Tuesday

Conway’s First Impressions of Bristol: ‘I Forgot to Breathe’

Filed under Press Releases, Sprint Cup Series

Statesville, N.C. (March 16, 2010) – Leading NASCAR Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate Kevin Conway and the No. 37 ExtenZe Racing team are looking to lock themselves into the top-35 in owner points this weekend when they head to the .533-mile Bristol (Va.) Motor Speedway this weekend for Sunday’s running of the Food City 500.

The Bristol events are two of the most anticipated races of the season. This high-banked, concrete-surfaced, half-mile track surrounded by towering grandstands is unlike any other track on the circuit. In fact, there is no other track like it in the country and the racing defines short-track excitement.

Conway has two Nationwide Series starts at the track and will be making his first Sprint Cup Series start. Conway’s first start at Bristol was in 2006 where he started 33rd and went on to finish 43rd after an unlucky crash took him out. His second start came in 2007 when he started 27th and went on to finish one spot ahead at 26th. This year Conway heads to Bristol coming off his third straight Cup Series Rookie of the Race award.

ExtenZe Racing Driver Kevin Conway Comments on First Impressions of Bristol Motor Speedway:

“The first time I went to Bristol I was a little overwhelmed. I walked into the track and said to myself, ‘Wow, this place is unbelievable.’ You look around and it’s hard to compare it to anything else you’ve ever been to. It looks like a football stadium, but this little half-mile track is dug out in the middle. You just feel like you are buried in steel grandstands. It puts you in awe for a few moments.

“I think Ricky Rudd said it best when he said it’s like flying fighter jets in a gymnasium. The first time out there, my first few laps, I forgot to breathe. It was so intense. I was concentrating so much on the track and getting used to the banking and speeds that you forget everything else. I was out of breath after four laps, but it was fun.

“They have changed the track, and it’s no longer a one-groove track. There is a lot of room to run two-wide. The variable banking has made the outside really work and it’s great for us. I expect to pass on the outside, but I still think most of us will be working down on the inside still. You almost open up three grooves now and that’s better.

“I’m ready to get to Bristol. It’s going to be another challenge for us and an opportunity to gain more experience. We’re concentrating on staying in the top-35 in owner points. We’re tied right now, but hopefully by the end of Sunday we’ll be in good shape.”

About Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing:
Front Row Motorsports was formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins. Since that time the team has entered a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2010, Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing will partner with Ford and Roush/Yates Engines to field a three-car operation based in Statesville, N.C. The team will field the No. 34 Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil, the No. 37 ExtenZe Ford driven by Kevin Conway, and the No. 38 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing, Press Release