Ford Racing

The morning session on day two of testing at Daytona saw the Ford contingent run mostly single car runs with the exception of the two Richard Petty Motorsports cars. The 43 of Aric Almirola and 9 of Marcos Ambrose teamed up for drafting practice and third and fourth quickest laps of the session. Both talked afterwards about how the test is going so far and what they expect going forward.

Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion – WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM YOUR DRAFTING SESSION THIS MORNING? “It feels very similar to last time. NASCAR changed the rules to try to make it harder for us but we are still doing it. The speeds are up and the restrictor plate is pretty open. It is a lot faster and drafting the way we are, the technique and everything hasn’t really changed that much.”

DO YOU NOTICE ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM YOUR SEAT WITH THE FUEL INJECTION? “Not really. You run these things wide open when you are drafting anyway. The switch over has been very smooth though and I have been very impressed by how all the teams and manufacturers have been able to adapt to the new rules.”

WHAT IS THIS PACK RACING THIS AFTERNOON GOING TO BE LIKE? “It is going to be interesting. We have a meeting to find out how they want to conduct it. We will just have to see.”

YOU HAVE A NEW TEAMMATE THIS YEAR, HOW IS IT GOING SO FAR WORKING TOGETHER? “Aric is really great. We are working well and drafting with each other and we will just take it a day at a time here and build that relationship. I know that he really wants to do well for Richard Petty and his 43 team and I want to do the same.”

Aric Almirola, No. 43 Smithfield Foods Ford Fusion – HOW IS IT GOING SO FAR OUT HERE? “It is going well. Our Smithfield Ford is running pretty good. We have been working with Marcos this morning on drafting and that has gone really well. Our cars are drafting really well together and are really fast. They are really stable too which is important. I am gelling right along and it has been fun to work with Greg Irwin and all the guys on this team. Richard Petty Motorsports has a great group of guys. I have learned that in the two weeks I have been here. It has been good.”

YOU GUYS WERE THE FIRST TWO FORD CARS TO GO OUT AND DRAFT. WHAT DID YOU LEARN? “Well, our cars are fast and they are stable. I think that is the biggest thing, making sure that your car is stable now with this smaller rear spoiler and the softer rear springs. That is going to be the biggest thing, making sure you can hang on when you are being pushed at 200 miles per hour. I think that is the biggest thing.”

HOW LONG WERE YOU ABLE TO PUSH? “It felt like we could do it for quite awhile. I think everybody is a little different but I felt like we could go for a good five or six laps with no problem.”

YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO GO OUT IN A BIG PACK THIS AFTERNOON. HOW DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT GOING? “I don’t know. I think it will be pretty calm to be honest. We are testing and nobody wants to tear their stuff up. I think it will be pretty calm. I think you will see some people come and go in the pack but for the most part it should be relatively calm. I am sure it will get three wide because it should be really easy to get three wide but I don’t know, it is a big unknown at this point.”

WHAT IS THE GOAL FOR YOU FOR THE REST OF TODAY? “Just to keep on working on speed. We have to keep working on getting speed out of our car and getting me and Marcos to keep switching. That is going to be important. If the rules stay the way they are we are going to be able to swap and be able to keep our engines cool. We are working on our switch and making sure we are very comfortable drafting together before we get back down here in February.”

Greg Biffle, who only participated in single car runs in the morning session, talked about what he has learned from the test thus far and how he anticipates the afternoon session will be.

Greg Biffle, No. 16 3M Ford Fusion – WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE FROM THIS BIG PACK RACING THIS AFTERNOON? “I anticipate somebody crashing. I don’t know who and I hope it isn’t us. We have to get out there and figure out what the car is going to do and we will be bumping and shoving a little bit and be in the big pack. We already saw in the two-car pack someone get turned around and some people squirrely. With the shorter spoiler and increased competition or whatever you want to say with the speed, we are going a lot faster and something is going to happen.”

HOW MUCH FASTER ARE YOU GOING TODAY WITH THIS NEW RESTRICTOR PLATE? “About six-tenths or something like that, so a bit faster. What is weird is that it doesn’t slow down in the corner as much as it did yesterday. Yesterday you would go 195 on the straightaway and 190 around the middle of the corner, 189 to 190. Now it goes 196 or 197 and then 195 in the corner. So the more power keeps it up against the aero. It is almost like the more plate you give it the constant the speed stays. It doesn’t slow down to speed up like a car normally does. It is interesting to see how the dynamics of the aero and the more power equate to each other.”

WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED WITH THE FUEL INJECTION? “The biggest thing I notice every time I have driven it is that it runs so good in the garage. Letting the clutch off, driving off, driving down pit road. I know it sounds stupid but that is part of it. My hat is off to these guys because these race engines don’t like to run below 4000 RPM and now they run below 4000 RPM really, really good. It is a matter of getting air and fuel right and with fuel injection you can do that.”

Source: PCGCampbell for Ford Racing Press Release

NASCAR Logo

Dog Whisperer On Nat Geo WILD To Shoot In Daytona In February

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 10, 2012) – In a sport where drivers are constantly striving to be leaders of the pack, a few NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars – and one lucky NASCAR fan – are taking a back seat to learn a thing or two about how to control their pets. “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,” airing on Nat Geo WILD, is going all-NASCAR when they bring the show to Daytona Beach, Fla. this February to shoot an upcoming episode.

This episode, which will be filmed around Daytona 500 events on February 17-18, will feature NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick for two of the first three segments. For the final segment, Millan will work with a NASCAR fan who will be chosen through the process outlined below.

Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana will be featured with their Chihuahua, Little One (LO), and Greg Biffle will select animals in need through his charity, the Greg Biffle Foundation. His foundation strives to create awareness and serve as an advocate to improve the well-being of animals by engaging the power and passion of the motorsports industry.

“DeLana and I have always been a fan of Cesar’s work,” said Harvick. “We’re fascinated by the way he communicates with dogs and gets such a positive response from them. We knew he was the only one that could work with LO, our 4 1/2 lb. Chihuahua. LO travels with DeLana and I most of the time, and she’s exposed to a lot of different people and situations. Unfortunately she’s not always receptive and her feisty attitude can be a problem.”

“My wife Nicole and I founded the Greg Biffle Foundation to advance the well-being of animals by creating awareness in the NASCAR community,” said Biffle. “Cesar Millan does amazing work to help animals with their fears which can be common with adoptable pets. By working with him and his show ‘Dog Whisperer,’ we hope that we are not only able to find homes for the pets that will be featured but for other animals across the country in need of a home.”

Any NASCAR fan with a dog in need of help who lives in the Daytona area, or will be in the Daytona area during the time of shoot, and wants to star in an episode of “Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” should visit http://www.cesarsway.com/dogwhisperer/submissions for information on how to submit an audition video. After collecting auditions, the “Dog Whisperer” staff will determine one lucky winner to appear in the NASCAR episode. All submissions must be postmarked by February 3, 2012. As always, the sooner the submission is received, the greater the chance it has of being selected for the show.

“Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan” is looking for a wide variety of dog problems, including unusual phobias, obsessions, fearful behavior and aggression. They are also interested in dogs that are spoiled rotten, overweight or bored.

Be sure to tune in to the Daytona 500 to watch the start of the 2012 NASCAR season on Sunday, February 26 at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. Great seats still remain for the 54th Daytona 500. For tickets, call 1-800-PITSHOP or visit www.daytona500.com.

- NASCAR, Press Release

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

• The NASCAR Nationwide Series title is the third for Ford Racing and Roush Fenway Racing (Greg Biffle in 2002 and Carl Edwards in 2007).

• This marks 12th driver’s championship for Ford Racing in NASCAR’s top three divisions combined (8 NSCS, 3 NNS, 1 NCWTS) and the sixth overall for Roush Fenway Racing (2 NSCS, 3NNS, 1 NCWTS).

• Today also capped an impressive season for Mustang, which won a manufacturer and driver championships in its rookie NASCAR season. In addition, Mustang won 13 NASCAR Nationwide Series races, which is the most for any model in 2011.

FORD CHAMPIONS

• Greg Biffle became the first driver in NASCAR history to win a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series championship. Biffle captured the 2002 NNS title in dominant fashion as he posted a series-best 25 top-10 and 20 top-5 finishes in 34 starts. In addition, he tied for first with poles (5) and wins (4), but his consistency throughout led to a 264-point victory for the championship over second-place Jason Keller.

• Carl Edwards won his first NASCAR championship in even more dominating fashion than Biffle as he claimed the championship by 618 points over runner-up David Reutimann. Edwards led the series with 21 top-10 finishes while tying for most top-5 efforts with 15 in 35 starts. He swept both races at Nashville for two of his four wins on the season with the other two coming at Bristol and Dover. Edwards was in charge of the points race pretty much the entire season, taking the lead after a fourth-place finish on the Mexico City road course in the third event of the year and never giving it up.

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won his first NASCAR Nationwide Series championship in only his second full season of competition through consistency. He led the point standings for 17 weeks, including the final 14, and won the first two races of his career as he swept both events at Iowa Speedway. Stenhouse Jr. battled Elliott Sadler the final month of the season, but came out on top by virtue of six top-5 and nine top-10 finishes over the final nine races.

FORD’S NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES CHAMPIONS

Year Driver Car Owner Wins Poles

2002 Greg Biffle Roush Racing 4 5

2007 Carl Edwards Roush Racing 4 0

2011 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Roush Fenway Racing 2 3

- PCG Campbell 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

Truck owner and Grandfather Richard Childress (L) celebrates the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with grandson Austin Dillon (R) at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Photo Credit: RCR)

The accomplishment marks the second NCWTS championship for RCR, who earned the inaugural NCWTS series championship in 1995 with Mike Skinner, also in a No. 3 Chevrolet. The 42-year-old racing organization, headed by Dillon’s grandfather Richard Childress, now has 14 motorsports championships overall, spread across the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NCWTS and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

“It’s so special when you’re family,” said patriarch and team owner Richard Childress. “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. Danny Stockman (crew chief), Bass Pro Shops, everybody on the No. 3 team did so much to help put it together. 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.”

Dillon, the 2010 NCWTS Rookie of the Year, becomes the first driver in the 11-year history of the NCWTS to earn the rookie title and then the driving championship the subsequent year. He also holds the honor of youngest champion to be crowned in the series’ history. Along with Ty Dillon, the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion, the Dillon’s are the only brothers who have earned same-year championships on a national stock car tour.

“We definitely worked hard this year and accomplished this as a team,” said Dillon. “This was our goal at the beginning of the year and no one ever gave up. Danny Stockman and every member of the Bass Pro Shops team worked nonstop. We rebounded from so many little mistakes and unfortunate incidents this year-the hood flipping up at Kentucky Speedway, for example. It’s the way you react to the undesirable situations that show what a championship team is made of, and these guys reacted in all the right ways. This championship means so much to me and I’m thrilled to be able to represent my family, Richard Childress Racing, Bass Pro Shops and NASCAR as a champion.”

En route to the 2011 title, Dillon and his Danny Stockman-led Bass Pro Shops team celebrated in Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway and Chicagoland Speedway, posting an impressive five pole awards among 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 25 races. Dillon finished second on four separate occasions.

At 29-years-old, the 2011 championship marks crew chief Stockman’s first in only his second year as a crew chief. Prior to joining RCR in December 2009, he earned two championships (’07 and ’09) in the NCWTS as a truck chief at Kevin Harvick, Inc.

“Like Austin said, the last restart was quite gut wrenching,” added Stockman. “Just awesome to be a part of this deal with Richard, Mike, Austin and Tina, and everybody that just let me have this opportunity to be a part of it. Austin Dillon is just a great up-and-coming race car driver. I am just really happy to be a part of it. We have a heck of a good race team, and just got to thank everybody back at the shop for all their hard work.”

The nation’s No. 1 outdoor retail leader, Bass Pro Shops, was positioned as the primary partner on Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet for the duration of the 2010 and 2011 race seasons. A long-time RCR supporter, Bass Pro Shops began its association with Richard Childress Racing in 1998 with associate sponsorship of the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo made famous by seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt. Bass Pro Shops’ partnership with RCR has also included sponsorship of the No. 29 Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick and primary sponsorship of Earnhardt’s eldest son, Kerry Earnhardt, in RCR’s No. 33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for six Sprint Cup Series races in 2004. The company sponsored Ty Dillon for his season-finale race in the ARCA Racing Series this year.

“Congratulations to Austin from all of us at Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine and all our Tracker independent dealers,” said Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “Austin is a fine young man who loves racing, loves the outdoors and has a great future ahead of him. What a proud moment for Austin’s grandparents Richard and Judy Childress and his mom and dad Mike and Tina Dillon.”

Dillon joins an exclusive list of NCWTS driving champions, including Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday, Jr., Johnny Benson, Ted Musgrave, Bobby Hamilton, Travis Kvapil, Mike Bliss, Jack Sprague, Greg Biffle and Mike Skinner. He will be formally honored at the annual NNS and NCWTS Awards Banquet at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Monday, Nov. 21. SPEED will broadcast the banquet on Friday, Dec. 2 from 7-9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

About Bass Pro Shops Group:

Bass Pro Shops -58 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 110 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.

Tracker Marine Group –

Manufactures and sells Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Tahoe and Mako boats through Bass Pro Shops retail stores and over 400 dealers worldwide. Visit www.trackerboats.com

Resort Group –

Big Cedar Lodge and other resort properties including restaurants and golf course. Visit www.bigcedar.com for more information.

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 Applebee’s / Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 RCR Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T

· This Week’s Challenger… Brad Keselowski and the Penske Racing Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team will use chassis PRS-222during Saturday’s Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). Keselowski last drove this chassis to a victory at Kansas Speedway last month.

· The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger in 2011… After 33 events, Keselowski and the reigning NNS champion No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team are ranked fifth in the 2011NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)owner point standings. The team is coming off a second-place finish in the Wypall 200 last week at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR).

· Keselowski Climbing the Charts… By taking the checkered flag in last month’s Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway, Keselowski entered into a tie for 15th place with Jeff Green and Joe Nemechek on the NNS all-time wins list with 16 victories. Keselowski is now four wins away from tying Greg Biffle for 14th place on the all-time list.

· Approaching 350… The victory by Sam Hornish Jr in the NASCAR Nationwide Series event at PIR last Saturday gave Penske Racing 349 all-time race victories. One of the most-successful teams in professional sports, Penske Racing will attempt to grab win No. 350 this weekend at HMS.

· Congrats to the New Champion… This weekend’s race at HMS will be the final event for Keselowski as the reigning NNS champion. He will go into the history books as the last series champion that was allowed to compete for both the Nationwide and Cup Series titles in the same season.

· Keselowski Speedway Stats… In 100 speedway starts in the Nationwide Series, Keselowski has accumulated eight wins, 44 top-five finishes, 63 top-10 results and five pole awards. In addition, he has led the field for 1,577 laps at tracks between one and two miles in length.

· Follow Brad on Twitter… Fans can follow Keselowski on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/keselowski. Followers can get a glimpse inside his everyday life while keeping up-to-date on the latest Cup Series and Nationwide Series news for the Penske Racing driver.

· RubyTuesdayRacing.com… When Brad wins, you win. Visit www.rubytuesdayracing.com following any of his wins, either in the Cup Series or the Nationwide Series, to register for a delicious Ruby Tuesday hamburger of your choice, compliments of Ruby Tuesday and Brad.

Brad Keselowski Driver of the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T - Photo Credit: Brad Keselowski Racing

“Championships are very special and winning the 2010 Nationwide Series title will definitely go down as one of the highlights of my racing career. It was the culmination of a dream. The fact that it was the first NASCAR championship for Penske Racing just adds another layer to it. I think we’ve built a very formidable Nationwide Series team at Penske Racing over the last couple of years. I think we showed that last weekend at Phoenix where Sam and I ran one-two. It’s a series that really means a lot to me. That’s why I will always race, though maybe not full-time, in the Nationwide Series and I was proud to represent it as its champion this year. Congratulations to the new champion this season, whoever it ends up being.”

Crew chief Todd Gordon on his first season at Penske Racing

“After taking over a program that, from the outside had a lot of continuity, but internally had a lot of new faces, including myself, we have seasoned into a team that is capable of winning every week and we have developed the chemistry necessary to compete for an owners championship. Five DNF’s in the first 14 events put us out of contention for this year, but the focus all of the Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday guys have kept since then has shown the strength of this group and potential going forward. We want to end the season on a positive note and Homestead would be a good place to do that. I really look forward to getting to another intermediate banked track that is similar in ways to a group of tracks(Chicago, Kansas, Kentucky) that we have had a lot of success on this year. The progressive banking should lead to great racing.”

- Penske Racing Press Release

No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford Mustang (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

Team: No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Mike Kelley

Chassis: RK-670 – primary – last ran at Charlotte – finished ninth.

RK–635 – backup – last ran at LOR – finished third.

Races Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Led Money

Cumulative 1 0 1 1 0 3 $51,693

QUOTES

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Stenhouse, Jr. on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“Homestead is one of my favorite places to go so I am looking forward to it. Last week we were able to gain some points in the Driver’s Championship so we can be more aggressive this week. I am confident that we can get this No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford back in Victory Lane and hopefully leave Homestead as the NASCAR Nationwide Champion.”

Crew chief Mike Kelley on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

“Ricky finished fourth in his only start at Homestead last year. We have had a lot of success at intermediate tracks this year including two wins at Iowa. Our No.6 team has done a superior job all year. We have some cushion in the Driver’s Championship so I think we can get a little more aggressive on restarts this week. Our main goal is to get this No. 6 Blackwell Angus Ford in Victory lane for the final race of the year.”

FAST FACTS

- So far in 2011, Stenhouse Jr. has two wins, 14 top-five, 25 top-10, and three poles.

- Stenhouse Jr. is the current Nationwide Series point leader with a 41 point advantage over Elliot Sadler.

- Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will clinch the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with a finish of 37th or better; or 38th or better with at least one lap led; or 39th or better with most laps led at Homestead.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and three in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact John Bauersfeld at 704.720.4621.

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release

2011 NSCS Greg Biffle - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Biffle on Homestead:

Puccia on Homestead: “Homestead is a unique track with progressive banking which allows the drivers to run several grooves and makes for good racing. It’s another race where we start during the day and end after dark so we just have to be able to keep up with the adjustments. It’s another mile-and-a-half track and we’ve been running really well at those tracks lately. Greg obviously knows how to win at Homestead so if we can give him a fast racecar, we should be able to run up front. It would be great to be able to build momentum for 2012 with a win this weekend.”

Homestead Notes

• Biffle is currently 15th in the Sprint Cup point standings following his 13th-place finish in Phoenix. He is 22 points out of the 13th position.

• Biffle’s average finish at Homestead is 13.1 from an average starting position of 17.3.

• Biffle finished three seasons in a row (2004, 2005 and 2006) with wins at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

• Although he has not clenched a win so far this season, Biffle has led a total of 349 laps. He has also already captured three poles which surpasses his previous season-high of two.

• Biffle has completed 34 of the 35 races and 99% of the total laps this season.

• This weekend the No. 16 3M Ford will feature the Novec Brand which offers a revolutionary class of chemicals for fire suppression, electronics cleaning, conformal coating, surfactant applications and much more. 3M Novec Products address the need for safe, sustainable, effective solutions in a wide race of industrial and electronics applications. All feature excellent environmental profiles and low global warming potentials.

• To learn more about the 3M Novec products, visit http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/3MNovec/Home/.

Roush Fenway Racing

“I am honored to be teamed back up with World Financial Group,” said Edwards. “They are a great group of people. We have had a lot of success with them in the past, especially at Phoenix International Raceway. We have won two races there wearing the World Financial Group colors and plan on getting them to victory lane again this year.”

Edwards, one of NASCAR’s brightest superstars, actively competes in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. A native of Columbia, Mo., Edwards has accumulated two NASCAR-sanctioned track championships, three Rookie-of-the-Year honors, and more than 75 feature wins while racing on both dirt and pavement tracks across the country within the first 10 years of his career.

World Financial Group, Inc. has a rich history with Roush Fenway Racing. WFG partnered with Roush Fenway as one of Carl Edwards’ first sponsors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2004, and continued to sponsor Edwards and other Roush Fenway drivers in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Series’ through 2008.

About World Financial Group, Inc.:


World Financial Group, Inc. (WFG) is a financial services marketing company whose affiliates offer life insurance and a broad array of financial products and services. WFG’s independent associates strive to help individuals and families often overlooked by the financial services industry to plan for their financial futures, advocating the power of choice for clients through agreements with several of the financial and insurance industries’ leading companies.

World Financial Group, Inc. is an AEGON company. AEGON N.V. is an international life insurance, pension and investment group based in The Hague, The Netherlands, with businesses in more than 20 markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit WFG’s website at www.worldfinancialgroup.com

About Roush Fenway Racing:


Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and three in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., - Photo Credit: Jason Smith / Getty Images for NASCAR

Team: No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang

Crew Chief: Mike Kelley

Chassis: RK-748 – Primary – New Nationwide Chassis; RK–644 – Backup – last ran at Richmond – finished third.

QUOTES

Stenhouse, Jr. on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:

“I feel like Phoenix will be a strong race track for our team and, really, Roush Fenway as a whole. The new racing surface causes some unknown but NASCAR is giving us an extra day of practice on Thursday. Talking with my teammates, the big concern is that there is only one racing groove right now. My goal this weekend is to get this No. 6 Ford Mustang into victory lane and gain some more points in our championship hunt.”

Crew chief Mike Kelley on racing at Phoenix International Raceway:

“With the new surface, we are faced with some unknowns. Luckily we have an extra day of practice to get our No. 6 Ford Mustang dialed in. Our Sprint Cup teams participated in a tire test earlier this year so we will rely on their information as well. As of right now there is only one racing grove so track position will be crucial. If we execute on pit-road, we are confident that we can get this No. 6 Mustang in Victory Lane.”

FAST FACTS

- So far in 2011, Stenhouse Jr. has two wins, 14 top-five, 24 top-10, and three poles.

- Stenhouse Jr. is the current Nationwide Series point leader with a 17 point advantage over Elliot Sadler.

- Stenhouse’s average finish at PIR is 8.3; he has completed a 100% of the laps.

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating seven motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and three in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow us on Twitter @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries please contact John Bauersfeld at 704.720.4621.

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release

Greg Biffle

Biffle on Phoenix:

Puccia on Phoenix: “We’ve been running well at the one-mile tracks lately. We were able to finish third at New Hampshire and had a good run at Dover until late in the race. We feel really good about the way we ran at the test last month but it was clear there that track position will be crucial with the new surface. It looks like it may be difficult to pass until we see how many grooves get worn in with practice, That will determine how the racing will unfold. Other than that, this race is really anyone’s ballgame because of the new surface so we’ll go there and see if we can’t get our best finish of the season.”

Phoenix Notes

• Biffle is currently 15th in the Sprint Cup point standings following his fifth-place finish in Texas. He is 19 points out of the 13th position.

• Biffle’s average finish at Phoenix is 14.9 from an average starting position of 13.3.

• The No. 16 3M Ford Fusion will have a special Meguiar’s paint scheme for the race in Phoenix this weekend. Celebrating its 110th anniversary in 2011, Meguiar’s Inc. has become one of the world’s leading surface care product companies, providing highly specialized products for almost every conceivable type of surface.

• Barry Meguiar, President of Meguiars, Inc. and host of “Car Crazy” on SPEED will be attending the Phoenix race.

• For more information about the Meguiar’s story and its line of products, visit www.meguiars.com.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release

Roush Fenway Racing

Bayne joins a list of some of NASCAR’s biggest and most accomplished names, and his win marks the 299th NASCAR victory for Roush Fenway. The team will look to bring home its historic 300th win in today’s AAA Texas 500 Sprint Cup race at TMS.

Roush Fenway has won 17 NASCAR races in 2011, with all but one of its seven entries having visited victory lane this season. The team currently leads the point standings in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series point standings.

Roush Fenway All-Time NASCAR Winners:

Trevor Bayne

Matt Kenseth

Kurt Busch

Greg Biffle

Carl Edwards

David Ragan

Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Mark Martin

Jeff Burton

Jamie McMurray

Joe Ruttman

Mike Bliss

Jon Wood

Ricky Craven

Erik Darnell

Travis Kvapil

Colin Braun

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series with drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. Celebrating 25 winning years in 2012, Roush Fenway is the leader in NASCAR marketing solutions with its exclusive Roush Fenway OnTrack sponsorship measurement services, motorsport’s only team-focused TV show, and its social marketing channel RickyvsTrevor.com bringing unmatched brand opportunities to sponsors. Visit www.RoushFenway.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries call John Younger at 704.720.4620.

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release

Roush Fenway Racing

FT. WORTH, Texas (Nov. 6, 2011) –

“I’m proud of our guys today,” said Edwards. “We wanted to beat Tony (Stewart) and pad the lead, but we are still the point’s leader. We are going to hold Tony to it and they are going to have to run that well in the next two races to beat us.”

Roush Fenway and Edwards move into the final two races of the season leading second-place Tony Stewart by three points. Kenseth moved up to fourth position; 38 points behind first.

The Sprint Cup Series travels west to Phoenix next weekend, before closing out the season at Homestead-Miami in two weeks.

Roush Fenway has won 16 times at Phoenix, including six times in the Sprint Cup Series. The team will look for its historic 300^th NASCAR win next week.

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series with drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. Celebrating 25 winning years in 2012, Roush Fenway is the leader in NASCAR marketing solutions with its exclusive Roush Fenway OnTrack sponsorship measurement services, motorsport’s only team-focused TV show, and its social marketing channel RickyvsTrevor.com bringing unmatched brand opportunities to sponsors. Visit www.RoushFenway.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries call John Younger at 704.720.4620.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release

Team owner Jack Roush (right) congratulates Trevor Bayne, driver of the #16 RickyVsTrevor.com Ford, in Victory Lane after his win at the NASCAR Nationwide Series O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 5, 2011, in Fort Worth, Texas. - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Image for NASCAR

“Stenhouse Jr. Extends Nationwide Series Points Lead; Ford Wraps up Manufacturer’s Championship”

FT. WORTH, Texas (Nov. 5, 2011) – Trevor Bayne took the lead with only six laps remaining in Saturday afternoon’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway and held on to score his first career Nationwide Series victory. The win marked Roush Fenway’s 299th NASCAR victory and places the team in solid position to score its 300th win in tomorrow’s Sprint Cup race.

“This is just as surreal as the 500,” said Bayne in victory lane. “That’s hard to say, but this has been so long. We’ve worked so hard to get our first Nationwide win. These guys worked their butts off to get us here and God pulled us through.”

Roush Fenway was in championship form from the drop of the green flag, exhibiting the type of strong performance that has earned them 16 career NASCAR victories at Texas Motor Speedway. Carl Edwards, who led a race-high 157 laps finished third in the race and pulled to within two points of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owners Championship. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rallied late for a sixth-place finish, increasing his Nationwide Series points lead to 17.

“I couldn’t be prouder,” said team co-owner Jack Roush. “Texas has been real good to us. We won with Jeff Burton here in the inaugural race back in the nineties. That was a wonderful event. I’m really proud of Trevor and proud of (crew chief) Chad (Norris) and proud of the job that Mike Beam and all the guys did to get the cars to have all that speed in them. Doug Yates and the guys did a great job with the engine and, of course, I’m especially happy to be here with Ford Motor Company to win (the Manufacturer’s Championship).”

For Bayne it was the second career NASCAR victory for the 2011 Daytona 500 winner and his first in a Roush Fenway Ford. It marked Roush Fenway’s 17th NASCAR win in 2011 and its 12th in the Nationwide Series this season.

Roush Fenway now has seven NNS victories at the TMS. The organization won both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup events at Texas in the spring and will look to complete the year sweep on Sunday.

Today’s championship effort also secured Ford Racing the NASCAR Nationwide Manufacturer’s Championship.

RFR will go for its 300th NASCAR win in tomorrow’s Sprint Cup event, where it will start in the first three positions after dominating Friday’s TMS Sprint Cup qualifying session.

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series with drivers Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, David Ragan, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne. Celebrating 25 winning years in 2012, Roush Fenway is the leader in NASCAR marketing solutions with its exclusive Roush Fenway OnTrack sponsorship measurement services, motorsport’s only team-focused TV show, and its social marketing channel RickyvsTrevor.com bringing unmatched brand opportunities to sponsors. Visit www.RoushFenway.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roushfenway and follow on Twitter at @roushfenway. For sponsorship inquiries call John Younger at 704.720.4620.

- Roush Fenway Racing Press Release