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After posting the third-fastest effort in Friday’s practice sessions, hopes were high in the 5-Hour Energy Racing camp for a pole-contending effort in Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session. What transpired however, was an extreme loose condition—caused by blistering hot afternoon track temperatures—that eventually forced Wallace and his team to start the race from the 34th-position.

At the drop of the green flag however, the young wheelman took no prisoners in a valiant early-race charge that earned him more than 20 positions in the race’s opening ten laps. From there, Wallace fought his way into the top ten by lap 75 and into the top-five by lap 90, where he remained for much of the race. He would eventually spend nearly 95% of the race’s 225 laps among the top-15.

Over the final 25 laps of the event, Wallace valiantly fought off advances from Richard Childress Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing entries, on his way to an eighth-place finish, his fifth top-ten of 2010.

Wallace’s effort marked his third top-ten finish in the last four races at Nashville Superspeedway and catapulted him three spots forward to a ninth place ranking in the 2010 Nationwide Series driver standings. He currently sits a mere 25 points behind Jason Leffler for seventh-place.

Said Wallace, “We had a pretty good 5-Hour Energy Camry for most of the night; luckily, we were able to get out of our hole from qualifying pretty quickly. At the beginning of the race, our car was just too loose and by the end, once the track cooled down, it was too tight; we were just a little bit behind on our adjustments at the end of the race.

“Our pit crew was bulletproof again tonight and they really helped us keep good track position throughout the race. All in all, it was a good night, but just not as good as we want. We’re going to keep working hard to make our cars faster and hopefully get a shot at winning one of these things before the year is over.”

A pleasant surprise for the Rusty Wallace Racing effort this evening came in the strong performance of Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Camry).

After the No. 62 team posted only the 29th-fastest speed in Friday’s final practice, the RWR squad knew there was some work to be done before qualifying. As a result, both RWR crew chiefs and team engineers met early Saturday morning to collaborate on a revised setup for Gaughan’s No. 62.

The results of that meeting spawned much improvement, with a 14th-place qualifying run for the No. 62 and even better, one of the race’s strongest cars.

Following his 14th-place start, Gaughan held his own through the first one-third of the event, remaining strongly among the top-15. After the first round of pit stops however, the No. 62 began coming to life, with Gaughan cracking the top-ten by lap 90.

Following some heads-up pit strategy by crew chief Brad Parrott, Gaughan burst into the top-five by lap 120. Proving that it was not by pit strategy alone, Gaughan stayed among the leaders for nearly the entire remainder of the race, eventually climbing as high as second position.

What had been a good day for the No. 62 team took a turn for the worse however, during the day’s final pit stop sequence on lap 199. Just prior to the lap 199 caution, Gaughan began to suspect that the left rear tire on his Toyota was going flat. Upon the caution period, Parrott subsequently called for a four-tire change on the No. 62 car, in order to alleviate the questionable left rear tire.

When the No. 62 car came into view on pit road however, Parrott determined that the tire was indeed not flat. With less than 25 laps remaining and a car potentially capable of challenging for a win, Parrott quickly called an audible for right-side tires only, in an effort to maintain track position for the sprint to the finish.

Among the commotion on pit road however, a miscommunication occurred when Gaughan exited his pit stall, resulting in his colliding with another car on pit road. Adding insult to injury, Gaughan was also cited by NASCAR for speeding while exiting the pits. After returning to pit road for repairs to his right front fender, Gaughan restarted the event from the end of the lead lap, around the 26th position.

Over the final 23 laps, a determined Gaughan charged his way through the field, picking up 13 positions on his way to a 13th-place finish. The effort marked his second top-15 of 2010 at Nashville and vaulted him three positions in the Nationwide Series driver standings, to 11th overall.

Noted Gaughan, “Our weekend didn’t start out as well as we wanted, but with a team effort, we had a really strong South Point Toyota tonight. It was a lot of fun to drive and I really thought that we were in line for a top-five. It’s just so frustrating that we didn’t get the finish that our team deserved tonight.

“When we hit pit road the last time, Brad (Parrott) made the call that would put us in the best position to win the race. Unfortunately, with all of the commotion, the guys weren’t able to clear me out of the pit stall like they normally do and I just didn’t see the 24 car there. When we hit, it hurt my right front fender bad enough that we had to pit again to repair it. With less than 25 laps to go, that pretty much ended our shot at a great finish.

“On that note, I know that television picked up some of our team’s audio from right after we had the collision on pit road. I really want to apologize to Brad, our team, our partners and our fans for my outburst; it was definitely not the right way to respond to the situation.

“Although I’m a veteran driver, sometimes in the heat of the moment, frustration can still get the best of you. That’s what happened to me; we had a really good car all night and I just couldn’t believe that we weren’t going to get the finish our team deserved. I let frustration get the best of me and for that, I’m sorry.

“After tonight’s race, I’m really excited about heading to Kentucky next weekend. We came really close to winning the race there last year and for the second time this year, we have AB Circle Pro aboard as our sponsor. The way our car ran tonight really gives our team a lot of confidence heading into next weekend’s race.”

About Rusty Wallace Racing

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace—one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan, respectively. Last season, RWR stood as the only team with multiple drivers among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver standings. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

Rusty Wallace Racing Logo

After several seasons of steady improvement, including being the only team with multiple drivers among the top-ten of the 2009 driver standings, Wallace is looking for 2010 to be a breakout season for RWR and its drivers, Steve Wallace (No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry) and Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Camry).

Said Rusty Wallace, “I think 2010 is going to be a real breakout year for our team. Back when I started racing, I always used to have people tell me that you had to pay your dues before you could start winning. Our team has done that over the past few seasons and now, it’s time to win.

“Last year, I heard one of our guys say that we finished “best in class”—that a Nationwide-only team would never be able to beat the Cup guys. That comment really made me mad. So for this season, we’ve made a lot of big-time upgrades to our team. We have some of the nicest cars and equipment in the garage, a ton of great support from Toyota, a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing and the best and brightest people we’ve ever had working on our team.

“With everything we have going for us this year, I told our guys that the mentality of a top-ten being a win is simply not acceptable any more. If they have that mentality, they’re not going to be a part of our team. I really feel like we have a group that can compete for wins week-in and week-out; all of our guys share that confidence. I can’t wait to unload these two Toyota hot rods in Daytona and see what we can do.”

The key upgrades, changes and storylines at RWR for 2010 include:

· Manufacturer change, from factory Chevrolet support, to factory Toyota support—Support from Toyota Racing Development marks a dramatic increase in the level of manufacturer technical support and involvement provided to the team.

· Technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing—Alignment with 2009 Nationwide Series champions speeds up learning curve in manufacturer change, helps team develop aerodynamics of Toyota Camry race cars.

· Strong sponsorship from 5-Hour Energy and South Point Hotel & Casino—Partnership with America’s number one energy shot gives team stable financial backing, increased promotion and alignment with one of the country’s hottest brands. Meanwhile, the venerable South Point returns for its second season as sponsor of Gaughan’s No. 62 entry.

· Scott McDougall as No. 66 Crew Chief—One of the Nationwide Series’ top race engineers, McDougall has brought an engineering focus to the team which it has not previously possessed. Under McDougall’s leadership, the team has quickly undergone a number of technical improvements, such as a much greater standardization of its car fleet.

· Brad Parrott as No. 62 Crew Chief—One of the most colorful—and winningest—crew chiefs in recent Nationwide Series history, Parrott brings a wealth of veteran knowledge and experience to RWR. Parrott’s father, legendary crew chief, Buddy Parrott, will serve as spotter for the No. 62 team in select 2010 events, beginning with Daytona.

· Engine Partnership with Triad Racing Technologies—In 2010, RWR will enjoy strong and reliable horsepower from one of the leading Toyota engine builders in the Nationwide Series.

· Increased Engineering Focus—In addition to Scott McDougall’s engineering guidance, Parrott’s appointment shifts former interim No. 62 crew chief, Dale Ferguson, back into a full-time engineering role with the team. This, combined with increased engineering support from Toyota Racing Development and an increase in the team’s in-house engineering staff, marks a change from the team’s traditional philosophy.

· Drivers more seasoned and experienced—With each and every season, driver Steve Wallace has come closer and closer to reaching the potential which he has flashed throughout his career. The 2009 season—Wallace’s third full year in the Nationwide Series—marked his career bests in almost every key statistical category. With that performance, Wallace started establishing himself as a consistent top-ten contender and now, in 2010, he looks to consistently contend for Victory Lane. Meanwhile, teammate Brendan Gaughan finished ninth in the 2009 standings during only his first season in the series. With a full year of Nationwide experience now under his belt, Gaughan is set on putting his No. 62 Toyota in front of the field in 2010.

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

U.S.-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder and one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time, Rusty Wallace. The organization currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, piloted by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan. In 2009, RWR was the only organization with multiple drivers ranked among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver standings. For more on RWR, please visit rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC., Press Release

Rusty Wallace Racing Logo

Parrott, a winner of nearly 20 races in the Nationwide Series since 2002, brings a wealth of veteran knowledge to RWR, having served as crew chief for drivers such as Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, Juan Pablo Montoya and others.

Parrott’s first experience with Rusty Wallace came when he served as tire specialist for Wallace and the famed No. 2 car at Penske Racing in the early 1990’s. That experience includes Wallace’s 1993 and 1994 Cup Series seasons, which resulted in series-high win totals of ten and eight, respectively.

Stated Parrott, “I’m very excited about both being a part of Rusty Wallace Racing and working with Brendan Gaughan. Rusty has put together all of the pieces we need to be one of the premier teams in the Nationwide Series. At the same time, Brendan’s a guy who has obviously shown talent over the years; he almost won a couple of Nationwide races last season. With all of the new resources our team has available, there’s no reason that the RWR cars can’t get into Victory Lane this year.”

Further, RWR officials announced that Parrott’s father—and Wallace’s crew chief at Penske Racing during the 1993 and 1994 seasons—Buddy Parrott, will serve as spotter for Gaughan and the No. 62 Toyota Camry in select 2010 Nationwide Series events.

Noted Wallace, “I really feel like our team has paid its dues over the last few years. We’ve had our ups and our downs, but we’ve really worked hard over time to improve our team. With the resources that our Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing partnerships provide, combined with yet another year of experience for our drivers, the engineering focus that Scott McDougall brings and now, the veteran experience of Brad and Buddy, I think that 2010 is set to be a breakout year for our team.”

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

U.S.-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder and one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time, Rusty Wallace. The organization currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, piloted by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan. In 2009, RWR was the only organization with multiple drivers ranked among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver standings. For more on RWR, please visit rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

Baker Curb Racing Logo

Parrot brings over twenty years of NASCAR experience to Baker Curb Racing having worked for many of the premiere organizations in the industry including Penske Racing, Robert Yates Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing. In addition to his previous experience as Biffle’s Nationwide crew chief, the Charlotte, N.C. native has called the shots for prominent drivers Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton, Juan Pablo Montoya and Carl Edwards. He has 18 career NNS victories atop the pit box and also recorded one win as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief.

QUOTES:

Matt Crews, Baker Curb Racing President on the addition of Brad Parrott

“Brad is one of the most well respected crew chiefs in the business, brings with him a wealth of knowledge and has had proven success being Greg Biffle’s crew chief. We feel like he gives us a great chance to run competitive right out of the gate and to win a race. His dad was the crew chief in 1984 when Mike Curb was the owner on Richard Petty’s car so the Parrott name already has a history with Baker Curb Racing.”

Brad Parrott on joining Baker Curb Racing

“I’m really excited about joining Baker Curb Racing. My family has a long history with both Gary Baker and Mike Curb and I know they both have a great passion for racing and know what it takes to be successful. They have a tremendous facility in Nashville, a hard-working staff and all the resources needed to be successful in the Nationwide Series.

Brad Parrott on working with Greg Biffle

“Greg is not only a top-class driver; he’s a great person as well. He and I had a great relationship in 2004 and translated that into success on the track. We won races, captured poles and were in the mix for a championship. I’m looking forward to continuing that success this season and seeing the No. 27 Red Man Ford Fusion at the front of the pack!

Greg Biffle on working with Brad Parrott

“We worked well together in 2004 and won five races. Since that time he has gained a lot of valuable experience with different drivers and teams so I’m looking forward to working with him again. I think that Brad will be a tremendous asset to Baker Curb in terms of how the team is structured and what it takes to get the cars running faster.”

- Baker Curb Racing Press Release

“Brad is one of the most well respected crew chiefs in the business, brings with him a wealth of knowledge and has had proven success being Greg Biffle’s crew chief,” Baker Curb Racing President Matt Crews said. “We feel like he gives us a great chance to run competitive right out of the gate and to win a race. His dad was the crew chief in 1984 when Mike Curb was the owner on Richard Petty’s car so the Parrott name already has a history with Baker Curb Racing.” - Full Story by Amanda Vincent – Louisville NASCAR Examiner

NASCAR Nationwide Series Logo

Jason Ratcliff, crew chief of the No. 18 Toyota driven by Kyle Busch, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2009 for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules) and 20A-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series rule book.

Busch also was penalized with the loss of 25 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship driver points while Joe Gibbs was docked 25 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship owner points.

The infractions were discovered Nov. 5 during opening-day inspection.

Additionally, Brad Parrott, crew chief of the No. 09 Ford driven by John Wes Townley, has been fined $5,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2009 after he was found to be in violation of Section 12-1, 9-4-A (crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his/her driver, car owner and crew members) and 12-4-I (unapproved panhard bar adjustment during impound by a team member).

The infractions occurred on Nov. 7 during pre-race inspection.

- NASCAR, Press Release

RAB Racing with Brack Maggard Logo

For more information on RAB Racing please visit: www.teamrab.com

For more information on Zaxby’s please visit www.zaxbys.com

For more information on SPS please visit: www.southernpanservices.com

- RAB Racing Press Release

No. 09 Zaxbys Ford Fusion

The solid effort was Townley’s best finish at the 1.5-mile speedway and his sixth top-20 in 24 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Additionally, the Watkinsville, GA native gained one position in the 2009 driver point standings and also gained ground on a coveted top-30 spot in the championship owner point standings. The No. 09 entry currently sits 32nd in points just 422 markers outside the top-30.

In Friday evening’s qualifying session, Townley toured “The Great American Speedway” in 29.636 seconds (182.211 mph), turning the 27th best time of the session. The effort bested the Watkinsville, GA native’s top starting position at TMS by two positions.

Although, the No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford was scheduled to line-up on the inside of the 14th row for the start of the 300-mile event, the yellow and blue Zaxby’s machine was sent to the rear of the 43-car field and even held in the garage for the opening laps as a result of a NASCAR penalty. When the No. 09 machine finally got out onto the quad-oval, Townley was scored four laps down in the 43rd position.

John Wes Townley

Townley would eventually climb towards the top of the leader board over the next 40 laps but another long green flag run would leave the Zaxby’s Ford three laps down running in the 27th position at the halfway point due to the blistering pace set by leader, Kyle Busch.

In the closing 100 laps, Brad Parrott worked on making chassis adjustments to tighten up the Zaxby’s machine for Townley. The 19-year-old rookie would go on to finish his second race at Texas Motor Speedway in the 18th-postion, three laps down to race winner Kyle Busch.

With only two races left in the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, John Wes Townley and the Zaxby’s Racing team head to Phoenix International Raceway for the Able Body Labor 200 on Saturday, November 14th. Townley has two starts at the 1-mile tri-oval with his best start of 32nd and best finish of 36th coming in the spring 2009 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200.

For more information on RAB Racing please visit: www.teamrab.com

For more information on Zaxby’s please visit www.zaxbys.com

For more information on SPS please visit: www.southernpanservices.com

- RAB Racing Press Release

No. 09 Zaxbys Ford Fusion

Despite being multiple laps down to the leader, Townley was able to leave NASCAR’s “home track” still holding down the 32nd spot in the overall owner point standings. With just four races left on the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule, Townley has 2,099 points; 389 markers behind 31st and 435 points outside the top-30.

Following an 18th place mark on the scoreboard during final practice Thursday evening, Townley toured the 1.5-mile in 29.868 seconds (180.796 mph) during time trials on Friday afternoon. The lap was fast enough to lock the Watkinsville, GA native into the field with a 27th place starting position for the 200-lap event.

The 43 car field took the green flag under threatening skies and cold temperatures for the 31st time in 2009. John Wes Townley fell back early on due to very tight conditions on his No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford but a welcoming sign for relief came on lap 14 when the evening’s first caution flag was displayed on lap 14 for a three car incident on the front stretch. Crew Chief Brad Parrott called the rookie down pit road for four tires, fuel and a major chassis adjustment. When racing resumed on lap 21 Townley was scored in the 32nd position.

A long green flag run resulted in Townley losing one lap to race leader Kyle Busch by lap 40, however smart driving by Townley kept him out of trouble on lap 64 when David Gilliland in the No. 1 machine went four wide in turn 1 ultimately causing a three car incident bringing out the evenings second caution. Townley would bring his No. 09 machine back down pit road for four tires and fuel along with an air pressure and chassis adjustment to aid in the handling of his machine. Townley would be scored 30th on lap 67 when racing resumed.

John Wes Townley

Although the damage was minimal, Brad Parrott would bring the yellow and blue machine down pit road four times over the next 25 laps to repair the right front fender. By lap 95 Townley was scored 29th, 21 laps down to the leader.

Townley would hang tough over the closing 100 laps but due to being multiple laps down could only gain one more position to race winner Kyle Busch. Townley would take the checkered flag in the 28th, 21 laps down.

Next up for John Wes Townley and the No. 09 Zaxby’s Racing team is Memphis Motorsports Park where the rookie plans to make his career first start at the .750-mile oval in the Kroger on Track for the Cure 250 on Saturday, October 24th.

For more information on RAB Racing please visit: www.teamrab.com

For more information on Zaxby’s please visit www.zaxbys.com

For more information on SPS please visit: www.southernpanservices.com

- RAB Racing Press Release