Host Jamie Little talks with six of the 12 drivers during NASCAR After the Lap at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Dec. 1, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nev. - Photo Credit:Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Top-12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Drivers Hold Nothing Back

LAS VEGAS (Dec. 1, 2011) – The 2011 top-12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series^TM drivers held nothing back today at the third annual, fan-favorite NASCAR After The Lap held at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas and sponsored by Coca-Cola and Ford. ESPN pit road reporter Jamie Little hosted the event along with co-host Miss Sprint Cup Monica Palumbo.

A list of the top-10 unfiltered, driver “tell-all” comments are outlined below. 

Top-10 List

Number 1

• · Ryan Newman was asked if he purchased his boss (2011 Champion Tony Stewart) anything special after winning the championship.
• · “No!”
• · Jamie Little followed with “Ryan, you told me earlier there was a waxing appointment but that no appointment was long enough to cover Tony’s needs.”

Number 2

• · Question for Kyle Busch: “Kyle, we hear your wife cooked her first Thanksgiving this year…How did she do?”
• · Response: “It was good. That’s what she said.”

Number 3

• · Comment from host Little: “There are a lot of single women in Vegas.”
• · Response from Stewart: “Why do you think I’m just happy to be here?”

Number 4

After comments about brothers Kurt and Kyle Busch dressing alike and being confused for each other, Kurt Busch responded:

• · “When the fine comes in the mail, they know how to spell our name right.”

Number 5

• · Question: What if Delana Harvick (wife of Kevin Harvick) showed up (to the race) without a fire suit?
• · Special guest and Blue Comedy Tour comedian Bill Engvall responded: “We talking no suit at all? Cus, that would be awesome.”
• · Harvick followed with “If she walked out without a fire suit and I missed the race, you’d know why.”
• · “At least for the first 10 laps…” said Matt Kenseth.

Number 6

• · Earnhardt Jr. was asked about his future wife…
• · “Yea, she’s real,” said Earnhardt Jr.
• · “Not real’s a blow-up doll.” Engvall
• · Little asked if she was a blonde.
• · “She’s like Snooki … he hasn’t noticed,” said Gordon. Earlier in the show, Stewart had commented that “For the first three episodes, I didn’t even know Snooki had a head.”

Number 7

• · Stewart was positioned in a chair next to Little who was standing nearby. “Why do you think she sat me next to her? Always sit the fat kid next to the tall girl.”

Number 8

• · Kurt Busch noted that he was “camera shy. I think the best form of communication is cussing.”

Number 9

• · “I felt uncomfortable today for the first time in a long time because I was changing next to Carl.” Stewart
• · “You’ll always have me beat with that back hair.” Carl Edwards
• · “Hey, I’m out here working hard to represent all fat kids.” Stewart

Number 10

• · Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Gordon break dancing for fans at NASCAR After The Lap.

- ASPIRE Communications, Press Release 

No. 66 5-Hour Energy® Toyota Camry (Steve Wallace) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

This Week’s 5-Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-052 in Saturday afternoon’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. Built new for the 2011 season, this Toyota Camry debuted at Road America in June, where the Greensboro, N.C.-native started sixth and led four laps before being involved in an incident that eliminated him from contention after 52 of 57 laps.

Through 22 Races … With 22 races of the 2011 season in the record books, Wallace has accumulated one top-five, four top 10 and 11 top-15 finishes, an average starting position of 13.6 and an average finish of 16.5. Wallace has completed 97.6 percent of the laps contested (4,044 of 4,143) thus far.

Get to the Points … Wallace is currently ranked eighth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings, 66 in arrears to seventh-place driver Kenny Wallace.

Wallace at The Glen … In four previous Nationwide Series starts at Watkins Glen, Wallace has recorded one top-10 finish and has been atop the leaderboard for two circuits. Wallace’s finishes at the Glen over the last four years have been trending in the right direction. Since finishing 34th in his first appearance in August of 2007, Wallace has recorded finishes of 28th, 12th and ninth, respectively.

Road Course Averages … In 12 previous Nationwide Series road course starts (Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Road America, and Watkins Glen International) Wallace has four top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 12.167, an average finish of 20.167, has completed 751 of 873 of the laps contested and has led six laps.

Welcome Aboard … 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Country Fair and Price Chopper as partners for this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen. Country Fair branding will adorn the TV panel of Wallace’s No. 66 Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s race, while Price Chopper logos will be displayed on the lower rear quarter panels.

Last Time at The Glen … Wallace scored a career-best ninth-place in the 2010 running of the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. The finish placed him alongside road racing ace Ron Fellows and Brad Keselowski as the only drivers to score top-ten finishes at Road America and Watkins Glen last season.

Last Time Out … A yeoman’s effort by Wallace and the No. 66 5-Hour Energy team in last Saturday night’s U.S Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway afforded the 23-year-old driver an eighth-place finish, his second top-10 showing in four tries at the Midwest oval.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Watkins Glen … In 11 previous Nationwide Series starts at Watkins Glen, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have recorded one pole (Kenny Wallace, 6/92), one top-five and three top-10 finishes, and have been atop the leaderboard for 10 laps.

Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 22 of 34 races completed thus far in the 2011 season, Rusty Wallace Racing’s three NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded a combined two top-five, 10 top 10 and 23 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 8,756 of 9,102 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 19 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Wallace.

Welcome Home, Eddie … Eddie D’Hondt, Jr., mechanic and rear tire carrier, is the only native New Yorker on the No. 66 5-Hour Energy team. D’Hondt was born and raised in East Islip, located about 300 miles east of Watkins Glen.

Steve Wallace - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I always seem to run well every time we race at Watkins Glen, but the finishes don’t always show that. In 2008, we were running fourth with just a few laps to go, and we ran out of gas. I really enjoy the track, the area and the history of the place. I’ve gotten accustomed to it over the years, and I always look forward to coming back.” – Steve Wallace on racing at Watkins Glen International

ABOUT RUSTY WALLACE RACING, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

ABOUT LIVING ESSENTIALS, LLC

Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in two-ounce liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

May 21, 2011

Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the NSCS Garage - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images for NASCAR

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.

We’re also welcomed by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. who, as we previously announced, was the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote.

THE MODERATOR: Dale, 2.4 million votes cast. Talk about what that means?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: I thank not only my fans, but all the fans that voted. I know my fans worked really hard. I kept up on the Internet about the temperature they had about it. They were committed pretty hard. So I appreciate the help.

We did struggle a little bit today. We hit on some things right there at the end that made the car a good bit faster. I was really happy with the speed on the last run.

Just a short race, starting so far back, we knew we were going to have to probably take no tires on that halfway break. I knew the guys were in front of me, if I couldn’t get by them in the first 20, were going to do the same thing. That dirty air was pretty bad.

Running pretty good on the second segment. David and the 27 were side by side in front of me. I started plowing, getting real, real tight, ended up losing the nose. Got a break to change it under caution with 13 to go. The last run was really good.

We’ll open it up for questions for Dale Jr. in the media center.

Q. Now that you have it in the bag, was there ever any doubt that you weren’t going to win the fan vote in your mind?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Sure. Generally anytime there’s a contest, they don’t announce the winner, there’s no guarantees.

I see it a whole lot different from this side of the fence than a lot of people do. I didn’t take it for granted. I knew my fans were working really hard. They’ve done a great job over the last several years of locking up the most popular driver award. All the credit goes to them. They do all the work, support us so much, really believe in what we’re trying to accomplish.

It makes going out there and working harder and harder to try to get where you want to be, be more successful, be a better competitor when you got that many people behind you.

Q. Do you think your car is good enough to challenge in this next race?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: That last run was pretty fast. Last lap was a 55. It was about a second quicker than the people behind me, half a second faster than the two guys in front of me, about 3/10ths better than the leader.

I think we made it better. The speed’s there. We were practicing yesterday, and my biggest problem right now, and I think I’ll still have it going into this race, is we don’t have any speed the first four laps. For some reason, I don’t like the way the car feels on sticker tires. So we run about the same lap time. The car doesn’t fall off too bad. It doesn’t in practice.

We just cycled it so many times there. We had that caution in that first 20 lapper, that’s a cycle. We didn’t pit for tires. We were behind about three cars in front of us in the dirty air once we got restarted. It kills the front tires. As we saw yesterday, every time you go back out, you make big changes to free the car up, just gets getting tighter, and tighter every time you’d come in the garage and go back out.

Hard to tell if you’re helping your car. That last run, the lap times were really, really good. I think the track is coming in that direction as far as how my car handles, gripping up front a little bit. We’ll go out there and run hard. Practically we’ll get out there and mix it up a little bit.

There’s going to be some really fast cars. We pretty much know from this last race that we didn’t have the speed to go out there and win that race. So that’s definitely stating the obvious: I don’t know if we have enough for some of those guys in the field for this race. We’re going to go out there and try. We did improve the car. We’ll make some more changes. We have time in this race.

As much as I think that first segment is really kind of unnecessary, it’s going to give an opportunity for a team like us to work on the car and get it better.

Q. Rick said before the race you are close on a contract extension.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Did he say something?

Q. Yes.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Whatever he said is probably true (laughter).

We’ve been talking on the phone a little bit, just kind of saying what we think. I’m excited to be where I am. From my heart, it’s an amazing organization. There’s some great, great people there. I’ve learned a lot being around there. It’s made me a better person.

We still got a lot of things we would like to accomplish on the racetrack. If I get the opportunity to stick around, I’m definitely excited about that. We’ve just been talking about it. Hopefully I don’t think we’ll have any trouble working things out.

THE MODERATOR: Dale Jr., thank you very much. Congratulations on the 2011 Sprint Fan Vote. Good luck tonight.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.: Thank you.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

About Chevrolet: Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

- Team Chevy, Press Release

2011 NNS Robert Richardson Jr - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

But, the No. 23 North Texas Pipe Dodge team of R3 Motorsports did take away some good points from Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. And, driver Robert Richardson, Jr. completed his first race there since 2008 in the process.

After two practice sessions on Friday to learn the track and improve their car, Richardson laid down a qualifying lap on Saturday morning 3/10ths faster than his best practice lap. This lined him up 31st on the starting grid.

When the race started, Kyle Busch pretty much checked out and the engraver started putting his name on the trophy right away. He started lapping cars only 15 circuits into the race on the one-mile oval.

Richardson and crew chief Walter Giles kept communicating what the car was doing during the race as they prepared for the first pit stop. They didn’t get a chance to make adjustments until the first caution waved on lap 53 when Richardson was running 29th.

After hitting pit road, lap times started to pick up as the McKinney, Texas native negotiated the tricky layout of Phoenix.

Two more cautions allowed for adjustments and tires, but they were so far and few between that the team was limited in how many changes they could make during the race. As the laps ticked down, several cars were left on their own lap disallowing any improvement in the running order.

When the checkered flag waved, Richardson did pick up enough spots to finish 24th and earn some valuable driver and owner’s points for the team. As the NNS heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway next weekend, Richardson is 20th in driver’s points, five behind 19th, and R3 Motorsports in 31st in owner’s points trailing 30th by four markers.

Robert Richardson, Jr. quotes: “That was a pretty uneventful race we ran there in Phoenix. The green flag runs were so long we didn’t get a chance to really make enough adjustments and gain positions. There was a bunch of us who were left on our own lap there towards the end and we couldn’t improve our spot in the running order. Our car got faster and I was more comfortable getting around the track than when we first started, so we’ll take that bit of good news from this race. But, they’re going to tear it up and re-configure it before we come back in the fall, anyhow.

“We would have liked to finish better, but it’s good to know the team is all on the same page and really liking what we’ve seen in improvements. We moved up in both the driver and owner’s standings, now we just need to go to Vegas and have a good, solid run and move up some more. I’ve been to that track a few times, so I’m looking forward to getting back there.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

Date: Feb. 19, 2011

Event: DRIVE4COPD 300 (Round 1 of 34)

Series: NASCAR Nationwide Series

Location: Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (2.5-mile oval)

Start / Finish: 14th / 1st (Running, completed 120 of 120 laps)

Winner: Tony Stewart of Kevin Harvick Inc. (Chevrolet)

Tony Stewart (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The .007 of a second margin of victory was the third closest finish in Nationwide Series history and the closest in series history at Daytona since the introduction of electronic scoring in 1993. It was also Stewart’s sixth win in the February Nationwide Series race at Daytona in the last seven years.

“Wow is the first thing,” said Stewart, who now has 16 total victories at Daytona, which ties him for second on the track’s all-time win list with Bobby Allison, 18 wins behind the legendary Dale Earnhardt (34). “It’s going to take a while to get to 34. It’s a pretty cool feeling to know we’ve closed in on something he’s done here. This was his playground. You just watched him play with guys here. He was the best at this place. To even be remotely close to him in the record books, in anything here, is very humbling.”

Beyond the statistics, Stewart’s win was equally impressive in the fashion for which it was done. The driver of the No. 4 Oreo / Ritz Chevy overcame a flat right-rear tire late in the race, and he restarted in 11th on lap 114 of the 120-lap contest.

“I knew we had a good car in practice,” Stewart said. “We didn’t qualify as good as we were hoping for (14th), but we were pretty sure we knew that we were going to race a lot better than we practiced.”

Stewart and Bowyer spent most of the race as drafting partners. With new asphalt at Daytona for the first time since 1979, the fastest way around the 2.5-mile oval meant being a part of a two-car tandem.

The duo drafted together for the majority of the race, which each driver swapping spots every so often so that neither of their car’s engines would overheat. Stewart wound up leading five times for 13 laps, and Bowyer eight times for a race-high 40 laps.

Their plan was to stay together and battle it out at the end – which they did, but not without a hiccup.

With the race under caution on lap 106, Stewart’s spotter, Bob Jeffrey, noticed from high atop the frontstretch grandstands that the right-rear tire on Stewart’s Oreo / Ritz machine was flat. But with the caution out, Stewart was able to nurse his way back to pit road without the flat tire coming apart and harming the wind-tunnel sculpted fenders of his Chevy Impala.

With four fresh Goodyears, Stewart returned to action in 11th-place with only six laps remaining. He wasn’t worried, for just before the green flag dropped for the final sprint to the finish, Stewart told his team that as long as he had help from a “good pusher,” he had “a lot of time to get done what I need to get done.”

And “get it done” is just what Stewart did.

With the Chevrolet of Landon Cassill pushing him, Stewart shot through the field, narrowly missing a spinning Joey Logano off turn one on the final lap. Cassill stayed on Stewart’s bumper off turn two and onto the backstretch, whereupon they set their sights on the leaders, which consisted of Bowyer in first and Dale Earnhardt Jr., in second.

Knowing that Stewart was coming quickly, Bowyer attempted to move up and block Stewart as he came out of turn four, but it wasn’t enough. Stewart’s momentum was too strong, and he edged Bowyer in a dramatic finish.

Tony Stewart salutes the fans during a victory lap after winning the Drive4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. - Photo Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

“Landon pushed and pushed and pushed and did a really good job. We got that momentum built. We never had to check up. We never were in a scenario at the end where we had to break that momentum. We just ran ‘em down, and got there in just enough time.”

It was a 1-2 finish for KHI, but the third team driver, Elliott Sadler, was unable to make it a podium finish as he was taken out in a multi-car crash on lap 25. He finished 38th.

Cassill came home third to notch his career-best Nationwide Series result, while Earnhardt and Reed Sorenson rounded out the top-five. Jason Leffler, Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Michael Waltrip and Trevor Bayne comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 23 laps, with 11 drivers failing to finish.

The next event on the Nationwide Series schedule is the Feb. 26 Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. The race starts at 5:30 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by ESPN2 beginning with its pre-race show at 5 p.m.

- True Speed Communication on behalf of Stewart-Haas Racing Press Release

Jason Bowles, driver of the No. 75 Rusty Wallace Racing Experience Toyota Camry, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on January 29, 2011 in Irwindale, California. (Photo by Todd Warshaw / Getty Images for NASCAR)

Bowles got the lead on the race’s final restart and held off DJ Kennington through the final eight laps. The win for Bowles, the 2009 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, came in front of a sold-out crowd at NASCAR’s premier short-track event.

While he was a three-time winner at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) in his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West career, Bowles’ best finish in the three previous starts in the ‘Daytona 500 of short-track racing’ was a third in 2009.

Kennington, the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, drove to a runner-up finish in his debut at Irwindale. Jonathon Gomez finished third, while Luis Martinez Jr. and Johnny Borneman rounded out the top five.

Making his NASCAR debut, action sports star Travis Pastrana finished sixth, followed by Derek Thorn, Travis Motley, Moses Smith and NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Steve Wallace.

The race featured five lead changes among five drivers and was slowed by 11 cautions.

Coors Light Pole Award winner Thorn was on cruise control in the first segment, with a two-second lead as the competition caution came out for the first of two 10-minute breaks.

Out of the first break, Andrew Myers quickly became the dominant car. Myers built a five-second lead as the second break approached, but a punctured tire brought him to pit road on Lap 190, and he never recovered.

Paulie Harraka, who assumed the lead when Myers relinquished it, was running at the front on Lap 206 after the final break. Coming through Turn 4, Thorn made contact with the left rear of Harraka’s car, spinning him out of the lead. Thorn was penalized to the tail end for aggressive driving, while Bowles took over the lead.

Bowles’ first lead of the race was short-lived as Greg Pursley got past him on the ensuing restart. Pursley couldn’t make it last, however, as he broke down on Lap 217. From there, it was Bowles’ race to win.

Sean Woodside got his 2011 season off to a good start with a win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model race earlier in the evening at Irwindale. Woodside, from Saugus, Calif., held off former Toyota Speedway track champion Nick Joanides in a green-white-checkered finish for the victory. The 1999 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion took the lead on the first lap and remained out front the rest of the way.

NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN-NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (9) Jason Bowles, Ontario, Calif., Toyota, 225 laps, 61.401 mph, $30,000.

2. (15) D.J. Kennington, St Thomas, Ontario, Toyota, 225, $26,000.

3. (14) Jonathon Gomez, Twin Falls, Idaho, Chevrolet, 225, $17,000.

4. (27) Luis Martinez, Jr., Long Beach, Calif., Ford, 225, $16,250.

5. (37) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif., Ford, 225, $16,000.

6. (20) Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, Md., Toyota, 225, $10,000.

7. (1) Derek Thorn, Lakeport, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $12,200.

8. (23) Travis Motley, Tucson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 225, $8,500.

9. (21) Moses Smith, Tempe, Ariz., Toyota, 225, $9,200.

10. (16) Steve Wallace, Greensboro, N.C., Toyota, 225, $7,750.

11. (12) Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico, Dodge, 225, $7,500.

12. (25) German Quiroga, Mexico City, Mexico, Toyota, 225, $13,250.

13. (18) Andrew Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford, 225, $6,500.

14. (36) Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet, 225, $6,250.

15. (39) Lucas Lasserre, Pau, France, Chevrolet, 225, $6,000.

16. (24) Paulie Harraka, Wayne, N.J., Toyota, 224, $6,800.

17. (38) Ryan Philpott, Tracy, Calif., Ford, 224, $5,700.

18. (22) Taylor Cuzick, Tolleson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 223, $5,600.

19. (30) Travis Milburn, Eagle, Idaho, Chevrolet, 223, $6,550.

20. (2) Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif., Ford, 223, $6,500.

21. (5) Michael Self, Park City, Utah, Chevrolet, 222, $6,400.

22. (8) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Chevrolet, 222, $11,300.

23. (28) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet, 220, $11,850.

24. (35) Dale Quarterley, Westfield, Mass., Chevrolet, 213, accident, $5,200.

25. (31) Troy Ermish, Fremont, Calif., Chevrolet, 212, accident, $6,150.

26. (40) Cole Cabrera, Exeter, Calif., Chevrolet, 208, accident, $5,100.

27. (10) David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif., Chevrolet, 205, accident, $6,100.

28. (7) Jason Fensler, Wilton, Calif., Chevrolet, 205, accident, $5,100.

29. (3) Sean Caisse, Pelham, N.H., Ford, 163, ignition, $5,100.

30. (19) Ruben Rovelo, Mexico City, Mexico, Dodge, 63, accident, $11,100.

31. (13) Darrell Wallace, Jr., Mobile, Ala., Toyota, 61, engine, $11,100.

32. (4) Brennan Newberry, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 52, accident, $5,000.

33. (17) Spencer Gallagher, Las Vegas, Nev., Chevrolet, 48, accident, $5,000.

34. (6) Max Gresham, Griffin, Ga., Dodge, 26, accident, $11,000.

35. (11) Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif., Toyota, 26, accident, $6,000.

36. (34) Greg Rayl, Roseville, Calif., Ford, 18, engine, $6,000.

37. (33) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H., Chevrolet, 6, overheating, $11,000.

38. (26) Auggie Vidovich, Lakeside, Calif., Chevrolet, 3, engine, $6,000.

39. (29) Sergio Pena, Winchester, Va., Ford, 3, engine, $11,000.

40. (32) Miguel Paludo, New Silver, Brazil, Ford, 2, engine, $11,000.

Race Statistics

Time of Race: 1 hour 49 minutes 56 seconds

Margin of Victory: .501 seconds

Fastest Qualifier: D.Thorn (98.178 mph, 18.334 seconds)

Caution Flags: 11 for 53 laps.

Lead Changes: 5 among 5 drivers.

Lap Leaders: D. Thorn 1-102; A. Myers 103-191; P. Harraka 192-205; J. Bowles 206-210; G. Pursley 211-217; J. Bowles 218-225.

- Integrated Marketing Communications Press Release

Panhandle Motorsports

Panhandle Motorsports continues to make “firsts” at NASCAR tracks – this time at the last race weekend of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Camping World Truck Series Ford 200 (NCWTS) under the lights on Friday, November 19th. It’s also the first race at the 1.5-mile oval in the NCWTS for driver Johanna Long.

The start will be her seventh NCWTS race this year, after three starts with Billy Ballew Motorsports where she logged two top 20 finishes – her best at ORP in July with 17th; and three starts with Panhandle Motorsports at Las Vegas, Martinsville and Texas. In all six of her starts, Long has qualified in the top 20 – the fastest coming at Texas Motor Speedway, qualifying 9th & making history as the highest-qualifying female at that track.

Miami Brings the “Heat” – Long Brings the “Chill”

A Blizzard Series Champion in late models, Johanna, first and foremost, looks to continue her Truck education at Texas with a veteran crew. However, noting that she’s following her Homestead-Miami Speedway attempt by racing one of the biggest late model finales of the year – the Snowball Derby -the team felt it would be appropriate to pay homage. The No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra will sport a Five Flags Speedway / Snowball Derby decal for the truck race on Friday.

“I love to race the trucks, it has been quite an education this year – complete with highs and lows,” said Johanna. “After focusing so much on speedway development for me, I can’t wait to get back to a little short track racing. There is just nothing like the Derby – it’s where I came from, it’s my hometown (Pensacola, Fl). I’m happy to showcase the spirit of that whole weekend on my truck at Homestead. I don’t have lucky charms or superstitions, but maybe it will bring a little bit of luck to us!”

Tweet All About It!

A longtime Twitter user, Johanna will be hosting her second “Fan Tweetup” at Homestead Miami Speedway on Friday. Held at the Homestead Miami Speedway Fan Display at the track at 12:30pm ET, she’ll meet and greet with Twitter fans and talk shop. .

Onwards & Upwards for Bright 18-year-old

Hopeful for a Rookie season next year, Johanna is actively seeking sponsors for the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule. “This year has been amazing – to be able to get to some of the biggest tracks on the schedule – and I’d love to really show what a full year can do for my development,” she said. While I’ve got to focus on my schoolwork and finishing high school, it’s important to me to follow my dreams in NASCAR. We’ll keep trying – and if you have a company that wants to come on board, give me a call!”

A Cowboy in the Tropics – with Two Indians

Panhandle Motorsports is again enlisting the help of veteran crew chief Kevin ‘Cowboy’ Starland, who will be handling the truck chief duties for the No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra. Starland, well-known as crew chief for the No.15 Billy Ballew Motorsports (BBM) truck, has the benefit of working with drivers such as Johnny Benson, Steven Wallace & Nelson Piquet, Jr. He will also be joined at Homestead-Miami by two new “honorary crew members” – Girl Scouts Tropical Florida Council. As part of the partnership with the Girl Scouts through the weekend, the girls will have a chance to learn the ins and outs of being part of a NASCAR crew.

Chassis Info:

No. 20 Panhandle Motorsports Toyota Tundra: Chassis No.02, built by Kyle Busch Motorsports & Triad Technologies. Second track appearance by this chassis – the first being at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September.

Team:

Crew Chief: Kevin “Cowboy” Starland

Chassis: 02

Race: Friday, November 19th, 2010 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Length: 134 laps / 201 miles

Track Layout: 1.5-mile oval

SCHEDULE:

TV: SPEED TV Prerace 7:30pm, Race 8pm CST; Radio: MRN Broadcast, Sirius NASCAR 128

- Girl Friday PR & Marketing Press Release

R3 Motorsports

This will be Richardson’s first start at the 1.5-mile oval in South Florida since 2007. Locked into the top-30 in Owner’s Points for the start of the 2011 season allows R3 Motorsports the opportunity to concentrate on one thing – go race. And, have fun doing it, too.

Speaking of, team owner Robert Richardson, Sr. has brought the shop guys down to join the road crew for some Florida sunshine. After the racing action on Saturday, the team is heading out deep-sea fishing to try their luck and lures in the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean first thing Sunday morning.

Fast Facts: This will be Richardson’s 69th NASCAR Nationwide Series race of his career. Through that span, the 28-year old native of McKinney, Texas has achieved six top-20 finishes with his career best finish of 15th coming at ORP in July of this year. This will be start No. 23 for him in the No. 23 this year, as well. This season, he’s achieved two of his top-20 finishes and completed 94.4 percent (3,901 of 4,131) of the laps contested.

Track Facts: Richardson will be making his second start at HMS, with the first taking place in 2007. In that event, an engine problem knocked him out of competition 139 laps into the 200-lap race. Having finished 20 of the 22 races this season, Richardson is looking to go the distance in the NNS finale for a good finish.

Car Facts: Steve Plattenberger and team will roll chassis No. 43 off the R3 hauler in South Florida this weekend. This car was last raced at Atlanta Motor Speedway with Robert Richardson, Jr. finishing 33rd after electrical problems sent him to the garage for nine laps. Before that, Alex Kennedy raced it at the first Gateway event where he finished 28th after getting a flat tire just eight laps into the race.

Did you know: The winningest driver at Homestead is the one and only “Front Row” Joe Nemechek? He’s been to Victory Lane three times (’97, ’99 & ’01) compared to Jeff Burton’s two trips to the Winner’s Circle in ’98 and ’07. In the latter event, Burton did set the mark for slowest qualifier (30th) to go on to victory.

Robert Richardson Jr.

Thoughts for the weekend in Homestead: “Well, it’s been awhile since I raced there, so the first practice is going to be real important for myself and the team. We’ll use that time to get our car dialed in to see how it handles through the turns. The second practice will be closer to the time we’re going to be racing on Saturday, so that will helps us with track conditions and how the car reacts once the sun goes down.

“I’m looking forward to logging some laps there and closing out this season on a good note. And, we’re going to treat the guys to a fishing trip Sunday morning. After all the hours, travel and hard work they’ve put in this year, they deserve to have a little fun in the sun. We did it last year and everyone had a good time. I think we even caught some fish.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

Zizzo Racing

POMONA, Calif. –

Whether it’s the Army’s sponsorship of NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher, the Navy’s past sponsorship of NASCAR teams such as JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnardt, Jr., or the American Drag Racing League (ADRL) and their partnership with the National Guard, the military has a strong presence.

In addition to being in the stands, veterans are also in the pits working on some of the fastest machines on earth and Zizzo Racing is no different. Ricky Dale, a native of Pleasant Prairie, Wis., is the cylinder head specialist on the PEAK /Herculiner Top Fuel rail and a ten-year veteran of the U.S. Navy.

“I joined the Navy when I was 17,” Dale said while preparing TJ Zizzo’s dragster prior to the first qualifying session at Auto Club Raceway Thursday. “I was in for ten years, went to the Mediterranean, I was an East Coast Sailor. (Served on) carriers, submarine tenders, loved it. Sometimes, I wish I would’ve stayed in!”

Dale said his respect for those who serve continues to this day. “I’m proud every time I see that American flag with the (color guard on Sundays) at the starting line. The guys in uniform walking through the airport when we go to the races, just want to say thank you, thanks for everything you’re doing.”

To see Ricky in action in the PEAK / Herculiner pits talking about his days as a Sailor.

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

NHRA nitro class qualifying is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m. local time Friday with qualifying continuing Saturday starting at Noon local time for Top Fuel and Funny Cars. Eliminations will begin Sunday at 11 a.m. local time.

Coverage of the 46th Annual Auto Club NHRA Finals is being carried by ESPN and ESPN2. Qualifying will air Sunday at 12:30 a.m. CDT on ESPN2 with eliminations airing on ESPN at 11 p.m. CDT. Eliminations will also be carried live online at ESPN3.com. For information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit NHRA.com or call 800-884-NHRA (6472).

About Zizzo Racing:

This year marks Zizzo Racing’s 30th year in drag racing. Based in Lincolnshire, Ill. and owned by Tony Zizzo, started racing in 1980 in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, moving to nitro in 2004 after earning his class license. In 2007, TJ Zizzo finished second in the final IHRA standings and now competes on a part-time basis in the NHRA Full Throttle Series.

About PEAK/Old World Industries:

PEAK® Performance Products are marketed and distributed by Old World Industries, which is among the largest privately held companies competing in the automotive aftermarket. The Northbrook, Illinois based company enjoys a presence in the automotive product markets, energy exploration, and chemical manufacturing in more than 50 countries worldwide. Old World’s Product offering includes PEAK® Antifreeze; PEAK® Windshield Wash and Wiper Blades; PEAK® Performance Motor Oil; a full line of PEAK® Electronics; HERCULINER® Truck Bed Liner Kits; and SIERRA®, the safer antifreeze. For more information, please visit www.peakauto.com.

Richard Childress Racing

Race: NASCAR 150

Location: Phoenix International Raceway

Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Notes:

RCR’s NCWTS History … In 156 NCWTS starts, RCR has earned 22 wins, 66 top-five finishes, 100 top-10 finishes and 21 poles, along with the inaugural series championship in 1995 with Mike Skinner. The organization has an average starting position of 10.3 and an average finish position of 9.7.

RCR History at Phoenix … RCR has 12 starts at Phoenix International Raceway with six different drivers, including Mike Skinner, Dave Marcis, Jay Sauter, Tim George Jr. and Mike Dillon, who currently serves as RCR’s Vice President of Competition. RCR has acquired two wins and one pole award in NCWTS competition at the track, with Skinner claiming victories in both the spring and fall races at the track in 1995, in addition to a pole award in April of 1996.

Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team Twitter page – @RCR3ADillon, Austin Dillon’s personal Twitter page – @AustinDillon3, the Official Austin Dillon Facebook fan page -http://www.facebook.com/adillon3, and Tim George Jr.’s Twitter page – @timgeorgejr.

Vote for Austin … Online voting is underway for the 2010 Most Popular Driver of the Year Award in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The link to the Most Popular Driver ballot is hosted on the NCWTS page on NASCAR.com and results will be announced at the combined awards banquet for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Nationwide Series on Monday, Nov. 22 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

Catch the Action … Flag-to-flag coverage of this weekend’s NASCAR 150 will be televised live on Friday, Nov. 12, beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on SPEED and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio at 7:45 p.m. EST.

Tim George Jr.

This Week’s Richard Childress Racing Development Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Tim George Jr. will pilot chassis No. 021 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck Series stable in this weekend’s NCWTS race at Phoenix. This chassis was purchased from Kevin Harvick, Inc. last year when RCR renewed its NCWTS program, and Austin Dillon raced this truck at Iowa Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2009, finishing 12th and 15th, respectively. In addition, Dillon drove this chassis to a 17th-place finish after starting fourth at Pocono in July of 2010, and tested this chassis as part of a Goodyear tire test at Pocono Raceway earlier this season.

George at Phoenix … George has one previous NCWTS start at Phoenix, finishing 29th in last year’s edition of the race after a lap-123 accident. This season, George has been focused on fulltime competition in the ARCA Racing Series, along with select starts in dirt and asphalt late models for Team Dillon Racing. He finished ninth in the ARCA Racing Series championship point standings this season with two top-five and five top-10 finishes.

Did you know … Prior to stock car racing, George was a road course racer and has extensive road course racing experience in the Grand-Am Rolex GT Series, Grand-Am Koni Challenge Series and the Skip Barber R/T Formula Dodge Regional Race Series. In 2008, George was named the Grand-Am Rolex GT Series Rookie of the Year. The Grand-Am Rolex GT Series teams he drove for in 2008 and 2009 finished third and second, respectively, in those two years’ Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Holly Calling the Shots … Veteran crew chief Harold Holly will serve as crew chief of the No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Development team this weekend. Over the course of his career, Holly has worked with a long list of drivers, including Bobby Hamilton, Jr., Steve Wallace, Johnny Sauter and Jeff Green during his run for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship in 2000.

TIM GEORGE, JR. QUOTES:

You made your NCWTS debut at Phoenix last year. What did you learn from that race that you can apply to this year’s event?

“Truck racing is tighter racing than in the ARCA Racing Series, and the field is a lot closer, talent wise. The vehicles have less horsepower, so a lot more momentum needs to be maintained.”

What is the toughest part about getting around Phoenix for you?

“Phoenix is a difficult place to get around. Flat turns seem to be more difficult for me, which is ironic given my road racing background. However, I’ve been working on some new driving techniques in the late model, so I’m looking forward to applying some newly learned skills at Phoenix.”

Phoenix is a short, flat track. Can you compare it to any other track you’ve driven on? What is the best option for getting around turns one and two?

“Phoenix is not really like any other track, but sort of similar to the test track at Rockingham Speedway called “Little Rock,” although it has even less banking than Little Rock has. Phoenix reminds me of turn 3 at Pocono a bit. It’s a difficult place, but I will be looking to my teammates Clint Bowyer and Austin Dillon for some direction. I will also have a different crew chief, so it may take some time to build up a productive level of communication.”

What are your expectations for this race?

“I’m looking to gain more experience, and to try to keep it on the lead lap in order to give us a shot at a top-10 finish.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

R3 Motorsports

With the team donating the entire paint scheme to Pink and Blue for Two, a cause that promotes men to receive regular screenings for prostate cancer, and women for breast cancer on a regular basis, they were feeling good about their race. With this being the fourth, and final, race in the new-style NASCAR Nationwide Series cars, they wanted to learn as much as possible to carry into next year.

Rolling off the starting grid in 41st position, Richardson radioed in the car was free on entry, but pretty good from the center off in the first few laps. Through several cautions in the early going, the decision was made to stay out and see how the car handled on longer runs.

Green flag pit stops ensued on lap 52 and Richardson came to pit road for his first stop on lap 60. Taking on four tires, fuel and making a slight air pressure change, he returned to action in 33rd place, one lap down.

The caution waved three laps later when a car glanced off the left-front fender of the No. 23 Chevrolet of R3 Motorsports and laid some debris down. Coming to pit road for four new tires, the crew looked over the dinged up fender and banged it back into place on lap 65 with no problems to the handling of the car.

Restarting 34th on lap 70, Richardson was running in heavy traffic two laps later. A car next to him took the air off his rear spoiler and he ended up spinning in the middle of turns 1 and 2. As he did so, the back end went up into the wall causing heavy damage to the left rear. The No. 99 of Ryan Truex was coming around and made driver-side contact with the sideways No. 23 causing even more damage.

Able to drive the car to the garage, Richardson said it felt like everything was straight and most of the damage was cosmetic. The talented R3 Motorsports team leapt into action and cut off some of the left-rear fender, straightened out the damaged decklid and bumper.

Using the welder, electric saw, hammers, drills, bear bond tape and rivets; the crew put the car back together as best as possible with Richardson returning to action by lap 118. Despite being 46 laps down in 36th place, he was able to take advantage of three other cars that dropped out of the race to pick up some valuable Owner’s Points and finish in 33rd place.

R3 Motorsports heads to Gateway International Raceway for the next NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday.

Robert Richardson Jr.

“But, when that deal happened to me out there in Turns 1 and 2 and I went up into the wall backwards, that pretty much tore up our car, and hopes, for a good finish. I have to hand it to the R3 crew, though. They fixed the back end of that tore up car and got us back out there to earn some more positions. These guys are great and it showed just how good of a team we are there when they made those repairs in the garage area.

“Be sure to check out PinkandBlueforTwo.com to learn more about the great folks we had on the car this weekend.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

ThorSport Racing

With five races to go, including ‘wild-card’ races at Martinsville and Talladega, Sauter isn’t ready to concede the championship just yet.

“When other guys say they had a good points day, I am actually mad,” Sauter said. “We’re here to win. That’s what we want to do each and every time we race. To me, the only good points day is when you win the race and lead the most laps. If we do that, the points will take care of themselves. We have two races coming up where anything can happen. We got caught out at Daytona and Martinsville earlier this season and lost a lot of points. If the same thing happens to Bodine there, suddenly we’re right back in the hunt with three races to go.”

While not focused on racing for points, Sauter sees an opportunity to do something for team owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson that many in the NASCAR community would have thought impossible: put both of the Ohio-based team’s drivers in the top five in the championship standings at the end of the season. Furthermore, Sauter has a chance to match – or even better – Crafton’s second-place finish in the 2009 standings.

“There are a lot of people who think the team being in Ohio automatically disqualifies us from being a legitimate contender,” Sauter said. “That’s not the case. We have a great shop with all the equipment it takes to build fast trucks. We have a great group of guys, some from Ohio and some who have relocated to Ohio from other parts of the country. Duke and Rhonda are committed to winning races and fighting for the championship. We have all the pieces in place; it’s just that we’re 400 miles away from most of the other teams.”

One of the biggest additions to the team has been crew chief Joe Shear, Jr. After joining the team last August, he not only proved that an Ohio-based team can attract top-level talent but gave the team a competitive spark. Once Shear teamed with Sauter for the Chicagoland race, they reeled off five top-five finishes in their first five races together including a win at Las Vegas. Shear’s leadership also helped Sauter improve from 14th in the series standings to sixth at the end of the season. With a win at Kansas already under their belt in 2010, Sauter and Shear have teamed up to again close the season strong; Sauter has eight top-five finishes in the last 11 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.

“It’s no secret we’re located in Ohio and we see it as an advantage rather than a detriment,” said ThorSport Racing Vice President of Motorsports Partnerships Matthew LaNeve. “Someone once said that seeing ThorSport Racing running for the championship was an anomaly, but this team has been on an upward trajectory for the last five years. Matt has improved each year and finished second in the points in 2009. Johnny coming on to drive the No. 13 truck instantly improved the team and made it a challenger not only for a top-five position at the end of the year but for the championship.”

LaNeve, who spearheaded the team’s sponsorship drive as the 2010 season kicked off, has seen much interest in the team from a marketing and partnership standpoint. He believes the team’s marketing and business model offers prospective partners a strong platform to market their products on the track in a cost-effective manner, doing it with a much smaller investment than other similarly positioned organizations.

“We are actively evaluating potential sponsors for 2011”, said LaNeve, who had previous experience in the NFL, NBA, PBR, and NHRA before joining ThorSport Racing. “Some of my previous experience involved developing some out-of-the-box programs with multiple sponsors and programs. We’ve adapted some of those programs to the NASCAR world and now we’re willing to implement a program that can give a proven return on investment in a performance-based platform. We know sponsors want that exposure from running up front and we’re confident enough in our performance to put our money where our mouth is, figuratively speaking.”

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

Turner Motorsports

Braun Racing fields four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – the No. 32, No. 38, No. 10 and No. 11 cars with a driver line-up that includes Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, Reed Sorenson, Jason Leffler, David Reutimann, Brian Scott, Tayler Malsam and Jacques Villeneuve. These four teams will join forces with the existing Turner Motorsports’ NCWTS entries – the No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Ricky Carmichael, and the No. 31 Wolf Pack Rentals Chevrolet Silverado, driven by James Buescher.

With the acquisition of Braun Racing, Turner Motorsports will field six teams in two of NASCAR’s top-three premier series. Plans for the 2011 racing season include three NNS teams and three NCWTS teams. The NNS driver line up for Turner Motorsports will be announced in October. As for the NCWTS teams, James Buescher will once again pilot the No. 31 Chevrolet Silverado with Ricky Carmichael also returning to drive the No. 4 Chevrolet Silverado. The team will operate out of Braun Racing’s current 88,000 square-foot facility in Mooresville, NC. Todd Braun, Doug Stringer and Harry Scott, Jr. will continue to be an integral part of Turner Motorsports.

“We are really excited about expanding Turner Motorsports into to the NASCAR Nationwide Series,” says Steve Turner, owner of Turner Motorsports, LLC. “We have been looking at ways to grow our team structure to provide additional sponsorship opportunities for our partners and to create new opportunities for our drivers. It became apparent that we could accomplish those goals by making a deal with Todd Braun and purchasing select assets of Braun Racing. We also hope that this purchase will allow us to continue to grow very positive relationships with the existing sponsors as well as the tremendous list of marketing partners that have supported Braun Racing over the years including Dollar General, Great Clips, AccuDoc Solutions, Iron Horse Jeans, BigSpot.com, ABF and Fraternal Order of Eagles. Braun Racing has put together a great group of drivers, crew chiefs and employees and they have put very competitive teams on the track. We look to help them get even more competitive as we move forward.”

“We are dedicated to making our Nationwide teams ultra-competitive,” Turner added. “With the introduction of the Nationwide Series’ ‘new car,’ we know that success will require a significant upgrade in infrastructure, technology and financial commitment. Going head to head in this series with teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Penkse Racing, we know that it will take a total commitment and we are prepared to make that commitment. Everyone at Braun Racing has done a really good job of building a solid program and we look to expand on that. Our NASCAR Camping World Truck Series program has been up and running for about a year now and we have made great strides with that program. Our goal for next year is to compete for dual championships in both series.”

Braun Racing’s No. 32 car is currently sixth in NNS owner point standings, only 167 points out of the top-five. The No. 10 car is 17th, the No. 38 sits 19th and the No. 11 rounds out the top-20 in owner points with its driver, Brian Scott, currently leading the NNS rookie-of-the-year standings. The team was created in 2002, running races in the ARCA Racing Series. The following year, they made their entrance into the NASCAR Nationwide Series and have since grown into one of the most successful independent teams in the series, producing four wins with drivers Jamie McMurray, Jason Leffler, Dave Blaney and Kyle Busch.

Turner Motorsports has experienced its own success in a short amount of time with drivers, James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael. So far this season, Carmichael is credited with two top-five and five top-10 finishes, while Buescher has produced five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. Last weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway, Buescher posted a career-best finish of second.

About Turner Motorsports:

Turner Motorsports, LLC, was established in 1999 and is currently in the midst of its inaugural full season of NASCAR competition. Co-owned by Texas natives Steve and Sandra Turner, the racing organization is operated out of a 30,000 square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., which houses two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chevrolet entries piloted by James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael. In addition, Turner Motorsports fields part-time entries in the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards, with Carmichael behind the wheel and a full-time USARacing Pro Cup Series team with driver Logan Ruffin.

About Braun Racing:

Braun Racing is a leading team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that was handpicked four years ago by Toyota to help lead their entrance into the series. The team is proud to have claimed Toyota’s first Nationwide Series pole on February 24, 2007 at California Speedway and their first win at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 28, 2007. Founded by team owner Todd Braun in 2002, the team is in its eighth season of competition in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and is expanding into a four-car operation in 2010 with an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, David Reutimann, Brian Scott and Tayler Malsam. Braun Racing’s marketing partners includes Great Clips, Dollar General, Beringer Vineyards, AccuDoc Solutions, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF, Iron Horse Jeans, Bigspot.com, Northeastern Supply, SEM and Safety-Kleen.

For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.teamturnermotorsports.com.

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

No. 36 Orchard Chrysler / Dodge / Jeep / Ram Dodge Charger

Brent’s eighth top-10 finish allows him to maintain the 10th position in the ARCA Racing Series point standings. With two races remaining in the 2010 season, Brent trails fifth-place driver Dakoda Armstrong by 455 markers, and ninth-place contender Tim George Jr. by 75 points.

Brent recorded the fifth-fastest time in Saturday afternoon’s sole practice session. A rare part failure at the end of practice saw the Allgaier Motorsports crew make major repairs to their No. 36 entry prior to qualifying. As the team worked diligently to make the repairs, they did not meet the deadline to be in line for final inspection prior to qualifying. Once Brent’s Dodge took its place on the qualifying grid, the July Pocono race winner ran a lap of 17.558 seconds, an average speed of 113.794 mph, to earn the 10th starting position for the ARCA Classic 200.

Before the start of the race, the Shelby Township, Mich.-native had to drop to the tail of the field as a result of their pre-qualifying repairs. Brent quickly worked his way through traffic and by lap 20, he was scored in the 13th position. On lap 51, when the first caution was displayed, the Allgaier Motorsports crew brought Brent down pit road for right-side Hoosier Racing Tires, Sunoco Fuel, and an air pressure adjustment. The pit crew helped Brent pick up three positions on pit road, and when racing went back to green flag conditions on lap 57 Brent restarted in eighth position.

Robb Brent

As green-flag conditions resumed and saw the laps click off, Brent’s Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram – Dodge Charger started to lose the handling off of the corners. Brent was told to adjust his line through the center of the corner to help, but as the remaining laps went caution free, the long, green-flag run saw Brent lose one lap to the leader. Brent made the most of his No. 36 machine, crossing the finish line 10th when the checkered flag waved.

“Salem Speedway is a tricky, but fun place to race at,” said Brent. “The Orchard Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram – Dodge Charger was perfect on short runs, but the long green flag run there at the end hurt us a little bit. My tires went a way and I was really loose off the corner. The Allgaier Motorsports crew gave me 100 percent today and the pit crew had solid stops tonight.”

Next weekend, the ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards will head to Kansas Speedway Thursday, September 30 for the 19th of 20 races this season. The 100-lap, 150-mile Kansas Lottery 150 airs live on SPEED at 5 p.m. EDT, with live timing and scoring and live audio coverage presented by ARCA Nation and the ARCA Racing Network at www.arcaracing.com

For more information on Allgaier Motorsports, please visit: www.allgaiermotorsports.com

For more information on Robb Brent, please visit: www.robbbrentracing.com

- Allgaier Motorsports Press Release

R3 Motorsports

Making their only trip of the year to the two-mile oval of Michigan International Speedway, the R3 Motorsports team will do so with a brand-new Impala for the second NASCAR Nationwide Series race using the new-style car. This one was built from the chassis up in the R3 Motorsports shop under the watchful eye of crew chief Steve Plattenberger.

Richardson is hoping his Irish heritage will come to good use in the Irish Hills. And, the team is looking to capitalize on the momentum of their top-15 and two top-20 finishes in the last three races, as well. Those accomplishments allowed the team to move up to 26th in Owner’s Points, with their sights set on the next three positions within reach just ahead.

Fast Facts: Richardson will be making his third-career start at MIS, 16th of the season and 62nd of his career. His best outing at MIS was last year when he finished 24th. To date, his best finish was 15th at ORP last month; which was also a career best and third top-20 of the year.

Car Facts: Plattenberger and team will roll out chassis No. 52, which will be making its debut in NNS competition. This car was recently taken to the 7 post for a thorough test to acquire more information for this weekend’s race.

Welcome home, Jeff: R3 Motorsports team engineer Jeff Kirkendall returns to his home state. He hails from Onsted, Michigan; which is a whole six miles from MIS.

Did you know: In the previous 18 NNS races at MIS, no driver has repeated as a pole winner. And, only two drivers (Jeff Burton ‘98 / Carl Edwards ’08) have won from the pole. The farthest anyone has started from the back was 38th (Ryan Newman ’05) to win.

Robert Richardson Jr. - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

What are some of your favorite things about racing MIS: “It’s a big, fast track that gives you multiple options in regards to where to race on the track. You can use the low groove, the middle groove and the high groove to get around there. This track is a lot of fun and I’m hoping this new-style car works well enough here to use all those grooves. As long as you can get good grip out of the corners and can keep your momentum down the straights, you’re going to have a good day.”

Speaking of the new car, you haven’t raced it since Daytona. What are you looking for this weekend: “I’m hoping it drives better than the first car we had for that race. It was heavier than what we wanted, so this new car should be a lot better. Steve and the team busted their butts to get this car ready on this new chassis, and having that 7 post time really helped, too. If we can roll off the truck and get all we can out of the car during Thursday’s test session day, we’ll be good to go for the rest of the weekend.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release