Cale Yarborough speaks as he is inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame during the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center on January 20, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR)

By: Hunter Thomas – Guest Contributor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After a long, rough career, Timmonsville’s Cale Yarborough was finally inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Friday, January 20.

From farming in nearby Sardis, S.C. in the hot summers, to racing underneath the Friday night lights at Florence Motor Speedway, Cale Yarborough was able to capture three championships, 83 victories and 69 poles in NASCAR’s premier series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. During his 31 year career, no moment was more memorable than at 9:05 p.m. on Friday night when he was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

“I’m going to remember that this was one of the best days of my life,” Cale Yarborough said. “This is what I have — I didn’t know I was working for it, but I’ve worked for all of my life, and it just happened tonight. I’m just so proud to be a part of it and been so blessed to climb that long ladder from the bottom step, now I’m standing on that top step. Can’t go any higher, but can’t nobody push me off, either.”

The night started off with a red carpet ceremony on the NASCAR Hall of Fame Glory Road. Photographers and journalist lined the way snapping a few pictures and possibly getting a quote or two before the jacket presentation dinner. Once in the Crown Ballroom, the electric atmosphere started to engulf the inductees along with their families. Multi-colored lights were flashing everywhere and the epic music set the tone and got everyone’s adrenaline flowing.

Former broadcaster Ken Squier kicked off Yarborough’s induction by giving a little background information about his early days in the Pee Dee area, eventually leading up to his NASCAR career. When the time came for Yarborough to hit the stage, the nearly packed room stood up and erupted in a deafening outburst of cheers and claps.

When Yarborough was on the stage, he couldn’t help but grin, and it was easy to see the sparkle in his eye as the entire NASCAR community took a little over 10 minutes to honor the South Carolinian. Yarborough kicked off the speech with a joke about his wife Betty Jo buying an expensive dress for the occasion, but what really made everyone laugh was his true story about a few cans of black eyed peas. Yes, black eyed peas!

Cale Yarborough reacts to getting his NASCAR Hall of Fame jacket. - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

The story brought on a few laughs, but it’s a strong reminder on how far Yarborough has actually come in his career, and he certainly hasn’t forgotten that. After the black eyed peas story, Yarborough continued to thank everyone who helped him get to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. As soon as the ceremony was over, Yarborough went to the media room. While talking with the media, he was asked to reminisce on the night and put it all into perspective.

“Well, I sure hoped I was going to get to this point because working in the back of the fields in that hot sun would make you want to do something else, I’ll tell you that,” NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Yarborough said. “I always dreamed of doing what – ending up where I have ended up tonight. Very blessed.”

Yarborough’s weekend ended on Sunday with the induction of his historic No. 28 Hardees sponsored race car along with the Granite Market Photo Opp, and the Presentation of Lifetime Membership.

Yarborough wasn’t the only Sandhills icon getting attention form the media and fans. On Saturday, an estimated 75 to 80 fans camped out along the busy streets of Charlotte in the pouring rain to get an autograph of their favorite driver at the Charlotte Convention Center for the conclusion of the NASCAR Acceleration weekend. Darlington Raceway had a very vibrant display as they sold tickets for Mother’s Day weekend, and Rockingham Speedway set up shop to promote the return of NASCAR on April 15 for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance Carolina 200.

Race cars are lined up for fans to see during the NASCAR Preview Presented by Sprint on Jan. 21, 2012, in Charlotte, N.C. - Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR

Thousands Enjoy Return Of Offseason Fan Event In Charlotte

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2012) – For one day at least, Sam Alverson of Jacksonville, Fla., could lay claim to being NASCAR’s No. 1 fan. It wasn’t just because of his devotion to the sport; it’s because he was first in line.

After a marathon 26-hour campout session, Alverson was the first of thousands of fans through the doors Saturday for the inaugural NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented by Sprint at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center. The fan-friendly event, part of NASCAR’s Acceleration Weekend, followed an overflow crowd for Friday evening’s NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony of Richie Evans, Dale Inman, Darrell Waltrip, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough.

Many fans were in line the day before the event, forming a human chain that went halfway around the convention center and weathered cool, drizzly conditions. For Alverson, the reward of a 5 1/2-hour drive and extensive wait in the elements was a chance to greet his favorite driver, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon.

When Gordon jokingly questioned his motives for spending more than a day in line to meet him, Alverson shot back, “It’s because you are the champ!”

“We have the most amazing fans,” Gordon said. “It blows you away any time you hear something like that. … All the fans that came out, some of them traveled long distances, get up early in the morning or stayed up late at night on the sidewalk. That’s pretty amazing, and that’s what makes events like this so successful.”

Gordon also entertained fans during a question and answer session with Richard Petty, unveiling a new paint scheme commemorating 20 years in the sport with longtime sponsor DuPont. More than 60 drivers were on hand to sign autographs and greet fans, with several participating in fan Q&As. Additionally, NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees new and old led fans on personal guided tours of the Hall’s exhibits.

“We’re thrilled with the turnout and the passion our fans continue to express,” said Steve Sweeney, NASCAR’s director of consumer marketing. “The NASCAR Preview 2012 Presented By Sprint offered a perfect lead-in for the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 [on FOX, MRN Radio], and will only grow in the upcoming years.”

Winston Kelley, executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, said the NASCAR Preview event was a direct result of listening to fans – including Alverson – clamoring for more of the sport during the offseason and a revival of the preview held in Winston-Salem, N.C., years ago.

NASCAR President Mike Helton, left, welcomes fans to the NASCAR Preview Presented by Sprint on Jan. 21, 2012, in Charlotte, N.C - Photo Credit: NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Dale Inman receives his jacket during the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center on January 20, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR)

“It’s met or exceeded all the expectations we had, and we think this is the foundation we can just grow on,” Kelley said. “This is just the start to us, and I think we can make it even bigger and better.”

Two pieces of news came out of today’s event, as Sprint unveiled its Miss Sprint Cup lineup for 2012, and American Ethanol announced sponsorship for two highly visible race teams.

Kristen Beat, a former on-air talent for Fuel TV, joins returning Miss Sprint Cup members Kim Coon and Jaclyn Roney for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Additionally, American Ethanol announced that it will continue relationships with Richard Childress Racing and RAB racing for the 2012 season. Austin Dillon, the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion, will drive the No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet for six races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as well as one race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2012. Dillon’s No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet paint scheme was unveiled at the event. American Ethanol will also partner with Kenny Wallace and RAB Racing for the Daytona 500 on FOX, as well as five races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

NASCAR Acceleration Weekend culminates Sunday morning with more events at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. This year’s class of inductees will see their exhibits and spires in the Hall of Fame for the first time and will unveil their engraved granite markers in the Walk of Fame Garden outside the Hall’s doors.

Source: NASCAR, Press Release

Connor brings 30 years of experience in NASCAR to Winfield Motorsports. He has worked with some of the most legendary names in the sport including; Cale Yarborough, Richard Childress, Lake Speed, Neil Bonnett, David Pearson, Tim Richmond, Greg Sacks, and Jack Sprague with whom he guided to three Camping World Truck Series Championships. “Dennis’ 30 years of experience is an exceptional boost to our already solid team” says CEO/Principal partner Rob Winfield.

Winfield Motorsports LLC was established in 2011 fielding the #27 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The team will be announcing sponsorship and the driver lineup in the coming weeks

- Winfield Motorsports Press Release

The panel of voters pose for a portrait during the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day held at the Charlotte Convention Center on June 14 in Charlotte, N.C. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Members of the 55-member NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met today in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C., to vote on the induction class of 2012. The announcement was made by NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s “Great Hall.”

The class was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, which included a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

As was the case for the first two classes of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the results of this year’s voting were competitive. Yarborough led with 85 percent of the vote, followed by Waltrip (82%), Inman (78%), Evans (50%) and Wood (44%).

Also receiving votes were Jerry Cook, Cotton Owens, Raymond Parks and Herb Thomas.

The fans’ five picks, in alphabetical order, were Richard Childress, Benny Parsons, Fireball Roberts, Waltrip and Yarborough.

The five inductees came from a group of 25 nominees for induction into the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame class that included:

Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Jerry Cook, H. Clay Earles, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Rick Hendrick, Jack Ingram, Bobby Isaac, Dale Inman, Fred Lorenzen, Cotton Owens, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, Les Richter, Fireball Roberts, T. Wayne Robertson, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Darrell Waltrip, Joe Weatherly, Glen Wood, Leonard Wood and Cale Yarborough.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame opened on May 11, 2010 in Uptown Charlotte, N.C. The 150,000 square foot entertainment complex honors the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to the success of the sport. In its first year of operation, the NASCAR Hall of Fame entertained more than 270,000 customers, making it the second most-visited sports hall of fame in North America.

NASCAR Hall of Fame

Cale Yarborough

William Caleb Yarborough was the first driver to win three consecutive NASCAR premier series championships, from 1976-78. During his three-year dominance, Yarborough won 28 races – nine in 1976, nine in ’77 and 10 in ’78. His final championship points margin in those three years was never fewer than 195 points and was as much as 474 in 1978. Yarborough totaled 83 victories in his 31-year career, which ranks sixth all-time. His 69 poles rank fourth all-time. He also won the Daytona 500 four times (1968, ’77, ’83-84), a mark that ranks second only to Richard Petty’s seven. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

Darrell Waltrip

A three-time NASCAR premier series champion (1981-82, ’85), Waltrip won all three with legendary driver/owner Junior Johnson. Waltrip is tied with Bobby Allison and Jeff Gordon for third all-time in series victories with 84. His 59 poles rank fifth all-time in NASCAR premier series history. He competed from 1972-2000, which included a 1989 Daytona 500 victory in a Rick Hendrick-owned Chevrolet. He currently is a commentator on FOX’s NASCAR broadcasts. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

Dale Inman

Dale Inman, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty’s crew chief at Petty Enterprises for nearly three decades, set records for most wins (193) and championships (eight) by a crew chief. Inman won seven of those championships with Petty (1964, ’67, ’71, ’72, ’74, ’75 and ’79), and a final one in 1984 with Terry Labonte.

Richie Evans

The recognized “king” of Modified racing, Evans captured nine NASCAR Modified titles in a 13-year span, including eight in a row from 1978-85. In the first year of the current NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour format in 1985, Evans won 12 races, including a sweep of all four events at Thompson, Conn. Evans ranked No. 1 in the 2003 voting of the NASCAR All-Time Modified Top 10 Drivers, and he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

Glen Wood

Glen Wood laid the foundation for the famed Wood Brothers racing team as a driver in NASCAR’s premier series. Competing on a semi-regular basis, mostly at tracks close to his southern Virginia home, Wood won four times – all at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Wood, of course, is best known for his collaboration with brothers Leonard and Delano in Wood Brothers Racing. The Stuart, Va.-based team, which dates to 1950 and remains active, has amassed 98 victories.

- NASCAR, Press Release

Bristol Motor Speedway 50th Anniversary

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Friday, March 4, 2011)

Both programs feature golden covers with numerous stories and photos that trace the history of the World’s Fastest Half-Mile. And with the purchase of the program comes a one-of-a-kind poster that is sure to become a collector’s item itself.

The poster for the March race spotlights winners from the first 50 spring events at BMS, dating back to 1961. Legends such as Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson are featured, along with some of today’s stars, like Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.

The August poster features all winners from Bristol Motor Speedway’s second race.

Motorsports artist Roger Warrick created the original artwork that will be part of the program package for the Jeff Byrd 500 Presented by Food City at BMS. Warrick, a race fan at heart, has produced artwork for numerous race teams and tracks over his 20-year career.

The poster will be given away as part of the souvenir program package, which includes the program, a BMS 1/64th scale die-cast car and a plastic sleeve to protect the program. Cost of the program package is only $10. Fans wishing to purchase the $15 package also will receive a BMS racing t-shirt.

The program cover for the Jeff Byrd 500 race weekend features Earnhardt, Waltrip, Wallace and Kyle Busch as well as a couple of the more memorable moments in the track’s history.

The program goes on sale Friday, March 18 at BMS during Ford Fan Friday qualifying.

Tickets for the March 20 Jeff Byrd 500 Presented by Food City are available for $93, while seats for the Scotts EZ Seed 300 (March 19) start at $45. Ford Fan Friday tickets are only $5 and just $4 for fans who have tickets to the Jeff Byrd 500.

A March race weekend package during Bristol Motor Speedway’s 50th anniversary celebration for both the Scotts EZ Seed 300 and the Jeff Byrd 500 can be purchased for as low as $99.

The 2011 season ticket package also is available and consists of both the Jeff Byrd 500 and IRWIN Tools Night Race Sprint Cup events, the Scotts EZ Seed 300 and Food City 250 Nationwide races. Also included are lower-priced options to add Ford Fan Friday and the O’Reilly Auto Parts 200 Camping World Truck Series/UNOH Perfect Storm 150 Whelen Modified Series races (Aug. 24).

The Wallace Tower package is the lowest-priced season ticket at BMS in 2011 — only $185 – and includes special food and beverage discounts.

For more information concerning tickets, please visit www.bristoltix.com or call the BMS ticket office at 423-BRISTOL (274-7865).

Speedway Motorsports is a leading marketer and promoter of motorsports entertainment in the United States. The Company, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates the following premier facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. The Company provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiaries; manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars and parts through its U.S. Legend Cars International subsidiary; and produces and broadcasts syndicated motorsports programming to radio stations nationwide through its Performance Racing Network subsidiary. The Company also equally-owns Motorsports Authentics, a joint venture formed with International Speedway Corporation to produce, market and sell licensed motorsports merchandise. For more information, visit the Company’s website at www.speedwaymotorsports.com

- Bristol Motor Speedway, Press Release

“We’re headed to Daytona with one thing in mind, the Winner’s Circle”, Blackburn said this weekend while overseeing last minute changes and loading for the trip south. ” We believe we have the car better than last year here at Daytona and at Talladega in 2008 and we’re excited about the opportunity to show the racing world just what a team from Prestonsburg, KY has to offer”

Prestonsburg KY has a strong history of racing with Sap Parker and the Raniers, led by the family patriarch, Harry Ranier, Ranier Racing fielded cars in the NASCAR Winston Cup series for drivers such as Lennie Pond, Buddy Baker, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough, and Davey Allison.

In 2008, Steve had one of the strongest cars on the track for the Spring ARCA race and was in the preferred position of second place behind Joey Logano with 4 laps to go. Debris on the track sliced the inside of his left rear tire and Steve had to pull the No. 69 Harley Davidson of Pikeville Dodge down to the inside to keep from causing a big pileup involving other competitors. “Steve did a tremendous job of handling the car at over 180 mph with a flat left rear”, Crew Chief Gary Hostettler noted. “It was a huge disappointment not being able to finish knowing the car we had on the track that day. We firmly believe we had the best opportunity to win that race”.

Steve Blackburn has put his fellow ARCA competitors on notice more than once. In December of 2008, Steve dominated the testing sessions at the Daytona International Speedway.

“The Prestonsburg, KY driver led the way again late Sunday afternoon during the final drafting session with the fastest lap of the day. Blackburn, in his own Dodge Charger, circled the “World Center of Racing” in 49.952 seconds, for an average speed of 182.246 mph.”

“We put on a new set (of tires) and they hooked up,” said Blackburn, who was also fastest in both sessions on
Friday. “The test was a real boost to our team; we can walk out of here with our heads held high. Just hope we
can come back in February and do it again.”

If Cinderella’s slipper fits on Saturday, look for Steve and the Steve Blackburn Motorsports team to attend more
ARCA events and compete for a series championship.

Championships: 2004 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Atlantic Region Champion. 2004 Lonesome Pine
Raceway Late Model Division Track Champion (Won 14 of 19 races)

Experience: Blackburn first began racing motorcycles touring nationally throughout the 1980s. He captured a national championship in the early 80s and continued on a successful pace throughout the early 90s. Winning
the U. S. Twin Sports at Daytona International Speedway was the highlight of his bike career. His 35 years of
racing experience now include championships in both motorcycle racing and stock car racing. He turned his attention to stock car racing in the late 1990s and hasn’t looked back since.

Then & Now: In the late 90s, Blackburn made a career change, moving to dirt modified stock car racing.
Winning local and national championships, Steve gained valuable experience testing his skills and eventually moving to a full-bodied late model stock car.

Winning a NASCAR Dodge Weekly Racing Series Atlantic Region Championship and winning the Lonesome Pine Speedway (VA) most popular driver award in 2004, Blackburn Motorsports felt challenged to take on the next level – the ARCA RE/MAX Series. His first appearance came at the 1.5 mile paved oval Kentucky Speedway in May 2005.

The Prestonsburg KY native took his fellow competitors by surprise. Running 4th in practice at 166.3 mph, the rookie proved to be a serious contender. Unfortunately, his qualifying attempt was hindered due to rainfall, keeping him out of the event. He returned to the speedway in July, again surprising everyone with a 14th place finish in the night race.

- Steve Blackburn Motorsports Press Release

Cale Gale, No. 2 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado

Rheem entered NASCAR as an associate sponsor in 2007 and stepped up as a primary NASCAR Nationwide Series sponsor of KHI’s No. 33 Chevrolet in 2008 with Gale driving the company’s first Nationwide race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The Rheem Racing program now includes sponsorship of NASCAR’s Canadian Tire Series, Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series.

The 25-year-old Gale, named after legendary NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough, racked up an average starting position of 6.8 in six Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Series starts, an even more impressive finishing position average of 3.5 and scored his first win in 2006. He made a combined 27 NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series starts from 2006 to 2008 for KHI. Gale’s 11th Nationwide Series start was in the now-familiar black and red Rheem Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway in 2008. That same year, Gale won the pole in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway finishing fourth.

One of the many driver casualties of the recession, Gale went on to drive for Rheem in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2009 along with competing in super late models throughout the southeastern United States. In 2010, the former Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway super-stock and late-model champion, made his debut as a crew chief in the ARCA Racing Series for Richard Childress Racing as well as working as a shock specialist and race-day engineer for Turner Motorsports in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

“There are many, many things Rheem likes about Cale Gale, including his driving ability and rich driving heritage. But, what Rheem most appreciates about Cale is his tenacity, dedication and sincere commitment to achieving excellence at the highest levels of professional stock car racing,” said JR Jones, Rheem CEO and President.

In addition to putting Gale in the seat of six Camping World Truck Series races this season, Rheem is also the primary sponsor of Gale’s No. 83 Rheem Chevrolet Super Late Model car. Recently, Gale put the Rheem No. 83 on the pole at Pensacola’s famed Snowball Derby while setting a new track qualifying record of 16:33.

The lack of sponsors at every level of racing due to the economy has threatened to discourage talented young drivers to pursue their dreams as well as to reduce the ability of NASCAR’s leading racing teams to invest in driver development. Ed Raniszeski, Rheem Corporate Director of Marketing who is responsible for the Rheem Racing program said, “Racing is an important part of our marketing program. The Rheem Way is to focus on excellence at every level of the process; it is difficult to achieve or sustain quality without investing at each step of product development and customer satisfaction. That belief is at the core of the Rheem culture, so it is natural for Rheem to be involved from the highest to the most fundamental levels of racing. It is good for our company and our brands to help support the future quality of racing.”

In 2011, Gale takes another step on the journey he began with his father and racing coach, Bubba Gale, at age four. Before the racing season closes at Pensacola’s Snowball Derby, Gale will have racked up more high quality seat time than at any time in his career. “I am so thankful to Rheem for stepping up to support and believe in me. It is an opportunity of a lifetime; I am looking forward to being back behind the wheel at the NASCAR level representing my great sponsor Rheem as well as being back with KHI,” said Gale.

Gale will drive the No. 2 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas (Nev.) Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

- Rheem Manufacturing Company Press Release

Chris Eggleston

Owner Rob Winfield announces the formation of the Winfield Motorsports No. 27 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Team. Tough Trucks and Tough racing fits the mold of the owner’s many years in NASCAR dating back to Cale Yarborough’s Cup Team.

Experience and Youth Meet: This new team is also excited to announce their Driver for the 2011 season is Chris Eggleston. While only 21 year’s old, Chris a Colorado native, has won Championships and hundreds of feature wins in different divisions across the country. Chris had five starts in the NCWTS in 2010 finishing 11th in his first start.

Chris: “I can’t thank Rob, team manager and owner of Winfield Motorsports, enough for calling me up in the off season to give me this opportunity. He has a lot of great ideas planned for this team in the near future and my goal is to perform at an optimal level of my ability to help fulfill those goals.”

“I’m just so excited that I am getting the opportunity to drive in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series again. It’s like getting a taste of something you always dream about doing and all you want is more. From that, I thrive and can’t wait to get back into the seat of a truck, let alone get to compete at such a historic track such as Daytona International Speedway, with many drivers I idolize. I will work on gaining respect from all my Competitors, NASCAR, the Fans, my Sponsors and Winfield Motorsports”.

Partnerships: Winfield Motorsports also announces an alliance with the newly formed “Race Engines Plus”, (Joey Arrington) competing with Dodge Power.

The Hufco Pro-Motion Agency has also been contracted for marketing, sponsor and business relations management. “We have received a ton of interest, says Hufco President John Huffman, since the formation of this team just a few weeks ago. “We are looking forward in offering new, exciting and youthful elements to our sponsor/marketing partner packages, and hope to gain a full-time Primary Partner to allow Chris (Eggleston) to compete for the NASCAR “Rookie of the Year” Title in 2011. We are offering unique options for our corporate sponsors.

Community Support: Sharing in the vein of what NASCAR does, we will be supporting charity events and programs for the less fortunate throughout the year.

For at least the first 3-Events we will be supporting Sierrars Race Against Meningitis. A cause Chris has supported long time. More information at: http://www.sierrasraceagainstmeningitis.com/

Electronic Age: We will soon be announcing our social networking sites, an element we will use extensively throughout the year for our fans and sponsors, especially real-time updates at events.

- Winfield Motorsports Press Release

Left to right: Chris Browning, Scott Hunter, Ann Hunter, Dakota Hunter, Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Cotton Owens, Bud Moore and Lt. Governor Andre Bauer pose for a photo following Bauer's presentation of the Palmetto Patriot awards - Darlington Raceway Photo

DARLINGTON, S.C. (Dec., 17 2010)

In addition to Browning, NASCAR legends David Pearson, Bud Moore, Cale Yarborough and Cotton Owens – all South Carolina natives – were also honored along with former Darlington track president and NASCAR Executive, the late Jim Hunter and his wife Ann.

“Since 2004, Chris Browning has presided over Darlington Raceway and has led the ‘granddaddy of superspeedways’ through some of the most trying economic circumstances the track has faced. He is a superb businessman and a great friend,” Bauer said.  ”NASCAR is one of South Carolina’s longest standing corporate partners, and with an estimated annual economic impact of over $50 million, one of the most important.  I am honored to present Chris Browning the Palmetto Patriot Award,” Bauer continued.

“I am humbled and honored to accept the Palmetto Patriot award on behalf of Darlington Raceway,” said Browning. “Darlington Raceway has played an integral role in the growth and popularity of NASCAR racing and is one of our state’s most treasured assets.”

The Palmetto Patriot Program recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their fellow citizens and the State of South Carolina. The Palmetto Patriot Award is given for one’s commitment to public service within their state and community. The award is the highest the Lieutenant Governor can bestow.

You can keep up with all of the latest news from Darlington Raceway at DarlingtonRaceway.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/DarlingtonRaceway and on Twitter at Twitter.com/TooToughToTame.

Darlington Raceway, or the track “Too Tough To Tame” as it is known to many, is where the purest of NASCAR competition meets true southern hospitality. A NASCAR staple since 1950, Darlington Raceway has seen some of motorsports most talented drivers thunder to Gatorade Victory Lane. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will kick off the 2011 racing season at Darlington on March 12, 2011. On Mother’s Day weekend, May 6-7, 2011, NASCAR’s biggest stars return to battle the track “Too Tough To Tame” in the Sprint Cup Series SHOWTIME Southern 500® and Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Darlington Raceway ticket office at 866-459-RACE or online at http://www.darlingtonraceway.com/tickets/.

- Darlington Raceway, Press Release

Georgia Boot

BACK-TO-BACK TEXAS TWO STEP: Ron Hornaday is one of three Truck Series drivers to win back-to-back races at Texas Motor Speedway. Hornaday swept the year in Texas in 2008, winning both the spring and fall events. Hornaday has only won back-to-back races at four venues on the current Truck Series schedule: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (1997 and 1998), O’Reilly (Ind.) Raceway Park (2009 and 2010), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (2007 and 2008) and the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway (2008 Spring and Fall races).

CREEPING UP ON A MILESTONE: Following his last weekend’s win at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway two weeks ago, Hornaday now has 47 career Truck Series wins. Should Hornaday collect three more wins, he would join an elite group of drivers who have accumulated 50 wins in their racing careers. No driver in the Truck or Nationwide Series has yet to collect 50 career victories, and only 12 drivers in the Cup series drivers (Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Lee Petty, Jimmie Johnson, Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson) can claim this feat.

DIVERSE DRIVER: Hornaday has now won at over 30 different race tracks in his Truck Series career. He has a diverse résumé of wins at short tracks, intermediate tracks and superspeedways.

MOVE TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS: Hornaday has led more laps than any other driver at Texas Motor Speedway in the last 11 races. He has led 474 of 1750 laps completed.

CAVENDARS CHOSE TO RUN WITH A LEGEND IN TEXAS: The Run with the Legend contest continues as Hornaday makes an appearance at Cavenders in Arlington, Texas on November 3rd. Hornaday will be on site from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. CT, to sign autographs and will present lucky fans from each of the eight Dallas / Ft. Worth Cavender’s locations with two VIP Tickets (includes Pit tour and hospitality tent access), Georgia Boot Racing apparel and a die-cast of the No. 33 Georgia Boot Racing Truck.

Notes from the Professor: Quotes from Ron Hornaday:

AFTER RACING ON A SHORT TRACK AND A SUPERSPEEDWAY, ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO HEADING BACK TO A 1.5-MILE TRACK?

“I love Texas. We were really dominant there in 2008. We have a great package for that track and I am really comfortable with the line I run there. It is very similar to Charlotte for me. I like the fact that there are multiple grooves that you can lean on if your truck is not exactly right. I love racing in general so what type of track we go to really doesn’t matter to me I look forward to every race in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I’m a little sad to see this year draw to and end, but I’m really looking forward to gaining in the off season and making another run at the championship in 2011.”

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Georgia Boot team will take chassis No. 044 to Texas Motor Speedway. The last time chassis No. 044 competed with Hornaday behind the wheel was in June at Michigan International Speedway where Hornaday recorded his career best finish of fourth at the 2.0-mile venue. Shelby Howard was the last driver to pilot this chassis utilizing it at Chicagoland Speedway and Kentucky Speedway.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Hornaday recorded his first career Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway pole last weekend and led the most laps (49) before getting caught up in the “big one” with three laps remaining. Hornaday was hit by Mike Skinner who had been tapped by Todd Bodine after the rookie Grant Enfinger had bump drafted him in the wrong spot on the straight-a-way. The impact from Skinner sent Hornaday flipping down the frontstretch. The No. 33 truck caught the apron and barrel rolled to a stop in turn one. Hornaday walked away unharmed, but the No. 33 was unable to return to competition ending the day in the 21st position.

ABOUT GEORGIA BOOT:

Since 1937, Georgia Boot has been a manufacturer and marketer of quality work and outdoor footwear. It is a division of Rocky Brands, a publicly traded company on Nasdaq® under the symbol: RCKY. For more information, visit www.georgiaboot.com.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

Historic North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway

Other race winners during the three-day event were Matt McCall, Late Model; Justin Sorrow, Limited Late Model; Bubba Gale, Rolling Thunder Modifieds; Alan Carter, United States Super Trucks; Kevin Eby, Street Stocks; and Tyler Hill, Allison Legacy Series.

In Sunday’s Sunoco National Tour race, Choquette came from the back of the field twice to lead 127 laps in the 150-lap event on the 0.625-mile track.

“The car was really good. I was just the lucky guy behind the wheel that gets to hold the steering wheel,” Choquette said after his third career victory in the Sunoco National Tour Series. “This was my first year ever winning in the Sunoco National Tour. (It’s) really big for the team, really big for me. You never know when it’s going to be your last one, so you’ve got to go out and give it your all every time.”

Choquette, who defeated Sean Bass by 5.787 seconds, qualified on the pole with a 117.371-mph lap. However, the field was inverted for the start of the race that was divided into two 75-lap segments. After the first segment, there was a 5-minute break before the second began. The top six were inverted for the start of the second segment.

Bryan Ortiz, the series top rookie, was the race’s leader at the start of both 75-lap segments, but he lost the power steering on his car. That eventually relegated him to a fifth-place finish.

“It was tough physically, it was destroying and mentally I have to be very careful on the braking,” said Ortiz, who was selected to compete in the NASCAR Driver for Diversity Combine in mid-October. “On a straight line, this track have a bumps, so it moved the car ’cause without power steering the tires move you. It was tough. I know now what to do if something like that happen.”

In the UCAR 40-lap Clash, Wayne Harrington of China Grove, N.C., dominated the race, earning the pole with a 92.547-mph lap and then leading all but the first three laps. Will Smith, who started on the outside of the front row, was the race’s only other leader.

Harrington said he couldn’t explain what the victory at the historic track meant to him.

“I grew up wanting to come here and I’ve been to a thousand races up here and I’ve always wanted to race here,” said Harrington, whose uncle was Herb Nab, a crew chief for Cale Yarborough in the 1970s when he drove for Junior Johnson. “I’ve got a lot of tradition in my family that’s been in racing all their lives. My uncle Herb lived up here for years. I hope he seen that. I think he was with me.

“I won a championship at Concord [N.C.] last year. This tops anything that I’ve ever done. If I don’t ever race again, this is at the top of the list and always will be.”

Harrington said he changed the engine in his car by himself on the eve of the race.

“I went down there to Dillon [S.C.] last week and these guys blistered me down there and I blew a head gasket,” Harrington explained. “I wasn’t going to race this week, but I decided at the last minute yesterday evening that I wanted to do this. We got up at four o’clock this morning and left at five this morning and got here. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to get here. I got done at 11:45 last night [Saturday].”

Unlike a week ago at Dillon, it was Harrington who was the class of the field, finishing 1.361 seconds ahead of Travis Miller of Jacksonville, N.C.

With the conclusion of the three-day Short Track Shootout, Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway ended its 2010 season. Racing resumes at the short track in North Carolina’s northwest foothills in April with the North Wilkesboro 300 PASS event. For more information about Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway during the off-season, go to www.historicnws.com.

- Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway Press Release

Jeff Gordon celebrates his 69th career Coors Light Pole Award, tying him for third all time with Cale Yarborough. - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Concord, N.C. (October 14, 2010)

Gordon has now won 69 career pole and is in a tie with Cale Yarborough for third on the all-time poles list.

Mark Martin, No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, will roll off fourth in the 43-car field.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet, with start eighth and four-time defending NSCS champion Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, will start from the 10th position.

Other Team Chevy drivers in the Chase will start as follows: Jeff Burton-18th; Clint Bowyer-20th; Kevin Harvick-24th and Tony Stewart-29th.

A total of 17 Chevrolet drivers will start the 334-lap/501-mile race.

Carl Edwards (Ford), A.J. Allmendinger (Ford) and Paul Menard (Ford) complete the top-five qualifiers.

The Bank of America 500 is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night with live broadcast coverage provided by ESPN TV, PRN Radio and Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128.

Audio: 2010 NSCS Bank of America 500 Post-Qualifying Conference with Jeff Gordon

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET – POLE WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

YOU’VE GOT TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT HOW THINGS ARE SHAPING UP

“Oh, I’m telling you. This was huge and a huge shock. We just have not been qualifying good this year and as you mentioned, we haven’t qualified this well in Charlotte for 10 years. And I felt like there was a time when we were almost the pole king, like Ryan Newman lately. When it comes to Charlotte we used to qualify so well here but competition and cars and different things change over the years, we just sort of lost our way here. I’ll be honest. Today, the way it was going, I didn’t think we had any shot at this pole. The only thing that sticks out in my mind is that there were times when the car got through Turns 1 and 2 really good and the sun was beating down pretty hard on (Turns) 3 and 4 and this is just one of those place where when the sun goes down and the temps cool down, the cars react totally different. So we really tried to adjust more for what was happening down in (Turns) 1 and 2 because that end of the track was shaded and looked at what our teammates were doing.

“So we made some changes based on that and worked real hard at it. Even though we were thirty-something in practice, we went out there trying to get the best lap that we could. We didn’t think it was going to be a pole. We were going to be happy if we were in the top 15. And it came to the green good. I thought I got through Turns 1 and 2 okay; I didn’t think I got through there great. But I thought I got through (Turns) 3 and 4 really good. So, I thought for sure half a dozen guys were going to beat us. And I’m shocked right now that we’re here on the pole. But awesome timing in the Chase after the way we ended last week’s race. This is definitely a little small momentum and confidence booster for us that’s great timing.”

IS WINNING THE POLE GOOD TIMING? IS IT SOMETHING TO HANG YOUR HAT ON AS SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T HAD IN A WHILE?

“When it comes to wins and poles, I feel like there is a lot of correlation there you know, even though we’ve not been on a pole this year, and we haven’t been on one in 10 years here at Charlotte, it doesn’t stop us from working as hard as we can and communicating and trying to figure out what the car needs and what I’m looking for and looking at our computer simulation and getting with our engineers and sharing information with our teammates. And that process is the same thing in the race. We do the same things in every race. Sometimes you get the results and sometimes you don’t. I think that one of the toughest things about this sport is losing confidence, whether it be the team losing confidence in me or me losing confidence in them or the cars or adjustments and I think the thing I’m the most proud of with this team is that while we haven’t won in quite a while, we haven’t been like fighting with one another. We’re not second-guessing one another, we’re just continuing down that path of what we do and I think that’s so important and I think that’s what’s kept us second in points this year before the Chase and I think that’s what’s allowed us to stay in this battle for the championship in the Chase. And I think that if we can get that confidence back, that’s what’s going to help us win this championship. And a pole is definitely that little step. A win would be a huge step for us.”

IT’S BEEN 10 YEARS, BUT WHEN YOU WERE THE POLE KING HERE, YOU ALSO WON THE RACE 3 OUT OF 7 TIMES FROM THE POLE. CAN YOU TAKE ANYTHING FROM THAT? IS IT LIKE WHEN YOU START WELL YOU FINISH WELL HERE?

“Yeah, I think you could go back through my stats throughout my career and that kind of is the case, not just here at Charlotte, but at a lot of places. Actually me and (Kevin) Harvick were having a conversation about this today. Throughout my career, I’ve qualified pretty good. And when you qualify good, and you have good results, it’s whatever you’re used to and whatever seems to be a trend for you. Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth, they’re really good at qualifying further on back and racing their way to the front. It’s just not something throughout my career I’ve had a lot of experience at and so I’m not really good at it. I can tell you here lately we’ve gotten really good at racing from 15^th or 16^th because it seems like we qualify there about every weekend (laughs).

“This is definitely a boost. That number one pit stall is great. And we do run better here when we start up front just not having to deal with all the aerodynamic stuff that goes on. It doesn’t guarantee anything. The nice thing is that tomorrow, when we’re working through our race stuff, we’re not going to be sitting there at the end of practice going okay, we’re starting 15^th, so we need to start the car a little bit freer or we’ve got to do it this way because we’ve got to work through traffic and keep the car adjustable and then if we get to the front, then we’ll be able to pull that out. So that’s the nice thing. You don’t have to worry about that. You’re thinking more along the lines of we’re going to be in clean air; let’s adjust the car for night conditions and clean air and then if we get shuffled back, we’ll adjust. So there’s definitely a lot of plusses that come along with it. Just that little bit of confidence that we’re starting up front and now we can just go to work on the race.”

TONY STEWART SAYS THAT MOMENTUM DOESN’T MATTER, DOESN’T COUNT, HE SAYS WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS WEEK, YOU SEEM TO THINK THAT IN THIS CASE, MOMENTUM CAN BE A POSITIVE FOR YOUR TEAM, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN YOUR PHILOSOPHY AND MAYBE HIS? “I think confidence if more important that momentum. I think momentum has a small part in it. I think that they kind of go together because usually when your confidence increases and you have the results, usually the momentum comes along with that. But, the momentum can be broke down pretty quick. The confidence takes a lot more to break down. It also takes a lot more to build up. To me, I think that when you, like for Tony, they win coming into the Chase and I’m sure they probably felt pretty good about the way things were going coming into the Chase. Then has a couple of hiccups, they needed that win. Now whether that is confidence or momentum, I don’t know.

“Everybody can probably describe it in different ways. I think they kind of go together in my opinion. When you have a big win like Tony had last week, he basically had to have that win to stay in this championship. We’re kind of there on that brink too. Each race that goes by, the more winning becomes important and crucial. For us, the momentum for us and confidence for us is that we were 24th with 10 to go or 15 to go last week and we came back and finished ninth. Then we follow that up with a pole here. To me that is confidence and also a little bit of momentum.”

HOW DO YOU ACCOUNT FOR THE DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT FROM PRACTICE TO QUALIFYING TODAY AND HOW IMPORTANT WAS YOUR WATCHING THE GUYS WHO QUALIFIED BEFORE YOU ON TV? “This is one of those places where we practice during the day and qualify at night. The track conditions change so much. I don’t have the numbers, but the temperature change in the track in three and four is a huge swing. So, you do down in there and you are sliding the front end, for me anyway. I slide the front end so bad in three and four in practice and yet I was loose in one and two.

“I just knew that the track was going to get freer because the last time we were here, we had that same issue and we went out to qualify and we were really loose in three and four and then just loose on the whole run. That was in three and four coming to the green. So we tried to make sure we didn’t do that again. We looked at what our teammates were doing. Mark Martin was pretty fast at the end of practice and we looked at what he was doing, he was pretty close to us already so we made a few adjustments based on what we saw there.

“We had a good draw and the car did what I wanted it to do that it was not doing in practice and most of that was just as much as, we were pretty good through one and two, little bit loose. But, we tightened up for that end and hoped it would turn down here and it did. That’s the prediction that you have to make from practice to qualifying here that happens every time we come here.”

YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON THAT YOU AND STEVIE HAD TO GO TO WORK ON YOUR COMMUNICATION ESPECIALLY IN THE CHASE, IN THE PAST WHEN YOU WOULD DRIFT BACK TO 25TH POSITION, THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WHERE YOU WOULD END UP, NOW IT IS NOW TOP-FIVE OR TOP-10 AND YOU ARE IN TOP FORM. IS THERE ONE TIME THAT YOU REALLY SAW THINGS CLICK BETWEEN THE TWO OF YOU? “I wouldn’t say we are in top form. We’re fourth in points and we haven’t won a race this year. I will say we are improved from last year. I feel like even though we were third in points last year, I feel like there was room for improvement. One of those areas were where me and Steve having confidence in one another and understanding what is going on in the race. It is so important, that relationship between the driver and the crew chief. It is so important for nobody to take things personal. In the heat of the moment, adrenaline, tone of voice on the radio and things that are going on.

“Over the off season, we just worked really hard at trying to understand how each of us was thinking. Also, what we needed to do going forward to just be better. We wanted to go from third to a first place championship-caliber team. And while we haven’t won this year, I still think we are better than we were last year. Our pit stops are way better, so much more solid. I attribute that to Steve, he’s been working out with that pit crew all winter long and during the year. He’s built a great relationship with them. I think that has definitely helped. I think that how we got about our engineering, our communication, its better. I mean we could be sitting here talking about four or five wins that have been right there that just haven’t happened and then we would just be fourth in the championship. It wouldn’t be, oh and you haven’t won. We’re very capable of it. We are a very strong team.

“One of the things I think we are really good at this year, is we never give up. We always go as hard as we can until the checkered flag, you can’t ever count us out.

“We are consistent. We have run good at a lot of tracks. But, we’re realistic too. We know that we are up against three, four of the best teams out there which are the guys that are right there in points and in order finish ahead of them in points, we can’t make mistakes like I made on pit road last week. But if we do, we have to rebound and we have to finish better than ninth. That’s not going to cut it. It never does and while we have a good average finish, we’ve got to get up there. I’m not saying we have to win, not yet. But we definitely have to be battling up front for those wins and leading laps. And, we have to out run our competitors. We don’t have to win, we just have to out run those guys and finish ahead of them. We know we have to do that. We have 80-something points to make up. It doesn’t all have to happen this weekend or next weekend, but when we come out at Talladega, we’ve got to be pretty close to them.”

HAVING YOUR CHOICE OF PIT STALL, I’M ASSUMING IT’S THE FIRST ONE, DOES THAT KEEP YOU FROM MAKING A MISTAKE LIKE LAST WEEK IN TRYING TO GET AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ON PIT ROAD

“No, what’s going to keep us from having the mistake last week; I blame it all on myself because I know how our light system is on our tach. It’s so much different than what it used to be. We don’t look at the rpm’s anymore. We look at lights. Maybe not all the teams have them but the majority of the teams now have a light system on their tach. And the lights are just a correlation of rpm. But it’s easier to read a light than it is a little needle; or maybe I’m just getting old. I don’t know. And the way we had our light system set up, there’s a buffer in there so the way on the light that I was running, I could run 15 or 20 rpm over the pit road speed. You guys need to understand. This is how close we push everything. You go out there and look at qualifying and there were hundredths, thousands of a second in between cars. So we don’t want to give up anything on pit road. And it’s just so hard to do. It’s like a perfect storm that happened. My engine ran perfectly smooth. I just got the throttle pedal in the right place and I just creeped it up, creeped it up, and it never went to the next light. If it goes to the next light, I lift and I don’t speed. I creeped it up so close to that second light and it never came on; I actually was speeding. And it didn’t surprise me when they called me. This week we’ve got that light system set up a little bit different because they didn’t think it was possible for that to happen. Now we know it is possible. And my mistake because I knew the system; we do have a way within the team to prevent that from happening. It has nothing to do with where the pit stall is. What the number one pit stall does is gives us a clean shot off and a clean shot in and under caution, that’s big. If we pit under caution it’s a great advantage.”

About Chevrolet: Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S., the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including the Cruze Eco and Volt, both arriving in late 2010. Cruze Eco will offer up to 40 mpg highway while the Chevrolet Volt will offer up to 40 miles of electric, gas-free driving and an additional 300 miles of extended range (based on GM testing; official EPA estimates not yet available). Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availability can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

- Team Chevy, Press Release

NASCAR Hall of Fame

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 31 others representing all facets of the NASCAR industry, met in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C., to vote on the induction class of 2011. The announcement was made in the Great Hall inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The class was determined by 53 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

The Class of 2011 will be officially inducted in a ceremony in May 2011 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
The results of the voting for the five chosen in this class proved quite competitive. Also receiving votes were Dale Inman, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip.

As part of the inclusive voting process, hundreds of thousands of NASCAR fans submitted votes online at NASCAR.COM. That remarkable feedback once again demonstrated fans’ passion and knowledge of the sport and its heritage. The fans’ top five: Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough.

Here were the 25 nominees for induction into the 2011 NASCAR Hall of Fame class:

Bobby Allison, Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Jerry Cook, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Rick Hendrick, Jack Ingram, Dale Inman, Ned Jarrett, Fred Lorenzen, Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, T. Wayne Robertson, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Darrell Waltrip, Joe Weatherly, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame broke ground in Charlotte on Jan. 25, 2007 and opened to the public on May 11, 2010. The facility honors the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to the success of the sport.

Highlighting the Class of 2011:

Bobby Allison
Allison, winner of the 1983 NASCAR premier series championship, ended his career with 84 victories, tied for third on the all-time list. In 1972, he won 10 races, had 12 second-place finishes and was the NASCAR premier series runner-up (to Richard Petty). Allison captured the NASCAR Modified Special Division championship in 1962 and ‘63 and then went on to win the Modified Division the following two years. In 1998, Allison was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.”

Ned Jarrett
Jarrett was a two-time NASCAR champion (1961 and 1965) and two-time Sportsman Division champion (1957 and ‘58). Through his career he totaled 50 premier series wins, tied for 11th all-time. In 1998 he was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.” After retiring in 1966, Jarrett helped grow the sport through his second career as a broadcaster.

Bud Moore
A decorated World War II infantryman, Bud Moore became a successful NASCAR Sprint Cup owner almost immediately upon fielding a team in 1961. Moore won back-to-back championships in 1962-63 with Joe Weatherly. Earlier, in 1957, Moore – who referred to himself as “a country mechanic” – was crew chief for champion Buck Baker.

David Pearson
Pearson is a three-time NASCAR champion whose career total of 105 victories is second on the all-time list. Pearson won his titles in 1966, ’68 and ’69. He also won the sport’s biggest event, the Daytona 500 in 1976. In 1998 he was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.”

Lee Petty
Petty became the sports first three-time series champion after winning titles in 1954, ’58 and ’59. He was also the winner of the first Daytona 500 in 1959. His 54 career victories stands ninth on the all-time list and he never finished lower than fourth in points from 1949-1959. In 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.” Petty is the founder of Petty Enterprises and as an owner had more than 2,000 starts and 268 wins.

- NASCAR, Press Release

USARacing Pro Cup Series

Retired NASCAR driver Harry Gant, 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison, famous NASCAR engine builder and crew chief Waddell Wilson, and Modified champion Gary Myers will be the grand marshals. Mike Powell, who for many years drove a NASCAR Winston Cup team transporter and now possesses the distinction of being a Nashville recording artist, will sing the national anthem.

Gant, who won a race and a pole at the 0.625-mile track, Wilson, who built engines for several top NASCAR drivers including Fred Lorenzen and Cale Yarborough, and Myers will ride in the original North Wilkesboro Speedway pace car with owner Hon Church. NASCAR’s 1973 Winston Cup champion Benny Parsons drove the pace car to North Carolina from Detroit when it was originally delivered to the speedway.

Allison will make history Sunday when he becomes the first grand marshal of a stock car race to ever participate in the pre-race flyover. The leader of the “Alabama Gang” will be in a Piedmont Airlines DC3 owned by the Carolina Aviation Museum in Charlotte, N.C. It will be piloted by Capt. Harry O’Nan, a current Delta pilot, and Capt. Scott Edwards, an original Piedmont Airlines pilot now flying with USAirways. Alton McBride Sr. of Speedway Associates Inc. also will be aboard the aircraft. The four men will receive a police escort from a nearby private airport back to the historic track after the flyover.

The flight is compliments of Capt. Pat and Toni Day in honor of their friends and family in Wilkes County and Piedmont Airlines.

The Brushy Mountain 250 is the feature of Sunday’s Triple Header. Also on the racing schedule is a 100-lap Modified race and a 50-lap Street Stock event.

Practice for the Triple Header weekend begins Saturday at 9 a.m. with qualifying set for 2:35 p.m. The annual USAR Pro Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge is scheduled for 6 p.m.

On Sunday, spectator gates open at 9:30 a.m. An autograph session with USAR Pro Cup drivers will be at 11:30 a.m. with racing scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. with the 50-lap Street Stock race. The Brushy Mountain 250 is slated for 2 p.m. with the 100-lap Modified race to follow. will provide a trip down memory lane for long-time fans.

Retired NASCAR driver Harry Gant, 1983 NASCAR Winston Cup champion Bobby Allison, famous NASCAR engine builder and crew chief Waddell Wilson, and Modified champion Gary Myers will be the grand marshals. Mike Powell, who for many years drove a NASCAR Winston Cup team transporter and now possesses the distinction of being a Nashville recording artist, will sing the national anthem.

Gant, who won a race and a pole at the 0.625-mile track, Wilson, who built engines for several top NASCAR drivers including Fred Lorenzen and Cale Yarborough, and Myers will ride in the original North Wilkesboro Speedway pace car with owner Hon Church. NASCAR’s 1973 Winston Cup champion Benny Parsons drove the pace car to North Carolina from Detroit when it was originally delivered to the speedway.

Allison will make history Sunday when he becomes the first grand marshal of a stock car race to ever participate in the pre-race flyover. The leader of the “Alabama Gang” will be in a Piedmont Airlines DC3 owned by the Carolina Aviation Museum in Charlotte, N.C. It will be piloted by Capt. Harry O’Nan, a current Delta pilot, and Capt. Scott Edwards, an original Piedmont Airlines pilot now flying with USAirways. Alton McBride Sr. of Speedway Associates Inc. also will be aboard the aircraft. The four men will receive a police escort from a nearby private airport back to the historic track after the flyover.

The flight is compliments of Capt. Pat and Toni Day in honor of their friends and family in Wilkes County and Piedmont Airlines.

The Brushy Mountain 250 is the feature of Sunday’s Triple Header. Also on the racing schedule is a 100-lap Modified race and a 50-lap Street Stock event.

Practice for the Triple Header weekend begins Saturday at 9 a.m. with qualifying set for 2:35 p.m. The annual USAR Pro Cup Series Pit Crew Challenge is scheduled for 6 p.m.

On Sunday, spectator gates open at 9:30 a.m. An autograph session with USAR Pro Cup drivers will be at 11:30 a.m. with racing scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. with the 50-lap Street Stock race. The Brushy Mountain 250 is slated for 2 p.m. with the 100-lap Modified race to follow.

- Historic North Wilkesboro Speedway Press Release

No. 6 CitiFinancial Ford Fusion - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Stenhouse also has the Raybestos Rookie of the Year lead in his sights. Just one point out of the top spot in the rookie standings, Stenhouse has momentum on his side. In his last three races, he has one top-five and two top-10s with an average finish of eighth during that span.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Catch Stenhouse and the No. 6 team in the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 2, 2010 with race coverage beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN2.

About CitiFinancial

Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, Brian Ickler and Paul Menard. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway. And for sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release