Team members look on as Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, speaks with the media during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Jan. 23 in Concord, N.C. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

DARIAN GRUBB, crew chief, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How do you feel starting 2012 with a new team? “It feels really good to be a part of Joe Gibbs Racing. The professionalism that they have is pretty impressive. It’s good to be a part of that. Yeah, we had a lot of turmoil at the end of the year last year — still came out all positive. Won the championship and won five races. Came out of there with my head held high and then went on to my next endeavors. I’m really looking forward to getting a new chapter started at Joe Gibbs Racing.”

Do you look at this as a new challenge? “I definitely do. I feel like I’ve checked a lot of things off the bucket list and now it’s time to go out there and just race for fun and try to win races and win championships. It’s a whole new endeavor and a lot of new people and a lot of new faces to learn and learn how to deal with and how to talk to them. I’m really looking forward to that.”

How different are Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Hass Racing in their operations? “It’s very similar. The work that everybody does in the Cup Series is very even across the field. The competition level is so high. It’s hard for anybody to really be that far behind and these guys are definitely on top of their game when it comes to the technology side of things, the engineering, support they have from Toyota. I’m really looking forward to learning all those different people and the different aspects of the sport and try to make the 11 FedEx team stronger.”

How much confidence do you bring to the team coming off your 2011 championship? “It’s really exciting for me just because coming in talking to the guys in the shop you can tell there’s just the attitude there that they just felt like they were beat down because they had such a bad year in 2011 and now there’s just a breath of fresh air. They know that I was lucky enough to go out there and win that championship. They all want a piece of that. They know how close they were and everybody just realizes now it’s all about just having fun, working in one direction so we’re all going out there trying to win races and put ourselves in the Chase with a chance to go for that championship.”

What have you learned about Denny Hamlin? “He’s (Denny Hamlin) a really good character. He’s a fun guy. He likes to joke with the guys and carry on and that’s a big part of it. We want to have Denny included in the team and make sure he’s one of the guys that’s leading the team. He has to be a leader and make sure all those guys are following him. He’s the guy that everybody shows up to work for every morning and as long as he’s connected to us we’ll be working our hardest for him.”

Is your experience an advantage for you and your new team? “I definitely think so. Working with Chad Knaus (crew chief, No. 48) and the Hendrick Motorsports group was a great learning experience for me. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some of the greats all the way through even back to my first days in Cup with Dale Inman at Petty Enterprises — just went into the Hall of Fame — so there’s guys like that that I have learned a lot of lessons from. I hope to take all those things and put them to my best use.”

What are your thoughts on moving from Chevrolet to a Toyota team? “It’s definitely different. It’s a different mentality about the way they approach the race cars and the race track, the data and what they do with it. But then again, everything this year is different because of the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) introduction for NASCAR. There’s a lot of new things. There’s a lot of new technology and we’re all kind of growing with that as well. I haven’t seen anything that’s a weak link. We’re looking forward to going out there and hitting the race track.”

How is the communication among your team and with Toyota? “They work together really well there at Joe Gibbs Racing with the Toyota development program and TRD (Toyota Racing Development) engines and all those things. The communication level probably needs to be picked up a little bit because there was a lot of things new. I think most of that just comes from the fact that fuel injection (EFI) and all those things are being introduced this year and we’ve got a lot of new people, new faces that we’re trying to get introduced and make sure everybody is doing the right thing at the race track, so we’re looking forward to that and getting those relationships built.”

Is it an advantage to have one full-time Toyota team to work with in Michael Waltrip Racing? “I think it’s a little easier because now we have the one team that we can go out there and lean on as far as technology. We know as long as we’re both going in one direction with TRD (Toyota Racing Development) that support is going to follow.”

DAVE ROGERS, crew chief, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How was Joe Gibbs able to bring these three crew chiefs together? “I think if you look back at Joe Gibbs’ (team owner) career, he’s been really good at that. He says he hires good people and let’s them do their job. I think he’s made a home run right now with putting Darian (Grubb, crew chief, No. 11), Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief, No. 20) and I together — I hope it does come across as magic. The people part is so big and our personalities just mesh. When you wake up in the morning and you enjoy going to work and work with the people you work with — that makes such a big difference. I think that bleeds throughout the entire company. I think right now all 400 employees at Joe Gibbs Racing see how excited Jason, Darian and I are to work with each other. Whether that’s magic or Joe and J.D. (Gibbs, president, JGR) doing their job — I don’t know — just excited to be part of it.”

Will the three JGR NSCS teams be more unified this year? “I think the best way to answer that is to look back at 2007, 2008 and 2009 on the Nationwide side. When I moved over to the Nationwide shop in 2006, there wasn’t a whole lot of win banners hanging on the wall. I’m not telling you that I went over there and hung a lot — I think the teamwork and the team chemistry between Jason (Ratcliff) and I being able to lead the group and get the entire Nationwide shop to go in one direction as one unified team — I think that’s what hung all those banners. Jason and I know that. We know that we were only a small part of it. It was really the direction that we provided and the guys back in the shop just slugging it out and making it happen. Jason and I know that if we provide that type of leadership that we have 400 of the best employees in the business sitting at Joe Gibbs Racing. We know they will respond and provide really good race cars and our drivers are all top notch — all three of them. I think Darian (Grubb) really respects the relationship that Jason and I had and I think he wants to be part of that. From all signs, he’s trying to be part of that. I think you’re going to see one unified team with three race cars every Sunday.”

Does having TRD (Toyota Racing Development) build engines this year allocate more resources for you? “The engine program has always been a separate entity from the crew chief’s perspective. Mark Cronquist (JGR engine builder) has always provided engines for us and now the engines are coming from Costa Mesa (Calif.). I think what it does do is gives us better resource allocation. Last year we were putting a lot of our resources into the engine basket — TRD (Toyota Racing Development) was putting a lot of their resources into the engine basket and we were getting redundancy. Now we’re able to eliminate some of that redundancy. We still have Mark Cronquist as an integral part of TRD so he’s providing that tribal knowledge that’s crucial. We’re going to better use our resources and hope we have a stronger product. We had our documented issues last year, but I’m a team player and I support our engine room. I wouldn’t have traded anything last year for nothing. We wish we didn’t have the failures, but that’s part of racing and I’ll take it. There are a lot of things in this sport that you wish didn’t happen.”

What can help to make the Toyota engines stronger? “I think the combination of Mark Cronquist working with TRD (Toyota Racing Development) — Mark is going out to Costa Mesa (Calif.) every week. He’s always out there working with their lead designer and there’s a lot of work going on between Joe Gibbs Racing and TRD. I think that combined effort will make the engines better. You have to look at the Toyota package — back before the gear rules when people could turn 10,000 or 10,500 RPM — Toyotas were the team to beat. Their package that they have designed is designed around a high rev limit and no gear rule. When NASCAR implemented the gear rule, in some regards to that, has out-dated the Toyota motor. It’s nothing that Toyota has done wrong, it’s nothing that Joe Gibbs has done wrong — it’s just what it is. I know that the Toyota folks are working on some stuff to produce a better motor that works in the 9200 RPM range that we operate in today. Over the course of the next couple years, we would like to see NASCAR make some rule changes to open that box a little bit. We’re not going to use that as an excuse. We’re going to demand that TRD and Mark Cronquist and all of our guys put their heads together to produce as much horsepower with the given rules as possible. We’ll take that to the race track and try to win races.”

How do you feel about Kyle entering the 2012 season running less NNS and NCWTS races? “Each year Kyle (Busch) gets older and older and he gets more mature and more dedicated. I think he re-dedicates himself every off-season and he’s made some personal decisions this year to free up more time for him to focus on the Cup program and help us get to where we want to be. I think he’s doing a good job of it. I think cutting out some of the Nationwide races and taking a step back — he’s done some other things at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports) to hire some really good people. I know Mike Beam (crew chief, No. 54 NNS) is over there now. Rick Ren (general manager, KBM) is still working hard. He’s hired some really good people that can give that company direction with a little less involvement from him. The less time he has to spend at KBM working on that deal, the more time he has for Joe Gibbs Racing and the 18 and I think that is going to add up at the end of the year.”

Will you get less feedback from Kyle not running as many NNS races? “I think there’s pluses and minuses — there’s days where we’ve gotten really good feedback and there’s days — Bristol comes to mind. Right before the Bristol race we made some radical setup changes to our car based on how the Nationwide Series race went and the track didn’t go through the same transition in the Cup Series as it did in Nationwide. We felt like we dialed ourselves out. There’s other times where it’s played to our favor and we’ve seen other track transitions — made adjustments accordingly and it worked for us. I think if you look at it — Carl Edwards is backing off, Kyle’s (Busch) backing off, Jimmie Johnson hasn’t done it — those are the guys you are going to have to race against. Denny Hamlin hasn’t done it. They’re all freeing up their schedule for a reason. It’s not because it’s a competitive disadvantage. That’s the way I look at it. There’s never a win-win — there’s always a compromise. I do think Kyle will have more time to just relax and spend some time with Sam (Samantha Busch, wife) and freshen up a little bit. That is going to help us out.”

Have you seen any changes in Kyle from the end of last season? “He’s (Kyle Busch) the same old Kyle. Our fans are going to see the same aggressive driver. I think it would be terrible for our sport if Kyle changed all together. There’s some things we all love about him. Some boo, some cheer, but everyone loves the fact that he gets out of the car and does his bow. That’s Kyle Busch and that makes NASCAR, NASCAR. He’s matured — he’s definitely matured. We talked about it and each year he’s done a little bit of growing up. Last year, we were talking about his wedding. This year, we can talk about the end of the season. All of us were young kids at some point. All of us made mistakes. Hopefully, most of us learned. Kyle’s a very intelligent person. He’s had a lot of consequences to deal with for his mistakes. He’s gone through a lot of remorse and I think in the end it’s going to make him a better person and he’s going to make better decisions based on it. We’re still going to have Rowdy Busch driving our race car and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

JASON RATCLIFF, crew chief, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Did you think you would have the opportunity to be a Cup Series crew chief? “You know, you set goals — and I was telling the guys when they brought me over — and you kind of have this motion picture that runs in your head. We play it out like we think it’s going to be and then you get to a point like this and you think, ‘Wow, that’s way better than what I had.’ This script is way better — I couldn’t have planned it this well. I think as humans, hopefully we all set goals and hopefully they’re somewhat intimidating. If they’re not, then we’re selling ourselves short. To think I would be in this series one day and have these kind of opportunities — sure I thought I was capable of doing that if the right opportunity came along. Did I think I would be with an organization like Joe Gibbs Racing and working with a great talent like Joey Logano, with Toyota and Home Depot and Dollar General and all these — working alongside guys like Kyle Busch? The opportunity that I’ve had with him over the last three or four years — to win championships and win races and set new records — it’s crazy. You set your goals high and you hope you can go out there and accomplish them. To really look back, it’s way bigger than what I could ever imagine. It’s a tremendous blessing across the board.”

How will it be working with Joey Logano this year? “A lot of times when you work with a new driver, it takes a couple of events just to get aware with what they like and get that communication going. I feel like stepping in here, I’ve worked with Joey (Logano) enough on the Nationwide side and I’ve known Joey for a long time. I know him well enough to know where I can build confidence with, obviously fast race cars. I kind of got a feel for what he wants and each driver’s different. Even though the setups are going to be very similar, I think I know enough about Joey to put that detail and he’s going to be able to go out there and be competitive from the beginning. I’m glad that we’ve had that opportunity over the years to work close enough together and communicate in a race-type situation that we can come out of the box running.”

How will the new crew chiefs at JGR help shape the team’s future? “I think just the relationship that I’ve had with Dave (Rogers, No. 18 crew chief) from our Nationwide days is hopefully going to be a plus. We were able to build a pretty strong Nationwide program. Dave and I started working together in 2006. So we’re like-minded in a lot of ways, but in a lot of ways we’re not. The thing that we learned was to really take advantage of a multi-car team. At that time we were two cars in the Nationwide Series and now we’re three teams. You have to find that compromise at the end of the day and you have to be willing to push each other and challenge each other. At the end of the day, sitting across the table and shake hands and say, ‘Yeah man, that’s a great idea, I’m going to give you a little on this one and take a little on that one.’ At the end of the day we’re going to go out there and try to beat each other and most importantly, we’re going to try to beat the other 40 cars out there. I think that relationship with Dave and I hopefully encourages Dave and encourages me to be back in the same building with him. Then for Darian (Grubb, No. 11 crew chief), I just think a new look — not that we don’t think outside the box on a daily basis, but a lot of times you can’t see the forest through the trees so to speak. Great ideas — brilliant crew chief in Dave Rogers and really this whole shop, Darian alluded to it earlier, our engineering program, the group we have is phenomenal. I’d put them up against anyone. They impress me quite often, usually daily which I don’t have an engineering background, so it doesn’t take a lot to impress me, but they do a phenomenal job. I’m so excited about working with that group. I’ve been working with a lot of those guys even on the Nationwide side. Darian brings in a different thought process, opens our minds to some different things. Maybe some things we overlooked or kind of set on the back burner and he opens that back up and we’re like, ‘Yeah.’ So, he’s spurring that thought process. Just sitting down with us over the last week and a half and really brainstorming about what you talked about. How do you make this program better? How do we get it back to where it was two or three years ago? These guys, when Denny (Hamlin) was out there winning seven, eight races and battling for championships. That’s what we’re pulling for. The whole Joe Gibbs (Racing) organization, 400-plus employees in the Cup shop and 60-something employees in the Nationwide division — it’s a great group of people and one thing I can say about them is they all really work close together. They challenge each other and they make it a point and you’re extremely aware of the compromise it takes to work with that many teams. At the end of the day, we encourage each other and challenge each other.”

What do you think you have to offer to Joey Logano this season? “I think it’s really simple. I don’t think it’s much different than it would be for any of us, especially at that age. There’s no substitute for experience, obviously. The thing that I would be thinking if I was in his (Joey Logano) shoes would be, ‘Can I do this? What am I missing? What do I need to do as a driver?’ I think that a lot of those pressures have been put on him that weren’t really his problems. I think building some confidence is going to be a big deal and I think I can see that already going into some pre-season meetings. He’s excited about opportunities. Really, it’s not so much good team, bad team, doing things right, doing things wrong — sometimes it’s just taking a different approach. Sometimes it’s just painting a different picture. Hopefully that’s what I can do is just paint a different picture and look at things from a different perspective and really build a team for Joey. There was a successful team that Joey stepped into years ago, that had won championships and won races and done all the things that you could want to do in this sport. Even though it was a great race team, sometimes when those things are not built around you that chemistry may or may not be there. It’s too early to tell that. My focus is making sure all that we do — even though the guys are the same on this No. 20 team — is really making it about Joey and trying to craft it and mold it to fit him and to build the chemistry we need.”

Source: Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Sports Clips Haircuts

“We are excited to continue our growth and partnership with Joe Gibbs Racing for the upcoming 2012 season,” said Gordon Logan, founder and CEO of Sport Clips. “The sport has allowed us to build brand presence with broad exposure among the large and very loyal NASCAR fan base. We are proud to have both Denny and Joey continue to represent us in such a positive manner while they are running up front. Darlington will be a special weekend for Sport Clips, as we will partner with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in the title sponsorship of the Nationwide Series race Friday night and will be on board with Denny in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races.”

This is the fourth year Sport Clips has been a sponsor with JGR and the eight total races (seven Nationwide and one Cup) is the most the organization has ever sponsored in a single season.

“It is always a thrill to have a sponsor come on board and fully realize how the program can benefit their business and marketing efforts,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. “Sport Clips has been a great partner and we want to continue to deliver the type of success they have grown accustomed to over the past three years.”

In addition to the Darlington Sprint Cup Series race, Sport Clips will appear on JGR’s No. 18 and No. 20 Nationwide Series Toyota a total of seven times in 2012 with drivers Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. The schedule of Nationwide races is as follows:

DATE RACE CAR # DRIVER

April 13 Texas No. 18 Denny Hamlin

May 11 Darlington* No. 18 Denny Hamlin

May 26 Charlotte No. 18 Denny Hamlin

July 6 Daytona No. 20 Joey Logano

July 28 Indianapolis No. 18 Denny Hamlin

Sept. 7 Richmond No. 20 Denny Hamlin

Sept. 29 Dover No. 20 Joey Logano

*Also the Nationwide Series Race Sponsor (Events are subject to change.)

About Sport Clips:

Sport Clips is headquartered in Georgetown, Texas and was established in 1995 by founder and CEO Gordon Logan. The franchise ranks in Entrepreneur Magazine’s top 20 “fastest growing franchises” and in the top 100 in the “Franchise 500”, in the top 10 in Forbes’ “Top 20 Franchises To Start”, and in the top 50 in Dun & Bradstreet’s AllBusiness.com “2012 AllBusiness AllStars”. Sport Clips is the “Official Haircutter” of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and offers veterans preferential pricing on haircuts and franchises. Our “Help a Hero” program has donated more than three-quarters of a million dollars to help soldiers overseas and in hospitals call home through the VFW’s Operation Uplink. Sport Clips is a proud sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing’s NASCAR drivers, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, and holds partnerships with several NCAA programs, and teams in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Hockey League (NHL). To learn about franchise opportunities click here, and for locations throughout the United States, visit SportClips.com. For media resources and additional information on Sport Clips, visit SportClipsMedia.com.

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell, Drew Herring, and Ryan Truex.. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program and he will compete in the 2012 K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Lucas, who has spent the past two seasons as the race engineer for the No. 18 team, replaces Jason Ratcliff, who was named crew chief for JGR’s No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team last month. Lucas’ background in racing is deep with extensive experience as an engineer and mechanic in NASCAR as well as CART and IndyCar racing.

“Matt has done a great job for us the past two years and he will provide the team continuity going into next season,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He has a close relationship with Jason (Ratcliff) that will also be beneficial as he fills that role. We are fortunate to have people here at JGR like Matt that allow us the opportunity to promote from within. That team has been one of the best in the Nationwide Series over the past several years and we look forward to Matt continuing to build upon that success.”

Prior to joining Joe Gibbs Racing at the start of the 2010 season as race engineer for the No. 18 Nationwide Series team, Lucas spent four seasons with Roush Fenway Racing as a Nationwide Series engineer. As a member of the No. 60 team from 2006-2008, he would help lead Carl Edwards to the 2007 Nationwide Series Championship. In 2009 he worked with the No. 98 car driven by Paul Menard.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead our No. 18 team going into next season,” said Lucas. “We have a tremendous group of guys on this team and throughout our Nationwide shop and we plan to continue to deliver the type of success our sponsors expect and deserve.”

Lucas spent five seasons as a race engineer with Penske Racing prior to joining Roush Fenway. In addition, he has extensive experience in racing as a mechanic having worked with A.J. Foyt Racing in IndyCar and Dan Gurney’s All-American Racers in CART.

He is a graduate of Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio and currently lives in Mooresville, N.C.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell and Mark Martin. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program and he will compete in the 2012 K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

“We’ve always hoped to have the opportunity for Mark to drive for us and to have him behind the wheel of our Interstate Batteries Toyota for the Nationwide race in Vegas is exciting,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He is a great example to all drivers of the dedication it takes to be successful and certainly we’re honored to have him part of our efforts in 2012.”

While Martin is only currently scheduled to race in Las Vegas for JGR, the team is still working on opportunities for the veteran driver to secure additional races.

Martin currently has 49 career victories in 235 Nationwide Series starts, Martin has amassed 111 top-five and 151 top-ten finishes, while leading 8,093 laps. His most recent victory came just last season when he piloted the No. 32 car to victory lane in Las Vegas. He had four total starts in 2011, with the one victory and three top-ten finishes.

“This is exciting,” said Martin. “No organization has been better in the Nationwide Series over the past three or four seasons and to have the chance to get behind the wheel of a Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide car will be a thrill. Maybe I can pick up a few more races and try to catch Kyle to get my record back again.”

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell, Drew Herring, and Ryan Truex.. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program and he will compete in the 2012 K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Atlanta Motor Speedway Preview

Great Clips 300

September 3, 2011

TV: ESPN2 at 7:30 PM ET

Radio: PRN at 7:00 PM ET

No. 20 Notes of Interest

-Saturday marks Truex’s first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a NASCAR series, and his 11th start in the Nationwide Series in 2011.

-Schick Xtreme3 came aboard to sponsor the No. 20 in Atlanta and will have the Get Fresh Mobile Tour set up in the sponsor area outside the Speedway on Friday and Saturday. Fans can try out the Xtreme3 Fitstyle Refresh razor, win great prizes and get autographs from Ryan and his brother, Martin Truex Jr. To learn more visit: https://www.facebook.com/schickxtreme3

-Truex will also be behind the wheel of the No. 20 in Richmond, Chicago, Dover, Kansas and Phoenix. While sponsorship for a portion of the six-race schedule was announced, opportunities for partnership still exist.

Ryan Truex on Racing in Atlanta

“From what I’ve heard and seen, Atlanta is a very fast track and I expect it to be hot and slick, so it will all come down to having a good car. Adam (Stevens) and I have been talking a lot and preparing for this weekend. We plan to go into practice and the race with no expectations. My goal is to finish the race with the car in one piece and hopefully have a great finish.”

No. 20 Crew Chief, Adam Stevens, on Racing with Ryan Truex at Atlanta

“Ryan and I have spent quite a lot of time together the past few weeks. I can say with confidence he is focused and ready to get in the car. Atlanta is going to be quite a test for our first race together. He has never driven there and the NNS series has never raced the new car there. Atlanta is extremely fast and has very little grip due to the old surface. It is the most difficult 1.5 mile track to prepare for because it is truly one of a kind. I’m excited to get to the track and see what we can do.”

J.D. Gibbs on Ryan Truex Joining JGR

“We’re thrilled to bring Ryan into our Nationwide Series program. His family has a great history in our sport and he has really proven himself with the opportunities he has had thus far in his young career. When you look at what he’s already achieved in the K&N Series and with the opportunities he has already had in Nationwide, we’re looking forward to him accomplishing great things for our team.”

Ryan Truex on Joining Joe Gibbs Racing

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to compete with Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide Series. I appreciate the support from Joe, J.D. and the rest of the JGR organization. I can’t wait to strap into the No. 20 Toyota Camry. I’d like to thank Michael Waltrip Racing for their support over the past few years, without them, I wouldn’t be in this position as a driver. It goes without saying that my dad, my brother and many others have supported me throughout my career and I’d like to thank all of them as well.”

Follow Ryan Truex on Twitter! Twitter.com/RTruex00

Follow Ryan Truex on Facebook! Facebook.com/RyanTruex

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Herring will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series races in Nashville and ORP on July 23 and 30 respectively. Sport Clips Haircuts will sponsor both races with Herring driving the No. 18 Toyota in Nashville as that team continues its quest to capture a third-straight Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship. He will move over to the No. 20 Toyota for the race at ORP.

“Drew is exactly the type of young, talented driver we like to provide opportunities to in our Nationwide Series program,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He did an outstanding job for us in Iowa and we look forward to having him compete for us in Nashville and ORP. Hopefully with the right partner we can expand on the number of opportunities Drew will have with us this season and beyond.”

Herring, 24, has made five career starts now in the NASCAR Nationwide Series including an earlier start for JGR this season in Iowa in which he led 39 laps and battled amongst the leaders for much of the race before going on to finish 12th.. His four additional outings came last season.

“We had the opportunity to work with Drew earlier this season in Iowa and we are excited to sponsor these two additional races with him,” said Gordon Logan, CEO and Founder of Sport Clips. “He is a great representative of Sport Clips, the type of talented young driver we seek to partner with. We’re looking forward to seeing Drew up front in the Sport Clips Toyota at Nashville and ORP.”

Herring is a native of Benson, NC and is currently completing his degree in mechanical engineering at NC State University.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell, Drew Herring and Kelly Bires. JGR also boasts Max Gresham in the K&N Pro Series East and Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

Hamlin led the final eight laps (of 200) in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 11 FedEx Office Camry to earn the third Camry victory in 2011 and the 36th win for Toyota since joining the series in 2007.

The 30-year-old Chesterfield, Va., native was also victorious last June at the two-mile oval. JGR teammate Kyle Busch recorded a third-place result, leading three times for 59 laps in the No. 18 Snickers Camry.

Camry driver Brian Vickers also earned a top-10 result in the 400-mile event with a 10th-place finish.

Other Toyota drivers in the field included Joey Logano (18th), Bobby Labonte (22nd), Martin Truex Jr. (26th), Kasey Kahne (28th), David Reutimann (35th), Casey Mears (38th), Joe Nemechek (40th) and Michael McDowell (43rd).

Busch is now fourth in the unofficial NSCS point standings following Michigan while Hamlin moved up three spots into ninth in the standings.

Other Toyota drivers in the top-25 in the unofficial point standings after 15 of 36 races include Kahne (19th), Truex (20th), Logano (23rd) and Vickers (24th).

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 1st

What is the importance of today’s win for your season? “We finished — that’s the thing. We got it done. Happy for all this team. They all got sons or daughters and everything, so it’s a big Father’s Day for all them and my dad, Dennis. He paved the way for me to get here, so I can’t thank them enough and all the fathers out there. Can’t thank this whole FedEx team enough, everyone at FedEx, all the employees. Glad to get the win for all of them. Just got to thank them, Toyota, Sprint, Coke, Gillette, Wiley X, the fans — it’s been an amazing fan base here in Michigan — everyone from Nike and the Jordan brand, I can’t thank them enough.”

Are you getting hot a bit later than usual in 2011? “I think everyone knows that we’ve been strong and today we didn’t look as strong as what we normally do here, but we got it working there at the end. We made a magic adjustment and just the car took off. This is the point in the season where we really need to start hitting our stride and hopefully we got another good 10 weeks before the Chase starts.”

Did things come together for you after struggling midway through the race? “Yeah they did. Mike (Ford, crew chief) just kept working on this car. At times we had a 10th place car and at times we had the best car. We just didn’t get it all put together until right there at the end. I just can’t thank this whole team enough. Awesome pit stops — they are the ones that got me out in front on that last restart and that’s what we needed to win.”

Who made the decision to come to pit road with only a few laps left? “You try to base your strategy off of everyone else, but everyone’s going to do it the opposite of you. It’s a tough position to be in, but for us we knew two tires — a lot of guys were going to take two tires so we had to be the first one off of pit road with them.”

How difficult has it been to stay patient and keep your focus this season? “It’s so tough because you know you belong in the top-10 and you deserve to have a Chase spot, but the results don’t show for it. So, for us, it’s good to kind of get over this hump, get our first win of the season and hopefully it’s the first of many.”

Do you think about your point’s position at this point in the season? “You have to. If you’re not points racing at this point you’re not paying attention to the obvious, because with this new format you either got to win or you’ve got to be inside that top-10.”

MIKE FORD, crew chief, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How were you able to get the 11 into victory lane today? “We showed up to Michigan and started off kind of grim, but we made sure we put everything (from last week) behind us and didn’t let things affect us. This group did an awesome job. Pit stops today were incredible — that’s what won us the race. I can’t say enough about this team. Even the start of the race we were off — we were a half second off and once we got some track position we kept tightening the car up and it just came around. Denny (Hamlin) did a good job. His car wasn’t that good at the end either so he did a really good job. I can’t say enough. It’s a big win for us.”

J.D. GIBBS, team president, Joe Gibbs Racing

How encouraging is it for the 11 to earn a win today? “It was real encouraging. The way the day played out, kind of struggled at the start, worked hard, it paid off at the end. Overall, the 11 (Denny Hamlin) car, each year that it’s been in existence, has been a strong-performing car. You kind of start the year off not as quickly and successfully as we would like. To watch them kind of come together and lift each other up, be a team, that was kind of for me I get a lot of satisfaction watching those guys rally around each other and look for some great momentum for the rest of the year.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Snickers Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your day today after feeling sick early in the race? “It started out a little bit rough, but I had a great car, man. I can’t thank these guys enough and Joe Gibbs Racing. They brought me a great piece today. This Snickers Camry was fun to drive, man. It was fast. We led much of the race and had a great time out there. If it would’ve went green the rest of the way we may have had a shot at winning the thing, but had a couple of cautions and it caught Denny (Hamlin) up and caught the rest of the guys up. It was a great race — good racing there and I can’t say congrats enough to the 11 team (Hamlin). They did a great job. They’ve helped us a ton this year and I think we helped them a little bit this weekend. They did a great job at being able to execute and being in the right place at the right time and get the job done today. Overall, wish we would’ve had a one-two, but close enough.”

Would you have preferred to go green at the end of the race? “Yeah, I wish we would’ve, but it doesn’t always happen that way. No big deal. We missed out on one today, but we felt like we had a great race car. It’s the best I’ve ever run here at Michigan so I can’t complain. These guys did a great job, gave me a great piece and had a lot of fun so it was cool to race around there and finding different lanes that your car would work in and be able to race the race track.”

Did you think you had a car that could compete for a race win on the final restart? “We were pretty fast. We just got a good restart and got by a couple of guys right away and then we could run with the 11 (Denny Hamlin) and the 17 (Matt Kenseth), but it would take you about 40 laps in order to work them over. Our car — everybody was so equal for so long that it seemed like ours would prevail about a half a tenth a lap the last 10 laps before pit stops. That’s very, very small and it would just take us that long to get up to the front and pass those guys.”

Did you get bunched up on the final restart? “The second to last one we did. I got out a little bit in front of Matt (Kenseth). I didn’t spin my tires. I accelerated pretty good. I think Matt spun his tires, so I didn’t want to beat him to the line by too much and as soon as I slowed up to not beat him the herd was coming. So, I just had to wait it out and play it out. It wasn’t going to be a great day with that, but we turned it into a pretty good one. We got two tires there on that last restart. We had a good one and drove back up through there. Can’t say enough about Dave Rogers (crew chief) and these guys on this Snickers M&M’s team. They did a great job for me this weekend. And the 11 team (Denny Hamlin) really, really helped us last week. I feel like we helped the 11 a little bit this week and it just goes to show we’re doing something right and we’re able to share information, which is good. Again, proud of the 11 and great to see him in victory lane and beating out the 17 (Kenseth).”

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Finishing Position: 10th

How was your race? “The race was long. We lost the track there a little bit at the beginning — the third run we got too loose and we didn’t keep up with the race track as it freed up. Then, when we pitted and that caution came out we beat the 18 (Kyle Busch) to the line and per the rule we were supposed to go back around the field before everybody pitted, which we would’ve been able to pit with the leaders, fuel the car and race with the leaders like we were supposed to. But, NASCAR didn’t let us go back around. I don’t understand. I want some clarification on that because they even admitted that we beat them to the line which says we should’ve had to go around before the pit stops. That pretty much screwed us the rest of the race. We were racing at the back of the field, trying to get track position again when we should’ve been racing the leaders.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 18th

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 RainEater/Advance Auto Parts Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Finishing Position: 22nd

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Finishing Position: 26th

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Finishing Position: 28th

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Finishing Position: 35th

What happened to your race car in today’s race? “I’m not really sure what happened to our Aaron’s Dream Machine today. We had an issue where the engine was cutting out at the end of the straightaway. We took it in and got it fixed, but it made for a very frustrating day. We were looking at a top-15 finish and ended up 35th. That’s not the kind of day that we were hoping for. The team did a good job of getting us back out to pick up as many sports as we could, but we were expecting a better finish today. We’ll just have to try again next week.”

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Finishing Position: 38th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Finishing Position: 40th

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 66 HP Racing LLC Toyota Camry, PRISM Motorsports Finishing Position: 43rd

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

No. 18 Z-Line Toyota Camry (Kyle Busch) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

The driver of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry for JGR won 10 races in 2008, nine in 2009 and a series-record 13 in 2010. He also helped JGR to Nationwide Series owner titles in 2008, 2009 and 2010, while winning the driver championship in 2009.

Busch has continued his domination in 2011 with no sign of letting up. Last month at Phoenix International Raceway, Busch started from the pole and led all 200 laps en route to victory. He backed that up last week by winning at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, where he led his 10,000th lap in Nationwide Series competition.

All this comes despite a few changes to the car Busch drives and the crew he works with.

Busch and crew chief Jason Ratcliff have spent much of the first four races of 2011 figuring out the characteristics of the new-style Nationwide Series car, which is being used in all races in 2011 after being used four times last year – in July at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, in August at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, in September at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, and in October at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

The new car includes a wider and taller cockpit, a longer wheelbase and a new front section.

While Busch and Ratcliff have quickly begun to master the new car, they’ve done so with some new faces to the Z-Line Designs team.

Longtime car chief Leo Thorson wanted to come off the road at the end of the 2010 season and was moved into the JGR engine shop. He was replaced by former Red Bull Racing employee Charlie Brock, while Todd Brewer joined the No. 18 team after a year working with the No. 20 JGR Sprint Cup crew. Jason Clements, who had been the tire specialist on the Z-Line Designs team, moved to a mechanic position, and the tire specialist role was given to Matt Sauer, who had previously worked for Eddie D’Hondt Motorsports, which is owned by Busch’s spotter, Eddie D’Hondt.

Despite the changes, the success has remained the same and Busch and Ratcliff have their eye on one of the few records they don’t already own. Legendary Mark Martin holds the Nationwide Series record for most career wins with 49 trips to victory lane. Busch trails him by just four races as his win at Bristol was the 45th of his career.

Martin isn’t making it easy, however, as he returned to Nationwide Series competition in 2011 after competing in only one race in 2009 (Richmond in May) and no races in 2010.

The layoff certainly didn’t hurt one of the most respected drivers in the garage as he won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway three weeks ago in his first race in nearly 21 months. He is scheduled to drive in three more Nationwide Series events in 2011, which means a friendly competition for the all-time wins record seems very likely.

Interestingly enough, one of those three remaining races is this week’s Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. And considering either Busch or Martin has won the last three Nationwide Series events, there is no reason to think they won’t be in contention at the 2-mile oval.

Busch has won four of the last five Nationwide Series races at Fontana and is hoping to make it five out of six while also continuing to inch closer to Martin’s all-time win record.

In addition to primary sponsor Z-Line Designs, the San Ramon, Calif.-based designer and import manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture, Busch’s racecar this week will also feature Fry’s Electronics. Fry’s, which has 34 stores nationwide, was founded in 1985 in Sunnyvale, Calif., and provides a one-stop-shopping environment for the high-tech professional.

Kyle Busch - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Is the Nationwide Series win record something you are focused on earning?

“No, it’s not a big deal to me to be able to do that. I think it will be once it happens – if it happens. Mark (Martin) and I, we have a little fun on the side, egging each other on a little bit. I talked to him before the race in Vegas and I sent him a text after the race, congratulating him on his win, and said thanks for making it one more. He said, ‘Time is evident.’ It’s on my side, not his side. It’s cool to have that, but I didn’t think about it until I was in victory lane last week at Bristol talking about the pioneers of this sport with Sam Ard and (Tommy) Houston and those guys and then I mentioned Mark Martin’s name and that reminded me of the win battle that we’ve got going on.”

How does it feel to have led more than 10,000 laps in the series?

“It’s big, especially when you’re able to break any kind of series record with the likes of Sam Ard and all the guys who made this series what it is. Kevin Harvick in his heyday, when he was really good – just a couple years ago. Of course, Mark Martin in his time and all the guys – (Larry) Pearson and (Tommy) Houston and all those boys. It’s pretty cool to be able to have led 10,000 laps and to accomplish it during a race we won.”

Why are you so much better than other drivers in this series?

“Good question. I don’t know. I wish there were more opportunities for this on Sunday, really. I think it’s got a lot to do with the guys and Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and what kind of product they bring to the racetrack. There’s a lot to be said about what happens at the shop and that’s a true testament to Joe Gibbs Racing. I’m familiar with that now with Kyle Busch Motorsports and what we do over there. I know what these guys go through and what kind of stuff they do on a daily – let alone weekly – basis in order to keep these cars competitive week in and week out.

It’s like J.D. (Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing) says, ‘If we’re not competitive and we’re not winning races, then we’re not going to be here very long.’ I feel like these guys thrive on success and getting to victory lane. I give all the credit to them, but I would say that, for some reason, the Nationwide cars just suit my style perfectly. I don’t know what it is. I’ve always been really good in the Nationwide cars ever since I started. In my first race, I finished second and I’ve had a lot of great success over the years with Hendrick Motorsports and NEMCO Motorsports and, now, with Joe Gibbs Racing. All in all, it’s fun.”

Jason Ratcliff, Crew Chief of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs / Fry’s Electronics NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota Camry:

What are your thoughts heading into Fontana?

“I felt like we were pretty good at Las Vegas, so I’m hoping we can take that to California. We’ve made some adjustments in the last couple weeks since Vegas and, hopefully, we’ll be a little bit better at California. We’ve had a lot of good runs out there and brought home a lot of trophies. It’s going to be a lot different with the new car, just like the last four races have been compared to years past. I feel good about it, though. I think we’re getting on a roll with the car and getting to a point where we really understand it. We’re learning how to adjust on it and what it takes to go fast and what it takes to make the driver happy, so I feel good about it.”

Kyle led his 10,000th lap in the Nationwide Series and is closing in on Mark Martin’s all-time win record. How important is it for you to be a part of those records?

“It’s obviously important, but for me, I look at it from standpoint of, you set records and somebody breaks them. Somebody sets another record and someone breaks that record. Just to have the opportunity to go out and get close to those types of records and be a part of that is just incredible. I’m able to do something and be part of a group and work with drivers who are doing things that may stand for a long time, if not forever. There’s only one guy who’s going to get that opportunity and, for that guy to be me, I’ve got to pinch myself every once in a while. I think, ‘How did I get here and what did I do to deserve these blessings?’ So, yeah, it’s important. But, for me, it’s just the opportunity because a lot of guys don’t get an opportunity like this. To be able to get close to a guy like Mark Martin is just incredible. I know it’s important to Kyle because Mark’s obviously one of the best there has ever been.

It’s fun. It seems like every year, for the last two or three years, there has been some type of record. In 2008, Kyle shows up and we’re still trying to build a program and it’s, ‘Hey, let’s go out and win a few races.’ And then we go out and tie Sam Ard’s win record. Then you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing.’ Then, in 2009, it’s, ‘Let’s go out and win a driver championship.’ OK, we got that done. In 2010, it’s, ‘Let’s go for an owner title.’ In the process of that, we break Sam Ard’s record. This year, we’re working with a guy who’s led 10,000 laps.

It’s just always something. Every week, someone brings up a record and I’m, like, ‘I didn’t even know we were close to that.’ It was very interesting to see Mark when he ran at Las Vegas. He’s run about one race in the last two years and Kyle’s closing in on him and Mark goes out and tacks one more on. I thought that was pretty funny. That’s really neat. It makes it that much more special that you’re hunting a guy who’s still putting them on the board. It’s not like he’s laying down. So it’s a lot of fun. For me, like I said, just having the opportunity is an extreme blessing.”

With the new car and some new team members, are you happy with the way this year has started out?

“I really am happy. There are a lot of talented people in this sport. But you’ve got to put together a group of talented people who can work together. That was one of my biggest goals. When Leo (Thorson, former car chief) said, ‘Hey, I want to get off the road,’ – and I knew that was going to happen – I thought, ‘How can I position this team so that if something like this happens again, we can continue to bring guys up and put them in that position?’ I couldn’t do that last year.

But it worked out really well. I came across three guys (Charlie Brock, Matt Sauer and Todd Brewer) who just have come together right away and have a lot of respect for each other. It’s like they’ve been working with us for five years. I’m thrilled. To be able to go through four races and win two with some new guys is great. They have good camaraderie and respect for each other. I was concerned about it. Anytime you change that many people, it doesn’t matter what the talent level is, sometimes you get some personalities that won’t work together and we haven’t see that at all.”

Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Z-Line Designs / Fry’s Electronics Toyota Camry

Chassis No. 18-120: This is a brand new car that has not been on-track previously.

About Z-Line Designs

Based in San Ramon, Calif., Z-Line Designs is an award winning design manufacturer and leading import manufacturer of home office, home entertainment, seating, garage storage systems and home décor ready to assemble (RTA) furniture. In addition, the company also specializes in consumer electronic accessories, flat panel television wall furniture and mounts. Each product is manufactured to the highest industry standards and uses a range of materials from solid American oak, birch and maple to mixed media combinations of wood, metal and glass. Their products can be found at Staples, OfficeMax, Target, Sears, Walmart, Fry’s Electronics, Conn’s and other national retailers. Z-Line has had the honor to receive over 40 design awards and numerous distinguished industry awards. Z-Line Designs is a two-time 2008 and one-time 2007 CES Innovation Award Winner, a two-time winner of the Staples “Best Category Development” Award (2003 & 2005), a two-time winner of the Staples “Vendor of the Year” (2004 & 2009), a seven-time ADEX Award winner (1999, 2003-2007, 2009), a two-time Pinnacle Award winner (2002 & 2005) and a Houseware Design Award winner (2010).

About Fry’s Electronics

Fry’s Electronics, Inc. was founded in 1985 in Sunnyvale, Calif., in a 20,000 square-foot location by the three Fry brothers, John, Randy, and Dave; and Kathy Kolder. Fry’s is a closely-held private company, and all of the founders are actively involved in the daily operation of the business. Fry’s was founded as a Silicon Valley retail electronics store to provide a one-stop-shopping environment for the Hi-Tech Professional. Fry’s continues to keep hi-tech professionals supplied with products representing the latest technological trends and advances in the personal computer marketplace. Fry’s retails more than 50,000 electronic items within each store, now totaling 34. There are eight stores in northern California, nine stores in southern California, eight stores in Texas, two stores in Arizona, two stores in Georgia, and one store each in Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. The stores range in size from 50,000-180,000 square feet. Fry’s also provides customers with added shopping opportunities via its online center at Fry’s.com.

- True Speed Communication Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) will have shuttles running from the festivities at the track to JGR’s shop at 11:30 AM and 12:30 PM. In addition, fans are welcome to drive themselves to the team’s Huntersville headquarters.

In celebration of JGR’s 20^th Anniversary the team will offer fans 20% off non-sale items in their gift shop, which includes a new line of 20^th Anniversary apparel.

The 2011 GameStop showcar and trailer will be out front of the building which includes gaming stations with access to PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii games including Grand Turismo 3. In addition, the lobby will be open for self-guided tours with a large viewing area of the team’s shop floor. Fans will also have an opportunity to get an up close look at the team’s showcars, which will be on display in the lobby and watch JGR’s 2010 highlight video in the auditorium.

CMS will be hosting Charlotte SpeedFest from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Speedway with track tours, monster truck rides, live music, a petting zoo, and autograph sessions with NASCAR celebrities including Kyle Petty and David Pearson. Fans can log on to www.charlottemotorspeedway.com for more information.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program.  Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

Post-Race Notes & Quotes

Phoenix International Raceway –February 25, 2011

- Toyota driver Kyle Busch earned his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) victory in Friday
night’s 150-mile race at Phoenix International Raceway.

- The win also marked the Las Vegas-native’s 19th win in a Tundra and 25th in the NCWTS.

- The 25-year-old led the final 107 (of 150) laps en route to victory lane.

- Tundra driver Justin Johnson finished eighth in his series debut.

- Tundra drivers Timothy Peters (12th), Todd Bodine (14th), Max Papis (15th), Brendan Gaughan (17th), Johanna
Long (20th), Craig Goess (23rd), Mike Skinner (24th), Miguel Paludo (25th), Dusty Davis (26th), Justin Lofton
(30th), David Starr (34th) and Travis Kvapil (36th) were also in the field.

- Kyle Busch Motorsports currently leads the unofficial NCWTS owner point standings after two of 25 races.

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 1st

Can you savor this moment?

Kyle Busch takes the checkered flag to win the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway, his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory at the track - Photo Credit: Tom Pennington / Getty Images

But, Rick (Ren, general manager) and Eric (Phillips, crew chief) made some changes to this thing and really brought it to life. It was just phenomenal. It’s great fun to come out here and race with these guys. Congratulations to these guys, (Ron) Hornaday bringing home a good third-place, I know he’s downing for a good points. It’s cool to come out here and win in Phoenix. It’s kind of the west coast — I’m a west coast boy so this is neat for me.”

What are Kyle Busch Motorsports’ goals for 2011?

“The goals – I don’t know that we’ve set any goals, we just know that if we can go out and reach our potential every week that the results will come. The guys did a great job tonight on pit road. They were phenomenal there. They had some great pit stops. We had some different guys because we sent a couple guys to the Nationwide team at Joe Gibbs Racing. We’re a feeder team even though J.D. (Gibbs, president, Joe Gibbs Racing) doesn’t think we are, we’re still a feeder team for those guys. Its fun for us, we love coming out here with Kyle Busch Motorsports and winning like this. I want to say hey to my kids who are here from the Sunshine Acres Home (Mesa, Arizona) through the Kyle Busch Foundation. We had about 50 of them here tonight. It was cool to get those guys tickets, thanks to the raceway for that.”

What role did your pit crew play in tonights win?

“They’re phenomenal. They’ve done a great job. No matter how much J.D. (Gibbs, president, Joe Gibbs Racing) doesn’t
like to say this is a feeder team for his stuff, it is. A couple of our guys left and went over there. They didn’t leave — we sent them over there as kind of a build up. It’s really cool to have the guys we brought in here, we taught them a little bit and we’re getting the same results. To have new kids come in here and learn, that’s what the Truck Series is all about. We’re helping everybody – we’ve had a blast and of course I can’t say enough about these guys. They did a great job for me and hopefully we can keep these results coming.”

ERIC PHILLIPS, Crew Chief, No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Did you spend time during the offseason preparing for short track racing like tonight’s race?

“After we were here last fall, I think we beat Kevin (Harvick) one short track race last year, or Kevin’s group – the 2 and 33 (Ron Hornaday) trucks. We felt like we needed to work hard on the short track program over the winter. So, we went to work after we got back from Homestead and built this new truck. We focused hard on all the details, making it light, low – all the things you do on short track trucks. The guys did an awesome job building. I was really excited there a few weeks ago when we got it finished. From the day we put it on the plate to set it up, it’s just one of those trucks where everything fits and goes together the way you want so it makes you happy that they did their job. When we unloaded today it was really fast right out of the truck. It’s just a compliment to them and their hard work.”

JUSTIN JOHNSON, No. 51 Vision Airlines / Wounded Warrior Toyota Tundra, Vision Aviation Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

How was your first NCWTS race?

“We unloaded pretty good race trim wise. We worked on it a little bit in practice and got up to about ninth in practice then we worked on the qualifying trim a little bit. We weren’t quite there up to par with what everybody else was when they did their mock qualifying runs. All in all, I think my guys on the Wounded Warriors Toyota Tundra ran great. The whole race we were just fighting a little bit of snug in the center of the corner. I think if we could have gotten some clean laps with no trucks in front of us towards the end, we would have been able to get up to the front and we were just losing the nose behind those trucks.”

Did you get any help from any of your competitors for your first race?

“Todd Bodine, Brendan Gaughan, Matt Crafton – all the fast guys and also not only those guys but I have a lot of guys on
my team who have actually run in the trucks before. They’ve been helping me a lot during the offseason getting me ready
for this.”

Are you excited to go to Darlington Raceway next?

“You can’t imagine the excitement I’m feeling. I didn’t win but I feel like a win because I’m trying to get qualified this
year so I can run Daytona next year and run Talladega towards the end of this year. Every race, finishing good and
bringing the fenders home in one piece, it means a lot to me and my Vision Airlines Toyota Tundra team.”

TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 GearWrench Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing

Finishing Position: 12th

How was your race?

“We had a decent truck all night long. Our GearWrench Tundra was a little snug, but they got me right in the pits. Those
guys do a great job in the pits. I just put us in a bad position. The hole was open, and I went down, and it closed up pretty quick, and we spun out. It’s not what we wanted, but we had a good truck and we finished 12th, in one piece. We’ll go to Darlington and maybe make up for it there. As far as I’m concerned, I got my worst track out of the way until we get to Loudon.”

TODD BODINE, No. 30 Germain.com Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing

Finishing Position: 14th

MAX PAPIS, No. 9 GEICO Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing

Finishing Position: 15th

BRENDAN GAUGHAN, No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing

Finishing Position: 17th

JOHANNA LONG, No. 20 Panhandle Grading Toyota Tundra, Panhandle Motorsports

Finishing Position: 20th

CRAIG GOESS, No. 46 Greenville Toyota Toyota Tundra, Eddie Sharp Racing

Finishing Position: 23rd

MIKE SKINNER, No. 45 PaytasHomes.com Toyota Tundra, Eddie Sharp Racing

Finishing Position: 24th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

Michael McDowell

McDowell is currently slated to drive in both Nationwide Series races in Iowa for Pizza Ranch behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota Camry with the potential to add additional races to his schedule for JGR.

“Anytime you have the opportunity to work with someone with the talent and character of Michael you are excited,” said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. “We are blessed with a great group of drivers across all three of our entries in the Nationwide Series next season.”

Joe Gibbs Racing has experienced tremendous success over the past three seasons in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Last season the No. 18 Toyota team captured the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship behind the strength of Kyle Busch’s amazing record 13 victories despite driving in only 29 events. In 2009 the 18 team captured the combined Driver’s and Owner’s titles as Busch drove the full season. Meanwhile, JGR’s No. 20 Toyota team earned the organization’s first NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship in 2008. All together JGR has won an incredible 49 races in the Nationwide Series over the past three seasons.

“These JGR race teams have an incredible performance history” said McDowell. “This is a great opportunity and I am honored to represent Pizza Ranch in their home state of Iowa and drive the No. 18. I appreciate the confidence Pizza Ranch and JGR have in me and plan to make the best of it. ”

This will mark McDowell’s fifth year racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series after making his debut with three races during the 2007 season. He added two more races in 2008 and competed on a full-time basis in 2009, earning five top-10 and 18 top-20 finishes while starting 34 of the season’s 35 races. Last season he competed in 33 of the 35 races with one top-10 and 10 top-20 finishes. McDowell also competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series where he has made 52 career starts over the course of the past three seasons.

McDowell, 26, and his wife Jami live in Huntersville, NC with their two-year-old son Trace.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program.  Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell, Brad Coleman and Matt DiBenedetto. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing, Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Logo

In addition, Adam Stevens, who had previously served as the engineer for JGR’s Sprint Cup Series No. 20 Home Depot Toyota, will assume the crew chief duties on the team’s Nationwide Series No. 20 Toyota entry.

“We’re excited to finally have all this come together and we think the end result will be three strong entries for us each week in the Nationwide Series,” said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. “We think Kevin Kidd will work great with Brian and it’s always exciting to be able to provide an opportunity to someone internally like Adam Stevens who has done such a good job for us over on the Cup side.”

Joe Gibbs Racing announced in November that it would field a third Nationwide Series team to be driven by Brian Scott, but was still in the process of finalizing the details to obtain the No. 11 for the Camry. Kidd, who joined JGR as crew chief on the No. 20 Nationwide Series team will move over along with his crew to work with Brian and compete for the 2011 Championship.

Meanwhile Stevens will move over to the Nationwide Series program after serving as the engineer for JGR’s No. 20 Home Depot Toyota team for the past six years. Joey Logano is expected to run the majority of races in the No. 20 Camry once again in 2011 representing GameStop and Sport Clips. Pizza Ranch and Interstate Batteries will also return in 2011 and Denny Hamlin is expected to be behind the wheel for several races as the complete schedule for the team is still being finalized.

Jason Ratcliff will return as crew chief on JGR’s No. 18 Nationwide Series Toyota as the team seeks to defend its 2010 Nationwide Series Owner’s Championship. Kyle Busch, who shattered the Series record with 13 victories in 2010, will once again pilot the car in the majority of races with Z-Line Designs and NOS providing sponsorship.

Joe Gibbs Racing has won three Nationwide Series Owner’s Championships in a row and will be seeking a fourth in 2011. With Brian Scott solely focused on the Nationwide Series and driving the full schedule, the No. 11 team will have the opportunity to compete for both the driver’s and owner’s championship in 2011. Something the No. 18 team claimed in 2009.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Brad Coleman and Matt DiBenedetto. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Logo

The team clinched the win over Penske’s No. 22 Dodge team with a season ending victory by Kyle Busch at Miami-Homestead Speedway on Saturday, putting the No. 18 Toyota up by 71 points for the year and claiming it’s third straight championship.

“It was obviously a tremendous blessing for us to have the opportunity to win another owner’s championship with Kyle and Brad in the car this year. Both of them did an outstanding job,” said crew chief Jason Ratcliff.

Busch credited part-time teammate Brad Coleman for helping win the title.

“We wouldn’t be here tonight if Brad hadn’t done his job and given us some good finishes,” he said of Coleman, who drove six of the year’s 35 races while Busch was off Cup racing. “He did a great job and kept us in it.”

Coleman couldn’t hide his delight. “It’s really good to have a backup driver like Kyle Busch,” he said, grinning. “I wasn’t sure who was going to pick up the slack this season when I decided not to run a full schedule but Kyle stepped in and did the job!”

The Miami-Homestead media center erupted at Coleman’s funny comments.

Winning the owners’ championship was a big deal for everyone on the team, including team owners J. D. Gibbs and Joe Gibbs.

“It’s a huge deal for us because it lets the crew say, ‘We’re the best,’ ” said J.D. Gibbs, team president. “It’s gratifying to see the team appreciated for doing their job so well. It’s a testimonial to the guys back at the shop.”

Team owner Joe Gibbs was elated. “We’re thrilled. I really appreciate Jason Ratcliff, the team here, Brad Coleman and Safeway Driving Schools. I also want to say thanks to Combos, Interstate Batteries and NOS. It’s really hard to put together a team like that to allow us to race in the Nationwide Series. But with Kyle Busch and Z-Line, we really appreciate it. We’re thrilled to be a part of it. J.D. (Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing president) works mostly on the Nationwide side, and I take the credit for it. In any case, it’s a thrill for us and I appreciate it. And Toyota. I really want to make sure that the championship here and what they’ve done for us, we couldn’t be up here if it wasn’t for Toyota. I really appreciate them.”

The NASCAR Nationwide Series will be off until the 2011 season takes the green flag at Daytona in February and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Team will begin defense of their title.

For more info visit: www.joegibbsracing.com and www.bradcoleman.us

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

WIX Filters Lap Leader Logo

AT HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2010

Kyle Busch clinched the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award in tonight’s Ford 300. Busch earned a $20,000 cash prize from WIX Filters for his efforts.

· Busch led seven times for 153 laps to earn WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors in tonight’s Ford 300. He led 34 times in 28 different races for a total of 2,229 laps. In 144 superspeedway races Busch has led 7,127 laps and a grand total of 9,466 laps in 202 career starts.

· Busch won tonight’s race, crossing the finish line .850 seconds ahead of second-place Kevin Harvick. He won for a series record 13th time this season racked up his 22nd top-five finish. Busch finished in the top-10 in 25 of 29 starts this season. He scored his second career victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

· UNOFFICIALLY Busch finished third in the series championship standings, despite not competing in six races.

· Busch captured WIX Filters Lap Leader of the Race honors for the 18th time this season.

· BUSCH QUOTES: “It started off this weekend with a great team. Jason [Ratcliff, crew chief] and the guys prepared a great race car back at the shop along with all the chassis guys and body hangers and the engine group too that gave us a race car to come out here to put it up front. Qualified second to Joey [Logano] there and we came out here and we were able to prevail and get the job done. You know it was a heck of race there with Harvick there towards the end and battling back and forth with him a little bit I thought I messed up and gave the win away there for a minute but we were able to rally back on the next restart and get back by him and getting there to the checkered flag first. Really good day for us all around.

Can’t thank Jim and Monica Sexton enough from Z Line Designs and everybody that’s been fortunate enough to be a part of this program and help us win 30, 40 something races here in the last three years since 2008 of me coming aboard the Joe Gibbs Racing team. It wouldn’t be possible without these guys support to my right and Brad [Coleman] doing the job that he did as well this year in the races that I wasn’t able to attend and keeping us up there in the points so I could go out there and be where we are tonight, at least get Joe where he is tonight [smile].”

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD STANDINGS

Kyle Busch 18

Joey Logano 4

Kevin Harvick 3

Marcos Ambrose 2

Tony Stewart 1

Denny Hamlin 1

Brad Coleman 1

Reed Sorenson 1

Trevor Bayne 1

Jason Leffler 1

Mike Bliss 1

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD WINNERS BY RACE

EVENT DRIVER

DRIVE4COPD 300 Tony Stewart, 38 laps

Stater Bros. 300 Joey Logano, 130 laps

Sam’s Town 300 Kevin Harvick, 82 laps

Scotts Turf Builder 300 Kyle Busch, 59 laps

Nashville 300 Joey Logano, 122 laps

Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 Kyle Busch, 126 laps

O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 Kyle Busch, 153 laps

Aaron’s 312 Kevin Harvick, 51 laps

BUBBA Burger 250 Kyle Busch, 62 laps

Royal Purple 200 Denny Hamlin, 111 laps

Heluva Good! 200 Kyle Busch, 191 laps

TECH-NET Auto Service 300 Kyle Busch, 64 laps

Federated Auto Parts 300 Reed Sorenson, 15 laps

Meijer 300 Joey Logano, 106 laps

The Bucyrus 200 Brad Coleman, seven laps

New England 200 Kyle Busch, 126 laps

Subway Jalapeno 250 Kyle Busch, 19 laps

Dollar General 300 Kyle Busch, 110 laps

Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 Trevor Bayne, 19 laps

Kroger 200 Kyle Busch, 144 laps

U.S. Cellular 250 Kyle Busch, 209 laps

Zippo 200 Marcos Ambrose, 60 laps

CARFAX 250 Jason Leffler, one lap

Food City 250 Kyle Busch, 116 laps

NAPA Auto Parts 200 Marcos Ambrose, 25 laps

Great Clips 300 Kyle Busch, 74 laps

Virginia 529 College Savings 250 Kevin Harvick, 170 laps

Dover 200 Kyle Busch, 192 laps

Kansas Lottery 300 Kyle Busch, 65 laps

CampingWorld.com 300 Kevin Harvick, 86 laps

Dollar General 300 Kyle Busch, 84 laps

5-hour Energy 250 Mike Bliss, 10 laps

O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge Kyle Busch, 107 laps

WYPALL 200 Joey Logano, 23 laps

Ford 300 Kyle Busch, 153 laps

Since 1939, WIX® Filters, a member of the Affinia Group family of brands, has been an innovator in filtration products. WIX designs, manufactures and distributes products for automotive, diesel, agricultural, industrial and specialty filter markets. Its product line includes oil, air, cabin interior, fuel, coolant, transmission and hydraulic filters for automobiles, trucks and off-road equipment. WIX, a member of the Affinia family of brands, is the number one filter in NASCAR and an exclusive NASCAR Performance Product. Its NASCAR relationship also includes the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award, which recognizes the drivers leading the most laps in each race. For more information, visit www.wixfilters.com.

Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $2 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.

*Affinia Group Inc.’s affiliated companies include Brake Parts Inc. WIX Filtration Corp LLC, Affinia Products Corp LLC and other high quality manufacturers of the Affinia family of brands.

- Camp & Associates, Inc. Press Release

Kyle Busch collects his 43rd checkered flag of his NASCAR Nationwide Series career and 13th of the 2010 season after winning the Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday in Homestead, Fla. - Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

Event: Homestead-Miami Speedway (Round 35 of 35)

Series: NASCAR Nationwide Series

Location: Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Start / Finish: 2nd / 1st (Running, completed 200 of 200 laps)

Winner: Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

For the third straight year, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) won the NASCAR Nationwide Series owner’s championship. And for the third straight time, it was Kyle Busch who delivered the title.

The driver of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs / BJ’s Wholesale Club Toyota Camry for JGR did it in style too, winning the season-ending Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway to collect his record-breaking 13th Nationwide Series victory of 2010 and the 43rd of his career. It was another dominant drive, as Busch led seven times for a race-high 153 laps.

“Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and the guys prepared a great racecar back in the shop, along with all the chassis guys, the body hangers and the engine group too, that gave us a racecar to come out here and put up front,” said Busch, who ran just 29 of the series’ 35-race schedule, and despite yielding the seat of the No. 18 Toyota to JGR driver Brad Coleman in six races, still finished third in the driver’s points standings. “We qualified second to Joey (Logano, JGR teammate and driver of the No. 20 Toyota) and we were able to prevail and get the job done.”

JGR’s third straight Nationwide Series owner’s title puts the 19-year-old organization in rare company, for only the Bill Baumgardner-owned BACE Motorsports team won three consecutive Nationwide Series owner’s titles from 1995 through 1997 with drivers Johnny Benson (1995) and Randy LaJoie (1996 and 1997).

“It’s a huge deal for us,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We won our first owner’s championship two years ago. It’s just a testament to all the guys back in the shop. Even though we don’t have one driver in every race going for a driver’s championship, the owner’s title gives those guys just a notch for them to say, ‘Hey, we were the best this year. We prepared the cars the best, the motors, every aspect.’ It was really kind of gratifying to see our team really appreciate it and enjoy it. That probably meant the most – to watch those guys really make a big deal of it. That makes me feel good. It’s a big deal and all those guys are celebrating right now.”

“It was obviously a tremendous blessing for us to have the opportunity to win another owner’s championship with Kyle and Brad in the car this year. Both of them did an outstanding job,” added crew chief Jason Ratcliff. “It’s very gratifying to come into Homestead and have the kind of run that we had tonight. We were able to close the deal. The guys again, great job on pit road, and the mechanics that turned the wrenches on this car, they did a great job preparing it at the shop. Lot of effort went into this car this week, lot of studying, lot of notes, and it paid off for us in the end.”

The owner’s championship and victory continued a banner weekend for Busch, as he won Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Homestead and clinched the owner’s championship for his very own Kyle Busch Motorsports.

“This is a big deal for myself with what happened last night,” Busch said. “Being able to win the owner’s championship in our first year out in the Truck Series – yeah, it’s a stepping-stone division, but it’s still a big deal in what all we’ve gone through as a team. And to come out here tonight and work with Jason Ratcliff all this time, and to win as many races as we have this year and to do it in such a dominating fashion is impressive.”

3 Doors Down Official Merchandise

“I think it’s pretty cool to have the opportunity to go out and race as many times as I’ve been able to race, and to win as often as I’ve been able to,” said Busch, who is currently second on the Nationwide Series all-time victory list, just five shy of Martin’s record of 48 wins. “It’s a great testament to the people that I’m surrounded with.”

Busch now has 86 victories across NASCAR’s top three divisions (Sprint Cup – 19; Nationwide – 43; Camping World Truck – 24).

Finishing .850 of a second behind Busch in the Ford 300’s runner-up spot was Kevin Harvick, while Brad Keselowski, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Trevor Bayne rounded out the top-five. Carl Edwards, Logano, Brendan Gaughan, Paul Menard and Jason Leffler comprised the remainder of the top-10.

The race featured 11 caution periods for 49 laps, with 12 failing to finish the 200-lap event.

The 2011 Nationwide Series season kicks off Feb. 19 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway with live coverage provided by ESPN2.

- True Speed Communication Press Release