Clint Bowyer No. 33 - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

It was the third Tissot win of the season for Bowyer’s crew and the second straight win for a Richard Childress Racing (RCR) team. Last week’s Tissot winner was the RCR teammate of the No. 33 – the No. 29 crew for Kevin Harvick.

Bowyer’s No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet spent the least amount of time on pit road – 170.217 seconds — during the Checkers O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. The quick stops lifted Bowyer to a seventh-place finish.

Bowyer’s over-the-wall crew, which earned $5,000 for the win, consists of: Jason Pulver (front-tire changer), Austin Craven (front-tire carrier), Dustin Niecaise (rear-tire changer), Matt Kreuter (rear-tire carrier), Nick Terry (jackman), Bryan Smith (gasman), Chad Haney (catch can) and Scott Brewer (eighth man). The team’s crew chief is Shane Wilson.

With one Sprint Cup race remaining – Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway – the crews for Greg Biffle and Jeff Gordon are the only teams in contention to capture the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award season championship.

Biffle’s crew leads the competition with six wins while Gordon’s team is second with five wins. If there’s a tie, the team which finishes the highest in the Sprint Cup driver point standings will be awarded the Tissot season title. The season-champion crew will receive $100,000 plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver.

Tissot has been the official watch and timekeeper of NASCAR since 2006. The company is also the official timekeeper for a number of other sports, including the MotoGP World Championship, the Ice Hockey World Championship and the Cycling World Championship.

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2009 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Standings

Pos Team No. Pit Crew For Wins Prize Money

1 16 Greg Biffle 6 30,000

2 24 Jeff Gordon 5 25,000

3 48 Jimmie Johnson 4 20,000

4 33 Clint Bowyer 3 15,000

T5 14 Tony Stewart 2 10,000

T5 39 Ryan Newman 2 10,000

T5 99 Carl Edwards 2 10,000

T8 43 Reed Sorenson 1 5,000

T8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1 5,000

T8 1 Martin Truex Jr. 1 5,000

T8 00 David Reutimann 1 5,000

T8 42 Juan Pablo Montoya 1 5,000

T8 11 Denny Hamlin 1 5,000

T8 9 Kasey Kahne 1 5,000

T8 20 Joey Logano 1 5,000

T8 44 AJ Allmendinger 1 5,000

T8 26 Jamie McMurray 1 5,000

T8 29 Kevin Harvick 1 5,000

2009 Tissot Pit Road Precision Award Winners

Daytona, 2/15 Reed Sorenson Team

Fontana, 2/22 Tony Stewart Team

Las Vegas, 3/1 Greg Biffle Team

Atlanta 3/8 Clint Bowyer Team

Bristol, 3/22 Jimmie Johnson Team

Martinsville, 3/29 Jeff Gordon Team

Fort Worth, 4/5 Jeff Gordon Team

Phoenix, 4/18 Ryan Newman Team

Talladega, 4/26 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team

Richmond, 5/2 Jeff Gordon Team

Darlington, 5/9 Martin Truex Jr. Team

Charlotte, 5/25 David Reutimann Team

Dover, 5/31 Greg Biffle Team

Pocono, 6/7 Carl Edwards Team

Michigan, 6/14 Greg Biffle Team

Sonoma, 6/21 Juan Pablo Montoya Team

New Hampshire, 6/28 Jimmie Johnson Team

Daytona, 7/4 Tony Stewart Team

Chicagoland, 7/11 Denny Hamlin Team

Indianapolis, 7/26 Greg Biffle Team

Pocono, 8/3 Kasey Kahne Team

Watkins Glen, 8/10 Jimmie Johnson Team

Michigan, 8/16 Joe Logano Team

Bristol, 8/22 Greg Biffle Team

Atlanta, 9/6 AJ Allmendinger Team

Richmond, 9/12 Jamie McMurray Team

New Hampshire, 9/20 Ryan Newman Team

Dover, 9/27 Clint Bowyer Team

Kansas, 10/4 Greg Biffle Team

Fontana, 10/11 Jeff Gordon Team

Charlotte, 10/17 Jeff Gordon Team

Martinsville, 10/25 Jimmie Johnson Team

Talladega, 11/1 Carl Edwards Team

Fort Worth, 11/8 Kevin Harvick Team

Phoenix, 11/15 Clint Bowyer Team

- DMF Communications for Tissot Pit Road Precision Award, Press Release

No. 47 Little Debbie Chocolate Cupcakes Toyota Camry

“We had a great race today and were close to a top-10 finish, but man it’s tough to finish in the top-10,” Ambrose said.

Rolling off pit road 21^st for the 312-lap event, Ambrose made his way into the top-15 for the first time on Lap 70. Two laps later the first round of green flag pit stops commenced for the 43-car field.  Ambrose’s Little Debbie® Chocolate Cupcakes Toyota had been tight in the center with no forward drive.

His crew chief Frank Kerr called for four tires, a half of a round out of wedge out of the left rear and fuel. Ambrose exited pit road in 21^st position. By Lap 110, Ambrose reentered the top-15 before pitting again this time under caution at Lap 116. The JTG-Daugherty Racing team took out another half of a round of wedge out of the left rear, changed four tires and added fuel.

As the field restarted on Lap 119, there was a big pileup immediately involving Ambrose’s teammate Michael Waltrip and nearly 10 other cars on the frontstretch. After NASCAR’s safety workers cleared the track of debris, Ambrose was lined up behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the restart on Lap 127 with leader and eventual winner Jimmie Johnson showing the way. While running in the top-15, Ambrose communicated to Kerr that he was tight in the center and that his right front was shaking.

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When the next caution occurred for debris, Ambrose came down pit road for four tires and for his JTG-Daugherty Racing crew to put the wedge back in his Little Debbie® Toyota.

“On our first pit stop, the change we made was great and the second change we made, we lost the center of the corner and the car was shaking,” Ambrose said.

The field was back to green at Lap 168 with Ambrose in 14^th-place. Then another huge crash occurred near Turn 4 on Lap 170 when Earnhardt’s No. 88 machine spun beneath Ambrose’s Little Debbie® Toyota. Ambrose escaped unscathed, but the incident collected several cars including drivers like Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Brian Vickers, Scott Speed, Matt Kenseth, Sam Hornish Jr. and Bobby Labonte.

Once the dust settled and the track was clear it was back to work at Lap 178 for Ambrose, who was scored in 14^th place.  On Lap 236, the No. 47 Little Debbie® Chocolate Cupcakes Toyota broke into the top-10.

“Ambrose had the fastest car by a lot at that point,” Kerr said.

Ambrose gave up sixth place at Lap 242 for four tires and minor adjustments under green. He was back inside the top-10 on Lap 248.

As the laps wound down, Ambrose was dealing with a brake issue and the car was shaking again while he fought hard to hang on to a top-10 position.  Ambrose would go on to finish 11^th in the event as Jimmie Johnson crossed the finish line first to earn his seventh victory of the season. Jeff Burton was second, Denny Hamlin third, Mark Martin fourth and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top-five. Johnson is now 108 points ahead of Mark Martin in second place with one race remaining.

The Australian driver is currently 18^th in the championship standings heading into Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Live coverage of the season finale on Sunday, November 22^nd will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on ABC. MRN Radio and Sirius XM will also carry the event.

- JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Robby Gordon

Charlotte, N.C.

The unique design of Phoenix International Raceway makes it extremely difficult to set up a race car that handles well throughout the entire 1-mile oval.  In hopes of perfecting the car, the team started the No. 7 Jim Beam Camry with a set up that varied from what they had used in practice earlier in the weekend.  Unfortunately, the Jim Beam team fell victim to this challenge as Gordon called into the crew to report handling difficulties within the opening laps.

By the end of the first run, Gordon was still reporting a loose condition on both the entry and exit of the corner with a tight condition through the center of the turn.  With the leader quickly approaching, crew chief Doug Richert decided to short pit and called Gordon down pit road on Lap 69.  The early stop allowed the team to put fresh tires on the No. 7 Jim Beam Camry, which helped Gordon make faster laps than the leader and ultimately placed him securely on the lead lap.

The long green flag run that started the race continued until Lap 115 when the caution finally came out for debris in Turn 2.  Shortly after Lap 100 several cars, including the No. 7 Jim Beam Camry, had gone a lap down to the leaders, so the Lap 115 caution gave the team a chance to strategize to get Gordon back on the lead lap.  The team decided to stay out under the caution to receive the wave-around and return to the lead lap of competition.

The Jim Beam team made their strategy call on the saying “cautions breed cautions,” and just as expected there was a caution on the restart on Lap 120.  Unfortunately, Gordon was caught up in the chain reaction accident that occurred when some cars didn’t take off on the restart.  The incident left the Jim Beam Camry with significant damage to the right front, including a fender rub and a bent splitter.

The No. 7 Jim Beam team spent subsequent caution periods fixing the damage that was sustained in the Lap 120 caution and making adjustments to aid the handling of Gordon’s Camry.  By the time the checkered flag fell, the No. 7 Jim Beam Camry was scored in the 22^nd position.

“Jim Beam has been a great partner to the Robby Gordon Motorsports organization since its formation back in 2005,” said Gordon.  “I really hoped that we would be able to bring home a stronger finish than 22^nd for their last race to show our appreciation for everything they have done.  Unfortunately, we got caught up in an untimely accident when we were trying to make up some track position. Regardless, I think that the team did a great job working to repair the opportunity. We even got the Lucky Dog at one point with a wrecked race car. We preserved and ended up finishing 22^nd, which isn’t terrible considering we had significant right front damage.”

Prior to racing in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Robby Gordon will travel to the Baja Peninsula to race the No. 77 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Trophy Truck in the Tecate SCORE Baja 1000, November 19-22.  The Baja 1000 marks the fifth and final competition in the 2009 Tecate SCORE International Off-Road Championship, which Gordon is currently leading for both the Trophy Truck division and the Overall SCORE Desert Series.  While Gordon works to clinch the SCORE Championship, the Robby Gordon Motorsports team will work to prepare and perfect their Camry with the help of Matt Crafton.  Crafton is set to practice and qualify the No. 7 MAPEI / Menards Camry, turning the wheel back over to Gordon for the 400-mile race on Sunday afternoon.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway for the final race of the 2009 season.  The Ford 400 will be broadcast live on ABC beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, November 22.  MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio will carry live radio coverage of the event beginning at 2:45 p.m. EST.  Qualifying for the 400-mile race will be broadcast on ESPN2 beginning at 3:00 p.m. EST on Friday, November 20, 2009.

- Robby Gordon Motorsports, Press

Front row starter Kurt Busch led the first 60 or so laps after getting by pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. on lap one. But when third-place starter Johnson got to the front, he went on to lead over three quarters of the race on his way to the win.

Truex held on to post a top-five finish, finishing in the fifth position, and Busch finished sixth. - Full Story by Amanda Vincent – Louisville NASCAR Examiner

NSCS Red Bull Racing Teams No. 82 & No. 83

Who:

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Brian Vickers and Co. used the first half of Sunday’s race to dial in the No. 83 and crack the top 15. Teammate Scott Speed and the No. 82 crew were executing the same game plan with hopes of staying a twentysomething.

Cue lap 171 of the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.

With all of the lead-lap cars on fresh tires after a round pit stops, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 slipped exiting turn four and turned sideways. The accordion effect was on in a tight part of Phoenix International Raceway, and fifth in line was BV’s 83. Tony Stewart rear-ended Vickers, who in turn rear-ended Bobby Labonte before 10 cars formed a junkyard near the start-finish line.

Included in that 10 was Speed’s 82. He saw trouble ahead, mashed the brakes and when the smoke finally cleared was facing the wrong way. Despite heavy damage to the right rear, Speed soldiered on. He pitted multiple times for repairs, but the race went green to the end and Speed was in ride-around mode before finishing nine laps down in 33rd.

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Vickers wasn’t as fortunate. After he climbed out of his 3,400-pound pinball, his day was done. He finished 38th — his worst showing since a wreck sent him home in 39th in the season-opening Daytona 500.

Nowhere to go,” Vickers said. “Track position was really, really important today. It was very difficult to pass out there. And I think it was so hard to pass that no one was willing to give anything up. On the restarts it got pretty dicey. I saw the 88 get sideways. I tried to lift, tried to get out of it but the whole track was blocked. It was just one big jam-up.”

Speed concurred.

Smoke, that’s about all I saw,” he said. “I was on the brakes and the next thing I know we’re looking the other way. Obviously, I got hit from behind is the biggest thing. That’s what ruined our car.”

We had a great car in the middle of the race. We started off way too tight, but we fixed it and then we started going pretty good so from that perspective I’m happy because we made progress. We were competitive, we had good lap times so maybe next time we can stopped getting wrecked.”

Entering this weekend’s finale in south Florida, Vickers remains 12th in the Chase standings — 146 points behind Carl Edwards in 11th. Speed still has 114 points to make up on the top 35.

+ UP NEXT

Ford 400, Sunday, Nov. 22, Homestead-Miami Speedway

- Red Bull Racing Team, Press Release

Tony Stewart - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Tony Stewart’s drive in Sunday’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway went from a possible top-10 performance to a disappointing 25^th-place result when he was caught up in a multi-car accident on lap 171 of the 312-lap race.

It was triggered when Dale Earnhardt Jr., spun coming off turn four of the 1-mile oval, and Stewart’s No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS was among a gaggle of cars that were trapped in the ensuing melee.  Nine cars in all were involved, with Stewart suffering significant damage to each corner of his racecar, including a busted front splitter that took three pit stops to repair.

Despite the bleak outlook and the subsequent time spent on pit road, crew chief Darian Grubb and his team were able to work on the No. 14 machine quickly enough to keep Stewart on the lead lap.

However, eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson was setting a blistering pace, and he soon lapped Stewart, not once, but twice.  The battered Old Spice/Office Depot Chevy was no match for the clean lines of Johnson’s No. 48 ride, but that was the case with just about every entry in the 43-car field, as Johnson dominated the event by leading four times for a race-high 238 laps.

As Johnson sprayed champagne in victory lane and celebrated his 47^th career Sprint Cup victory, his seventh of the season and his fourth at Phoenix, Stewart’s crew loaded his crumpled racecar onto the team’s transporter for the long haul back to Kannapolis, N.C., headquarters for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR).

Stewart’s SHR teammate, Ryan Newman in the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS, fared only a little better.  He was also caught up in the lap-171 accident, but didn’t suffer as much damage as Stewart.  Still, it dropped him off the lead lap and delivered a 20^th-place finish.

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Johnson, the three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion, has all but assured himself of making NASCAR history by becoming the only driver to win four straight championships.  His 108-point lead over second-place Mark Martin is nearly insurmountable, for Johnson needs only to finish 25^th or better in the season finale Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Even with the frustrating outcome in the season’s penultimate race, Stewart remained fifth in the standings and is now 285 points behind Johnson.  Newman maintained his ninth-place standing and is 411 markers out of first.

Enjoying a much better time in the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500k was Jeff Burton, who finished 1.033 seconds behind Johnson in the runner-up spot to score his best finish of the season.  Denny Hamlin finished third, while Martin and Martin Truex Jr., rounded out the top-five.  Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon and David Reutimann comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were four caution periods for 23 laps, with six drivers failing to finish.

Only one race remains on the 2009 schedule, and the top-12 drivers who made up this year’s Chase for the Championship currently rank as follows:

1.              Jimmie Johnson (6,492 points) +/-0

2.              Mark Martin (6,384 points, -108) +/-0

3.              Jeff Gordon (6,323 points, -169) +/-0

4.              Kurt Busch (6,281 points, -211) +/-0

5. Tony Stewart (6,207 points, -285) +/-0

6.              Juan Pablo Montoya (6,203 points, -289) +/-0

7.              Greg Biffle (6,171 points, -321) +/-0

8.              Denny Hamlin (6,140 points, -352) +/-0

9. Ryan Newman (6,031 points, -411) +/-0

10.          Kasey Kahne (6,016 points, -476) +/-0

11.          Carl Edwards (5,972 points, -520) +/-0

12.          Brian Vickers (5,826 points, -666) +/-0

The season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway starts at 3:15 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 2:30 p.m.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing/Old Spice Racing/Office Depot Racing, Press Release

Paul Menard

Menard qualified 41st in Friday afternoon’s qualifying session. The team felt they were behind, but did not feel out of the game. After the first practice on Saturday morning was rained out, the No. 98 Johns Manville team worked hard through the final practice before the race to find additional speed in their Ford Fusion.

Before a packed grandstand and full mountain side, pole winner Martin Truex, Jr. led the field to the green flag. During the first run of the day, Menard, who started from the 41st position noted the car to be loose in and off the turns and tight through the center of the corner. Crew chief Larry Carter radioed back they would make a track bar and air pressure adjustment to help with the handling, however, before the team could make the needed adjustments, Menard was passed by race leader Kurt Busch.

Carter called Menard down pit road on lap 67 for the first pit stop of the day under green flag conditions. During the stop, Carter called for fuel, four fresh stickers, and a track bar adjustment to Menard’s Ford Fusion. After green flag stops cycled through, Menard was shown 37th on the leaderboard.

The first caution flag of the day came on lap 115 when debris was spotted on the speedway. Carter took the opportunity to call Menard down pit road for another round of changes to the track bar and air pressure. Menard noted the changed work, but he could use some more grip on the track.

During the restart on lap 120, the field bunched up on the frontstetch which sent a number of cars spinning toward the inside wall. Menard easily avoided the accident and moved up to the 34th position.

In a long green flag run to the finish, Menard noted the car to get better on the long run and but still lacked grip on the track. Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag and all but secured his fourth championship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The top five was rounded out by Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin and Martin Truex, Jr.

“We certainly didn’t have the best car today,” said Menard following the race. “While Larry (Carter) and the guys were able to make the right adjustments throughout the race, it never really felt great to me. We made some strides, but needed a lot more in the end to make our car fast. I fought finding any grip on the track all afternoon.”

Next week, the No. 98 Johns Manville / Menards team will make their final start of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. ABC television and MRN radio affiliates will carry the live race broadcast beginning at 3:00 p.m. (EST).

NEXT UP:

Ford 400

Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile speedway)

Homestead, Fla.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

ABOUT MENARDS

Well-known as the place to “Save Big Money,” Menards is a family-owned home improvement retailer with 252 hometown hardware stores in 12 Midwestern states. Menards carries all the tools, materials and supplies for all your home improvement needs from just needing a light bulb to building a new house. Most Menards stores also carry name brand appliances, pet products, lawn and garden supplies and even groceries as your one-stop shopping experience. There is something for everyone at Menards from the beginning do-it-yourselfer to the experienced contractor. The company’s strength and success can be seen in the well-stocked and maintained stores, the lowest prices in the area and the way guests are always treated like family in a hometown hardware store atmosphere.

For more information, visit www.menards.com or www.menardsracing.com

ABOUT YATES RACING

Yates Racing currently operates three motorsports teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formerly known as Robert Yates Racing, the team is owned by Doug Yates, who took the reins after his father, Robert Yates, retired following the 2007 season. In 2008, Doug partnered with Max Jones; a former road racer and long-time race team championship General Manager. During Yates Racing’s 21-year tenure in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, the organization has earned a total of 57 wins, 49 poles, 270 top-five finishes, 433 top-ten finishes, and a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. In 2009, Hall of Fame Racing has teamed up with Yates Racing to field the No. 96 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Sponsorship opportunities are available; please contact Jon Sands with Yates Racing at 704-720-4621 or visit www.yatesracing.com.

- Yates Racing, Press Release

Clint Bowyer No. 33 - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Clint Bowyer and the Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Racing team posted their second consecutive seventh-place finish in Sunday’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil at Phoenix International Raceway.

Bowyer’s 16th top-10 finish of the season allows him to maintain the 15th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into the final race of 2009.

Bowyer recorded the 18th-fastest time in Friday’s opening practice session and, later that afternoon, recorded a lap of 27.132 seconds at an average speed of 132.685 mph to place him 13th on the starting grid for Sunday’s race.

From the drop of the green flag, the Emporia, Kan., native displayed the strength of his Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet. Despite struggling with a lack of grip, Bowyer showed 11th on the scoring pylon for the opening 70 laps, only relinquishing the position when he hit pit road for a green-flag stop. The Helping Hands pit crew performed lightning-fast service that advanced their driver to sixth when the field completed the cycle of stops.

Bowyer continued to make his presence known, recording lap times equal to, and sometimes faster than, the race leaders. Following a caution period for a multi-car incident, Bowyer followed the field to pit road for service at lap 164, taking on four tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. The Helping Hands pit crew performed their service in 12.6 seconds, moving Bowyer to second on the lap-168 restart.

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Changing weather conditions in the later stages of the 312-lap event resulted in handling issues for Bowyer. But, as the race continued under green-flag conditions, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner kept his Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet in the fifth position. Despite his best efforts, Bowyer relinquished two positions over the closing laps, taking the checkered flag seventh.

Jimmie Johnson picked up his seventh win of the 2009 season, beating Bowyer’s Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton to the checkered flag by 1.033 seconds. Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin and Martin Truex, Jr. rounded out the top-five finishers.

Bowyer’s other RCR teammates Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears finished 24th and 27th, respectively.

Next weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to South Florida for the final race of the 2009 season.

The Ford 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The race will be televised live on ABC beginning at 2:30 p.m. EST and broadcast worldwide on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the final race of the 2009 season will be televised live on ESPN2 Friday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. EST. MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio will provide qualifying updates live.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTE

“It was a good run for our Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet. We are still a little bit off here, but it is a huge step in the right direction. We just have to keep plugging away. We are getting there. All in all it was a good day for the 33 team.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release

Max Papis

Short-term memory may be the most important trait among racecar drivers and teams alike. No time to think about last week; time to move on. And that is exactly what Papis and the Germain Racing team planned to do when they arrived in Phoenix this weekend.

The first half of practice on Friday would not provide much hope for the GEICO team, but as the session came to a close, Papis picked up significantly and saw himself in the 42nd position. Despite the improvement, the #13 GEICO Toyota Camry sat ahead of only two ‘go or go home cars’. Papis would need to beat three if he hoped to compete in Sunday’s race.

At the conclusion of the first lap of his qualifying effort, television broadcasters predicted Papis’ fate, indicating that given his current speed he would most likely not qualify for his second consecutive race. What they could not predict is what happened next. On his second qualifying lap, Papis picked up enough speed to not only make the field, but also to place the GEICO Camry 23rd on the starting grid. Heads turned as he picked up nearly 20 positions on the second lap. Taking the checkered flag, Papis voiced his excitement over the team’s radio frequency while fans and fellow competitors applauded his valiant effort. He ended up as one of the fastest ‘go or go home cars’, falling victim only to 2000 Sprint Cup Series champion, Bobby Labonte, who qualified 20th.

Race day was met with clear, sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60’s. After being featured in an ABC pre-race interview, Papis strapped into the GEICO Camry and prepared to educate himself on the 1-mile tri-oval of Phoenix International Raceway. Starting 23rd, Papis would slide to the rear of the field when the green flag was displayed so as not to interfere with the Chase contenders as the season winds down. By lap 22, the #13 GEICO Camry reached the 41st position and was ready to go to work. Unfortunately, smoke was seen coming from the car just 12 laps later, but it soon disappeared and Papis continued moving forward. He reached the 36th position by Lap 71, and narrowly avoided a crash involving Michael Waltrip, Robby Gordon and Elliott Sadler on the Lap 120 restart.

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As his lap times continued to improve, GEICO Racing crew chief Bootie Barker offered Papis some encouragement on Lap 156. “Keep doing what you’re doing! You’ve picked up a lot of speed and your lap times are good,” Barker said.

Papis and the GEICO Camry would avoid peril by the narrowest of margins on Lap 170 when Phoenix International Raceway had its version of the ‘big one’. Several racecars crashed and created a literal barricade across the racetrack. Papis steered the #13 GEICO Camry through the carnage and continued on his mission.

When the checkered flag waved over the Valley of the Sun, Papis and the #13 GEICO Camry managed to hustle to a 32nd place finish.

“I was able to learn a lot today and it will help tremendously when we come back here next year in the GEICO car,” Papis said. “I’m happy we had a great qualifying effort and I’m glad to see the improvement that we’re making each week. After missing Texas, it was important to come here this weekend and rebound. We showed our resilience and that we can recover quickly and do a good job. I’m proud of this GEICO team and I’m looking forward to getting to Homestead and finishing up the season on a good note.”

Just one race remains in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. While many scratched their heads when Max Papis announced he would go Sprint Cup Series racing with little to no experience in either of NASCAR’s lower two series, they now have clarity. As the season winds down, they are convinced that Papis belongs in NASCAR. Aside from being a fan favorite, he has gained the confidence of his fellow competitors and has managed to accomplish something that many drivers would have fallen short of. Papis has achieved success at stock car racing’s highest level without the benefit of track time that other open-wheel racers who have made the transition have received.

Next week, Homestead, Florida, marks the final race of the season, as well as the final race of Papis and Germain Racing’s successful debut in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Papis will hit the track at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the opening practice session on Friday, November 20th, at 11:30 AM (ET). Qualifying will follow at 3:10 PM (ET).

The Ford 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, November 22nd, and it will be televised live on ABC beginning at 2:30 PM (ET), while the Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

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

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

Ryan Newman

“We squandered a great opportunity today due to a couple of pit road problems,” said crew chief Tony Gibson. “It’s really frustrating knowing that we didn’t capitalize on what we had.”

Newman showed his strength early in the race. He started 24th and gained 12 positions when he came in for the first pit stop on Lap 74 of 312.

“Before I get into our race, I want to congratulate my teammate Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army NHRA Top Fuel team for capturing the season championship today in (Pomona) California,” said Newman. “A big hooah to Tony and his team for a truly Army Strong effort.”

“Now back to our race,” added Newman. “No question we were in good shape early and looked like we had the muscle to eventually run with the leaders. But then a chain of problems, stemming from pit road issues, took our momentum away.”

The slow stops cost Newman track position on the one-mile oval, and while running in the high teens, his car got damaged during a multicar accident on Lap 172.

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“We were in a position on the track that we never should have been in and it cost us dearly,” said Gibson. “That hit pretty much ended any hopes of getting back up front. We had damage to the splitter and the left-front fender and all we could do was band-aid the problem. Ryan did the best he could from that point on.”

Newman remained ninth in the Chase point standings.

Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, finished 25th and remained fifth in points.

The race winner was Jimmie Johnson. Rounding out the top-five in order were Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr.

Johnson enjoys a comfortable 108-point lead over Martin heading into the season finale Sunday (Nov. 22) at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Chase Point Standings after Phoenix, Nov. 15, 2009

1. Jimmie Johnson, 6,492 points
2. Mark Martin, 6,384 (-108)
3. Jeff Gordon, 6,323 (-169)
4. Kurt Busch, 6281 (-211)
5. Tony Stewart, 6207 (-285)
6. Juan Pablo Montoya, 6203 (-289)
7. Greg Biffle, 6171, (-321)
8. Denny Hamlin, 6140 (-352)
9. Ryan Newman, 6081 (-411)
10. Kasey Kahne, 6016 (-476)
11. Carl Edwards, 5972 (-520)
12. Brian Vickers, 5826 (-666)

- DMF Communications for U.S. Army Racing, Press Release

Team Chevy - GM Racing

“When we put new tires on, the car came to life and then we had a couple of small adjustments that really really helped it. I could get out to a nice comfortable lead and ride and protect what I had and work my way through traffic. Not with ease, but better than the other guys. Had a great finish.”

THERE WAS THE ONE TIME DENNY HAMLIN REELED YOU IN A BIT AND THEN HERE COMES JEFF BURTON, WERE YOU CONCERNED? “I was trying to be smart through traffic and the No. 20 car, I am not sure if he was just trying hard to stay just two laps down and didn’t want to go a third lap down or if he was really trying to help his teammate out, but either way, the No. 11 car caught me. Once I cleared him, I got back going and everything was fine but the No. 20 car wasn’t being all that friendly.”

LOOKING AHEAD, 108 POINT LEAD, JUST HAVE TO FINISH 25TH OR BETTER, THAT IS EASY FOR US TO SAY THAT, HOW DO YOU APPROACH NEXT WEEKEND? “I think last weekend (Texas Motor Speedway) qualifying 12th even though that is a good qualifying spot, put us in harm’s way. I was maybe a little cautious in qualifying on Friday. So we need to show up down there (Homestead-Miami Speedway) and treat it like any other race. The further forward we start, the better we are going to be track position wise. Better pit stall selection we are going to have so until we get in the race and see what we really have, we’re going to treat it like any other race and just go as fast as we can.”

WOW THREE IN A ROW HERE IN THE FALL WHEN IT COUNTS THE MOST JIMMIE. “Thankfully, yeah. What a great car. What a great race team. We could have easily been beat down and certainly there were some dark moments over the last week worrying about the points lead and what we lost. These guys can bounce back. We’ve always been good at it. To come, bounce back and qualify strong, run well in practice, great stops all day long, dominate this race so I’m very proud of these guys. Obviously one more race to go. We saw in Texas anything can happen so we don’t need to get too excited about things. One-o-something is better than 73. I’m very excited about it and I hope all the employee owners at Lowe’s are excited. I hope all the No. 48 fans and everyone at store 2852, that’s good stuff.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - PreOrder

WHAT WAS THE FEELING TODAY AFTER THE FIRST PIT STOP? “I was good. In that first run the car was real loose and then after that the car was pretty dang good. The No. 2 was really strong which I expected to see, the No. 11. Although I was falling off and they were going to come get me at some point but their cars fell off more and off we went. This was just an awesome performance. I want to thank everyone at Hendrick Motorsports engine shop, chassis, bodies, this entire No. 48 race team and everybody at Lowe’s.”

WERE YOU THINKING WHAT WE WERE THINKING, IF HE CAN DO THIS ITS GOING TO LOOK AWFULLY GOOD IN HOMESTEAD? “I knew Mark (Martin) was having a good day. I could see him coming up through the back at the start and I just really tried to ignore what he was doing because he’s Mark Martin and I know he and that time were going to finish well. I just had to get all I could and lead as many laps as possible and try to win the race and just do everything I could on my end and I did.”

IF MARK DOES EVERYTHING HE CAN NEXT WEEK YOU STILL ONLY NEED TO FINISH 25TH OR BETTER, HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL? “That’s a great position to be in. We finished 38th last week so I can’t put my guard down. Anything and everything that could go wrong last week did. Going into this next week we just need to show up and race smart and do our thing.”

CAN YOU PLAY IT SAFE AT ALL OR GO FOR IT ALL THE WAY AND DO WHAT YOU DID HERE? “Truthfully I feel that my 12th-place qualifying effort in Texas put me in harm’s way and I was just trying to drive a smart lap in qualifying and not do anything stupid and that put me in harm’s way. So going into the race next weekend, I need to show up Friday ready to sit on the pole and then go from there and run up front. The safest place is up front in the top-two or three and if we can stay there we’ll be in good shape.”

JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CAT FINANCIAL IMPALA SS, FINISHED 2ND: TALK ABOUT YOUR DAY: “Yes, that is better. Real proud of everybody on the CAT Financial team. Everybody has been working really hard. Todd Berrier has come in and done a great job. Lot of good people on this team. Scott Miller has done a great job helping get our company where we need to be. We are working hard. We’re getting there. We’re not a 100% there, but we’re gaining and real proud of everybody’s effort. I lost this race for us on Friday, which is really disgusting to me. But, we had a good car and we’ll do better.”

HOW MUCH SLIPPING AND SLIDING WAS GOING ON OUT THERE? “It was pretty slick. I just made better time. I just mashed the throttle and got the back end around on it. I was afraid of killing the tires but it never did hurt it so I just kept doing it. That was the way we were the fastest so I kept doing it.”

DESCRIBE THE DAY AND HOW THIS ORGANIZATION CAME TOGETHER. “Well you know these races are won in the shop. We’ve been working real hard trying to improve our equipment. Todd Berrier has come in and done a great job. The team has done a great job. We had one hiccup on pit road early but the rest of them we picked up spots every time. That’s what it takes. It takes a team effort and I’m really proud of everybody. I lost this race for us on Friday to be quite honest. We’ve got to qualify better than 36th with a car like that. I told Todd Berrier yesterday it’s a shame to qualify that bad in a car that fast and that’s on my shoulders. You know I’m 42 and still learning and I’ll get better.”

HOW PHYSICAL IS THIS TRACK? “Turn four is harder than I remember it being. It’s hard to get the car to turn in the middle of the corner. It’s hard to make enough rear grip on the exit of the corner. I just could make more time if I was buzzing the right rear tire. I just seem like I could point the car better if I had the car loose. I didn’t really want to be doing that but that’ show we were the fastest. I was afraid it would burn the right rear tire off but it never did. So that just made us better. I don’t want to have to do that but we do what we have to do.”

MARK MARTIN, NO. 5 KELLOGG’S/CARQUEST IMPALA SS, FINISHED 4TH: TALK ABOUT YOUR DAY AND THE POINTS: “We had a great run. The guys did a fabulous job and we had a really good race car. The car was awesome on the long runs. I really thought with that last long green flag that we were going to get up there and make it a four-car race but our car got tight and kind of fizzled out.”

DID YOU MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO YOUR CAR? “We didn’t do anything. Really, what we did do, we took back out and kind of left the car. It was a top-five car the whole race. It was really good on the long runs. We fought from behind it seemed like a little bit today. It was a good effort by this whole team.”

IT SEEMED LIKE YOU HAD A GOOD RACE CAR ALL DAY LONG, WAS IT AS GOOD AS IT SEEMED? “It was a good car and a great effort by this race team and we gave it everything we had today. The car was a little vulnerable on the restarts and we lost some spots and had to battle back from that. Our car was very, very good on the long run. In fact I really thought we could get to Jimmie with 35 to go as good as our car was going and then it just got tight. I got up to Denny (Hamlin) and I got tight and kind of fizzled out. It was a strong car and a great effort by this team and I’m really proud.”

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN DIG OUT OF WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THIS SEASON? “I’m pretty proud of what we’ve done this season. That’s really all I’ve got to say about it. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

MARTIN TRUEX, JR., NO. 1 RAIN-X IMPALA SS, FINISHED 5TH: TALK ABOUT YOUR WEEKEND: “It was a great day for us. I just have to thank all these guys here. This Rain-X Chevrolet. They worked very, very hard today. This is one of my favorite race tracks here at Phoenix and I really expected to have a good day. The car was great all day. They made it better on the pit stops. That was really important for us. We struggled a little in the beginning and the guys made it better all day long and I was real proud of them for their efforts. It has been a tough year but they just keep fighting and they did a great job today.”

DESCRIBE THE LONG GREEN FLAG RUNS TODAY: “It was fun to get strung out like that. You could really race the race track and not have to worry about racing other guys and holding yourself up. The track got really, really slick today. A lot of guys were fighting grip, I don’t think any of us up front felt our cars were that good. Just got real slick and that is why it strung out like it did. I was happy with my car. They guys made it better on every pit stop and that was key for us today.”

CLINT BOWYER, NO. 33 CHEERIOS/HAMBURGER HELPER IMPALA SS, FINISHED 7TH: “It was a good run for our Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet. We are still a little bit off here, but it is a huge step in the right direction. We just have to keep plugging away. We are getting there; we’re running out of time though. There is only one race left. All in all it was a good day for us.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET IMPALA SS, FINISHED 8TH: “We just couldn’t get the handling where it needed be to make a charge to the front. I was fighting a tight car in the center all day long. Still to walk away with a top-10 doesn’t make for a terrible day.”

Jeff Gordon - Official Store Deals

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT IMPALA SS – Finished 9th
ABOUT THE DAY
“It wasn’t a great day. I thought we were going to be a lot better than that. We started off the day great, and I don’t know, we just faded. We just didn’t have it. We fought hard for ninth and got that.”

IS IT JUST A MATTER OF NOT BEING ABLE TO CHANGE AS YOU GO ALONG?
“We started off so good. It just seems every weekend we start off great and I don’t know what it is. If we knew what it was, we’d do it (laughs). But you know we lost track position. That didn’t help and we weren’t good on the restarts and that didn’t help. We tried to make adjustments and we tried everything and none of them seemed to help. I don’t know. The track changed it and it affected us more than it did some others.”

YOU SOUNDED VERY FRUSTRATED ON THE RADIO THROUGHOUT THE RACE JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO GET THE RIGHT SET-UP. IS THAT HOW YOU WOULD SUM-UP THE DAY?
“Well I was really excited in the beginning. I thought we were great. I thought we were really going to get up there for the win or at least a top three or four. But man, it just went away in a blink of an eye. On the restart they took me three wide. We just couldn’t get up and get going. I was on the inside lane and from that point on, it was just a struggle.”

ON THE LONG GREEN-FLAG RUNS
“At the beginning of the race I wanted to go long green flag runs the whole time. I really think the yellows are what cost us. The yellows are what really hurt us. We weren’t bad actually on those green flag stops. We were pretty good. But the restarts just ate us up. We just could not get up and go on the restarts.”

ON RICK HENDRICK AND HIS ORGANIZATION
“Those guys are amazing. Rick Hendrick and his organization is the best out there. They have been proving it year in and year out. It’s very gratifying to know that it’s coming to Hendrick Motorsports and also the Manufacturers’ Championship this year and we’re excited and at the same time we’re just like everybody else out there. We want to beat the No. 48 team.

“So, it inspires us over the off-season to try to get better and we’ll look at doing that. And right now we’ve got one race to go and we’ll certainly look forward to giving those guys all the props and respect that they certainly deserve because they’ve earned it.”

YOU MIGHT BE DISAPPOINTED IN FINISHING 9TH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT’S NOT LIKE YOU GUYS ARE GOING OUT THERE TO RIDE AROUND. ALL THREE OF YOU TOP THREE DRIVERS IN POINTS WERE RIGHT THERE MOST OF THE DAY
“Yeah, there are a lot of different reasons why we need to run good out there. It’s not just because we’re trying to win the championship, we’re also trying to stay within the battle that we have for second. We lost points to the No. 2 (Kurt Busch) and we lost points to the No. 5 (Mark Martin) and that’s what makes it a little bit more frustrating.”

WOULD IT BE ANY MORE FRUSTRATING IF JIMMIE JOHNSON MAYBE WAS 9TH OR 10TH AND YOU FINISHED WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE GAINED POINTS ON HIM TODAY
“You know, it really just matters to me how we run. That’s how we operate. Last week we didn’t run good and we didn’t capitalize on their misfortunate. If they finished 9th and we didn’t capitalize on that, I’d be upset too. But it was more because we just didn’t run better.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE DAY? “I was really excited when we started the race. Man we drove right to the front. Me and Mark (Martin). I know how good Mark is here so I thought we were going to be great. I don’t know. It just got away from us. We weren’t very good on the restarts and it was just a ninth-place day for us. A little disappointing because I thought we were going to be better than that. Even if we had been a third or fourth-place car the No. 48 did what they needed to do which is no surprise. We’ve seen them do it many times. That’s why they are three-time champions, soon to be four.”

IS THE CHAMPIONSHIP SOMETHING YOU THINK IS STILL WITHIN YOUR GRASP? “Not if we run like this. We’ve got to run better than this. I sure would like to take a couple of tracks and exchange them in the Chase because I think we’re just so much stronger at a lot of different tracks, two of the 10 that are in this Chase. That’s the way it is and we’ve got to get better at them and I feel like that was our efforts this year and we made them better but not good enough. We’ll come back next year and hopefully be stronger. We’re still looking forward to Homestead. I think we have a great car for that race and we’ll see what happens.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 SHELL-PENNZOIL IMPALA SS, FINISHED 24TH: “We were off in the beginning of the race then got it adjusted to where our Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was pretty good in the middle part. Trouble was, we went down a lap early and those green-flag runs didn’t give us the chance to get back on the lead lap.”

RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 U.S. ARMY/HAAS AUTOMATION IMPALA SS, Finished 20th
“Before I get into our race, I want to congratulate my teammate Tony Schumacher and the U.S. Army NHRA Top Fuel team for capturing the season championship today in (Pomona) California. A big hooah to Tony and his team for a truly Army Strong effort.

HOW TOUGH WERE THE CONDITIONS OUT THERE TODAY? “Conditions were fine. I mean the track was slick but we really struggled in the pits with the U.S. ARMY Chevrolet. Had a bad pit stop, got in the back, Junior lost control of his car and got sideways and then I got hit and drove into him and it kind of ruined our day from that point on. We went a lap down because of the damage we had. It’s just an unfortunate situation. Had a bad points day, had a bad day and a terrible pit road day. The focus next week is to try to have a good run but we’ve got to do something on pit road. We come in we’re guaranteed to lose three spots and these cars are so similar that driver, the crew chief and everything else that you have really can’t make up for that in my opinion.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR. NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS IMPALA SS
WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE THIS WEEKEND FOR YOU GUYS? “We just did all the little things right. We didn’t have any problems in the pits. Nothing fell off the car. The tires held air. You know all that good stuff. We just had a good race. Nothing bad happened and we didn’t have any bad luck and we had a good car. I just want to thank Bono (Kevin Manion, crew chief) and all the guys. They made the car better each stop. During the last two runs of the race I really felt like we were one of the best cars. At least that’s what they were telling me by the times. Just fought track position a little all day. We lost a few spots on all our stops then we lost a few seconds on those last two green-flag stops. It was a great run. I’ve got to thank all the guys. Thank the fans for coming out. Thank you to Rain-X for sponsoring us for a few races this year. We’ve enjoyed that. We’ve had a rough season so it feels good. We want to end the year with a couple of good runs for Bono and all the guys on the team. I just want to thank them for not giving up and giving 100 percent today. Hopefully we can go do this again at Homestead next week.”

HOMESTEAD WILL BE YOUR LAST RACE WITH THIS TEAM BEFORE YOU MOVE OVER TO MICHAEL WALTRIP NEXT SEASON, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO YOU THAT YOU HAD THIS KIND OF FINISH HERE TODAY AND YOU RUN STRONG NEXT WEEK AT HOMESTEAD? “It’s huge to me because those guys are just like brothers to me. We’re just like a family. I wanted it so bad all year. I’ve been trying all year. I think sometimes we try to hard and that’s what gets us in trouble and causes problems. It feels great and I’m really proud of their efforts. To keep digging all year after the year we’ve had and not give up and come out here and get a top-five, I’m just real proud of their efforts. Just hope we can get a little closer next week.”

About General Motors: General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries. GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and Germany. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

- GM Racing Communications, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your race?

“We had a good day. You know, we threw a lot of different things at the car this morning, figuring that we were going to be a fifth- to 10-place car by the practice sheets. We have a new car here, ran a setup that we never really ran before. We finished where we usually do at this race track. No matter what you throw in the car, I’m the best of the worst or the worst of the best, one of the two.”

What were the last 40 laps of the race like for you?

“Track position meant so much here. You got to try to push when you can and my pit crew did an awesome job closing the gap on that last pit stop. I got within a car length of him (Jimmie Johnson) but I just used myself up getting there and the 31 (Jeff Burton) came on strong there. Overall it was a great day for us.”

Did the sun on the front stretch make racing difficult?

“It got actually more difficult it seemed like the last 20 laps. You kind of struggle to hang on to your focus right there. It’s just a tough transition from that light to dark. Luckily we were strung out, if it had been a restart at the end we probably would have seen some fireworks there.”

Is there something to this string of top-five finishes?

“We’re running good every race. This is a good finish for us and what we needed, obviously. We are trying to crawl back up in  the points just as high as we can. Today was a good step for us. We wanted to get back to the top five in points — I highly doubt that’s going to happen, but you never know, we’re making steps.”

Will next season be your year?

“Performance-wise, I feel like we could have had a shot at them this year. The 48 (Jimmie Johnson) is the standard. They can win races a little bit easier than what everyone else can. Until everyone else steps up to the plate, they deserve to be champions.”

Did you think Jimmie Johnson had something to prove today after what he experienced in Texas?

“Yeah, I mean, anytime that Jimmie is down is not usually because of performance, it’s usually because of an incident like you had last week. There was no doubt in my mind they were going to come this week and make a statement. Obviously leading all the laps pretty much and winning the race sends a statement out there that he is the best, that they’re not going to be denied this year. The only thing that was going to keep him from winning the championship this year was bad luck. Obviously, they had a big enough gap where they could afford that one bad luck that they had last week.”

WWE Fatheads - Smackdown on your wall

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
Finishing Position: 10th

Are you happy with your run today?

“It was alright. We got behind in the middle point of the race there and then we got pretty good until we over adjusted and got it bad. There towards the end, we got it decent again. We’ll have to try a little different approach next time when we come back. The pit stops were awesome. The guys did a great job today, so I’m really happy with that.”

MARCOS AMBROSE, No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing
Finishing Position: 11th

How was your run today?

“Not bad. There’s nothing worse than finishing 11th because we had a good car and we just burnt the right rear off there on the last run trying to stay in front of Jeff Gordon. It was just a strong day. Our team is learning, we’re growing and we’re getting better and better. We’re going to be a contender next year and that’s really exciting for us.”

Do you think you’ve made an impression this year?

“Well, we ran great at Texas and we ran well today, so we’re really excited for our future. I was worried I pinched the 88 (Dale
Earnhardt, Jr.) down there to spin him out but I think he spun on his own oil which makes me feel a lot better because I would hate to hurt all of those (Dale Earnhardt) Jr. fans out there. We had a strong day, just not quite enough there at the end. I’m really proud of my guys and really proud of where we’re going and I’m excited. I think 2010 is going to be a great year.”

Are you already looking forward to 2010?

“I am, but I’m also looking forward to the break. You need time to reflect on the season and get your body and your head back in shape for the following year and I need it. I’m getting really tired. My family is back in Australia right now, so I’m excited to see them and hopefully I’ve only got seven or eight days until I get to see them. I love NASCAR racing — it’s what I live for.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Pedigree Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 12th

DAVE ROGERS, crew chief, No. 18 Pedigree Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you think of your second race as crew chief for this team?

“We’re not satisfied with finishing 12th, but on the other hand we’re excited to start finishing 12th. Joe Gibbs Racing made this (crew chief) change with three (races) to go so I can learn Kyle (Busch) and I can learn the guys to get that communication established. We had some valuable lessons today. We learned a lot, some we learned by failures. Our last stop there, me and the guys didn’t communicate clear enough and went the wrong way on our adjustments and we tried to balance the car out. I’m disappointed but we know the big picture is 2010. All those little lessons we can learn right now and getting them out of our way will make us that much stronger next year.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 21st

ROBBY GORDON, No. 7 Jim Beam Toyota Camry, Robby Gordon Motorsports
Finishing Position: 22nd

MAX PAPIS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing
Finishing Position: 32nd

SCOTT SPEED, No. 82 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team
Finishing Position: 33rd

MICHAEL WALTRIP, No. 55 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing

Finishing Position: 36thWhat happened to take you out of the race?

“They messed up in the front and got together. I slowed down and didn’t have any power steering so I tried to turn right at the last second to miss the 96 (Erik Darnell) and I couldn’t turn. A couple guys passed me to get in it. I thought I was last and a couple of them went around me, but the NAPA car was strong. It was a great week for MWR (Michael Waltrip Racing) announcing our Toyota extension and Best Western coming back to our team as a sponsor. I’m real proud the effort our team is putting together and disappointed in the result obviously.”

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team
Finishing Position: 38th

What happened out on the race track?

“I don’t know. It all got jammed in front of me. I saw the 88 (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) get sideways. I don’t know if he lost it on his own or somebody got into him. I tried to lift, I tried to get out of it but the whole track was blocked. It was just one big jam up, I got hit from behind and knocked into the crash. I hate it for the Red Bull group. It’s kind of been our luck, unfortunately. We had a good car. Track position was very important and we didn’t have it today.”

Was the track slippery today?

“I’m not going to say the track — I think it’s just the track is getting older and its slicker. It’s a gradual process. I don’t think it’s one of those situations where it’s abnormally slick this weekend. I think it’s getting slicker and slicker every year we come back, every race we come back, especially the fall race — after a long, hard summer. You know how hot it is here in the summer, how the sun just bakes this track. It’s going to be a problem, it’s going to continue to be a problem but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. A hot, slick track like this makes for a good race, but you have to have the proper tires. It’s really hard to pass out there. I like having tires that fall off, but you still want to have a little bit of grip to start with and these tires were still pretty slick to start with.”

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports
Finishing Position: 40th

MICHAEL McDOWELL, No. 36 WAVE Energy Drink Toyota Camry, Tommy Baldwin Racing
Finishing Position: 41st

DAVE BLANEY, No. 66 Prism Motorsports Toyota Camry, Prism Motorsports
Finishing Position: 42nd

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

WIX Filters Lap Leader Logo

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER NOTES FOR THE CHECKER O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 500 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2009.

• Ryan Newman led once for one lap to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in today’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.  Newman collected the honor for the third time this season.

• Newman has led 16 times in 16 races for a total of 213 laps this season.  He has led 107 times in 199 career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series superspeedway races for a total of 3,242 laps.

• UNOFFICIALLY Newman is ninth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship standings, 59 points behind eighth-place Denny Hamlin and 65 ahead of 10^th-place Kasey Kahne.  He posted a 20^th-place finish in today’s race.

• Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch are tied for the lead (7-7) in the overall WIX Filters Lap Leader standings entering the November 22 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

• NEWMAN QUOTES: HOW TOUGH WERE THE CONDITIONS OUT THERE TODAY?  “Conditions were fine.  I mean the track was slick but we really struggled in the pits with the U.S. ARMY Chevrolet.  Had a bad pit stop, got in the back, Junior lost control of his car and got sideways and then I got hit and drove into him and it kind of ruined our day from that point on.  We went a lap down because of the damage we had.  It’s just an unfortunate situation.  Had a bad points day, had a bad day and a terrible pit road day [smiles].  The focus next week is to try to have a good run but we’ve got to do something on pit road.  We come in we’re guaranteed to lose three spots and these cars are so similar that driver, the crew chief and everything else the car that you have really can’t make up for that in my opinion.”     

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD STANDINGS

Tony Stewart              7

Kyle Busch                 7

Denny Hamlin             5

Juan Pablo Montoya   3

Kasey Kahne               3

David Reutimann        3

Ryan Newman                        3

Martin Truex Jr.          2

Jeff Burton                  1

Kevin Harvick             1

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD WINNERS BY RACE

EVENT                                                          DRIVER

Daytona 500                                                   Kyle Busch, 88 laps

Auto Club 500                                                            Tony Stewart, three laps

Shelby 427                                                      Jeff Burton, 61 laps

Kobalt Tools 500                                            Ryan Newman, three laps

Food City 500                                                 Kyle Busch, 378 laps

Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500                         Denny Hamlin, 296 laps

Samsung 500                                                   David Reutimann, 40 laps

Subway Fresh Fit 500                                     Tony Stewart, 19 laps

Aaron’s 499                                                    Kyle Busch, 42 laps

Crown Royal 400                                            Denny Hamlin, 148 laps

Southern 500                                                   Martin Truex Jr., 61 laps

Coca-Cola 600                                                Kyle Busch, 173 laps

Autism Speaks 400                                         David Reutimann, 25 laps

Pocono 500                                                     Tony Stewart, 39 laps

LifeLock 400                                                  Kyle Busch, nine laps

Toyota/Save Mart 350                                                Kasey Kahne, 37 laps

LENOX Industrial Tools 301                         Tony Stewart, 40 laps

Coke Zero 400                                                            Tony Stewart, 86 laps

LifeLock.com 400                                          Kasey Kahne, two laps

Allstate 400 at The Brickyard                         Juan Pablo Montoya, 116 laps

Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500             Denny Hamlin, 91 laps

Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen Tony Stewart, 34 laps

CARFAX 400                                                            David Reutimann, four laps

Sharpie 500                                                     Kyle Busch, 68 laps

Pep Boys Auto 500                                         Martin Truex Jr., 68 laps

Chevy Rock & Roll 400                                 Denny Hamlin, 299 laps

Sylvania 300                                                   Juan Pablo Montoya, 105 laps

AAA 400                                                        Ryan Newman, 29 laps

Price Chopper 400                                          Tony Stewart, 37 laps

Pepsi 500                                                         Juan Pablo Montoya, 78 laps

NASCAR Banking 500                                  Kasey Kahne, 67 laps

TUMS Fast Relief 500                                    Denny Hamlin, 206 laps

AMP Energy 500                                            Kevin Harvick, 28 laps

Dickies 500                                                     Kyle Busch, 232 laps

Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500                   Ryan Newman, one lap

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Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $2 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.

*Affinia Group Inc.’s affiliated companies include Brake Parts Inc. WIX Filtration Corp LLC, Affinia Products  Corp LLC and other high quality manufacturers of the Affinia family of brands.

- Camp & Associates Inc., for WIX Filters

Dodge Motorsports

KURT BUSCH (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger) Finished 6th

YOUR LAST RACE WITH PAT TRYSON NEXT WEEK. DO YOU HAVE ONE MORE WIN IN YOU?
“I think we do. We’re bringing back Patriot, the car we won with at Texas. It’s a great car. Our team has an upbeat feel. We’ve had a long year. We’ve had a successful year. There’s no better way than put together a 100 percent effort this next week and go out with a bang and hopefully a win.”

PAT TRYSON (Crew Chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge)
“It was a good day, just not quite good enough. We started out good, but as the track rubbered up, we weren’t quite as good as we needed to be. All in all, it was a good day. We would have liked it to have been a little better.”

KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger) Finished 15th
“Overall, a pretty good day for our Budweiser Dodge. Track position was so important today and we just couldn’t get the car balanced like we needed to stay up front with the leaders as the race wore on. We were running inside the top 10 for nearly 150 laps and then we just fought a front-end issue that we couldn’t fix. At one point in the race, I felt like I could feel every crack in the race track and with such long green flag runs today, if your car wasn’t perfect, you just didn’t have time under yellow flag stops to make any adjustments that you needed.”

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SAM HORNISH JR. (No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger) Finished 17th
“It was a nice day for the Mobil 1 Dodge after a couple weeks of adversity. We were able to have good patience and finish the race which was our goal today. We were running inside the top 10 when we came to pit and ran over some fluid entering our pit box which spun the car around and cost us some time. Once we got back to racing, the car was consistent all day long. A lot of hard work by the Mobil 1 team all day. I’m proud of my guys.”

REED SORENSON (No. 43 PVA Dodge Charger) Finished 26th
“Our Paralyzed Veterans of America Dodge just struggled with handling for most of the day. We couldn’t get the car to turn. I don’t know if we broke something or what, but our steering wouldn’t react the way it should have. It was a tough day.”

ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Insignia Dodge Charger) Finished 28th
“We struggled with handling early and couldn’t do much of anything about it because the race stayed green for so long. Once we finally got a caution to work on the Insignia Dodge, we got caught up in the wreck on the restart. That pretty much put us in a tough spot the rest of the day. I’m proud of my guys for working so hard in the pits to get us back out there without losing a lot of ground, but it was just a tough day.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger) Finished 37th
“What a shame. I couldn’t really tell what happened when we got caught up in that wreck. Somebody spun in front of the field and we just got caught in the mess. This Penske Dodge was fast. We were passing cars and I felt like we were going to get a solid top 10 today. We just needed some more laps today, but got caught in that wreck. It’s part of racing. That’s just the way that this deal goes sometimes. I’m really proud of this Penske group for giving me a car as good as this one was today. We showed some real signs of progress this weekend. The end result may not be there, but the effort was and I’m proud of everyone. I’m looking forward to heading down to Miami and racing hard at Homestead.”

- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports Press Release

Raybestos Rookie Contender Logo

Where the Raybestos Rookies finished at Phoenix:

Logano 21st

Papis 32nd

Speed 33rd

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER QUOTES FOR THE CHECKER O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 500 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES RACE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009, PAGE 1.

JOEY LOGANO IN THE No. 20 THE HOME DEPOT TOYOTA WAS THE TOP RAYBESTOS ROOKIE AT PHOENIX.

NOTES:

Logano posted a 21st-place finish and took Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors for the 25th time this season.

All three Raybestos Rookies that started today’s race were running at the finish.

LOGANO: “We fought some thing that we should have worked on in practice. The tough part is that it wasn’t horrible. We got decent at the end but we still weren’t where we need to be. We just fought on trying to get this thing to turn all day: tight in the center, tight in the center, tight in the center.”

WHAT DID YOU SEE REGARDING THE PILEUP ON THE FRONTSTRETCH? “I think everyone just checked-up. Someone was spinning out and I was checking-up and I think I got run over from behind and spun me around with ‘em all. Not much you can do about that one but that didn’t really affect us that much. It drove about the same.”

IS THIS ANOTHER RACE WHERE YOU’RE TRYING TO LEARN AND BUILD THE NOTEBOOK? “We’re going to keep fighting and keep digging to get these things better and better. This race was a lot different than the first race. The track was quite a bit different, too, because the sun was out. That’s a little different for me.”

IS THIS ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING THINGS ABOUT YOUR RAYBESTOS ROOKIE SEASON, TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE TRACK AND MAKE CHANGES TO THE CAR? “Yeah, that’s a little bit of it, trying to keep up with the racetrack, trying to dial your car in and trying to make it better and to keep up with the racetrack. There were a lot of things.”

SCOTT SPEED, No. 82 RED BULL TOYOTA: WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THE BIG ACCIDENT ON THE FRONTSTRETCH? “Smoke, that’s about all I saw, mate [smiles]. Honestly, I have no idea. I was on the brakes and the next thing I know we’re looking the other way. Obviously I got hit from behind is the biggest thing. That’s what ruined our car but I mean it’s not their fault. We had a great car in the middle of the race. We started off way too tight but we fixed it and then we started going pretty good so from that perspective I’m happy because we made progress. We were competitive, we had good lap times so maybe next time we can stopped getting wrecked.”

ROBERT BARKER, CREW CHIEF, No. 13 GEICO TOYOTA: TODAY WAS ANOTHER LEARNING EXPERIENCE MAX PAPIS. “Absolutely, some pluses and minuses, things definitely need to work on but also things that were positive. We had speedy times and it was good.”

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IS A HOT, SLICK TRACK LIKE TODAY THE MOST CHALLENGING THING FOR A YOUNG DRIVER TO LEARN TO RACE ON? “Grippier racetracks are a lot easier. When they repave ‘em and all that grip and all that stuff, that’s just who has the most guts. When you get it slick like this a lot of talent comes into play.”

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP A DRIVER SHORTEN THE LEARNING CURVE? “He’s done great. He’s helped himself a lot in learning. Just understand what’s going to happen and hopefully have the car close and when he figures it out he’s there. But the guys did well.”

THIS WAS A GOOD WEEKEND. YOU QUALIFIED WELL AND YOU FINISHED. “Absolutely, absolutely, a lot for the guys to be proud of and keep working but we’re greedy. We want to run well [smiles]. We want to move up.”

Raybestos® brand brake and chassis parts are produced by affiliated companies in Affinia’s Global Brake and Chassis Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems and chassis parts in the transportation industry. The brake line includes everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts, while the chassis line features tie rods, ball points, idler arms and sway bar links. Raybestos brand braking and chassis systems are also the only systems used by NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing in competition. For more information about Raybestos brakes, visit Raybestos.com. For more information on Raybestos Chassis visit RaybestosChassis.com

Affinia Group Inc. is a global leader in the on and off-highway replacement products and service industry. In North America the Affinia family of brands includes WIX® Filters, Raybestos®, AIMCO® and BrakePro® brake products, and McQuay-Norris® and Raybestos™ Chassis parts. South American and European brands include Nakata®, Filtron®, Urba® and Quinton Hazell®. For more information, visit affiniagroup.com.

* Affinia Group Inc.’s affiliated companies include Brake Parts Inc. WIX Filtration Corp LLC, Affinia Products Corp LLC and other high quality manufacturers of the Affinia family of brands.

- Camp & Associates, Inc., for Raybestos, Press Release