NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, left, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch, right, fill out postcards for troops at the Crown Royal Heroes Tailgate Party, on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, in Indianapolis. The drivers stopped by and stuffed a bag in support of the "Your Hero's Name Here" program, which will award naming rights to the Brickyard 400 to a hero. Crown Royal sends the camo bags to troops overseas. (Jack Dempsey / AP Images for Crown Royal)

Whisky Brand to Honor an American Hero with Naming Rights to the Brickyard 400 at 

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. Feb. 7, 2012 – There are certain people who go above and beyond to change people’s lives. From protecting our country to serving as leaders in the community, Crown Royal is looking to pay tribute to those who are making a difference. The whisky brand is encouraging adult fans to nominate their personal heroes (21 or older) for naming rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Crown Royal Presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here”^TM 400 at the Brickyard.

The race, to be held on July 29, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, represents the ultimate celebration of heroes and will mark the sixth time Crown Royal has awarded race naming rights to an adult fan. For the past two years, Crown Royal accepted nominations for military and service members exclusively. Not only has the 2012 race moved to the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but the annual program—now called “Your Hero’s Name Here”—has been expanded to accept entries for all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, from firefighters and police officers, to first responders and local volunteers.

“The expansion of the nomination category gives adult fans the opportunity to honor all men and women who truly make a difference in their day-to-day lives,” said Yvonne Briese, VP Marketing, DIAGEO North American whisky.  “We’ve been given the opportunity to shine a spotlight on those who unselfishly commit themselves to giving back, and we look forward to seeing one of our heroes kiss the bricks in Indianapolis this summer.”

To nominate a hero for consideration for naming rights to the race, fans are encouraged to visit the Crown Royal Facebook page (Facebook.com/CrownRoyal), where they will be asked to describe a heroic act by the nominee in 100 words or less. Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2012 and the five finalists will be announced in May. Once the finalists are announced, fans will be provided the chance to cast a vote and determine the winner. The winner will be revealed in a special ceremony leading up to the race.

As part of the prize package, the grand-prize winner will travel to Indianapolis for the race, where he or she will be provided an once-in-a-lifetime experience, which includes waving the green flag to signal the start of the race and delivering the trophy bearing his or her moniker to the race winner in Victory Lane.

The race is the culminating event of the Crown Royal Heroes Project^TM, an ongoing commitment to recognize everyday heroes and give back to their communities. As part of the project, special commemorative CAMO Crown Royal bag stuffing events were held across the country throughout the fall, resulting in thousands of Crown Royal care packages being sent to American troops overseas, with the help of Packages from Home. The Project benefits the brand’s two national charity partners, Honoring Heroes and Operation Patriot Foundation.

Crown Royal’s ongoing effort to identify deserving individuals kicked off this weekend in Indianapolis, along with various military bases across the country and will continue throughout the entry period.  Former NFL standout Warrick Dunn made a special appearance around the big game to call attention to the program and encourage adult fans to nominate their heroes. Dunn has partnered with the whisky brand to honor his own hero – his late mother – a former police officer who was killed during an off-duty security shift 19 years ago.

About Crown Royal

Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canadamade by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal Canadian whisky’s smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. For more information visit www.crownroyal.com. Crown Royal encourages all fans to please enjoy responsibly.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world’s leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

About Indianapolis Motor Speedway

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the worldwide leader in motorsports entertainment since it opened in 1909. The facility has hosted the Indianapolis 500, the world’s largest single-day annual sporting event, since 1911 and also is the site of the Crown Royal Presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The NASCAR Nationwide Series and GRAND-AM Road Racing also will make their IMS debut with races in 2012.

IMS is the world’s largest spectator sporting facility and is the only venue to stage annual races in the IZOD IndyCar Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, GRAND-AM Road Racing and MotoGP.

About Operation Patriot Foundation

The mission of Operation Patriot Foundation, Inc., is to pay tribute to those who protect us daily – fire fighters, law enforcement, emergency responders and our active and veteran military forces, and to raise money for organizations representing these men and women who protect us. Our intentions are simple. To pay tribute to and help those who risk their lives for us daily and provide support to these people and their families through fund raising and ceremony in their honor. Operation Patriot Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. For more information, please visit www.operationpatriot.org.

About Honoring Heroes

Honoring Heroes, also known as The American First Responder Institute of Heraldry, has created nationally recognized awards for valor and heroism in the service of the First Responders’ life saving mission. No federal, state or local funds are required because the First Responder Institute prioritizes using locally donated dollars to honor local first responders. Prior to the work of the Institute, there was only one nationally recognized award for First Responders; the Medal of Valor. We have created complimentary awards for heroism and exceptional service “above and beyond the call of duty.” Awards are also given for direct participation in significant events, for improving security of the homeland and for exemplary service. For more information, please visit www.honoringheroes.com.

About Packages From Home

Packages From Home is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to send care and comfort packages to deployed American military heroes who are stationed in active duty theaters around the world, as well as to facilitate activities that elevate morale of all veterans. Packages From Home was founded in 2004 by Kathleen Lewis and has sent over 130,000 individual care packages and thousands of pounds of bulk mailing to deployed military troops overseas since its inception.  You can make a donation and learn more about Packages From Home by calling 602.253.0284 or by visiting us at www.packagesfromhome.org.

Source: Crown Royal Press Release

Tommy Baldwin Racing Thumbnail Logo

Truex will make his first superspeedway start in the NNS season-opener. The 19-year-old racer made his NNS debut in 2010 at Gateway International Raceway and made 24 starts in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He compiled five top-10 finishes including a third-place finish at Kansas Speedway. Truex competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2009 and 2010 and won the championship both years with a top-10 average finish.

“I’m happy to be back in a racecar,” said Truex. “I was back and forth between teams last year, so it is nice to be in a car for the first race of this season. I’m excited about racing at a superspeedway. This is my first restrictor plate race and first start at Daytona. It’s something I’ve never done, but it looks like a lot of fun. Superspeedway racing is something I need to learn as I progress in my career. Hopefully, I can find myself a good partner to work with and have a good finish at the end.”

Santos has competed under the TBR Development banner since 2010. He competed in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) in 2010 and 2011 and won the championship in his first season in the series. The 26-year-old won the inaugural USAC National Pavement Sprint Car Series championship last season in a family-owned car. Santos made five starts in the NNS since 2007. His last start was at DIS February 2011 where he finished 17th in a JR Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet.

“I’m thrilled to compete in the Nationwide series again,” said Santos. “The Daytona race last year was a lot of fun. It was kind of a last minute deal, so I’m glad we’ll have some time to prepare for it this year. Tommy and Al have done a lot to help my career, and I appreciate them giving me this opportunity in the Nationwide Series.”

This season will mark TBR’s fourth season of competition. TBR began as a part-time one-car NSCS team in 2009 and developed into a top-35 team by 2011. In 2012, TBR plans to compete with two NSCS teams. The part time NNS team will expand on TBR’s driver development program in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The team would like to increase the number of races in both the NSCS and NNS schedules, provided more sponsorship can be found.

“We are really working hard to develop young talent,” explained owner Tommy Baldwin. “The Nationwide series is a great place for young drivers to learn the ropes and compete at the same tracks as the ‘Cup series. It is important to give these kids opportunities to showcase their talents for their future and for the future of TBR.”

TBR NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule:

· February 25th – Ryan Truex – Daytona International Speedway

· April 27th – Ryan Blaney – Richmond International Raceway

· May 11th – Ryan Blaney – Darlington Raceway

· June 29th – Ryan Blaney – Kentucky Speedway

· July 6th – Bobby Santos – Daytona International Speedway

· July 28th – Ryan Blaney – Indianapolis Motor Speedway

· August 24th – Ryan Blaney – Bristol Motor Speedway

· October 12th – Ryan Blaney – Charlotte Motor Speedway

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin formed Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in 2009. Baldwin utilized a declining economy to open a NSCS team with a stringent budget. The team worked to build to full-time competition, and by the 2011 season, the team’s third season, TBR competed in every race and locked the No. 36 Chevrolet in the top-35 in NSCS Owner Points. Dave Blaney drove the No. 36 Chevrolet to TBR’s highest finish of third in the October 2011 event at Talladega Superspeedway. TBR also fielded a second car for select races in the past two seasons with multiple drivers.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the NSCS in 2012 with NASCAR veterans David Reutimann and Dave Blaney. The team will also compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Ryan Blaney, Bobby Santos and Ryan Truex.

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/TBR.HBR, and Twitter, twitter.com/TBR_Racing.

Scott Naset

Naset will accept the honor Saturday evening at the series’ annual Championship Awards Banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington, Ky. The banquet will close the 59th season of ARCA competition.

A native of Bloomer, Wis., the 40-year-old Naset has worked at Richard Childress Racing since 1999, notably serving as the car chief for Kevin Harvick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry from 2002 to 2009 and as the truck chief for Austin Dillon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry in 2010, among other roles.

Naset finished with 6850 points in the crew chief division, which awards $3000 at year’s end and tabulates points from qualifying and race action. The crew chief of the fastest-qualifying car earns 200 points, with descending positions earning five fewer points per position. The same scoring system is in place for race finishes. Competing crew chiefs must register at the beginning of the season and carry the decal of Cometic Gasket, Inc. on the car to be eligible to score. A maximum of 400 points is possible in each event weekend.

Naset and the No. 41 team started quickly, as Dillon won the pole and finished 11th in the season opener at Daytona and swept the pole and race wins at Talladega in the next race. The team captured seven wins and seven Menards Pole Awards presented by Ansell in 19 events this year. Naset won Cometic Crew Chief of the Race honors 10 times in 19 races, earning $250 for his team’s performances at Talladega, Salem (May), Chicagoland, Michigan, Iowa, Indianapolis, Pocono (August), and DuQuoin, and in two races at Toledo.

Cometic Gasket, Inc., a Concord, Ohio company, creates the Official Gasket of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards and also contributes $3500 to the year-end championship point fund.

Gary Roulo of the No. 17 Roulo Brothers Racing team finished second in the competition with 6485 points and four race awards. Billy Venturini (No. 25 Venturini Motorsports) was third with 6135 points and one race award. Gere Kennon (No. 31 Richard Childress Racing; 5655 points and one race award) and Bill Kimmel (No. 44 Kimmel Racing; 5650 points) rounded out the top five.

Other $250 Cometic Crew Chief of the Race winners included: John Monsam (No. 52 Schrader Racing, two) and Bill Gerhart (No. 5 Bobby Gerhart Racing).

Other Cometic Crew Chief of the Race winners included: Mike Chaffee (No. 32 Win-Tron Racing, three); Paul Andrews (No. 22 Cunningham Motorsports, two); and Tony Liberati (No. 55 Venturini Motorsports, two).

Series champion Ty Dillon, Rookie of the Year Chris Buescher, other drivers from the top 20, and the top 10 car owners will be honored in Saturday’s program, which also features special award winners.

Additional special award presentations include the Bill France Four Crown, the Rookie of the Year, the H.G. Adcox Sportsmanship Award, the Manufacturer Championship, the Hoosier Tire Superspeedway Challenge Award, the Crane Cams Engine Builder of the Year Award, the Marcum Award, the Spirit Award, the Klotz Engine Mechanic Award, and the CGS Imaging Hard Charger Award. In addition, scholarship recipients will be announced, compliments of the University of Northwestern Ohio and the Bob Loga Memorial Scholarship Foundation.

While open to teams, series and track officials, and sponsors, the annual formal gala is also open to ARCA Racing Series fans. Ticket information is available at ARCARacing.com.

The public schedule of events for Saturday, December 10 is as follows:

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Redline Racing Ministry Silent Auction

2 p.m. ARCA Racing Series Press Conference

3 p.m. Redline Racing Ministry Live Auction

4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. Formal Portrait Photo Session

5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. Guest Reception

6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. Awards Dinner and Program

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards featured 19 events at 16 tracks on its 2011 schedule. The series has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 28 states since its inception. In 2011, the series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.4 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course.

The 2012 ARCA Racing Series schedule is currently available at ARCARacing.com.

Founded by John Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in two professional touring series and local weekly events.

- Automobile Racing Club of America Press Release

Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear

Pacoima, CA (Oct. 11, 2011) –

Testing will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (ET) both days with each series receiving a 60-minute session in the morning and a 75-minute session in the afternoon. Top Star Mazda teams participating in the test include JDC Motorsports (winner of the 2011 driver championship with Tristan Vautier), Team Pelfrey (winner of the 2011 team championship), Andretti Autosport (winner of the 2011 Rookie of the Year with Sage Karam), Juncos Racing (the 2010 driver championship winner with Conor Daly) and AIM Autosport (2008 driver championship winner with John Edwards). Also on track will be Linares Racing and The Racing Company.

Drivers interested in testing with one or more of these teams are urged to contact the teams directly as soon as possible to make arrangements. Each team will negotiate directly with individual drivers as to the cost and specifics of the test agreement. Drivers who do not have a current INDYCAR license will be required to pay $150 for a special testing license (click here for the entry form).

“Many of our top teams will be at the test with multiple cars and full crews, including engineers,” says Star Mazda Championship founder and President Gary Rodrigues. “This is a great opportunity for drivers interested in competing in the Mazda Road to Indy to experience the cars, decide what level is appropriate and get an early start on the 2012 season. And the format, with two sessions each day for two days, makes it possible for drivers to test with different teams and find the one where they feel most comfortable. Time is short, so drivers interested in participating are urged to contact teams as soon as possible.”

This test is a fantastic opportunity to showcase what the Mazda Road to Indy has to offer to prospective drivers and teams,” said Tony George Jr., manager of business development for the Firestone Indy Lights and a key figure in the creation of the Mazda Road to Indy. “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the perfect location for all three series to start preparations for the 2012 season.”

The Mazda Road to Indy was created to provide career-minded drivers a path from karting to the top level of Indy car racing. As the title partner of the Mazda Road to Indy, Mazda provides scholarships to the champions of the three series in INDYCAR’s development ladder system to graduate to the next level.

In 2012, Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda champion Petri Suvanto will receive a scholarship to compete in the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear. Star Mazda champion Tristan Vautier will receive a scholarship to compete in Firestone Indy Lights, while Firestone Indy Lights champion Josef Newgarden will receive a scholarship to race in the IZOD IndyCar Series.

“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is such a magical place,” said John Doonan, Director of Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations. “We’re thrilled that the Mazda Road to Indy, and especially the Star Mazda and USF2000 racers, will have an opportunity to test on the track made famous by their heroes.”

INDYCAR and Mazda’s strong support of the ladder series extends beyond the racetrack with an expansion of the highly successful Mazda Road to Indy Summit program this year, which offered media, social media and business/sponsorship training amongst other topics as well as networking and promotional opportunities to its drivers. In addition, the first Mazda Road to Indy Oval Clinic was held in May.

For specific information on each series participating in the test, please contact:

Firestone Indy Lights: Tony George Jr. – Tjr@indycar.com

Star Mazda: Gary Rodrigues – gary@starmazda.com

USF2000 National Championship: Michelle Kish – mkish@usf2000.com

Media Contacts:

Amy Konrath, INDYCAR, 317-492-6453, akonrath@indycar.com

About Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear

For 2012, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear will be a major part of the Mazda Road to Indy. The schedule has yet to be announced, but all races will be on major motorsports weekends and most with IndyCar. Click here to see the 2011 schedule. Rising stars from around the world will be watched by more than a million fans as they compete for prizes valued at $1.5 million, including a scholarship to move up and race in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights series. Drivers 16 and older are welcome to compete and the Star Mazda Championship also features the Expert Series for drivers 30 and older. The Star Mazda Championship features standing starts, wheel-to-wheel racing at 160 mph and budgets a fraction of other top open-wheel ladder series. For more information on the Star Mazda Championship please visit www.starmazda.com.

______________________________

For more information on the Star Mazda Championship and its drivers, as well as the Mazda Motorsports ladder system, please visit www.starmazda.com and www.mazdausa.com. For information, interviews and photos, please contact Star Mazda Communications Director Peter Frey at (818) 398-5733 or StarMazdaPR@aol.com. Follow the series on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/starmazdaseries) and visit the Star Mazda Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/starmazdaseries.

- Star Mazda, Press Release

Milka Duno

Now, the 39-year-old Venezuelan is trying to learn the ropes of stock car racing, a process that will continue in Friday night’s Kansas Lottery 98.9 ARCA Series event at Kansas Speedway.

“I have a good memory for this place because this is where I did my rookie test when I was going to Indy,” Duno said during a Kansas Speedway test session last month. “It was very special.”

The first Hispanic woman to race in the Indy 500, Duno switched over to ARCA after struggling with inferior equipment for parts of four seasons in the IndyCar Series. Her best finish in that series was an 11th at Texas in 2007. Her best Indy 500 finish was a 19th in three starts.

“I like to do things in the right way,” Duno said. “I like to be a success in everything and I was a success in every car that I was driving before. With IndyCars I didn’t have the right conditions – I never had a good car.

“The Indy 500, we’d like to do it, but you have to do it with the right car. I would like to do it because it’s a special race, and if I have the opportunity in the future I would like to do it, under the right conditions.”

Duno, driver of the No. 63 CITGO SUPERGARD Toyota, is still in the infancy of her stock car career, with a best of 15th in 10 ARCA starts, and is willing to put in the time to learn.

- FoxSports.com

Justin Allgaier (Photo Credit: NASCAR)

“The boys over at RACERSITES have been developing industry-leading web sites in the racing space for years,” said Allgaier. “They are, without question, the right partner for me in setting the standard for driver websites and I know my fans and business partners will be as pleased as I am with the new justinallgaier.com.”

The newly-designed site will feature various interactive video elements, the most up-to-date news and information, fan interaction sections and easy access to Allgaier through Facebook and Twitter integration. This site includes unique elements such as exclusive feature videos of Justin and an online store for fans to purchase their Allgaier gear.

“Justin is undoubtedly a rising star in NASCAR and through this enhanced website, fans will form a deeper connection with him,” said RACERSITES CEO Chuck Tate. “Justin is able to get personal through this site through authentic dialogue with fans and demonstrate his character both on and off the track.”

Currently in his third year of fulltime NNS competition, Allgaier has earned two-wins, three-poles, 17 top-five and 46 top-10 finishes. The Riverton-Ill.-native got his start racing Midget and Sprint cars at age six before moving on to stock cars as a teenager. After capturing the ARCA Racing Series championship in 2008, he graduated to the Nationwide Series the following year and claimed the Rookie of the Year honors with three top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. He captured his first win in 2010 at Bristol Motor Speedway, becoming the only Nationwide Series regular to see victory lane for over a year. Thus far in 2011, Allgaier has found his way back to victory lane at Chicagoland Speedway and has earned six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

About Turner Motorsports:

Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NCWTS to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C., and will compete with three entries in NCWTS and four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher, Brad Sweet, Steve Arpin, Blake Feese and Brandon McReynolds. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, which will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Dollar General, Great Clips, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Monster Energy, BRANDT, Rexall, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.

About RACERSITES:

RACERSITES has 13 years of experience developing partnerships in the motorsports world to enhance their clients’ connection to its fans and business partners through website development, enhancement of social media conversations and the deployment of unique interactive tools. RACERSITES boasts clients on the team, driver, track and sanctioning body level, including: IZOD Indycar series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, GRAND-AM Road Racing, Penske Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Turner Motorsports, Panther Racing, Kurt Busch, and more. www.RACERSITES.com

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

Rick Ware Racing (RWR)

Jeffrey Earnhardt has signed a deal to place him in a full season of Grand Am Racing in 2012 in the Rolex GT Class with Rick Ware Racing.

Earnhardt made his series debut at the 2011 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona with RWR in a GT3 Porsche and finished 11th in class and 25th overall, a huge accomplishment for the organizations entrance in the grueling around the clock event.

“I have never experienced any type of racing like that before. It was definitely a rush and look forward to competing in the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 2012 with RWR again,” stated Jeffrey Earnhardt.

Earnhardt will be displaying the number 15 for the 2012 season, a number his grandfather, Dale Earnhardt, competed with 30 years ago in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“The 15 number is a pretty cool deal. I have seen pictures of the car he drove with it before he jumped into the 3. To start my Grand Am career with it will hold a special place to our family and fans.”

Jeffrey Earnhardt (Photo Credit: Godwin Kelly / DBJ)

“To compete at the Brickyard is a dream for any racer in any series. The history is rich and the atmosphere is electric. To be a part of the inaugural event makes it that much sweeter,” claimed Earnhardt.

The North Carolina native will be making the jump from NASCAR to the Grand Am Series to compete full time, something rarely done.

“I have always done well on road courses, so this seems like the natural progression for my career. Besides that, Grand Am has a great marketing avenue to sponsors that reaches globally and yet is more interactive with fans with their hauler-garage setups, something we are looking forward to exploring with our program.”

Earnhardt and Rick Ware Racing will be making announcements for the car manufacturer, sponsors and co-drivers in the upcoming weeks.

For more information on Jeffrey Earnhardt visit www.jeffreyearnhardt.com or visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JefferyEarnhardt

For more information visit www.wareracing.com or you can also follow the team on Twitter at @rickwareracing

- Rick Ware Racing Press Release

No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet Impala (Justin Allgaier) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

100th NASCAR Nationwide Series Start… This Saturday evening will mark Justin Allgaier’s 100th career NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start. He made his NNS debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 10th, 2008. In his first 99 starts, he has claimed two wins, three poles, 17 top-five, 44 top-10 finishes and has logged 23498.9 competition miles. He has not finished outside the top-six in the championship point standings in his two full-years of NNS competition.

Allgaier Heads to Atlanta Fifth in Points… Allgaier heads to Atlanta in fifth-place in the NNS championship point standings after his 15th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. He is 66 points behind leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. All three championship-contending Turner Motorsports drivers are currently in the top-10, with Reed Sorenson in third and Jason Leffler in sixth-place.

Atlanta Motor Speedway by the Numbers… The 25-year-old Turner Motorsports Chevy driver has two NNS starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). He is credited a best start of 20th and best finish of 13th coming in the fall of 2010.

Bristol to Indy for MotoGP… After completing 250 laps under the lights at Bristol on Friday night, Allgaier headed up to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Saturday morning to take in MotoGP action at the iconic track. While there he tweeted, “Had an awesome time at #IMS today for #MotoGP What a race!”

This Week’s Impala… The No. 31 BRANDT Chevy team will hit the track with chassis TMS-308 this Saturday evening under the lights at AMS for the Great Clips 300. This chassis last saw track action at Nashville Superspeedway where Allgaier started 16th and finished fourth.

In the Loop… Thus far in 2011, Allgaier ranks among the top-10 in several of NASCAR’s Loop Data statistics: Quality Passes (4th), Fastest on Restarts (6th), Laps in the Top-15 (6th), Average Running Position (8th), Percentage of Laps Run on the Lead Lap (8th), Fastest Speed in Traffic (9th), Fastest Early in the Run (10th) and Fastest Late in the Run (10th).

Turner Motorsports In the Hunt… In 25 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 19 top-five and 48 top-10 finishes.

Justin Allgaier - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“Atlanta is one of the fastest mile & half tracks we race at on the Nationwide circuit. In order to be successful it’s important to anticipate the way the track will change and make sure you adapt and find your groove to contend for the win. Once you find your groove through the corner you can gain a lot of speed down the straightaway,” said Allgaier. “We hope to give the BRANDT Chevy a strong run this Saturday evening especially since it’s the Great Clips 300. They have been a great partner for Turner Motorsports and are a staple in the garage, and it will be great to see myself or one my teammates in victory lane at the end of the night.”

Follow the No. 31 team on Twitter! Twitter.com/No31TurnerNNS

Follow Justin Allgaier on Twitter! Twitter.com/J_Allgaier

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

No. 33 Rheem / Menards Chevrolet Impala SS

MENARD RETURNS: Paul Menard, the 2011 Brickyard 400 champion, reunites with the No. 33 Rheem/Menards team this weekend for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International. Menard has five starts in the series at the Glen with one top-five and two top-10 finishes. The second of three road- course events on the Nationwide Series schedule this season will mark the driver’s fourth of seven races with the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) team.

BY THE NUMBERS: In three starts thus far this season with the No. 33 KHI team, Menard finished inside the top five in each race. He collected his third pole in the series at Michigan International Speedway in June and started inside the top 10 in his two additional starts with the team. Hot off his first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory two weeks ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Eau Claire, Wis., native hopes that momentum will propel the Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala to victory lane.

KHI SUCCESS AT THE GLEN: KHI has made a total of 10 Nationwide Series starts at the New York road course. The organization has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes, with a best finish of third in 2010 scored by team co-owner Kevin Harvick. KHI also has two pole awards at Watkins Glen with Harvick in 2009 and Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart in 2005.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Driver David Mayhew climbed behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem/Menards Chevrolet Impala for his Nationwide Series debut at Iowa Speedway last weekend. The Bakersfield, Calif., native qualified the KHI machine in the 13th position and raced his way to the front of the field to lead twice for four laps before coming across the finish line in the 10th position.

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 Rheem/Menards crew prepared chassis No. 75 for the road-course event this weekend. Driver Max Papis piloted this chassis in June at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Papis started the race from the outside pole and raced among the top 10 before falling victim to a late-race accident that relegated the team to a 23rd-place finish.

Paul Menard - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images

What are your thoughts about this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen?

“I really enjoy racing the road courses, and I am looking forward to the Glen this weekend. David Hyder and the guys have worked really hard on these cars. The Rheem/Menards Chevrolets have been really fast, and we’ve been able to put together some good runs so far this season together. It’d be great to get to victory lane with them this weekend.”

About Menards:

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

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

No 36 Big Red / Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet

The Big Red team worked on the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet right off the truck. Blaney posted the 41^st-fastest time in first practice and the 46^th-quickest time in the second and third practice sessions. Blaney picked up over a second in his qualifying run and posted the 33^rd-fastest time of 50.021 seconds.

Blaney took the green flag of the Brickyard 400 presented by Golden Corral on ESPN from the 33^rd position. He worked up to 31^st before radioing on lap 11 that the Big Red Chevrolet was tightening up. He continued that the car was really good at the beginning but quickly grew tighter and it hurt him in the corner.

Crew Chief Phillipe Lopez called for Blaney to drive down pit road for the first pit stop of the day on lap 27. As he came in for the green-flag stop, the front right tire blew. Blaney nursed the Chevrolet to the pit stall, and the Big Red team changed four tires, made a trackbar adjustment and put Barebond over the right-front damage. After inspecting the tires, the team found that the wear was good and there was a flat spot on the tire.

Blaney continued to run 32^nd until the first caution flag waved on lap 35 for debris. The team put on four scuff tires and put a rubber in the right rear of the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet, while they worked on the damage with more Barebond. Blaney returned to pit road on the next lap to allow the Big Red team to continue to fix the damage. Once he got back out on track, the Hartford, Ohio native radioed that the car had a big shake and was concerned that the lugnuts were not all tight. Still under yellow flag conditions, the team chose to change four tires again to try to fix the problem. Lopez radioed that because of the quick turnaround that air pressure on the new set of tires was not exact.

Once the field restarted, Blaney worked up to 27^th before the second yellow flag flew for an incident in turn three. The Big Red team utilized this caution flag to stay out and lead a lap. After leading lap 52, Blaney drove down pit road for a four-tire pit stop. The team did not make any adjustments, as the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet’s lap times were good. The field went back to green on lap 55 with Blaney in the 32^nd position.

Five laps later, Blaney radioed that the car was really good at the beginning of the run but tightened up quickly. Backup spotter and owner Tommy Baldwin and Blaney discussed that the car was handling well in turn one but had a push in turns three and four. The Big Red team utilized a green-flag, four-tire pit stop on lap 83 to make a wedge adjustment to work on the tight condition. By lap 85, Blaney radioed that if the car stayed the way it was they were going to have a good run.

The third caution of the day flew on lap 95 for debris. Blaney pit for four tires but was penalized for speeding exiting pit road so he started on the tail end of the field. Two laps after the green flag waved, he moved from 32^nd to 30^th position. On lap 103, the Big Red driver radioed that the car initially turned well but really lost the handle. A debris caution on lap 115 allowed the team to make another four-tire pit stop.

Blaney returned to green flag racing on lap 118 in the 31^st position. On lap 120, Landon Cassill and David Ragan spun. While trying to avoid the incident, Blaney drove under a spinning Cassill and got a lot of grass on the front grill, which caused the No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet to start overheating. The overheating forced the team to pit for fuel, a shock adjustment and to clean the grill. Debating on whether to top-off on the one-to-go lap, the team played it safe and stayed out, opting to pit under green conditions when they knew they would be able to finish the 400-mile race.

Blaney restarted on lap 127 in 19^th and came back down pit road with 28 to go. The Big Red team topped off the No. 36 with fuel and cleaned off the grill. By lap 142, Blaney radioed that handling-wise the car was the best it has been all race. With five laps to go, he radioed that the car was a half-click tight in 30^th position. The No. 36 Big Red Chevrolet finished in the 31^st spot.

The 31^st-place finish kept the No. 36 team in the 32^nd position in NSCS Owner Points. The team is 66 points out of 31^st and 50 points ahead of 36^th. Blaney held onto the 31^st position in NSCS Driver Points. He is 69 points behind David Gilliland in 30^th and seven points ahead of Casey Mears in 32^nd.

“Unfortunately, we got damage early from the blown tire,” explained Blaney. “We were a bit tight, but it seemed everyone was struggling with that. It seemed like we were loosing ground on the straightaway because of the damage. By the end, the car got a lot better. Sometimes you gamble and it works and sometimes it doesn’t. We decided not to gamble, and it looks like it bit us. We continue to make gains as a team. We’ll go to Pocono and see what we can do there.”

Blaney will return to the track next weekend for the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 and pilot the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet in the second stop at Pocono Raceway this season.

About Big Red, Inc.

Big Red, Inc. is one of the top-10 beverage companies in North America with a history dating back to 1937. Along with Big Red, recognized as the number one selling red soda, Big Red, Inc. also markets beverage brands Diet Big Red, Big Blue, Big Red Vanilla Float, Big Peach, Big Pineapple, Big Punch, Big Honey Lemonade, NuGrape, and Nesbitt’s products. Distributed widely throughout the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Independent Bottlers and Pepsi Bottling Group, consumers across the country enjoy Big Red, Inc.’s beverages.

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

Tommy Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin utilized a slumping economy to open a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team with a stringent budget. The team competed in two full seasons with multiple drivers behind the wheel of the No. 36 Chevrolet and improved in the standings each year.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2011 with NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney piloting the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet. Looking to improve on-track performance, TBR found success early in the 2011 season with partners Golden Corral, Big Red and Accell Construction. TBR’s driver development program, Heinke-Baldwin Racing, will also compete in various NASCAR series in 2011.

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/TBR.HBR, and Twitter, twitter.com/TBR_Racing.

- Tommy Baldwin Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS Regan Smith - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

DENVER (Aug. 1, 2011) –

Smith, who is coming off an impressive third-place finish in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is looking forward to the 60-feet, 6-inch throw.

“I’ve been fortunate to participate in many neat things throughout my career and throwing out the first pitch at a Rockies game is going to rank right up there,” said Smith. “I am really excited about this opportunity and hope I can throw a strike.”

Smith and Furniture Row Racing are enjoying their best season, which was highlighted by a victory in early May at the historic Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The next Sprint Cup race for Smith and Furniture Row Racing is Sunday (Aug. 7) at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.

- DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing, Press Release ]]> http://www.catchfence.com/2011/sprintcup/08/01/regan-smith-to-throw-out-first-pitch-wednesday-at-colorado-rockies-game/feed/ 0 http://www.catchfence.com/2011/sprintcup/08/01/kasey-kahne-brian-vickers-2011-nscs-brickyard-400-post-race-recaps/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kasey-kahne-brian-vickers-2011-nscs-brickyard-400-post-race-recaps http://www.catchfence.com/2011/sprintcup/08/01/kasey-kahne-brian-vickers-2011-nscs-brickyard-400-post-race-recaps/#comments Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:48:57 +0000 Press Release http://www.catchfence.com/?p=81547 more»]]>

2011 Red Bull Racing Teammates Brian Vickers & Kasey Kahne - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

+ LIFE’S A BRICK!:

INDIANAPOLIS — Rule No. 1 at Indianapolis: Don’t run out of fuel along the 10th fairway at Brickyard Crossing, because it’s a long way back. Rule No. 2: Gain and maintain track position at all times during the Brickyard 400.

Red Bull Racing Team’s number crunchers covered the first. As for the second, Brian Vickers gained a lot of it; Kasey Kahne couldn’t keep it.

After starting 31st, Vickers clawed his way to a 15th-place finish in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But Kahne, driving a dominant car that led a race-high 48 laps, ended up a disappointing 18th.

“We started off really good,” Kahne said.

“The Red Bull Toyota was really fast. We made some adjustments there early and stayed fast. The first time we got four tires … slow stop and gave up a bunch of spots there. Battled from there on. Just had a hard time betting back up there.”

Under the second yellow flag that waved on lap 50, Kahne entered the pits in first and left in 10th, with Vickers on his tail in 11th after taking two tires. That restart position was Kahne’s first taste of traffic at a track where clean air pretty much means everything, but the No. 4 still was its stout self and climbed back into the top five.

The race’s fourth yellow flag wave for debris on lap 114, and tire strategies started to unfold. Kahne and Vickers restarted 16th and 18th, respectively. Two laps later, Landon Cassill’s No. 51 went spinning in turn three, forcing Kahne and Vickers to take evasive maneuvers through the grass. After cleaning up the No. 4’s nose, Kahne returned to the race in 24th. Stuck in traffic, the best he could do was 18th at the checkered flag.

“I knew I was going to go through the grass, thought the 51 was coming (down),” Kahne said. “I went through the grass and kind of spun and ended up further back. It ended up being a tough Brickyard 400 for us. But we were definitely one of the best cars. Out in clean air, we were definitely one of the best.”

Vickers held his own after taking two tires early for track position and moved into the top 10. He, too, went through the grass when the No. 51 spun — “Sorry guys, there was nowhere to go. I had to swerve through the grass to miss him.” — and pitted for tires and fuel. “We are planning to go long and gas only,” crew chief Ryan Pemberton told Vickers. “We have to do something different than everyone else.”

He cycled to as high as second, but knowing they’d be eight laps short Vickers pitted for two tires and a splash with 17 laps to go. He restarted 23rd and moved to 15th at the finish for his third top 15 at Indianapolis.

Kahne slid to 15th in the driver standings. He’s 55 points behind 10th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. and still needs a win or two to enter the Chase wild-card race. Vickers also dropped a spot. He’s 27th — 83 points out of 20th.

+ UP NEXT: Brickyard 400, Sunday, July 31, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis

- Red Bull Racing Team, Press Release

The No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing - Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photography

In an up-and-down race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a tenacious Tony Stewart made sure he finished Sunday’s Brickyard 400 on the upswing. The driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) rallied from as low as 32nd to finish sixth, securing his eighth top-10 finish of the season and lifting him into the top-10 of the championship point standings.

“We just fought all day and I’m really proud of Darian Grubb (crew chief) and the guys on this Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy,” said Stewart after notching his ninth top-10 finish at Indianapolis and his eighth of the season. “They kept fighting and I fought for everything I could get all day.”

The day got off to an inauspicious start when after rising to 16th after starting 24th, Stewart was assessed a pass-through penalty for hitting the commitment cone as he entered pit road during a lap-25 pit stop, which came from Stewart avoiding a rapidly slowing Kevin Harvick.

“Kevin lifted earlier than I did coming off of turn four and instead of running into him, I went to the outside of him, and when we got to the cone there, I was in the wrong spot,” Stewart said. “It was just one of those things. You’re trying to get everything you can get. It was either hit the cone or run over the guy in front of me, so I chose to hit the cone. We got the penalty for it. I’m proud of our guys for working from behind and getting us where we got at the end.”

Stewart served the pass-through penalty on lap 29, which consisted of driving down the length of pit road at the mandated speed limit of 55 mph while his counterparts zoomed past on the racetrack at 200 mph. When Stewart came off pit road, he was 31st but still on the lead lap.

With a fast, but tight-handling racecar, Stewart began a charge to the front. The charge was stout – so much so that Indianapolis’ 2.5-mile confines couldn’t contain Stewart. He slapped the turn four wall enough to scrape his car’s paint but not enough to do significant damage.

Stewart worked his way up to 26th when the yellow caution flag waved on lap 49. He and Grubb took the opportunity to come to pit road for the requisite four tires and fuel, but also so crew members could look at the damage and determine for sure that nothing was awry.

Although the encounter with the wall did nothing to hurt the Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy, its tight-handling condition persisted, especially whenever Stewart would get back in the throttle through the track’s sweeping, flat corners.

Grubb made a myriad of changes to the car, going so far as to raise the track bar three rounds and add a round of wedge to both rear corners during a pit stop on lap 81.

The tight-handling condition persisted, and when the caution flag waved again on lap 95, Stewart and Grubb took advantage by making another trip to pit road. But just as Stewart was turning into his pit stall, Kyle Busch – who had taken two tires in the pit stall behind Stewart – pulled out and ran into Stewart. The result was a dinged left-front fender for Stewart and bashed right-front fender for Busch. Both drivers had to return to pit road on the next lap so their respective pit crews could fix the damage.

“It’s a long pit road, but it’s a narrow pit road,” Stewart said. “I feel bad for Kyle and those guys because they had a good day going at that time, too. Just a rough day, but we fought for everything we could get.”

The fight continued after that pit road miscue left Stewart deep in the field, this time in 32nd when the race resumed on lap 118. At this point in the race, however, fuel mileage was becoming an issue, and teams like the No. 14 SHR squad could roll the dice.

Stewart needed track position, but he also needed at least another splash of fuel to make it to the full, 160-lap distance. Grubb keenly brought Stewart to pit road during the race’s final caution on lap 122 for a fuel-only stop. The strategy kicked Stewart up to 12th with 33 laps of green-flag racing remaining. But there was a catch – Stewart was a lap-and-a-half short on fuel under even the most optimistic scenario.

As other drivers pitted for fuel under green, Stewart worked his way up the leaderboard. He cracked the top-10 on lap 129 and then busted into the top-five on lap 132. With 27 laps to go he was third, and on lap 134 he was second. By lap 135, Stewart was in the lead for the first time.

The two-time Brickyard 400 winner paced the field for 10 laps and opened up a margin of nearly 14 seconds over his nearest pursuer, Brian Vickers. But even as Stewart worked to save fuel, the pace of the race and deeper calculations by Grubb hinted that Stewart was actually three laps short on fuel.

With 31 drivers on the lead lap, the gamble to go the distance was not worth it. Grubb called Stewart into the pits on lap 145, whereupon right-side tires were changed while precious gallons of fuel were added to Stewart’s tank.

The considerable lead Stewart had built prior to his pit stop paid off, for he returned to the track in 16th, still ahead of some drivers who had pitted under green before him.

Able to go all out while many ahead of him had to slow down and conserve fuel, Stewart again marched up the leaderboard. In the race’s last five laps, Stewart went from 15th to sixth as drivers in front of him either pitted for fuel, ran out of fuel or ran a pace so slow to conserve fuel that Stewart was able to blow by them.

“We ran those last 10 laps as hard as we could,” said Stewart, who won the Brickyard 400 in 2005 and 2007 and hails from nearby Columbus, Ind. “Come to find out we were three laps short, and there was no way we could make up three laps. A lap-and-a-half I think I could’ve done, but there was no way we could make up three. We inherited the lead anyway because we stayed out and everybody else in front of us came in, so we knew it was a borrowed lead. But it sure was nice to lead here at Indy again. We had to fight from the back a couple of different times to get up there.

“We just had a long, long hard day. To get almost a top-five out of this thing – running sixth was a good day for us. We did the right thing when we pitted and it paid off for us. We’ll take it.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for SHR and fellow Hoosier, as he grew up in South Bend, Ind., finished 12th to score his 12th top-15 finish of the season.

Paul Menard won the 18th annual Brickyard 400 to notch his first career Sprint Cup victory, and in doing so, became the fourth first-time winner of 2011, joining Trevor Bayne, Brad Keselowski and David Ragan.

“I’m really happy for Paul Menard,” Stewart said. “Paul’s been around this place (Indianapolis) for a long time. He’s been here since he was a kid. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy. That is a pretty deserving win, right there. I’m happy for him getting his first one that way.”

Jeff Gordon finished .725 of a second behind Menard in the runner-up spot, while Regan Smith, Jamie McMurray and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Stewart, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Keselowski and Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 22 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish.

With round 20 of 36 complete, Newman leads the SHR duo in the championship point standings. He remained eighth and now has 618 points, 64 markers back of series leader Carl Edwards and 31 points ahead of 11th-place Denny Hamlin. Stewart gained two spots to climb to ninth. He now has 609 points, which puts him 73 points behind Edwards while giving him a 22-point cushion over Hamlin.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Aug. 7 Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry (driven by Casey Mears) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Speedway, IN (July 31, 2011) –

While Mears and his #13 GEICO Camry got off to a slow start in practice on Friday, landing 38th on the speed chart, they would quickly turn the corner and wow the fans as the day wore on. During the second practice session, Mears hung out in the 20’s on the charts, but after a brief meeting with crew chief Bootie Barker and engineer Scott Whitehead during a trip to the garage, Mears re-entered the GEICO Camry for a final run.

With just seven minutes remaining in practice, Mears took to the famed speedway and drew a roar from the crowd when he instantly shot to 2nd on the speed chart. He would ultimately end up 4th when the session ended. Final practice saw more of the same from Mears and the GEICO Racing team, as they sat 18th at its conclusion.

Having set the IMS track qualifying record in 2004, Mears appeared confident as he calmly climbed into the #13 GEICO Camry and directed his car onto the racetrack for two laps of qualifying. Mears’ success was audible, as the crowd cheered loudly when he wheeled around the historic 2.5-mile speedway in just 49.444 seconds, at a rate of speed of 182.024 miles per hour, landing him on the provisional pole. Mears resided on the pole for 17 cars until his close friend Jimmie Johnson bumped him down to 2nd. When qualifying ended, Mears and the #13 GEICO Camry found themselves in the 11th position, their best qualifying effort of the 2011 season.

When raceday arrived, it was met with bright sunshine and blazing heat, which would take its toll on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field, as well as the fans in attendance. Mears’ brought a taste of home with him, as his father, Roger, a four-time off-road racing champion, would be his spotter on the frontstretch for the afternoon, while Jason Jarrett would cover the backstretch duties.

Starting 11th, Mears radioed in on lap three: “On the run down the straightaways I’m getting killed.” He would free-fall through the field and eventually land in 28th, but he rebounded quickly and by lap 27 he found himself in the 12th position.

Unfortunately, as cars got three wide on Lap 40, grass would fly up from the apron and attach itself to the grill of the #13 GEICO Camry, forcing Mears down pit road for an unscheduled green flag pit stop on Lap 41. As temperatures rose, it became necessary to clean the grass from the grill, causing Mears to fall back to 34th position.

Lap 49 saw David Reutimann take a hard hit into the wall, causing the caution flag to be displayed. Mears was in the 30th position and took advantage of the opportunity to visit pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. On lap 62, Mears radioed to Barker: “I’m still getting beat on the straights, but the car feels much better.” He cracked the Top 30 on lap 72 and entered the Top 25 on lap 78 when he moved into the 24th position.

A lap 94 caution once again allowed the Germain Racing pit crew the opportunity to continue working on the handling of the #13 GEICO Camry. After entering pit road in 30th, the GEICO crew turned Mears around quickly and returned him to the racing surface in the 25th position, netting five spots during his visit.

Mears and the #13 GEICO Camry climbed back into the Top 15 by lap 122, but as the race began to wind down Barker notified his driver that he would be five laps short on fuel, a dilemma facing much of the field. With just 27 laps remaining in the advertised distance, Mears brought his #13 GEICO Camry down pit road amid green flag conditions to take on the necessary fuel to ensure his completion of the race.

When the checkered flag was displayed late Sunday afternoon, Mears and the GEICO team recorded a 29th place finish in the Brickyard 400. Mears’ effort helped to widen the gap in the owner standings and Germain Racing now sits 43 points inside the coveted Top 35.

“This GEICO team has been working so hard and they gave me a good car today, but we struggled down the straightaways, which hurt us,” a sweaty Mears said after climbing from the #13 GEICO Camry. “What a great weekend though. We come out in practice and sit fourth and then we qualify 11th, so we’re obviously moving in the right direction. We’ve had a pretty good month when you think about how well we ran at Daytona and then we had a decent night at Kentucky. Our hard work is really paying off and I’m excited about moving forward.”

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Please visit the Casey Mears Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/caseymearsracing

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

2011 NSCS No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane/Wood Bros. Racing Ford (with driver Trevor Bayne) Pit Stop

Three times during the running of the race, the first coming after just six laps, Bayne had to make an unscheduled pit stop to have grass removed from the grille of his car or risk ruining the engine from overheating. But all three times, he and his Motorcraft/Quick Lane team were able to bounce back, and as the laps wound down, Bayne found himself running fourth.

Once again, he had to head to pit road – this time for fuel – and he wound up 30th at the finish. He said having to turn onto pit road with seven laps to go, when he was running just a few car lengths behind eventual race winner Paul Menard Jr., was a hard move to make.

Bayne went on to say that the earlier, unscheduled pit stops, were a bigger factor in the final result.

“We had a few times where we had to pit when we didn’t want to with grass getting kicked up into our grille a few times,” he said. “When you get back in the pack like that those things are going to happen.”

“We were just unfortunate to have it happen to us three times and have to pit so many times.”

Bayne had the misfortune of finding himself running just behind drivers who veered off into the grass, with the splitters of their cars clipping the grass and sending it blowing across the speedway to be picked up by oncoming cars.

But he and the team hung in there and had a strong run at the finish, even if the final result didn’t reflect it.

“It was a hard-fought day for a 30th-place finish,” Bayne said. “It doesn’t feel like that, but we learned a lot.

Team co-owner Eddie Wood said he’s confident that Bayne did gain a lot of knowledge about racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, one of the most demanding tracks in all of motorsports.

“This race was a learning experience, and we got through it,” Wood said. “We came here to run 160 laps, and that’s what we did.”

Wood also said that the team’s decision to stop under the green flag to clear grass from the grille was the right thing to do.

“There’s no need to take chances that early in a race, it doesn’t take but a couple of laps to burn an engine down.” he said.

Bayne and the Wood Brothers team will rejoin the Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway on the weekend of Aug. 21, where the No. 21 Ford Fusion will carry the colors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is the charity of choice for Ford’s Customer Service Division and its Motorcraft and Quick Lane brands.

- Wood Brothers Racing, Press Release