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NASCAR Veteran Strengthens Front Row Motorsports Leadership Team

Statesville, N.C. (February 8, 2012) - NASCAR veteran Pat Tryson will join Front Row Motorsports as the crew chief for David Gilliland’s No. 38 Ford.  The move is the latest of numerous off-season improvements for the Sprint Cup Series team and allows interim crew chief Derrick Finley to return full-time to his role of Director of Competition.

Tryson comes to Front Row Motorsports with more than 15 years of experience atop the pit box and race-winning credentials, earning victories with drivers Kurt Busch, Elliott Sadler and Mark Martin.  He most recently worked for Michael Waltrip Racing, where he served in crew-chief and consultant roles.

“We made some pretty big changes this off-season to really take this team to the next level, and adding Pat is just one more critical piece that we’ve put in place for our 2012 season,” said team general manager Jerry Freeze.  “With Jay Guy on the No. 34 car and Derrick returning full-time to the competition director role, the depth and experience of our leadership team is better than it’s ever been before.”

Tryson has worked with some of the sport’s best organizations and drivers over the years.  This season will be his first time working with Gilliland, but he is ready to step in and help the team.

“I like what this team has done in the last few years, doing the right things and making the right changes to get better every season,” said Tryson.  “Gilliland’s a competitive driver – he’s got the fire in his belly – and I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

Gilliland, who scored a season-best third in last year’s Daytona 500, is ready to hit the track next week in Daytona Beach with Tryson running the No. 38 program.

“He’s a great ‘get’ for this team,” said Gilliland.  “There’s just so much that he brings to the table with all his experience.  I can’t wait to get started.”

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant and transportation entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception.  The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland.  For sponsorship inquiries contact Robin Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer, at (704) 904-4347.

Source: Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

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Sport Supplement Company to Sponsor Ragan, Gilliland, Pit Crews

Statesville, N.C. (February 8, 2012) - Sport supplement company Maximum Human Performance (MHP) will bring its message to NASCAR fans for the first time, joining Front Row Motorsports as a multi-race, multi-year partner in the team’s Sprint Cup Series campaigns. MHP will be a primary sponsor for multiple races in both 2012 and 2013, including the upcoming Budweiser Shootout exhibition race on David Ragan’s No. 34 Ford and the season-opening Daytona 500 on David Gilliland’s No. 38 Ford.

MHP will also be the official sport supplement line of Front Row Motorsports and an official sponsor of the Nos. 34 and 38 pit crews. Company experts will work with the team’s pit crew coach and trainers to develop nutritional and fitness plans to improve and maximize the performance of the over-the-wall crew throughout the season.

“This is really going to be a unique program,” said Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins. “Sponsors, of course, help make your race programs better across the board via funding, but this is a case where they’re also going to make our pit crews healthier, stronger and faster. Everyone knows that a couple seconds on pit road can make a huge difference on the track. This partnership is focused on getting our athletes in the best shape possible to deliver maximum performance when it matters most.”

Fairfield, NJ-based MHP was launched in 1997 by bodybuilder Gerard Dente to develop premier science-based, research-driven sports supplements to help athletes achieve their greatest physical potential. The product line is used by world-class athletes, pro bodybuilders, powerlifters, strongmen and fitness enthusiasts alike. Products are sold in vitamin/supplement retail stores and online at www.MHPStrong.com.

The deal marks MHP’s first partnership in NASCAR. With Ragan and Gilliland both being skilled restrictor-plate racers, the February 18 Budweiser Shootout and the February 26 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway provide the perfect platform to introduce the company to an audience of millions of race fans.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to work with a first-rate racing team like Front Row Motorsports,” said Dente, CEO of MHP. “This unique sponsorship will not only connect our brand with millions of NASCAR fans, but more importantly it will showcase how our supplements will help improve the performance of their pit crew and drivers. I’m looking forward to working with pit crew coach Gary Smith and seeing how improvements in the pit crews’ speed and strength translate into better track times for the team.”

“MHP could have teamed up with any team in the sport, and they selected Front Row Motorsports,” said team general manager Jerry Freeze. “In the off-season, we upgraded our driver line-up, our pit crews and shop personnel, and our front-office leadership. It is reassuring when prospects like MHP conduct in-depth due diligence and confirm that our value proposition is compelling.

“Plus, it will be even more compelling after MHP helps get our over-the-wall guys performing at their maximum performance potential. That was an area that needed improvement, and in MHP we have a partner that is going help us do just that – continually improve.”

For more information about MHP, visit www.MHPStrong.com.

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant and transportation entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland. For sponsorship inquiries contact Robin Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer, at (704) 904-4347.

Source: Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

Front Row Motorsports Logo

Statesville, N.C. (January 24, 2012) 

The new motorsports partnership expands an existing business relationship between the Berwyn, Penn.-based company and Front Row Motorsports owner Bob Jenkins.  ModSpace is currently working with Jenkins’ quick-service restaurant company to build new Taco Bell/Long John Silver’s locations.

“I’ve been impressed with ModSpace and their modular construction concepts and the experience they bring to the table,” Jenkins said.  “Our companies share some of the same ideals, so it’s a natural fit to team up.  I’m excited they’re going to partner with us on the racetrack now, too.”

The new motorsports partnership will help with another type of “building” – the continued growth of Jenkins’ Sprint Cup team, which is coming off the best season in its young history.  The first appearance of the No. 38 ModSpace Ford is scheduled for the April 14 race at Texas Motor Speedway.

ModSpace is a leading provider of modular buildings, portable storage and services for temporary or permanent space needs.  Building on more than 40 years of experience, ModSpace serves a diverse set of customers and markets – including commercial, construction, education, government, healthcare, industrial/energy and special events – through an extensive nationwide branch network throughout the United States and Canada.

“We are thrilled to partner with Front Row Motorsports for this upcoming Sprint Cup season,” stated William Mann, Vice President of Motorsports for ModSpace.  “In the modular construction business, we understand the importance of speed while still delivering a high-quality product, so this motorsports alignment is perfect for our business model.  ModSpace looks forward to a great season from both the No. 38 and No. 34 teams.”

ModSpace has constructed buildings for renowned clients ranging from the Professional Golf Association (PGA) to General Motors, IBM and the U.S. Army.  For more information on the company and its projects, visit www.ModSpace.com.

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant and transportation entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009.  The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland.

Source: Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

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Cup Race Winner to Drive No. 34 Ford, Gilliland Returns to Pilot No. 38 Ford

Statesville, N.C. (January 16, 2012) - Front Row Motorsports will follow up its best season in the team’s young history by bolstering its line-up for 2012, adding race winner David Ragan to drive the No. 34 Ford Fusion in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Front Row veteran David Gilliland will build off an impressive 2011 season, returning to the team behind the wheel of the team’s second entry, the No. 38 Ford Fusion.

Ragan joins Front Row after completing a 2011 season that delivered his first Cup win (Daytona International Speedway in July), two poles, and four top-five and eight top-10 finishes.  The 26-year-old Unadilla, Ga., native is already a NASCAR veteran, first joining the national stock-car ranks at the age of 18 and quickly ascending to premier-level Sprint Cup racing.  His No. 34 team is locked in to the starting line-up entering the 2012 season, including a guaranteed starting spot in the prestigious Daytona 500 next month.

“Front Row has made great progress in the last few years, and I look forward to helping them advance to the next level,” Ragan said.  “I think the team appreciates what I can bring to the table, and I think it’s a good opportunity for both of us.  I’ve also enjoyed a long relationship with Ford and I’m glad that I’ll get to keep working with them.”

Gilliland returns for his third season with Front Row and his seventh in the Cup series.  The 35-year-old Riverside, Calif., native will return to the No. 38, the number he drove as a Sprint Cup rookie as well as the car he drove in his first season with Front Row.  The No. 38 team is also locked in to the field entering 2012.  Last season, Gilliland raced his way to a third-place finish in the Daytona 500 to start off an impressive 2011 run, in which he proved to be a force on superspeedways and road courses.

“We’ve gotten better year to year and even week to week in the time I’ve been with Front Row, so I’m excited to be back for a third year and to have David (Ragan) as a teammate,” Gilliland said.  “It’s good to be back in the ’38′ car, too.  It was my dad’s number, and I’ve also had some pretty good days at the racetrack with that number on the door.”

Front Row Motorsports, which is owned by restaurant and transportation entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, enters its fourth full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series.  The team turned in its best results in its young history in 2011, earning one top-5, two top-10, three top-15 and five top-20 finishes in 2011, including the history-best third at Daytona.

“I am committed to building a competitive race team by employing the same fundamental business principles that have worked for my other successful endeavors, and it all begins with the people,” Jenkins said.  “We took some pretty big steps in our race program last year and adding David Ragan is another giant step in the right direction.

“When you look at some of the large, storied teams in NASCAR that have been running for decades, we’re still pretty young by comparison,” Jenkins continued. “But I like the upgrades we’re making and the improvements we’re seeing, and I am confident we will be able to compete with them on a consistent basis in the not-too-distant future.  Ragan is a proven competitor and race winner, Gilliland had a really solid season for us last year, Roush Yates engines are the best in the sport, and Ford continues to provide invaluable support, so I feel like 2012 is really going to be our year to step up to the next level.  Plus, I now have two Davids to engage Goliath, and we know how that day ended.”

Sponsorship for the Front Row Motorsports entries is being finalized and will be announced soon.

“We’ve worked hard to build an organization that can deliver compelling value propositions for our partners, and we can win immediately on that front given our size, efficiencies and cost structures,” said Jerry Freeze, Front Row Motorsports’ General Manager. “Fortunately, a few leading corporate partners have taken notice and others are conducting their due diligence.  That’s very encouraging and bodes well for our future.”

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant and transportation entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009.  The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Ford driven by David Ragan and the No. 38 Ford driven by David Gilliland.

Source: Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

Ford Racing

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion (Qualified 1st) –

YOU WERE SECOND FASTEST IN FIRST PRACTICE AND FASTEST IN FIRST PRACTICE. “That was all qualifying. We focused on our race runs the first practice and had a tire issue the second practice and only made two runs. It worked out great though. I just really appreciate Matt Kenseth’s help and all of my teammates helping me the best they could today to give us the best shot at this pole. I can’t believe we got the pole. We were just hoping to start in front of Tony somewhere and preferably the top-five. The pole is a gift.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER – No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Qualified 12th) – “That was okay. We struggled a little bit today with the Best Buy Ford. We’ve kind of struggled with getting into the corner and I’ve really struggled to run the top. I think the top is the faster way to go, but I can’t get there right now. It was a solid lap. You can always pick it apart and say it was a little bit better, but we’re working hard. This hasn’t been the best day for us, but Greg Erwin and all the guys are working hard. Hopefully, that gets us a decent starting spot because it’s a long race on Sunday.”

MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion (Qualified 18th) – “I just didn’t know what line to take. I went a bit higher than what I probably should have, but we’ll take it. I’ve just got to thank Ford Racing for putting on this huge show here. It’s great to finish here at the big Ford event. We’ve got Carl with a chance to win, Ford as well, and I’m real excited about it. With Stanley and DeWalt, it’s just been a ripper year. It’s been fantastic to drive with the King and I just want to thank all of my boys and Todd Parrott on the box. It’s been a really strong effort for us.”

GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion (Qualified 8th) - “I think I have a great car for tomorrow. The lap was pretty good. We struggled earlier today in qualifying trim for some reason. Gosh, I let up the gas off of four and it started to slide and chatter a little bit. I lost a lot of momentum and I don’t know if I had to lift. It was one of those things where it was like; uh oh I am in big trouble. I backed off it for a minute and I don’t know. It is so tight up there. That is probably the top of the board but who knows if it would have stuck.

DO YOU HAVE A TOP FIVE CAR IN RACE TRIM? “Oh yeah. We were probably close to being the fastest in race trim. We are pretty dang good as a team. I would say we are all in that area of top-10 somewhere.”

MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion (Qualified 6th)– “I think we just missed the set up a little bit. I thought I got a pretty decent lap. It wasn’t perfect. This is a tough place to get everything because the lines change the way the car handles so much. I think we missed it a little bit but I thought we got most of it.”

TREVOR BAYNE – No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion (Qualified 20th) – “I was pretty happy with that pick-up there. I didn’t expect to run a teen. I don’t know how good that’s gonna hold up. We’re fifth right now, but I think it’ll be a decent start. I’m really happy with the adjustments we made. We ran like a .60 in practice and I was hoping for a .30, but we ran a teen there. I caught a little cloud, so that was good for us, but I think we’re gonna race a lot better than we qualify either way. If we end up fifth, then we’ll really be good in the race, but I think there are obviously a lot of good cars still to go. If we can get a top 20, we can race from there. I’d prefer a top-15, so we’ll work on that, but I’m excited about this car so far and just excited to be a part of this all year long. Hopefully, I’ll be back in the 21 next year. We’ll see what happens, but I’ve just really, really enjoyed it so far. I remember a year ago when I was sitting on the pit box watching these guys and Bill Elliott was driving the car. It’s been a crazy year, but it’s been a really memorable one and I’m just excited to have been a part of it.”

DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS My Choice Ford Fusion - “That was a good lap for us; it wasn’t perfect. We made some pretty big adjustments after that last practice because we knew the track was going to cool down just a little bit and maybe we went a little too far. I think we’ve got a great UPS Ford for Sunday. That’s in the top 15 and we’ll be able to go racing with that on Sunday.”

TRAVIS KVAPIL – No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford Fusion (Qualified 40th) – “It feels nice to be locked into these races because we didn’t really put any emphasis on a qualifying effort today. We really just worked on our race trim stuff. That’s a pretty good lap for us and we gained a lot of speed there, but it’s not gonna shake out very good overall. Still, I’m excited about Sunday.”

DAVID GILLILAND – No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford Fusion (Qualified 38th) – “We have struggled and have been nowhere close to where we needed to be. It’s a little disappointing when you unload that far off, but we made some good gains and we’ll just keep working on it. We’ve still got the race, but I’m a little disappointed. We’ve run really well here the last couple of years, but we’ve just struggled today. The track didn’t have a lot of grip and I know a lot of people are having issues, but hopefully we’ll get a handle on it.”

J.J. YELEY – No. 55 Ingersoll Rand Ford Fusion – “I think it’ll probably be pretty decent. The most important thing, obviously, is we’re in. We were really pretty decent the first practice and lost the balance in the second practice, so I was a little worried about what I had on the lap there. I think I probably gave it an 85 percent lap. I know I probably could have gained another tenth-and-a-half, at the same time I probably could have wrecked the thing, too. The good thing is we had a good run. I know these guys have worked their tails off all year long for me on this 55 car. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m glad that we’ve had a good run here for the final race at Homestead.”

CARL EDWARDS POLE-WINNING PRESS CONFERENCE –

ARE THINGS LINING UP LIKE YOU WANTED THEM TO THIS WEEKEND? “Yeah, things are good. Today went really well. I felt like our car was very fast in practice in race trim. I wasn’t really sure what to expect in qualifying trim, but that was a very pleasant surprise to run that well. That truly is just one lap, though, and, I mean, the biggest thing is that pit stall selection. That’s gonna be a big help the whole race. That’s something that’s hard to put a value on, so it looked like there were a lot of fast cars in practice. It didn’t look like we were head and shoulders better than anyone else, so this doesn’t dampen the amount of effort we’re gonna go out and put forth. We still have to go out and race this race. I do think that of all the tracks it would be nice to have a big advantage in qualifying at some of them, but this one you can pass at, so if there are faster race cars out there, they’ll be able to make it through the field.”

YOU MADE TWO QUALIFYING RUNS IN PRACTICE. DID YOU JUST FEEL YOU COULDN’T GET IT ANY BETTER? “Yeah, we ran the first practice completely in race trim and we felt that was the best strategy for us was to focus on race trim there, and then focus on qualifying trim the second practice. We actually had a cut in the right-rear tire after the first run in the second practice, so we had two sets of sticker tires, which we would normally run three or four runs total – a couple on the first set and then one final sticker run – but once we looked at that tire we realized we can’t use that again, we just couldn’t do it, so we made one more sticker run, so it was only two laps in the second practice. In a way, it probably helped us from tuning the thing out of contention. It was nice to just focus on two runs.”

DO YOU BELIEVE IN FATE? IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS ARE LINING UP FOR YOU? “I don’t know that I believe in fate, but I do believe that things happen for a reason. I do believe that whatever you encounter you have to treat as if that’s just the way it’s supposed to be. You can’t change things, I’ve learned that, so success and failure can both be good in the end, so you’ve got to be careful for what you wish for sometimes, but, yeah, this is going really well so far and, hopefully, this helps us all race. We didn’t need to qualify poorly, get a poor pit stall, have some little thorn in our side the whole race, so this will hopefully help us for the whole event.”

DOES TODAY REPRESENT A MOMENTUM SHIFT? “I don’t know. I didn’t pay any attention to them in practice and I didn’t see where he qualified, so I still don’t know where they qualified. I guess the deal is we’ve still got to go run this race and I know how tough those guys can be, so I’m not counting anything yet. We’re just gonna keep our heads down and work hard and go get the best we can. If anything, this is just good for our morale and for everybody to go sleep easy tonight and know we’re gonna have a good day on pit road, know we’ll hopefully be able to run out front and not get caught up in anything. But, truly, I understand that we still have to go run this race and anything can happen.”

IS TODAY A PRIME EXAMPLE OF YOU SAYING ALL THAT MATTERS IS WHAT HAPPENS ON THE TRACK? “I hope so, but, truly, it is just one lap and I know it could have gone any way. If we were out there and qualified 43rd right now, it wouldn’t change the way I’m gonna approach this race. I’m not just giving you all lip service. I’m here to do a job and to do it well and it truly doesn’t matter what’s said or what happens until that checkered flag falls.”

- PCGCampbell for Ford Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS Travis Kvapil - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Cup Driver Makes 175th Start, Son Makes First

Statesville, N.C. (November 15, 2011) - As his dad reaches a milestone start in his Sprint Cup Series career, Carson Kvapil will be making his very first NASCAR start. The eight-year-old son of Travis Kvapil will be doing a different kind of racing, though. He’ll compete in the “Battle of the NASCAR Kids” Saturday at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

The tournament will have drivers’ children playing “NASCAR Unleashed,” a newly released racing video game. The event will raise funds for charities, with Carson competing for NASCAR Dreams, a program operated by the NASCAR Foundation that grants wishes at the racetrack to chronically ill children.

The following day, dad Travis Kvapil will make his 175th career Cup start when he takes the green flag in the Ford 400 in the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford. He has six starts at the 1.5-mile Florida oval, with a top finish of seventh (2008).

Comments from Travis Kvapil, driver of the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford, going into Homestead and ending the season:

“Carson’s ready to go. He’s been practicing and I think he’s got a good shot. But regardless of how it ends, it’ll be fun to go and watch him play and compete for a good cause. We’ve got three kids from Front Row Motorsports competing – Carson, Todd Gilliland and Faith Yeley – so hopefully one of them can grab the checkered flag.

“For the Cup race, it’s definitely going to be a drastic change from Phoenix to Homestead. Being in Phoenix with the new asphalt being laid down, it was very narrow – one and a half, maybe two lanes. And Homestead is quite the opposite. It’s a track where you can run easily three-wide. And there’s four or so lanes you can use. You can run right against the bottom, right against the wall and anywhere in between.

“It’s a great track to end the season on. And it’s a great track to take the championship battle down to the wire, where guys can really race and move around and give themselves a lot of options to make passes. I like Miami and I like that racetrack. It’s a fun place to race because it’s a fast mile-and-a-half racetrack with some good banking to it.

“I feel like the No. 38 team finally got some momentum going over the last six or eight weeks and things have been going good. I’m kind of disappointed the season’s over. I’d kind of like to keep going and run some more races. But, it will be nice to have some time off and enjoy the holidays. Before you know it, it will be time to get back to it.

“A couple months ago, it didn’t look very encouraging that the 38 team was going to make it back to the top 35 by season’s end. More than anything, it was just about not having trouble – not having gears break or things like that that we’ve had happen. We got caught up in a couple wrecks at the beginning of the season and that put us behind. So, we finally had a decent stretch recently where things didn’t go against us.”

About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

David Gilliland - Front Row Motorsports

Father and Son Take the Wheel on Different Tracks

Statesville, N.C. (November 15, 2011) - Look for two Gillilands to don firesuits and go racing this weekend at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. David Gilliland will be behind the wheel of the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford for Sunday’s Ford 400, the final race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. His 11-year-old son, Todd, will be behind the controls of an Xbox 360 console competing in “Battle of the NASCAR Kids.”

The younger “Gilly” is participating in a competition among drivers’ kids playing “NASCAR Unleashed,” a newly released racing video game. The event will be held Saturday morning at the speedway, with each child competing for a charity of his choice. Todd is competing for Sherrills Ford Optimist Park, a recreation center in the Gillilands’ hometown that suffered fire damage earlier this year. He’ll sport a white and purple No. 34 jumpsuit, patterned after his dad’s race uniform.

The elder Gilliland will run his sixth career Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, looking to end the No. 34 team’s season on a high note. The team earned a 25th-place finish on its last visit to the 1.5-mile oval one year ago – Gilliland’s best career finish at the track.

Comments from Front Row Motorsports driver David Gilliland heading into Homestead and ending the season:

“Todd’s excited for this tournament. He’s been saying since they first invited him to participate that he’s going to win. He’s been practicing and he’s ready. And the fact that it will send some support to Optimist Park will make it even better. We just moved to Sherrills Ford recently, so it will feel good to help our new hometown.

“It’s been a long season. But we’re already excited and looking forward to building and improving our team for next year. We’ve learned a lot. We had some good runs. We found some strengths in our team, and some weaknesses as well that we’re going to work through and hopefully improve on.

“Homestead was a really good race for us last year. We ran really well in our last race of the year. So I’m looking forward to going there and hopefully coming out with a good finish. A good finish from Homestead always helps the off-season seem a little shorter.

“Homestead is a great track. It’s one of my favorites, just because you can run from top to bottom, basically all over the place. And you’ve got the championship being decided, so there’s going to be a lot of energy and excitement. This is exactly what NASCAR had in mind when they created the Chase. It’s going to come down to the last race of the year. Who knows, maybe even the last lap.”

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

Ford Racing

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion — PIT LANE INTERVIEW

THAT LAST PASS GOT YOU THE POINTS TO END WHERE YOU DID. “It was a long day. It was interesting. I was real calm but it is hard to watch that 14 crew and Tony do so well. They have really stepped it up. They are making us perform the best we ever have and we are doing the same to them. I followed him for about 40 laps. It felt like I was working him over and really paying attention to what he does. I determined he is a pretty good driver. If we can win this thing beating him that would be really cool.”

Bob Osborne, Crew Chief No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion – “We finished in front of Tony. We would have like to increase the points lead but we didn’t because he was able to lead so many laps early on. We had a great car and they had a great day too. It is going to be exciting going into Homestead. We were guarding against cautions and getting caught there staying out a little longer, guarding against a caution and that let the 4 car get in front of us. It felt like we had a better car than they did. Kenny just juked me today. I will have to congratulate him on that when I see him. I can’t say enough about them. The 4 car had a great car actually. They were very fast all day long. My hat is off to them and the 14 also. It is going to be a lot of fun at Homestead.”

YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU STAND FOR HOMESTEAD. WHAT IS AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR MIND FOR THAT RACE? “We will go there and try to repeat what we did last year. I feel like we have a good opportunity to do that this year. The car had the speed to do it today. The way the race played out here and my decision to wait a little bit longer cost us the win today. I think we will go into Homestead trying to sit on the pole and win the race and put a dot on this championship hopefully.”

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Crown Royal Ford — WALK US THROUGH WHAT HAPPENED. EVERYONE IS SAYING IT WAS RETALIATION FROM MARTINSVILLE. “Well yeah, obviously it is retaliation for retaliation I guess. I was out of brakes and I was up on everybody and I saw him coming and I lifted at least 10 car lengths before where I would normally lift and he drove in there at 165 miles per hour and cleaned us out. I don’t know. If NASCAR is going to start parking people for being mad 25 second after you wreck and wrecking somebody then you would park somebody for that. You have someone that has been telling everybody for four or five that as soon as he got a chance at a fast race track he was going to make it hurt and wipe us out and they do nothing about it. It was so premeditated it just surprises me that they didn’t do anything. I am disappointed but I expected it. We aren’t racing street stocks at a quarter mile track so they need to figure out how to get the drivers to settle their difference in a different way and talk about it or figure it out or do something instead of using your car as a battering ram somewhere this fast.”

WAS THERE ANY TEMPTATION WHEN YOU WENT BACK OUT TO TAKE IT UP ONE MORE NOTCH? “No, not at all. I don’t stoop to that level. When we had our problem at Martinsville it was heat of the moment and he hit me eight or nine times and he hit me once. Hindsight I should have let him go and left him alone because you realize who he is and what he is and all that. You probably should leave him alone and go on. I would never sit down there and wait for somebody and take a cheap shot like that. You can hurt someone like that and that isn’t sportsmanlike and that isn’t something I would do.”

WHAT NOW? DO YOU TALK ABOUT IT? “Nothing. We go race at Homestead.”

Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 DeWalt Ford – “We had a good car today. We just needed a bit of clean air to get the nose down and feeling good. I am proud of my DeWalt team, they did a good job and we were solid all day long.”

THIS CONTINUES A REALLY GOOD SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON FOR YOU. “Yeah, it bodes even better for the first half of next season.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 43 WIX Filters Ford – “It is a credit to all the guys on the 43 and at RPM. The test was really good and we came back really good. Man, I don’t know. We lost on that one restart. I don’t know. The tires chattered a little bit. The tires were so sensitive and they chattered and got hung out. I overdrove one lap and got in the dirt and that killed us from there. Sixth is okay but I feel like we deserved better. We have to work on our pit stops. Thanks to the 6 guys, our Ford teammates coming over and pitting the last two stops. That was a big difference.”

WHAT WAS BEHIND THAT CALL? “We were bad. We were losing four or five spots on a stop. You can’t do that and win a race and those guys are pretty good. They did a good job.”

J.J. Yeley, No. 38 Vampt Ford Fusion – “The guys did a good job with our No. 38 Vampt Ford Fusion all day. We had a terrible qualifying run so we had the challenge of starting in the back. And we knew that was going to be tough with the single-file racing that we’ve seen so far here. But the guys kept making it better all day, gave us some good pit stops, and Jay Guy made a good call on two tires at the end. We were all really proud to have Scott Bates here with us. It was a really special day for him, seeing the paint scheme that he created, in person, and also being recognized on stage during pre-race ceremonies. We’re all very grateful to veterans like him for their service to our country.”

David Gilliland, No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford – “That was a tough race. Starting from the back of the pack, we knew we had to have a pretty good car to be able to move up at this place. But we had some issues with the suspension. The car was bouncing and we were just adjusting on the shocks and stuff all day. I’m really looking forward to going to Homestead, though. I love racing there and we’ll look to end our season on a high note.”

CARL EDWARDS PRESS CONFERENCE

CAN YOU GIVE US OPENING STATEMENT GOING INTO HOMESTEAD WITH TONY THREE POINTS BEHIND YOU, YOU ARE THE ONLY TWO IN CONTENTION AND THIS IS THE THIRD CLOSEST CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE GOING INTO HOMESTEAD IN NASCAR HISTORY. “That is cool. I couldn’t ask for anything more. It is going to be fun. It is neat to go to Homestead and race it out. I am sure these guys are going to be good down there. They are fast at the mile-and-a-half tracks. I love that place. I am proud of my guys today. They did a great job on pit road. Tony was really fast and we got our car tuned in and we were able to race with them and compete. It was a good hard fought day. I am really pumped for Homestead, I think it is going to be a good time.”

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW THE TRACK WAS TODAY? “I think what Tony said is absolutely correct. All those guys that came out here and spent that time helped a ton. I think Brian recognizing the issue we were potentially going to have and addressing it was huge. It was a lot better than I thought it would be. The groove moved out wider and wider. I started to remember the old Phoenix when I would drive down in one and slide up and catch some rubber. I believe after it sits awhile and we come back here for the Subway 500 in the spring, and even a year from now, I think it will be awesome. I am a convert. I was ready to put a tombstone up and say goodbye to the place, but I think it is going to be good.”

I NOTICED YOU FOLLOWED TONY FOR A BIT, WAS THAT PART OF YOUR STRATEGY AND WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY FOR THE LAST RACE? “That is exactly what I was doing, just hanging out back there trying to keep his blood pressure up. No, I was having fun. I think our car was a tick faster right then. I was watching what Tony was doing and searching around and doing what I could. That was really fun. It was neat to be able to race like that. I think if it would have gone green from there, which I know the chances of that are virtually nil, that would have been a fun race. We would have battled it out. The way this has turned out for us to be running 1-2 and racing like this is really cool.”

GIVEN YOUR SUCCESS AT HOMESTEAD, IS THERE ANY PLACE YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE THE SEASON FINALE? “There are some dirt tracks I grew up on that would be fine with me. (laughter) If we tie, we should go to one of the dirt tracks down in Florida, that would be pretty fun. Homestead is going to be a lot of fun. I really enjoy racing there. The cool thing about Homestead is we are going to go there and you will be able to move around and pass and you won’t get hung up as badly in traffic as you would at other race tracks. For the sport in general, I don’t know that there is a better place to go than Homestead to fight for this championship.”

LAST YEAR JIMMIE JOHNSON WOULD STAY OUTSIDE WHEN DENNY WAS TALKING. YOU DID COME IN HERE AND ARE SITTING WITH TONY. HOW IS YOUR MINDSET AND NERVES RIGHT NOW? “They are really good. I am fortunate I guess. There is the potential for me to get really nervous there at Homestead, you never know what will happen. The thing for me is I have always been fortunate enough to just get in the race car and go race and there is no time for me that is more calm or I feel better than in that race car. I understand what all this stuff is. I understand we come up here and answer questions and that is part of our sport. When it comes down to it though, both of us know we have to just go race each other. It is truly neat, like you said it is my first time to come into this not just tied but with a little points advantage in this final race, it is fun. I am just enjoying it. It really, truly doesn’t matter what anyone says or what anyone’s predictions are. It gets done on the race track and that is when we will see.”

WHAT WILL YOU DO THIS WEEK? “I don’t know what I am going to do this week. I don’t have a very busy schedule so that is good. I can always find something to do. I will just go hang out and do what I normally do. I will spend a little time hopefully with the guys and talk a bit with Bob and keep doing what we have been doing all year and go down there and enjoy it.”

HOW COOL IS IT TO BE BATTLING EACH OTHER FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND ALSO BE SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AND RACING EACH OTHER SO TIGHTLY THE LAST FEW WEEKS? “This is kind of strange to say right now because we are battling and it is a zero sum game, one of us will win and one of us will lose, but it is neat to me that Tony and the guys on the 14 have been running so well and have won so many races and are performing at such a high level. It is going to mean more if we are able to beat them in this championship because of that. To be racing these guys at their peak, for us I can say completely truthfully this is the best Chase we have ever had. We haven’t gone out and got the trophies we have in other Chase’s put we have performed better than we ever had. If they beat us they are beating us at our best and that is pretty neat.”

YOU’VE BEEN A PART OF ALMOST ALL THE CHASE’S. HOW WOULD YOU RATE THIS BEING ON THE INSIDE LOOKING AT IT? “It’s the best points battle I have been a part of at this level. It is fun for me. I still don’t understand why we are both running so good. It seems like subconsciously we are both able to dig down and our teams are able to give us what we need and everyone is performing at a real high level. It has been neat that this battle has brought out the best in us.”

YOU GUYS HAVE RACED HARD WITH EACH OTHER. HOW MUCH HARDER DOES IT GET. WHERE IS THAT LINE AT? “Heck, I’m gonna trip him when we walk out of this room. No, I think we are going to go race as hard as we can and both of us I believe want to win this thing because we are the best out there next weekend and that is all we can do, go out there and race hard like we have for years. There would be nothing better than coming down the last lap, side by side, racing for the win. That would be really fun.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON’S RUN OF FIVE STRAIGHT TITLES CAME TO AN END TODAY. CAN YOU PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE? “I would say that if anyone is going to go out and do it again it would be those guys. They have as good a shot as anyone at starting again next year. It is very impressive. I agree with what Tony said.”

KASEY KAHNE HAS SCORED THE SECOND MOST POINTS IN THE CHASE. HAVE YOU NOTICED HIM TURNING IT UP? “He kind of snuck up on me as well. I didn’t realize that statistic. We got to work with those guys really closely when he was driving a Ford and he is a really impressive driver. Those guys are going to be tough for a long time if they can find a groove and he can stick with one team and have people rally around him. I think he is going to be really tough for a long time.”

AS PRECIOUS AS THE POINTS ARE. WAS IT AT ALL DEFLATING WHEN YOU REALIZED AT THE END THAT KASEY HAD THE RACE AND YOU DIDN’T? “Yeah, but I felt that the strategy we went with, we had to do it that way. To pit early with him and leave the opportunity be to be a lap down and mired back in the field if there were a restart I believe Bob did the right thing. If we would have had a caution there at the end, I felt like our car was a little faster than his and we would have had a good shot at the win still. I would have loved to won this race for sure. That is what we all do this for. We still did our jobs. I think we did a really good job today. I am not certain if we had the fastest car but we performed well with it and got a good result.”

- PCGCampbell for Ford Racing, Press Release

Ford Racing

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion (Qualified 9th)

WERE YOU HOLDING BACK AT ALL WITH HOW CRAZY IT IS OUT THERE? “Yeah, it is definitely slower. It was pretty exciting out there. I saw David Gilliland, I was most impressed with him. He almost hit the fence, went all the way back and almost did it again. This is pretty neat. If it were like this tomorrow it would be a really fun race. I think it is going to cool off tomorrow and be a lock down high speed race track. Now it is up to the crew chiefs.”

Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 DeWalt Ford (Qualified 3rd) “It felt horrible, treacherous and nasty. I hope the sun comes out. I think we will start in the first half of the field. If you can beat the championship leader it is pretty cool. I tell you what though, I am really thankful for DeWalt, Stanley and Ford and everyone else that supports me. Our team is getting better and better each week. We have had a good couple of months and I am looking forward to 2012.”

AJ Allmendinger, No. 43 WIX Filters Ford (Qualified 2nd) “That was insane. The track is way different than what we had yesterday and the Wix Filters Ford was fast. Greg Irwin and everyone at RPM did a good job. Marcos put a good lap up and explained to us what the track was going to be like. I am not sure that will hold up, it wasn’t a great lap by any means but it will be a good starting spot at least.”

Travis Kvapil, No. 55 Aloft Hotels Ford (Qualified 37th) – “It is a whole different race track than yesterday. Even in practice yesterday at noon the track had a lot more grip. I guess it is just a little warmer and greasier obviously. That is the slowest lap we ran all weekend and I can’t believe it made the race because it was horrible and really slippery with the back end of the car. We squeaked it in so I am happy. We worked hard yesterday and had good speed.”

IF CONDITIONS MIRROR THIS TOMORROW, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT? “The thing is I think it seems like the tire is really hard and the groove is really narrow, it is only like one and a half lanes. It is hard enough to get around in this heat by yourself slipping and sliding, let alone to try and run two or three cars wide through a one-and-a-half groove track. There are going to be a lot of wrecks tomorrow, I really think so unfortunately. It might spice up that championship battle.”

JJ Yeley, No. 38 Vampt Ford (Qualified 44th) “It was a slippery lap. There was too much Ford horsepower. I think we may have missed the boat. Yesterday as the evening went on it seemed like scuffs were the way to go but now the sun is out and the track is very slick. I am not so sure that we may have needed to be on stickers. The beauty of this weekend is the No. 38 Ford Fusion is locked in on speed and there was no need to put ourselves in jeopardy. We will work hard on getting a good lap and put ourselves in position for a good finish Sunday.”

David Gilliland, No. 34 Aloft Hotels Ford (Qualified 46th) “Our car was really good last night we felt like and it felt like there was no grip today at all. Something with our car didn’t like the sun at all. Hopefully it is sunny and not raining tomorrow and we get a race. We have some work to do but I think the guys will figure it out.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER PRESS CONFERENCE

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR LAP OUT THERE TODAY? “You kinda watch everybody out there to see how quick the race track is going to be and it was a lot different than yesterday. After being on a race track that had so much grip. I messed my first lap up and just tried to basically back my second lap down to get a clean lap in and see where that put me. I definitely knew there was a chance of it getting beat. I was surprised it held up as long as it did with the guys that were behind me. It is really cool to have Ford with the first three cars and I am excited about tomorrow. I think our car will be really quick. We were good in race trim and more than anything we have to see how the track plays out now.”

WERE YOU SURPRISED WITH THE DEGREE THE TRACK CHANGED AND WAS IT A MATTER OF GUESSING RIGHT ON THE SET UP? “It was definitely a huge surprise. Obviously the sun is out and it is warmer but for as much grip as the track had yesterday you would think maybe it would be a little slower. At night last night I think the quick time was like a 25.50 by Carl so to be almost a second slower was a huge surprise. I was in the hauler watching the first 10 or 15 cars run and you see Jimmie go sailing off and almost get in the wall. Every car seemed to get looser and looser. At that point you have what you have. We tightened it up from yesterday. Marcos put up a good lap and fed back what the track was like so I went in there with an expectation and my first lap was worse than even I expected. It was definitely a lot different than yesterday.”

MARCOS AMBROSE PRESS CONFERENCE

TALK ABOUT YOUR LAP OUT THERE. “It was pretty sketchy. I was pleased to get through it really. It was a lot slicker than yesterday with a brand new surface and tire I don’t think anyone knew what to expect. I was pleased with my lap. We used our scuffs. I think the front two used sticker tires out there. All things considered I think we took a conservative approach to it and it paid off.”

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FOR TOMORROW? “It depends what the weather does. We have some rain forecast and it might clean that rubber off and we have to start again, who knows? We have to really watch the weather. It seems there is a lot of grip here when the sun is down. It felt great yesterday afternoon. The track was fast and we were and today with the sun out it was a disaster. It was really slick. I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. If it is cloudy then you can expect fast speeds and happy drivers. If the sun is out like this then it could be a handful.”

MATT KENSETH POLE PRESS CONFERENCE

TALK ABOUT YOUR LAP OUT THERE TODAY. “It was good. We watched everyone else and obviously there were a lot of people low on grip and it looked like the track and cars were a lot looser than yesterday. Everyone had a different strategy. Jimmy (Fennig) had a strategy to go fast in the first practice to go out late. Even though we knew the temperature would be hotter he thought the track could be faster with more cars having run on it. A lot of people chose the opposite strategy and worked on race setup in the first practice and did their qualifying stuff in the second practice to go out early. He had a plan and made the right adjustments. He thought it would be looser today. I didn’t get all there was to get out of the car. It was just that good. They made all the right choices there.”

WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE TOMORROW? HAVE YOU SEEN A GROOVE COME IN? “You know, it has been kind of a moving target, at least for me it has. The first practice yesterday I thought the track was different than the last practice when it was almost dark. Conditions were different today being in the middle of the day and warmer. It is a moving target I think. It depends if it rains tonight and a lot of things. There is still basically one good groove and it has widened out center of one and two and off. You can run side by side there. The middle of three and four is getting wide but I don’t think you can run side by side all the way around at a competitive race. Hopefully after the Nationwide race when cars are forced to run out there with two-wide restarts and lap and traffic and things like that, hopefully it will come in.”

BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN SO FAR, DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE GUYS THAT HIT IT AND GUYS THAT MISS BASED ON THE TRACK CHANGING SO MUCH? “I am not really sure to be honest with you. I didn’t expect qualifying to be as all over the place as it was today. That surprised me a little bit how different the speeds were and everything. You always have that risk at a new track that a couple guys will hit it. The biggest keys to this race are going to be I think you start with qualifying and then after that it is pit stops and restart strategy. The tires don’t fall off at all. They don’t really drop off in speed at all. It is going to be who can figure out how to keep their car up front. Who can be in the bottom on restarts and get good restarts and take advantage of the restarts when someone is in a bad position. I think that is going to be a big deal. I caught cars yesterday. You get two or three car lengths behind them and you just can’t do anything more. Hopefully that will change if the track widens out.”

HOW MUCH OF A FAVOR DO YOU THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE DONE FOR CARL BUMPING HIM FROM THE OUTSIDE LANE TO THE INSIDE ON THE START? “I have no idea where Carl qualified. That was my plan. I thought man if we can sit on the pole, that will really help him. (laughter) I have enough problems to worry about. I can’t really worry about his. The bottom is probably going to be an advantage to get started but it is still 300 miles and I think at some point in the race every car is going to be in the top groove for a little bit.”

AS IT TURNED OUT, YOUR QUALIFYING RUN PUT TONY (STEWART) ON THE OUTSIDE AND CARL ON THE INSIDE. “Yeah, I planned that. I am that good.” (laughter)

IS THIS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT MAKES YOU THINK MAYBE YOU STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SNEAK BACK INTO THIS THING? “I don’t know. It feels good to sit on the pole and qualify that good. We have won three poles and I think that is more than half of my career total I think. Jimmy and the guys have been giving me really fast cars and in a way that is encouraging but in a way, I hate to say is disappointing, but if you look at Martinsville and how I self-destructed there and Talladega with David breaking on the last restart. All that stuff happened and knowing our stuff is fast enough to be in the hunt but we aren’t in the hunt which I feel is my own fault. It is frustrating yet it is fun to have fast cars every week. Each week we have had a car capable of running top five and we haven’t done that ever since the Chase has been implemented, especially with this car. One lap is going to be different that 300 or whatever it is tomorrow. Hopefully we can keep it up tomorrow. They still have to have a problem. If they have a problem and we run in the top three then you can say we maybe have a chance. If neither of them have a problem and run like they have the last 10 weeks then we are out of it.”

I KNOW YOU HAVEN’T BEEN ON TWITTER MUCH THIS WEEK. KASEY KAHNE ASKED IF YOU ARE TAKING THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE TOMORROW. “Kasey tweeted me before Martinsville and we were going to try to hook up as drafting partners at Martinsville. I am going to surprise all you guys tomorrow. I will let you know on the one to go lap. I can’t let my strategy go til then.”

- PCGCampbell for Ford Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS David Gilliland - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Phoenix Is Like Home but New Configuration Poses Challenges

Statesville, N.C. (November 8, 2011) - David Gilliland is always comfortable going to Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway. After all, the one-mile oval in the desert is one of the tracks he cut his racing teeth on. But the Kobalt Tools 500 race weekend will be his first trip to the track since it was reconfigured after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series raced there in February. The track has a new surface, new elevation changes and a change in the angle of the “dogleg” on the backstretch.

For the February race, the No. 34 team arrived in Phoenix with a strong car and high confidence after finishing third in the Daytona 500, but Gilliland’s Ford Fusion suffered damage in a multi-car accident. He went on to finish 22nd.

In 11 total Sprint Cup starts, Gilliland has a top-15 and two top-20 finishes at the one-mile oval with a best result of 15th.

Comments from Front Row Motorsports driver David Gilliland heading into Phoenix:

“Phoenix is like a home track to me. I raced there a bunch back in the West Series and had a win where we started from the pole. So I love going there and feel comfortable going there. Of course, it’s going to be different this time because they’ve reconfigured the track so it’s going to be kind of like going to a whole new track.

“One of the things that everybody is saying is that there’s only one groove on the new track. That’s obviously going to make things even more challenging because it’s going to make it that much harder to pass. I guess they’ve been bringing in some driving-school cars to run a bunch of laps around to rubber in a second groove before this weekend. Hopefully that will help. If not, it’s going to be a fight to get into the bottom groove. Anybody up high is going to be hung out to dry.

“We came to Phoenix pretty confident last time (in February). We were coming off our third-place finish in the Daytona 500, we had a really good car and were really happy with it in practice. But we picked up some damage from a wreck that we got a little piece of and it really messed with the car and took away some our competitiveness. So, we’re hoping this time we can go back, keep our nose clean and really have a good run at a place where we know we can run well.

“Phoenix is definitely close enough to home (Riverside, Calif.) that we’ll have family and friends there. It’s always cool going out west. It just gives you that feeling of being home. Like I said, I raced there in the West Series and also a little in Nationwide before moving up to the Cup Series. I always look forward to going back.”

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

No. 38 Vampt Ford (Veterans Day/Phoenix) Front Angle

Unable to Use Hands or Legs, Artist Uses Head Controls to Create Graphic Designs

Statesville, N.C. (November 7, 2011) - Front Row Motorsports, J.J. Yeley, and Vampt Beverage Corp. will make a former U.S. Marine’s dream come true this Veterans Day when the No. 38 Vampt Ford Fusion hits Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in a paint scheme designed by the disabled veteran.

Scott Bates of Muskogee, Okla., is the artist behind the patriotic paint scheme on the No. 38 Ford. The former Marine took up graphic design when multiple sclerosis left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to use his arms. A head-controlled mouse allows him to operate the program in which he creates his designs. A sensor atop his computer screen picks up his head movements, allowing him to choose colors, shapes, shades and strokes.

“God took away one of my abilities to show me a new way,” Bates said about learning graphic design. “I never would have taken the time to learn what I’ve learned if I hadn’t been sitting in this chair and had to retrain myself to do something to occupy my time. I couldn’t bear just sitting and watching TV or surfing the Internet. I wanted to do something.”

After years of designing racecar templates for video games, Bates finally got to see one of his designs on a real racecar when he did a paint scheme for an ARCA car. But that car wrecked in practice and never made it to race day.

The 48-year-old artist still had one wish: to see one of his designs on an actual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. He told his story to motorsports writer Becca Gladden, who wrote about his dream. When malt beverage maker and Front Row sponsor Vampt read about Bates, they found it only fitting to help him realize his dream on Veterans Day weekend when the company was sponsoring Yeley’s No. 38 in Phoenix.

“When we heard about Scott, we knew we had to have him do our paint scheme,” said Ian Toews, Vampt founder and chairman. “And not only are we recognizing him for his military service, but the design itself is a patriotic one that pays tribute to all veterans. We will all be very proud to stand beside it on Sunday.”

Bates will attend the race as a special guest of Vampt and Front Row Motorsports to see, up close and in person, that his wish was finally granted.

“For Scott, I know it’s a dream come true,” said Yeley, who is a Phoenix native. “It was his wish to get a design on a Sprint Cup car, and to be able to have him do this at my hometown track, it’s really special. He’s going to come in with his family and it’s going to be a huge weekend.”

“Other than my son being born, this will be one of the biggest highlights of my life,” said Bates. “I don’t think I can describe how it will feel. My family is teasing me about when I get to Phoenix, am I going to be able to function without stretching out of my chair because I’ll be so excited. It’s just a dream come true.”

Bates is active on Twitter (@ernhrtfan) and looks forward to recapping his big weekend for his followers and also possibly gaining some new ones.

About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

Ford Racing

DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion –

MATT KENSETH – No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion – “I think it’s okay. In race trim we were okay. I wasn’t real happy with it in qualifying trim, but there we had it pretty decent. We were just missing the balance a little bit. I just didn’t quite get it, so somebody is probably gonna run a little quicker than that, but, overall, it was a good lap.”

NICE TO NOT KNOCK YOUR TEAMMATE OFF THE POLE. “I think that lap is okay. I know all the fast cars are still behind us, but I felt like I got all of it, but we just missed the balance a little bit and I couldn’t keep the gas down as long as I needed to. Overall, it was a good lap. It was a lot better than what we were in practice.”

HOW HARD HAS IT BEEN TO BOUNCE BACK AFTER MARTINSVILLE? “It’s never easy, especially when you don’t know what’s gonna happen the last three weeks. We had some bad luck at Talladega with David breaking, so you never know, but in a way you feel like you blew up a whole season of work in 20 minutes, so it’s hard to get over that. Yet, there are three races left. We’re down but not out and we’re gonna go work as hard as we can, try to run up front, try to win some races and hopefully climb back in it.”

TREVOR BAYNE – No. 21 Motorcraft Ford Fusion – “I wish I would have gotten more out of that run. I thought for sure I had a top-five run going, but the track gained so much grip through one and two everybody picked up a lot and we only picked up a little bit. We went faster than practice, but it just wasn’t fast enough. I’m frustrated with that a little bit and that’s good because we’re still top 10, but I thought for sure it would be top five. Still, that’s all right.”

CARL EDWARDS – No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion – “We wanted to be a little better than that, but I came to the green and I was a little loose. I thought, ‘I better be a little careful my next time through here,’ and I was probably a little too timid down there through three and four, but it is a good starting spot. We focused hard on qualifying here. We had an opportunity to go out there and sit on the pole. We’ve got the top three spots are Fords, so now we’ll just work on the race trim. There couldn’t be a better race track for us. This is a fun one. We’re gonna work hard tomorrow and run that Nationwide car and hopefully learn a little bit for the race on Sunday.”

YOU LIKE THIS TRACK. “It’s nice to be sitting here disappointed in seventh. I think my average qualifying is steadily increasing. We were 21st average for years and now we’re getting better and better, but I think it’s the Ford power. The Fords are so great here and Jack Roush’s Fords run so well. I’m the odd man out there. I got shown up by my teammates pretty bad, but, hopefully we’ll have a good, solid race.”

TONY IS A COUPLE SPOTS AHEAD OF YOU. “Five hundred miles, we’ll see what happens. I think it is gonna be a good race. Those guys have been good. A lot of the guys up there in the Chase have been good. You couldn’t pick a better place to come to to just race it out. This is gonna be a good one. I love this place.”

MARCOS AMBROSE – No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion – “I just had to look at the speeds after qualifying because we didn’t quite get to the bottom on either end of the track. I’m proud of my guys though. We’ve had a good day here. We’re gonna start in the top 15 and I’m looking forward to seeing if we can make it stick.”

DAVID GILLILAND – No. 34 Taco Bell Ford Fusion – “The track temp is close to the same as practice, but we were too free. I was too loose on the gas, but, overall, it was a good pickup for us. I think we picked up over two-and-a-half tenths, so that’s good. As long as we keep going in that direction all weekend, it’ll be a good weekend for us. The car drives really well. It’s in the race track good and I feel like we have an opportunity to have a good weekend here.”

TRAVIS KVAPIL – No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford Fusion – “We made a few adjustments there trying to make it a little better and I feel like we kind of stepped over the edge. We were too tight at the end of practice and right there the car was just way too loose for qualifying and we just didn’t have any speed. We actually slowed down from where we were in practice and everybody is picking up quite a bit. Luckily, we’ve got tomorrow to work on it and we’ll go after it hard and get a good result on Sunday.”

J.J. YELEY – No. 55 Ingersoll Rand Ford Fusion – “I’m really proud of all the guys that work on this Front Row No. 55 with Ingersoll Rand being on the Ford this week. We unloaded and the car was really comfortable to drive and had a lot of speed and because of that we didn’t run too many practice laps. I was very happy with our last run of the day, which fell down to about 27th overall in practice, but I knew the car had some more speed. To me, it was still a very conservative lap out there. That’s hard to say when you go out there and you barely lift when you go around this race track, but with the cool temperatures the race track has a ton of grip and makes it a lot of fun to drive. I’m just real happy for these guys. They continue to make it better for me every time I come back and drive the 55, and I’m looking forward to when we go to the next mile-and-a-half.”

MATT KENSETH AND DAVID RAGAN PRESS CONFERENCE (2nd and 3rd-place press conference)

DAVID RAGAN – “I didn’t expect to have a shot at the pole. We had a pretty good car in practice. I thought we’d be comfortable inside the top 10, but just had a good lap and hit my marks. Our team made a few small adjustments prior to qualifying and it just paid off, so it’s cool to see all of the Fords up front, but, hopefully, we can be up there at the end of 500 miles. That’s our goal.”

MATT KENSETH – “My lap was pretty good. It was better than practice. We were tight the whole time in practice and changed some stuff and was just a little too loose in qualifying, but, obviously, it was a good lap and a good spot to start Sunday.”

ARE YOU GUYS BETTER IN PERFORMANCE AT THIS KIND OF TRACK AS OPPOSED TO SHORT TRACKS? “I don’t think we have an incredible advantage. I don’t think we have any advantage. I’m sure all of you guys have done it, but if you guys ever stand in tech it would be hard to argue that anybody has an incredible advantage over anybody else as far as the car or templates or aero or horsepower. But our stuff does run well at these tracks most of the time. It seems everybody groups the mile-and-a-halfs, but I hate grouping them together because we run pretty good at Dover and Michigan and those tracks as well, so it seems like the higher speed tracks we run maybe a little better than some of the other tracks, but I don’t think we necessarily have an advantage.”

DAVID RAGAN CONTINUED – “I don’t think we have an advantage. Certainly, I think these style of tracks fit our engine package, they fit our cars, we have good notes, good simulation to make good, quality adjustments. The races that are one mile in length or more are on the schedule more than any other, so we certainly pay attention to those more, but we’ll see how that advantage looks tomorrow and Sunday.”

HOW DO YOU RACE AGAINST JIMMIE AND CARL AT A TRACK LIKE THIS? IT’S NOT MARTINSVILLE. “Hopefully, we’re in front of them and we’ll let them play their own games and we’ll be up front worrying about ours. I think Matt’s still in the championship hunt, but we’ve got to go out and just try to win the race and we’ll let them do whatever they want to do. Hopefully, we’re in front of them and don’t have to worry about their race.”

MATT KENSETH CONTINUED – “Yeah, I didn’t know I was out of it yet, but every Sunday when they drop the green it’s one against 42 and I don’t think that changes where you are in points. If everybody’s got equal opportunity and the same rights out there for real estate and to race and to try to win and get the best finish they can for their respective team and sponsors, then you wouldn’t want to be raced or race anybody any different just because it’s coming down to the championship. It’s still a race.”

DAVID RAGAN CONTINUED – HOW HARD IS IT TO BE SO CLOSE TO A POLE AND HAVE SNATCHED AWAY BY A TEAMMATE? “I’d rather a teammate beat me than anybody else. At least it stays in the family, but anytime you’re close to a pole you want it bad. Anytime I’m close to qualifying 10th and if I get beat by one-thousandth I’m still mad, so, obviously, it’s cool to sit on poles, but it’s even cooler to have fast race cars and have a good starting spot for Sunday and that’s what we did. A top five starting spot, we’ll get a good selection on pit road and hopefully have some momentum into tomorrow’s practice and into Sunday. We’ve been fast the last few weeks and we’ve had some crazy things happen to our 6 team, so we just need to get that off of our backs and get a solid run. This is just the start of the weekend and I’m proud that we got a good qualifying effort and I can’t wait until Sunday.”

GREG BIFFLE PRESS CONFERENCE (Pole-winning press conference)

GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion – “It was a great lap for us. Our car was really, really fast right off the truck. That’s just a tribute to my team and how hard they’ve worked and how far we’ve come as a team this season. It was a great lap. We had been fast all through practice and made about six qualifying attempts at it, but it was a pretty uneventful lap. I felt like I could have got back to the gas a little bit sooner in three and four. I’m sure everybody felt like that, but one one-thousandth of a second is not a huge margin to beat David by.”

WHAT ABOUT ROUSH GOING 1-2-3. “That’s really exciting that our race cars are that good. It’s just a tribute to our driver lineup, the guys at the race shop, Doug Yates with the engine shop how far they’ve come with this FR9 – all those things are a big factor in our cars being up front at these mile-and-a-half race tracks. We had a really, really fast car at Charlotte a few weeks back and this car is really no exception.”

HAVE YOU PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON QUALIFYING THIS YEAR? “Ever since Matt (Puccia) came on board we’ve put a little more emphasis on qualifying and also there are two things that play a factor in that. One is the draw for qualifying goes off practice speeds, so it kind of forced our hand to come here on Friday and start in qualifying trim, which we never do. We come here and start in race trim historically all the time, and then switch to qualifying – make two or three runs and be ready to qualify. Then wherever you drew, you drew. It was luck of the draw. You could go out sixth or you could go out 43rd, so, basically, not NASCAR but the rules have forced us into getting a good draw for qualifying, so it’s up to us and we have to come here in qualifying trim. I made a total of seven laps today – now eight – the whole day. That’s all I’ve done today and I get a little apprehensive, I get a little aggravated because I want to make laps and I like to drive the race car more than eight laps, but I understand what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to get a starting spot for Sunday, we’re trying to get a good qualifying draw and have to wait for tomorrow. It’ll be a restless night tonight waiting for tomorrow to when I can go out and make 10-lap runs, so that’s been a factor in us qualifying better. We’re spending more time on qualifying because of the way the qualifying draw is.”

SO YOU HAVE NOT BEEN IN RACE TRIM TODAY? “None. A lot of guys do that now. I think probably over half the field probably.”

IS IT A PLUS TOMORROW THAT YOU CAN JUST CONCENTRATE ON RACE TRIM? “Yeah, that definitely can be something we can focus on. We kind of anticipate that tomorrow is all race trim and getting the car to drive really well is the most important thing. We’ve got to keep an eye on weather and all those things in case it looks like we might lose some practice and it forces our hand to practice some today in race trim, but that didn’t look like it was gonna be an issue, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

-PCGCampbell for Ford Racing, Press Release

Vampt and Yeley Return to No. 38 Ford at Phoenix

Microsoft Makes First Appearance with FRM as Associate Sponsor

Statesville, N.C. (November 2, 2011) – NASCAR fans should prepare to “get Vampt” again. Vampt Beverage Corp. will return to the No. 38 Ford of Front Row Motorsports for the race weekend at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway, November 11 to 13. Phoenix native J.J. Yeley will once again man the wheel of the Vampt Ford Fusion, which will make its second appearance in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season.

The Vampt Ford Fusion nearly went to Victory Lane in its NASCAR debut at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in September. All eyes were on Yeley in the Vampt machine as he led the race as it was red-flagged for rain about two-thirds through the scheduled 325 laps. If the rains had continued and the race had been called, Yeley and Vampt would have been credited with the win. The race was later restarted and the team went on to finish 25th after capturing the attention of millions of race fans over the course of the race weekend.

“We had a great race weekend with J.J. and Front Row at Atlanta,” said Ian Toews, Vampt founder and chairman. “We couldn’t have dreamed we’d get as much exposure as we did in our first venture into NASCAR. With Phoenix being another big market for us and also J.J.’s hometown, we’re excited to partner with the team again to show NASCAR fans what we’re all about.”

Vampt’s initial product offering includes two agave-infused, ready-to-drink malt beverages – Vampt SMOOTH TALKER™ and Vampt MIDNIGHT WARRIOR™ – available in select markets, including Phoenix. Both the nectarine SMOOTH TALKER™ and citrus MIDNIGHT WARRIOR™ flavors have 8-percent alcohol by volume, offering less sweetness and more alcohol content than other malt beverages.

“I can’t wait to have Vampt back on the No. 38 Ford Fusion at Phoenix,” Yeley said. “We had an amazing first run with them at Atlanta. The whole race weekend and everything we did with them was a huge success, so we’re glad to have them back. Phoenix is a great place to have them on board because it’s a big market for them and it’s also my hometown so that makes it even more special.”

Microsoft Makes Its Front Row Debut

One of the biggest names in technology will make its first appearance on a Front Row Motorsports car at the Phoenix race. Microsoft Office 365 will be an associate sponsor on Yeley’s No. 38 car. Look for the familiar logo on the C-post of his Ford Fusion.

“It’s great to have both Vampt and Microsoft on our No. 38 car for Phoenix,” said team owner Bob Jenkins. “We’re working hard as a team to bring new companies to the sport and showing them what we can do for them. We’re not surprised that, once they see what the partnership can do, they want to come back again.”

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

David Gilliland - Front Row Motorsports

Driver Learned State Slogan Applies to Impact with Wall, Too

Statesville, N.C. (November 1, 2011) - Texas Motor Speedway is a favorite stop on the racing circuit for driver David Gilliland, but he learned the hard way on his last visit that everything really is bigger in Texas – including the wrecks. In the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ April race at the Fort Worth oval, the driver of the No. 34 Ford blew a tire and hit the wall hard. His car was not repairable and he finished 42nd.

Gilliland is ready to put that memory behind him as he returns to the 1.5-mile tri-oval for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500. He has a top-15 and two top-20 finishes in 10 career starts at Texas.

Comments from driver David Gilliland heading into Texas:

“I like Texas. It is definitely one of my favorite racetracks. Earlier in the year it was one of my hardest hits I think I remember taking after blowing a tire. Hopefully we’ve got that behind us now, I feel like we’ve got that under control and I’m looking forward to going back there. We’ve got a lot of friends and family out there and it’s just a great racetrack. It’s really fast, a mile-and-a-half and it’s just somewhere I really enjoy going.

“We actually had our car working pretty good for us that weekend before we blew the tire. We had made some good progress making it better during practice and during the race. But that was the early part of the year when we had some brake-cooling issues and that’s what ended our day early. Those issues are behind us so I’m really looking forward to going to Texas and having a good weekend.

“Things are really heating up in the Chase right now and the competition is really tight among the top few chasers. We really saw the tensions running high at Martinsville and I think we’re going to keep seeing it these last three races. So, we just kind of have to watch our backs. We’ve got some guys ticked off at other guys and we might see more paybacks in these last few weeks. We just need to stay out of that and keep our nose clean and bring home three solid finishes to close out our year.”

About Front Row Motorsports:

Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release

2011 NSCS No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford Fusion - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Long John Silver’s Team Earning Same Points Average as 10th-Place Driver

Statesville, N.C. (November 1, 2011) - For the second week in a row, Travis Kvapil can head to the track with some weight off of his shoulders. The driver of the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford goes to Texas Motor Speedway knowing he’s got a guaranteed spot on the starting grid after earning his best finish of the year at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

The No. 38 team went into Martinsville last weekend just two points ahead of TRG Motorsports’ No. 71 for the 35th spot in owner points. Kvapil’s 16th-place finish in the TUMS Fast Relief 500 allowed the team to gain 11 points on the 36th position.

The Long John Silver’s team, led by crew chief Jay Guy, has proven they have what it takes to continue their charge through the top-35 with an average of 23.5 points earned in each of the last four races. That performance is all but equal to the 10th-place car of Jeff Gordon (23.75) and more than double the average of the No. 71.

Kvapil has had success at Texas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, including one win and seven top-five finishes. His best career finish in a Sprint Cup car at Texas is 18th over the course of eight starts.

Comments from Travis Kvapil, driver of the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford, going into Texas:

“I’m really proud of our No. 38 team for our performance over the last several weeks. We knew we had a real uphill climb and we managed to keep digging to get us where we needed to be. I knew Martinsville could be a big day for us. It’s one of my favorite tracks and I knew we could be strong there. And we just had a really good day. With all the other cars bouncing off of each other, we escaped with pretty minimal damage to our Long John Silver’s Ford. Just your usual Martinsville dents and scrapes. We stayed on or close to the lead lap most of the day, got the Lucky Dog toward the end there and finished strong on the lead lap.

“We did have one casualty. Our jackman, Sean Irvan, got hit on pit road and went to the hospital. He’s going to be fine, no broken bones or anything. But he got a concussion and strained his neck and his knee, so he’s got to rest up a little. We hope to have him back soon. He’s part of the team that got us here.

“Even though we missed the Texas race in the spring with the No. 38 bunch, we ran really well at places like Charlotte, Michigan and Kansas and we had some decent results. I feel like since that Texas race we’ve kind of changed our set-ups and our way of thinking. That was very early in the year when we missed the first race and since Jay’s (Guy) been on board we’ve kind of hit on some stuff that works for us and we’ve been able to keep that going throughout the summer.

“I like Texas a lot. It’s a place I’ve had some success with in the Truck Series in the past and I feel like we can go there and run good. I’m excited to go there.”

About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports, Press Release