Earnhardt Childress Racing (ECR) Engines

Angelelli puts No. 10 Chevrolet Corvette on outside pole for 50^th anniversary race

WELCOME, N.C. (January 27, 2012) – ECR Engines earned four of the top seven spots during today’s qualifying for the 50^th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race at Daytona International Speedway.

Max Angelelli drove the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Chevrolet Corvette Daytona Prototype to the second spot with a lap of 1:41:240 minutes on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course. The Wayne Taylor Motorsports entry was a mere 0.121-of-a-second slower than surprise pole winner Ryan Dalziel.

“The speeds of the ECR Engines cars are really good, in the dry and in the rain,” said Richie Gilmore, general manager of ECR Engines. “The No. 8 car just snuck up and grabbed the pole. Everyone seems to be very excited about the new Chevrolet Corvette so, now, it’s all about survival, lasting all 24 hours of the race.”

The No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Corvette, with Alex Gurney at the controls, qualified fourth with a lap of 1:41:519 minutes. The No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette, with Antonia Garcia driving, was fifth with a lap of 1:41:611 minutes and Joao Barbosa was seventh with a lap of 1:42:657 minutes in the Action Express Racing No. 9 Corvette. The No. 9 Action Express Chevrolet did not make a qualifying attempt and will be the 14^th and final Daytona Prototype entry on the starting grid.

“I cannot hide my disappointment, obviously, leading free practice through this and I’m P2,” Angelelli said. “I was not expecting P2 in the end but I still feel our car is really good and really fast. I still feel that we’ll be the car to beat for the 24-hour (race).”

The 50^th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona is scheduled to take the green flag Saturday, January 28, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

About ECR Engines

ECR Engines is a high performance engine production and research and development company. ECR provides engines for NASCAR teams like Richard Childress Racing, Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Kevin Harvick Incorporated and others. ECR also produces engines used in the ARCA Racing Series, SCCA, dirt and asphalt short track, and sprint car racing. ECR Engines earned 50 victories in 2010, including the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and all four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series restrictor-plate races. Based in Welcome, N.C., ECR Engines earned the 2010 Race Engine of the Year award by magazine.

Source: Richard Childress Racing, Press Release

Peck Motorsports

The team also heads into the New Year with a few early Christmas presents. They recently acquired a second truck and a second engine for use in the upcoming season. This allows the team to take a less conservative approach entering and competing in the series. The acquired truck is a Laughlin Chassis and will run with a Ford body. The original truck will continue to run as a Chevrolet. The new engine was purchased from ECR Engines.

Driver Todd Peck, who earned a best finish of 27th place at O’Reilly Raceway Park in July, is excited to return and build upon the foundation the team established last season.

“I’m really eager to return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series next year and gain more experience,” Peck said. “Last season we had some ups and downs, but it was all a learning experience. We are more prepared for the upcoming year and ready to take another step forward. It’s a very exciting time for our team and we can’t wait to go racing again.”

Keith Wolfe will return as crew chief and general manager for the team. It will mark Wolfe’s seventh season with Peck Motorsports.

“Todd [Peck] and I have made a lot of progress in the off season and we’re really excited about 2012,” Wolfe said. “Once we had a few Truck Series races under our belt, we are able to assess our strengths and weaknesses and make improvements to our team. We’re entering this season with better notes and a better idea of what to expect at the track. I think our team will be more competitive and equipped to race up front.

The team again will collaborate with the Arthritis Foundation to bring awareness to the Foundation and also Juvenile Arthritis. Peck Motorsports continues to seek out companies interested in partnering with the team and the Foundation for a successful 2012 season.

About Peck Motorsports

Peck Motorsports is the only professional NASCAR race team headquartered in central Pennsylvania. Founded in 1988, Peck Motorsports is a family operation. Brothers Dr. Mike Peck and Tom Peck operated the team with success throughout the 90s. Today the team is still led by Dr. Mike Peck, but this time with son Todd Peck behind the wheel.

The family has a long, trusted history in the sport. Tom Peck has numerous top-10 and top-five finishes in the highest ranks of NASCAR. Todd Peck is the next generation of Peck Motorsports hoping to carry on the legacy of proud Pennsylvania racers. The team is currently looking for primary sponsorship in 2012 to support their collaboration with the Arthritis Foundation

About the Arthritis Foundation

Striking one in every five adults and 300,000 children, arthritis is the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to raising awareness and reducing the impact of this serious, painful and unacceptable disease, which can severely damage joints and rob people of living life to its fullest. The Foundation funds life-changing research that has restored mobility in patients for more than six decades; fights for health care policies that improve the lives of the millions who live with arthritis; and partners with families to provide empowering programs and information.

Juvenile Arthritis (JA) affects more than 300,000 children in the U.S. JA is a term to describe the many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions that can develop in children ages 16 and younger. There are several different types of JA.

- Breaking Limits Press Release

Austin Dillon celebrates his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with his Richard Childress Racing team at Homestead-Miami Speedway. - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland, Getty Images for NASCAR

THE MODERATOR: Let’s roll into our championship race team in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It’s the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, driver is Austin Dillon, our crew chief is Danny Stockman, Jr., and our owner is Richard Childress. This is Richard Childress’ second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers’ championship. His first came in the inaugural season in 1995 with driver Mike Skinner. And crew chief Danny Stockman, this is your first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

Richard, you talked to me out in the hall. You’ve had a lot of championships, but how does this one rank.

RICHARD CHILDRESS: It’s got to be right up there at the top. It’s so special when you’re family. Our whole family is involved, and I remember the very first championship with Dale Earnhardt. I had the same feeling tonight watching Austin, my grandson. It’s just so special to have the family and know how hard all of them worked.

I was at Ohio, Toledo, when Ty won his championship a few weeks ago, and just it’s a dream come true to have both these young men win championships.

And Danny Stockman, Bass Pro, everybody did so much to help put it together, and Austin kept it together so good under the pressure. For a 21 year old guy man, to be able to hang in there and do what he did was very special.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of which, our championship driver has joined us now. That’s Austin Dillon. He drives the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. At 21 years, six months and 22 days, he becomes the youngest champion in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history. Congratulations, Austin. Tell us what it’s like to win a championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

AUSTIN DILLON: How does it feel? Amazing, best feeling I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’m so happy for my grandfather. He’s got two champs this year. I’m worried about Ty coming back and beating me for the youngest champion ever. He’s pretty awesome. It’s going to be a wonderful week, a wonderful month. Can’t ask to go out of the Truck Series any better than this, coming out as a champion.

Danny Stockman has done a great job this year. We’re all a family over at RCR, and we fight like dogs, but we love each other the same. It’s cool that we’re out there, a championship. It was wild. The last restart was not the way I planned it. It made it interesting, but we still came out on top.

THE MODERATOR: Danny Stockman, talk about being the crew chief for this championship team.

DANNY STOCKMAN: Yeah, like Austin said, the last restart was quite gut wrenching. Just awesome to be a part of this deal with Richard and Mike and Austin and Tina and everybody that just let me have this opportunity to be a part of it. Austin Dillon being a great race car driver, up and coming race car driver, just really glad to be a part of it. Got a heck of a good race team, and just got to thank everybody back at the shop there. Really good.

Q. Austin, a little more detail on that last restart. Was it a tire issue? And I think Hornaday said when he went by you there that he saw oil or something like that. Was that communicated to you, as well?

AUSTIN DILLON: I didn’t see the oil, but I know right behind the right front fender we were knocked in. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t hit anybody on the track, but I think it happened on pit road. We got really tight once I got back there, but I think it was more the conservative side when I was three wide. We were three wide in the middle, and to force a spot right there is not worth it.

I wish we would have finished I think we had a shot to win the race. We really had a fast race car. When you get back there in that situation, your head tells you to be smart, but at the same time they’re telling you to go because you’re close there. I went as hard as I could, started entering the corner harder at the end and helped us out. But we got really tight when the fender got knocked in. I think it was close really with the fender, but the rain came at the right time, the Lord was looking after us, and it’s really cool to be where we are today.

Q. Austin, I want to say you didn’t really say anything on the radio as you were falling back there or even for the few laps after that. Did you not want to say anything? What was going through your head?

AUSTIN DILLON: There was no need to, just focus and get back on the wheel. When you get down like that, you can’t do anything but drive back to the front, and we’ve done that all year. I’ve struggled in certain spots and restarts. Actually my restarts have been really great to the end of the year. That one wasn’t a bad restart. I kind of Johnny went I didn’t anticipate as well as I needed to, and when Denny stuck me three wide, I probably could have made something out of it in the middle, could have got to the top quicker, but I didn’t know who was out there and no one said clear on the radio, so we obviously weren’t.

When you get three wide, and these trucks, the air pushes you around so much it’s hard to run three wide, and down the back stretch it was really hairy, so I just rolled out a little bit, got back in line and went to working on everybody in front of me and were able to pass quite a few of them.

Q. Can you just talk about what the last six, seven weeks have been like? You’re leading the points coming out of each of these last six or seven races. Has it been nerve wracking or has it been easier to handle than you thought?

AUSTIN DILLON: You know, watching these guys in the Cup Series talk to each other, it’s pretty wild. I listen to Tony Stewart and I listen to Carl Edwards and the different approaches they take to it. Offense is your best defense most of the time in racing, and I felt like today I probably played too much defense. It wasn’t enough offense, and my grandfather got onto me midway through the race and said, You can’t get comfortable here, you’ve got to keep racing. Went back and got on the wheel and drove up through a bunch of them and found ourselves in second.

We had a fast race car there at the end, and when we got three wide, I had to play conservative because it wasn’t worth it. It worked out for the better of everything, and leading up to this week, I’ve just been hunting and fishing, doing stuff I love to do, keep my mind off of it, hanging out with the people I always hang out with, talking to Danny, preparing ourselves the way we do for every race.

There’s no difference coming into the championship. You can’t approach things different. When you’re sitting outside the lead, you can take more chances, that’s for sure. Johnny could take more chances today than we could, Buescher the same way, they have nothing to lose. Stewart is right, he has nothing to lose for Sunday. It’s hard to play offense. You’ve got to play off, though. My best advice to Carl is to go out there and play offense, go out there he knows what he has to do. They have a different situation; they’re very close in points. There’s a benefit there.

I actually talked to Ricky Carmichael, he’s won lots of championships, and I was talking to him and he said the closest championship was probably the easiest because he knew what he had to do. 16th was what we were supposed to finish to win, and we knew that going in, and got us a top 10, so we did our job.

Q. That said, Austin, what was today like, because it wasn’t maybe a normal day because of the rain and everything. Was there a chance for nerves to get in? And with winning the championship, what’s your experience so far? Is it everything you thought it would be?

AUSTIN DILLON: Today with the rain, it did make it you had to think a little bit more, I guess. You could think about it longer. But I actually watched a Clint Eastwood movie during the middle of the day. That was pretty cool. It kept my mind off it. I laughed a few times. It was the one with the chimpanzee. “Any Which Way But Loose” is what I watched today. I watched it with my buddy Tim Dugger and my girlfriend and his girlfriend, we just hung out and watched the movie and waited on everything, and when it got down to it, started listening to my music, had our team meeting. That’s when we all get emotional is in our team meeting because we all know why we’re here, and it was really cool, we all had a big prayer session before, and I told them I was nervous going in, as nervous as they are, but we’ve got to go do our job, and we did it.

Austin Dillon soaks in the glory after becoming the youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion following Friday night's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images for NASCAR)

AUSTIN DILLON: The championship, yeah, it’s amazing. You get to spray champagne everywhere. You’re on top of the world. It’s the best feeling in the world. You stink real bad. Darrell Waltrip told me the best feeling in the world is going home stinking and having a trophy in your lap, and we were able to do that. I think now I’m more nervous about making a speech Monday, but we’ll figure that out. I’ve got some time.

Q. Going back to your celebration, are you maybe the first NASCAR champion to try planking on concrete?

AUSTIN DILLON: Yeah, the planking is cool. It’s something new. I feel like the good thing about NASCAR, we’ve got some really good drivers coming up. I am friends with a bunch of them that are going to represent the sport well. I think NASCAR has a lot to look forward to going forward. I feel that the newer fans coming in are young, and it’s really cool for sponsors, and I love the social media network, and I’ll be out there having fun any way I can. Yeah, I think that was one of the coolest planks you can do, I guess, winning a championship and then planking.

Q. Maybe your riskiest move of the night, too?

AUSTIN DILLON: That was probably my riskiest move, yeah. But it was wet enough where I could have got a little slide, and I have Sparco suit, so it’s the best suit in the world.

Q. You didn’t think about “Tebowing,” did you?

AUSTIN DILLON: Yeah, I kind of did. I pointed up when I was over the car. I didn’t get down on one knee, but that would have been cool to Tebow. He got it done last night, too; it was pretty impressive.

Q. What were you thinking when the rains came? Did you figure you had it at that particular time?

AUSTIN DILLON: Never thought about it. Andy Houston, my spotter, said, That’s probably going to be it, man, and I stayed in the truck and waited for the signal. It kind of drizzled, it was drizzling, and I knew they had lost the track because it was so slippery driving around under caution, and my grandfather said, Do not spin out under caution; slow down. I said, Wow, if I do this, that would be really a good way to lose the championship, rolling around under rain, so I backed her off and pulled in, and Hermie Sadler told me I won the championship, so I started celebrating and planked.

Actually, you know what, I did play some Xbox this week and tweeted my Xbox Live name and had like 50 people play Xbox Live Call of Duty with me. That was pretty fun, too. That was my RCR clan. It was good. I ended up on top like three times, but it was cool because everybody was going to tune into the championship, and they’re like mention the RCR clan in victory lane. I didn’t do it, but I got it in the media center, so I’m going to go back and play with them and talk to them about the championship. It’s cool, I interacted with fans that way.

Q. For Richard, what do you think allowed him to have the poise and everything to hold onto this lead in the points the last seven weeks, and is there anything that he’s done that you obviously have watched him race since he was little, but is there anything he’s done in the last two months that either particularly impressed you or surprised you?

RICHARD CHILDRESS: I think watching the race at Texas was the key to winning this championship. He was conservative when he had to be and he raced hard when he had to be. I think that was a big win we finished second, but it was a great run, and I think going into tonight, he I haven’t talked to him a whole lot this week because I didn’t want to add any extra pressure. He handles pressure better than a lot of people his age, he and his brother does, Ty. I couldn’t believe with the way he handled himself in the ARCA championship. They must get it from their mom because me and their dad gets a little wound up sometimes.

One other thing: Tonight with Johnny winning, that was 51 wins for ECR, and I told them at our kickoff banquet last year that they won 50 last year, so I told them you’ve got to beat it this year, so tonight made it 51. Great job for ECR.

Q. With the strength and the momentum you have after winning this championship, you’re taking the entire team with you to the Nationwide Series. What are you expecting for next season?

AUSTIN DILLON: Yeah, we’ve built a great team going into 2012. We’ve been working a little bit leading up to this race, and Stockman has been really harping on worried about this race, not worried about next year. But we’re so excited I can’t wait. It’s going to be amazing, feel like we can do it again. Two in a row would be awesome, just keep moving up and doing our job and we’ll be there at the end.

I was able to run some really good races with the Nationwide Series this year, and I feel like we stack up well, and we’ll have similar equipment. RCR and Pop Pop always make sure we have the best, and we’ll go out there and do our job in that No. 3.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations to the No. 3 truck, Austin, Danny and Richard.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Chevrolet Press Release

No. 88 Menards / Tarkett Chevrolet Silverado

SUM IT UP: With 24 out of 25 races in the books, Crafton can look back at 2011 with a long list of positive season statistics. Crafton led the championship standings for three weeks (after races two, three and six), has one win (Iowa Speedway), two pole awards (Michigan International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway II), five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes. He has led 88 laps, earned an average start of 9.8 and an average finish of 12.8.

COMING UP: After making the announcement in September that he would be returning to ThorSport Racing’s No. 88 truck in 2012, Crafton’s off-season will be less silly season and more wedding season. Crafton and fiancée Ashley Greer will tie the knot in a January ceremony in Mexico before returning to the garage in February as Mr. and Mrs. Crafton.

BUY IT UP: Matt Crafton merchandise makes a great Christmas present for the race fans in your life. Even though the season is over, there’s still plenty of time to head over to http://store.thorsport.com or click the Merchandise tab on ThorSport.com to find gear for Crafton all of the ThorSport Racing drivers.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 41 this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This is the chassis Crafton drove to the pole earlier in the season at Michigan International Speedway. More recently, Crafton drove this truck to a second-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October and a fifth-place finish in this month’s event at Texas Motor Speedway.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Crafton earned a fifth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway after handling issues plagued the No. 88 Menards/Fisher Nuts team for a majority of the evening. Falling as far back as 18th, Crafton rallied back from outside the top 10 in the closing laps, bringing home his fifth top-five of 2011.

Matt Crafton

How do you feel about Homestead-Miami Speedway?

“I really like Homestead and we’ve been really good there the last two years. I love that you can run right down on the white line or right up on the wall. Our team does really well on the mile-and-a-half tracks and we’ve had great finishes with the chassis we’re bringing in the last two intermediate races. I’d really like to finish up this season on a positive note with a win.”

What are your thoughts on the 2011 season?

“This season has had a lot of ups and downs, but overall I think we can look at 2011 as a good year. It certainly isn’t exactly what we wanted, we’d much rather be up there fighting for the championship with our teammate, but we had some really good moments. Winning the race at Iowa earlier this season was huge for me and my guys, and the poles we won at Michigan and Martinsville were big too. We had a few stretches where we had some really bad luck, and we’d definitely be in the fight if we hadn’t had those issues. But we led the points for a while there at the beginning of the season and we’ve got a lot to show for this season. I’m really hoping that we can leave Homestead with a championship for ThorSport Racing and hopefully next year it will be our turn.”

What are your off-season plans?

“Every year after Thanksgiving my fiancée Ashley and I head out to the desert to play with the sand rail. I’m really looking forward to that, especially since I just got my brand new buggy last month and I didn’t get a lot of time to drive it when we were out in Las Vegas. Then after the holidays we’ve got our wedding down in Mexico and our honeymoon. By the time we get back, it will practically be time to start racing again.”

Race Info:

November 18, 2011

Homestead-Miami Speedway

1.5-Mile Oval

Ford 200

134 Laps / 201 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. EST

Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 7:45 p.m. EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 7th

Crew Chief: Bud Haefele

Chassis: 41

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Matt Crafton NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Starts: 10

Wins: 0

Poles: 2

Top 5: 2

Top 10: 15

Laps Led: 24

Average Start: 14.3

Average Finish: 11.4

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records Chevrolet Silverado

NO FEAR, NO TEARS: Sauter sits 20 points back from competitor Austin Dillon in the points standings, yet he knows that the points differential isn’t a mountain to climb. Going into the season finale, his thoughts are set first to a pole position on the grid; second to leading laps; and third to winning the race – the strategy he and longtime crew chief Joe Shear, Jr. have employed during the entire 2011 season. While the statisticians can keep to the “mathematically possible,” Sauter and team 13 look to show old-school, aggressive truck racing on track at Homestead-Miami.

SHOW US YOUR CANS, FANS: The No. 13 Chevy Silverado welcomes back an associate sponsor from earlier this year – Mud Jug Portable Spittoons – for the Homestead-Miami race. A sponsor from Bristol’s race, Mud Jug looks forward to being a part of the championship weekend with contests for fans on Facebook and onsite. The “Show Us Your Cans” contest encourages fans to post pictures of current snuff brands and a reason why the fan needs a Mud Jug Portable Spittoon.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 13 team will utilize chassis No. 039 this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Considered one of the most successful chassis in the 13 fleet, it showed its speed at Texas just two weeks ago, as well as many of the intermediate tracks on the circuit in 2011. Its last appearance was in Texas on November 4th, where it finished seventh at the checkered flag.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sauter drove the No. 13 home to a seventh place finish at Texas Motor Speedway after starting in the 12th spot for the day. Sauter led laps, was fastest in practice and heavily raced in the top five most of the day. The top ten finish, 15th of his 2011 season, also bumped his championship points position to second behind leader Austin Dillon.

Johnny Sauter

Does Homestead-Miami Speedway put a smile on your face?

“It’s a really good racetrack for me – a lot of guys say that, but I mean it. Since it was repaved a few years back, it’s a lot of fun to race. There are just so many different grooves you can run. Last year, we had a little trouble in the pits at the end after leading most of the race; then getting a little caught up with Kyle (Busch). We feel like we can capitalize on that third place finish from last year – this is a track I’m confident running.”

The championship hunt, for you, is very much alive – is it not?

“All you can ask for is a shot, and I’m privileged right now. It’s a pretty tall order, 20 points, but there are a lot of competitive trucks out there. It’s a full field and a tough road for anybody to hoe. We just need to sit on the pole, lead laps and win. That’s the coolest thing about racing – you just never know how it’s all going to turn out.”

Are you looking to be more aggressive in Homestead?

“We are in a position to be aggressive here. I love to be the underdog, most people know that about me. Aggressive is the way I like to race, and it’s the way my team likes to race. We’ve had such effort this year from all the guys – they’ve killed it on their pit stops, just nailing them every time for me; and we have great sponsors in Safe Auto and Curb Records who live with us right in the trenches. There is less pressure, not being on top of the mountain. We have some freedom to just get out there and race and see what happens as the night unfolds. It’s the best spot for me to be in – no nerves, no pressure. Just great racing ahead.”

Safe Auto/Curb / Mud Jug Chevrolet Silverado Race Info:

November 18, 2011

Homestead-Miami Speedway

1.5-Mile Oval

Ford 200

134 Laps/201 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. EST

Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 7:45 p.m. EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 2nd (-20)

Crew Chief: Joe Shear Jr.

Chassis: 039

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Johnny Sauter NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

Starts: 4 (2 w/TSR)

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top 5: 1

Top 10: 2

Average TSR Start: 5 (best p3)

Average TSR Finish: 3 (best p3)

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 13 Safe Auto Insurance / Curb Records Chevrolet Silverado

NO LIMITS, TEXAS-STYLE…RETURNING TO THE SCENE: Sauter isn’t skittish to return to Texas, scene of an unfortunate black flag which ended his Victory Lane run back in April – after leading the last 56 laps of the race. Out of his appearances with ThorSport Racing, statistically Sauter shows Texas as one of his best tracks on the circuit – starting out of the top seven only once, and finishing out of the top six only once due to the penalty. In 2010, both appearances at the fast intermediate track resulted in second-place finishes for the driver.

SHOWING HIS ‘WOLFISH’ SIDE TO TEAMMATE CRAFTON: Sauter and wife Cortney, along with the Bodine and Kyle Busch families, hosted a Halloween-themed wedding shower Monday for teammate Matt Crafton in his late model shop. The driver, known for a spry sense of humor, got to show his “wolfish” side to Crafton and fiancée Ashley Greer by dressing up as the Big Bad Wolf to wife Cortney’s Little Red Riding Hood. Straight from the driver: no comment!

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 13 team will utilize chassis No. 039 this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Considered one of the most successful chassis in the 13 fleet, it showed its speed at Texas in the year’s spring race. Its last appearance was in September in Atlanta, where it finished 29th after contact with a competitor and tire woes.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sauter drove the No. 13 home to a 4th place finish at Martinsville Speedway after starting in the 4th spot for the day. Sauter led 36 laps of 200 and heavily raced in the top four most of the day. The top five finish, tenth of his 2011 season, also preserved his championship points position – but tied him at third with Ron Hornaday going into Texas.

Johnny Sauter

So what’s with the ‘Kulwicki Path to glory?’

“I’m going to use the Alan Kulwicki approach to his championship run in ’92. No one even considered him to have a chance but by the end of the day, he was champion. You can’t listen to everybody and what they say. We just have to keep racing hard. Probably some things are going to have to happen, but you never know what will happen. That’s what makes racing so great. I wouldn’t want it to be a situation where somebody’s ahead by 30. That’s just not interesting.”

So do you think it’s going to come down to Homestead, based on that answer?

“I sure hope so. That’s what I’ve been saying all year – that you can’t focus on the points, and it’s going to come down to the last race. It’s been a hairy year for a lot of us. So I’m planning on the championship being decided just like Kulwicki’s run – right there at the final race, lots of action. We’ve had top 10 finishes for the last few races and just had a little trouble in the pits last year. That’s how I want to win and how I’d want anyone to win, you’ve got to earn this.”

So you’re liking the underdog status going back into Texas?

“That’s fine with me. Most people who know me, know I don’t really want the attention. We’ve just got to get out there, lead laps, fly under the radar and execute and do our thing. Everyone is focused on Hornaday and Dillon right now, and that’s okay, they’ve both had great performances lately. To pull this off would be amazing and probably the biggest moment of my career – I can’t even imagine what it would be like. It would mean so much to all of the Sauter family, Wisconsin and North Carolina. A lot of validation there for years of racing.”

What would a win mean to you in Texas?

“It would mean a lot to my grandma! She’s 92 and lives not too far from the racetrack, and I always stay with her when I come to Texas. I spend as much time as I can with her. She’d be over the moon if I won – she was when I almost did it last year, and back in April. It would just be really special.”

Safe Auto / Curb Chevrolet Silverado Race Info:

Friday, November 4th, 2011

Texas Motor Speedway

1.5-Mile D-shaped Oval

Winstar World Casino 350k

147 laps/220.5 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 7:30pm CST

Radio: MRN & Sirius XM NASCAR Radio will broadcast live at 8pm CST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 3rd (-15)

Crew Chief: Joe Shear, Jr.

Chassis: 039

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Johnny Sauter NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Texas Motor Speedway:

Starts: 6 (5 w/TSR)

Wins: 0

Poles: 1

Top 5: 12

Top 10: 4

Average TSR Start: 4 (best p1)

Average TSR Finish: 7 (best p2)

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 88 Menards / Roto-Rooter Chevrolet Silverado

HOT DIGGITY DOG: Crafton has 19 previous starts at the home of the “Famous Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog,” more than nearly every driver in the field. David Starr is the only current full-time NCWTS driver with more starts at Martinsville Speedway, having taken the green flag 20 times. In his 19 starts, Crafton has earned two top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, with an average finish of 12.4. Crafton has completed 4200 laps around the half-mile circuit, but has only been scored as the leader for one of them. Crafton hopes to be leading the lap that counts when the checkered flag waves in the Kroger 200.

GET YOUR CRAFTON GEAR HERE: The ThorSport Racing online store is open for business and is now accepting credit cards. Head over to http://store.thorsport.com or click the Merchandise tab on ThorSport.com to find gear for all of the ThorSport Racing drivers.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 34 this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. This will be the chassis’ fifth appearance of 2011. No. 34 is the same chassis Crafton drove to an 11th-place finish in April. Crafton also drove the truck to top-10 finishes at Phoenix International Raceway, Lucas Oil Raceway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway earlier this season.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Crafton and the No. 88 Menards / CertainTeed team experienced an early disappointment in the Coca-Cola 250 at Talladega when superspeedway strategy backfired. While running faster than the leaders a safe distance behind the rest of the field, Crafton proved to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when a competitor blew a tire in front of him, resulting in a race-ending wreck which relegated him to a 31st-place finish.

Matt Crafton

What is the key to success at Martinsville Speedway?

“If there’s one phrase that describes how to do well at Martinsville, it’s ‘track position.’ Qualifying is key because you want to get that track position right from the start, and once you’re up there, you want to keep it. Even if you’re leading, you can never get that far away from the other trucks, and everyone just wants to get to the bottom, so it’s a big struggle for space on such a small track. It’s a lot harder to pass than on the big sweeping tracks, so every position is crucial.”

Race Info:

October 29, 2011

Martinsville Speedway II

0.526-Mile Oval

Kroger 200

200 Laps / 105.2 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 2:00 p.m. EST

Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 1:45 p.m. EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 8th

Crew Chief: Bud Haefele

Chassis: 34

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Matt Crafton NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Martinsville Speedway:

Starts: 19

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top 5: 2

Top 10: 10

Laps Led: 1

Average Start: 15.0

Average Finish: 12.4

About Menards:

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

About Roto-Rooter:

Roto-Rooter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Chemed Corporation, was established in 1935 and is the largest provider of plumbing and drain cleaning services in North America. Roto-Rooter operates businesses in more than 116 company-owned territories and more than 500 independent franchise territories, serving 91 percent of the U.S. population and 44 percent of Canada.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure Viptera / Drive for Savings Chevrolet Silverado

Talladega Superspeedway Advance

No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure / Drive For Savings Chevrolet Silverado

Armstrong Not Spooked at Talladega: Though some fellow drivers may have mixed feelings about restrictor plate racing, re-visiting Talladega Superspeedway is a thrill for Dakoda Armstrong. With roots in open wheel racing on short tracks, competing on the enormous 2.66-mile oval is a whole new world for the 20-year-old rookie driver, who won his first ever contest at the track in the ARCA Racing Series in 2010. As the site of his first stock car victory, Talladega will always hold a special place in Armstrong’s heart. He’ll be the first person to tell you however, it’s a giant chess game out there.

“I grew up watching races at Talladega as a child so the excitement of getting to run at such a prestigious track is a thrill for me, but you never know what to expect during a restrictor plate race. It’s pretty hard to have any kind of strategy because really anything goes once you get out there,” Armstrong explained.

“At Talladega it’s just about putting yourself in the right spot at the end because once you’re in the draft; all of the trucks are the same speed. You just have to stay out of trouble and just be there at the end to even have a chance.”

Drive For Savings, Armstrong and the National FFA Convention: Armstrong will be visiting the Drive For Savings booth during the opening day of events at the 84th National FFA Convention on Wednesday, October 19th from 1 to 5 pm. He will be on hand to sign autographs and greet fans next at the Drive For Savings (DFS) display. The area will contain Armstrong’s No. 98 Ferrellgas/Agrisure/Drive For Savings Chevrolet, as well as information about the DFS discount card program that benefits organizations like FFA.

Held each October, the national FFA convention is one of the largest annual student conventions in the country, providing educational sessions, hands-on activities, leadership workshops, information about numerous careers and much more. Drive For Savings, sponsor of Dakoda Armstrong and his No. 98 ThorSport Racing team in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), will participate in AutoWorld, an area of the convention career show originated to give students a path who are seeking careers in the automotive, motorsport, and racing industries. AutoWorld spans over an 8,000 square foot section of the show and displays automotive, racing, motorsports and classic industries, combined with technical schools and colleges involved in these respected categories.

Godspeed, Dan Wheldon: All members of the ThorSport Racing family were affected by of Dan Wheldon’s passing in last weekend’s IZOD IndyCar Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As a Curb Records teammate, Wheldon was a member of the ThorSport Racing family, and the entire organization will honor him with special decals on all three TSR entries in addition to apparel to be worn by all of the team’s drivers and crew members.

ThorSport Online Store Now Open: Long awaited by all, the ThorSport Racing online store is now open! We encourage everyone to check out our newest addition at http://store.thorsport.com. If you can’t make it out to the new shop in Sandusky, you can now purchase merchandise online.

Chassis History: Armstrong will pilot chassis No. 24 at Talladega this weekend. Prepared by his Ferrellgas/Agrisure/Drive For Savings team, this truck was last seen on track under the direction of Matt Crafton at Daytona in February and finished 10th.

Dakoda Armstrong

What is your mindset headed into a mentally tough race like Talladega provides?

“The biggest thing is to remind yourself to be patient, especially there, anything can happen because everyone races in a tight pack. You have to be able to last until the final ten laps and that’s when you really start racing hard. To set yourself up for that final run, you need to figure out what other trucks your truck works best with, be calm and not get into any trouble early on.”

Did you have any special strategy that helped you get the ARCA Racing Series win here last year?

“ARCA was a little different than the truck series; you don’t have as many cars all in the same big draft. I tried to stay close to the top ten and waited for the second lane to get moving when it was time to go. It was kind of one of those deals where you help other people out and hope that they help you out. Definitely a chess game.”

Race Info:

October 22, 2011

Talladega Superspeedway

Coca-Cola 250 presented by Fred’s

2.66-mile Tri-oval

94 laps/250 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED- 4:00 pm EST

Radio: MRN- 3:45 pm EST

Team Facts:

Crew Chief: Dan Stillman

Chassis: 24

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Dakoda Armstrong

Career Highlights- Talladega

Starts: 2 (ARCA, 2010-11)

Poles: 1 (2010)

Wins: 1 (2010)

Top 5- 1

Top 10- 1

Laps Led: 42

Avg. Start: 7

Avg. Finish: 7.5

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 88 Menards / Certainteed Chevrolet Silverado

DEGA DATA: In his five previous starts at Talladega, Crafton has racked up one top-five and two top-10 finishes. His best finish of fourth was achieved in last year’s event where Crafton led four laps. Crafton has an average start of 16.0 and an average finish of 13.2 at the Alabama track.

GODSPEED, GOOD FRIEND: ThorSport Racing was deeply saddened at the news that the racing world lost Dan Wheldon in last weekend’s IZOD IndyCar Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As a Curb Records teammate, Wheldon was a member of the ThorSport Racing family, and the entire organization will honor him with special decals on all three TSR entries in addition to apparel to be worn by all of the team’s drivers and crew members.

GET YOUR MERCHANDISE HERE: The ThorSport Racing online store is open for business and is now accepting credit cards. Head over to http://store.thorsport.com or click the Merchandise tab on ThorSport.com to find gear for all of the ThorSport Racing drivers.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 40 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. This is a brand new superspeedway chassis which will be making its first laps when it hits the track for Friday’s practice session.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Crafton scored a second-place finish in a caution-filled race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, earning his 12th top-10 finish of 2011. After fighting handling issues early in the race and running as far back as 19th, the team perfected the No. 88 Menards / Ideal Door Chevrolet Silverado by the end of the event, charging to the front of the pack and coming up just shy of a win in the first Vegas day race in nine years.

Matt Crafton

How do you feel about Talladega Superspeedway?

“I really enjoy the actual racing at Talladega and being at that track, but there’s also a part of you that is always a little anxious going there because so much of what happens there is outside of your control. I’ve been fortunate that I’ve managed to stay out of trouble in the last five races, but you never know what can happen. It’s all about finding the right people to work with, developing a plan and making sure you’re still on the track for the checkered flag.”

What are your thoughts on the loss of Dan Wheldon?

“I was really sad to find out about the passing of Dan Wheldon. Losing a driver, in any form of motorsports, is always a possibility, it’s part of the danger of the sport. But as a driver, you always like to put that possibility out of your mind and just focus on being the very best at what you do. It’s very sad to lose someone in our racing community, and Dan was a good guy and a good friend to ThorSport Racing. Right now I just feel bad for his family.”

Race Info:

October 22, 2011

Talladega Superspeedway

2.66-Mile Tri-Oval

Coca-Cola 250 powered by Fred’s

94 Laps/250.04 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 4:00 p.m. EST

Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 3:45 p.m. EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 6th

Crew Chief: Bud Haefele

Chassis: 40

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Matt Crafton NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Talladega Superspeedway:

Starts: 5

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top 5: 1

Top 10: 2

Laps Led: 4

Average Start: 16.0

Average Finish: 13.2

About Menards:

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

About CertainTeed

Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm’s slogan “Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed,” quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, windows, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.

A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. In 2009 and 2010, CertainTeed, which is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., was named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a national award that recognizes environmentally responsible corporations. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2009.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records / Carrier Chevrolet Silverado

PAYING TRIBUTE TO A CURB RECORDS TEAMMATE: The 13 team will pay homage to Curb Records teammate in the Izod IndyCar Series, Dan Wheldon, who tragically passed away during the last race of the season in Las Vegas. Team thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends at this time.

NOT JUST BROWNIE POINTS ANYMORE: Sauter has led the championship points for ten weeks this season, but he largely relishes his “underdog” status in the second spot. Five points out with four races to go, the 13 and its veteran driver know that cooler heads will prevail and strategy plays out in a superspeedway race. Look to find Sauter partnering in the two-car tandem with teammate and points pro Matt Crafton for potential success at Talladega.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 13 team will utilize chassis No. 025 this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. A proven superspeedway chassis for the team, it brought a successful podium finish at Talladega last year. Its last appearance was in Daytona at the beginning of the season, where Sauter finished seventeenth after a rough ride and historical set of cautions and incidents left him in the back of the pack.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sauter drove the No. 13 home to a solid fourth place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after starting in the same spot for the day. Not only did the successful appearance deliver another top five for the driver, it also earned him the Exide Start Positive, Stay Positive award once again in 2011. He also left Las Vegas in the second place points position heading to Talladega.

Johnny Sauter

Love to hate Talladega? Or do you enjoy it?

“Talladega is a great type of racing – all racing is, but superspeedway racing is different. And Talladega really is different from Daytona. Unfortunately, there’s typically a 60% chance you are going to wreck and that’s not fun. So it’s gotten a bad rap over time, and I’ve certainly been a part of a few of those wrecks before in my day.”

At this point, in a close points battle – is this fun for you, or a job?

“Anybody that is having success in a job is usually having a good time. I’m definitely having a good time right now, and it’s a lot of fun. I’m doing what I love to do, which is race. I can get pretty intense, but at the end of the day, if you’re not having fun, you’re making everyone else around you miserable.”

How does it feel to see the championship in the crosshairs? Do you have a strategy at this point?

“Joe and I never talk or have strategy – for as strange as that sounds. We grew up racers, and our mentality is to win or at least try to every week. The rest just takes care of itself when you do that. So for the next four races, we’re still about winning. The championship part just takes care of itself.”

Safe Auto / Curb / Carrier Chevrolet Silverado

Race Info:

Saturday, October 22nd, 2011

Talladega Superspeedway

2.66-Mile Tri-Oval

Coca-Cola 250 Presented by Fred’s

94 laps/250 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 3:30pm EST

Radio: MRN & Sirius XM NASCAR Radio will broadcast live at 3:00pm EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 2nd (-5)

Crew Chief: Joe Shear, Jr.

Chassis: 025

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Johnny Sauter NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Talladega Superspeedway:

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top 5: 1

Average Start: 12 (best p8)

Average Finish: 10 (best p3)

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 88 Menards / Ideal Door Chevrolet Silverado

SPARTA STATS: With 11 previous starts at the track, Crafton has solid stats at the Sparta, Kentucky facility. With three top-five and seven top-10 finishes, Crafton has racked up an average start of 12.6 and an average finish of 11.5. He has a best finish of 3rd, which he earned consecutively in 2008 and 2009. Crafton’s engine failure at the spring race is his only DNF at Kentucky Speedway.

IT’S A TIE: When Crafton takes the green flag in this weekend’s event at Kentucky Speedway, his total number of consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race starts will hit 267, tying Dennis Setzer for second in all-time consecutive starts in the series. Crafton will take over second place exclusively in the following event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Terry Cook is the current record holder with 296, which Crafton can break at the end of the 2012 season if the schedule has 25 or more races.

GET OUT THE PLASTIC: The ThorSport Racing online store is open for business and is now accepting credit cards. Head over to http://store.thorsport.com or click the Merchandise tab on ThorSport.com to find gear for all of the ThorSport Racing drivers.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 41 this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. The team debuted this chassis at the spring Kentucky race. Crafton most recently used this truck at Michigan International Speedway where he won the pole and dominated the race before getting taken out in a late-race wreck.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Crafton earned a top-10 finish for the third week in a row in a wreck-free race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. After running in the top five for most of the event, strategy in the final pit stop of the day resulted in a sixth-place finish for the No. 88 Menards / Great Lakes Wood Floors Chevrolet.

Matt Crafton

How do you feel going into the race at Kentucky Speedway?

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to Kentucky, especially after the way our race went earlier this season. We had a very good truck when we went to Kentucky in July, and unfortunately we didn’t really get to show it when the engine blew. We’re planning to go back with the same chassis, which was really fast in Pocono and Michigan too, and I definitely think we’re capable of bringing that truck to victory lane.”

Race Info:

October 1, 2011

Kentucky Speedway

1.5-Mile Tri-Oval

Kentucky 225

150 Laps/225 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. EST

Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 7:45 p.m. EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 6th

Crew Chief: Bud Haefele

Chassis: 41

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Matt Crafton NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Kentucky Speedway:

Starts: 11

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top 5: 3

Top 10: 7

Laps Led: 9

Average Start: 12.6

Average Finish: 11.5

About Menards:

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

About Ideal Door

Since 1963, Ideal Door has been an industry leader in sectional garage doors and the preferred choice of home owners, architects and builders for their current and future door needs. For more information, visit www.idealdoors.com.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records / Carrier Chevrolet Silverado

THE HEAT IS ON, THE COOL IS COMING: Team 13 looks to keep consistent top five finishes in the last six races of the 2011 season as the hunt for a championship continues. Sauter made up six points in the deficit between himself and current leader James Buescher at Chicagoland – and he looks to continue the tick up the charts at six dominant race tracks for the seasoned driver.

A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION, A LITTLE MORE ACTION: A primary sponsor of the No. 13 truck, Safe Auto, continues their “Race to Vegas” contest by wrapping up in Loudon. Entrants can go to www.facebook.com/SafeAuto to enter once for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas as a guest of the No. 13 team and Johnny Sauter.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 13 team will utilize chassis No. 011 this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. A proven short-track chassis for the team, it brought a pole and win in Martinsville earlier this year. It’s last appearance was in Indianapolis where Sauter started fourth – tire woes relegated him to a 24th place finish.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sauter drove the No. 13 home to an inspiring sixth place finish at Chicagoland Speedway after battling an extraordinarily loose truck all night. Smart pit strategy and sound on-track decisions delivered the truck in one piece as other championship contenders were behind the wall. His finish pushed him to third in overall driver championship points, a mere six behind leader James Buescher going into a strong track for Sauter at NHMS.

Johnny Sauter

Are you looking forward to Loudon?

“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is an awesome place to race. It is short track racing at its best. We use a lot of brakes and wear out the tires, and everyone that knows me knows I love the tires falling off and sliding and banging. The motor is just as important at a track like Loudon – almost as important as handling; it takes a lot of compromise with the truck and the driver has to feel it.”

How do you feel coming out of Chicagoland?

“Man, we had to fight for that finish all the way around in Chicago. We were fighting a loose truck from the get go, even in practice, and we were trying to find speed throughout the weekend there. I knew I was in trouble at the first caution when it was ready to turn into the fence, but we kept our cool and Joe did some diagnostics, and we were able to work it out and hold on. I’m proud of the guys for performing in a clinch – we needed a top ten to get back into the points game, and we did it, even on an off week for us.”

No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb / Carrier Chevrolet Silverado

Going into Loudon, what are your thoughts for that championship run?

“It’s week to week now. We saw last week that we could move up in points and only be six down, but move down a spot in the ranks. This is close racing, folks, and it’s how it should be. Only six points divides the top three guys, and we’ve got six to go. I don’t feel pressure, this is my job and I’m ready to get to some of these tracks that I can do what I do best. We’re going to keep making smart decisions on and off the track as we move towards Homestead.”

Race Info:

Saturday, September 24th, 2011

New Hampshire Motor Speedway

1.058-Mile Tri-Oval

F.W. Webb 175

175 laps/185.15 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 3:00pm EST

Radio: MRN & Sirius XM NASCAR Radio will broadcast live at 3:00pm EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 3rd (-6)

Crew Chief: Joe Shear Jr.

Chassis: 011

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Johnny Sauter NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Poles: 0

Top 5: 1

Average Start: 7 (best p7)

Average Finish: 6 (best p5)

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR)

ESR’s new trucks will be powered by Earnhardt Childress Racing Engines, with additional support from Chevrolet, allowing ESR to produce championship caliber entries within the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Owner Sharp says that his prior relationship with Toyota was nothing but positive and that the change to Chevrolet was an opportunity that the team could not pass up.

“The time was right when the opportunity came up to switch to Chevrolet. I cannot thank Toyota enough for their support over the last few years. We’re excited about the opportunity to continue to build and grow with Chevrolet,” Sharp said.

Justin Lofton

“I’ve always been a GM guy and I’m really looking forward to putting one back on the track,” said Lofton.

The No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado will hit the track with sponsor CollgeComplete.com.

When the deal was finalized to make the move to Chevrolet, Daniel Haim, the owner of CollgeComplete.com was ecstatic.

“Having graduated from high school in the Chicago area, there were hardly any places around the country I would rather make such a great debut. I am proud to be supporting an American manufacturer and excited for continued growth that I have seen in Chevrolet in the past few years. The continued growth of manufacturing jobs allows for continued success for the students we place in vocational schools and certification programs as well as two and four year online and campus based colleges.”

If you are looking for a way to change your life, contact CollgeComplete.com and take the first step.

Lofton will turn his first laps in the No. 6 CollgeComplete.com Chevrolet on Friday for practice and qualifying at the Chicagoland Speedway, before taking the green flag for the Fast Five 225 at 8 PM Eastern time.

- Eddie Sharp Racing / Justin Lofton Media Relations Press Release

No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure Viptera / Drive for Savings Chevrolet Silverado

Race Info:

September 16, 2011

Chicagoland Speedway

Fast Five 225

1.5-mile Tri-oval

150 laps/225 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED- 8:00 pm EST

Radio: MRN- 7:45 pm EST

Team Facts:

Crew Chief: Dan Stillman

Chassis: 32

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Dakoda Armstrong

Career Highlights- Chicagoland

Starts: 1 (ARCA, 2010)

Start: 15

Finish: 11

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fast Five 225

Race 18 of 25

Dakoda Armstrong

“These off weeks have taken forever it seems like. Even though I’m busy going to the track with the team, it seems like Michigan was forever ago. I’m just ready to get back in the seat,” Armstrong commented.

“Watching Atlanta was good for me. It was helpful to see someone else in the truck and see what our team can do, and it also made me feel better when I listened to the way Justin Marks described the truck during practice and the race because he was experiencing the same things I have been.”

Future Farmers and Boy Scouts Visit Chicagoland: Drive For Savings, one of the No. 98 team’s primary sponsors, will have a special group of guests visiting the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland on Friday night. Local Future Farmers of America (FFA) and Boy Scouts of America (BSA) chapters from Indiana and Illinois will have 25 representatives from their clubs in the stands to cheer on Armstrong and the ThorSport Racing team. The representatives from FFA and BSA range from nine to 18 years of age.

“Drive For Savings is excited to be able to bring representatives from the FFA and Boy Scouts to the track so they can experience the thrill of racing,” CFO and Co-Founder of Drive For Savings Casey Kemerly explained. “Anytime we have an opportunity to raise awareness about the funding needs of these and other deserving organizations, we jump at the chance. The FFA and Boy Scouts are two of the best youth-based leadership non-profits in our country, and we’re happy to have them with us at Chicagoland.”

Rally With The Fans: Armstrong will accompany teammate Johnny Sauter to the Joliet Race Fan Rally in downtown Joliet on Thursday evening prior to Friday’s on-track activities at Chicagoland Speedway. The Rally is a family-friendly festival that celebrates the opening of Chicagoland Speedway’s NASCAR race weekend. The event is free and open to the public, and includes live music, driver appearances, food and children’s activities. Armstrong and Sauter are scheduled to appear for a Q&A session at 7 pm, followed by an autograph session with the fans.

ThorSport Online Store Now Open: Long awaited by all, the ThorSport Racing online store is now open! We encourage everyone to check out our newest addition at http://store.thorsport.com. If you can’t make it out to the new shop in Sandusky, you can now purchase merchandise online.

Chassis History: Crew Chief Dan Stillman and the No. 98 Ferrellgas / Agrisure / Drive For Savings team will bring chassis No. 32 to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. The team made repairs to this particular truck that was on the move to a top-ten finish under the guidance of Dakoda Armstrong before a late-race incident at Michigan International Speedway a few weeks ago.

Dakoda Armstrong on Chicagoland Speedway

What stands out in your memory banks from Chicago?

“I just remember it’s a big circle, even the backstretch isn’t straight. It feels like you’re constantly turning, so you have to keep the truck rotating well or it’s going to be a long day.”

Did you learn anything at Michigan and during the off-weeks that you can apply here?

“We’re bringing the same truck that we had at Michigan, and we were pretty fast with it before the accident in the late laps. Even though Michigan was a bigger track, I think the truck is going to handle similar at Chicago and we can carry over some of the same things there.”

ThorSport Racing

ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest tenured active NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing’s first came at the Milwaukee Mile on July 6, 1996. NASCAR’s only Ohio-based team, which has run full season schedules annually beginning in 1998, currently runs the No. 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado driven by Matt Crafton, and the No. 13 Safe Auto/Curb Records Chevrolet driven by Johnny Sauter.

ThorSport Racing has wheeled into Victory Lane with Terry Cook, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter since its inception and has finished a dominating seven times within the top 10 in points with both trucks. In April 2011, Sauter wheeled into Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway. In 2009 and 2010, both Crafton and Sauter finished in the top five in driver points. In 2011, ThorSport Racing has moved into a state-of-the-art, world-class, 100,000 square foot racing facility in Sandusky, and has also expanded its operations with the addition of a third NCWTS team, the No. 98. The team is set to run select races in 2011, and full-time in 2012 with Rookie of the Year contender Dakoda Armstrong.

Ferrellgas

Ferrellgas originated as a family-owned propane company, founded in 1939 in Atchison, Kansas. Now headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, Ferrellgas has grown through acquisitions and an unwavering dedication to customer service and safety, and is now the premier propane provider in the United States. It is also the largest provider of propane by branded propane tank exchange through its Blue Rhino brand and serves approximately 1 million Customers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.Ferrellgas.com.

Syngenta and Agrisure Viptera 3111

Syngenta is the largest agribusiness in the world, with the widest portfolio of chemicals and seeds in the industry. A science based company focused on offering growers solutions and “Bringing Plant Potential to Life”, Syngenta’s goal is to help farmers feed and fuel a growing population. Agrisure Viptera 3111 is a corn seed produced by Syngenta and controls 14 types of insects that cost the Amercian corn grower over $1.1 billion per year in lost yield and grain quality. Syngenta and Agrisure Viptera 3111 are proud to be partnered with Dakoda Armstrong, a fourth generation farmer that utilizes Syngenta products to increase productivity. For more information, visit www.Syngenta.com.

Drive For Savings

Drive For Savings, based in Middletown, Indiana, was founded as a fundraising company, providing solutions to the lack of funding issue that most organizations face on a daily basis. Honored to be a member of a network that has been built over the past 27 years and has served over 15 million members, Drive For Savings creates innovative fundraising programs that are designed to meet the specific needs of any organization through the sale of discount cards. The Drive For Savings (DFS) cards are linked to a nationwide discount program that offers discounts at over 260,000 locations and are sold for $25 each. Each card sale earns money for the specific organization that sells it. The goal of DFS is to help organizations succeed by earning necessary funds and will increase revenue without adding labor. Each program is 100% designed, managed and tracked by the DFS staff. Drive For Savings is proud to sponsor NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Dakoda Armstrong and the No. 98 ThorSport Racing team. For more information, please visit www.DriveForSavings.com.

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 88 Menards / Fisher Nuts Chevrolet Silverado

GOING NUTS: Matt Crafton rolls into the Windy City in the No. 88 Menards/Fisher Nuts Chevrolet Silverado in the first of two appearances for Fisher Nuts in 2011. Fisher Nuts will also grace the hood of the No. 88 in the penultimate race of the season at Texas Motor Speedway.

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM: Crafton has two starts under his belt in the Windy City, and he’s hoping his third will run will end in victory lane. In his two visits to Chicagoland Speedway, Crafton has a best finish of seventh, which he earned in his last visit to the track in 2010. One of Crafton’s five career pole awards was won in Chi-Town in 2009. Crafton has led 23 laps at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval and has an average finish of 10.5.

GET ‘EM WHILE THEY’RE HOT: Can’t get to the new ThorSport Racing shop in Sandusky to pick up your Matt Crafton merchandise? The ThorSport Racing online store is now open for business. Head over to http://store.thorsport.com or click the Merchandise tab on ThorSport.com to find gear for all of the ThorSport Racing drivers.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 88 team will utilize chassis No. 37 this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. This chassis made its debut laps two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Crafton started and finished seventh.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Crafton scored his ninth top-10 finish of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway two weeks ago. With one of the fastest trucks under the lights, fuel strategy ultimately resulted in a seventh-place finish in the Good Sam Club 200.

Matt Crafton

What are your thoughts on Chicagoland Speedway?

“Chicagoland is a track I really enjoy, and our team has always performed really well on the 1.5-mile tracks. This year we haven’t brought home some of the finishes we deserved at the intermediate tracks due to a little bad luck, but we’ve always had a fast, competitive truck. These are the tracks where we really excel.”

How do you feel about finalizing your contract to continue driving for ThorSport Racing in 2012?

“I’m glad the paperwork is signed, but I was never looking to go anywhere else. This is where I’ve been committed to since the beginning. Duke and Rhonda Thorson have been so great to me, you couldn’t ask for better bosses. Anything I’ve ever needed from them or anything I’ve needed to talk to them about, whether it’s about racing or life in general, they’ve always been there for me. It means everything to be able to continue a relationship with a team this long, as well as with my sponsor Menards. If you’ve got a supportive sponsor and supportive, top-performing team, there’s nothing more you can ask for.”

Race Info:

September 16, 2011

Chicagoland Speedway

1.5-Mile D-Shaped Oval

Fast Five 225

150 Laps/225 Miles

Broadcast Info:

TV: SPEED will broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. EST

Radio: MRN will broadcast live at 7:45 p.m. EST

Team Facts:

Current Point Standings: 7th

Crew Chief: Bud Haefele

Chassis: 37

Engine: Earnhardt-Childress Racing (ECR)

Matt Crafton NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results at Chicagoland Speedway:

Starts: 2

Wins: 0

Poles: 1

Top 5: 0

Top 10: 1

Laps Led: 23

Average Start: 9.5

Average Finish: 10.5

- ThorSport Racing Press Release