Ken Butler III

Ken Butler III came into Homestead-Miami Speedway hoping to bring home a solid finish in his final race with long-time sponsor Aaron’s. After posting the 28th-fastest time out of the more than 50 drivers who participated in qualifying Saturday morning, the entire Aaron’s team was poised for a solid run.

“The car felt pretty good,” said Butler. “The guys worked hard on the car after practice last night and we were able to pick up some speed this morning. I am happy with that lap; I think we have a great car for the race.”

From the onset of racing action, Butler reported to his Aaron’s team that the car was free getting into the corners and tight center off. The team used an early caution to bring the Aaron’s Dream Machine down pit road on lap 24 for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment and rejoined the field in 27th position.

The Aaron’s Outdoors Mossy Oak team used the next series of cautions during the first half of the Ford 300 to help adjust the tight condition Butler was fighting in his No. 23 Chevrolet. By the midpoint of the race he was running 27th, one lap down to the leaders.
As the sun began to set, the handling on the Aaron’s Dream Machine began to improve as track conditions changed. Butler had to make a green-flag pit stop on lap 147 for four tires and fuel and returned to the to the track in 27th position, running lap times as fast as the top ten, but plagued two laps behind the leaders.

Butler remained fast for the final 53 laps of the race but could never get the track position to make up a lap to the leaders. When the checkered flag waved to mark the close of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Butler crossed the finish line with his Aaron’s Dream Machine in 27th position.

“We didn’t get the finish I was hoping for today but 2009 has been a great year for me,” said Butler. “I have gained some great experience and learned a lot as a driver. I now know that I can compete with the top drivers in the world. It’s just a matter of getting the right car to compete in each week.

“I want to thank everyone at R3 Motorsports for everything they have done this season,” continued Butler. “The team kept getting better all year long. I also want to give major thanks to Aaron’s for all their support throughout the years. They have been a great sponsor. As we look for a new team and sponsor this off-season I can only hope to find another company as great to work with as Aaron’s has been.”

Kyle Busch clinched his first career NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship with a victory in the Ford 300. Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five.

Now that he’s completed his rookie season in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Butler will get a well-deserved break before turning his attention to finding a new ride for 2010. With Aaron’s not returning as a sponsor, Butler is currently seeking sponsorship to continue his climb through the NASCAR ranks.

- Butler Bros Racing. Press Release

Date of birth: May 2, 1982

NNS Entry: No. 23 Chevrolet Aaron’s Dream Machine

Wife: Jaime

Children: Piper, daughter

Venue: Homestead-Miami Speedway

Hometown: Lilburn, GA

Back in Camo: Ken Butler III will be back in Aaron’s Outdoors Mossy Oak camouflage colors this weekend. This will be the third time Butler sports the camo colors in NASCAR Nationwide competition. He was last seen in the camouflage paint scheme last weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

Homestead History: Ken Butler III will make his first career start at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend.

About Last Week: Ken Butler III had a strong run at Phoenix International Raceway last weekend until he lost power in the motor of his Aaron’s Outdoors Mossy Oak Chevrolet on lap 87. The motor problem forced Butler behind the wall and ultimately ended his day with a 32nd-place finish in the Able Body Labor 200.

Final Start: This weekend marks Ken Butler III’s last race with R3 Motorsports and longtime sponsor Aaron’s. He is uncertain where he will end up next season but has several teams interested in bringing him on board. Butler is currently seeking sponsorship opportunities for next season.

A Family Sport: Following in the footsteps of racing families such as the Allison’s and the Burton’s, Butler’s younger brother Brett is also working his way up the NASCAR ladder. With three starts in the Camping World Truck Series already under his belt, Brett will compete in his first CWTS race at Homestead Friday night at 7:30 p.m. on SPEED.

Fan Connection: Fans can keep up with all their favorite Aaron’s drivers on Twitter by logging on to twitter.com/AaronsSports. You can also keep up with the Butler brothers through their individual accounts at twitter.com/itsmeKB3 and twitter.com/BrettCButler.

Ken Butler III

Chassis Info: The No. 23 Aaron’s Outdoors Mossy Oak Chevrolet team will use chassis No. 30 this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This will be the sixth race of the season for chassis No. 30. It was last used at Kansas Speedway when Robert Richardson Jr. drove to a 22nd-place finish.

Tune in for the win: The NASCAR Nationwide Series will close out the 2009 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend. Live race coverage begins on ESPN2 at 4:00 p.m. EST and can be heard live on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio channel 128 at 4:00 p.m. EST.

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

No. 1 LoanMax Ford Fusion

Busy following the USAR Pro Cup Series, Brett has worked his way up in the Championship points to eighth place with two races to go. In the meantime, brother KBIII has been racing the No.1 LoanMax Ford in the past ARCA races, but Brett is here to finish out the season.

Brett undoubtedly has big shoes to fill at Kansas Speedway Thursday night. Last year, older brother KBIII set the track record in qualifying with a record time of 30.799 seconds at the 1.5 mile paved track.

“It’s exciting to get to compete on this track after my brother set the record last year,” said Butler. “I am really hoping to perform just as good if not better this Thursday with the LoanMax team. If I can carry over my momentum I have from the USAR Pro Cup series to the ARCA series, we will be in good shape. I am definitely looking forward to returning to the ARCA Series this Thursday night.”

With only two races remaining in the ARCA RE/MAX 2009 season, the racing will most certainly become more competitive and much more exciting as drivers compete to win the championship.

You can catch Brett Butler in the No.1 LoanMax Ford racing for the checkered flag in the ARCA RE/MAX Series Kansas Lottery 150 at Kansas Speedway. The race action will start live at 5:00 PM EST on SPEED. For more ticket information visit www.kansasspeedway.com.

ABOUT LOANMAX:

LoanMax is a pioneer in the title lending industry, being one of the first lending services willing to meet the needs of consumers looking for short-term financial assistance. LoanMax has offered access to credit to thousands of satisfied customers since 1990.

LoanMax is there to help hard-working Americans having short-term cash flow problems get back on track.

For more information on LoanMax visit www.loanmaxlendingservices.com.

- Butler Bros. Racing Press Release

No. 23 Aaron's Chevrolet Impala SS

On Friday, Butler took some time to visit with fans at Jay Richards’ Aaron’s store in Dover, DE. “I enjoy meeting the fans,” said Butler. “It’s something small that I can do to say thanks for supporting me.”

Back at the track on Saturday it was all business. Though the day didn’t start off the way Butler was looking for, he remained confident. After qualifying a disappointing 33rd, Butler remarked, “That’s not good, but we’re gonna be OK. The car is setup to race well, which isn’t necessarily the same way it runs best in qualifying.”

When the green flag dropped on Saturday evening Butler immediately knew he would have his hands full. “It feels like the left front tire isn’t even turning,” he radioed in to his crew.

The loose condition would continue throughout the early laps, pushing Butler further behind the leader and under pressure from the leaders, which can quickly cost you laps at a short track like Dover.

Then on lap 83 Butler’s day would get worse when he missed pit road while trying to make a green-flag stop. He would eventually come in on lap 86, but the damage had been done. The Aaron’s Dream Machine was now four laps down.

Ken Butler III

“When we started out, we were just too loose going into the corners,” Butler said. “The guys worked on the car and made it a little better each time we pitted. “Car was extremely loose entering both corners. I was holding on for dear life most of the race. The last pit helped, but we just ran out of time.

“I don’t have much experience here,” Butler continued. “So it was really important to get some seat time and bring home a decent finish. We turned a lot of laps, got a ton of experience and stayed out of trouble all day. We’ll definitely be able to build on this moving forward.”

Clint Bowyer won the event, with Mike Bliss, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards rounding out the top five.
The next race for Butler behind the wheel of the No. 23 Aaron’s Dream Machine Chevrolet will be the Dollar General 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on October 16. ESPN2 will provide television coverage of the event beginning at 7:30 p.m. (ET).

- Butler Bros. Racing Press Release

No. 1 LoanMax Ford Fusion

In 2008, KBIII started 16th on the 14-turn road course and finished 16th as well. This time around he will be looking to finish in the top ten for the South Jersey Building Trades 150.

This race marks as the 18th race of 21 for the 2009 season and the only road course on the ARCA RE/MAX schedule.

Ken Butler III

Along with the ARCA RE/MAX Series race, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup, Pro-IT and the Tri-State Vintage Stock Car Reunion featuring historic stock cars will be a part of the South Jersey Building Trades 150 weekend starting on September 11th and going through September 13th.

The road course action for the South Jersey Building Trades 150 will be this Sunday, September 13th at 1:00 PM EST at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ.

ABOUT LOANMAX:

LoanMax is a pioneer in the title lending industry, being one of the first lending services willing to meet the needs of consumers looking for short-term financial assistance. LoanMax has offered access to credit to thousands of satisfied customers since 1990.

LoanMax is there to help hard-working Americans having short-term cash flow problems get back on track.

For more information on LoanMax visit www.loanmaxlendingservices.com.

- Butler Bros. Racing Press Release

No. 1 LoanMax Ford Fusion

Toledo Speedway holds great memories with KBIII. This is where he received his first ARCA RE/MAX victory in 2007. He has also qualified inside the top ten at Toledo three out of four races since 2007.

This will be the second visit to the .5 mile asphalt track for the ARCA RE/MAX series in the 2009 season. However, this is the first time KBIII will be returning to Toledo since last October where he finished 11th.

Ken Butler III

Monday, KBIII will take the No. 1 LoanMax Ford around the one mile dirt track at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. This will mark the second race for KBIII on this track with the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

“Dirt track racing is very different from racing on asphalt,” said KBIII. “It’s a lot of fun and it definitely keeps you on your toes. I really like that the ARCA RE/MAX Series changes things up throughout the season by traveling to these dirt tracks. It’s good to mix things up and keep it interesting. You never know what is going to happen at the dirt tracks.”

The ARCA RE/MAX 200 presented by Federated and Belle Tire will be this Friday, September 4th. The green flag will wave at 8:30 PM EST. You can catch live timing and scoring on www.arcaracing.com.

To finish out Labor Day weekend, the ARCA RE/MAX Series Southern Illinois 100 will take action at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds on Monday, September 7th. The dirt track action starts at 1:00 PM EST. You can also watch live timing and scoring on www.arcaracing.com.

ABOUT LOANMAX:

LoanMax is a pioneer in the title lending industry, being one of the first lending services willing to meet the needs of consumers looking for short-term financial assistance. LoanMax has offered access to credit to thousands of satisfied customers since 1990.

LoanMax is there to help hard-working Americans having short-term cash flow problems get back on track.

For more information on LoanMax visit www.loanmaxlendingservices.com.

- Butler Bros. Racing Press Release

Ken Butler III

The fans are sure to get a load of racing action this Friday night at Chicagoland. Following the ARCA RE/MAX Series Ansell Cut Protection 150 will be the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

Last year KBIII walked away with a top ten finish at Chicagoland in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with Eddie sharp Racing. KBIII is hoping he can do even better the second time around in the No. 1 LoanMax car this Friday night.

“I am really looking forward to returning to Chicagoland,” said KBIII. “Last year I had a really strong run; I really think maybe this year we can get a top five finish for the night.”

Brett Butler, brother of KBIII is taking this night off to get ready for the big day on Saturday, August 29th when he will be marrying his fiancée Rachel in Stone Mountain, GA. KBIII will be missing rehearsal dinner since he will be racing in the Ansell Cut Protection 150 so the Butler family will be playing the race live on a big screen during the dinner.

“I really hate not being able to be at the rehearsal for my brother,” said KBIII. “I am sure they will all have a lot of fun. I will just have to catch up with them on Saturday for the wedding.”

The Ansell Cut protection 150 will air live on SPEED from Chicagoland Speedway this Friday, August 28th at 6:30 PM EST.

ABOUT LOANMAX:

LoanMax is a pioneer in the title lending industry, being one of the first lending services willing to meet the needs of consumers looking for short-term financial assistance. LoanMax has offered access to credit to thousands of satisfied customers since 1990.

LoanMax is there to help hard-working Americans having short-term cash flow problems get back on track.

For more information on LoanMax visit www.loanmaxlendingservices.com.

No. 23 Aaron's Chevrolet Impala SS

KB3 will begin his next lesson on the 1.25-mile, egg-shaped oval of Gateway with the first practice sessions on Friday evening. Qualifying is Saturday afternoon before they flick on the lights to race later in the evening. Even a veteran driver will tell you GIR is a tricky track to figure out. But, because of the summer time variations in heat and track conditions, it makes it a slippery slope to climb.

The R3 Motorsports team has been down this road, or track, with KB3 a few times this year. The good part is the Georgia native is pretty adept at picking up the nuances of the new surfaces. So, he and the team will look to make that happen one more time in 2009 this Friday and Saturday night.

Ken Butler III

WHAT DO YOU WORK ON MORE, QUALIFYING OR RACE SET-UP? “The good news is we’re in the top-30 in owner’s points so we don’t have to stress out so much on making the show. We definitely do some work on qualifying because we want a good starting position and pit stall. But, we try to see how the car is on long runs in preparation for the race. So, if I had to choose, I’d say we work more on race set-up.”

TALK ABOUT NIGHT RACING: “There’s something about the excitement level and energy you get from the crowd that transfers to me as a driver when we race on a Saturday night under the lights. The fans seem to be more riled up for the night races and that gets me pretty pumped up, too. ”

TUNE IN FOR THE WIN: You can catch all the NASCAR Nationwide Series action on ESPN2 this weekend beginning with Friday night’s final practice session at 9 p.m. (ET). On Saturday, qualifying will air at 5 p.m. with race coverage soon after at 9 p.m.; also on ESPN2.

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

Andy Belmont Racing Logo

Andy Belmont Racing and LoanMax have reached an agreement to field the No.1 LoanMax car for the remainder of the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Season. The schedule will be split between Brett Butler and his brother Ken Butler, III. The Butler brothers will be racing the No.1 LoanMax Ford Fusion with Roush/Yates motors.

Brett currently runs the full schedule of the USAR ProCup Series for the 2009 season as well. He will now join the Belmont Racing team this season to compete in the ARCA series.

This will be the second time he has raced under this team this season. Earlier this season, Butler took the wheel of a Belmont car in early February at Daytona International Speedway in the ARCA RE/MAX Series qualifying 25th and finishing 39th.

“I am looking forward to running with the boys,” said Andy Belmont, team owner. “I have worked with Brett before at Daytona this year. He qualified really well and was running great, when he got caught up in a wreck. He was really great to work with; I think we will do well.”

Andy Belmont has been involved with racing for 35 years. He has spent 11 years with the ARCA RE/MAX Series and has finished in the top ten in points most of those years. He stepped out of the car in 2006 and has been leading his race team ever since.

“Brett is going to be in a great car,” said Belmont. “This team has been on the poll at Talladega earlier this season and had great finishes with a third at Toledo and a sixth at Salem as well. The boys will have Wayne Carroll as their crew chief. Wayne was with KBIII when he got the pole at Kansas and Nashville last year in ARCA. So Wayne should work with these guys really well.”

You can catch Brett Butler in the ARCA RE/MAX Series this Saturday, July 11th as he tackles Iowa Speedway in the Prairie Meadows 200. The No. 1 LoanMax Ford Fusion will start the race at 8:00 PM EST. For ticket information visit www.iowaspeedway.com.

ABOUT LOANMAX:

LoanMax is a pioneer in the title lending industry, being one of the first lending services willing to meet the needs of consumers looking for short-term financial assistance. LoanMax has offered access to credit to thousands of satisfied customers since 1990.

LoanMax is there to help hard-working Americans having short-term cash flow problems get back on track.

For more information on LoanMax visit www.loanmaxlendingservices.com.

- Andy Belmont Racing Press Release

No. 23 Aaron's Chevrolet Impala SS

With three top-20 finishes to their credit this season, Butler (KB3) and team are hoping what they have learned so far will work to their advantage in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday. New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a relatively flat, one-mile oval that KB3 has never raced on before.

But, the good news is already in his favor in a few ways.

First, this isn’t the first time the Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender has had to race that way. Second, it was only a week ago he raced on the flat, one-mile oval of The Milwaukee Mile. Third, team manager Rob Fuller and his family have a ton of laps of experience in Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Modified race cars on their hometown track of NHMS.

Utilizing the information already in their notebooks, Fuller and team should have a set-up under the car making it good to go off the hauler. This will allow KB3 to concentrate on hitting his marks in practice and providing the information and feedback needed to the R3 crew to make it just right.

Ken Butler III

“Practice, hit my marks, take care of the Aaron’s Dream Machine and get a good qualifying spot are my first goals. After that, let’s see if we can top my career-best finish of 17th when the checkered flag falls. I know the fans in New England love their NASCAR, so I’m going to do my best to put on a good showing for them, the Fullers and Aaron’s.”

Chassis Info: The team will be utilizing car No. 42, used last week at Milwaukee and also run by Martin Truex, Jr. for DEI at Dover last year.

Did you know: The farthest back any winner has come from in the field is 26th, done by Buckshot Jones in 1998.

Tune in for the win: Speed TV will carry Friday’s practice from 1:30 – 3 p.m. (ET) and qualifying at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Race coverage will be on ABC Television starting at 2:30 p.m. for all 200 laps of action.

- R3 Motorsports Press Release

No. 23 Aaron's Chevrolet Impala SS

Starting 37th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, Butler (KB3) had a flat, one-mile oval to race on and 42 other cars looking to be just as successful as he was, too. Coming off two consecutive, top-20 finishes had the driver and team feeling good about their momentum.

Once the green flag waved, KB3 battled handling conditions through the flat turns and long, green-flag runs to achieve – and maintain – position. By lap 62, of 250, there were only 24 cars still on the lead lap. When half the field is already at least one lap down, that means drivers have to battle other drivers, the track and track position to succeed.

The Aaron’s Chevrolet team made their first pit stop, under green, on lap 80 and was already two laps down to the leaders running in the top-25. Taking on four tires, fuel and making air pressure adjustments, KB3 and the R3 Motorsports team were hoping to take advantage of some timely cautions to regroup the field.

It wasn’t until lap 125, the halfway point of the race, the first yellow flag waved for the field. Making another stop for adjustments, the team returned to action looking to move up through the field or utilize more cautions to keep their competition close.

However, the next caution didn’t wave until lap 193. By this time, KB3 was already one of four cars three laps down to the leaders. Basically, he was reduced to a four-car battle for positions 24th through 27th.

Two more cautions in the final 50 laps kept KB3 close to his competitors and allowed for some side-by-side racing action with other cars. But, within two laps on a restart it quickly became apparent the field would get strung out again. With only 11 lead-lap cars racing for top-10s, the rest of the field fought for what they could achieve in the waning laps.

When the checkered flag fell over the historical oval basked in lights, KB3 and the Aaron’s team registered a 26th-place finish. The good news from the event was they maintained their top-30 owner’s status and are now 29th on the chart trailing 28th by only 28 markers.

KB3 and the No. 23 Aaron’s Chevrolet team of R3 Motorsports return to action at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this Saturday afternoon, June 27 at 2:30 p.m. (ET) with TV coverage provided by ABC.

Ken Butler III

“But, like this Aaron’s team always does, we kept fighting and hanging in there doing the best we could as the laps ticked off the scoring pylon. The good news is we finished the race, which is always nice, and we were able to gain on the car in front of us in owner’s points. We’ll take what we learned here (Milwaukee) to New Hampshire next week that I know we can use because the tracks are kind of similar.”

- R3 Motorsports Press Release