Sports Clips Haircuts

“We are excited to continue our growth and partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing for the upcoming 2012 season,” said Gordon Logan, founder and CEO of Sport Clips. “The sport has allowed us to build brand presence with broad exposure among the large and very loyal NASCAR fan base. We are proud to have both Denny and Joey continue to represent us in such a positive manner while they are running up front. Darlington will be a special weekend for Sport Clips, as we will partner with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in the title sponsorship of the Nationwide Series race Friday night and will be on board with Denny in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races.”

This is the fourth year Sport Clips has been a sponsor with JGR and the eight total races (seven Nationwide and one Cup) is the most the organization has ever sponsored in a single season.

“It is always a thrill to have a sponsor come on board and fully realize how the program can benefit their business and marketing efforts,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. “Sport Clips has been a great partner and we want to continue to deliver the type of success they have grown accustomed to over the past three years.”

In addition to the Darlington Sprint Cup Series race, Sport Clips will appear on JGR’s No. 18 and No. 20 Nationwide Series Toyota a total of seven times in 2012 with drivers Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. The schedule of Nationwide races is as follows:

DATE RACE CAR # DRIVER

April 13 Texas No. 18 Denny Hamlin

May 11 Darlington* No. 18 Denny Hamlin

May 26 Charlotte No. 18 Denny Hamlin

July 6 Daytona No. 20 Joey Logano

July 28 Indianapolis No. 18 Denny Hamlin

Sept. 7 Richmond No. 20 Denny Hamlin

Sept. 29 Dover No. 20 Joey Logano

*Also the Nationwide Series Race Sponsor (Events are subject to change.)

About Sport Clips:

Sport Clips is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas and was established in 1995 by founder and CEO Gordon Logan. The franchise ranks in Entrepreneur Magazine’s top 20 “fastest growing franchises” and in the top 100 in the “Franchise 500”, in the top 10 in Forbes’ “Top 20 Franchises To Start”, and in the top 50 in Dun & Bradstreet’s AllBusiness.com “2012 AllBusiness AllStars”. Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises. Our “Help a Hero” program has donated more than three-quarters of a million dollars to help soldiers overseas and in hospitals call home through the VFW’s Operation Uplink. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR drivers, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, and holds partnerships with several NCAA programs, and teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL). To learn about franchise opportunities click here, and for locations throughout the United States, visit SportClips.com. For media resources and additional information on Sport Clips, visit SportClipsMedia.com.

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell, Drew Herring, and Ryan Truex.. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program and he will compete in the 2012 K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Lucas, who has spent the past two seasons as the race engineer for the No. 18 team, replaces Jason Ratcliff, who was named crew chief for JGR’s No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team last month. Lucas’ background in racing is deep with extensive experience as an engineer and mechanic in NASCAR as well as CART and IndyCar racing.

“Matt has done a great job for us the past two years and he will provide the team continuity going into next season,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He has a close relationship with Jason (Ratcliff) that will also be beneficial as he fills that role. We are fortunate to have people here at JGR like Matt that allow us the opportunity to promote from within. That team has been one of the best in the Nationwide Series over the past several years and we look forward to Matt continuing to build upon that success.”

Prior to joining Joe Gibbs Racing at the start of the 2010 season as race engineer for the No. 18 Nationwide Series team, Lucas spent four seasons with Roush Fenway Racing as a Nationwide Series engineer. As a member of the No. 60 team from 2006-2008, he would help lead Carl Edwards to the 2007 Nationwide Series Championship. In 2009 he worked with the No. 98 car driven by Paul Menard.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead our No. 18 team going into next season,” said Lucas. “We have a tremendous group of guys on this team and throughout our Nationwide shop and we plan to continue to deliver the type of success our sponsors expect and deserve.”

Lucas spent five seasons as a race engineer with Penske Racing prior to joining Roush Fenway. In addition, he has extensive experience in racing as a mechanic having worked with A.J. Foyt Racing in IndyCar and Dan Gurney’s All-American Racers in CART.

He is a graduate of Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio and currently lives in Mooresville, N.C.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell and Mark Martin. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program and he will compete in the 2012 K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Thumbnail

“Each of the venues on the 2012 schedule is very important to the identity and industry position of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards,” said ARCA president Ron Drager. “The geographic coverage represented by the markets we’ll be racing in and the overall number of races are good fits for the series.”

In the ARCA Racing Series’ 49th consecutive February Speedweeks appearance, Daytona International Speedway will host the season-opening Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 on Saturday, February 18. The race will precede that evening’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Budweiser Shootout at the 2.5-mile superspeedway.

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule will conclude with the series’ championship event at Kansas Speedway on Friday, October 19. In between, the series will appear in 18 other races at a wide variety of venues, setting the most versatile schedule in motorsports.

ARCA’s first visit to Mobile International Speedway in Alabama will be the season’s second race on Saturday, March 10. Another new track – Minnesota’s Elko Speedway – appears on the ARCA schedule for the first time, with a race on Saturday, June 2. The ARCA Racing Series has never raced in Minnesota, adding significance to the June visit to Elko and establishing the North Star State as the 29th visited by ARCA’s premier national tour since 1953.

Toledo Speedway – ARCA’s home track – will host the series on Sunday, May 20.

ARCA Racing Series teams will compete in July at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis over the Brickyard 400 weekend, following ARCA’s 2011 return to the track for the first time in 26 years. The exact date of the race will be determined shortly.

Additional short tracks returning to the ARCA Racing Series schedule include Salem (Ind.) Speedway on two weekends, Winchester (Ind.) Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Berlin (Mich.) Raceway, and Madison (Wis.) International Speedway.

Talladega Superspeedway will host its 50th ARCA Racing Series race on Friday, May 4, and Pocono Raceway will host two race dates for the 25th consecutive year, in June and August. Additional speedway events scheduled to return in 2012 include races at Michigan International Speedway and Chicagoland Speedway.

Contributing to the long-recognized diversity of the ARCA schedule will be the traditional mile dirt races in August at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and in September at the DuQuoin (Ill.) State Fairgrounds. Road course racing is in the plan for the fifth consecutive year, as the 2.25-mile Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park will host ARCA on the first day of July.

Companion events in 2012 include race weekends with the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series, as well as the USAC Silver Crown Series, the ARCA CRA Super Series, and the ARCA Truck Series.

The full 2012 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards schedule is as follows:

Saturday, February 18 – Daytona International Speedway

Saturday, March 10 – Mobile International Speedway

Sunday, April 29 – Salem Speedway

Friday, May 4 – Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday, May 20 – Toledo Speedway

Saturday, June 2 – Elko Speedway

Saturday, June 9 – Pocono Raceway

Friday, June 15 – Michigan International Speedway

Sunday, June 24 – Winchester Speedway

Sunday, July 1 – New Jersey Motorsports Park

Friday, July 13 – Iowa Speedway

Saturday, July 21 – Chicagoland Speedway

To be determined – Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis

Saturday, August 4 – Pocono Raceway

Saturday, August 11 – Berlin Raceway

Sunday, August 19 – Illinois State Fairgrounds

Sunday, August 26 – Madison International Speedway

Monday, September 3 – DuQuoin State Fairgrounds

Saturday, September 15 – Salem Speedway

Friday, October 19 – Kansas Speedway

The ARCA Racing Series will wrap up the 2011 season with the Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati, on Saturday, December 10.

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Ryan Truex - Photo Credit: Tom Pennington, Getty Images for NASCAR

“Having Heinz 57® Sauce come on board with me is exciting. Dover is one of my favorite tracks, so it is a great place to start our relationship. Our car looks great and is very bright, so it will be hard to miss out on the track! It will look even better if we can get it in victory lane,” said Truex.

This is Truex’s 4th start in Nationwide Series races for JGR this season. His 13th place finish at Chicago, combined with his 11th at Atlanta and 4th at Richmond, make three consecutive top-15 finishes for him in his first three races.

Dover holds special meaning to the Truex family as it is close to their hometown of Mayetta, NJ. It is also the track at which the younger Truex clinched back-to-back K&N Pro Series East Championships in 2010. He is also scheduled to drive at Kansas and Phoenix later this year.

“We’re excited to support Ryan and the JGR team for the NASCAR Nationwide Series in Dover this weekend,” said Noel Geoffroy, Vice President of Heinz Brands. “Heinz 57® Sauce has been a part of America’s mealtime since 1911, and we’re thrilled to celebrate our 100th anniversary with this sponsorship.”

First introduced in 1911, Heinz 57® Sauce is celebrating 100 years of infusing fun and excitement into grilling fare across America. A favorite of families for generations, its versatile recipe adds a tangy twist to steak, chicken, pork, seafood and more. For more than 57 ways to ‘take it up a notch’ when grilling with Heinz 57® Sauce, visit Heinz57.com.

About Heinz

H.J. Heinz Company, offering “Good Food Every Day,”™ is one of the world’s leading marketers and producers of healthy, convenient and affordable foods specializing in ketchup, sauces, meals, soups, snacks and infant nutrition. Heinz provides superior quality, taste and nutrition for all eating occasions whether in the home, restaurants, the office or “on-the-go.” Heinz is a global family of leading branded products and famous for its iconic brands on six continents, showcased by Heinz® Ketchup, The World’s Favorite Ketchup®.

About Ryan Truex:

Truex has excelled at every level of racing having won two K&N Pro Series East Championships for Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) in 2009 and 2010. In 2009 he joined now JGR teammate Joey Logano as the only driver to win both K&N Pro Series Rookie of the Year honors and the Championship in the same year. He would make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 2010 earning an outside pole at Michigan and three top-15 finishes in just his first seven races for MWR. Truex is the younger brother of Martin Truex, Jr. who currently drives the No. 56 Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for MWR.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell, Kelly Bires, Drew Herring, and Ryan Truex. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace Jr. in its driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

JR Motorsports

No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

No. 7 GoDaddy.com / Get Together / Get Online.ORG Chevrolet

EVENT – Great Clips 300 (195 laps / 300.3 miles)

TRACK – Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad-oval)

DATE – Saturday, Sept. 3, 2011

TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST) / PRN (broadcast begins at 7 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola

No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet

“Atlanta is such a fast track. It’s a little bumpy, and man, you’re flying. You’re wide open, going across the bumps, chewing up tires. That place eats tires alive. You can go out on stickers and run two or three laps, come in, then go back out and you’ll be half a second slower. Handling is critical. Atlanta is old and wore out. For the 300 miles we race there you better be prepared to slide all over the place. It makes for a crew chief’s nightmare. You’re always on the edge of out of control there. But you have the option to move around. Up top, there’s fresher pavement, so you can find some grip up there.”

Jamie McMurray

No. 7 GoDaddy.com / Get Together / Get Online.ORG Chevrolet

“I can’t think of a better place to reunite with JRM than at Atlanta. I had a ton of fun running with these guys last summer, and I’m excited to be coming back as the defending race winner here. Last year, we had a lot of success with the 88 team, but this time around I’ll be with Tony (Eury) Jr. and the 7 team. Looking at a 300-mile race at Atlanta, you can’t underestimate the importance of clean air at that track. Being out front was critical with the cars last year, and it will be even more with the new cars in the Nationwide Series this year.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

NO. 88 HELLMANN’S TEAM IN DOMINANT FORM – Almirola and the No. 88 Hellmann’s team are riding a solid streak of success into Atlanta Motor Speedway. The team earned its fifth top-five finish in the past seven races in last weekend’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Almirola has scored the most points of any Nationwide Series regular in that span (256). The Hellmann’s team’s season tally now stands at six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. The team is ranked eighth in owner points.

MCMURRAY TO DRIVE THREE RACES IN NO. 7 CHEVROLET - Jamie McMurray, the 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 champion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will rejoin JR Motorsports to pilot the team’s No. 7 Chevrolet beginning this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. McMurray is the defending race winner of the Great Clips 300. His victory accompanied four top-fives, six top-10s, and 72 laps led with the No. 88 team last season. The Joplin, Mo. native holds an average finish of 6.2 with JRM. This year he’ll be paired with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. in races at Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 17) and Dover International Speedway (Oct. 1).

DEFENDING RACE WINNERS – The No. 88 Hellmann’s team contended from the very beginning of last year’s Great Clips 300, leading 48 laps on the night. But it was a stellar restart on lap 172 which proved the deciding factor for the team. The No. 88 machine powered past Brad Keselowski on the inside line and held the lead for the final 23 laps to earn JRM its first victory of 2010 and ninth overall win.

.ORG LOGO FEATURED ON NO. 7 CHEVROLET – .ORG is the domain of choice for companies, organizations, and individuals – all of whom share the belief that channeling passion toward a shared purpose is the foundation of success. People turn to .ORG to mobilize their communities, achieve a common goal, or pursue a shared cause.

1.5-MILE TRACKS IN 2011 – The JR Motorsports team has three top-five and five top-10 finishes at 1.5-mile facilities this season. This includes races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

McMURRAY IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES - McMurray has two wins (2002, 2010), two top-five and four top-10s at Atlanta Motor Speedway with 54 laps led. He has two starts in NNS competition this season, driving for James Finch at Talladega and Daytona.

ALMIROLA AT ATLANTA – Almirola holds one start at Atlanta in Nationwide Series competition and a single start in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The bulk of his success at the 1.5-mile facility came in the Camping World Truck Series where he has a best finish of third.

NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 2011. The team occupies 11th position in owner points.

ALMIROLA AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGS – Aric Almirola will sign autographs at the JR Nation merchandise hauler, located in the fan concourse area, on Saturday, Sept. 3, from 5:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. EST.

JR NATION GREAT GIVEWAY – From Aug. 28 to Oct. 16, 2011, the JR Nation web site, the official fan club site for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports, is giving away a prize a day for 50 days to both new and existing fan club members. All fans must do is log on to www.jrnation.com and click on the register now banner. In addition to the 50 daily prizes, JR Nation is offering a grand prize of an $888 gift card for use in the JR Nation online store. 10 second-place winners will receive an $88 gift card also for use in the JR Nation online store. Daily prizes include autographed memorabilia from Aric Almirola, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Josh Wise.

WATCH JRM RACING.COM’s VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a multitude of videos into its video gallery. Click here to view race preview videos, the “JRM 360” series and more.

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Truex is currently slated to drive in a total of six Nationwide Series races for JGR this season, with the first coming on the 1.5-mile oval track in Atlanta during Labor Day Weekend. In addition to Atlanta, Truex is set to drive the No. 20 Nationwide Series Toyota in Richmond, Chicago, Dover, Kansas, and Phoenix.

“Having Schick Xtreme3 come on board with me for Atlanta is exciting,” said Truex. “Schick Xtreme3 is all about performance and flexibility, the same things I’ll focus on out there on the racetrack! I can’t wait to get back competing with Joe Gibbs Racing in the #20 Schick Xtreme3 Toyota Camry.”

Truex has excelled at every level of racing, as he won two K&N Pro Series East Championships for Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) in 2009 and 2010. In 2009 he joined now JGR teammate, Joey Logano, as the only driver to win both K&N Pro Series Rookie of the Year honors and the Championship in the same year. He made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in 2010, earning an outside pole at Michigan and three top-15 finishes in just his first seven races.

Truex is the younger brother of Martin Truex Jr. who currently drives the No. 56 Toyota in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell, Drew Herring, Ryan Truex, and Kelly Bires. JGR also boasts Max Gresham in the K&N Pro Series East and Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

No. 33 Rheem / Menards Chevrolet Impala SS

MENARD RETURNS: Paul Menard, the 2011 Brickyard 400 champion, reunites with the No. 33 Rheem/Menards team this weekend for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International. Menard has five starts in the series at the Glen with one top-five and two top-10 finishes. The second of three road- course events on the Nationwide Series schedule this season will mark the driver’s fourth of seven races with the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team.

BY THE NUMBERS: In three starts thus far this season with the No. 33 KHI team, Menard finished inside the top five in each race. He collected his third pole in the series at Michigan International Speedway in June and started inside the top 10 in his two additional starts with the team. Hot off his first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory two weeks ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Eau Claire, Wis., native hopes that momentum will propel the Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala to victory lane.

KHI SUCCESS AT THE GLEN: KHI has made a total of 10 Nationwide Series starts at the New York road course. The organization has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes, with a best finish of third in 2010 scored by team co-owner Kevin Harvick. KHI also has two pole awards at Watkins Glen with Harvick in 2009 and Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart in 2005.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Driver David Mayhew climbed behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala for his Nationwide Series debut at Iowa Speedway last weekend. The Bakersfield, Calif., native qualified the KHI machine in the 13th position and raced his way to the front of the field to lead twice for four laps before coming across the finish line in the 10th position.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Rheem/Menards crew prepared chassis No. 75 for the road-course event this weekend. Driver Max Papis piloted this chassis in June at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Papis started the race from the outside pole and raced among the top 10 before falling victim to a late-race accident that relegated the team to a 23rd-place finish.

Paul Menard - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images

What are your thoughts about this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen?

“I really enjoy racing the road courses, and I am looking forward to the Glen this weekend. David Hyder and the guys have worked really hard on these cars. The Rheem/Menards Chevrolets have been really fast, and we’ve been able to put together some good runs so far this season together. It’d be great to get to victory lane with them this weekend.”

About Menards:

With 263 stores in 13 Midwestern states, Menards has the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs whether just needing a light bulb or can of paint to building a deck or new home. Menards is known throughout the home improvement industry as the low price leader; it’s no wonder their famous slogan – “SAVE BIG MONEY” – is so widely known and easy to remember. Menards does things right – the company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in town and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

No 36 Big Red / Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet

The Big Red team worked on the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet right off the truck. Blaney posted the 41^st-fastest time in first practice and the 46^th-quickest time in the second and third practice sessions. Blaney picked up over a second in his qualifying run and posted the 33^rd-fastest time of 50.021 seconds.

Blaney took the green flag of the Brickyard 400 presented by Golden Corral on ESPN from the 33^rd position. He worked up to 31^st before radioing on lap 11 that the Big Red Chevrolet was tightening up. He continued that the car was really good at the beginning but quickly grew tighter and it hurt him in the corner.

Crew Chief Phillipe Lopez called for Blaney to drive down pit road for the first pit stop of the day on lap 27. As he came in for the green-flag stop, the front right tire blew. Blaney nursed the Chevrolet to the pit stall, and the Big Red team changed four tires, made a trackbar adjustment and put Barebond over the right-front damage. After inspecting the tires, the team found that the wear was good and there was a flat spot on the tire.

Blaney continued to run 32^nd until the first caution flag waved on lap 35 for debris. The team put on four scuff tires and put a rubber in the right rear of the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet, while they worked on the damage with more Barebond. Blaney returned to pit road on the next lap to allow the Big Red team to continue to fix the damage. Once he got back out on track, the Hartford, Ohio native radioed that the car had a big shake and was concerned that the lugnuts were not all tight. Still under yellow flag conditions, the team chose to change four tires again to try to fix the problem. Lopez radioed that because of the quick turnaround that air pressure on the new set of tires was not exact.

Once the field restarted, Blaney worked up to 27^th before the second yellow flag flew for an incident in turn three. The Big Red team utilized this caution flag to stay out and lead a lap. After leading lap 52, Blaney drove down pit road for a four-tire pit stop. The team did not make any adjustments, as the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet’s lap times were good. The field went back to green on lap 55 with Blaney in the 32^nd position.

Five laps later, Blaney radioed that the car was really good at the beginning of the run but tightened up quickly. Backup spotter and owner Tommy Baldwin and Blaney discussed that the car was handling well in turn one but had a push in turns three and four. The Big Red team utilized a green-flag, four-tire pit stop on lap 83 to make a wedge adjustment to work on the tight condition. By lap 85, Blaney radioed that if the car stayed the way it was they were going to have a good run.

The third caution of the day flew on lap 95 for debris. Blaney pit for four tires but was penalized for speeding exiting pit road so he started on the tail end of the field. Two laps after the green flag waved, he moved from 32^nd to 30^th position. On lap 103, the Big Red driver radioed that the car initially turned well but really lost the handle. A debris caution on lap 115 allowed the team to make another four-tire pit stop.

Blaney returned to green flag racing on lap 118 in the 31^st position. On lap 120, Landon Cassill and David Ragan spun. While trying to avoid the incident, Blaney drove under a spinning Cassill and got a lot of grass on the front grill, which caused the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet to start overheating. The overheating forced the team to pit for fuel, a shock adjustment and to clean the grill. Debating on whether to top-off on the one-to-go lap, the team played it safe and stayed out, opting to pit under green conditions when they knew they would be able to finish the 400-mile race.

Blaney restarted on lap 127 in 19^th and came back down pit road with 28 to go. The Big Red team topped off the No. 36 with fuel and cleaned off the grill. By lap 142, Blaney radioed that handling-wise the car was the best it has been all race. With five laps to go, he radioed that the car was a half-click tight in 30^th position. The No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet finished in the 31^st spot.

The 31^st-place finish kept the No. 36 team in the 32^nd position in NSCS Owner Points. The team is 66 points out of 31^st and 50 points ahead of 36^th. Blaney held onto the 31^st position in NSCS Driver Points. He is 69 points behind David Gilliland in 30^th and seven points ahead of Casey Mears in 32^nd.

“Unfortunately, we got damage early from the blown tire,” explained Blaney. “We were a bit tight, but it seemed everyone was struggling with that. It seemed like we were loosing ground on the straightaway because of the damage. By the end, the car got a lot better. Sometimes you gamble and it works and sometimes it doesn’t. We decided not to gamble, and it looks like it bit us. We continue to make gains as a team. We’ll go to Pocono and see what we can do there.”

Blaney will return to the track next weekend for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 and pilot the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet in the second stop at Pocono Raceway this season.

About Big Red, Inc.

Big Red, Inc. is one of the top-10 beverage companies in North America with a history dating back to 1937. Along with Big Red, recognized as the number one selling red soda, Big Red, Inc. also markets beverage brands Diet Big Red, Big Blue, Big Red Vanilla Float, Big Peach, Big Pineapple, Big Punch, Big Honey Lemonade, NuGrape, and Nesbitt’s products. Distributed widely throughout the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Independent Bottlers and Pepsi Bottling Group, consumers across the country enjoy Big Red, Inc.’s beverages.

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

Tommy Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin utilized a slumping economy to open a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team with a stringent budget. The team competed in two full seasons with multiple drivers behind the wheel of the No. 36 Chevrolet and improved in the standings each year.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2011 with NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney piloting the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet. Looking to improve on-track performance, TBR found success early in the 2011 season with partners Golden Corral, Big Red and Accell Construction. TBR’s driver development program, Heinke-Baldwin Racing, will also compete in various NASCAR series in 2011.

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/TBR.HBR, and Twitter, twitter.com/TBR_Racing.

- Tommy Baldwin Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS Regan Smith - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

DENVER (Aug. 1, 2011) –

Smith, who is coming off an impressive third-place finish in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is looking forward to the 60-feet, 6-inch throw.

“I’ve been fortunate to participate in many neat things throughout my career and throwing out the first pitch at a Rockies game is going to rank right up there,” said Smith. “I am really excited about this opportunity and hope I can throw a strike.”

Smith and Furniture Row Racing are enjoying their best season, which was highlighted by a victory in early May at the historic Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The next Sprint Cup race for Smith and Furniture Row Racing is Sunday (Aug. 7) at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.

- DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing, Press Release ]]> http://www.catchfence.com/2011/sprintcup/08/01/regan-smith-to-throw-out-first-pitch-wednesday-at-colorado-rockies-game/feed/ 0 http://www.catchfence.com/2011/sprintcup/08/01/kasey-kahne-brian-vickers-2011-nscs-brickyard-400-post-race-recaps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kasey-kahne-brian-vickers-2011-nscs-brickyard-400-post-race-recaps http://www.catchfence.com/2011/sprintcup/08/01/kasey-kahne-brian-vickers-2011-nscs-brickyard-400-post-race-recaps/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:48:57 +0000 Press Release http://www.catchfence.com/?p=81547 more»]]>

2011 Red Bull Racing Teammates Brian Vickers & Kasey Kahne - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

+ LIFE’S A BRICK!:

INDIANAPOLIS — Rule No. 1 at Indianapolis: Don’t run out of fuel along the 10th fairway at Brickyard Crossing, because it’s a long way back. Rule No. 2: Gain and maintain track position at all times during the Brickyard 400.

Red Bull Racing Team’s number crunchers covered the first. As for the second, Brian Vickers gained a lot of it; Kasey Kahne couldn’t keep it.

After starting 31st, Vickers clawed his way to a 15th-place finish in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But Kahne, driving a dominant car that led a race-high 48 laps, ended up a disappointing 18th.

“We started off really good,” Kahne said.

“The Red Bull Toyota was really fast. We made some adjustments there early and stayed fast. The first time we got four tires … slow stop and gave up a bunch of spots there. Battled from there on. Just had a hard time betting back up there.”

Under the second yellow flag that waved on lap 50, Kahne entered the pits in first and left in 10th, with Vickers on his tail in 11th after taking two tires. That restart position was Kahne’s first taste of traffic at a track where clean air pretty much means everything, but the No. 4 still was its stout self and climbed back into the top five.

The race’s fourth yellow flag wave for debris on lap 114, and tire strategies started to unfold. Kahne and Vickers restarted 16th and 18th, respectively. Two laps later, Landon Cassill’s No. 51 went spinning in turn three, forcing Kahne and Vickers to take evasive maneuvers through the grass. After cleaning up the No. 4’s nose, Kahne returned to the race in 24th. Stuck in traffic, the best he could do was 18th at the checkered flag.

“I knew I was going to go through the grass, thought the 51 was coming (down),” Kahne said. “I went through the grass and kind of spun and ended up further back. It ended up being a tough Brickyard 400 for us. But we were definitely one of the best cars. Out in clean air, we were definitely one of the best.”

Vickers held his own after taking two tires early for track position and moved into the top 10. He, too, went through the grass when the No. 51 spun — “Sorry guys, there was nowhere to go. I had to swerve through the grass to miss him.” — and pitted for tires and fuel. “We are planning to go long and gas only,” crew chief Ryan Pemberton told Vickers. “We have to do something different than everyone else.”

He cycled to as high as second, but knowing they’d be eight laps short Vickers pitted for two tires and a splash with 17 laps to go. He restarted 23rd and moved to 15th at the finish for his third top 15 at Indianapolis.

Kahne slid to 15th in the driver standings. He’s 55 points behind 10th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. and still needs a win or two to enter the Chase wild-card race. Vickers also dropped a spot. He’s 27th — 83 points out of 20th.

+ UP NEXT: Brickyard 400, Sunday, July 31, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis

- Red Bull Racing Team, Press Release

The No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing - Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

In an up-and-down race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a tenacious Tony Stewart made sure he finished Sunday’s Brickyard 400 on the upswing. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) rallied from as low as 32nd to finish sixth, securing his eighth top-10 finish of the season and lifting him into the top-10 of the championship point standings.

“We just fought all day and I’m really proud of Darian Grubb (crew chief) and the guys on this Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy,” said Stewart after notching his ninth top-10 finish at Indianapolis and his eighth of the season. “They kept fighting and I fought for everything I could get all day.”

The day got off to an inauspicious start when after rising to 16th after starting 24th, Stewart was assessed a pass-through penalty for hitting the commitment cone as he entered pit road during a lap-25 pit stop, which came from Stewart avoiding a rapidly slowing Kevin Harvick.

“Kevin lifted earlier than I did coming off of turn four and instead of running into him, I went to the outside of him, and when we got to the cone there, I was in the wrong spot,” Stewart said. “It was just one of those things. You’re trying to get everything you can get. It was either hit the cone or run over the guy in front of me, so I chose to hit the cone. We got the penalty for it. I’m proud of our guys for working from behind and getting us where we got at the end.”

Stewart served the pass-through penalty on lap 29, which consisted of driving down the length of pit road at the mandated speed limit of 55 mph while his counterparts zoomed past on the racetrack at 200 mph. When Stewart came off pit road, he was 31st but still on the lead lap.

With a fast, but tight-handling racecar, Stewart began a charge to the front. The charge was stout – so much so that Indianapolis’ 2.5-mile confines couldn’t contain Stewart. He slapped the turn four wall enough to scrape his car’s paint but not enough to do significant damage.

Stewart worked his way up to 26th when the yellow caution flag waved on lap 49. He and Grubb took the opportunity to come to pit road for the requisite four tires and fuel, but also so crew members could look at the damage and determine for sure that nothing was awry.

Although the encounter with the wall did nothing to hurt the Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy, its tight-handling condition persisted, especially whenever Stewart would get back in the throttle through the track’s sweeping, flat corners.

Grubb made a myriad of changes to the car, going so far as to raise the track bar three rounds and add a round of wedge to both rear corners during a pit stop on lap 81.

The tight-handling condition persisted, and when the caution flag waved again on lap 95, Stewart and Grubb took advantage by making another trip to pit road. But just as Stewart was turning into his pit stall, Kyle Busch – who had taken two tires in the pit stall behind Stewart – pulled out and ran into Stewart. The result was a dinged left-front fender for Stewart and bashed right-front fender for Busch. Both drivers had to return to pit road on the next lap so their respective pit crews could fix the damage.

“It’s a long pit road, but it’s a narrow pit road,” Stewart said. “I feel bad for Kyle and those guys because they had a good day going at that time, too. Just a rough day, but we fought for everything we could get.”

The fight continued after that pit road miscue left Stewart deep in the field, this time in 32nd when the race resumed on lap 118. At this point in the race, however, fuel mileage was becoming an issue, and teams like the No. 14 SHR squad could roll the dice.

Stewart needed track position, but he also needed at least another splash of fuel to make it to the full, 160-lap distance. Grubb keenly brought Stewart to pit road during the race’s final caution on lap 122 for a fuel-only stop. The strategy kicked Stewart up to 12th with 33 laps of green-flag racing remaining. But there was a catch – Stewart was a lap-and-a-half short on fuel under even the most optimistic scenario.

As other drivers pitted for fuel under green, Stewart worked his way up the leaderboard. He cracked the top-10 on lap 129 and then busted into the top-five on lap 132. With 27 laps to go he was third, and on lap 134 he was second. By lap 135, Stewart was in the lead for the first time.

The two-time Brickyard 400 winner paced the field for 10 laps and opened up a margin of nearly 14 seconds over his nearest pursuer, Brian Vickers. But even as Stewart worked to save fuel, the pace of the race and deeper calculations by Grubb hinted that Stewart was actually three laps short on fuel.

With 31 drivers on the lead lap, the gamble to go the distance was not worth it. Grubb called Stewart into the pits on lap 145, whereupon right-side tires were changed while precious gallons of fuel were added to Stewart’s tank.

The considerable lead Stewart had built prior to his pit stop paid off, for he returned to the track in 16th, still ahead of some drivers who had pitted under green before him.

Able to go all out while many ahead of him had to slow down and conserve fuel, Stewart again marched up the leaderboard. In the race’s last five laps, Stewart went from 15th to sixth as drivers in front of him either pitted for fuel, ran out of fuel or ran a pace so slow to conserve fuel that Stewart was able to blow by them.

“We ran those last 10 laps as hard as we could,” said Stewart, who won the Brickyard 400 in 2005 and 2007 and hails from nearby Columbus, Ind. “Come to find out we were three laps short, and there was no way we could make up three laps. A lap-and-a-half I think I could’ve done, but there was no way we could make up three. We inherited the lead anyway because we stayed out and everybody else in front of us came in, so we knew it was a borrowed lead. But it sure was nice to lead here at Indy again. We had to fight from the back a couple of different times to get up there.

“We just had a long, long hard day. To get almost a top-five out of this thing – running sixth was a good day for us. We did the right thing when we pitted and it paid off for us. We’ll take it.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for SHR and fellow Hoosier, as he grew up in South Bend, Ind., finished 12th to score his 12th top-15 finish of the season.

Paul Menard won the 18th annual Brickyard 400 to notch his first career Sprint Cup victory, and in doing so, became the fourth first-time winner of 2011, joining Trevor Bayne, Brad Keselowski and David Ragan.

“I’m really happy for Paul Menard,” Stewart said. “Paul’s been around this place (Indianapolis) for a long time. He’s been here since he was a kid. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy. That is a pretty deserving win, right there. I’m happy for him getting his first one that way.”

Jeff Gordon finished .725 of a second behind Menard in the runner-up spot, while Regan Smith, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Stewart, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Keselowski and Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 22 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish.

With round 20 of 36 complete, Newman leads the SHR duo in the championship point standings. He remained eighth and now has 618 points, 64 markers back of series leader Carl Edwards and 31 points ahead of 11th-place Denny Hamlin. Stewart gained two spots to climb to ninth. He now has 609 points, which puts him 73 points behind Edwards while giving him a 22-point cushion over Hamlin.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Aug. 7 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry (driven by Casey Mears) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Speedway, IN (July 31, 2011) –

While Mears and his #13 GEICO Camry got off to a slow start in practice on Friday, landing 38th on the speed chart, they would quickly turn the corner and wow the fans as the day wore on. During the second practice session, Mears hung out in the 20’s on the charts, but after a brief meeting with crew chief Bootie Barker and engineer Scott Whitehead during a trip to the garage, Mears re-entered the GEICO Camry for a final run.

With just seven minutes remaining in practice, Mears took to the famed speedway and drew a roar from the crowd when he instantly shot to 2nd on the speed chart. He would ultimately end up 4th when the session ended. Final practice saw more of the same from Mears and the GEICO Racing team, as they sat 18th at its conclusion.

Having set the IMS track qualifying record in 2004, Mears appeared confident as he calmly climbed into the #13 GEICO Camry and directed his car onto the racetrack for two laps of qualifying. Mears’ success was audible, as the crowd cheered loudly when he wheeled around the historic 2.5-mile speedway in just 49.444 seconds, at a rate of speed of 182.024 miles per hour, landing him on the provisional pole. Mears resided on the pole for 17 cars until his close friend Jimmie Johnson bumped him down to 2nd. When qualifying ended, Mears and the #13 GEICO Camry found themselves in the 11th position, their best qualifying effort of the 2011 season.

When raceday arrived, it was met with bright sunshine and blazing heat, which would take its toll on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field, as well as the fans in attendance. Mears’ brought a taste of home with him, as his father, Roger, a four-time off-road racing champion, would be his spotter on the frontstretch for the afternoon, while Jason Jarrett would cover the backstretch duties.

Starting 11th, Mears radioed in on lap three: “On the run down the straightaways I’m getting killed.” He would free-fall through the field and eventually land in 28th, but he rebounded quickly and by lap 27 he found himself in the 12th position.

Unfortunately, as cars got three wide on Lap 40, grass would fly up from the apron and attach itself to the grill of the #13 GEICO Camry, forcing Mears down pit road for an unscheduled green flag pit stop on Lap 41. As temperatures rose, it became necessary to clean the grass from the grill, causing Mears to fall back to 34th position.

Lap 49 saw David Reutimann take a hard hit into the wall, causing the caution flag to be displayed. Mears was in the 30th position and took advantage of the opportunity to visit pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. On lap 62, Mears radioed to Barker: “I’m still getting beat on the straights, but the car feels much better.” He cracked the Top 30 on lap 72 and entered the Top 25 on lap 78 when he moved into the 24th position.

A lap 94 caution once again allowed the Germain Racing pit crew the opportunity to continue working on the handling of the #13 GEICO Camry. After entering pit road in 30th, the GEICO crew turned Mears around quickly and returned him to the racing surface in the 25th position, netting five spots during his visit.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Camry climbed back into the Top 15 by lap 122, but as the race began to wind down Barker notified his driver that he would be five laps short on fuel, a dilemma facing much of the field. With just 27 laps remaining in the advertised distance, Mears brought his #13 GEICO Camry down pit road amid green flag conditions to take on the necessary fuel to ensure his completion of the race.

When the checkered flag was displayed late Sunday afternoon, Mears and the GEICO team recorded a 29th place finish in the Brickyard 400. Mears’ effort helped to widen the gap in the owner standings and Germain Racing now sits 43 points inside the coveted Top 35.

“This GEICO team has been working so hard and they gave me a good car today, but we struggled down the straightaways, which hurt us,” a sweaty Mears said after climbing from the #13 GEICO Camry. “What a great weekend though. We come out in practice and sit fourth and then we qualify 11th, so we’re obviously moving in the right direction. We’ve had a pretty good month when you think about how well we ran at Daytona and then we had a decent night at Kentucky. Our hard work is really paying off and I’m excited about moving forward.”

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Please visit the Casey Mears Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/caseymearsracing

- Player Management International, Inc., for GEICO Racing/Germain Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane/Wood Bros. Racing Ford (with driver Trevor Bayne) Pit Stop

Three times during the running of the race, the first coming after just six laps, Bayne had to make an unscheduled pit stop to have grass removed from the grille of his car or risk ruining the engine from overheating. But all three times, he and his Motorcraft/Quick Lane team were able to bounce back, and as the laps wound down, Bayne found himself running fourth.

Once again, he had to head to pit road – this time for fuel – and he wound up 30th at the finish. He said having to turn onto pit road with seven laps to go, when he was running just a few car lengths behind eventual race winner Paul Menard Jr., was a hard move to make.

Bayne went on to say that the earlier, unscheduled pit stops, were a bigger factor in the final result.

“We had a few times where we had to pit when we didn’t want to with grass getting kicked up into our grille a few times,” he said. “When you get back in the pack like that those things are going to happen.”

“We were just unfortunate to have it happen to us three times and have to pit so many times.”

Bayne had the misfortune of finding himself running just behind drivers who veered off into the grass, with the splitters of their cars clipping the grass and sending it blowing across the speedway to be picked up by oncoming cars.

But he and the team hung in there and had a strong run at the finish, even if the final result didn’t reflect it.

“It was a hard-fought day for a 30th-place finish,” Bayne said. “It doesn’t feel like that, but we learned a lot.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood said he’s confident that Bayne did gain a lot of knowledge about racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of the most demanding tracks in all of motorsports.

“This race was a learning experience, and we got through it,” Wood said. “We came here to run 160 laps, and that’s what we did.”

Wood also said that the team’s decision to stop under the green flag to clear grass from the grille was the right thing to do.

“There’s no need to take chances that early in a race, it doesn’t take but a couple of laps to burn an engine down.” he said.

Bayne and the Wood Brothers team will rejoin the Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway on the weekend of Aug. 21, where the No. 21 Ford Fusion will carry the colors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is the charity of choice for Ford’s Customer Service Division and its Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands.

- Wood Brothers Racing, Press Release

Ryan Newman (Stewart-Haas Racing/Haas Automation) - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

Ryan Newman overcame nearly 100-degree temperatures and tough track conditions on Sunday to score a respectable 12^th-place finish in the 18^th running of the Brickyard 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) spent much of the 160-lap race trying to find clean air so his car would handle better. His efforts in that regard were made harder as he started in the middle of the field in 23^rd.

Newman spent much of the race between the 17^th and 23^rd positions as he and crew chief Tony Gibson attempted to work on the car’s handling via track bar, wedge and tire pressure adjustments. But while the car gradually became better throughout the day, track position was still incredibly vital. And while Newman’s car was fast and handling well, he found it difficult to pass other cars as the air coming off their respective machines would make Newman’s car unstable – a trait all the drivers in Sunday’s race dealt with at one point or another.

Knowing a race victory was going to be extremely difficult to obtain as the laps wound down, Gibson and Newman decided to score the best finish they could. With 29 laps remaining, Newman headed to pit road for three seconds worth of fuel, ensuring that his Haas Automation Chevrolet could make it to the finish.

Other drivers opted to gamble on fuel, and while some ran out and others had to slow way down to conserve, Newman could operate at full strength. With 10 laps to go he cracked the top-20, and with five laps remaining Newman was up to 15^th before crossing the line in 12^th at the conclusion of the 400-mile race.

“When you get back in traffic, it’s tough,” said Newman, who scored his 12^th top-15 finish of the season. “We never could get to the front and get clean air. We rallied to finish 12^th and that will help us in the points, but I wish we could’ve had a better day with our Haas Automation Chevrolet.”

“It’s hard to adjust on a car when you’re in the middle of traffic like that,” said Gibson. “There’s no air back there. You can over-adjust way too easy, so we just tried to tinker with it. We just knew we were sucking that air and there wasn’t much we could do. The balance was going to change. We just did damage control today. We just tried to finish the best we could without killing ourselves in the points and it worked out well. The No. 14 (Tony Stewart) finished ahead of us and everybody else that we needed to outrun, we did today. That’s what we’ve got to do right now. We’ve got that win, so now we’ve got to just manage our points.”

Stewart, Newman’s SHR teammate and driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala, finished sixth to score his ninth top-10 finish at Indianapolis and his eighth of the season.

Paul Menard won the 18^th annual Brickyard 400 to notch his first career Sprint Cup victory, and in doing so, became the fourth first-time winner of 2011, joining Trevor Bayne, Regan Smith and David Ragan.

Jeff Gordon finished .725 of a second behind Menard in the runner-up spot, while Smith, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Stewart, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 22 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish.

With round 20 of 36 complete, Newman leads the SHR duo in the championship point standings. He remained eighth and now has 618 points, 64 markers back of series leader Carl Edwards and 31 points ahead of 11^th-place Denny Hamlin. Stewart gained two spots to climb to ninth. He now has 609 points, which puts him 73 points behind Edwards while giving him a 22-point cushion over Hamlin.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Aug. 7 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing, Press Release