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Homestead-Miami Speedway – November 19, 2011

- Denny Hamlin (fifth) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

- Camry drivers Brian Scott (ninth) and Joey Logano (10th) also earned top-10 finishes in the 200-lap event.

- Other Toyota drivers in the field included Joe Nemechek (16th), Michael Annett (19th), Kevin Conway (26th), Kenny Wallace (33rd) and Steve Wallace (34th).

- Four Camry drivers finished among the top-10 in the unofficial NNS driver point standings — K. Wallace (seventh), Scott (eighth), Annett (ninth), and S. Wallace (10th).

- Camry drivers earned 10 wins and five pole positions during the 2011 season. Toyota has recorded 64 victories and 54 poles since joining the series in 2007.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race?

“We struggled with our race car all day long and we had very limited practice time with the rain. Just didn’t have it today. It looked like all of the Roush cars were extremely strong. We just didn’t have the car that could hang with them in the end.”

How happy were you with your pit crew in tonight’s race?

“Yeah, this pit crew gave us a shot at it, no doubt about it. They were just an amazing pit crew. When you can gain us three spots and a clutch position like that, they deserve a lot of credit. They’re the ones who gave us a shot at it anyway.”

How are you feeling going into the Sprint Cup race on Sunday after two races so far this weekend?

“Good. I feel like we’re making strides. We just have got to keep digging. We’re a little off right now. As an organization I feel like we need to be better. Obviously, we’ve got a ways to go, but just have to thank everyone from Z- Line Designs for putting me in the car and obviously this whole 18 team for putting me in. Jim and Monica (Sexton, Z- Line Design owners) have done a lot for this program. FedEx, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Gillette and Wiley X. Couldn’t do it without everyone.”

Did you think you had a chance to beat the 60 car tonight to give Joe Gibbs Racing the owner’s championship?

“Carl (Edwards) had an extremely strong car. It looked like all of their cars were really good today. We just struggled with our Z-Line Designs Toyota. We felt like for the most part we had a fifth to seventh-place car for most of the day. It’s kind of where we ended up. The pit crew did an amazing job at least giving me a shot at it there at the end. We just couldn’t hang on. We just didn’t have the car for it today.”

Were you unhappy with the way your car handled during the race?

“I wish we had some more practice time. We were banking on that second practice. We just didn’t get enough track time with this car this weekend. We struggled. We struggled all day and just could not get the speed out of it that we needed. We ended up fifth.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 9th

Are you happy finishing the year with a top-10?

“I’ll take a top-10 to end the year. We fought hard ever since Daytona. We didn’t have the performance or the results that we wanted until about the middle of the year. This team — we flipped the switch. Kevin (Kidd, crew chief) and I really got on the same page and we started having good runs. We were a pretty good team the second half of the year. Definitely performed the last quarter of the year with some top-five finishes, and got a pole at Chicago. We’re going to focus really on the last part of the year and continue to build and do the things that we started doing at the middle of the year that will make us better to come back in 2012 and be even stronger.

I don’t see any reason why this team can’t make the progress through the off-season and come back with the yellow and black Dollar General car and have a team good enough to run for the championship. I feel like Kevin Kidd (crew chief) and I have a relationship that is on really good terms. We’re really communicating well. We’re going to continue to work through the off-season just as hard — if not harder — than we worked all year. Come back and be a really strong team.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 97 AM / FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 16th

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 19th

How would you look back at the 2011 season?

“Someone asked me the grade that I’d give this season — and I’d probably say a C+ — just because we started off so slow and behind. We made up a lot of ground throughout the summer and fell back behind it, and then made more gains. We know there are places we can make a lot of improvement in our program — mile-and-a-half tracks especially. So, that’s something we’re really going to work on in the off-season and come back on board with Rusty Wallace Racing and the No. 62. Hopefully, some more partners will come on board and help Steven’s (Wallace) car a little bit and that way can have a strong two car effort after the off-season.”

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 87 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 25th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 33rd

STEVE WALLACE, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 34th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

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KEVIN CONWAY, No. 97 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Starting Position: 20th

How was your qualifying lap? “We were real happy with the lap that we got for our Extenze Toyota Camry. For a small team like NEMCO Motorsports to come out and put an effort out against the mega teams — for a small handful of guys, it’s a really solid lap for us and we’re excited about tomorrow. It will give us a good starting spot and locks us into the show.”

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Scott Products Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Starting Position: 21st

How was your qualifying lap? “It’s kind of one of these things at Daytona and Talladega — it’s what these guys do to it to make the car go fast. I feel like what they did in preparation and getting it to this point was obviously the key and that made it be faster than some other guys. The race is a whole different strategy and a whole different thing, but hopefully it will be good.”

How do you think the rule changes will affect the racing? “I don’t know — at least we have cool weather this weekend so it probably won’t make that much of a difference. I think that as the race evolve and NASCAR makes a change, the teams are really smart and they always come up with a way to get better when they are presented with an issue like water pressure. It’s going to be hard to say because in a pack of 40 tomorrow will be different than what we practiced yesterday.”

MICHAEL WALTRIP, No. 15 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 23rd

How did your car feel in qualifying? “It’s good. I can tell it’s got great power — it never really runs out of power, which when you qualify at 170-something and race at 200 (miles per hour), you better not run out of power at 170 or something or you’re going to be in trouble when they throw the green because of the increase in speed. You can really feel the engine wanting to keep going and it’s a great feeling. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

What does it mean to run the special paint scheme this weekend? “It’s just an honor to say congratulations to my brother and it’s an honor to have shared some of the memories that we have together. I’ve never taken anything for granted. I’ve always just been a really thankful person. He (Darrell Waltrip) is the reason why I got to race cars. Maybe I would have thought of it on my own — I don’t know, but ever since I’ve been on this earth he’s been racing a car, so when I was born he was 16 and that meant he wa s out and on. I’ve admired him. I looked up to him. I respected him and I always wanted to be like him. The cool thing was that some 40 years later he never has let me down and he’s always been that guy that I wanted to be like. It’s just fun to say thank you.”

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 26th

How was your car in qualifying? “It seemed alright. That was the first time we made a lap by ourselves. It feels so slow on this big of a race track. You just kind of go around. But I think that was a pretty good lap for a Toyota to this point. I think we are one of the better ones as far as just single lap speed. Feels good to have a good car. We were really good in the draft yesterday. I look forward to that tomorrow.”

What do you think about before the race Sunday? “Just how to make sure you do the best you can in keeping the cars hooked together. Just all the little things you learn throughout the year doing this type of racing. Just trying to do it right and not make mistakes or not put yourself in a bad spot to the best of your ability.” – more -

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Starting Position: 27th

How do you feel about competing at Talladega? “I’ve got to thank all the guys on this NEMCO Motorsports Toyota Racing crew. This is the same car that we ran at Daytona — we started last in Daytona, drove up and took the lead, went back, came back to the front and on that last green-white- checkered, we got in a big sandwich there. Basically, we have a new body on our car. We haven’t been to the wind tunnel. Just tried to put it back like it was and we’re off a little bit from where it was, but we’ve had to work really hard and a lot of late nights getting this thing done. It’s fun coming here to Talladega. It’s a special place and I’ve got a lot of poles here. We just need some backing. If we can get some funding, we can get out here and compete with these guys. The way the plate rules are, I think it’s equal for anybody. You never know who is going to win and it’s like a chess match. Whoever can be in the right spot at the end is going to have a shot at winning. We’re doing all we can do.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 66 HP Racing, LLC Toyota Camry, HP Racing Starting Position: 29th

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 30th

How was your qualifying lap? “It was fine. It was just qualifying at Talladega and you just hold it wide open. Doing 200 miles-per-hour is always fun, but it was a decent lap. We were hoping to do better, but I think the wind has picked up a lot and I think that hurt us a lot.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 31st

How was your qualifying lap? “They restrict us down so slow and we have such a big blade on the back of these cars slowing us down and such a small restrictor plate that you do everything you can to just keep wheel out of the car, make sure you drive a straight line, use all the race track as possible on that first lap to try to gain speed and that’s all you can do. We’re running such a slow speed that there’s not much to it.”

Would you be in favor of larger restrictor plates? “We need to go a long way. I just feel like if you opened it up a little bit to where we could run 185 (miles per hour) by ourselves or somewhere in that range — you’re not going to be able to use the two-car draft. Then the peak speed won’t be as high because we won’t be in a pack. I’m in favor of opening them up. Make handling be more of a factor and get away from the two-car draft.”

Who will be your drafting partner on Sunday? “We’ve worked with the 39 (Ryan Newman) for the last three years or so on superspeedways and even before this pairing up started, we were always working together. It’s a good combination. It’s interesting that he’s got a faster car than what we have, but he’s not as fast pushing as what I am pushing him. There’s just something to that and we’ve scientifically figured it out.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 34th

How does the back-up car compare to your primary car? “The back-up car is just as good. It didn’t feel much different at all when we got out there. The first couple laps when we got out there, we got hooked up with Joey (Logano) there and he pushed at the exact same speed and got pushed at the exact same speed as the other car. The fast time in the other car came from a pack of cars where we sucked up on them and got a good run with them. Overall, we feel comfortable with this M&M’s Camry and it should be good for tomorrow. We will get teamed up with Joey and see how our day unfolds.”

Do you think about qualifying near Joey Logano so you can get hooked up early? “Not really — not at all. If Joey (Logano) ends up qualifying 12th and we end up 35th, it doesn’t really change anything. It’s just a matter of running at it the first little while in the race and then getting hooked up eventually. If we get separated a little we’re not worried about it. It’s the end of the race that you don’t want to get separated too much.”

Are Chase contenders more conservative in this race? “Typically, you want to get a good result out of here too. There are 22 or 25 cars that finish on the lead lap here so you certainly don’t want to be at the tail end of that. You still have to run hard and finish with a good top-10. I think if we can come out of here with a top-10, it would be like a win for us. Just to be able to move on.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 35th

Are you pleased to be starting near Kyle Busch? “We’ll be really close. We’ll work our way up there once the race starts. We didn’t expect to qualify very well and it is what it is here. It doesn’t really matter a whole lot where you qualify — we’ll just work our way up there and position ourselves and see how the race plays out at that point.”

What can you do to adjust on the cars during the race? “There is not actually too much that we can do. Maybe when you are pushing, you can try to make the car a little more stable or maybe some little things you can do to maybe get a little more speed in the car. For the most part we are just wide open and mainly just trying to find a way to work with the guy that you are working with and be able to work with Kyle (Busch) better. With the way we’re pushing and trying to find more speed doing different things with the driver in the car more than what you can do with the chassis of the car.”

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 36th

How was your car in qualifying? “It was okay. It’s really hard to tell anything. You’re out there by yourself and there is nothing exciting going on. I will try to have some meetings and stuff with the guys before the race and figure out some different scenarios that may happen during the course of the day and how we will react to them. Other than that, there is really not much else you can do.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 37th

How do you think the rule changes will impact the race? “Honestly, I don’t think it’s going to be a whole lot different. We could push just as long yesterday as we could in the spring. I think NASCAR changed the rules to keep us from pushing as long, but we’ve worked on our cars since then so it kind of equaled out and I don’t think it will be a whole lot different.”

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Starting Position: 42nd

How are you able to move up during the race at Talladega? “Depending on how well you can work with somebody — that really determines how you can do in the race. Not so much whether you have the fastest car, but who works well together and who can stay connected the most. It will be interesting to see how the first half of the race goes, but at the end if you have the right car then you can definitely get to the front. This is definitely one of those places where in five laps you can be leading this race if you get connected with the right guy. That’s the big thing tomorrow is to stay out of the mess and hopefully be connected to the right person and get to the front.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

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Charlotte Motor Speedway – October 14, 2011

- Kyle Busch (second) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

- Busch’s finish marked his 12th top-five result at Charlotte in 17 career NNS starts at the speedway.

- Camry driver Brian Scott also earned a top-five result with a fifth-place finish in the 200-lap race — his second top-five finish this season in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 11 Camry.

- Camry drivers Steve Wallace (13th), Kenny Wallace (16th), Michael Annett (17th), Joey Logano (19th), Ryan Truex (34th), Kevin Conway (36th) and Joe Nemechek (37th) were also in the field at the mile-and-a-half oval.

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

How was your race car tonight?

“It was really good on long runs. Slow on short runs — didn’t have enough under the hood to keep up. Got out-motored on that last restart and finished second.”

JASON RATCLIFF, crew chief, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What did it mean to run strong at a mile-and-a-half track after struggling earlier this season?

“We were really excited to have the opportunity to be up there. Mile-and-a-half tracks have not been our greatest tracks this year, but we’ve come a long way. I’m really proud of this team — this Z-Line Designs team and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. You know, we had a shot at it there and if we did everything right tonight the one thing that we struggled with a little bit is still the restarts. I think it’s just a product of horsepower, or you know whatever. And, those guys have been really good all year in that category. Kyle (Busch) did a great job all night. I don’t think he got beat there from a talent standpoint, obviously. He drove a phenomenal race. Just for us to be up there and be close and be in the fray is great. It was
a good night for us. Unfortunately, we came up one short. But, I’m really proud of Kyle and what he did and proud of this race team.”

What seems to be so tough at these mile-and-a-half tracks?

“It seems like we just always finish third at these mile-and-a-half tracks. These Dodges and Fords just seem really strong and they’ve got some of their set-ups figured out. We’ve been working hard on our set-up to get it better. I think we showed tonight that we did. I think at one point we had all three of our Joe Gibbs (Racing) cars in the top-seven and they were all three running strong. We just didn’t need to see the caution. Once we got the thing wound up and got it going, we could run with anybody, but we needed that clean air at the end and the 60 (Carl Edwards) got in front of us – it takes so much to get by him, especially on cold tires like that. If we had 10 more laps, who knows, maybe Kyle (Busch) drove up there and gave him
a little more run for his money. Just not enough laps left to get it done.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Doosan Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race tonight?

“We started off really not where we wanted to, but we were able to hang out right near the top-10. The pit crew did a great job always moving us forward on spots. Kevin (Kidd, crew chief) did good adjustments and that just kept us in the hunt until we could get our car right. Towards the end of the race we had our car pretty good and we were able to gain some more positions and have some more good pit stops. We just kept working towards the front from about the middle of the race on and we made it count at the end when it mattered. That was great and we were able to bring home a top-five for Doosan and it was great to have them on the car. They are such a terrific partner at Joe Gibbs Racing and our Camry was just fast when it counted. That’s all that matters.”

How much momentum does your team have following this run?

“We’ve had some really good runs lately. We’ve ran up there the last — seems like five races. We haven’t really finished up there a couple times — Kansas comes to mind and Dover comes to mind. We’re capable of running up there and now we’re getting more finishes up there. We’ve got a lot of strength with this team and we’re going to end this year really strong and we’re going to go into next year representing Dollar General and try to win them a championship.”

STEVE WALLACE, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 13th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Thank You Fans! Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 16th

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 17th

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 19th

How was your race car tonight and what happened when you hit the wall?

“We had a solid, strong top-five car. We could run third at times, fourth at times and we got up to second there for a little bit. Carl (Edwards) was really fast there at the end. I was doing everything I could to hold him off — I was doing anything. Since he got to the outside of me and the 6 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) was following him and he just went in right on my door — right on my door. I just lost control of it and spun it out — well, I didn’t spin it out — I just put it in the wall. Unfortunately — we were better than that. We were making progress because we haven’t been this good lately. We’ll take it.”

What happened between you and Kyle Busch on a mid-race restart?

“I was wanting a one-two finish there and was trying to get him. At times I was better than Kyle (Busch) and then Kyle got pretty good throughout the race and got his car a little bit better than mine. We were pretty close to each other all day. I think our 20 team has made progress over the last few weeks here and making our car better. Obviously, I don’t have the finish to show it today, but I think we ran definitely a lot better than what we have been so we’ll take that.”

Do you think Kyle Busch was mad at you from that restart?

“I don’t think Kyle (Busch) is mad at me. The only thing that bummed him out was that he was leading the race and the caution came out that cost him the win. I didn’t want to wreck my car so it hurt me worse even. It’s a bummer that we lost a win for Joe Gibbs Racing, but we’re doing all we can do. Just trying hard.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 99 Toyota Camry, Pastrana-Waltrip Racing

Finishing Position: 34th

What happened that took you out of the race?

“I just blew a tire — out of nowhere with no warning or anything. We just blew a right front. I hate it for these guys. They worked so hard to get this car built and now it’s wrecked. Frustrating night. We had a motor problem right from the start of the race. We were down on power. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if we broke a valve spring or what. We were way down on power so I would have to run the outside just to keep up with those guys. We were in for a long night either way and unfortunately we came up short.”

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 87 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 36th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 97 AM / FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stove Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 37th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

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Chicagoland Speedway – September 17, 2011

- Brian Scott (third) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Chicagoland Speedway.

- Scott earned his first career pole and led the field two times for five laps en route to equaling his career best NNS
finish.

- Camry drivers Ryan Truex (13th), Michael Annett (16th), Kenny Wallace (17th), Steve Wallace (18th), Joey Logano (19th) and Kevin Conway (24th) were also in the field at Chicagoland.

- Five Camry drivers are currently in the top-15 in the unofficial NNS point standings following 28 of 34 races in the 2011 season — K. Wallace (seventh), S. Wallace (eighth), Scott (ninth), Annett (10th), and Nemechek (14th).

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

How was your race?

“The time that a lot of guys took two tires and we took four really paid off in the long run. The way that the first couple cautions fell, I felt like the end of the race was going to be a long run race and it was. Kevin Kidd (crew chief) and all the guys on my Shore Lodge Toyota did an awesome job making adjustments — keeping us in it for the long haul. I think there at the end we were a little faster than Carl (Edwards), but he was a little better in the traffic, and we just got a little too loose. After some of the luck we’ve had and had a fifth-place run ruined at Montreal, to be able to finish third here is a pretty good day.”

What does this finish mean to your season?

“This just makes me more excited to hurry up and get the off weekend over with and get back to racing. We’ll go to Dover and hopefully have a good run — another track that I really like.”

How do you feel about today’s finish?

“I feel really good about our run. It’s good to be back in the media center to actually do one of these things — it’s been too long. It’s good to see your faces. We had a good day all day long. We got the pole, led the first lap, but the 22 (Brad Keselowski) was really strong. We knew we were going to have to battle him all day and we needed to get our car better to do that. Through series of good pit stops and good adjustments from Kevin Kidd (crew chief), we started getting our No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota where it needed to be and I think that the long runs towards the end of the race really played to our advantage and our favor and we were able to make up a lot of ground, pass a lot of cars and have a pretty good race with Carl (Edwards) there for second.”

What do you think is needed to continue to get good finishes like today?

“Just the consistency that we have in the team. To have a solid crew chief and the group of guys that we have on our team, and then to continue to put fast race cars on the race track. Racing with the Cup guys is the best experience that a Nationwide guy can get. You’re not going to get to that level unless you’re racing them. It took us a little bit to really hit on my feel for these new cars — going from the old Nationwide car and not having any Cup experience. But, we really have kind of started to find that and really dial in on it. Our performance has been a lot better than our finishes have shown lately. Today, I think it shows where our performance is capable of a team in a field full of a lot of Cup drivers. I’m proud of the effort and we just need to keep having runs like this to make it happen more often.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 20 Martin Truex Jr. Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 13th

How was your race today?

“We had a top-10 car. We just spun at the beginning there — I spun there — and we had to make our way back. The same as last week, but at mile-and-a-half tracks it’s a lot harder to make spots up than on a short track. We just battled back and forth — tight and loose.”

What happened when you spun?

“I don’t know if the 88 (Aric Almirola) got loose under me or what. I got hit in the left rear. I don’t know if he got loose or got pushed up into me, or what.”

Does it mean anything to come back from the early spin to finish among the top-15?

“Not really. We had a better car than that. We should have finished at least top-10.”

How are things working with Joe Gibbs Racing?

“Everything is working right. They have fast cars every weekend. Need to just not start off these races with such bad luck.
Last week it was the ignition. This week we spun out.”

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 16th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 17th

STEVE WALLACE, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 18th

JOEY LOGANO, No. 18 Sport Clips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 19th

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 87 NEMCO Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 24th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

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Bristol Motor Speedway – August 26, 2011

- Camry driver Kyle Busch won Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch crossed the finish line .019 seconds ahead of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano marking the closest finish in Bristol history.

- Busch’s win marked his 50th career NNS race win in 219 career starts — becoming the leader in all-time wins in the series.

- Tonight’s win marked the third consecutive NNS win for Busch at the half-mile bullring.

- Busch started tonight’s race from the pole and led a total of 186 (of 250 laps). Logano led once for 12 laps.

- Michael Annett (sixth) and Brian Scott (10th) also finished in the top-10 for Toyota

- Camry drivers Steve Wallace (14th), David Reutimann (20th), Joe Nemechek (21st), Kevin Conway (29th) and Kenny Wallace (36th) were also in the field.

- Five Camry drivers are currently in the top-15 in the unofficial NNS point standings following 25 of 34 races in the 2011 season — K. Wallace (seventh), S. Wallace (eighth), Scott (ninth), Annett (10th) and Nemechek (14th).

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

What did you think of the battle with Joey Logano in the closing laps?

“I don’t know where he (Joey Logano) came from to be honest with you. I don’t know where Joey came from, but he had a rocket ship there at the end. I just kept getting a little bit looser and a little bit looser the more we ran there. Had to protect the bottom there a little bit there and we just kept rolling the bottom because he wanted it. I thought that maybe the top wasgoing to win the thing — just trying to pinch him down a little bit. He used me up right here through three and four. I’m sure the fans loved. I’m sure they wanted to see him win too, anybody but Kyle (Busch).”

How does it feel to win 50 Nationwide races?

“It’s awesome. We had Mark (Martin) with us there in Loudon (N.H.) and just a phenomenal way to be able to win 49 races and tie Mark Martin and then to come here and be able to beat his record at Bristol — one of my favorite places and one of the teams’ favorite places. Certainly, an awesome race tonight. We had a great race car. Clint (Bowyer) I thought was going to get us and he was going to be the one we would have to beat. Turned out I had to race Joey (Logano), my own teammate there. Those guys had a great race car — congratulations to the GameStop guys. They had a really nice car. Can’t say enough about Toyota, Nationwide Insurance for coming along in this series with us — Gillette, Marquis Jets and the fans.
We love to come out here — we love it and we love to get to victory lane powered by NOS and going to be here all weekend.”

What were you thinking on the final lap?

“I knew his spotter (Joey Logano’s) was going to tell him, ‘use him up through three and four.’ So I planned on it and I knew he was coming. I was just hoping that the top side with the momentum would help me drag race to the start-finish line and beat him. We beat him just by a little bit so a little bit is all that matters.”

Do they need to name a grandstand after you at Bristol?

“One of these days.”

Where does breaking Mark Martin’s record rank in your accomplishments?

“There’s an awful lot of accomplishments and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where they fall. Certainly tonight’s a pretty big one. Just being able to race that hard and race against a teammate like that, knowing that he had just as good of stuff as I did. To barely beat him there at the end — if there was two more laps he probably would have got me. It was only 250 (laps) tonight so that was all we needed. Certainly, it was great to have Mark (Martin) with us in victory lane in Loudon (N.H.) and take some photos with him for tying him. Tonight was our night. Being able to beat him and get atop the all-time win list in the Nationwide Series was special for us as a team and for me as a driver and Samantha (Busch, wife) as well. This is cool and hopefully we can come back and perform again tomorrow night and do the same thing.”

Do you prefer a close battle or to run away with a win?

“I think blowing a field away provides more satisfaction because you know you just waxed their butts. For being as close as it was there with Joey (Logano) certainly we didn’t intend for it to be that close. Joey put on a nice run there at the end and came on us there a little bit to get right up to my bumper and then I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give him the inside or the outside. I kept getting a little too loose whenever I would go down to the bottom and try to run around the bottom of the race track there.

I don’t know if it was aero or him being so close to me or just me and the right rear just sliding out from under me. The middle was about the place that I could carry the most momentum and just carry the throttle and run down the straightaways a bit faster than he. I knew if it came down to a race where we were going to bang each other’s doors through three and four like it did, that getting back to the gas and just coming through turn four as hard as you could and making it back to the start-finish line, taking the momentum from the top side was going to be the way to do it.”

Was the racing between yourself and Joey Logano clean because you are teammates?

“Certainly it would have been a lot uglier had it not been a teammate. Who’s to say what would have happened, but depending on who you would have been racing with is how dirty it would have got. Certainly Joey (Logano) needed to do what he needed to do to try to win and all I can remember is going through one and two and down the backstretch and him easing up on my inside a little bit. All I can hear is Mark (Robertson), his spotter telling him right now, ‘Use him up, use him up.’ That’s all I could hear in my ears so I was planning for it the whole time and just knew if I could not let him run me too high and get me up in the trash then I could still try to turn and get back to the gas and get back to the start-finish line. I wasn’t sure how bad he was going to try to use me up, but just enough to where I would have done the same thing and he did what he needed to do and that was cool.”

JASON RATCLIFF, crew chief, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What does being a part of Kyle Busch’s 50th career NNS win mean to you?

“It’s exciting. We knew it would eventually come. It seemed like it was a tough one. To win and especially to win your 50th like that –one of the closest finishes as you mentioned is a big deal. Too close for me. The Z-Line car was good tonight and like Kyle (Busch) said, it was good right off the truck. We worked really hard on making it turn better and then we worked really hard on making it not turn so good all night long. Never really got it. It seemed like the more I worked on it, the worse it got. Kyle did a great job and I was surprised that Joey (Logano) — of course those guys, him and Adam (Stevens, crew chief) and the 20 team, they do a nice job every week. I knew if it went green he would start running us back down. I could see his lap times start picking up there. It was a fun race and it’s good to be a part of Kyle’s 50th win obviously.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What did you think of that battle?

“So close. It’s all you can really say about that. We had a good GameStop Toyota. Kyle took off there better on tires. We were on old tires there. He was freeing up. I was catching him through the traffic and the last lap I had a good one and two, got underneath him and I did everything besides wreck him to try to pass him there and, man, it was just so close. It’s frustrating when you’re coming across the line and you’re looking at his nose compared to yours and you’re like, ‘Agh,’ like three inches. It’s frustrating, but what a day for JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing). A one-two finish coming across the line that close rubbing doors. It’s cool. I just wish I was the one celebrating on the front straightaway now.”

Did you know Kyle Busch has won the race?

“Yeah, I knew it. It was close, but I could tell. We gave it our best shot. I did everything I possibly can do. Looking back at it right now, I don’t know what else I could have done to try to pass him besides wrecking him and that ain’t the right thing to do when he’s your teammate.”

Did you know how small the margin was?

“I know. I know it was that much. I saw it. It’s a frustrating deal. It stinks to be that close and you don’t get the win. It’s two times this year. Dover and then here that we’ve been so close to win these things and we didn’t put it together. Just when he got those fresh tires there, he was able to get by me with new tires and did everything I can to keep up and once the tires kind of equaled out, I was catching him through the traffic and then I got under him a couple of times, couldn’t clear him and I knew I had one more shot there on the last lap. My one and two was really good. My car was really good through that corner. Three and four, I was never able to clear anybody. I just wasn’t as good in that end. I made sure I got to door-to-door with him and I was going to slide it down in there and do everything besides wrecking him and I went in there and slid him up the
race track, bounced off doors and all. It was fun.

It would be a- lot more fun if I was the one in victory lane. Either way, it’s really cool for JGR. A one-two finish that close, rubbing the doors across the line there — it’s really neat. Man, I wish I had a couple more. I don’t know if I could have gotten one more lap, but I think I maybe could have gotten him through one and two if I had another lap there. Good car. Guys did a good job today with things. We’ll take it. We’re building on it. We’re getting better with these cars, so it’s good.”

Did you think you could get by Kyle Busch on the final restart?

“On the restart and he (Kyle Busch) was looking up on the topside pretty early. I was like, ‘Man, he’s going to get by me here and this ain’t going to be pretty.’ I started holding him off and shoot, I got a two-car length lead on him and kind of maintained there for a little bit then he moved up and found some speed up there. He drove right by me. I saw that I was starting to maintain and then in traffic I started getting a couple cars here and there. I saw that wad of traffic coming there with about five or six to go and it was about four or five cars and I thought that if they could just hold him up enough.

A lot of times they hold up the leader and then the second-place guy usually gets it easier. That’s what happened, but our car was faster at the end for sure. Between both of that, we were definitely able to get close. I wish I had a couple more laps. I think he was still slowing up and if we kept running laps then he was going to keep getting slower and I was going to get by him eventually. Just came up a little bit short.”

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot / Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

STEVE WALLACE, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 14th

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 64 Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 20th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 97 AM / FM Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 21st

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 87 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 29th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 36th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

No. 27 Schick Canada / Energizer® Canada Ford Mustang

Fitzpatrick, the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Runner-Up, had earlier qualified 25th with Carl Edwards, also racing a Ford, claiming the pole to lead the 43-car field to the green in the afternoon.

With just one previous race start under his belt at the 2-mile D-shaped oval, a Truck Series event back in 2009, J.R.’s hopes of a smooth outing in California were quickly dashed as handling issues presented themselves almost immediately. The Canadian dropped a lap down on the leaders under green on lap 51, pitting 10 tours later to make adjustments to car to stop it from pushing. He dropped two laps down exiting the pits courtesy of a caution but received the ‘wave-around’ to claw one back.

From there Fitzpatrick raced on the edges of the top-20, enjoying battles with Kevin Conway and Tim Andrews, keeping themselves in the mix for position while waiting for the ‘lucky dog’ to get back on the lead lap. The Ontario racer survived a late-race brush with the wall 20 laps from the end before a final trip to the pits for fuel and some additional adjustments.

He then raced to the checkered flag on lap 150, finishing 20th and collecting his first points of the season but more importantly continuing to build his experiences behind the wheel in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Kyle Busch won the ‘Royal Purple 300’ over Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick in second and third respectively.

“I enjoyed working with crew chief Newt Moore this weekend, he really helped me a lot as I try to figure out how to drive on these big tracks,” stated Fitzpatrick post-race. “This is the first time I’ve raced a Nationwide car on an oval to the finish and California is a pretty tough place to figure out so I’m happy with how the weekend went. I learned a lot! I can’t wait until I’m given another chance to continue my development.”

Round 6 of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, the ‘O’Reilly Auto Parts 300’, is hosted at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday 8th April.

About Schick:

Schick Canada, a division of Energizer Canada Inc., is a leading manufacturer of high performance razors or men and women.

Committed to the development of shaving technology and innovation, Schick Canada has launched some of the most successful razors on the market including the all new The Schick Hydro ™ razor, featuring revolutionary Skin Guards that smooth out the skin between blades, protecting it during shaving, Xtreme3 ®, the first three-bladed disposable that flexes and pivots, Intuition Plus ®, the first razor that lathers shaves and moisturizes in one step, and Quattro ®, the first four-bladed system and disposable razor for men and women. For more information visit www.schick.ca. FREE YOUR SKIN.

About Energizer:

Energizer® Holdings, Inc. is a consumer goods company operating globally in the broad categories of household and personal care products, and offers solutions in portable power, lighting, wet shave and personal grooming. Energizer Holdings, Inc. is the parent company of Energizer Battery and Schick-Wilkinson Sword. Combined, Energizer and Schick®, operate 23 manufacturing facilities in 14 countries on five continents and market and sell products in 165 countries. The Canadian headquarters are located in Walkerton, Ontario.

- Stuart Morrison PR

Toyota Motorsports

Post-Race Notes & Quotes

Auto Club Speedway –March 26, 2011

- Camry driver Kyle Busch won Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Auto Club Speedway.

- The victory was his third of the 2011 season, his 35th driving a Toyota, and his 46th career NNS win.

- The win was also Busch’s fifth NNS at the 2-mile track, and the seventh consecutive victory for Joe Gibbs Racing at
the track.

- Camry driver Joey Logano (seventh) also had a top-10 finish in the race.

- Camry drivers Brian Scott (13th), Kenny Wallace (15th), Ryan Truex (17th), Michael Annett (18th), Kevin Conway
(22nd) and Steve Wallace (27th) were also in the 150-lap race at the Southern California track.

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

Were you okay taking two tires on the last pit stop?

“I was good with it man. I thought that was a great way to win the race. These guys do such a great job. I can’t thank
Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) enough — he won the race today. We stole this one — it wasn’t ours. We were a third, fourth-place car — fourth-place on the shorter runs and a third-place car on the long runs. I don’t know why we had such a problem today getting going. This Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry really came to life there late in the runs. I can’t thank Toyota enough, NOS Energy Drink, Nationwide Insurance, Gillette, and the fans. It’s cool to come out here. I love
California — I love the west coast. This is a cool win for us.”

What happened on the final lap?

“I just got loose. I kept trying to run as high as I could because as high as I could get it the car would gain grip up there. I got up in the marbles too high off of turn two and got my right rear in the stuff. I got loose and got in the fence a little bit. It was a good thing it wasn’t one more lap because that’s all we needed right there. I can’t thank these guys enough. We didn’t have a winning car — we worked all day yesterday trying to get ready and do what we needed to do. I told them don’t worry and then we qualified seventh and I thought maybe we should worry a little bit. Today the 33 (Kevin Harvick) and the 60 (Carl Edwards) were gone — they were so fast. It took us a bit to get there, but we had a good enough car that we could keep with them at least where we could make that call and get two tires in order to win the deal.”

How does it feel to win today’s race?

“This is so cool. You know why? It’s because we stole this one. We didn’t really deserve it. The guys made some great
race calls. The car didn’t deserve it, but these guys worked hard and gave me a great race car today where I could keep pace and see the leaders. When we came down for that final pit stop, we were going to take four (tires) and we thought, ‘We’re not going to win this thing taking four tires, so we ought to gamble here and get two.’ That’s what we did. I can’t thank Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) enough. He made a great race call there. It’s cool to come out here and win in California — win in front of the west coast fans. Being from Vegas it’s extra special on this side.”

How did you run the final race laps?

“I was running the middle and the bottom trying to keep the shortest way around and then my lap times fell off too bad so I had to go back to the top where I’d been running and making up most of my speed in the long runs. My lap times came back and then that last lap I got too high off of turn two and got in the marbles a little bit and got a little loose, barely tapped the fence there a little bit off of turn two. I had enough where I could give a little bit of space and still win the race. It was a good call — my guys did a great job on pit road. Having the amount of lead that we had, we knew we had enough to give up. Those guys were coming, it wasn’t going to be much longer before they got there. It doesn’t matter — the race was 150 (laps).”

Was taking two tires on the final pit stop the race-winning move?

“It was, it was a really good race. I thought it was pretty exciting from my vantage point watching the 33 (Kevin Harvick)
and the 60 (Carl Edwards) duke it out all day. I wish we could have been a little bit closer to give them a run for their
money. We kept them in our sites at least. I felt like we had a car that was better on the long run than the short run. We just struggled with the short run today, we couldn’t get the car to turn the way I needed it to there. We were making adjustments all day long, kind of gaining on it a little bit to keep up better than where we were in the beginning of the race. Never got to where it was a winning car by any means.

The guys gave me a great race car that I could at least keep pace with those guys and there towards the end of the race, we didn’t really talk about it much. I thought four tires was going to be a consistent call and give us a third-place run today. Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) surprised all of us and pulled one out of the hat with two tires on pit road and did an awesome job making the call and committing to it. The guys did a good job being able to change the tires quick and get us out there. We had just enough room that was all that mattered.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing (continued)

Is it satisfying to not have the strongest car and still win the race?

“I think it’s pretty satisfying when you can win one like that. It’s great to go out there and kick everybody’s butt and win the race and come to the media center and go home. But, today it’s a little bit more fun. I don’t know why. You’re working your butt off all day long and you think it’s going to be a third today, that kind of stinks but it’s still decent. Then, you end up making a pit call like that where nobody else does it and you’re like, ‘Damn, we’re going to win this thing.’ You just get jacked up. I almost threw it away a couple times, but we kept it together just enough and I beat him to the line.”

Does winning on Saturday help you Sunday?

“Well it’s not necessarily winning, I think it’s just more about getting the track time and understanding the race the way it
went on and the way the car handled. We did a lot of different things today that we can work on our Cup car with and kind of do tomorrow. With Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief), the changes he made from practice to qualifying, we went too far. I know what those are and I’m sure Jason sent the run log to Dave (Rogers, Cup crew chief) and we can let Dave know what we did so we don’t go that far with the Cup car. Also, just getting the race under my belt with running the low line, the middle line and the high line, just kind of understanding what it takes to run those different lines around the race track. This is the first time I’ve ever run that good here in the lane right up on the wall — I’ve never done that before. It was cool to see that today and to have a good satisfaction of running right up there and not getting into it too many times.”

Is coming up on win number 50 in the Nationwide Series something you think about?

“It’s not really something worth think about to be honest with you. We just know that if we run well and if we do what we
know how to do to be competitive and to reach our potential and do what we need to do on race day, then the wins will come. The only reason all the stats are what they are is not because I was out there to say, ‘I’m going to reach 10,000 laps one day, watch this.’ It’s just about going out there and running as hard as you can and running every lap the best you can do. Of course working with the crew chiefs and the engineers and all the guys that work on your team that pour a lot of good blood, sweat and tears into your cars and make them fast. I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of fast race cars in the Nationwide Series and have been really good at bringing them to victory lane sometimes too. That’s meant the most.”

JASON RATCLIFF, crew chief, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What made you decide to gamble on the final pit stop where you took two tires?

“Actually, I still can’t believe it finally worked out. You think about things like that and you’re like, ‘ Okay.’ When you’re
sitting on the couch and thinking if I was that guy I’d do this. It was a good opportunity for us. We weren’t going to win it by taking four tires. I’m really surprised that we were the only ones to do the right side (tires) like that. We were waiting too many laps where it wasn’t going to work, but we had to wait and see what the 60 (Carl Edwards) and 33 (Kevin Harvick) were going to do. The 60 pitted early and took four and the 33, I wasn’t real sure what they were going to do.

If they would have taken two, then we would have just put four on and hope for a caution late in the race. It worked out. Our Toyota Camry was good, but we couldn’t find speed in it. We worked in one area yesterday and then I think today the track may have changed on us a little bit and it was more than we could fix with air pressure. We learned a lot today and learned a lot about these big race tracks. I think we’ll do better coming back. It’s fun to win one like that. We were doing the math and thought it was going to be close, it’s going to be really close. It worked out.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How would you assess this afternoon’s race?

“A long one. We were hitting the splitter on the first run so we came in and raised the nose up a little bit and then found out that we had a hole in the nose too. So, we made an adjustment there and tried to catch up to the racetrack from there. We had the balance close. I just don’t know where the speed is. We got to figure out what we’re doing. We used to have a bunch of speed in these cars and I don’t know whatever happened. We’ll figure it out, I’m sure eventually. Kyle (Busch) apparently got it all figured out. We’ll just put in exactly what he has.”

How was your car damaged early in the race?

“I don’t know. There was a piece of aluminum in the nose and it punched a hole in it. I never saw the piece. I don’t even
know where I came from. I don’t know.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 13th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 15th

Are you pleased with your performance today?

“Fifteenth position — never happy because I’m a winner. I’ve won nine of these things, but been 10 years since I won my
10th. I’m proud of my team because we’re best in class. To outrun RWI (Rusty Wallace Inc.) every week like this lets us
know that we are already competitive. We’ve tried to learn everything from all the Toyota teams. We compare our setups every weekend. We’re doing the best we can. I’m happy with the solid start to the year. Obviously, we want to be in the top-10 every week, but that was the fifth race of the year.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 99 Pastrana-Waltrip Racing Toyota Camry, Pastrana-Waltrip Racing

Finishing Position: 17th

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Oakley Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 18th

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 87 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 22nd

STEVE WALLACE, No. 66 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 27th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

Kevin Conway Stands with Car Owner Joe Nemechek at Auto Club Speedway - Photo Credit: Marty Tyler/Catchfence.com

“We’re very excited this weekend to be back in the Nationwide Series. It’s pretty cool because in 2009 when ExtenZe first came into the sport we partnered with Joe Nemechek and NEMCO Motorsports in conjunction with Braun Racing.We fielded the #87 then Toyota Camry and here we are 3 years later back in the #87 Toyota Camry with ExtenZe at Auto Club Speedway so we’re really excited. Things come full circle and it’s really cool to be back with NEMCO and back with Joe. He’s been a great mentor and a great help.”

Jennifer Jo Cobb:

Jennifer Jo Cobb Stands Next to her NNS No. 71 GreetingExpress.com/Rick Ware Racing Ford Mustang - Photo Credit: Marty Tyler/Catchfence.com

Mike Harmon at Auto Club Speedway - Photo Credit: Marty Tyler/Catchfence.com

“We purchased a car from Tri-Star that they’ve run 1 time this year. The deal came together late and we got a late start on California but it looks like it’s going to turn out to be a pretty good deal. 3 people that used to sponsor me came together to put this deal together so it’s good to renew old relationships with people I’ve worked with in the past. Dan and Scott are here with me from our truck team. We didn’t get to do as much as we wanted to the car before leaving for California but practice went okay and we should be okay today and when we get back to North Carolina we’ll be ready for Texas and Talladega. I’m really looking forward to Talladega. I’m glad to be back racing. I’m not at liberty to mention all the people that helped us get here but I do want to thank James Whitener from Bakersfield, California. He is opening up a restaurant called Riverwalk Cafe and is hoping they will become a franchise so it’s good to spend time with him and his family this weekend. That was one of the main goals in coming to California, to renew that relationship. I just want to thank everybody who has helped us get here and we’re planning on running as many Nationwide races as we can the rest of this year and hope to run a few truck races this year, as well. I’m running the #74 here so maybe that will be good for us. Every time I’ve ever had a 7 on my car it’s been good for us so we’ll see what happens.”

Neither driver has had much to say about the incident that brought swift action from NASCAR officials resulting in Gordon being immediately placed on probation by the sanctioning body with an “emergencey action.” Conway has also filed a report with police in regards to the confrontation. - Full Story at HardCoreRaceFans.com

Eddie Sharp Racing Logo

Welcome to ESR: Skinner will make his debut with a new team, Eddie Sharp Racing, at Daytona International Speedway. Skinner will pilot the No. 45 Cushman Toyota Tundra with ESR. Skinner will join Craig Goess, driver of the No. 46 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Tundra, at ESR.

New Crew Chief: Jefferson Hodges will serve as Skinner’s crew chief at DIS. Hodges, who served as crew chief for veteran Steve Park in several NCWTS in 2010, provides years of experience in the NASCAR garages, including experience as crew chief for Kevin Conway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and car chief for Paul Menard in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He also won the NASCAR Weekly Series National Championship with Mark McFarland.

Skinner at DIS: In eight trips to the famed 2.5-mile speedway in the NCWTS, Skinner has two top-five and three top-10 finishes. He also competed at the speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 15 times, with three top-fives, five top-10s and two pole awards. Skinner also has one NASCAR Nationwide Series start at the track.

Tundra Streak: Skinner is the lone driver to pilot a Toyota Tundra in every NCWTS event. Going into the race at DIS, Skinner has competed in 175-straight NCWTS events in a Tundra. Skinner and Toyta partnered in 2004 for the manufacturer’s entry into NASCAR.

Cushman On Board: The No. 45 will have Cushman on board as sponsor. Cushman vehicles are used worldwide to transport personnel, materials and equipment at manufacturing facilities, warehouses, resorts, and other commercial and industrial facilities. Cushman brand and product lines are owned by Textron, a global multi-industry company based in Providence, R.I. Cushman is a sister brand to such powerful brands as Cessna, Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Greenlee and Jacobsen. 2011 marks Cushman’s 110thanniversary.

Paytas Homes Teams Up with Skinner: The No. 45 Toyota Tundra added a new partner to the truck with Paytas Homes coming on board for the event at Daytona International Speedway. Since 1970, Paytas Homes has enjoyed an excellent reputation for New Homes Construction in some of the areas finest new communities including Daytona Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach and Palm Coast, FL. Our New Home Designs and Home Improvement concepts contain some of the latest features by listening to our customers and homeowners. By acting as New Home Designers as well as Builders, Developers and Real Estate Specialists allows Paytas Homes to coordinate the finest possible New Home Package at competitive pricing. For more information, please visit www.paytashomes.com.

Skinner Roundup: Skinner and wife Angie will host the fifth-annual Toyota Skinner Round-Up presented by Rue & Ziffra Personal Injury Attorneys on Wed., March 16 and Thurs., March 17, at DIS and Spruce Creek Country Club. This year, the charity event will honor former NASCAR executive Jim Hunter, who was a close friend of the Skinners and passed away last Oct.

Getting SIRIUS: Skinner’s wife, Angie, recently became a part of the SIRIUS Speedway cast on SIRIUS XM 128. Listen live to the show every weekday from 3 – 7 p.m. ET to hear Angie.

Tune In: The NextEra Energy Resources 250 can be seen live on SPEED at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 18, 2011. The race can also be heard live on MRN with coverage beginning at 7:15p.m. and on SIRIUS XM Radio, channel 128.

Mike Skinner on driving at Daytona International Speedway

“I’m excited to have Cushman on board for Daytona, and I’m ready to get on the track. We are currently working on sponsorship for the rest of the season, and I really hope that we can put together something to be able to run the full NCWTS schedule. I have a great relationship with Toyota, and we have really helped each other throughout the years- good and bad. It is a win-win situation for both myself and Toyota, and through our relationship, we are able to work with people like Eddie Sharp.”

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release

Eddie Sharp Racing Logo

“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to have Mike Skinner drive for us at Daytona,” said team owner Eddie Sharp. “To have someone of his caliber drive for our young truck program is exciting. I have known Mike for many years, and I am thankful for his trust in our program and his relationship with Toyota. I’m really looking forward to working with him.”

The former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion will compete for the eighth time at the 2.5-mile speedway in the NCWTS.

“Eddie Sharp and I have been friends for a long time, and I have watched him win big in the ARCA Racing Series over the past few years,” said Skinner. “He came to me a few years ago and told me about his goal to move into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I think it is exciting to be able to work together and help him accomplish this dream in his first full season in NASCAR.”

Skinner will continue to drive a Toyota Tundra with Cushman on board as sponsor. Cushman vehicles are used worldwide to transport personnel, materials and equipment at manufacturing facilities, warehouses, resorts, and other commercial and industrial facilities. Cushmanbrand and product lines are owned by Textron, a global multi-industry company based in Providence, R.I. Cushman is a sister brand to such powerful brands as Cessna, Bell Helicopter, E-Z-GO, Greenlee and Jacobsen. 2011 marks the 110th anniversary of the company.

“I’m excited to have Cushman on board for Daytona, and I’m ready to get on the track,” said Skinner. “We are currently working on sponsorship for the rest of the season, and I really hope that we can put together something to be able to run the full NCWTS schedule. I have a great relationship with Toyota, and we have really helped each other throughout the years- good and bad. It is a win-win situation for both myself and Toyota, and through our relationship, we are able to work with people like Eddie Sharp.”

Jefferson Hodges will be the crew chief the No. 45 Cushman Toyota. Hodges, who served as crew chief for veteran Steve Park in several NCWTS in 2010, provides years of experience in the NASCAR garages, including experience as crew chief for Kevin Conway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, car chief for Paul Menard in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He also won the NASCAR Weekly Series National championship with Mark McFarland.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with Mike Skinner,” said Hodges. “We’ve prepared a great truck to bring for Skinner, and it’s going to be a great opportunity to work with a driver that has such stature and knowledge. His experience will accelerate our learning curve in our first year in the series, and I really am looking forward to working with him.”

Skinner will join Craig Goess in the ESR lineup at Daytona International Speedway. Goess, a NCWTS rookie, will drive the No. 46 Greenville Toyota of N.C. Tundra in the event.

The green flag waves on the NextEra Energy Resources 250 on February 18th at 7:30 p.m. For more information, please check out www.teamesr.com, www.facebook.com/teamesr and www.twitter.com/teamesr,

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release

Budweiser Shootout Logo

Peeling back the pole position was Dale Earnhardt, Jr., followed by Tony Stewart peeling back the outside pole, with Carl Edwards third, Denny Hamlin fourth and Kasey Kahne rounding out the top-5 starting positions.

The green flag for the Shootout is scheduled to drop approximately around 8:10 PM (EST) Saturday night.

The drivers in the 2011 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona will line up as follows:

Pos  Driver

 1.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.
 2.  Tony Stewart
 3.  Carl Edwards
 4.  Denny Hamlin
 5.  Kasey Kahne
 6.  Bobby Labonte
 7.  Clint Bowyer
 8.  Ryan Newman
 9.  Derrike Cope
10.  Michael Waltrip
11.  Greg Biffle
12.  Jeff Gordon
13.  Juan Pablo Montoya
14.  Jamie McMurray
15.  Jeff Burton
16.  Kevin Conway
17.  Kurt Busch
18.  Kevin Harvick
19.  Matt Kenneth
20.  Mark Martin
21.  Kyle Busch
22.  Joey Logano
23.  Jimmie Johnson
24.  Regan Smith

According to a statement made by Gordon in L.A. County Superior Court, Extenze initially agreed to Gordon driving the car in some races. He went on to claim that Extenze then did an about-face and refused to pay him for certain races, because Conway wasn’t in the race car. - Full Story by Amanda Vincent

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Contender Logo

NEWS AND NOTES FROM THE RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDERS – NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

• Kevin Conway is the 2009 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Conway captured top rookie honors 28 times in 36 races and officially claimed the honor by 172 points (227-55) over Terry Cook.  He scored a season-best 14^th-place finish in the July 3 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, which is also the best finish in the five-year history of Front Row Motorsports.

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE CONTENDER POINT STANDINGS

DRIVER           POINTS

Kevin Conway     227
Terry Cook        55

HIGHEST-FINISHING RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE BY RACE

EVENT                                     HIGHEST-FINISHING  ROOKIE

Auto Club 500                             Kevin Conway,  31st
Shelby American                           Kevin Conway, 36th
Kobalt Tools 500                          Kevin Conway, 31st
Food City 500                             Kevin Conway, 28th
Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500              Kevin Conway, 31st
Subway Fresh Fit 600                      Kevin Conway, 33rd
Samsung Mobile 500                        Kevin Conway, 27th
Aaron’s 499                               Kevin Conway, 30th
Crown Royal 300                           Kevin Conway, 37th
SHOWTIME Southern 500                     Kevin Conway, 33rd
Autism Speaks 400                         Kevin Conway, 33rd
Coca-Cola 600                             Kevin Conway, 35th
Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500              Kevin Conway, 35th
Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400          Kevin Conway, 40th
Toyota/Save Mart 350                      Kevin Conway, 28th
LENOX Industrial Tools 301                Kevin Conway, 32nd
Coke Zero 400                             Kevin Conway, 14th
LifeLock.com 400                          Kevin Conway, 33rd
Brickyard 400                             Kevin Conway, 34th
Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500         Kevin Conway, 31st
Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen  Kevin Conway, 31st
IRWIN Tools Night Race                    Kevin Conway,  36th
Emory Healthcare 500                      Kevin  Conway, 37th
Air Guard 400                             Kevin Conway, 41st
AAA 400                                   Kevin Conway, 37th
Price Chopper 400                         Kevin  Conway, 38th
Pepsi MAX 400                             Kevin Conway, 31st
Ford 400                                  Kevin Conway, 30th

RAYBESTOS® ROOKIE HISTORY

• Joey Logano won 2009 Raybestos® Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Logano captured top rookie honors 26 times in 36 races and officially claimed the honor by 33 points (270-237) over Scott Speed.  At 19 years of age, Logano became the youngest driver to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

• Logano scored his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (race No. 17).  The victory came in his 20^th career start.  He finished the season with one win, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes and placed 20^th in the final series championship standings.

• Logano is the THIRD driver from Joe Gibbs Racing to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year, joining Tony Stewart (1999) and Denny Hamlin (2006).

• DID YOU KNOW? Logano is the most recent Raybestos® Rookie to win a Sprint Cup Series race, capturing the 2009 LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway ahead of second-place Jeff Gordon (56 races).

• DID YOU KNOW? The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to win a pole position in the Sprint Cup Series is Patrick Carpentier.  Carpentier captured the top starting spot for the 2008 LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (92 races).

• DID YOU KNOW? The most recent Raybestos® Rookie to score a top-five finish is Logano, who placed third in the 2009 AMP Energy Juice 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (41 races).

• Regan Smith (2008) is the only Raybestos® Rookie of the Year in the 54-year history of the program without a DNF (did not finish).  He was running at the finish in all 34 starts he made and captured top rookie honors over Sam Hornish Jr. by just seven points (236-229).

• The 2008 season marked the first time in NASCAR’s modern-era (since 1972) that THREE drivers shared the lead in the Raybestos® Rookie standings.  After the second race of the season, Sam Hornish, Jr., Dario Franchitti and Regan Smith were all tied at the top of the standings.

• Ryan Newman holds the all-time Raybestos® Rookie record for most poles (6), most top-fives (14) and most top-10s (22).

• Denny Hamlin is the only Raybestos® Rookie to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup since the format began in 2004.

• The record for most earnings by a Raybestos® Rookie Hamlin holds the record for most earnings by a Raybestos® Rookie ($6.6 million in 2006).

• The record for most wins by a Raybestos® Rookie is THREE, shared by Tony Stewart (1999) and Jimmie Johnson (2002).

• A Raybestos® Rookie has posted multiple victories SEVEN times in NASCAR Sprint Cup:

1987:   Davey Allison, two

1999:   Tony Stewart, three

2000:   Dale Earnhardt Jr., two

2001:   Kevin Harvick, two

2002:   Jimmie Johnson, three

2005:   Kyle Busch, two

2006:   Denny Hamlin, two

• More than one Raybestos® Rookie has posted victories during their first season only three times:

1981:   Morgan Shepherd (one) and Ron Bouchard (one)

2000:   Dale Earnhardt Jr. (two) and Matt Kenseth (one)

2002:   Jimmie Johnson (three) and Ryan Newman (one)

• The way to the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship is to win Raybestos® Rookie of the Year.  Since 1979, six Raybestos® Rookie of the Year drivers have gone on to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup title: Dale Earnhardt (1979), Rusty Wallace (1984), Alan Kulwicki (1986), Jeff Gordon (1993), Tony Stewart (1999) and Matt Kenseth (2000).

• The longest streak for a Raybestos® Rookie to be in the top-10 in the Sprint Cup Series championship standings during the sport’s modern-era is 60 races (2001 MBNA Platinum 400 through 2002 Ford 400).

Raybestos® brand brake and chassis parts are produced by affiliated companies in Affinia’s Global Brake and Chassis Group, the leading manufacturer of braking systems and chassis parts in the transportation industry.  The brake line includes everything from brake drums to rotors, pads, shoes and hydraulic parts, while the chassis line features tie rods, ball points, idler arms and sway bar links.  Raybestos brand braking and chassis systems are also the only systems used by NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing in competition.  For more information about Raybestos brakes, visit Raybestos.com.  For more information on Raybestos Chassis visit RaybestosChassis.com

Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.

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

Raybestos Rookie of the Year Contender Logo

Kevin Conway clinched Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in today’s Ford 400.

NOTES:

• Conway’s best finish of the season came in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, a 14^th-place finish.  He claimed top rookie honors in 29 races this season and was credited with a 30^th-place finish this afternoon.

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 7 EXTENZE TOYOTA: WHAT DID YOU LEARN THIS SEASON THAT WILL MAKE YOU BETTER AS A RACE CAR DRIVER? “I think I learned a whole lot.  You just learn how to race at an entirely different level.  These are the best race car drivers in the world and just to have the opportunity to race with them is really an honor and a privilege.  It’s tough when you do it with smaller independent teams, the teams themselves are struggling to survive and sustain.  When you jump on prog rams like that as a Raybestos Rookie it just kind of adds that much more, I think, to when you have teams that are still learning while you’re learning.  That added a little bit of extra stress or a little angle to our learning curve so to speak. All in all I have to thank so many people that have made it possible.  ExtenZe really believed in me and I think had a little bit more faith in me than I did by saying hey, let’s go Cup racing instead of going and running the Nationwide Series.  It’s just awesome when you have people that believe in you, support you; people like Joe Gibbs and Darrell Waltrip just a lot of people all the way down the line.  I wouldn’t be where I’m at if it wasn’t for them, the things they’ve done for me.  It’s just so many people, my family, just everybody that has made this possible.  It’s been a journey for the last 24 years to get to this point.”

HOW BIG WAS THE RACE THIS SUMMER AT DAYTONA FOR YOU? “That was huge.  To know that we still have the best finish in Front Row Motorsports team history out of the last five years was great.  It was our best finish of the year this year so to be able to do that especially in my first start at Daytona is really awesome.  Just very excited to have the opportunity to have the opportunity to be here, man.  This is a dream come true.  It’s a little surreal.  It hasn’t really sunk in yet to be the Raybestos Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.”

CONWAY PRESS CONFERENCE

TALK ABOUT YOUR RAYBESTOS ROOKIE SEASON AND HOW YOU GREW AS A DRIVER. “Well it’s been a crazy year both on and off the racetrack for me.  Started out definitely getting thrown into the deep end of the pool but certainly it’s been a year that’s been unforgettable.  I feel like I’ve really grown a lot as a race car driver and as a person off the racetrack.  It’s been an awesome opportunity and privilege and driving with teams that kind of throws it back to the old days where it seems like you’re driving for smaller independent teams that are clawing their way trying to make their stronghold in the sport and you combine that with a rookie driver it makes for a pretty steep learning c urve.  Had some awesome people around me this year and a lot of support who helped make this possible.  It’s certainly been a dream come true for sure.”

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST THING YOU’VE LEARNED AS A SPRINT CUP SERIES DRIVER? “I think just how tough the Sprint Cup Series really is and how great these race car drivers really are.  I mean they are the best race car drivers in the world and when you look at what Jimmie Johnson has just accomplished as well as what Denny [Hamlin] and Kevin [Harvick] what they’ve been able to accomplish, it’s pretty awesome to see that they really are the best race car drivers in the world.  I think the biggest thing you learn is just how competitive this series really is.

HOW DID THIS WEEKEND COME TOGETHER WITH THE 7 CAR AND WHAT IS YOUR RACING PROSPECTS FOR 2011? “We’re going to announce our 2011 plans very soon, hopefully shortly after the banquet.  This weekend Robby Gordon [team owner] was in Baja for the Baja 1000 and I was planning on practicing and qualifying the car and one thing kind of led to another and ended up running today.  We were planning on having Robby come back but he didn’t end up coming back.  It was kind of a very last minute decision so I ended up getting the chance to run the car today and kind of had it set up for him so we were scrambling a little bit to kind of change it around a little bit.  We struggled today.&nb sp; Today was really, really tough.  We struggled so I guess he was probably watching and glad he didn’t come back to run it.”

COMMENT ON WORKING WITH CREW CHIEF STEVE LANE. “Steve Lane has brought a lot to the table.  Robby is a small independent one-car team and they build everything in-house, bumper-to-bumper.  Steve has been able to bring a lot of his experience from working with the larger teams with Ganassi and some of the ones he’s been with over the last few years and it’s really kind of help to bring some new fresh ideas and get things back to basics a little bit to try to hopefully turn th e program around.”

Amazing Adventure Gift Ideas!

more information about Raybestos brakes, visit Raybestos.com.  For more information on Raybestos Chassis visit RaybestosChassis.com

Affinia Group Inc. is an innovative global leader in the design, manufacture, distribution and marketing of industrial grade products and services, including extensive offerings of aftermarket parts for automotive and heavy-duty vehicles. With more than $1.8 billion in annual revenue, Affinia has operations in North and South America, Europe, Asia and India. For more information, visit www.affiniagroup.com.

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

- Camp & Associates, Inc., for Raybestos Rookie of the Year, Press Release