Catchfence » David Poole

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Lipton Chevrolet Richmond Preview

Press Release — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:35:41 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Lipton Chevrolet)

EVENT – Virginia 529 College Savings 250 (250 laps/ 187.5 miles)

TRACK – Richmond International Raceway (0.75-Mile D-shaped Oval)

DATE – Friday, September 11, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:15 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Brad Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 292 points behind leader Kyle Busch, but only 71 behind second place Carl Edwards. In 26 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have three wins, 15 top-fives, 20 top-10s and two pole awards. His average starting position is 13.4 and average finish is 7.6.

KESELOWSKI AT RICHMOND – Keselowski will make his fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series start for JR Motorsports at Richmond International Raceway this weekend. His best finish at the 0.75-mile track came in this season’s spring race where he finished fourth.

SHORT TRACK ACE – Keselowski has shown his prowess on the series’ short tracks this season. Since the last race at Richmond in May, Keselowski has scored one win, four top-fives and has an average finish of 3.0 on tracks less than one mile in length. In addition to RIR, these tracks include O’Reilly Raceway Park, Iowa Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

SPOTLIGHT ON LIPTON – This weekend will mark the only race in 2009 that Keselowski will carry the Lipton seal on the hood of the No. 88 Chevy, but it’s the second time this season that Lipton has sponsored a JR Motorsports car. Lipton was the primary sponsor of the No. 5 Chevy driven by Mark Martin at the Lipton Tea 250 at Richmond in May.

WELCOME BACK WIMMER – Scott Wimmer will return as a teammate for Keselowski this weekend, driving the No. 5 JR Motorsports Chevy. In races with Wimmer as a teammate, Keselowski has scored one win (Iowa), three top-five finishes and has an average finish of 4.7.

CHASSIS NO. 528 – The No. 88 Lipton team will run Chassis No. 528 this weekend. This car was last run at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July where Keselowski started seventh and finished fourth. This car was also raced at Richmond in May.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” – The latest JR Motorsports online contest, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway,” is, now in its fifth week. Fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win one of 60 prize packages. Prizes will continue to be distributed each week until the contest ends on Sept. 18th. Prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways which were donated by 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsor partners. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com

EDUCATION FOR ELI: With the effort and support of the entire NASCAR community, a college fund has been set up for Eli Ross, the 2-year-old grandson of late motorsports journalist David Poole, who passed away on April 28. Anyone interested in contributing to the “Education for Eli” fund can do so by sending donations to the following address:

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

DEGREE V12 CHALLENGE – NASCAR fans still have a chance to team up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski in the Degree V12 Challenge. Players compete against each other for a chance to win a variety of great prizes including tailgate entertainment systems, gaming packages, cash, and more! Visit www.DegreeRacing.com to register for the Degree V12 Challenge and begin racing to win. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/27/09. Visit www.DegreeRacing.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on returning to Richmond) – “It’s the final weekend for us of the summer stretch and what a great way to finish it at Richmond under the lights. Richmond is a place I have had some struggles, but we had a pretty good run here in the spring and I’m ready to back that up this weekend. From what I remember, there was a lot of beating and banging in our first race and I don’t expect anything different this time. We want to give these fans a good show and I think they’ll get that with the close, side-by-side racing under the lights that they have come to expect.”

KESELOWSKI (on the points battle) – “Including this weekend, we have nine races to go in the season which, is plenty of time to make up points. Up until last weekend at Atlanta, we were gaining on the leader and we’re still continuing to gain on second place. Just like last season, one race can make a huge difference in the point standings. Just look at my fall race in California last year. That finish kind of took us out of the thick of things in a hurry. Alan Kulwicki was running for a championship in 1992 and wrecked out at Dover with six races to go which put him about 280 points out. He still came back and won the title that year which goes to show you that anything is possible.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 5 Degree V12 Chevrolet Impala SS Atlanta Motor Speedway Preview

Press Release — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:54:34 +0000

PREVIEW – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 5 Degree V12 Chevrolet)

EVENT – Degree V12 300 (195 laps / 300 miles)

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

DATE – Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. EST) / PRN (broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. EST)

A DEGREE V12 FIRST – The No. 5 Chevrolet will be sporting the yellow, black and white colors of Degree V12 this weekend. Degree V12 has been on board the No. 88 Chevy three times this season, but this is the first and only Degree V12 scheme for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 5 team this year.

JUNIOR’S KIND OF TRACK - Earnhardt Jr. has three Nationwide Series starts at the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway with two top-three finishes. He has led 126 laps and earned an average start of 10.0 with an average finish of 6.7. In 2008, he finished 15th in his only start at Atlanta driving a JRM Chevrolet. On the Sprint Cup side, Atlanta was home to one of Earnhardt Jr.’s six victories in 2004.

DEGREE V12 300 – In addition to sponsoring the No. 5 Degree V12 Chevrolet this weekend, Degree V12 will also be the title sponsor of the 300-mile race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

JUNIOR IN THE 5 CAR: Saturday’s Degree V12 300 is the seventh and final race for Earnhardt Jr. in the Nationwide Series this year. In his first six races, he scored a pair of top-five finishes (fifth at Las Vegas and Talladega) and an additional top 10 (seventh at Daytona). He led eight laps on the season and earned an average finish of 15.0.

VETERAN OF THE NNS – Earnhardt Jr. has 112 starts in the Nationwide Series. His career includes two championships (1998 and 1999), 22 wins, 51 top fives, 71 top-10s, nine poles, and 3,260 laps led. His average start is 11.5 with an average finish of 11.7.

FLURRY OF EURY: Hendrick Motorsports’ Tony Eury Jr. will lend support to JR Motorsports this weekend. Eury Jr., who has years of experience working with Earnhardt Jr., will assist crew chief Brian Campe and the No. 5 team in Saturday night’s race. Eury Jr.’s assistance gives JR Motorsports an arsenal of Eurys for the weekend, as his father, Tony Eury Sr., is crew chief of the No. 88 Chevrolet, and his uncle, Barry Eury, is a full-time shop mechanic. Eury Jr. plays a key role in Hendrick Motorsports’ research and development program.

CHASSIS INFO – The No. 5 Degree V12 team will run chassis 402 this weekend. The team finished 22nd at Chicagoland and sixth at Michigan with this chassis in 2009.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” – The latest JR Motorsports online contest, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway,” is now in its fourth week. Fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win one of 60 prize packages. Prizes will continue to be distributed each week until the contest ends on Sept. 18th. Prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways which were donated by 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsor partners. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

DEGREE V12 CHALLENGE – NASCAR fans can now team up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski in the Degree V12 Challenge. The Degree V12 Driving Challenge features five road races that give players a unique and exciting online race experience. Players compete against each other for a chance to win a variety of prizes including a trip to the Degree V12 300 in Atlanta on September 6, 2009 and a chance to meet Dale Jr. Visit www.DegreeRacing.com to register for the Degree V12 Challenge and begin racing to win. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/27/09. Visit www.DegreeRacing.com for complete rules.)

EARNHARDT JR. (on pulling double-duty this weekend) – “Saturday is going to be a long day, no doubt about it. It starts at 8 a.m. and doesn’t really stop until after the Nationwide race that night. But we’ve got an opportunity to really give our sponsor, Degree V12, a lot of publicity, so that’s a good thing. They’re the title sponsor of the race, and sponsor of my car. If the fans didn’t know what Degree V12 is before the race, they will when it’s over.”

EARNHARDT JR. (on racing at night at AMS) – “I think the lap times will be really fast on new tires, but will slow down a good bit on long runs. I think there is a lot to be learned in the Nationwide race Saturday night that can apply to Sunday, like where the fastest grooves are on the track and how it changes as the temperatures drop. We’ll see what everybody does and what everybody chooses to run late in the race, if they’re toward the bottom groove. And you’ll get a good idea how much more grip you’ll see on Sunday night.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Delphi Chevrolet Impala SS Atlanta Motor Speedway

Press Release — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:49:37 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Delphi Chevrolet)

EVENT – Degree V12 300 (195 laps/ 300.3 miles)

TRACK – Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-Mile Quad-Oval)

DATE – Saturday, September 5, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. EST) / PRN (broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Brad Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 282 points behind leader Kyle Busch. In 25 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have three wins, 14 top-fives, 19 top-10s and two pole awards. His average starting position is 13.2 and average finish is 7.8.

STILL IN THE HUNT – Keselowski continues to make a run at the championship point standings lead as the Nationwide Series enters the final 10 races. In the past seven races, Keselowski has earned 1,155 points, 52 more than both Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.

KESELOWSKI AT ATLANTA – Keselowski will be making his second NASCAR Nationwide Series start for JR Motorsports at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. In his only previous start at the 1.54- mile track, Keselowski started 17th and finished sixth.

NIGHT RIDER – This season, Keselowski has performed well at night races with an average starting spot of 11.0, average finish of 6.0, seven top-fives and 10 top-10s in races that start after 6 p.m. He has held the pole position twice for night races.

WELCOME BACK DELPHI – The Delphi seal will once again be on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet this weekend in Atlanta. This is the fourth of six events where Delphi will serve as the primary sponsor for Keselowski. When he has driven the Delphi car, Keselowski has an average finish of 6.0 with two top-fives and two top-10 finishes.

COMING HOME – This weekend’s trip to Georgia will be a homecoming for one member of the No. 88 team. Christopher Allen hails from Clarksville, Ga., located just over 100 miles from Atlanta Motor Speedway.

CHASSIS NO. 356 – The No. 88 Delphi team will run Chassis No. 356 this weekend in the Degree V12 300. This car was last run at Michigan International Speedway just three weeks ago where Keselowski started 13th and won with a dramatic pass on the white flag lap of the event.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

KESELOWSKI (on coming back to Atlanta) – “I’m really excited that NASCAR moved this race to the fall for us and made it a night race. I know the track has been doing a lot in preparation of the race to garner excitement from the fans, and I think they are going to come out to see us race under the lights. I like Atlanta a lot because it is so fast and multi-grooved. You can run anywhere on the track but I think the top line is going to be especially fast.”

KESELOWSKI (on how he will approach the rest of the season) – “While I have plans to move on to another opportunity next season, I have every intention of finishing out the 2009 season and trying to win the Nationwide Series championship for JR Motorsports. Dale Jr. and Kelley (Earnhardt) have given me such a wonderful opportunity here and I plan to do everything possible to bring them home a championship – I owe that to them, my team and our partners.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Circuit Gilles Villenueve Preview

Press Release — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:05:10 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)

EVENT – NAPA Auto Parts 200 (74 laps/ 200.466 miles)

TRACK – Circuit Gilles Villenueve (2.709-Mile Road Course)

DATE – Sunday, August 30, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 2:00 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 303 points behind leader Kyle Busch. In 24 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have three wins, 13 top-fives, 18 top-10s and two pole awards. His average starting position is 13.0 and average finish is 7.9.

SECOND POLE AWARD – Last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, Keselowski earned his second pole of the season with a speed of 120.566 mph. Keselowski finished third in the event after leading three times for 43 laps.

KESELOWSKI AT MONTREAL – Keselowski will be making his second NASCAR Nationwide Series start for JR Motorsports at Circuit Gilles Villenueve this weekend. In his only previous start at the road course, Keselowski started 28th and finished 12th. Keselowski has three other starts at road courses for JR Motorsports including two at Watkins Glen and one at Autodromos Hermanos Rodriguez where he has three top-10 finishes.

BRINGING THE HEAT – Over the last five races of the long summer stretch, Keselowski has earned more points (853) than any other driver in the series. This makes sense considering over the last five races, Keselowski has earned two wins and four top-fives with an average finish of 3.6.

MERCI, RON – This weekend will mark the final time this season that Keselowski will race with Ron Fellows as a teammate. Fellows will pilot the No. 5 Fastenal Chevy for JRM and this is the second time Keselowski has had him as a teammate in Montreal. When Keselowski and Fellows have been on track under the JRM banner, Keselowski has one top-10 finish and an average finish of 10.5.

CHASSIS NO. 368 – The No. 88 GoDaddy.com team will run Chassis No. 368 this weekend in the NAPA
Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villenueve. This car was last run at Watkins Glen earlier this season where Keselowski started 14th and finished ninth. This car was also raced in Montreal last season.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” TO AWARD MORE THAN 60 PRIZES – JR Motorsports announced the beginning of its six-week online promotion, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway”, in which fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win 60prize packages. Beginning Aug. 14th, prizes will be distributed each week for six weeks. The prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways. 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsorship partners donated the prizes. Registration began on Aug. 7th, and runs through Sept. 18th. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to a href=”http://www.RealFanOfTheYear.com “>www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on how well the No. 88 team has done over the summer stretch) – “I said all during the spring how important this long stretch of summer races would be to how we would finish at the end of the year. This team has worked so hard and we have been able to get the results to back that up. We had a slight hiccup at Chicagoland, but were able to make up for it with the wins at Iowa and Michigan. Looking at the big picture, I think we still have a shot at the points championship and we are going to continue to work toward that end. There is still a lot of good racing to come before the season is done and I know this team has more wins in its future.”

KESELOWSKI (on returning to Montreal) – “Montreal is such a great city and I’m excited that we get the chance to go back there this year. We get to stay right in the downtown area and there are so many great restaurants and things to do. The racing is great too. I love to be challenged and this track definitely offers a challenge. Last year having the rain made things even more interesting and we were still able to come away with a solid finish. I’m hopeful that the weather will hold off for us this year, but regardless, I think we are going to be able to put on a good show for the fans that come out on Sunday.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Ron Fellows, No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Impala SS Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Preview

Press Release — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:08:35 +0000

PREVIEW – Ron Fellows (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – NAPA Auto Parts 200 presented by Dodge (74 laps / 200.46 miles)

TRACK – Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (2.71-mile road course)

DATE – Sunday, Aug. 30, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 2:00 p.m. EST)

FELLOWS WITH JR MOTORSPORTS – Sunday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race will mark Fellows’ third start with JR Motorsports. Previously, he has a start at Montreal (2008) and Watkins Glen (2009) with JRM. He has earned one win, and his average finish in two races is 3.0.

AT Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – Fellows returns as the defending race winner of the 200-mile race. He was part of NASCAR history with his win in 2008, as he became the first Canadian to win a NASCAR event on Canadian soil. He qualified sixth, and led seven laps en route to his fourth series victory. The win was also the first road-course victory for JRM. In two starts at the 2.71-mile road course, Fellows has one win and a fourth-place finish. He has led 11 laps, earned an average finish of 2.5, and an average start of 4.5. Additionally, Fellows is ranked second with a driver rating of 121.7 at the facility and holds the distinction of being the oldest winner of the race at 48 years, 10 months, and five days old following his 2008 victory.

JRM ROAD-COURSE STATS – JR Motorsports has competed in four road-course events with the No. 5 Chevrolet since 2008. The team earned one win (Montreal), two top-fives, and two top-10s.

JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES - A longtime sports car and road-racing veteran, Fellows is credited with three class championships in the American Le Mans Series, two class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 19 overall victories in the Sports Car Club of America’s Trans-Am Series as a member of the Corvette Racing Team. His NASCAR credentials include six overall wins (two in the Camping World Truck Series), and two runner-up finishes in Sprint Cup competition.

NATIONWIDE SERIES STATS – Fellows’ Nationwide Series history goes back 12 years to 1997. In his 14 career races, he has scored four wins, seven top-five, and eight top-10 finishes. Fellows earned two poles, led 200 laps, and had an average finish of 15.8 with an average start of 7.4.

CHASSIS INFO – The Fastenal team will race chassis No. 389 this weekend. Fellows drove this chassis to victory at Montreal in 2008. It also finished fifth at Watkins Glen International three weeks ago.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” TO AWARD MORE THAN 60 PRIZES – JR Motorsports announced the beginning of its six-week online promotion, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway”, in which fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com. to win 60 prize packages. Beginning Aug. 14th, prizes will be distributed each week for six weeks. The prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways. 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsorship partners donated the prizes. Registration began on Aug. 7th, and runs through Sept. 18th. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

FELLOWS (on the added pressure to perform well in front of the Canadian race fans) – “I certainly don’t feel any added pressure as a Canadian, or returning as the defending race winner. Being on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and on Canadian soil, I have to try not to get too pumped up. But having won the race last year, there’s less personal pressure because the JRM team and I already have one trophy! It’s likely more difficult for the Quebec-based drivers like Carpentier, Tagliani and Villeneuve. For them, the race is truly in their backyard.”

FELLOWS (on the keys to getting around the Montreal course and its 14 turns) – “You need to have excellent braking power and brake balance. You also need lots of horsepower for a couple of the long straights and have the chassis working well with great traction exiting the slow corners. Brian Campe [crew chief], Cam Strader [car chief] and the entire Fastenal crew have been working hard since Watkins Glen refining the No. 5 Fastenal Chevy. We know we need to be better than last year, just based on what we saw from the competition at Watkins Glen. The competition is a lot stronger and we feel like we have a good practice plan for Montreal. Hopefully, a few things we learned from Watkins Glen will work as well. I have really enjoyed working with the Fastenal team and despite the fact that I have more races behind me than in front of me, I feel like a kid at Christmas every time I get to work with the JRM team.”

FELLOWS (on the uniqueness of Montreal as a NASCAR venue) – “The Montreal event is a great weekend. It’s likely very different for the majority of the NASCAR teams and workers because you are able to stay in the downtown core with the track so close, and it’s on the subway line! Not that I’m particularly superstitious, but the Fellows family has always stayed at the same hotel each year, and in the same two rooms. There are endless great restaurants in Montreal and we try to sample the ones within walking distance of the hotel. Our daughter went to McGill University and the campus is in the downtown area, so she knows where to find the fine dining.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Ryan Newman, No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Bristol Preview

Press Release — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:56:21 +0000

PREVIEW – Ryan Newman (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – Food City 250 (125 laps / 250 miles)

TRACK – Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)

DATE – Friday, Aug. 21, 2009

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

MAN ON A MISSION – Newman will attempt to make history this week when he competes for the “Bristol Grand Slam” – racing in four NASCAR-sanctioned events at the half-mile track, all in the same week. By doing so, Newman would become the first NASCAR driver to accomplish the feat. It starts Wednesday, Aug. 19 with the NASCAR Whelen Modified race, followed by the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race the same day, the NASCAR Nationwide Series race (Aug. 21), and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (Aug. 22). If Newman completes every lap in each race, he will circle the half-mile bullring 1,100 times and race 586 miles over the course of four days.

WIN WHAT RYAN WINS - If Newman wins each of the four NASCAR-sanctioned races at BMS, he stands to pocket at least $400,000. Should he accomplish the “Bristol Grand Slam”, one lucky fan will “Win What Ryan Wins,” cashing in to the tune of the combined winner’s purses – an estimated $400,000. Visit Bristol Motor Speedway’s website for complete details.

AT BRISTOL – Newman has six starts, one win (2005), two top-fives and five top-10 finishes at Bristol Motor Speedway. He has led 300 laps, including a dominant 114 laps in his 2005 victory. He also has one pole award. He has led a minimum of 27 laps in the last four of his six career races at BMS. Newman’s average finish is 8.8 with an average start of 5.8.

JRM STATS – Bristol marks Newman’s fourth and final start of 2009 with JR Motorsports. In his previous three starts with the team, Newman led five laps and earned one top-10 finish. He qualified with a top-five and top-10 starting spot in his first two races.

CHART-TOPPER – Newman tops the charts in five of NASCAR’s loop data statistics including average driver rating (123.7), fastest early in run (118.328 mph), fastest late in run (115.811 mph), fastest on restarts (114.582 mph), and green-flag speed (116.516 mph).

CHASSIS INFO – The Fastenal team will race chassis No. 495 this weekend. Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced it to an eighth-place finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2008. Bristol marks its first race in 2009.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” TO AWARD MORE THAN 60 PRIZES – JR Motorsports announced the beginning of its six-week online promotion, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway”, in which fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win 60prize packages. Beginning Aug. 14th, prizes will be distributed each week for six weeks. The prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways. Each of the prizes was donated by 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsorship partners. Registration began on Aug. 7th, and runs through Sept. 18th. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

NEWMAN (on attempting the “Bristol Grand Slam”) – “I’m not sure how this whole deal really came together. When I was in Bristol earlier this year, we were talking about how I was running the Modified, Truck and Sprint Cup race in August; and someone said it would be really cool if I could find a car and compete in the Nationwide race, too. I thought about it, and was like ‘Yeah, that would be pretty cool.’ So a lot of people started working on trying to get a Nationwide ride for me. Luckily, Scott Wimmer, Fastenal and JR Motorsports were willing to trade races so that I could drive the No. 5 car at Bristol, and I really appreciate that. They have given me an incredible opportunity, and I can’t thank them enough. Hopefully, I can get a win for them in the Nationwide race on Saturday at Bristol as a way to thank them.”

NEWMAN (on racing at Bristol) – “Everyone will tell you that Bristol has always been a game of survival. Everything happens so fast there. You don’t have time to think or blink. You just don’t realize how quickly everything happens at Bristol. You could have the best car out there, but everything is completely out of your hands. One minute you could be running in the lead and just seconds later, you could be wrecked in the corner and out of the race and it be no fault of your own. You won’t even realize what has happened to you until afterwards.”

NEWMAN (the challenges of competing in all four races) – “It is going to be a challenge to compete in all four races, but I am really looking forward to it. It’s a lot of miles, a lot of laps. I have done the Nationwide and Cup races on the back-to-back nights in August before, and that can be difficult. Throw in the Truck and the Modified race on Wednesday, and it’s like I am running a second Cup race there. So, I know it is not going to be easy. I know it’s going to be hot and sticky at Bristol. And always, Bristol is a very physically demanding track. I will have to be sure to stay hydrated and loose, and Bristol is as much a mental racetrack as a physical one. It’s going to be fun and a challenge and I’m looking forward to it. I just hope that I can put on a good show for all of my sponsors and all of the fans out there who will be supporting me.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Degree V12 Chevrolet Bristol Preview

Press Release — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:26:41 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Degree V12 Chevrolet)

EVENT – Food City 250 (250 laps/ 250 miles)

TRACK – Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-Mile Oval)

DATE – Friday, August 21, 2009

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

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM – Keselowski won his third NASCAR Nationwide Series race last weekend at his home track of Michigan International Speedway. After racing patiently as Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers fought for the lead with two laps to go, Keselowski made a three-wide pass off of turn four to take the lead on the white-flag lap. This was also the third win for primary sponsor GoDaddy.com.

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 389 back from leader Kyle Busch, but only 50 points from second place Carl Edwards. In 23 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have three wins, 12 top-fives, 17 top-10s and one pole award. His average starting position is 13.5 and average finish is 8.1.

KESELOWSKI AT BRISTOL – Keselowski will be making his fifth NASCAR Nationwide Series start for JR Motorsports at Bristol this weekend. He has an average finish of 6.0 and won this event last season with a late-race pass on Clint Bowyer. Keselowski finished 12th at Bristol earlier this season.

DRIVING HIS OWN – This weekend, Keselowski will attempt to make the field in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at BMS. He will be driving his own Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Chevrolet. The No. 29 has been raced twice this year at Martinsville Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile by BKR driver Mikey Kile.

SHORT TRACK SPECIALIST – Keselowski has done well at the four short tracks the series has visited in 2009, which include Bristol, Richmond, O’Reilly Raceway Park, and Iowa. At these four tracks, Keselowski has registered one win, three top fives and an average finish of 5.2.

CHASSIS NO. 403 – The No. 88 Degree V12 team will run Chassis No. 403 this weekend in the Food City 250 at BMS. This car was last run at Iowa where Keselowski started 11th and finished first. This is also the car that Keselowski drove to victory at Dover in May.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on what the win at Michigan meant to him) – “I was almost speechless in victory lane because of my excitement. That win meant so much to me and to this team as well. I’ve said it before, but you just have to put yourself in a position for something like that and good things will happen. I saw those two (Kyle Busch and Brian Vickers) racing each other hard for the win. At that point I knew I was either going to take the checkers or wreck, and I’m certainly glad it ended the way it did. I hope it was as exciting for those fans as it was for me in the car. It was awesome that almost all of my family was able to be there in victory lane with me. That’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

KESELOWSKI (on coming back to Bristol) – “I really love coming to Bristol. Not only is it a track where I got a win last year, but we routinely finish well there. There’s just something about night races under the lights that gets everyone a little excited. I think it reminds us as racers of our early careers when we would be at local shorts tracks racing for pride and parts money. I think we can use the momentum from the last couple of weeks to our advantage, and I would love to put some more burn marks down leading up to victory lane this weekend.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Ryan Newman, No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Michigan Preview

Press Release — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:14:28 +0000

PREVIEW – Ryan Newman (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – CARFAX 250 (125 laps / 250 miles)

TRACK – Michigan International Speedway (2-Mile D-Shaped Oval)

DATE – Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009

TV/RADIO: ESPN2 (coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3:00 p.m. EST)

MICHIGAN MASTER – Newman’s NASCAR Nationwide Series stats at MIS are impeccable. In only two starts (2001, 2005), he earned two wins. He has led 126 laps. Newman’s 2001 victory was also his first career victory in the NNS. His average finish is 1.0, with an average start of 20.0.

RECORD HOLDER - Newman is tied for first place in all-time wins at Michigan with two. He shares the distinction with Todd Bodine, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin, but he is the only driver to earn two wins in only two starts. Additionally, he is tied for first place in wins among active drivers with Earnhardt Jr. and Martin.

JRM STATS – In two starts with JRM this year, Newman led five laps and earned both a top-five and top-10 starting spot, but finishes of 32nd and 22nd, respectively.

NEWMAN’S 2009 NATIONWIDE SEASON – In four starts Newman has one top-five, and two top-10 finishes. His season average finish is 15.5, along with an average start of 3.2. Newman has led 26 laps on the year. Five of those laps came in the Fastenal Chevrolet for JRM at Chicagoland.

CHART TOPPER – Newman tops the charts in many of NASCAR’s statistical data at Michigan. He is second in average running position with an average of 5.9. He tops the list in average driver rating with a 123.2 and is the fastest on restarts (172.034 mph). In green flag speed, Newman is second only to JRM team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 174.342 mph.

MAN ON A MISSION – This marks Newman’s third start with JRM and Fastenal in the 2009 season. Newman’s fourth and final start for JRM comes next weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. The South Bend, Ind. native will attempt to make history when he competes for the “Bristol Grand Slam” – racing in four NASCAR-sanctioned events at the half-mile track all in the same week. By doing so, Newman would become the first NASCAR driver to accomplish the feat.

NO. 5 AT MICHIGAN – Mark Martin drove the No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevy to a fourth-place finish after a 10th-place starting spot at Michigan in 2008.

NATIONWIDE SUCCESS – Newman holds seven wins and 12 poles in the Nationwide Series in only 45 starts. Six of his victories came during a stellar 2005 season, in which he scored eight top-fives in nine starts and led nearly half of his completed laps (800 of 1,658 laps). He owns 15 career top-five and 24 top-10 finishes.

CHASSIS INFO – The Fastenal team will race chassis No. 402 this weekend. It last raced at Chicagoland and had a fourth-place qualifying effort. The Fastenal team went on to finish 22nd in that race.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” TO AWARD MORE THAN 60 PRIZES – JR Motorsports announced the beginning of its six-week online promotion, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway”, in which fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win 60 prize packages. Beginning Aug. 14th, prizes will be distributed each week for six weeks. The prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways. Each of the prizes was donated by 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsorship partners. Registration began on Aug. 7th, and runs through Sept. 18th. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

NEWMAN (on what makes Michigan such a driver-friendly racetrack) – “I always look forward to going to Michigan. It is a great track for a driver. In fact, I normally tell people that anyone can drive Michigan. It is so wide that cars can race three and four wide there every lap. It is one of my favorite racetracks. Because the track is so wide, you can pass there every lap. The track has long sweeping corners, which helps to promote some really good racing. There are a couple of keys to success there – the first is speed. You have to have horsepower to get around this ultra-fast racetrack. I know we’ll have the speed covered with our Hendrick engine. The second is handling. The handling of the racecar is crucial especially in turns two and three. The car can’t get too tight off two or be too loose off three.”

NEWMAN (on his success at Michigan in the NNS) - “I was fortunate in the Nationwide cars earlier in my career, and have come away with two wins in two starts at Michigan. Like I said, it is a track that I love – in any kind of car. In both of those races, I had really fast racecars. I look forward to having the chance to continue my success at Michigan in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports in the No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet this weekend. We definitely haven’t had the runs that we wanted with them in two earlier outings, but I know I have the car, the horsepower and the team to be successful this weekend at Michigan.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Michigan Preview

Press Release — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:09:06 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)

EVENT – CARFAX 250 (125 laps/ 250 miles)

TRACK – Michigan International Speedway (Two- Mile D-Shaped Oval)

DATE – Saturday, August 15, 2009

TV/ RADIO– ESPN2 (coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3:00 p.m. EST)

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Brad Keselowski will be available to members of the media at 3:35 p.m. on Friday, August 14 in the Michigan International Speedway Media Center.

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 409 back from leader Kyle Busch. In 22 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have two wins, 11 top-fives, 16 top-10s and one pole award. His average starting position is 13.5 and average finish is 8.5.

COMING HOME - This weekend, Keselowski returns to his home track of Michigan International Speedway. Keselowski was raised in Rochester Hills, Mich., located about 100 miles from the track. Before making his way to the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series, Keselowski spent a lot of time running local tracks in quarter-midget and late-model stock cars.

KESELOWSKI AT MICHIGAN – Keselowski will be making his third NASCAR Nationwide Series start for JR Motorsports at MIS this weekend. He has an average finish of 12.0. His best finish was 11th last season after starting 22nd.

DOUBLE DUTY – In addition to his duties driving the No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, Keselowski will drive the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. On double-duty weekends, Keselowski has scored two top-fives and three top-10s in the Nationwide Series.

HEADING TO THE BIG HOUSE – On Thursday, Keselowski will attend football practice at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. This is the second time Keselowski has had the opportunity to visit the training camp of his favorite team, the Michigan Wolverines.

A DAY AT THE RACE – This weekend, Keselowski has invited a group of laid-off auto-workers from the Local UAW 5960 to an afternoon of racing on Saturday at MIS. Keselowski is providing transportation for the group from Orion, Mich. to the racetrack and plans to greet them when they arrive with tickets to the CARFAX 250. MIS has donated the tickets on behalf of Keselowski.

A GODADDY STREAK – Keselowski looks to continue his trend of top finishes for primary sponsor GoDaddy.com this weekend at MIS. While driving the neon green and orange No. 88 Chevrolet, Keselowski has amassed two wins, seven top-fives and nine top-10s in 12 races.

CHASSIS NO. 356 – The No. 88 GoDaddy.com team will run Chassis No. 356 this weekend in the CARFAX 250 at MIS. This car was last run at Chicagoland Speedway in July where Keselowski started 14th and finish 18th.

“DALE JR’S GREAT GIVEAWAY” TO AWARD MORE THAN 60 PRIZES – JR Motorsports announced the beginning of its six-week online promotion, “Dale Jr.’s Great Giveaway”, in which fans can register at www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com to win 60 prize packages. Beginning Aug. 14th, prizes will be distributed each week for six weeks. The prizes include gift certificates, product packages, autographed merchandise, personal driver meet-n-greets, and race-weekend giveaways. Each of the prizes was donated by 12 of JR Motorsports’ sponsorship partners. Registration began on Aug. 7th, and runs through Sept. 18th. For complete rules, regulations, and a list of all 60 prizes please visit www.DaleJrsGreatGiveaway.com.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on going home to Michigan) – “I’m so excited to come back home to the Michigan area and have the opportunity to race at this track in front of these great fans. I’ve been able to be at home this week and spend time with my family which is always good. I’ve also visited some local spots that were important to me growing up and to my racing career. To be able to race at my home track is a pretty big deal for me, as I remember watching my Dad win an ARCA race. Now I get another opportunity to try to win there as well. I really would love nothing more than to give the fans and my team a good finish in Michigan.”

KESELOWSKI (on his season to date) – “I would probably give my season to date an A minus. Obviously we’ve been able to win a few races and have some real solid finishes to back up those wins. However, there are definitely a couple of races at the beginning of the season that I’d like back. But all we can do now is look forward to the races we have left and try to win as many of them as possible. We are definitely making strides with our program, and I think that was made evident with the win at Iowa Speedway a few weeks ago.”

KESELOWSKI (on going to the University of Michigan football camp) – “Like last year, I am so pumped to be able to go to football camp up at the University of Michigan. I have been a fan of the Wolverines for as long as I can remember, and so I’ll kind of be a kid in a candy store when I get there. I know the guys up there are as excited for me to get there as I am. I’m hoping to be able to chat with some of the players as well as Coach (Rich) Rodriguez. This is going to be a good year for the team and seeing them get ready for the season will be a thrill for me for sure.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Watkins Glen Preview

Press Release — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 19:11:38 +0000

JR Motorsports Logo

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)

EVENT – Zippo 200 at The Glen (82 laps/ 200.9 miles)

TRACK – Watkins Glen International (2.45- Mile Road Course)

DATE – Saturday, August 8, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, but gained 20 points on leader Kyle Busch with his win last Saturday at Iowa Speedway. In 21 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have two wins, 11 top-fives, 15 top-10s and one pole award. His average starting position is 13.5 and average finish is 8.4.

ANOTHER WIN WITH GODADDY.COM – Keselowski earned his second win of the season in the inaugural U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. After trading the lead with series point leader Kyle Busch, Keselowski took the lead for the fourth and final time with eight laps to go in front of an estimated 56,000 fans. This was Keselowski’s seventh top-five and ninth top-10 finish in the last 11 races.

KESELOWSKI AT THE GLEN – Keselowski will be making his second-career start at Watkins Glen International this weekend. In his only start at the track last season, Keselowski started fifth and finished sixth. Keselowski has raced at two other road courses, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City and Circuit Gilles Villenueve in Montreal last season finishing eighth and 12th, respectively.

JETTING TO PRACTICE – On Thursday, Keselowski will join Ron Fellows and members of the Nos. 88 and 5 JR Motorsports teams at New York Jets training camp at SUNY Cortland to watch the team’s first scrimmage of the season. After the scrimmage, Keselowski will meet head coach Rex Ryan and members of the New York Jets, as well as participate in a helmet exchange. The scrimmage is open to the public and media is encouraged to attend. Keselowski will be made available to the media afterward for photo opportunities and interviews. Jets players have been invited to Watkins Glen International on Friday as guests of the track to experience a NASCAR event.

NEW TEAMMATE – This weekend marks the first of two races this season for Ron Fellows in the No. 5 Fastenal Chevy for JR Motorsports. This is not the first time Keselowski has had the road-course ace as a teammate, as Fellows drove the No. 5 GoDaddy.com car to a win for JR Motorsports last season in Montreal.

WELCOME HOME - This weekend’s trip to New York is a homecoming for team spotter T.J. Majors, who is from East Bethany, N.Y. Majors also spots for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Earnhardt Jr. and Majors met through their common hobby of online racing. The friendship led to an opportunity for Majors to move to North Carolina and begin racing a street stock car owned by Earnhardt Jr. Majors raced street stocks and late models for JRM before becoming a NASCAR spotter in 2004.

CHASSIS NO. 368 – The No. 88 GoDaddy.com team will run Chassis No. 369 this weekend in the Zippo 200 at The Glen. This car was last raced at Watkins Glen last season. It was also run at Circuit Gilles Villenueve and Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in 2008.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on his win last weekend in Iowa) – “I don’t know that I could have asked for a better ending to our weekend in Iowa, and I can’t say enough about my team. They had that car dialed in to where I think we made one adjustment the entire race. Pops (Tony Eury Sr., crew chief) made the call we needed there at the end to win. And to be able to get that win in my sponsor’s back yard in front of all of those fans was just awesome.

They came to this brand new track looking for a good race, and I think we gave them one. The finish definitely helped us in the point standings as well. Kyle (Busch) and Carl (Edwards) have a lead on us, but this team is strong, and we will chip away at that lead one race at a time. I think the win at Iowa definitely gives us momentum going into Watkins Glen, and I’m happy to ride the wave as long as it lasts.”

KESELOWSKI (on going to Watkins Glen and having Ron Fellows as a teammate) –

“I was able to get some solid experience on the three road courses we went to last season and get a couple top-10s in the process. I’m definitely going to lean on what I learned at those tracks, but I’m thrilled to have a guy like Ron Fellows as a teammate as well. His experience on road courses is going to be a huge benefit to me as I try to back up those finishes with a few more this season. I think he’s gotten three wins at the Glen alone so it’s just great to be able to have someone with his expertise in the garage to gain insight from.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Ron Fellows, No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Watkins Glen Preview

Press Release — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:59:32 +0000

PREVIEW – Ron Fellows (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – Zippo 200 (82 laps / 200 miles)

TRACK – Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile road course)

DATE – Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. EST)

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Ron Fellows will be available to media members outside the No. 5 hauler in the Nationwide Series garage on Friday, Aug. 7 at 3:00 p.m.

FELLOWS WITH JRM – Fellows has one start and one win with JRM. It came at Montreal in 2008. He qualified sixth, and led seven laps en route to his fourth series victory. It marked his first Nationwide Series win since Watkins Glen in 2001, and made him the first Canadian to win a NASCAR event on Canadian soil. Additionally, it was the first road-course victory for JRM and the second win of the year for the No. 5 Chevrolet.

AT THE GLEN – In eight starts at the Glen, Fellows owns three wins (1998, 2000, and 2001), four top fives, and five top 10s. He earned two poles, along with an average start of 7.6, and an average finish of 13.1. Fellows holds the distinction of being the oldest winner of the 82-lap race at 41 years, nine months, and ten days old following his 2001 victory. The veteran leads the Nationwide Series with most laps led at the Glen with 189. That is the equivalent of leading 463 miles, or roughly the driving distance from Watkins Glen International to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

NATIONWIDE SERIES STATS – Fellows’ Nationwide Series history goes back 12 years to 1997. In his 13 career races, he’s scored four wins, six top-five, and seven top-10 finishes. Fellows earned two poles, led 200 laps, and has an average finish of 16.6 with an average start of 7.2.

CHASSIS INFO – The Fastenal team will race chassis No. 389 this weekend. It last went to victory at Montreal in 2008 with Fellows. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also piloted this chassis at the Glen last year.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129
(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com to enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

FELLOWS (on what it will take to get the Fastenal Chevrolet a win at the Glen this weekend) – “We had a fantastic weekend at Montreal last year, and we basically have the same crew headed up by Brian Campe and Cam Strader at Watkins Glen this weekend. They both have a pretty good idea what I’ll need in the Fastenal Chevy. But for us to win this weekend, we need to have that great Hendrick horsepower, and be fast from turn one to the inner loop. Nothing else matters.”

FELLOWS (on the characteristics of a solid road racer) – “A good road racer has to be very smooth with all car inputs – brakes, throttle, and steering. The biggest difference from an oval is the footwork approaching a corner. When you enter the corner on a road course you brake and also downshift the transmission. You’re going from the gear you are in to the gear you need. Sometimes you’ll even downshift through two gears. It can be a bit tricky as you need to match the rpm’s from the gear you’re in to the gear you need. If it goes wrong and you don’t get it exactly right, that’s when you see the dreaded rear-axle hop. That is usually followed by the back end of the car going into the corner first – never a good feeling.”

FELLOWS (What kind of an advantage do you think you can give the 5 car over the competition at the Glen) – “My advantage with the Fastenal Chevy is the Fastenal Chevy! JR Motorsports put together a great crew, and they have excellent preparation. Hopefully my years of experience at Watkins Glen help as well and we’ll be among the frontrunners in Saturday’s race. I’d love to be the first to get Fastenal its first victory with JRM.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Degree V12 Chevrolet Gateway Preview

Press Release — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:01:56 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Degree V12 Chevrolet)

EVENT – Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 (200 laps/ 250 miles)

TRACK – Gateway International Raceway (1.25- Mile Oval)

DATE – Saturday, July 18, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 9:00 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 9:00 p.m. EST)

MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Brad Keselowski will be available to members of the media in the Gateway International Raceway driver’s meeting room on Friday, July 17, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.

SEASON STATS – Keselowski remains third in the championship standings, 334 points behind leader Kyle Busch. In 18 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have one win, nine top-fives and 12 top-10s. His average starting position is 14.7 and average finish is 9.2.

KESELOWSKI AT GATEWAY – Keselowski is making his third Nationwide Series start this weekend at Gateway International Raceway for JR Motorsports. In last season’s event, Keselowski started 20th and finished fifth after battling back from an on-track incident.

GATEWAY EXPERIENCE – Keselowski and the No. 88 Degree V12 team are led by veteran crew chief Tony Eury Sr. Known to most in the garage as “Pops”, Eury Sr. was crew chief to nephew and JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. when the pair won back-to-back Nationwide Series championships in 1998 and 1999. During those two years, the duo won back-to-back races at Gateway as well.

STAND-ALONE SPECIALIST – Keselowski has proved he is a top performer in Nationwide Series stand-alone events. In the four stand-alone races this year (Kentucky Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile, and two at Nashville Superspeedway) Keselowski has an average starting position of 10.7 and an average finish of 2.7, the highest among series regulars.

GAINING POINTS – In the seven races since Keselowski’s win at Dover in May, the only driver to outgain him in the Nationwide Series driver standings is points leader Kyle Busch. Keselowski has earned 1,124 points to Busch’s 1,217.

CHASSIS NO. 434 – The No. 88 Degree V12 team will run Chassis No. 434 this weekend in the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. This car was last raced in the 2008 fall race at Phoenix where Keselowski started 16th and finished 21st after suffering a flat tire. While the finish would suggest otherwise, Keselowski called No. 434 the best short-track car he’s ever driven.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH OF REAL FANS: The search continues for the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year! Three contest winners have been chosen so far, but there are still four more spots on the car and fans can log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.comto enter for their chance to win. Finalists will get to meet Dale Jr. and have their face on the hood of the No. 88 JR Motorsports Nationwide Chevrolet this October for the Dollar General 300 race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

KESELOWSKI (on last weekend and heading to Gateway) – “Our finish last weekend at Chicagoland was obviously not what we were hoping for. This sport goes in cycles so you are going to have a bad race here and there and we had one last weekend. We just need to regroup as a team and get ready for the next challenge which is this weekend at Gateway. I enjoy these stand-alone events that the Nationwide Series has because you know there is going to be a lot of good talent in the field. The team is also bringing me a car that I like a lot, and I’m hopeful to get back on track in the points race with a good finish.”

KESELOWSKI (on working with crew chief Tony Eury Sr.) – “Pops (Tony Eury Sr.) brings so much to the team between his leadership and experience. Because of that he commands a high level of respect as well. I have really enjoyed working with him because I’ve been able to learn a lot from him during my time at JR Motorsports. He’s had success at Gateway in the past with Dale Jr. during those two years they won the championship together and so we’ll be leaning on that experience this weekend to hopefully get a solid finish.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Brad Keselowski, No. 88 Klondike Chevrolet Daytona Preview

Press Release — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:15:30 +0000

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 Klondike Chevrolet)

EVENT – Subway Jalapeno 250 (100 laps/ 250 miles)

TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5- Mile Tri-oval)

DATE – Friday, July 3, 2009

TV/ RADIO BROADCAST INFO – ESPN (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. EST)

SEASON STATS – Coming off of his fifth consecutive top-three finish, Keselowski remains alive in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship picture. After his third-place finish at New Hampshire last weekend, Keselowski gained 10 points on second place Carl Edwards, but remains third in the championship standings, 243 points back from leader Kyle Busch. In 16 races, Keselowski and the No. 88 team have one win, nine top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. His average starting position is 15.4 and average finish is 8.8.

KESELOWSKI AT DAYTONA – Keselowski will be making his fourth Nationwide Series start this weekend at Daytona International Speedway for JR Motorsports. In the first three starts, his average starting spot is 10.0 and his average finish is 14.3. In the July race last season, Keselowski started second, finished fifth and led 28 laps.

IN THE LOOP – According to NASCAR Loop Statistics, Keselowski ranks first among NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers in quality passes with 562 made in the first 16 races of the season. A quality pass is made while running in the top-15 under green flag conditions.

NOCTURNAL COMPETITOR – Keselowski continues to perform well at races held under the lights. This season, he has an average finish of 4.9 in any race started after 6:30 p.m. and of those finishes, none are lower than 11th.

RACING WITH THE BOSS – For the sixth time this season, Keselowski will compete on track against team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Friday’s race at Daytona. Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. This season, Keselowski amassed one top-five and two top-10 finishes when he raced with Dale Jr. as a teammate.

FINAL CURTAIN – This weekend marks the final time for sponsor Klondike on the hood of Keselowski’s No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevy. Klondike was the primary sponsor of the No. 88 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (2/28) and Talladega Superspeedway (4/25), where Keselowski earned the sponsor’s highest finish of ninth.

DOUBLE DUTY – Keselowski will attempt to make the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Daytona this weekend in the No. 09 Miccosukee Indian Gaming Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing, his second attempt this season at this track. He is coming off of a sixth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last weekend, his third top-10 finish in his last three Cup Series starts.

CHASSIS NO. 222 – The No. 88 Klondike team will run Chassis No. 222 this weekend in the Subway Jalapeno 250. This car was most recently raced at Talladega Superspeedway in April where Keselowski started 10th and finished ninth. He also raced Chassis 222 at Daytona in the season opener.

Eli Samuel Ross
Bank of Stanly
Attn: Misty Nordan
P.O. Box 539
Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

KESELOWSKI (on coming back to Daytona…) – “I’ve been looking forward to coming back to Daytona for a while now. We had such a strong car and a great run going in the spring, but I got a little too aggressive and got into the wall there at the end just going all out for the win. I guess I just kind of want that one back. We are bringing back that same car and it’s the one I had in Talladega as well where we had a top-10 finish. I just want to continue to ride this momentum with my team and hopefully it will take us to victory lane.”

KESELOWSKI (on having Dale Jr. as a teammate…) – “I’m always grateful to have a teammate out there with me on the track and in the garage and I can definitely tell a difference when we have the No. 5 team around. It’s even better when I have someone like Dale Jr. at a place like Daytona. He obviously has solid experience there and has the finishes to back it up. He and I have had a lot of fun this year racing together and drafting together at these restrictor plate races. I think it would be really great to get a one-two finish this weekend for JR Motorsports.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet Imapla SS Daytona Preview

Press Release — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:11:45 +0000

JR Motorsports Logo

PREVIEW – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet)

EVENT – Subway Jalapeño 250 (100 laps / 250 miles)

TRACK – Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile tri-oval)

DATE – Friday, July 3, 2009

TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:30 p.m. EST)
AT DAYTONA – In 16 starts at Daytona, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has five wins, eight top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. He has led 481 laps and earned an average finish of 10.4. In his last Daytona outing in February, he finished seventh after a 24th-place start.

UNDER THE LIGHTS – Earnhardt Jr. led at least five laps in five of his six career night races at Daytona, for a total of 234 laps. In 2003 he led every lap (100) en route to victory in the Winn-Dixie 250.

QUALIFYING SUCCESS STORY – Although starting up front isn’t paramount to a strong finish at Daytona, it certainly helps. Each time Earnhardt Jr. has qualified in the top-10 for Daytona’s summer event, he has finished third or better, culminating into an average finish of 1.6.

NO. 5 IN VICTORY LANE – The most recent win at Daytona for the No. 5 Chevrolet Impala SS dates back to the summer of 2007 with previous Hendrick Motorsports driver, Kyle Busch. He led 65 laps in the victory.

DYNAMIC DUO – The JRM pair of Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski combined to lead 42 of 105 laps in last year’s night race at Daytona. In three Daytona races in which Keselowski is his teammate, Earnhardt Jr. has two top-three and one top-10 finish, with an average finish of 4.3.

JUNIOR IN THE 5 CAR: Friday’s race will be the sixth of seven scheduled races for Earnhardt Jr. in the Nationwide Series this year. In his first five races, he has an average start of 14.6 and an average finish of 10.0. Earnhardt Jr. has two top-fives (Talladega and Las Vegas) and three top-10s in five races this season. His final race in the No. 5 this year will be Sept. 5 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Degree V12 Chevrolet. Degree is the title sponsor for the race.

CHASSIS INFO – The No. 5 Fastenal team will run chassis 279. This chassis lead the field for eight laps at Talladega last spring and finished fifth.

THE SUNSHINE STATE – Front tire carrier Ryan Buscaglio, calls the sunshine state home. Buscaglio hails from Lake Worth, Fla., just outside of West Palm Beach.

Eli Samuel Ross

Bank of Stanly

Attn: Misty Nordan

P.O. Box 539

Oakboro, NC 28129

(Please make checks payable to “Eli Ross Account” at Bank of Stanly.)

For more information, please call the Bank of Stanly at 704.485.3435.

IN SEARCH FOR REAL FANS: The online contest announced by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Brad Keselowski at Daytona in February continues, as Hellmann’s has teamed up with NASCAR to find the biggest, most loyal fans with the Hellmann’s NASCAR Real Fan of the Year contest. Fans can enter for a chance to receive a VIP trip for two to Charlotte, N.C. to meet Earnhardt Jr., and finalists will see their faces on the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet during the October Nationwide Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Julia Hiles was selected as the contest’s first finalist in February, but there are still six more spots on the car! For more details, log on to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com (No purchase necessary. Must be 18 to enter. Void where prohibited. Ends 8/31/09. Go to www.RealFanOfTheYear.com for complete rules.)

EARNHARDT JR.: “Of all the tracks I go to, this is my favorite. The place is special to me for a lot of reasons. These restrictor-plate tracks are so much fun when you have Tony Eury Sr. on your side, because he knows this stuff better than anyone. Even though he’s Brad’s crew chief, I feel we all benefit from having him in a JR Motorsports shirt. I know him and Brian Campe (crew chief for No. 5 team) work closely together, and it’s an advantage. Brad has done well at these plate races, too. I feel like the JR Motorsports cars can contend for a win any time we show up at a restrictor-plate track.”

EARNHARDT JR (on running for Fastenal): “This is Fastenal’s fifth race on board with us, and my second in the Fastenal car. We’ve had some really good races with Fastenal, but not locked down the solid finishes like we should have. I think (Scott) Wimmer has done better than any of us. I look forward to running this car – it’s a sharp looking car. I think it will look good under the lights at Daytona this weekend. Hopefully we’ll give the Fastenal folks something to cheer about.”

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Elliott Sadler, 2009 Crown Royal 400 NSCS Race Preview

Press Release — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:33:48 +0000

2009 NSCS Elliott Sadler - (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Elliott Sadler and the No. 19 Stanley Dodge hope a trip back to Richmond International Raceway for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race helps the Virginia native continue the positive momentum the Richard Petty Motorsports team created with a 19th-place finish at Talladega that also saw Sadler lead three of the final 60 laps.

SADLER QUOTES

ON RACING IN RICHMOND: “Richmond is in front of my home folks. I remember sitting up there watching the race. I was one of those people a few years ago and now I’m part of the show and that’s a heck of an honor. We always try to put on a great show for the hometown folks.”

ON BIRTHDAY PLANS: “I’m going out with family and friends for a nice dinner in Richmond. I have no real big plans for my actual birthday, but to be honest the best birthday plans I could have would be to celebrate in victory lane in front of all my friends and family on Saturday night. To win a race in front of my hometown fans would be so special that I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate.”

ON DAVID POOLE: “David Poole was one of my favorite people and journalists in all of NASCAR. David wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and let you know what he thought – that is one of the things that I loved the most about listening to him on the radio and reading his column. I listened to him on The Morning Drive regularly, if not everyday. He wrote and spoke about things with passion and he wouldn’t back down. He took his craft very seriously and worked to make sure that he got the story right before he wrote or spoke.

“On a personal level, David was always one of the first people to stop me on media day in Daytona and ask me about the winter. He cared about the people that he covered and when we spoke it was often not about racing at all, but more often than not it was about family or North Carolina basketball. Our sport has lost a great journalist, ambassador and an even better person. He will be missed.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

· Vote Elliott Sadler into the All-Star Race at www.nascar.com

· Sadler’s Autism Awareness helmet will go up for auction at www.sadlerfoundation.org at 8 a.m. on April 30. The auction will close on May 19. All proceeds from the auction will go to benefit autism related charities.

· Sadler’s Autism Awareness helmets worn the past two
years have raised a total of $13,567 through online auctions hosted by the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Foundation’s Web site. ($6,900 – 2008, $6667 – 2007)

· Sadler will celebrated his 34th birthday on April 30.

· Sadler’s started in the top-10 three times at Richmond International Raceway. His best start was fifth (spring 2005). He has also started eighth (spring 2008) and ninth (fall 2007).

· In 20 career starts at Richmond International Raceway, Sadler has one top-10 finish (spring 2005) and has led a lap (spring 2000).

· Chassis No. 283 will serve as the primary. No. 283 previously raced in Martinsville.

- Richard Petty Motorsports, Press Release