Coulter Motorsports Driver Development Thumbnail

In preparation for the first battle of 2012, Coulter Motorsports will partake in all three days of the test, running their synonymous No. 16, along with their No. 61 and 61B. Tapping their extensive driver pool, the team will have Matt Lofton (No. 16), Joey Coulter (No. 61) and TJ Duke (No. 61B) on hand at the 2.5-mile superspeedway. Led by 2010 ARCA championship crew chief Jon Wolfe, Coulter Motorsports plans to log laps in both single-car runs as well as the traditional “drafting” practice.

“It’s great to get back behind the wheel of the No. 16, especially at a place so iconic and steeped with history, as Daytona,” said Lofton. “I’m really looking forward to the test and getting a chance to work with not only Jon (Wolfe), but my teammates Joey (Coulter) and TJ (Duke). Anytime you can pull information from teammates and use it collectively, I feel you are really placing yourself a step ahead.”

“Daytona (International Speedway) is such an expansive place, one in which I haven’t logged any laps yet and I am really looking forward to this test with Coulter Motorsports,” commented Duke. “I was fortunate enough to run select NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series races last year and I know joining forces with such a great team for this test, will only help boost my learning curve.”

“Even though Homestead (Miami Speedway) was only a few weeks ago, I feel like I have been out of a racecar for months,” said Coulter. “It’s really exciting to be linked back with Coulter Motorsports for the ARCA test and I look forward to logging more laps and gathering as much data as possible.”

Be sure to follow Coulter Motorsports on Twitter for LIVE updates throughout the weekend, at http://twitter.com/CoulterMtrsprts. LIVE timing and scoring will be available at www.ARCAracing.com

Log onto Facebook and ‘LIKE’ Coulter Motorsports for updated news and chances at great giveaways:

www.facebook.com/CoulterMotorsports

About Coulter Motorsports

Coulter Motorsports’ driver development program started with humble beginnings in 2009 & today has grown to become the premier program in the ARCA Racing Series. We have worked with drivers from multiple series and helped mold them in both on-track racing and off track presentation. Through our program, we have garnered over 20 wins in series ranking from ASA Late Models, FASTRUCK Series, Late Model Stocks, Super Late Models and the ARCA Racing Series.

- Coulter Motorsports Press Release

Joey Logano - Photo Credit: Motorsports Images and Archives

Second fastest with a speed of 180.102 mph, was Clint Bowyer, followed by Paul Menard (179.970) who was third fastest, Parker Kligerman (179.970 – required to qualify on time) fourth fastest, Kyle Busch (179.301) fifth, Kevin Harvick (178.903) sixth, Brad Keselowski (178.796) seventh, Raybestos Rookie contender Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (178.755) eighth, Trevor Bayne (178.418 – required to qualify on time) ninth and Raybestos Rookie contender Colin Braun (178.247) rounding out the top-ten fastest.

The team’s “Happy Hour” session is scheduled to get underway at 6:15 PM (EST) this evening, and run until 7:00 PM (EST). Then the teams will return Friday afternoon for their 3:05 PM (EST) scheduled qualifying session to determine the Dollar General 300 starting lineup, which is schedule to start a little after 8:00 PM (EST) that night.

2010 NNS Dollar General 300 Third Practice Session Speeds

# Denotes Rookie
* Required to Qualify on Time

Marcos Ambrose

“It felt like there was something wrong under the hood early on in the race,” Ambrose said. “The handling of the car was great. It was close to perfect. It was disappointing we couldn’t get the most out of the car we had Saturday night, but we were able to finish it for the points.”

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and current points leader Jimmie Johnson won his sixth race of the year. Matt Kenseth finished second, Kasey Kahne was third, Jeff Gordon crossed the finish line fourth and Joey Logano was fifth.

Ambrose, who has earned four top-five and seven top-10 finishes in his first year of full-time competition, holds onto 17th in the championship standings with five races remaining.

On Thursday night, Ambrose qualified 13th and the next evening he posted the seventh fastest time in final practice.

“I told the guys it was the best car they had given me all year,” Ambrose said. “We really had something.”

When the green flag waved for the start of the NASCAR Banking 500, Ambrose held on to a top-15 spot until he radioed to crew chief Frank Kerr that something did not feel right with his Clorox® Toyota at Lap 29.

“It was like it was just laying over,” Ambrose said. “We’ve got to get the car back and figure out what went wrong.”

On Lap 34, rain fell on the 1.5-mile tri-oval forcing a caution while Ambrose was running 19th. It gave teams an opportunity to service their cars at Lap 36. Ambrose’s handling was near perfect as he entered pit road, but he did not have the power he needed to advance.

“It had only been hitting the ground a little and it was somewhat free,” Ambrose said. “We didn’t really need to make any changes.”

As Michael Waltrip led the field to green at Lap 42, Ambrose was 23rd. Even though he said he was experiencing problems, he was turning respectable lap times before he pitted under green at Lap 93 for four fresh Goodyear tires.

“It felt like the motor was about to blow up,” Ambrose said.

On Lap 121 under caution, Ambrose told the JTG-Daugherty Racing team that they may need to check the plug wires after they changed four tires and added fuel. Three laps later the green flag waved again and the No. 47 Clorox® Toyota was scored in 22nd-place.

Ambrose maintained his speed and communicated to Kerr that he was too tight up top and may need a little wedge taken out on his next stop under caution at Lap 165. As the pit crew changed four tires and made a chassis adjustment, they noticed a hole in the nose of the Clorox® Toyota and had to quickly repair the damage. Denny Hamlin led the field to green as Ambrose peeled off in 24th-place.

On lap 190 under caution, the JTG-Daugherty Racing team changed right side tires and made another wedge adjustment. Ambrose also pitted for four tires and fuel under green at Lap 245.

“We were too tight,” Ambrose said.

The No. 47 Clorox® Toyota was back on pit road at Lap 293 for four tires, an air pressure change and a wedge adjustment as he mentioned he was still having problems.

“It was popping and banging,” Ambrose said. “Something was wrong.”

After coming back in on Lap 301 for a track bar adjustment and four tires, Ambrose told his crew chief again that he thought his car was blowing up. Ambrose was able to hold on to finish in the top-25 one lap down.

This week the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series journey to Martinsville, Va. for the Tums Fast Relief 500. Live coverage of the event at Martinsville Speedway on ABC begins at 1 p.m. ET. MRN and Sirius XM will also broadcast the event.

- JTG-Daugherty Racing, Press Release

Wood Brothers Raing's "Warriors in Pink"

In addition to raising awareness for the breast cancer programs, the Wood Brothers hosted Motorcraft / Quick Lane NHRA Funny Car driver Bob Tasca, III. It was his first experience at a NASCAR event and Len and Eddie Wood enjoyed showing him around the track.

As for racing, the team overcame a number of hurdles and brought home a 29th place finish. Instead of resting on the recent improvements in the Wood Brother’s race program, Crew Chief David Hyder and the 21 Team were looking for more this weekend. Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn’t cooperate. Planning on a full hour and a half for practice on Thursday before qualifying, more than enough time to try a new set-up and revert to the old set-up if the new one didn’t work, the rainy weather shortened the first practice to forty minutes. When the car didn’t respond the way the team hoped, they were forced to implement a known set-up for qualifying. Driver Bill Elliott qualified the car 36th.

Bill Elliott/No 21 Wood Brothers Racing's "Warriors in Pink"

On lap 119 the caution flag flew again and the team made the decision not to pit – instead taking a “wave-around” in the hopes of pitting under another caution. Unfortunately, the plan did not work out and the leaders passed the #21 again putting the team two laps down. From that point, Bill maintained his position and finished the race in 29th place.

Co-owner Eddie Wood noted, “We were happy to support the ‘Warriors in Pink Powered by Ford’ effort and it was great having Bob [Tasca] at the track with us – he’s a great guy. We got a little behind this weekend trying to improve our car. The guys put forth a great effort and I really appreciate their never-quit attitude.”

- Wood Brothers Racing, Press Release

Robby Gordon

The No. 7 Toyota Camry proved yet again to be fast; Gordon qualified 19th for Saturday’s 334-lap event. Throughout the weekend, he practiced in the top twenty and was fourth quick in the final practice session. Following that session, the team put a packer in the left front shock, which they believed would help the handling throughout the race. This decision would eventually plague the team on Saturday evening.

When the green flag fell, the No. 7 Freightliner Camry was just slightly loose, but Gordon was still pleased with the car. Several early cautions prevented the team from understanding how Gordon’s Camry would handle on the long runs; Gordon strategically stayed on track until the team could determine how the handling on the No. 7 would dial in. The Freightliner crew hoped that as the race progressed, Gordon’s Camry would tighten and optimize the handling. Unfortunately, the packer made the car too loose for Gordon’s comfort throughout the early laps of the race.

The team continued to make various adjustments throughout the night to aid the handling on the No. 7, but Gordon continued to lack the grip he needed to travel around the turns at the 1.5-mile oval. The crew struggled throughout the race with a broken track bar which limited the adjustments available to Gordon’s Camry. Even though the handling wasn’t optimal on the No. 7, Gordon was the recipient of the free pass on Lap 119 and continued to pace himself with the leaders.

On Lap 243, the Freightliner crew called Gordon down pit road for his second green-flag stop of the evening. The team serviced the car with a series of adjustments hoping to fix Gordon’s entry into the turns. Unfortunately, following the stop NASCAR’s scoring system clocked Gordon leaving pit road at a speed faster than the maximum allowed, and Gordon was called back down pit road to serve his penalty. The No. 7 lost valuable time as Gordon travelled down pit road for a second time serving his drive-thru penalty before returning to the track. By the time Gordon returned to speed and the green-flag stops cycled through the field, Gordon was scored in the 26th position, two-laps behind the leader.

Gordon’s last bit of bad luck came during the Lap 312 caution period when the Freightliner Trucks Camry’s grill was covered in grass and other debris as Gordon worked to avoid trouble on the track. Gordon searched for ways to remove the debris from the grill of his car in order to reduce the rising engine temperatures. Several unsuccessful attempts sent him down pit road before the restart to avoid overheating the engine. The stop placed Gordon back in the 30th position without the track position needed to catch his competitors and less than 20 laps remaining in the race.

When the checkered flag fell, Gordon was scored in the 30th position.

“We had a really great car this weekend,” said Gordon. “It’s always frustrating when you know you have a car capable of finishing good, but you can’t seem to catch a break or get the track position to run up front. We were running lap times comparable to the leaders, which makes this even more frustrating but we could never work our way up to the front. I ultimately sealed our fate for the day when I got caught speeding on pit road. Texas is a very similar track and that’s coming up in just a few weeks. Hopefully, we’ll be able to put together our experience from this weekend and the knowledge that we gained here to have a strong run there.”

Next weekend, the Sprint Cup Series travels to the paperclip-shaped Martinsville Speedway. Tempers have been known to flair over the years at the half-mile oval and the Tums Fast Relief 500 is sure to be no exception. ABC will carry a live television broadcast of the event beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, October 25. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will have radio coverage of the race beginning at 12:15 p.m. EST. Qualifying for the 500-mile event will be broadcast on ESPN2 at 3:10 p.m. EST on Friday, October 23.

- Robby Gordon Motorsports, Press Release

Sorenson took the green flag from the eighth position and immediately had his hands full. Battling an extremely loose condition, the No. 10 Dollar General Toyota slid back to the 17th spot. As he moved past the No. 17 on lap 12, the car snapped loose and brushed the outside wall. The No. 17 made slight contact with the rear bumper of the No. 10 Camry, sending both cars spinning down the frontstretch and bringing out the night’s first caution.

During the yellow flag, Sorenson brought the Dollar General Toyota to pit road for a series of stops. During the first pit stop the team changed four tires, packed the car with fuel and made an air pressure adjustment. On the second visit to pit road, the crew returned the roof flaps to their closed position and inspected the fenders for damage. On the final stop, the team topped the Camry off with fuel. Sorenson restarted from the 34th position when the race resumed on lap 22.

By lap 50, Sorenson had moved the No. 10 Camry back into the top-25. As the leaders began to make green-flag pit stops, the No. 10 was able to remain on track longer, due to their early pit stops on laps during the lap 13 caution. The second caution of the night came out on lap 63, with Sorenson running in the 12th position. Two laps later, crew chief, Mike Hillman, Jr., called his driver to pit road for service. The Dollar General crew quickly changed four tires, filled the Camry with fuel, put in a spring rubber and made an air pressure adjustment. When the race restarted on lap 68, the No. 10 Toyota was in the 10th position.

As he drove the car around the 1.5-mile speedway, Sorenson reported that the car’s handling felt like something was broken in the right rear of the car. Hillman, Jr. and Sorenson discussed the car’s condition, speculating that a shock or the sway bar was damaged from the trip through the frontstretch grass.

Sorenson had driven the No. 10 Dollar General car up to the eighth position when a multi-car wreck in turn two brought out the next caution flag on lap 69. He brought the car down pit road on lap 70 for the team to assess the issue. With the hood up on the No. 10, it was discovered that the sway bar pin had broken during the lap 12 accident. The crew worked quickly to repair the sway bar, but the extra time on pit road cost the team valuable track position as Sorenson restarted 20th.

Sorenson gained one position before the caution flag came out again on lap 81. As green-flag racing resumed on lap 84, the No. 10 was in the 16th spot. Sorenson continued to gain ground, moving into the top-15 by lap 110.

Teams began to monitor the radar carefully as inclement weather developed west of the Concord-based track. Leaders began to make green-flag pit stops on lap 130. On lap 134, the No. 10 Dollar General Toyota took over the ninth position. With the hopes for a caution flag, Sorenson remained on the track as long as possible.

“The car is just too tight,” Sorenson reported to Hillman, Jr. “I’m not able to get on the throttle out of the turns. It needs to be freed up.”

On lap 140, the No. 10 Camry came down pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. As the field cycled through the green-flag stops, Sorenson had moved back up to the 15th position before the caution came out again on lap 148.

The race resumed on lap 153 and the No. 10 slid to the 16th position. Sorenson was able to return to the 15th position by the time the final caution of the night occurred on lap 175. When the No. 10 came to pit road for one final pit stop, the team quickly changed four tires, packed the car with fuel and made air pressure and track bar adjustments.

Sorenson restarted from the 18th position on lap 179. In the final 20 laps, he advanced the No. 10 Camry to a 16th-place finish in the Dollar General 300.

“We had a really good car here this weekend,” said Sorenson. “The Dollar General Toyota started the night just a little too loose-handling. Unfortunately, before we could adjust on it, we got into the wall. The No. 17 had nowhere to go and got into the back of us, spinning us and sending us through the grass. The team worked really hard all night to fix the car and adjust on the handling. I think this was easily a top-five car, we just ran into some bad luck and couldn’t make up the ground we lost. I think we had one of the best looking cars this weekend! We supported Susan G. Komen for the Cure tonight with our pink Toyota and brought some awareness to breast cancer.”

Justin Marks will return to the wheel of the No. 10 Toyota Camry next weekend at Memphis Motorsports Park, making his fourth Nationwide Series start of the season.

Next Stop: The NASCAR Nationwide Series travels to Memphis, Tennessee this weekend for the Kroger on Track for the Cure 250 at Memphis Motorsports Park. The Saturday afternoon race will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN2 and on MRN Radio starting at 3:00 p.m. EST. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 3:30 p.m. EST.

- Braun Racing Press Release

NSCS Red Bull Racing Teams No. 82 & No. 83

Who:

+ HOME IS WHERE THE HEADACHE IS

Scott Speed gained ground on the top 35, while Red Bull Racing teammate Brian Vickers lost even more in the Chase on Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

A 28th-place finish in the NASCAR Banking 500 is hardly spectacular, but Speed and the No. 82 team continued to chip away at the big picture, which would be worry-free qualifying days for the first five races of the 2010 season. Speed’s No. 82 Red Bull Toyota entered the chilly night 36th in the car owner standings and 122 points behind 35th. He left in 36th, but is only 98 points back — the first time Speed’s dipped below the 100-point mark since the Sept. 6 race at Atlanta.

He has five more chances to erase the deficit and ensure himself a starting spot in February’s Daytona 500.

“We just really missed it in the early runs,” said Speed, who qualified 16th and despite having a strong car never could show it while running a lap down.

“Otherwise, we had a good weekend. It’s certainly nice to finally pick up some points. If we can continue to do that the rest of the season, I don’t see any reason why we can’t get back into the top 35.”

Vickers’ latest tale of woe began on a lap 124 restart. With Vickers running 23rd, a gaggle of cars checked up just ahead, and the No. 83 emerged with damage to the right front. Vickers reported a tire rub, spotter Chris Lambert confirmed it and the team was forced to pit under green on lap 129.

The stop cost Vickers two laps. Also damaged in the incident was the splitter, and the crew used three consecutive stops on laps 166-168 for repairs. Vickers rode out the remaining half of the race and finished four laps down in 34th.

Vickers described the first half of NASCAR’s postseason as “disastrous.” And for good reason, as mechanical gremlins and old-fashioned bad luck have led to finishes of 11th, 18th, 37th, 29th and 34th. He’s 12th in the standings — 113 points behind 11th-place Denny Hamlin and 123 behind Carl Edwards in 10th.

“I don’t know how the car got so messed up,” Vickers said. “I have bumped the pace car under caution to say ‘hey’ harder than that before. I saw them checking up in front of me, but it seemed like they almost came to a stop.”

+ UP NEXT

Tums Fast Relief 500, Sunday, Oct. 25, Martinsville Speedway

- Red Bull Racing Team, Press Release

Max Papis

Unfortunately, when the GEICO team pulled into the infield of the racetrack on Thursday, they realized that their toughest competition might not be the other cars on the entry list. Their toughest competition would initially come in the form of Mother Nature. Cold temperatures, rain and wind would need to be dealt with first if Papis and the GEICO Camry hoped to be able to attempt to qualify.

Fortunately, as the day progressed, the rain would pass allowing practice and qualifying to get underway late in the evening on Thursday.

After sitting all day contemplating his fate, ‘Mad’ Max toured the 1.5-mile quad-oval in just 28.893 seconds. His effort would place the #13 GEICO Camry on the starting grid in the 40th position, just behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr. However, Papis would once again be affected by the rule indicating the last ‘go or go home’ car to make the field be relegated to the 43rd starting position.

Race day once again found weather more conducive for a college football game than a race, as temperatures were in the 40’s and rain lingered, even sprinkling during driver introductions. The cold would stay, but the rain would hold off as the green flag was displayed for The NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Starting 43rd, Papis and the GEICO Camry would pick up positions before the event’s first caution flag was displayed on Lap 3 when Sam Hornish, Jr, spun. Just a few laps later, on Lap 10, Papis would nearly be collected when Hornish, Jr, once again found himself spinning. Papis avoided peril by the narrowest of margins and kept the GEICO Camry on-track and clean while the second caution of the night was displayed. The GEICO Camry visited pit road on Lap 11 to receive fresh tires and a tank of Sunoco racing fuel.

Strategy would prevail, as crew chief Bootie Barker instructed Papis to stay out during a caution flag on Lap 39 while rain seemed to be making its way toward the racetrack. The result was Papis and the GEICO Camry running in the 3rd position. While it would lightly sprinkle, the rain would not become substantial enough to halt the race, therefore forcing Papis to ultimately bring the GEICO Camry down pit road for service.

Logging lap times faster than cars in the Top 10, Barker radioed to Papis on Lap 122, “Keep doing what you’re doing; you’re very competitive.” And he did.

Unfortunately, on Lap 291, Papis’ #13 GEICO Camry let go with a plume of smoke from the rear of the racecar at the exit of Turn 4, indicating an oil system failure. The GEICO team had experienced their first part failure of the 2009 season. Running 33rd at the time of the failure, Papis would be relegated to a 41st place finish.

Engineer Ryan Coniam was highly complimentary of Papis’ performance. “He was very competitive tonight and his ability to race people wheel to wheel has improved exponentially. Being able to race every week has been critical to his development and it really showed here this evening. I feel that this was his best oval race this year.”

That is high praise from a person who can often be Papis’ toughest critic. Papis appreciated Coniam’s comments and shared his thoughts on the improvement.

“We’ve worked really hard to get better, and racing every week has been of great benefit to me and the GEICO team,” Papis said. “We had a great run going tonight and I’m just disappointed that we didn’t get to finish what we started. Each week we’re meeting our goals and getting closer to where we want to be. I’m thankful for the support of GEICO and this Germain Racing team.” He continued, “Ryan (Coniam) and I work very closely together and his input is so critical and I value everything he tells me. It’s good to hear him say these things because it shows that we’re getting better.”

Next weekend, the GEICO Racing team will travel to Martinsville, VA, for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

Max Papis and the #9 GEICO Toyota Tundra will hit the track at Martinsville Speedway for the opening practice session on Friday, October 23rd, at 10:00 AM (ET). Qualifying will follow at 4:40 PM (ET).

The Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race is on Saturday, October 24th,and it will be televised live on SPEED beginning at 12:30 PM (ET), while the Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

- Player Management International, Inc., for GEICO Racing, Press Release

2009 NSCS Clint Bowyer - (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

CONCORD, N.C. – Clint Bowyer’s No. 33 Scary Fast Count Chocula Chevrolet lived up to its name Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway as “Count Bowyer” raced his way to a sixth-place finish in the NASCAR Banking 500.

His second-consecutive top-10 finish allowed Bowyer to maintain the 15th position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings with just five races remaining in the 2009 season.

Bowyer recorded the third-fastest time in Thursday’s opening practice session and, later that evening, ran a lap of 28.388 seconds, at an average speed of 190.221 mph, to place him 11th on the starting grid for Saturday evening’s race. Friday’s two practice sessions were not as successful for the No. 33 team as Bowyer recorded the 23rd- and 22nd-fastest times, respectively. Following the less-than-desired showing, Bowyer, crew chief Shane Wilson and engineers from the Richard Childress Racing team devised a plan for changes to the setup that would better suit the 30-year-old driver’s style for the 500-mile event.

The Emporia, Kan., native was fast in the early goings, but two caution periods in the opening 10 laps prevented Bowyer from improving his position. Once the field settled into a green-flag run, Bowyer fell to the 18th position as a result of a tight condition in the center of the turns. The caution flag was displayed at lap 34 as a light rain began to fall, giving Bowyer the opportunity he needed to come to pit road to take on four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Quick work by the Helping Hands pit crew advanced Bowyer two positions, to 16th, for the lap-42 restart.

The chassis adjustment was just what Bowyer needed as he climbed his way to the sixth position at lap 108. The two-time NSCS race winner maintained his position inside the top 10 during the middle stages of the event, advancing into the top five as the race neared conclusion.

Bowyer waged a spirited battle with RCR teammate Casey Mears in the closing laps, with Bowyer besting his stablemate for the sixth position when the checkered flag waved.

Jimmie Johnson captured his second-consecutive win, beating Matt Kenseth to the line by 2.303 seconds. Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon and Joey Logano rounded out the top-five finishers.

Bowyer’s RCR teammates Mears, Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick finished seventh, 14th and 18th, respectively.

Next weekend, NASCAR’s senior circuit heads slightly north when it makes its second and final stop of the season at the paper clip-shaped Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va.

Live coverage of the Tums Fast Relief 500 from Martinsville Speedway begins Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time and will be telecast live on ABC. The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 32nd points-paying race on the 36-race tour will be broadcast live on ESPN2 Friday, Oct. 23 beginning at 3 p.m. EDT and can be heard worldwide on MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.

CLINT BOWYER QUOTE

“It was a good night for us. It was a solid run. We raced up front all night long. We got a little behind because we got a little too tight at the end, so we couldn’t really go. But, all-in-all it was a good night for our Count Chocula Chevrolet.”

- Richard Childress Racing, Press Release

2009 NNS Matt Kenseth (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Kenseth restarted fourth for the final time of the evening on lap 317 of the 334 lap event and passed Kasey Kahne for second position with just four laps remaining to score his best finish since winning at California in the second race of the season in February.

That was the fastest car we’ve had in a long time,” said Kenseth in the post-race press conference. “Our car was really good and our Carhartt guys did a great job on pit road. We qualified exceptionally well for us (fourth) and were able to keep our track position all night. We were just able to make real little adjustments.

“I was really happy with my car all night,” added Kenseth. “I wasn’t fast enough to beat the No. 48 and Kasey in a long run was a good bit better than us at times, but we had a really good car and got the best we could out of it. It feels good for us to run up front. It’s a
confidence booster for me and the team.”

Kenseth would run virtually the entire race inside the top 10 and after lap 147 he would turn every lap inside the field’s top five. The No. 17 over the wall crew was key in the effort, picking up positions on each of the team’s seven stops and putting Kenseth out in the lead on three separate occasions.

Kenseth started the race fourth based on his best qualifying effort since May. Crew chief Drew Blickensderfer called for a two-tire stop on the team’s first trip down pit road on lap 36. The move put the No. 17 in the lead when green flag racing resumed on lap 42 and set the tone for what would be a strong outing for the team. Despite two tires, Kenseth was still running in second position when the team pitted under green on lap 89. Quick work in the pits helped Kenseth move back inside the lead on lap 96 once the field cycled through its stops.

The No. 17 team used another two-tire stop on lap 190 to move from second to first once again, with Kenseth leading the next 26 laps after the field went green. Kenseth restarted in fourth position after the race’s 10th and final caution on lap 317. As the first four cars battled for the race win, Kenseth took over third place from Jeff Gordon on lap 324, before moving into second position with our four laps remaining. Jimmie Johnson went on to win the race.

The run marked continued improvement for Kenseth and the No. 17 team.

“We’ve been gaining on it,” said Kenseth. “As a team, we seemed to hit it pretty good tonight. We qualified good; which makes a huge
difference. We had track position all night and never got behind and that makes a big difference in these races. I think you have to have more races to average in before we feel too good about it, but it certainly feels like we’re going in the right direction the last
three or four weeks.”

The team returns to action next week at Martinsville Speedway, where Kenseth had finished top 10 in three of the last five races. Green flag for the race is set for 1:43 p.m. EDT. The event will be televised live by ABC, with prerace coverage set for 1:00 p.m.

- Roush Fenway Racing, Press Release

Eric McClure

“I couldn’t be happier with our finish. This was the car I wrecked at St. Louis, which has been our best car, so I was glad to have it back. Chris (Wright, crew chief) and the guys worked hard on the car in practice, made great calls during the race and the fuel strategy helped us get the finish we needed. More importantly, though, I feel for the first time since we were here in May I was fairly competitive on a mile-and-a-half track. We were able to race with a lot of cars at different times and were closer to a lot of good cars. I still need to work on some things to help the team, and do some different things on restarts, but it was good. Hopefully this will lead to a good close to the season for us.”

Starting the race from the 39th position, McClure slid back a spot by lap two before working his way back up to the 38th position when the first caution waved on lap 12. Fighting a car that was “tight in the center of the turns and ‘snappy’ loose off,” Wright brought the car to pit-road to receive fuel and a chassis adjustment. McClure then came down pit-road a second time to remove tape from the front grille as the water temperature had climbed considerably. After the pit service, the Hefty® Steel Sak® Ford restarted the event in the 32nd position.

Over the next twenty laps McClure fell to the 37th position and lost a lap to the race leader as the changes made to the car seemed to hurt the car’s drivability. When the second caution occurred on lap 62 the car was brought to the attention of the Team Rensi Motorsports (TRM) crew for four tires, fuel, and wedge and track-bar adjustments. After a great stop by the Hefty® Racing™ team the No. 24 Ford restarted the event in the 28th position. Two laps later, a multi-car crash in turn two spread debris across the track. Despite missing the accident, concern that a piece of debris may have cut down a tire led to the decision to bring the Hefty® Steel Sak® Ford back to pit-road for tires and fuel. The team returned to pit road on lap 83 for fuel only.

As the race progressed the car’s handling greatly improved, allowing McClure to advance his position and run his fastest laps of the race during the final sixty laps. The second round of green flag pit stops began on lap 130 but, because the Hefty® Racing™ team had topped off the fuel during the fourth caution, they were able to stay on track longer than the rest of the competitors. Running in the 19th position, a timely caution occurred on lap 147, one lap before the car’s scheduled visit to pit road. This allowed the team to visit pit-road under caution to receive tires, fuel, and a small track-bar adjustment. Restarting in the 18th position, one lap down to the race leader, McClure was able to maintain the position for the remaining fifty laps to earn his career-best finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

The Hefty® Racing™ team returns to action on Saturday, October 24th at Memphis Motorsports Park for the running of the Kroger 250.

- Team Rensi Motorsports Press Release

No. 09 Zaxbys Ford Fusion

Despite being multiple laps down to the leader, Townley was able to leave NASCAR’s “home track” still holding down the 32nd spot in the overall owner point standings. With just four races left on the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule, Townley has 2,099 points; 389 markers behind 31st and 435 points outside the top-30.

Following an 18th place mark on the scoreboard during final practice Thursday evening, Townley toured the 1.5-mile in 29.868 seconds (180.796 mph) during time trials on Friday afternoon. The lap was fast enough to lock the Watkinsville, GA native into the field with a 27th place starting position for the 200-lap event.

The 43 car field took the green flag under threatening skies and cold temperatures for the 31st time in 2009. John Wes Townley fell back early on due to very tight conditions on his No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford but a welcoming sign for relief came on lap 14 when the evening’s first caution flag was displayed on lap 14 for a three car incident on the front stretch. Crew Chief Brad Parrott called the rookie down pit road for four tires, fuel and a major chassis adjustment. When racing resumed on lap 21 Townley was scored in the 32nd position.

A long green flag run resulted in Townley losing one lap to race leader Kyle Busch by lap 40, however smart driving by Townley kept him out of trouble on lap 64 when David Gilliland in the No. 1 machine went four wide in turn 1 ultimately causing a three car incident bringing out the evenings second caution. Townley would bring his No. 09 machine back down pit road for four tires and fuel along with an air pressure and chassis adjustment to aid in the handling of his machine. Townley would be scored 30th on lap 67 when racing resumed.

John Wes Townley

Although the damage was minimal, Brad Parrott would bring the yellow and blue machine down pit road four times over the next 25 laps to repair the right front fender. By lap 95 Townley was scored 29th, 21 laps down to the leader.

Townley would hang tough over the closing 100 laps but due to being multiple laps down could only gain one more position to race winner Kyle Busch. Townley would take the checkered flag in the 28th, 21 laps down.

Next up for John Wes Townley and the No. 09 Zaxby’s Racing team is Memphis Motorsports Park where the rookie plans to make his career first start at the .750-mile oval in the Kroger on Track for the Cure 250 on Saturday, October 24th.

For more information on RAB Racing please visit: www.teamrab.com

For more information on Zaxby’s please visit www.zaxbys.com

For more information on SPS please visit: www.southernpanservices.com

- RAB Racing Press Release

Tony Stewart - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Tony Stewart soldiered to a respectable 13th-place finish in Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C. The pilot of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) struggled with an ill-handling racecar throughout much of 334-lap event, but the tenacious drive allowed Stewart to pick up his 24th top-15 finish of 2009.

“We were loose at the beginning of a run, then we got to where after about 20 laps, we would start getting tight,” said Stewart, who came into the series’ return trip to Charlotte with high hopes after winning the track’s non-point Sprint All-Star Race in May. “It was just one of those nights where we couldn’t really hit the balance of it. Where we got hurt the most was on starts and restarts when we were all packed up there. We couldn’t make up any ground and couldn’t get in the gas hard. We just gave up a lot of time on the front of runs.”

Stewart’s assessment was spot-on, for after starting fifth in the 43-car field, he dropped back to 14th by the time the race’s first caution flag flew at lap 36. Crew chief Darian Grubb constantly tinkered with the chassis setup of the Old Spice/Office Depot Chevy, and progress was made, but not before Stewart dropped all the way to 20th by lap 98.

A couple of savvy, two-tire pit calls by Grubb gained Stewart some valuable track position, and while the No. 14 machine was never perfect, the smart pit strategy allowed Stewart to bulldog his way back into the top-10 by lap 188. Still, the competition in the race was stout, and Stewart’s stay among the top-10 was short-lived. Nonetheless, perseverance and dedication allowed the team to salvage 13th when the checkered flag dropped.

Stewart’s SHR teammate, Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 TRANSFORMERS: “Revenge of the Fallen” Chevrolet Impala SS, came home 11th to score his 20th top-15 finish of the year.

Jimmie Johnson beat Matt Kenseth by 2.303 seconds to win the NASCAR Banking 500 and score his 46th career Sprint Cup victory, his series-leading sixth of the season and his sixth at Charlotte. The three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion is now tied with two-time Sprint Cup titlist Buck Baker for 13th on the all-time win list for NASCAR’s top division.

Kasey Kahne finished third, while Jeff Gordon and rookie Joey Logano rounded out the top-five. Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Kurt Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 10 caution periods for 42 laps with four drivers failing to finish the race.

Both SHR drivers are represented in this year’s Chase for the Championship. Stewart remained fourth in the standings, but is now 155 points behind Chase leader Johnson. Newman climbed two spots to eighth and is 288 markers out of first.

With five races remaining before a champion is crowned following the season finale Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the top-12 drivers competing for the title rank as follows:

1. Jimmie Johnson (5,923 points) +/-0

2. Mark Martin (5,833 points, -90) +/-0

3. Jeff Gordon (5,788 points, -135) +2

4. Tony Stewart (5,768 points, -155) +/-0

5. Kurt Busch (5,746 points, -177) +1

6. Juan Pablo Montoya (5,728 points, -195) -3

7. Greg Biffle (5,655 points, -268) +/-0

8. Ryan Newman (5,635 points, -288) +2

9. Kasey Kahne (5,592 points, -331) +2

10. Carl Edwards (5,582 points, -341) -2

11. Denny Hamlin (5,551 points, -372) -2

12. Brian Vickers (5,438 points, -485) +/-0

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Oct. 25 Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing/Old Spice Racing/Office Depot Racing, Press Release

Ryan Newman, who is sporting a special Transformers paint scheme this weekend, poses with Trey Hutchens, son of Stewart-Haas Racing Director of Competition Bobby Hutchens. (Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 TRANSFORMERS: Revenge of the Fallen Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), finished 11th after battling back from pit road issues that cost the team valuable track position during Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C.

It was Newman’s 20th top-15 finish this season and his eighth top-15 result in 18 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte.

“We had a good car,” said Newman following the 334-lap race. “The Transformers Chevrolet was doing pretty well, but we really struggled in the pits tonight. It’s just disappointing. I thought we should’ve finished better than that. We had a better car than that.”

After securing the sixth-place starting spot in qualifying on Thursday night, Newman and the team felt confident they could transform their best qualifying effort in recent weeks into a solid finish in the 500-mile race.

Early in the race, Newman told his crew that his car was loose getting into the corners and tight through the center and coming off the turns. Under caution at lap 35, the Transformers pit crew opted to change just right-side tires while adding fuel and making a track bar adjustment. The team wanted to see how the car would react to two fresh tires, which could potentially come into play later in the race. Newman returned to the track in fifth-place for the restart on lap 43.

He initially slid back a few spots with just two fresh tires, but by lap 65 he had stabilized in the 10th-spot. Newman reported that he still had the same problem and that he needed help with his entry into the corners as well as the center of the turns. The team had their next opportunity to help Newman with his car’s handling condition when they pitted under the green flag at lap 91 for four fresh tires, fuel and wedge and air pressure adjustments. However, a problem with a lugnut on the left-front tire led to an extra long stop in the pits. By the time the green flag pit stops cycled around, Newman had fallen from 10th to 19th-place.

Newman tried to gain the lost spots on the track, but his tight-handling racecar impeded his progress. When the caution flag waved at lap 119, the No. 39 team opted to pit for just right-side tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment in hopes of regaining the valuable track position that they had lost earlier in the pits. The pit call worked, as Newman restarted the race in the third spot.

During the next 100 laps, Newman who was running consistently in the top-10, complained that the car was getting tight. At each opportunity, the team worked to loosen the car up with wedge, air-pressure and track-bar adjustments.

By lap 225, Newman reported his car’s tightness had subsided, but now the No. 39 Chevy was on the other end of the handling spectrum – it was now too loose off the corners. Newman couldn’t push his car the way he wanted, thus keeping him from making up ground on those in front of him. Still in the top-10, Newman pitted under green at lap 245 for a track bar adjustment, four tires and fuel.

Unfortunately, a second slow pit stop put Newman in 17th-place when the pit stops cycled through.

Again, Newman worked to regain the lost ground on the racetrack, but the car was still too loose for his liking. Although the team pitted twice more, Newman continued to hustle a loose-handling racecar until the checkered flag fell. In the end, he was to gain a few spots and finish 11th.

Newman’s Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate and owner, Tony Stewart, came home 13th to score his 24th top-15 finish of 2009.

Jimmie Johnson beat Matt Kenseth by 2.303 seconds to win the NASCAR Banking 500 and score his 46th career Sprint Cup victory, his series-leading sixth of the season and his sixth at Charlotte. The three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion is now tied with two-time Sprint Cup titlist Buck Baker for 13th on the all-time win list for NASCAR’s top division.

Kasey Kahne finished third, while Jeff Gordon and rookie Joey Logano rounded out the top-five. Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Kurt Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 10 caution periods for 42 laps with four drivers failing to finish the race.

Both SHR drivers are represented in this year’s Chase for the Championship. Stewart remained fourth in the standings, but is now 155 points behind Chase leader Johnson. Newman climbed two spots to eighth and is 288 markers out of first.

With five races remaining before a champion is crowned following the season finale Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the top-12 drivers competing for the title rank as follows:

1. Jimmie Johnson (5,923 points) +/-0

2. Mark Martin (5,833 points, -90) +/-0

3. Jeff Gordon (5,788 points, -135) +2

4. Tony Stewart (5,768 points, -155) +/-0

5. Kurt Busch (5,746 points, -177) +1

6. Juan Pablo Montoya (5,728 points, -195) -3

7. Greg Biffle (5,655 points, -268) +/-0

8. Ryan Newman (5,635 points, -288) +2

9. Kasey Kahne (5,592 points, -331) +2

10. Carl Edwards (5,582 points, -341) -2

11. Denny Hamlin (5,551 points, -372) -2

12. Brian Vickers (5,438 points, -485) +/-0

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Oct. 25 Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing/Haas Automation, Press Release

2009 NSCS Kyle Busch - (Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Kyle Busch battled back from a spin on lap 120 to finish a solid eighth in Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte N.C.

The driver of the No. 18 M&M’s/Susan G. Komen for the Cure Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) fell as far back as 31st in the 43-car field, but rallied for his sixth top-10 finish in 12 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte.

“It was an up and down night, for sure,” said Busch, who had finished no worse than sixth in his four previous Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte. “Our M&M’s Camry started off pretty good. We had some track position to start and I was just being patient. Right before we spun, everything seemed fine, but it flipped the switch and it seemed like my right-rear tire was going and I ended up losing (control) coming off of (turn) four after that. We had a big hole to dig out of from there. We ended up gaining some spots back, but it’s tough to pass when you get back in traffic.”

After starting 10th, Busch, who sported a pink car and firesuit for primary sponsor M&M’s in support of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation and October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month, quickly moved up to third by lap 16 and held strong within the top-five through lap 112. During the early portion of the race, the talented 24-year old reported that his car was tight in the center, but overall to his liking.

However, on lap 115 Busch radioed to crew chief Steve Addington that the grip on his right-rear tire had gone away. Shortly thereafter, Busch lost control of his M&M’s Toyota coming out of turn four. Miraculously, no contact was made, but the incident brought out the fourth caution of the day, whereupon Busch pitted for four fresh Goodyear tires.

But because the Las Vegas native spun exiting turn four and regained control while on pit road, NASCAR officials assessed a commitment cone violation, meaning that he entered pit road past the allowed entry zone. As a result, Busch was forced to restart at the tail end of the field in 31st position.

While the M&M’s team was down, they quickly showed they weren’t out. Busch methodically moved toward the front, rising to 22nd by lap 142, 14th by lap 190 and back up to ninth position by lap 194, all from a combination of Busch’s yeoman-like work behind the wheel and fast pit stops by the M&M’s team on pit road. Still, Busch battled a handling condition that made his car tight in the center of the corner and loose on exit. That, coupled with being mired in race traffic, never enabled the No. 18 team to get back into the top-five. Instead, they had to settle for a hard-fought top-10.

“It seemed like track position was even more important tonight than usual,” said Busch. “We got better, but just didn’t quite have enough to get back and battle with those guys in the top-five.

“Thanks to our guys for hanging in there with me tonight. We kept working on it and they gained me some spots on pit road and at least we ended up decent.”

Busch’s JGR teammates – rookie Joey Logano, David Gilliland and Denny Hamlin – finished fifth, 25th and 42nd, respectively.

With only five races remaining in the Sprint Cup season, Hamlin leads the JGR trio in the championship point standings, as he is JGR’s lone representative in the 12-driver Chase for the Championship. Hamlin fell two spots to 11th in the standings and is now 372 markers behind Chase leader Jimmie Johnson. Busch dropped one spot to 14th in the standings, while Logano maintained his 20th position in the standings.

Johnson beat Matt Kenseth by 2.303 seconds to win the NASCAR Banking 500 and score his 46th career Sprint Cup victory, his series-leading sixth of the season and his sixth at Charlotte. The three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion is now tied with two-time Sprint Cup titlist Buck Baker for 13th on the all-time win list for NASCAR’s top division.

Kasey Kahne finished third, while Jeff Gordon and Logano rounded out the top-five. Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Kurt Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 10 caution periods for 42 laps, with four drivers failing to finish the 334-lap race.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Oct. 25 TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.

- True Speed Communication for Mars SnackFoods US/Joe Gibbs Racing, Press Release