JD Motorsports

“With this new style of drafting, you have to have a partner or you are dead.” Mike raced to the lead twice under the green flag while bouncing around the top 10 for most of the race. In NASCAR’s version of overtime, times two, Mike found himself in the front row for both starts of the Green-White-Checkered Flag Restart.

The second attempt had him in the lead but on the last turn of the last lap as Mike was making a move to win the race, the #01 G&K Services Chevrolet went airborne and flipped. After remarkably landing on all 4 tires, Mike was still able to drive his car across the start/finish line for his best finish of the season. Despite the unfortunate ending JD Motorsports and Mike Wallace were still pleased with the effort put forth by both the driver and the team.

Team owner Johnny Davis offered special thanks to Joe Nemechek and James Finch, who had loaned Davis the car to race. “This was a very big accomplishment,” said Davis. “We are underfunded. Those cars we were competing with for the win get a lot more financial support than we do. This just goes to show all of you potential marketing partners, underfunded or not we’ve got what it takes!”

- JD Motorsports Press Release

Will “The Thrill” Vaught

Vaught driving the No. 51 Cureduchenne.org Chevrolet Impala in a collaboration effort with Phoenix Racing and owner James Finch produced the 28th fastest time in the three hour practice session on Thursday. At the end of practice, Vaught consulted with crew chief Ricky Pearson to discuss a plan to try and gain more speed before qualifying.

“We have a good car,” said Vaught. “It may not have the speed by itself, but it will draft good in the race. I know we’re going to qualify decent, I just want to try and not put ourselves in a potentially bad situation.”

In Menards pole qualifying presented by Ansell, Vaught, the Crane, Missouri native assembled the 26th quickest lap solidly earning the 24-year old his third career ARCA start. “Not bad, we’ll take it,” Vaught said of his qualifications run.

Electing to play it safe, Pearson decided to keep his driver behind the scenes during drafting practice on Friday morning – shifting their attention towards the second race of the season later in the day. Ultimately though clouds and heavy downpours invaded the 2.66-mile superspeedway just an hour before race time forcing officials to reschedule the race until Saturday morning.

Arriving at the track early Saturday morning, Vaught buckled in his No. 51 Cureduchenne.org Chevrolet Impala ready to rock shortly before 8:00 a.m. (Central).

Early on in the 3 Amigos 250, Vaught played it conservatively and had moved up to the 20th position by lap six. The drafting dance would fluctuate Vaught between 18th and 22nd during the first quarter of the race.

Maintaining himself on the lead lap, the upcoming young-gun would bring his Chevrolet bowtie to pit road on lap 44 for four tires and fuel before rejoining the field in the 20th position.

The second half of the event would see Vaught make his move on the field, moving himself comfortably into the top-20 by lap 60. With 11 laps remaining, Vaught found himself riding 16th – ready to return to green flag conditions after a two-car incident on the frontstretch.

The last green flag run of the day would be some of the most intense racing of the race but it provided prime opportunity for the No. 51 Cureduchenne.org Chevrolet Impala to storm into the top-10. With two laps remaining, Vaught sat 12th but a late race charge on the last lap surged the Will Vaught Racing (WVR) team into the top-10 where the youngest crossed the start finish line ninth.

“I had a lot of fun out there; we just needed a little more steam under the hood to get us into the top-five. We lived up to our game plan; stayed out of trouble and we were able to get out of here in one piece and with a good finish. I’m happy,” said Vaught.

He added, “I hope we were able to make some noise with our Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy awareness. We were honored to have David Carter McClain who is suffering from DMD here with us this week at Talladega. It’s something that shouldn’t be taken lightly and we used Talladega to spread the word and hopefully it was mission accomplished.”

For more information on Will Vaught, please visit willvaughtracing.com.

For additional input on Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), please click over to cureduchenne.org.

ABOUT CUREDUCHENNE.ORG

Cureduchenne.org was founded by Paul and Debra Miller whose son was diagnosed with DMD (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) in November 2002. Paul Miller is a vice-president of a food company and Debra Miller was in advertising sales before giving up her career to become a stay-at-home mom. Today, the Millers effectively use Cureduchenne.org as a way of communication to bring further attentiveness and funding for DMD.

- Will Vaught Racing Press Release

Jamie McMurray - Photo Credit: Robert Laberge / Getty Images for NASCAR

McMurray has a total of eight NASCAR Nationwide Series wins and is also one of the best drivers on a restrictor-plate track. He has three Sprint Cup Series wins combining both Talladega and Daytona. He will be looking for his first plate win in the Nationwide Series this weekend with Phoenix Racing.

“This is a great opportunity to race for a win,” said McMurray. “James (Finch) and everyone at Phoenix Racing always prepare fast cars for Talladega. It’s fun to race with these guys, and I’m looking forward to try to get another win with them.”

Phoenix Racing is a 12-time winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and is looking for their first win at Talladega in this series. The operation has one win at the track in the Sprint Cup Series. They feel confident that McMurray is capable of winning this weekend.

“Jamie (McMurray) has proven that he is one of the best at plate races,” said Finch. “We had a lot of success with him behind the wheel of our cars in the past too. We feel that we have a good chance to run up front on Saturday. He is a driver that knows how to win these races.”

The team will be supported by Phoenix Construction based in Lynn Haven, Fla. Phoenix Racing will also enter their familiar No. 09 Security Benefit / Thank a Teacher Today Chevrolet in Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 with driver Landon Cassill.

- Phoenix Racing Press Release

Bill Elliott - Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

After years of coming to Daytona to drive Fords and Dodges, Elliott is set to take the wheel of James Finch’s No. 09 Chevrolet. The car number is familiar to Elliott, as his late father George Elliott fielded No. 09 cars back in the 1970s. But it’s Finch that most fans associate with the No. 09 Sprint Cup entry.

Elliott is hoping that it won’t be long before he can write a few more chapters of the history of Finch’s No. 09 Impala as well as add to his own history in NASCAR. In fact, he’s as pumped up about racing as he’s been in years.

“It’s a new opportunity for me, and I really feel like we’ve got some good stuff going,” he said, adding that he’s been working out every other day all winter to be sure he’s ready for the rigors of racing. “We had a pretty decent car at the Daytona test last month, and the crew has taken what we learned and gone back and worked on the car to give us even better stuff to come back with.”

Elliott, who has four Sprint Cup wins at Daytona including two in the Daytona 500, said he has great confident in Finch and his Phoenix Racing team.

“James has been around a long time, and he really understands racing,” Elliott said. “He’s got his act together.”

Elliott also is building a relationship with crew chief Nick Harrison.

“I’m learning him, and he’s learning me,” Elliott said. “Any time you’re in a new deal, you’re never 100 percent right off the bat, but we’ve got some really, really good equipment and we should be able to put it all together and get some good results.”

And the restrictor-plate tracks at Daytona and Talladega are where Finch has had his greatest success in the past. His drivers have finishes of third, fourth, ninth, 10th and 12th in the Great American Race. Phoenix Racing team also has a Cup victory at Daytona’s sister track, Talladega Superspeedway, in 2009 with Brad Keselowski driving.

But this year’s race will be a new challenge, largely because of a new track surface at Daytona.

“It’ll be altogether different,” Elliott said. “But I’m looking forward to it.”

Elliott said the key this year will be finding a drafting partner willing to hook up in a two-car draft, which has proven to be the quickest way to get around the track.

“That’s going to be the key to the whole deal,” he said. “If you don’t find somebody to tango with, you’re just going to be along for the ride.”

Elliott said the surest road to success in the Daytona 500 begins with getting off to a good start.

“You’ve got to go in with your guns loaded,” he said. “If you’re fast to start with, it sets the tone for the whole weekend.”

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 is set for Sunday at 1:05 p.m. The 150-mile Gatorade Duel qualifying races are scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m., and the green flag for the Daytona 500 is expected to fly shortly after 1 p.m. on Sunday Feb. 20., with TV coverage on FOX.

- Phoenix Racing/Bill Elliott, Press Release

Bill Elliott - Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

But he’ll be doing something new in 2011. For the first time in his career, he’ll start the season as a Chevrolet driver. He has teamed up with James Finch’s Phoenix Racing to run the No. 09 Chevrolet in a minimum of 18 races this season.

The new combo will start the season at Daytona, where Elliott has four Sprint Cup wins including two in the Daytona 500 and Finch has finishes of third, fourth, ninth, 10th and 12th in the Great American Race. Phoenix Racing team also has a Cup victory at Daytona’s sister track, Talladega Superspeedway, in 2009 with Brad Keselowski driving.

“It’s big for us and big for Chevrolet to get Bill Elliott,” Finch said. “It’s the first time in his career that he’s committed to race a Chevrolet.”

Finch also said he was confident that even at age 55 Elliott, whose previous Cup wins have come in Fords and Dodges, can get the job done in his Chevrolets.

“With the right equipment, he’s ready,” Finch said. “He was just a couple of hundredths of a second off the pole at Homestead last year.”

Nick Harrison will serve as crew chief on the No. 09 Impala, and the team will use engines from Hendrick Motorsports. Bill Elliott said he’s excited to be moving to Phoenix Racing and to the Chevrolet camp.

“I think this will be a really good deal,” he said. “James has really good race cars, and there’s no doubt about the Hendrick equipment. After all, look at all the championships they’ve won.”

Elliott, who will climb in the No. 09 for the first time on Thursday during testing at Daytona International Speedway, said he’s pleased to have the opportunity to drive proven equipment at this stage of his career. He plans to make the most of it.

“This may well be my last really good chance as a driver,” he said. “I’m going to give it my best shot. I feel like I’m still in good shape, and I thought we ran pretty good last year.” Finch said he hopes to run the full Sprint Cup schedule with the No. 09, and he plans to run a limited Nationwide Series schedule, focusing on the restrictor-plate tracks.

“I’m going to concentrate on the Cup side,” Finch said. “We’ll see what we can do.”

- Bill Elliott/Phoenix Racing, Press Release

Casey Roderick

This weekend’s Kansas Lottery 150 was one of those challenges, but it did not end well as the engine on Roderick’s Dodge blew before he completed a lap in the race, leaving him with a disappointing 36th-place finish and his crew with nothing to show for two weeks of hard work.

Two weeks prior to the 150, officials from Phoenix Racing informed Elliott that they were not prepared to field another car for Roderick after his on-track incident at Chicagoland totaled the car they had hoped to run at Kansas as well.

So the “never give up, never surrender” attitude took hold in Elliott’s Dawsonville shop, and Jim Barfield led shop members in preparing Roderick’s Iowa car for the Kansas event. That was a tall order since the added work had to be done in the middle of an already hectic season of racing. But as usual they were up to the task, and left for Kansas with a mini-team consisting of four crew members, plus Roderick and Elliott.

But there would be no storybook ending to this tale.

Five laps into practice Roderick radioed that there was no oil pressure, and Elliott made the call to come in and change the engine.

“I just didn’t want to take any chances after the motor blowing up in New Jersey,” said Elliott. Crew members including Elliott went to work and completed the engine change in time for qualifying. Elliott told Roderick to take it easy and feel the car out as best as he could since he had no practice laps with the engine. Roderick did as he was told and qualified a respectable 16th.

The same strategy would apply to the beginning of the race until the crew could make necessary adjustments. But coming to the green flag something in the new motor broke, and Roderick would be relegated to the 36th finishing position.

“Despite the bad luck with the two motors I think we had a pretty decent car from what I could tell in three or four laps,” Roderick said. “Nobody gave up on this Bill Elliott racing team. It just wasn’t meant to be I guess.

“I want to thank Bill for taking me to Kansas, and also thank all the guys that came together as one and made it happen. I also would like to thank [Phoenix Racing owner] James Finch for his help and support.”

Roderick said that despite the setback at Kansas and the loss of his ride with Phoenix, he’s still trying to look at the future in a positive manner.

“I would like to do some Nationwide racing or maybe a full ARCA deal….just something steady so I can get the seat time I need and show people I can do this as a driver,” he said. “A steady Nationwide ride would be the ultimate goal, but the economy is not on our side right now which makes it even tougher.”

- Bill Elliott Racing Press Release

Casey Roderick

The Lawrenceville, Ga., teenager started the weekend well, qualifying third for the Ansell Protective Gloves 150 ARCA race with a speed of 177.043 miles per hour and fastest overall in the last practice. Roderick entered the race fresh off his first career ARCA victory, at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Aug. 15, but his success on the road course didn’t carry over to the high-banked superspeedway.

At the green flag, he raced hard with the leaders but slipped back to the fifth position. By Lap Five Roderick still racing hard and decided to make it three wide with Chad McCumbee and Mike Kile when he slipped into the loose gravel causing Kile to turn into McCumbee on Lap Seven. Roderick and McCumbee both suffered severe damage to their cars and were retired for the race.

The hard hit from the wall likely wasn’t as tough on Roderick as having to face his car owners James Finch and Bill Elliott afterward. The two veteran racers informed Roderick of one of the basic facts of successful racing – races aren’t won in the opening laps and racing too hard early on usually means a driver won’t be around when it really counts.

Roderick said he got the message from his owners.

I think I was just being too aggressive too soon for the situation,” he said. “I had a free and fast car that needed to finish… “But I will learn from my mistake and apply that to the next race. These mile-an-a-half tracks are new to me, and it’s something that I’m going to have to learn and deal with.”

Patrick Sheltra scored the victory, his second straight on the ARCA circuit.

Roderick’s next ARCA start will again be with Phoenix Racing at Kansas Speedway on Sept. 30.

- Bill Elliott Racing Press Release

Bobby Labonte

The all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup mark is held by one of the most respected, well-liked drivers to ever walk into the Sprint Cup garage. Ricky Rudd ended his career with an amazing 788 consecutive starts. Labonte is ranked seventh on the NASCAR Sprint Cup records and amongst some of the most profound professional athletes with consecutive starts.

A.C. Green, Jr. leads the NBA with 1,192, streaming from the beginning of his career in 1986 to when he retired in 2001. Cal Ripken, Jr. holds the record for Major League Baseball (MLB) with 2,632. The NFL has Jeff Feagles on its leader board with 352 for any player; Brett Favre has 285 for any quarter-back or position player. And last but not least, the NHL and Doug Jarvis hold the record at 964 consecutive starts.

Comments from Bobby Labonte on Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his 600th consecutive Sprint Cup start:

“I wouldn’t be able to have the opportunity to earn my 600th consecutive Sprint Cup start without the help of James Finch and Phoenix Racing. Things are still very much up in the air for me and it’s been really great to be able to work with this group of guys.

“To be able to look at the list of athletes with milestone consecutive starts like mine is very humbling. It really is cool to think that I am amongst some of these athletes that I admire. It’s a special milestone and I really look forward to continuing this streak. Racing is in my blood, it’s what fuels me.

“I really enjoy Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I have been lucky enough to ‘kiss the bricks’ and get a victory here in 2000, my championship season. That made that season all the more special. The track is really unique and one of a kind. There is so much history to it. To be able to make my own history here is really awesome.

“The Brickyard 400 is a great race. It has the same effect Daytona does in February, kicking off the second part of the season. It’s very flat but the corners are very sharp. The straight-aways are really long and each corner is different.

“It’s really hard to pass here at this track so your qualifying position is really important. Since we qualify early in the morning, those guys who get a good draw and go out first are going to go a lot faster. Since we will go out near the end of qualifying, we will work really hard on our qualifying trim during practices to get the best starting position that we can.”

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Bobby Labonte, Press Release

Bobby Labonte

Labonte will also be making his 600th consecutive start (CF Editors Note: The Coke Zero 400 at Daytona was Labonte’s 600th over-all NSCS start) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That mark currently lists him seventh in overall consecutive starts. Ricky Rudd is the all-time consecutive starts leader at 788.

“I’ve got to thank James Finch and Phoenix Racing for allowing me to get my 600th consecutive race with them at Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said Labonte. “We had some discussion about future races at Daytona, and we were able to put a deal together for the Brickyard 400. I like working with the guys and appreciate this opportunity.

“The Brickyard is such a memorable race. To be able to have this race as my 600th consecutive start is really cool. I didn’t sit down at the beginning of my career and plan any milestones, so this is pretty cool.”

It will be Labonte’s third start for Phoenix Racing after racing for the team at both Daytona and Chicagoland.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Bobby Labonte, Press Release

Bobby Labonte

This race marks the 19th race of the season and puts the Sprint Cup Series on the backstretch of the 36-race season. This is the final planned event for Labonte at Phoenix Racing, but both sides continue to discuss immediate future plans. The team is looking for sponsorship for continued races.

Labonte will also take part in the Coca-Cola Racing Family Track Walk on Saturday starting at 3:15 p.m. local time. This is a season-long effort to persuade active, family fun activities. The event is free and open to all ticket and credential holders.

Bobby Labonte has nine starts at the track. Chicagoland, along with Kansas, are the only two active tracks that Labonte has not scored a top-five finish in his career.

Comments from Bobby Labonte on Chicagoland Speedway:
“You know, I can’t remember a time where I’ve been in the position of just carrying my helmet and racing for different folks. It’s kinda ‘old school’ in the fact you just pack your bag, grab your helmet and go to the track. It’s not ideal, but it’s a bit like the Saturday night racer, and that’s kinda cool too. You have to make the best of the situation and I think we’re doing that and having some fun at it.

“I have this weekend set, and we’re working towards getting something set for Indy, but after that I’ve got a firesuit, helmet, gloves and shoes ready to go. I think my fans want to know what’s going to happen, and I’d like to have everything figured out too, but for now we’re just going to make the best out of it. It’s been fun to race for some different guys and learning as much as possible in a weekend with each other. It’s a big challenge, but things have turned out pretty good.

“I’m happy to be racing with James Finch and the Phoenix Racing team again this weekend at Chicagoland. I have to thank James for the opportunity that he has given me to be in his car again this weekend. We had a good run at Daytona, my best of the season, and that shows what kind of people they have. We put something together and were able to have a good run.

“We’re going to Chicagoland now and looking forward to see what we can do there. The track has a lot of downforce and is very similar to other mile-and-a-half tracks. The banking is the same in all four corners, but the backstretch isn’t straight, it has a bend to it. That makes it a bit different.

“It’s also a wide-open track, meaning you have a lot more throttle here than at other places. It’s pretty fast, and I look forward to racing under the lights again. That makes everything just look faster for the fans. So, I’ll grab my helmet and go there. We’ll make the most of it and look forward to the opportunities we have ahead of us.”

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Bobby Labonte, Press Release

Bobby Labonte Logo

Labonte will race the No. 09 Chevrolet in the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on July 3rd.  He is also slated to drive the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway on July 10th for the team.  The team will compete for wins in both events.

“It’s good to know that we’ll have a past champion in our car for these two races,” said team owner James Finch.  “I’ve known Bobby for a while and he always works hard behind the wheel.  This is a good opportunity for us to race for a win.”

Labonte, a veteran of the Coca-Cola Racing Family, will be making his 600th career start at Daytona during the Coke Zero 400.  The team is currently looking for sponsorship for the two events and will secure Labonte for additional events if sponsorship can be acquired.

“Any driver wants the chance to win at Daytona,” said Labonte.  “It’s awesome that James has given me this opportunity and also the chance to compete at Chicagoland.  I’m looking forward to these two races and making my 600th start at Daytona during the Coke Zero 400.”

Labonte is looking for his first win at Daytona while also making his 10th start at Chicagoland.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Bobby Labonte, Press Release

Nashville, TN (June 14, 2010) … Victor Gonzalez Jr. will make his
second NASCAR Nationwide Series start of 2010 in the Bucyrus 200
presented by Menards at Road America this Saturday. However, this time
Gonzalez feels as though he’ll have a “home track advantage” at the
4.048-mile, 14-turn Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin road course.

“I drove my first race in the United States at Road America,” Gonzalez
stated. “Plus, I’ve raced there several times in SCCA and Skip Barber
Pro Series. I’ve tested many cars and driven who knows how many laps at
Road America as an instructor for the Skip Barber Racing School as
well. I feel like I’m more prepared for this race than I’ve ever been.”

Gonzalez has already made NASCAR history last August when he became the
first Puerto Rico driver to compete in the Nationwide Series. He
finished 14th in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
in Montreal; however, Gonzalez feels as though the Bucyrus 200 at Road
America can be his “breakthrough” race in NASCAR.

“Day Racing has recently purchased a road course Chevrolet from James
Finch and will have engines from Earnhardt-Childress Racing,” Gonzalez
added. “That combination will give me a competitive car. Plus, I’ve
been training and eating healthy to prepare myself for this race. I’m
really focused and committed to keep improving and show that I belong
in this Series.”

Gonzalez has been quite busy in recent weeks with a Media Tour in
Puerto Rico.

“I did 32 interviews in eight days during the media tour,” Gonzalez
said. “It was really great with all the radio, television, and
newspaper coverage. There was a feature article on the front page of
the largest paper in Puerto Rico that is distributed in New York and
Miami as well. This week, two huge billboards in San Juan are being
used to encourage fans to watch me race at Road America.”

“It’s been very exciting for me to represent my country in NASCAR,”
Gonzalez continued. “There are lots of race fans in Puerto Rico, but
they didn’t have a real reason to watch the NASCAR races. Now, they do
and it’s been almost overwhelming the support that I have received.”

Gonzalez will have some additional support at Road America this weekend
as well. His father, Victor Sr., will travel to Wisconsin to watch his
son compete in the Bucyrus 200.

“I’m so happy that my father will be there to see me race this week,”
Gonzales added. “He hasn’t seen me race since 1999, and I’m really
excited to have him there. He’s my best friend and I’d love to give him
a Father’s Day present he’ll never forget. I am so blessed to have this
opportunity to race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and hope that a
strong performance this week will lead to better things down the road.”

Gonzalez made NASCAR history when he became the first Puerto Rican to
compete in the Nationwide Series. Now, with the support of his country
at home and his father at the track, don’t be surprised to see Victor
Gonzalez Jr. make history again this week at Road America.

- Day Racing Press Release

Kevin Harvick Inc. Logo

PUNISHER, THINK AGAIN: When Mike Bliss climbs behind the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet this weekend at Kentucky Speedway in place of team co-owner Kevin Harvick, it will be the start of a new chapter in the relationship between Harvick and Bliss at Kentucky Speedway.

During the 2001 season when Harvick became the first driver to compete full-time in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series, Bliss served as Harvick’s back-up/substitute driver while Harvick juggled the trip between Pocono Raceway and Kentucky Speedway. During practice at Kentucky Speedway, Bliss totaled Harvick’s primary car forcing the team to pull out the back-up car. When the team told Harvick he would be driving the back-up car and they would have to make the best of it, he told crew chief Todd Berrier not to worry about it, he was going to ‘punish’ them.

Punish them he did. With no practice in the back-up car, Harvick qualified 11th for the race, lead 131 of 200 laps and won the inagural race at Kentucky Speedway. The No. 2 Richard Childess Racing (RCR) team renamed chassis No. 008 “The Punisher” following the dominating win. Harvick completed the season as the 2001 Nationwide Series champion, his first of two championships in the series, and the 2001 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year.

“The Punisher” (Chassis No. 008) won eight total races with Harvick before an accident at Phoenix International Raceway in 2002 totaled the car.

KENTUCKY STYLE: For the second week in a row, Mike Bliss will climb behind the wheel of the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet to make his sixth-career Nationwide Series start at the 1.5-mile track of Kentucky Speedway.

In five previous Nationwide Series starts at the track, Bliss has secured one top-five and three top-10 finishes on his way to completing 94.6 percent of laps attempted (946 of 1000 laps). His average start is 14.4 and his average finish is 15.8. Of his starts, the only two outside the top 10 have been the result of a crash during the race.

In addition to the Nationwide Series, Bliss has three starts in the Truck Series at the track and currently holds the record for the largest margin of victory for his 2002 Truck Series win at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval. In three Truck Series starts, Bliss has one win, one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He has completed 100 percent of laps attempted (450 of 450 laps) and led 94 total laps. His average starting position is 14.0 and his average finishing position is 8.3.

ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: In his first-career start at Kentucky Speedway in 2002, Bliss scored the second-place starting position for the Truck Series race and after leading 94 of the 150 laps, earned his only victory at the 1.5-mile track with an 18.197 second margin of victory over Dennis Setzer. In that same season, Bliss secured three poles, five wins, 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes on his march to claim the 2002 Truck Series title.

BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER MIKE BLISS:

Talk about racing at Kentucky Speedway where you have had success and will be making your second start for KHI.

“I like Kentucky Speedway. It’s a lot of fun and I think that we will run really well. We struggled a little at Nashville (Superspeedway), but I think we will be better this week at Kentucky. I’ve had some success at Kentucky and I think that with this team, I can carry some of that over to this week. Ernie Cope and this team will work hard to put us up front and I’m hoping we can be there at the end to contend for the win.”

CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 33 KHI crew will unload chassis No. 053 for Bliss this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. This chassis was last on track at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway where KHI co-owner Harvick piloted the car to an eighth-place finish. Prior to Darlington, the chassis had two starts including Las Vegas Motor Speedway where two-time Nationwide Series champion Harvick won his first Nationwide Series race for sponsor Rheem, and Auto Club Speedway where a failed engine ended the team’s strong run with a 38th-place finish.

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Kicking off the stretch of stand-alone events, the Nationwide Series returned to Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway for the second time of the 2010 season. Bliss made his first career start for KHI, securing the sixth starting position. After fighting a loose-tight handling car for most of the race, Bliss was able to secure the fifth position on lap 225 to earn the No. 33 team their eighth top-five and 12th top-eight finish of the season.

Mike Bliss Nationwide Stats at Kentucky

Year No. Team Start Finish

2009 1 JF 21 28

2008 1 JF 15 8

2007 22 AF 16 9

2004 20 JG 9 3

2003 20 JG 11 31

*JF: James Finch

*AF: Armando Fitz

*JG: Joe Gibbs

About Kevin Harvick Inc.

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

Casey Roderick

Elliott and Roderick made the decision to concentrate on what Elliott
believes it will take to move Roderick into the next level of his career.

“We need to focus all of our energy right now on ARCA,” said Elliott.
“Casey will be 18 in August, and we will be taking another big step, moving
on to bigger race tracks to gain the necessary experience for approval to
compete in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series.”

Elliott said he’ll also continue working to find a sponsor to back Roderick.

“We will continue to work to find him additional sponsorship throughout
the season,” Elliott said. “All we need is a few ARCA races to showcase the
talent that he has. Casey is a very likable young man and will be a great
spokesman as well as a great driver.”

The summertime stretch of superspeedway racing will take Roderick from the
7/8-mile oval in Iowa to the mile-and-a-half tracks of Chicagoland and
Kansas speedways.

“This is the biggest opportunity I have ever had and the most exciting,”
said Roderick. “I am going to do anything and everything to make the most
of it. I will work 24/7 or longer if there were more hours in a day -
whatever it takes.”

James Finch, owner of Phoenix Racing, also will support Roderick’s rise
through the ranks. Finch, who has played a key role in developing young drivers including
current Nationwide Series points leader Brad Keselowski, said he too is
committed to helping Roderick.

“I hope the experience Casey gains on the bigger tracks will garner him
approval from NASCAR to race in the Nationwide Series at Phoenix this
November,” Finch said. “I am looking forward to racing with Casey.”

The changes to Roderick’s schedule will mean that he will not be competing
in any of the previously scheduled late model races.

The ARCA series offers televised events and national media coverage. The
first of the televised races that Roderick will run is on June 10 at Iowa
Speedway.

- Bill Elliott Racing Press Release

“Phoenix Racing is a vital component of the NASCAR industry in South Carolina and I am very appreciative of the jobs and revenue they bring to our state and their support in my campaign,” Bauer said. “The NASCAR industry generates an annual benefit of $54 million to South Carolina’s economy and we are very grateful for it.”

“Phoenix Racing is proud to support Andre Bauer for Governor. He attended 14 races this past year and is persuading Sonic Automotive, a Fortune 500 Company and leader in NASCAR, to consider relocating their headquarters in South Carolina. Andre is by all means a true advocate for our industry,” said Team Owner James Finch. “The unprecedented growth in NASCAR has provided Phoenix Racing with the resources to build a successful future in South Carolina and we are fortunate to have Andre Bauer on our side.”

In 2008, Sports Illustrated conducted a poll asking NASCAR drivers if they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent and 58% responded Republican. Furthermore, The National Journal reports that a study finds NASCAR as one of the top three sports among Republicans.

“I attend over a dozen races across the country every year and have found NASCAR fans, drivers, and owners to be hard working Americans and I will always support an industry that values a hard day’s work,” Bauer noted. “As a Republican running for Governor I will work tirelessly to bring new industries and jobs to South Carolina.”

The Royal Purple 200 from Darlington Raceway will take the green flag this Friday, May 7th at 7:45 P.M. Eastern. Race coverage will be televised live on ESPN2, beginning at 7 PM Eastern. In addition, Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio (Channel 128) will have the live radio broadcast, beginning at 7 PM Eastern.

- Phoenix Racing Press Release