate in that direction. You can’t unlearn what you’ve learned in the past. I think every team out here will be working on that — that tandem pack – to see if we can overcome the rules, but, I tell you, NASCAR has done a really good job at clipping our wings on that one, so I don’t know if we can overcome it or not.”

DARIAN GRUBB, crew chief, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How has the transition been to Joe Gibbs Racing? “It’s been very interesting — a lot of things to learn with the people and the faces and putting all those things together. Other than that, it’s just definitely a top-notch organization. They have a lot of good equipment, a lot of good things, a lot of good people, so now it’s just putting all those things in one direction and try to go win a championship.”

How important is this test being with a new team? “It’s really good for us just to be able to come down here — it’s kind of a no pressure week with three days of testing here at the speedway. No matter really what you do, you’re not going to pick up a whole lot of speed. You are just trying to learn things as you go along. Denny (Hamlin) and I are able to communicate on the radio with a new spotter, new crew chief and new driver — it’s entertaining at least to try to get all those thing rolling in one direction. So far it’s been really good and I think we’re going to be hitting it off pretty well.”

What do you anticipate seeing with the new rule changes? “No one has done any drafting yet and that’s when it’s going to come into play. After lunch when people start doing some of that, you will start seeing some of the changes. It’s definitely going to limit how long you’re going to be able to push each other, but we all still know how much more speed there is if you’re able to push even if it is only for one lap or two. It’s going to be interesting to see what people come up with or games they try to play.”

JASON RATCLIFF, crew chief, No. 20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you feel about becoming the crew chief for the No. 20 Sprint Cup Camry? “It’s very exciting. When I look at it from a family perspective — my wife and I — we’ve often thought being in this sport, ‘Will this day come?’ And if it does, ‘What’s the best timing for us?’ Really I can’t think of a better time as far as my family goes. I’m excited about it and I’m excited about working with Joey (Logano). We have a championship race team over here and he’s pumped up. He’s looking forward to it. They have a good group. We need to get faster race cars and I know our engineers and then also bringing Darian (Grubb, crew chief No. 11) — it’s kind of opened up this whole process a little bit in some different areas and with myself as well. Hopefully I can bring some new ideas over here too. It’s going to be fun and we’re looking forward to it. So far everything is going well. Nothing crazy — it is Daytona. Right now the biggest frustrations we have are the wind and the seagulls. Other than that, it’s all good.”

What is it like to walk into Daytona as a Sprint Cup crew chief? “It’s different just because I see different faces. I made so many friends over on the other side and I’m sure I will here as well. A lot of new faces so just getting familiar with these guys — that’s the biggest change. Different color on the truck — I almost climbed on the 18 truck earlier. I have to get used to that. On my desktop computer I put a big 20 on it so it would help me get acclimated with that part. Just new faces and new officials — getting comfortable with that. I walked in earlier and talked to Mr. (John) Darby (NSCS Director) and I knew him from the Busch (Nationwide) Series. I am just looking forward to meeting some new friends.”

What are your goals for the Daytona test? “In the past we’ve struggled a little bit on our qualifying stuff and our aero department and engine department — all of it — they have really worked hard at qualifying. Here at Daytona qualifying is what it is, but you want to come down here at Speedweeks and represent your sponsor and your team by putting up a good lap. So far, it appears as though we have made some gains over the winter compared to the competition. Probably made those gains in a lot of different areas so we’re pumped about that. We have a little ways to go to catch some of these guys, but I think we’re halfway there as long as everybody else isn’t sandbagging on us. Our goal realistically is to hopefully improve our single car stuff and we’ll get out there and start pushing each other after a while and see how that goes.”

How has the transition to TRD engines and EFI been for you? “I’m not really a good judge to how much different it is than it was before. Really, it’s the same group of people — we’ve always worked really close with TRD in the past so no real new faces there. It’s exciting to kind of get a little closer and kind of close that communication a little bit and work a little closer together. In the EFI stuff, it’s new for everybody so I hope that if there’s any area that maybe I’m coming in on the same playing field — that’s the only one because it’s new for everybody. So far it’s going good.”

RODNEY CHILDERS, crew chief, No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing

How was the morning test session? “It’s going pretty good. Of course, we wish we were a little bit faster than what we are. It’s not too bad. We’ve been in New Smyrna (Speedway) testing the past two days and that went extremely well, so we we’re really happy with that. We feel like today is going okay. The drafting part is going to be the most-important part anyways. We’re going to switch to race trim to here and get a little drafting in and hopefully work with our teammates and some of the (Joe) Gibbs (Racing) cars and try to figure out the best tandem we can and just work on handling. I think with the short spoiler it’s going to be pretty difficult and cars are going to be pretty loose getting into the corner. We’ll work on that the rest of the afternoon and hopefully get it driving good.”

How will the rules changes impacting pushing? “It really depends on how you can get the thing to handle. If they can get it handling good enough, I think you can keep on pushing if you get the car hung out far enough. We’ll see how it goes and it’s kind of nobody knows right now, so we’ll just have to see how it goes and go from there.”

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Kingsford/Kleenex/Bush’s Baked Beans Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Are you concerned about missing the Daytona test? “As important as the Daytona test is, we have a lot of time there in February and we’ll get more practice there than anywhere else we go. I feel like we will be able to miss the test and still be in pretty good shape when we get down there for the race. Time spent in the shop this week will be more valid for us to prepare cars — not just Daytona, but several weeks after that.”

Can you rely on past experience since you’re missing the test? “We were in the Bud Shootout last year and were kind of like a lost puppy out there and then we found our way. In the Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race, we lost the draft near the end. In the Daytona 500, it was a different story. We were able to stay out of trouble and survive the day through a lot of carnage that went on. We kept in contention and when it came down to the end of the race, we were tucked in behind the leader. We came close to winning and ended up with a top-five (fourth-place) finish. If we can be that fortunate this year and put ourselves in position again, anything can happen.”

Source: Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

JTG-Daugherty Racing

HARRISBURG, N.C.

“As a car owner, I’ve had more fun this winter than I have had in a long time,” Geschickter said.

Some of those changes included the hiring of Todd Berrier as crew chief and general manager along with Laerte Zatta as engineering director. The team added personnel and made pit crew member changes too. Also, former crew chief Frank Kerr moved into the role of shop foreman while the team ventured out on its own moving from Michael Waltrip Racing’s shop into their Harrisburg, N.C. shop. More importantly, sponsors were retained and new sponsors have been signed that will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We have had a lot of changes and added some great people, such as, Todd Berrier for example,” Geschickter said. “He’s an excellent leader and he’s assembled a very talented group of people that are having fun together getting ready for the season. We are excited because it seems like the team is gelling quickly and everyone is really pulling together.”

2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte agrees with Geschickter. The two buzz words about this year that come to his mind when asked about JTG Daugherty Racing are synergy and confidence.

“Talking to my team yesterday, there is synergy and confidence with each other as far as chemistry goes,” Labonte said. “We’re ready to get the season started. I know right now it’s a lot of work for the guys. They are starting off without a lot of inventory in the shop. I think that is going to be remedied pretty soon. I have a lot of confidence in Todd, our engineering department and our pit crew. I think we are going to be better than we were last year on all fronts.”

“We have a solid pit crew in place and I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” pit coach Gary Smith added. “We had a good team last year, but we were trying to tweak the team. We were able to pick up a few pit crew members that have been in the sport for a while, who can really help us out. Everyone has blended in really well and is getting along. We’re looking forward to a new season and also working with Todd.”

Berrier, who has eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career wins as a crew chief and spent nearly two decades at Richard Childress Racing, is proving to be a good fit for Labonte and JTG Daugherty Racing.

“Todd is very direct, which is what I love,” Labonte said. “We have a smaller group this year and Todd’s the driving force behind assembling a cohesive unit. I feel like we will perform better.”

“I agree with Bobby,” added Berrier. “I’m looking forward to this season with JTG Daugherty Racing. I was a part of RCR when it was this size and was a part of its growth to where it is now. I know what it takes to get from here to there competition wise.”

Berrier’s résumé includes some major victories including the 2003 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 2007 Daytona 500 with Kevin Harvick. A Daytona 500 victory is something Berrier’s current driver would like to mark off his bucket list. Ironically, the team is not attending testing at Daytona International Speedway this week in efforts to continue preparations for the season at the shop. However, Labonte states his team will not skip a beat.

“As important as the Daytona test is, we have a lot of time there in February and we’ll get more practice there than anywhere else we go,” Labonte said. “I feel like we will be able to miss the test and still be in pretty good shape when we get down there for the race. Time spent in the shop this week will be more valid for us to prepare cars – - not just Daytona, but several weeks after that.”

“I trust Todd and our leadership group,” Geschickter added. “They feel like races are won at the shop. While we would have liked to have been at the Daytona test, we’re really getting started out in our Harrisburg shop and we have quite a bit of work left to do. When Daytona gets here, we’ll be ready to contend for the win again.”

Labonte came close to winning the Daytona 500 last season pushing Trevor Bayne to victory. Labonte admits Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway last season started out a little slow for the team, but in the end he was a contender for one of the most prestigious races on the 36-race schedule.

“We were in the Bud Shootout last year and was kind of like a lost puppy out there and then we found our way,” Labonte said. “In the Gatorade Duel 150 qualifying race, we lost the draft near the end. In the Daytona 500, it was a different story. We were able to stay out of trouble and survive the day through a lot of carnage that went on. We kept in contention and when it came down to the end of the race, we were tucked in behind the leader. We came close to winning and ended up with a top-five (fourth-place) finish. If we can be that fortunate this year and put ourselves in position again, anything can happen.”

- JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 2nd

How was your qualifying lap? “It’s been a good day for the NAPA Toyota so far. We’ve been happy with the car all day. We had a lot of speed in race trim and it was a good qualifying lap for us. The guys made good adjustments from practice and the track picked up grip. Obviously the speeds were up quite a bit from practice so it was a good lap. I wish that Carl (Edwards) hadn’t of beat us, but it seems like he wins everything anymore. I’m happy to be in here today. I feel like we kind of let one slip away here last year in the race. Led a bunch of laps and got a flat tire late so hopefully we can make up for that tomorrow and close the deal. It would be great to end the season on a high note and get this thing in victory lane.”

How much has your team improved over the last few weeks? “I think our team has done a nice job all year as far as bringing fast race cars to the race track. There’s been some other things that we’ve missed on — part failures and making mistakes and things that’s really hurt us in the points. But, we’ve had fast cars all year long. For us this season, it’s been a lot of what could’ve been or what might have been. Going into the offseason I feel like we know our strengths and our weaknesses and what we need to work on to be better. But, as far as the group of guys I have and the cars that we’ve been bringing to the race track, we’ve made huge strides especially at the end of the season here with the mile-and-a-half type tracks where we struggled through the mid part of the season quite a bit. We made huge gains there so we’re excited going into the offseason of what we need to work on and come out of the box strong next year. For us, we just need consistency. We’ve got the speed, we’ve got the team to do it and we’ve got great guys that go over the wall and pit the car. We just need to be smarter, race smarter and make less mistakes next year.”

How much has the grip on the race track changed? “The track just had a little bit more grip than what it had this morning. Anytime we run the single-car runs it’s easy to pick up some of that rubber that’s been sitting there getting hot. We listened to some guys earlier saying the track had more grip and we went with that and luckily it worked out good for us.”

What was your strategy for your qualifying lap? “I couldn’t figure out which groove to run. I ran some in practice up high and I was fast up there and I ran some down low and I was fast there so I said, ‘Heck with them, I’m going to run the middle.’ And it worked out. Our NAPA Toyota has been really fast all day long. I love coming here to Homestead. It’s a great track and I feel like we let one slip away here last year so hopefully we can get that win tomorrow.”

Do you have a favorite for tomorrow’s championship? “There’s no telling. Four hundred miles anything can happen. Those two guys are some of the best out there and obviously they proved that. That’s why they’re in that position and I just hope that I get to race with those guys for the win because I’m sure they will be upfront come the end of the day.”

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 3rd

How was your qualifying lap? “I felt really good. My Red Bull Toyota stuck really well. I felt like I waited on the front end a little bit getting into (turn) one — maybe a little too long — and then again in (turn) three. Wasted a little bit of time, but either way Carl (Edwards) ran a great lap. A really fast lap. And Martin (Truex Jr.) beat us too. It was still a good run for our guys. Each week they’ve been giving me awesome race cars and it’s been a lot of fun driving them lately.”

Are you happy with your season? “It’s been a really awesome year for myself. This time last year I was kind of making that move to Red Bull and prior to that I was wanting to make that move and ready for a change and ready to work with some new people and a little bit of excitement again. I’ve had that all season long. I feel great about where we’re at right now and how much we’ve gained as a team throughout the season and how strong our cars are, which everybody is a big part of that. And now it’s about over. We qualified third today and have a great car for tomorrow and then it will be another change. So, it’s been a great season. A lot of fun to work with everybody and they’ve given all of us a great opportunity. I wish it was halfway through. I wish the season was 50 percent of the way through and we had a lot more to go this year because I feel like right now is by far the best that I’ve been as a Cup driver and that we’ve had as a team. Everything put together, I think this has been our strongest time ever. It’s about over and hopefully we can finish strong tomorrow and do the best we can and maybe get another win. That would be a great way to end.”

Do you have a favorite for tomorrow’s championship? “I don’t know on the points race. It’s going to be exciting. Carl (Edwards) has probably been the best so far this weekend if you look at where he’s at. I think Tony (Stewart) ran a lot more — longer runs and things. Carl is starting on the pole. Carl was great here last year. He started second and won the race so it will be interesting. I think it’s going to be a good duel.”

What does it say about your team to run so well to close out the season? “I’ve been running really good. The whole Red Bull team has done a great job. It’s been a lot of fun these last 10 to 12 races — it’s been awesome. So, we’re just trying to finish strong tomorrow. We qualified good today. I just wish we could’ve got that pole. We were really close. The balance in the car was great there. Just barely missed it. We’ve had a really solid effort here in the last couple of months.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 10th

Are you pleased with your qualifying lap? “That was a pretty decent qualifying run for us. We usually qualify in the 30s here. It looks like we’ll be somewhere in the top-10 to 12 — a step up. We just struggled for speed all day long. We just couldn’t figure out where to find it — where to get it. Mike (Ford, crew chief) made some good adjustments right there with qualifying.”

Any benefit to running three races this weekend? “You learn some stuff, for sure. It helps you get up to speed a little bit faster. At least it does for me. Even though it’s a lot of work — it does help in certain ways.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 19th

How was your qualifying lap? “Our Interstate Batteries Camry wasn’t bad. Our balance was pretty good but just needed a little more speed in qualifying. I was happy with our car in race trim this morning, so I think we can race them with what we worked on in race trim.”

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 24th

Are you happy with your race car? “No. I’d like for the qualifying to be better. I’m pretty happy with the race car. Qualifying trim we weren’t as good as we needed to be. I just kind of lost the nose in the center and just kind of washed out a little bit. I’m not really happy with where my line is. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here — it’s been a couple years. I think the track has changed a good bit since the last time I was here. It’s been two years. So, I think it’s changed a decent amount — so still got to figure that out. In race trim, I think we’re pretty good. In qualifying we were a little off.”

Did you meet with NASCAR and Matt Kenseth? “Yeah. We did meet with NASCAR and it was a good conversation. It was good to air out everything. I think it was good for everybody to hear both sides of the story. NASCAR gave their perspective of how things transpired. Matt (Kenseth) gave his and I gave mine. I think that once Matt understood my perspective and I understood some of his — then I think now we’re more on the same page. When he first was describing kind of his perspective — I think there was a lot of information he didn’t have about like when I was underneath him at Martinsville. You know, we rubbed fenders a few times. I think that’s pretty common for Martinsville. I don’t think we were the first two guys to touch at Martinsville Speedway. I know I raced him clean, I raced him as clean as I was probably racing anybody that day. The only time I really got into him was when the 14 (Tony Stewart) hit me in the middle of the corner — you know was bumping me in the middle of the corner. I think that was a perspective that Matt didn’t really have. He didn’t know that. Even if that wasn’t the case, I still think him just dumping us at Martinsville — just flat pushed me up in the corner until I hit the wall — was a bit of an overstep.”

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 28th

COLE WHITT, No. 84 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 29th

Were you pleased with your qualifying lap? “Yeah. Just happy to be in (the race). That’s what we come down here to do — get in the race. First thing first. It’s pretty amazing for me. It’s a big step. So, I’m just glad we could come out and do this.”

Do you have any goals for Sunday’s race? “Seat time is definitely crucial. We’re not going to be as tame as we were in Phoenix. In Phoenix, we held back a lot. Here, now that we’re in the race, we’ll try and race for anything we can get. See what we can do.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 32nd

How was your qualifying lap? “There was no grip out there. We just haven’t had enough speed in our cars. Still got to figure something out here. We’re not very fast in race trim or qualifying trim right now. So, we have to figure something out.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 66 HP Racing, LLC Toyota Camry, HP Racing Starting Position: 33rd

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Reese Towpower Project Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Starting Position: 35th

How was your qualifying lap? “It was okay. A little too free to come to the free and then we still struggled with something there. It was a little bit too free to come to the green and after that it was alright. Nothing special. It seemed like our car was balanced pretty good in race trim, just needed to have a little bit more grip on the front end. Other than that it wasn’t bad in race trim. It’s been a pretty calm day.”

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Starting Position: 37th

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 Hard Rock Vodka Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Starting Position: 39th

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing

HOMESTEAD, Fla.

“I knew it was going to be so close with the new points format,” said Labonte, who has one victory, three top-five and four top-10 finishes at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. “I said that I’d be surprised if it didn’t come down to the end of the year and you’ll still have a couple guys fighting on the last lap at Homestead.”

As Edwards eyes his first championship and Stewart his third, Labonte and JTG Daugherty Racing’s owners focus on finishing the last race of the season on a high note in the midst of ramping up their 2012 campaign.

“The end of the season feels like the last day of school used to feel as a kid,” Geschickter said. “You are excited about getting some time to re-group, but you also take the time to reflect on the good things that have happened over the year.”

Geschickter is pleased with the progress that new general manager and crew chief Todd Berrier is making at the Harrisburg, N.C. shop.

“We are optimistic about how Todd Berrier is developing our program for next season,” Geschickter said. “It’s going to be a busy off season, but we are up for the challenge. We are fortunate to have a group of sponsors who are standing behind us as we work to improve our on-track performance in 2012.”

Interim crew chief Brian Burns has done a solid job of rounding out this season for JTG Daugherty Racing.

“It’s been a blast working as crew chief with a class act driver like Bobby Labonte,” Burns said. “Although we haven’t always gotten the results that we have expected this year, we have definitely made gains each week. Last week was a pretty good week in Phoenix and we plan on using that momentum in Homestead to finish the year off strong.”

One of JTG Daugherty Racing’s proud partners, Reese Towpower® is branding the No. 47 Toyota Camry to close out the year. Reese Towpower® has pioneered the technology that has set the standard for today’s most advanced towing.

“We’ve really enjoyed growing our partnership with Reese Towpower®,” said Labonte. “They’ve done a great job activating their sponsorship in NASCAR. Also, all the work they did with DKMS to help find Jordan Jemsek and others a bone marrow match was pretty special to watch. They really got involved and made their racing program a success while helping others. We’re proud to be a partner.”

Live coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway begins at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN. Sirius XM and MRN Radio will also carry the event.

- JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing

AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 10, 2011) – -

“I liked the track a lot before and I’m not really sure what it is going to be like with the new asphalt,” said Labonte, who will have the Wounded Warrior Project front and center on JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 Toyota Camry for a second week in a row thanks in part to The Clorox Company. “I feel good about our test there and we learned a lot. We were pretty good without making a qualifying run compared to the guys that made qualifying runs.”

With a positive outlook on this weekend, Labonte aims to add to his three top-five, nine top-10 finishes and pole award he has collected at PIR in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“I think we are going to Phoenix with positive attitude,” said Labonte, who finished 21st at PIR earlier this season. “Shorter tracks have been better for us than big tracks. It’s going to be hard to see what the track is going to be like. It’s going to be different than what we tested. It will be a matter of taking Friday to make sure we have the right setup in it.”

As Labonte’s team searches for the formula for a successful weekend, the team also continues to raise awareness about the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). Labonte featured the Wounded Warrior Project primary logo on his car for the first time at Texas Motor Speedway as a part of their Believe in Heroes TM campaign (BIH). The two-month BIH campaign honors the sacrifices of those who have answered the call to serve in the ten years that followed the events of Sept 11th through a series of special events and initiatives around the country.

“Believe in Heroes TM is giving Americans an opportunity to give back to the people who have served our country,” Labonte said. “To find out more about Wounded Warrior Project’s Believe in Heroes campaign, fans can visit www.believeinheroes.org.”

Fans can also make a donation to Wounded Warrior Project by simply dial **HERO, which is **4376 on a mobile phone to donate $10.

The WWP is one of a few things Labonte is spreading the word about this week. Being a Coca-Cola Racing Family Driver, Labonte is helping Coca-Cola with an important initiative. Polar Bears have been a big part of the Coca-Cola brand for decades. Now, Coke and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) are partnering in a campaign to help protect the polar bears’ Arctic home. This Holiday season, Coke is turning its iconic red cans white to help raise awareness and funds for polar bear conservation efforts.

As Coke turns their cans white, Labonte and JTG Daugherty Racing have turned the roof of their car white to signify their support. Fans can get in on the action by using Coke package codes to text a personal $1 donation to WWF or by donating online at ArcticHome.com. For every fan that donates, Coke will match it up to $1 million. Fans can visit ArcticHome.com for more information and to learn more about the polar bear and its habitat.

“We’re 100% behind Coca-Cola’s efforts to save the Arctic Home of endangered polar bears and it’s cool we’re running a white roof to help draw attention on how fans can help conserve the polar bear’s home ,” Labonte said. “To find out how you can help, visit www.ArticHome.com.”

Live coverage of the event on Sunday begins at 3 p.m. ET. Sirius XM and MRN Radio will also carry the race.

-JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 6th

How was your car in qualifying? “It’s good. We were a little bit tight in turn four and it cost us some speed. We fought that a little bit in practice. Overall, it’s a decent lap, just not quite enough for what we wanted to do.”

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 9th

How was your car in qualifying? “It was good. The guys did a good job. We’re just a little bit tight and I missed it a little bit, but we were really close and the car has felt great ever since we got here.”

What were you looking at on your car after your qualifying run? “I was looking all the skirts and kind of the travels and things to see where we were. Everything was really nice, we just needed a little bit more.”

How will you approach practice for Sunday’s race? “We’ll try to be as smart about it as we can when we practice compared to when we race and how we go into the night and how things change. We’re trying to be prepared and have some good adjustments in the car built in so we can keep up with the track on Sunday afternoon.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 17th

How was your qualifying lap? “The balance wasn’t bad on our M&M’s Camry. We just lacked a little bit of speed there on our lap. We were pretty happy with the car in race trim in practice earlier today, so we’ll work on it tomorrow morning in practice and hopefully have a good race car for Sunday.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 19th

How was your qualifying lap? “We were about like practice, just too loose.”

What do you need to do to get ready for Sunday’s race? “Well, tomorrow will be a whole different story. You know, we take the tape off and have to be good for a tire run and fuel run instead of just one lap. Hopefully that will go better tomorrow in our NAPA Toyota.”

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 20th

How was your qualifying effort? “It was good. I was tight coming back to the line in turn four. I think that’s where I lost most of my time. I felt really good about one and two, just got too tight on three and four. I was hoping for a little bit better lap.”

Do you like qualifying on Friday and having more practice on Saturday? “I like the schedule we have here. If we’re going to run three-day shows, I think we should do a practice and qualifying and then two more practices on Saturday and then race on Sunday. The two practices, and then qualify on Saturday and race Sunday, we should just do two-day shows. If you really want to save the sport, do two-day shows instead of three-day shows and I think in that scenario I think two practices, qualify and race is good, but this year they started doing some of the racks did two on Friday, qualify on Saturday and race Sunday and Saturday just seems like a waste just to come in for two laps. I’m pretty happy with the Red Bull Toyota. It was good in practice. I liked to have been a little bit better in qualifying trim, but that’s alright.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 25th

How was your car in qualifying? “We’re struggling for speed right now. Even race trim, the car just doesn’t have a whole bunch of speed in it right now, so trying to find something. Working on stuff here and there. Going to be practice tomorrow. Hopefully we find something there.”

What do you need to do to get ready for Sunday’s race? “Well, tomorrow will be a whole different story. You know, we take the tape off and have to be good for a tire run and fuel run instead of just one lap. Hopefully that will go better tomorrow in our NAPA Toyota.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 28th

How was your car in qualifying? “We’re just struggling for speed. We are half-a-second off pretty much all day and just still can’t find where the speed is at. I’m driving the car pretty aggressively — it just doesn’t have any speed at the moment. It’s pretty typical for us in qualifying here.”

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Wounded Warrior Project Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Starting Position: 32nd

How was your qualifying lap? “We just kind of scratch our heads a little bit. It felt like it was going to be faster than that. We only made two qualifying runs during practice and the second one we made felt like it was going to be faster and never was and this one felt like it would be faster, too and wasn’t. I don’t know if we have something just not helping ourselves speed-wise or what. The car felt pretty good. I used a ton of throttle and no brake and free-rolled pretty good. I don’t know. I’m a little confused as to why we didn’t go any faster — at least a .10th or so.”

What do you need to do to prepare for Sunday’s race? “We just have a lot of things that we did this morning. We really concentrated on our race trim package a little bit and then we did our qualifying package. Tried three or four different big things and I think we have some ideas there that will be beneficial for us on Sunday.”

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Starting Position: 33rd

How was your qualifying effort? “It was okay. It’s a new car for us, so it’s been a better weekend in general for us. Ended up a little bit tight right there in qualifying. Ended up just off the bottom, so we lost a good 10th just being off the bottom of the race track. It’s not bad. I’m looking forward to seeing what it has in race trim tomorrow.”

Did you damage the splitter? “No. I just wanted to see how hard the splitter hit and it didn’t hit that hard. Just too tight in general and we’ll just see where it goes from here.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 66 HP Racing, LLC Toyota Camry, Gunselman Motorsports Starting Position: 35th

How was your qualifying effort? “It’s so fast around here at Texas Motor Speedway. Turn one and two is actually kind of shaded right now, which we weren’t expecting, so a lot of grip in the race track. The HP Racing Toyota Camry is pretty good. Just hit the splitter a little bit in three and four, but I had a pretty good lap going. I was feeling pretty good getting into three and just drove it in a bit too far, but thankful to get in the race and we’ll be out there on Sunday.”

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 AM/FM Energy Wood & Pellet Stoves Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Starting Position: 40th

How do you feel to be locked into the field? “Well, you know the crew chief is on the radio with me and talking and he’s like, ‘I’ll tell you if you’re locked in after your first lap,’ but he never said anything. That’s the time you’re going into turn one, so I just tried to get everything I could. He never said anything and just thank goodness I picked it up just a tick on my second lap and we’re in the show.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Bobby Labonte JTG Daugherty Racing

FORT WORTH, Texas

“We’re looking forward to having both the Wounded Warrior Project and A Good Night Sleep’s on our Toyota Camry at Texas,” said Labonte, who has 21 starts, three top-five and five top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile quad-oval. “I’m very familiar with WWP and last year, we auctioned off one of my Daytona 500 helmets for them. It’s a good looking race car.

“With Brian Burns settling into his crew chief role, we have some great ideas and notes from the same tire we raced at Chicagoland Speedway – - where we had a better run,” continued Labonte. “Overall, we have some good ideas leading into this race with the Wounded Warrior Project Toyota.”

Thanks to The Clorox Company donating their primary space on JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 Toyota Camry, Wounded Warrior Project will be prominently displayed along with their Believe in Heroes (BIH) campaign.

“Wounded Warrior Project is extremely proud to have the support of JTG Daugherty Racing, NASCAR and Safeway in our effort to encourage Americans to put the veteran back in Veterans Day,” said Steve Nardizzi, executive director of WWP. “Their commitment to supporting our nation’s military is vital to increasing awareness and continued support for those who have served. The sacrifices have been many, and we must all continue to fight for those who have fought for us.”

Sunday’s race is the first of two in which Labonte will feature the Wounded Warrior logo on his car as part of WWP’s Believe in Heroes campaign. The two-month BIH campaign honors the sacrifices of those who have answered the call to serve in the ten years that followed the events of Sept 11th through a series of special events and initiatives around the country.

Also, prior to the race, Safeway will be presenting the Wounded Warrior Project with a substantial donation of $500,000 to show their support for the trials and sacrifices of Wounded Warriors and their families. Veteran and wounded warrior Timothy Seckel will represent WWP and our nation’s veterans at the race.

Additionally, A Good Night Sleep will have presence on the C-post. A Good Night Sleep is a non-profit focused on delivering brand new beds to people transitioning out of homelessness and into permanent housing. This week, 100 brand new beds are planned to be delivered to two different Permanent Supportive Housing centers in the Dallas area by the foundation’s corporate partner 1800mattress.com. One of the biggest mattress retailers in the Dallas area, Sleep Experts, has been challenged to match the 100 bed donation.

“AGNS is extremely proud to partner with JTG Daugherty Racing for the AAA Texas 500,” said Josh Helland, executive director for A Good Night Sleep Foundation. “JTG’s Daugherty’s commitment to using their sponsorship platform to promote causes for the greater good is truly inspiring. We can’t thank them enough for bringing heightened awareness to the challenges that people face when breaking the cycle of homelessness and getting a good night sleep.”

For more information about Wounded Warrior Project visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org or to make a donation, simply dial **HERO, that’s **4376 on a mobile phone to donate $10 and help thousands of veterans wounded service members on their road to recovery.

For additional details about A Good Night Sleep Foundation, please visit www.agnsfoundation.org.

Live coverage of the AAA Texas 500 on ESPN begins at 3 p.m. ET. PRN Radio will also carry the event at 2 p.m. ET.

Bobby Labonte appearance:
This Thursday, Bobby Labonte will be appearing at Tom Thumb located at 101 Trophy Lake Drive, Trophy Club, Texas from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Central for fans that would like to meet him and receive an autograph.

Fans remember to sign up at Grilling.com:
Fans remember to log on to grilling.com/racing and register for a chance to win an ultimate VIP track and grilling experience with Bobby Labonte and JTG Daugherty Racing in Las Vegas in March. Fans can register for an opportunity to be Labonte’s Pit Master for the day, which includes a 3-day (2-night) stay on the Las Vegas strip; round-trip airfare; a rental car; a BBQ lunch with Bobby and crew; a VIP tour and more leading into the big race weekend in 2012.

- JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

PODIUM AT THE PAPER CLIP:

CHASE RACE SEVEN: Sunday’s NSCS race at Martinsville Speedway was the seventh of 10 races in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff. Camry drivers Busch and Hamlin are both competing in this year’s Chase. Busch’s 27th-place result at Martinsville dropped the Camry driver one position in the standings to seventh. Busch is now 57 points back from leader Carl Edwards. Hamlin’s fifth-place finish cut four points into the point lead — he now sits 80 points behind the leader — and he ranks 11th in the standings with three races remaining this season.

TWICE IN TEXAS: Camry driver Hamlin is the defending fall race winner at Texas Motor Speedway and his November 2010 victory completed a season sweep at the track, after he also won the April race. The speedy Texas track is one of Hamlin’s favorite facilities and the Camry driver has the second best average finish (9.3) among active drivers at Texas Motor Speedway. In 12 Texas starts, Hamlin has two wins, eight top-10 finishes and has led 131 laps.

LONE STAR LOCAL: Texas-native and 2000 NSCS champion Bobby Labonte returns to his ‘home’ track for the second time with JTG-Daugherty Racing and looks to improve on his 25th-place finish from the April race. Originally from Corpus Christi, Labonte has competed in the NSCS since 1991 and the 47-year-old racer has collected 21 victories in over 600 starts. It was recently announced that Labonte will again compete for the team in 2012 with new crew chief Todd Berrier.

WALLACE REACHES RECORD: NASCAR veteran and Camry driver Kenny Wallace will break the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) record for most career series starts at Texas Motor Speedway when he starts his 520th race. Wallace made his first start in the NNS in 1988 and has gone on to collect nine wins and 170 top-10 finishes during his lengthy NASCAR career. The St. Louis-native has also experienced a resurgence this season and ranks in the top-10 in series points for the first time in five years. Wallace’s team, RAB Racing, is the only single-car organization in the top-10 in the NNS point standings and he is currently seventh in the standings.

TRAMPLING THROUGH TEXAS: Whenever the NNS visits Texas, Busch is usually in contention for a win at the 1.5- mile track. Busch recorded five consecutive NNS victories at Texas from 2008 through 2010 and has led the most NNS circuits in track history with 1,187 laps led — more than twice as many as the next closest competitor. In 13 NNS starts in Texas, Busch has the most wins (5) at the track and has finished in the top-10 on 11 occasions.

NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS): Since the start of the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for five victories, 36 top-five results, 71 top-10 finishes and have led 2,454 laps … Denny Hamlin will join FedEx and the American Red Cross at Cross Timbers Middle School in Grapevine, Texas, on Thursday to teach children how to prepare for emergencies … FedEx will donate $10,000 to the North Texas Region of the American Red Cross and a portion of the donation will be used to build emergency kits at the event to send to areas and families in need as part of the FedEx ‘Race to Prepare’ program.

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Wounded Warrior Project Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing

Do you enjoy racing in your home state of Texas? “Texas is a great place to go. For me to go home there and — well, not really see too many people that I know because they all kind of moved to North Carolina — but see a few people that will come out to the event for us to see the race. We have a lot of good memories at Texas and always look forward to it. It’s a great track to go to. It’s a lot of fun. It’s one of those tracks that I think the age that it has on it — the racing surface and the tires that we have — it lends to really good racing usually. You go fast for qualifying, but the speeds will slow down enough in the race to make a good race out of it.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Are you looking forward to racing at Texas? “Texas has been a great race track for me and my career. When I go there, we’re going to have a little bit more confidence in what we did than other race tracks. It’s always been a good one. I have some friends and family that live out there so it’s always a homecoming type race.”

DAVE ROGERS, crew chief, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you put Martinsville in perspective? “In life you have to go through tests and last year we were in the Chase and we had a number of tests come our way and quite frankly, we didn’t handle them that well. I think that as a team, we’ve handled a lot of tests this year really well, but none in the Chase. Now the Chase comes and we’ve been dealt a lot of tests and I’m really proud of how this team has handled it. I haven’t seen people bow their heads. I haven’t seen people complaining. I haven’t seen Kyle (Busch) get frustrated. We just go to the race track and work as hard as we can. (Martinsville) is another one of those tests and it clearly hurts any realistic shot at winning a championship this year. There’s still a chance — we won’t give up, but realistically we know it’s over. But in the end — a year from now, two years from now, 10 years from now — this will make us better people and a better race team and that’s how you go forward.”

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS): During the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for 10 wins, 35 top-five results, 78 top-10 finishes and have led 1,604 laps … Kenny Wallace (seventh) is the top Toyota driver in the NNS point standings … Brian Scott (eighth), Steve Wallace (ninth) and Michael Annett (10th) are also in the top-10 …The NNS returns to the track after two scheduled off weekends … GameStop, the primary sponsor of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry at Texas, is based in nearby Grapevine … As part of its NASCAR sponsorship, GameStop works with vendors to showcase a different video game at each race and ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3′ will be featured on the No. 20 Camry in Texas.

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 G-Oil Toyota Camry, RAB Racing

How special will it be to set the NNS career starts record? “When I was a little kid growing up in Arnold, Missouri, if you would have told me that I was to be able to race in NASCAR my whole life, I would have considered that wishful thinking and a dream. My 520th Nationwide start has been a dream.”

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS): Since the start of the 2011 NCWTS season, Tundra drivers have registered nine wins, 34 top-five results, 70 top-10 finishes and have led 1,111 laps … After 23 races, Timothy Peters (fifth) is the top Toyota driver in the NCWTS points standings … Tundra drivers Todd Bodine (sixth), Brendan Gaughan (11th) and David Starr (13th) are also in the top-15 in the points … Bodine and Gaughan have the most NCWTS wins in Texas with six and four, respectively … Tundra drivers have captured nine victories at Texas Motor Speedway, the most at any track, and the Tundra is fittingly made at nearby Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Texas (TMMTX) … Located in San Antonio, TMMTX opened in 2006 and produces both the Tundra and Tacoma pickup trucks, employing about 2,000 team members … Kyle Busch Motorsports’ (KBM) front tire changer, Pedro Martinez Jr., is a San Antonio-native … Ivan ‘The Ironman’ Stewart, a 10-time off-road racing champion, will attend the Texas Motor Speedway race weekend and will be giving rides at the Toyota Ride & Drive Center … Traxxas the primary sponsor of the No. 18 KBM Tundra at Texas, is based in nearby Plano, Texas … Traxxas recently released a 1/16 scale R/C replica of the No. 18 Tundra … 10-year old Gabe-Bridges Aldridge of Justin, Texas was selected as a winner in the “Riding Shotgun with Kyle Busch Motorsports” essay contest and will be featured on the No. 18 Tundra at Texas Motor Speedway.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN, No. 62 International Trucks / Monaco RV Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing

Why have you been so successful at Texas Motor Speedway? “It’s been a few years since we’ve been really good there. If I knew what made us so good back then, I would have put in a bottle and kept it. We had a bunch of great years. The rules were way different. The teams had more ability to actually be race teams and we tested and we got great at mile-and-a-halfs. My family loves Texas. It’s always a big race for us. Probably the biggest race for my family, besides Vegas. My mother and father have a ranch about 30 miles from the race track. We do a lot in the rodeo business. ‘Tuff’ Hedeman (four-time professional bull riding champion and president of Championship Bull Riding) shows up at the race track with us and a lot of the old, famous cowboys always hang out with us. When we come to Texas, we always have a little swagger and I’d like to make it work.”

TODD BODINE, No. 5 Big Red Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports

Why have you been so successful at Texas Motor Speedway? “The first thing is you’ve got to have a good truck and (Mike Hillman) Jr. has always had good trucks there and we handle really well. You’ve got to have some luck too and we’ve had luck there. We had a bad carburetor and still won the race. You’ve got to have everything at Texas and we’re just good there.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

2011 NSCS Bobby Labonte - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Burns Assumes Crew Chief Role and Bechstein Moves into Car Chief Position

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 26, 2011) – - Leading into the Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway, more changes have taken place at JTG Daugherty Racing.

This week crew chief Frank Kerr is transitioning into his shop foreman role at the Harrisburg, N.C. shop while the team’s chief race engineer steps up to take over the reigns as crew chief of the No. 47 Toyota Camry for the remainder of the season and Bob Bechstein assumes the car chief position.

“I am very excited to have the opportunity to step up into this role,” Burns said. “Working as the No. 47 team engineer this year makes it a very easy transition. I know that Bobby and the rest of the crew are all looking forward to finishing off the last four races of 2011 on a high note.”

Prior to becoming the lead engineer for the No. 47 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry, Burns was a crew chief for half a season at Front Row Motorsports with driver Travis Kvapil. Before that, he was an engineer at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing for eight years.

“With Brian taking over for Frank and Bob stepping in as car chief, it will be business as usual,” Labonte said. “I know Brian will do a great job as our crew chief starting this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.”

Martinsville Speedway has been a good track for Labonte over the years. He has recorded one win, one pole, six top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. Furthermore, Labonte was one of the drivers that participated in a two-day Goodyear tire test in August.

“We were actually one of the teams that tested at Martinsville a couple months ago,” Labonte said. “Martinsville is a track that I really like going to. 500 laps is a long race and you have to take care of your equipment because the track beats up your brakes and engine and everything like that.

“When we were there earlier this season, we had a really good qualifying run and a good race going before we got knocked out past halfway by hard racing,” Labonte said. “Overall, we had a good race car. I talked to Brian and we are going back with the same things we had in our Toyota Camry last time. We should be good.”

On Sunday, JTG Daugherty Racing unveiled 2012 plans with Bobby Labonte, sponsors and Toyota along with upcoming changes for the racing organization that included the addition of Todd Berrier as general manager and crew chief moving into next season.

“We have direction and we have a plan,” Labonte said. “We have some really smart people already in place. We’re looking forward to a successful year next season.”

“Bobby and I talked about doing something like this in 2003—we just didn’t ever work it all out,” Berrier said. “For myself, I think it’s really cool. I’ve been in a big company that was once a small company—as small as this one is—so I’ve kind of seen it from ground level up to where we were (at Richard Childress Racing). I feel like I know what we need to do here to get this thing up and going.”

As the team continues to change, so does the look of the No. 47 Toyota Camry. This weekend Grilling.com returns as primary sponsor. Grilling.com and Kingsford have paired up to give one lucky fan an ultimate VIP track-and-grill experience with Bobby Labonte and the JTG Daugherty Racing team at the big race in Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.

Fans can register for an opportunity to be Labonte’s Pit Master for the day at Grilling.com/racing, which includes a 3-day (2-night) stay on the Las Vegas strip; round-trip airfare; a rental car; a BBQ lunch with Bobby and crew; a VIP tour and more leading into the big race weekend in 2012.

Labonte races his No. 47 Grilling.com Toyota at the .526-mile short track oval one week following a hard crash with the No. 22 car of Kurt Busch in the closing laps at Talladega Superspeedway. Labonte was checked and released from the track’s infield care center.

“Initially, I was a little sore after the accident, but I’m doing fine and look forward to a great race at Martinsville,” Labonte said.

Live coverage of the Tums Fast Relief 500 on Sunday will air on ESPN beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. MRN Radio will also air the event.

- JTG Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

TALLADEGA TALLY:

CHASE RACE SIX: Sunday’s NSCS race at Talladega was the sixth of 10 races in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff. Camry drivers Busch and Hamlin are both competing in this year’s Chase. Busch’s 33rd-place result at Talladega dropped the Camry driver two positions to sixth in the standings — and Busch is now 40 points back from leader Carl Edwards. Hamlin’s eighth-place finish moved him up one position and he is currently 11th in the point standings and is 84 points behind the leader with four races remaining this season.

DENNY TO DEFEND: Hamlin has been victorious three of the last four times the NSCS visited Martinsville Speedway — in October 2009, and March and October of last year. The Chesterfield, Va.-native led a race-high 206 of 501 laps in 2009, another race-high 172 of 508 laps in the spring race a year ago, and 40 laps in last year’s fall race, to capture the three checkered flags. Hamlin has a total of four NSCS wins at Martinsville. He scored his first win driving a Toyota Camry at the track in March 2008.

MARTINSVILLE MAGIC: Toyota has had a great deal of success at the half-mile Martinsville Speedway in both the NSCS and NCWTS. In NSCS competition, Martinsville is second only to another Virginia track — Richmond International Raceway — for the total number of NSCS wins by Camry drivers since 2007. All four of the Cup wins belong to Virginia- native Hamlin (Oct. 2010, March 2010, Oct. 2009 and March 2008). Tundra drivers have earned six wins at the track since Toyota entered the Truck Series in 2004. Those six wins at one track are only second to the nine victories that Tundra drivers have earned at Texas Motor Speedway. Tundra drivers that have visited victory lane at Martinsville include David Starr (March 2006), Jack Sprague (Oct. 2006), Mike Skinner (March and Oct. 2007), Johnny Benson (Oct. 2008) and Timothy Peters (Oct. 2009).

TIMOTHY’S TURF: Tundra driver Peters scored his first career NCWTS victory in October 2009 at Martinsville Speedway. The Danville, Va.-resident led the final 84 laps en route to victory lane at his ‘home’ track. Peters, who joined Red Horse Racing midway through the 2009 season, previously ran his own NCWTS operation out of his home 30 miles from Martinsville. Peters is currently in the middle of the championship battle and is in the fifth position — 42 points behind leader Austin Dillon with three races remaining in the season.

RICHARDS REMEMBERS: Josh Richards will run a U.S. Navy SEALs hood on the Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) No. 51 Tundra in Martinsville. Richards met two children who grew up in a Virginia Beach, Va., community and were distraught after the Aug. 6 helicopter attack in Afghanistan that killed 31 American fighters, including a number of Navy SEALs. The children, along with their recently retired Navy father, started a website to collect donations (www.nswkids.com) to assist families who lost members in the Aug. 6 attack.

NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS): Since the start of the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for five victories, 35 top-five results, 69 top-10 finishes and have led 2,270 laps … NASCAR will host an Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) test at Martinsville Speedway on Mon., Oct. 31 … JTG-Daugherty Racing announced in Talladega that they will field a Camry again in 2012 with Bobby Labonte driving … Todd Berrier will join the team as crew chief of the No. 47 Camry in 2012 … Fans can log on to grilling.com/racing and register for a chance to win an ultimate VIP track and grilling experience with Labonte and the team at Las Vegas in March.

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are the challenges of racing at Martinsville? “Martinsville is a challenging track. Just kind of a tough little tricky race track. Still probably figuring things out. The guys have done a nice job with our cars lately where we’ve come here a lot better prepared and we’ve been able to have better results. Still qualifying kind of eludes us, but in the race once we kind of get into a rhythm and get moving. We finished third at Martinsville earlier this year, so I’m looking forward to trying to improve on that. You can almost guarantee the top two spots will be either the 11 (Denny Hamlin) and the 48 (Jimmie Johnson), so every body else is racing for third.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How strong are you at the remaining race tracks? “The last really Chase races are all good race tracks for us — typically has been the case over the course of my career. We’ve always run much stronger the last four races than we have the first five. A lot of it is the tracks that are there at the end. We’re looking forward to it. We had a great car at Martinsville Speedway in the spring and had a chance to win. I think we got caught with fuel mileage and got caught on pit road for something. Other than that, we know every time we go there that we’ve got a shot to win.”

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Camry, JTG Daugherty Racing

Are you happy to be back with JTG Daugherty Racing for 2012? “I like the plan that this team has in place and if you look at the choices I’ve made throughout my career, you can tell that I have always enjoyed the challenge of building up a team. We have some people with proven success coming to work with us and we plan to capitalize on that, along with the technical resources of Toyota. We’ve had some limited success this year and we are focused on improving and continuing to build our program. I am looking forward to a successful 2012.”

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS): During the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for 10 wins, 35 top-five results, 78 top-10 finishes and have led 1,604 laps … Kenny Wallace (seventh) is the top Toyota driver in the NNS point standings … Brian Scott (eighth), Steve Wallace (ninth) and Michael Annett (10th) are also in the top-10 … Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) announced they will field a full-time NNS team in 2012 with the driver and sponsor to be announced at a later date … The NNS will enjoy one more weekend off before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS): Since the start of the 2011 NCWTS season, Tundra drivers have registered nine wins, 33 top-five results, 67 top-10 finishes and have led 1,042 laps … After 22 races, Timothy Peters (fifth) is the top Toyota driver in the NCWTS points standings … Tundra drivers Todd Bodine (sixth), Brendan Gaughan (12th) and David Starr (13th) are also in the top-15 in the points … Denny Hamlin will make his first NCWTS start of 2011 in Saturday’s race driving the Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) No. 18 Tundra … Tundra drivers Peters, Gaughan and Max Papis will visit more than 500 kids at the Martinsville Boys & Girls Club on Thursday, Oct. 27.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 18 Traxxas Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Why are you driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Martinsville? “I’ve wanted to drive one of Kyle’s (Busch) trucks for a long time. He has one of the most successful programs out there and I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. The Martinsville truck race is always an exciting one and I look forward to being a part of it. I’ve never got a Truck win in my career. I’d like to be a part of that small group that’s won in all three series. I feel like that’s a pretty darn good opportunity to do that.”

TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Red Horse Racing Tundra, Red Horse Racing

Do you enjoy racing at your home track? “It is a lot of fun racing at home. I feel very comfortable making laps around Martinsville. I just know the place. It feels like I have made a million laps around that track and I know what I want in the truck there. I take a lot of confidence to the track. It is a really cool feeling knowing that I have my own cheering section when I strap behind the wheel of the No. 17 Toyota Tundra. I feel like we can go there each year and win that race. It is a fun weekend for sure.”

JOSH RICHARDS, No. 51 Joy Mining Machinery Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

What does it mean to have the Navy SEALs logo on your truck at Martinsville? “It’s an honor to have met Hunter and Alexandra Vogel and to be a part of their effort to honor the Navy SEALs and warriors who gave their lives fighting terrorism. Their effort to honor the fallen has become a fundraiser for the Navy SEAL Foundation, and the widows and children of those who lost their lives on August 6. It is a privilege to have their artwork on the hood of the Joy Mining Machinery Toyota Tundra for the race this weekend at Martinsville and to have Hunter, Alexandra, their family and guests from the Naval Special Warfare community at the race.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release