RACE: N.C. Education Lottery 200

TRACK: Charlotte Motor Speedway

PRIMARY SPONSOR: NOS Energy Charged Citrus

ASSOCIATE SPONSORS: Toyota, Flexco, M&M’s, Dollar General

PRIMARY CHASSIS: KBM-8

BACKUP CHASSIS: KBM-4

MOTORS: Triad Racing Technologies

BROADCAST: Friday, May 20 – 8:00 p.m. ET SPEED/MRN/Sirius NASCAR 90

KYLE BUSCH AND KBM CONTINUE TO LEAD THE CHARGE HEADING TO CHARLOTTE

Defending N.C. Education Lottery 200 winner Kyle Busch will be looking for his third consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) victory and fourth of the 2011 season Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 18 NOS Energy Charged Citrus Toyota has led more than half of the laps in each of last two truck series races this season en route to victories at Nashville Superspeedway and Dover International Speedway.

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) drivers have won four of the six NCWTS races this season and lead the chase for the owners’ championship by 49 points. Including the last four races of 2010, the driver of the KBM Toyota has driven into victory lane seven times in the last 10 races.

KBM AND SPEEDWAY CHILDREN’S CHARITIES TO HONOR ZAHRA BAKER

KBM and Speedway Children’s Charities will pay remembrance to Zahra Baker, the 10-year-old from Hickory, N.C. that was tragically murdered last September, during Friday’s race. Zahra’s name and picture will adorn the area above the passenger side window of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Toyota and Charlotte Motor Speedway will observe a moment of silence in her honor before the start of the race. One of the last times that Zahra was seen in public was at the Starkey Hearing Foundation “Get in Gear to Help Children Hear” event hosted by Speedway Children’s Charities at Charlotte Motor Speedway last May. She was one of 75 underprivileged children and adults throughout the Carolinas that were given the gift of hearing at the event.

KYLE BUSCH NCWTS @ CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

* Captured the pole and led a race-high 69 laps en route to victory in last year’s N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (5/21/10)

* Career leader in NCWTS races at CMS in wins (3), laps led (328) and is tied with Ron Hornaday Jr. for most top-5 finishes (4)

* Has captured the pole for each of the last three NCWTS races @ CMS

* Ranks first among NCWTS drivers over the last six races at CMS in driver rating (129.3), average finish (4.0), laps led (328) and green flag passes (215)

KYLE BUSCH 2011 NCWTS

* Ranks first in the NCWTS in driver rating (133.1), average finish (2.0), laps led (439), fastest laps run (199), and average running position (4.7)

* Enters this weekend on heels of back-to-back NCWTS victories; Dover International Speedway (5/13/11) and Nashville Superspeedway (4/22/11)

* Led the final 107 laps of the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway en route to first victory of 2011 season (2/25/11)

* In the four races he has entered since Daytona, has led 442 of the 750 combined laps (59%)

* Has recorded top-five finishes in each of the last 11 NCWTS he has entered, including six wins and three runner-up finishes

KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS NO. 18 TOYOTA TUNDRA

* Lead the 2011 NCWTS Owner Point Standings by 49 points over the ThorSport’s No. 88

* Aiming to become the first team to win back-to-back owners’ titles since 2003 (No. 16 Steve Coulter 2002 and 2003)

* Rank first in the NCWTS in wins (4), top 5′s (6), laps led (534) and fastest laps run (256)

* Only team in NCWTS to finish in the top 5 in all six races this season

* Have registered 11 consecutive top-five and 16 consecutive top-10 finishes; including ten wins and three runner-up finishes

* In 2010 became the first team since the NCWTS originated in 1995 to win the owners’ championship in its inaugural season

KYLE BUSCH NCWTS CAREER

* Has won 30% of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 48.8%

* One of 10 drivers in NASCAR history to lead over 20,000 laps among the top-three series

* Reached 25th win in NCWTS faster than any driver in the history of NASCAR’s top three divisions, attaining the milestone in just his 87th career series start

* Youngest driver (20 years, 18 days) in NCWTS history to win a race (Quaker Steak & Lube 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on 5/20/05)

* Has at least one NCWTS victory in each of the last seven seasons and multiple victories in each of the last five

* 119.6 career driver rating entering the 2011 season is the highest accumulated by a NCWTS driver since the stat was introduced in 2005

* Average career finish of 7.1 ranks first among active drivers with 10 or more career starts

* Ranks fourth in NCWTS history in wins (27), seventh in poles (11), ninth in top 5′s (53) and 15th in top 10′s (70)

* Tied with Mark Martin for fifth in All-Time Combined National Series Wins (96)

KYLE BUSCH EXCITED ABOUT RACING AT HIS FAVORITE TRACK

“Before I got started in NASCAR, I grew up watching what use to be The Winston and is now the All-Star race on television. That was always the most exciting race to watch and Charlotte quickly became my favorite track. Running under the lights is always a lot of fun. It’s a unique track. Turns one and two are far different from turns three and four and that seems to be a challenge for a lot of drivers. They don’t understand what it takes to be fast. I’ve been pretty successful in all three series. I’m looking forward to trying to get my first win in the All-Star race and trying to continue the tradition of winning in the truck and Nationwide Series car.”

KYLE BUSCH ON UNLOADING WITH A FAST TRUCK

“I think behind Rick and Eric’s leadership our guys do a really good job of preparing the trucks at the shop. They really pay attention to detail and put their best effort into building and maintaining quality Toyota Tundras. We unload with a fast truck and don’t have to spend practice searching for speed. When you can do that, it seems to make everything go a lot smoother.”

CREW CHIEF ERIC PHILLIPS ON PREPARING A NEW TOYOTA TUNDRA

“We’ll be racing a brand new Toyota Tundra Friday night, KBM-8. It was a tough decision not to bring KBM-4 which has six wins in eight races on the intermediate tracks, but if you keep racing the same stuff every weekend and you’re not trying to get better eventually that will catch up with you. This truck is similar to KBM-7 which was the new truck we won with at Phoenix in February. In building these new trucks, we really worked hard on making the trucks lighter and lowering the center of gravity height. We’re looking forward to getting Kyle’s feedback after practice on Friday and seeing how we did.”

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

2011 NCWTS Clay Rogers - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

RBR Enterprises NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Advance: Darlington Raceway

Race: Too Tough to Tame 200

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: 3 of 25

Track: Darlington Raceway

Track Length: 1.366 mile

Date: March 12, 2011

Following a 16th-place run at Phoenix last race, Clay Rogers and the Ricky Benton Racing (RBR) Enterprises BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors / fleetHQ No. 92 Chevy Silverado team come to Darlington Raceway for the Too Tough to Tame 200 second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) points.

RBR at Darlington: RBR Enterprises has one previous start in the NCWTS at Darlington Raceway. Last season, the No. 92 BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors/fleetHQ Chevy started 20th in the Too Tough to Tame 200 and finished 16th.

Rogers at Darlington: The 2011 Too Tough to Tame 200 will be Clay Rogers’ first NCWTS attempt at Darlington.

Last race recap: The No. 92 BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors / fleetHQ team qualified 13th for the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix two weeks ago. Rogers kept the truck on the lead lap all night and finished 16th.

Camping World Truck Series Points: Rogers enters Darlington second in the NCWTS points, one point behind leader Matt Crafton. Cole Whitt is two points behind Rogers in third. Johnny Sauter and Timothy Peters round out the top-five.

Clay Rogers quotes:

On Darlington: “Darlington is a great track with lots of history. In 23 years of racing, I have never had the opportunity to race there so I am looking forward to checking it off my list. I got to check Daytona off my list earlier this year and we had a good finish. I hope we have the same type of finish here at Darlington. “

On the new NASCAR points system: “With the way this new points system is set up, we can stay up front if we can keep the truck in the top-10 race in and race out. With this small team, we kind of have a David and Goliath thing going against these teams that are essentially (Sprint) Cup teams running in the truck series.

Owner Ricky Benton Quotes:

On Darlington: “Darlington is a tough old track and it’s always home to some good racing. This is our biggest event of the year. We have been involved with racing just down the road at Myrtle Beach for a long time so I hope we have a lot of supporters here on Saturday night cheering on the No. 92 Chevrolet.

“Heading back to Darlington with what we learned here last year, our goal is to finish in the top-10 and anything better than that is icing on the cake.”

On his team’s early season run: “We have a good group of guys around (driver) Clay (Rogers). We know we are an underfunded team going up against a lot of these big names, but we are well prepared and our team is always ready to go racing. We don’t show up not to run well.”

About fleetHQ:

fleetHQ is a business solutions provider for commercial trucking fleets and service tire dealers all across North America. fleetHQ provides 24-hour support, and helps fleets reduce operating cost while making it easier to do business.

About BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors:

BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors offers wholesale distribution services to tire and automotive dealers across the Southeast, operating out of locations in North and South Carolina.

About RBR Enterprises:

RBR has been racing in numerous touring series throughout the Southeast for nearly 20 years. Competing extensively in the USAR Pro Cup Series, the team has made forays into the ARCA Series and several NASCAR Touring Series. In 2010, RBR joined the NCWTS with driver Dennis Setzer; competing in eight races.

RBR teamed up with Rogers for the 2011 season. Originally, the team was committed to the first five races and 15 races total for the year. The schedule for the current points leader could expand if additional sponsorship can be secured.

Did you know?: Cerro Gordo, N.C., home of RBR Enterprises, is a town of 244 people in Columbus County. As the crow flies, the RBR shop is roughly 50 miles from Darlington Raceway.

For more information or to learn how you can partner with RBR Enterprises in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, contact Rick Benton II at 910.840.6857 or by email at rbrmarketing@ncez.net.

- RBR Enterprises Press Release

No. 66 GoPro Chevrolet Silverado

“Phoenix was a tough night for us again but I think we made the most out of what we had to work with,” said Marks after the one-day show in the Arizona desert. “The GoPro Chevy was tight all through practice and the race but Doug (Wolcott, Crew Chief) and the guys made good adjustments on the truck and we made forward progress during the race.”

After losing an engine in the events only practice session, Marks’ crew went to work to swap out motors. Even with the loss of valuable track time, the team never lost sight of their goal of claiming a top-15 finish. With no laps on their new motor, Marks cautiously hit the track for qualifying and laid down a fast lap of 27.967 seconds at a speed of 128.723 miles per hour. The lap was good for 27th starting position for the 150-lap shootout on Friday night.

The green flag dropped for the start of the Lucas Oil 150 shortly after 6 p.m. Within the first 10 laps, Marks’ had moved past slower traffic and into the 24th position. When NASCAR threw the event’s first caution on lap 43 for debris, Marks’ keyed the radio to tell the crew that his GoPro Chevrolet was tight in the center. Crew Chief Doug Wolcott called Marks’ to pit road where the crew outfitted the GoPro Chevrolet with four fresh Goodyear tires, fuel, and air pressure and track bar adjustments.

Returning to the track in 25th position, Marks’ continued to make laps around the one-mile oval while battling a tight truck. When NASCAR displayed the yellow flag on lap 102 for an accident in turn three, Marks’ hit pit road for his final stop of the night, taking on four tires, fuel, and another round of air pressure and track bar adjustments.

Justin Marks

“It’s taking me a little bit of time to get back into the swing of things in the Camping World Truck Series but I feel like I made progress as a driver during the race,” Marks’ said. “I’m definitely looking forward to going to Darlington, a place I’ve never been to. I think we are getting a bit better every week and looking forward to taking the next step and contending for a top-10.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Darlington Raceway on Saturday, March 12th for the Too Tough To Tame 200. The race will be broadcast on live on the Speed Channel with radio coverage coming to you live on Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio and MRN Radio starting at 5 p.m. ET.

- Turn One Racing Press Release

No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Tundra (Brendan Gaughan) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

“When race time came, the South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra was very loose getting into the corners. We were able to make some adjustments on the first pit stop that helped Brendan, but we lost some track position and it was hard to make it up on Friday night,” said crew chief Bryan Berry.

Brendan Gaughan - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I think we had a truck that was a top-ten Tundra, but the brush with the wall on lap 129 took us off the lead lap,” explained Berry.

Brendan Gaughan is currently 19th in Truck Series points standings. His next Truck Series race is March 12th, at Darlington Raceway.

Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

Germain Racing has earned two championship titles in the Truck Series. The Toyota team owns 22 victories and 9 pole awards in the series that continues to grow ratings on SPEED. For more information on Germain Racing, visit www.GermainRacing.com or follow the team on Twitter @GermainRacing.

About South Point…

The South Point (http://www.SouthPointCasino.com) is a 2,200-room resort in Las Vegas, Nevada providing affordable luxury while catering to visitors and locals alike. This casino destination features a world-class spa, bowling center, eight restaurants, showroom, equestrian arena, convention center, exhibit hall, bingo and all of the casino games that made Las Vegas famous. The South Point opened in December 2005.

- Germain Racing Press Release

Germain Racing

“We probably unloaded our best Germain.com Tundra at Phoenix in three or four years,” said crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. “We had a great practice session, a good qualifying position and good pit stops. If we didn’t have the racing incident, we were a top-five truck.”

The Germain.com Tundra pit crew had some crash repair practice at the season opener in Daytona. At Phoenix, unfortunately, it was more of the same.

“We were able to bring the truck into the pits, get it repaired, and stay on the lead lap. The Germain.com Tundra took a pretty big hit, so, salvaging a 14th-place finish was a good result for us. We’re all looking ahead to Darlington,” said Hillman.

After two of 25 races, Bodine ranks 12th in the Truck Series points standings. Bodine races the No. 30 Tundra next at Darlington Raceway on March 12th, where they will be defending their 2010 victory at the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a fan on Facebook: Facebook.com/pages/Germain-Racing/198863890135.

When shopping for your new or used car or truck, head directly to Germain.com to find the perfect vehicle or visit your local Germain dealer in Ohio, Florida, or Arkansas. Germain.com is part of Germain Motor Company, a top-25 automotive retail network with 21 dealerships and more than 60 years of experience.

- Germain Racing Press Release

2011 NCWTS Timothy Peters - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Peters showed speed out of the No. 17 GearWrench Toyota Tundra from the start of the weekend, as he drove to third early in the long practice session at the 1-mile track. After making adjustments, crew chief Butch Hylton sent Peters out for a mock qualifying run in the closing laps of the practice, but Peters was blocked by another truck and had to abandon the fast run.

Peters then qualified 11th for the 150-lap race, which began as the sun was setting across the southern Arizona desert.
He moved into the top 10 in the opening laps of the race, though he was reporting the truck was tight entering the corners. Hylton made an air-pressure adjustment on the first pit stop on lap 43, and Peters continued to race in the top 10.

With 48 laps to go, Hylton made another air-pressure adjustment, and the Red Horse crew gained Peters two spots on pit road under a caution.

As he challenged another driver for sixth place on lap 123, Peters made contact with another truck and spun in Turn 2. He didn’t hit anything, but the tires were flat-spotted, and Peters headed to pit road for four tires.

Peters restarted 15th with 24 laps to go and gained three positions in the closing laps, even though he was racing on older tires because the team had used its allotment of fresh Goodyears.

“We had a decent truck all night long,” Peters said. “Our GearWrench Tundra was a little snug, but they got me right in the pits. Those guys do a great job in the pits.

“I just put us in a bad position (with the spin). The hole was open, and I went down, and it closed up pretty quick, and we spun out. It’s not what we wanted, but we had a good truck and we finished 12th, in one piece.”

Peters may have accepted the blame for the spin, though replays showed otherwise. Two trucks were racing for position ahead, and those two slowed as they exited Turn 2. That caused Justin Johnson to take evasive action, and it just happened to be to the low side, where Peters was making a move for position.

Still, with the finish of 12th, Peters managed to move up two positions to fifth in the Camping World Truck Standings. He has 66 points, five behind leader Matt Crafton and one behind fourth-place Johnny Sauter.

“We’ll go to Darlington and maybe make up for it there,” Peters said. “As far as I’m concerned, I got my worst track out of the way until we get to Loudon.”

- Red Horse Racing Press Release

Red Horse Racing

After finishing fourth in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, Paludo struggled to a 25th-place finish at Phoenix in the No. 7 K&N Filters Toyota Tundra.

Paludo, however, remains in the top 10 of the Camping World Truck Series points standings, slotting in ninth after two races. And he’s the second-highest rookie in the truck series.

Paludo spent part of the lone Phoenix practice learning the unique track. Phoenix has four distinct turns, with each end of the track banked differently, with different radius turns. He ended up 24th on the practice chart, and later qualified 28th.

As the race started, leader Clint Bowyer set a blistering pace and caught Paludo a lap down. Paludo continued to drive a steady race, making a pit stop under caution on lap 42 for four tires and a wedge adjustment as crew chief Rick Gay worked on a loose truck.

Thanks to a fast pit by the Red Horse crew, Paludo restarted 24th on lap 48. He raced around that position for the next 60 laps, getting encouragement from Gay and spotter Terry Cook. Paludo improved his line and his position until a yellow flag on lap 107.

Racing underneath another driver, Paludo slipped in Turn 4, and the two trucks made contact. With little grip, Paludo spun and was collected by another truck.

2011 NCWTS Miguel Paludo – Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Paludo lost another lap in the caution as the crew made repairs and sent him back to the track. With less than 50 laps remaining, Paludo went into survival mode, and he came across the finish line in 25th, three laps down.

“Tough day,” Paludo said. “We’re always learning, but it’s so hard because we got a really good fourth-place last week at Daytona. And here we got caught by the leader by lap 30, lap 40. It’s hard.

“But it’s a learning process, and I think we’re going to be good in Darlington. I know that’s part of the job. One time you’re on the top and the other time you’re not. Let’s see what we’ve got in Darlington.”

Paludo is ninth in the Camping World Truck Series points standings, 12 out of the lead and two behind eighth-place. He is the second-highest rookie in the standings.

The next race for the truck series is the Too Tough To Tame 200 at Darlington Raceway on March 12.

- Red Horse Racing Press Release

Granny Grump

Friday was the truck race. I was surprised I have to say. I think most of the time those trucks get so excitin’ when that guy hangin’ over the track in that cage thing waves the green flag. Duck and I were so ready, willin’ and able to start yellin’ and carryin’ on and it just didn’t really happen. To the best of my recollection it was pert near the last 3rd part of the race before we actually got off the divan. Ended up bein’, for the most part, a fairly fittin’ event after all, thank the good LORD. And boy howdy Rowdy! Kyle, who led 107 of the 150 laps won that race. Clint Bowyer finished second followed by Handsome Hornaday, Johnny (Rock’em Sock’em) Sauter and that cute little Austin Dillion. Good for Kyle I say. He out ran the rest and finished the best. I truly enjoyed seein’ that boy in Victory Lane, I can tell ya that much right now. And to my way of thinkin’, and I do know it’s neither here nor there, we are goin’ to see big things from that young ‘un, Dillion. He’s got talent and good equipment, so y’all just watch that boy! But, it goes without sayin’ the veterans will take these young guns to task again and again. Granny is sure of that so you can take that to your pot and cook it.

Next was the Nationwide race on Saturday. Duck and I got all settled in. We treated ourselves to some popcorn and cold cider as watchin’ racin’ snacks. No big meal durin’ that race as we ate a lot of buttered turnips, greens and crispy fried chicken livers for our main meal earlier in the day. Now that is what my late husband Elmer used to call “stick to every important part” food. Oh how I do miss that man’s wit at times, but that’s neither here nor there. So Bowyer had the pole, which made that runner up spot on Friday a bit easier to take with big wishes for Saturday I am pert near sure, but Boy Howdy Rowdy had other ideas, let me tell ya that much right now. That boy took the lead in short order and lead the entire event! Can you believe that? Why I found myself rootin’ for him and at the same time rootin’ for someone to pass him (to spice it up a bit). That was a bit confusin’ to Duck and to me, I have to tell ya that much right now. That race was just a tad more excitin’ than the day before’s race, but in the end, side by side Kyle and Carl battled for the position and then Busch boy won yet again, VERY much to Duck’s dismay. Now I love Duck, I really do but he is very single minded when it comes to Flippin’ Carl. Course I like cute Carl too. He has such a winnin’, no pun intended, smile, but anyway in a post race interview Carl commented that he might owe Kyle a tap from an event last year but decided not to do it. Good for you I say, Carl. That is NASCAR class to my way of thinkin’, but in after the Cup race contemplation I’m wonderin’ if Carl feels that same way? (More on that later) I’m not suggestin’ anything here now, so don’t send me a bunch of ugly email because I don’t have time for that and y’all know why, I’m just sayin’, and I’m pert near sure you know what I mean. Anyway cute as Christmas better known as Happy Harvick Kevin finished 3rd followed by Rocketman Ryan and Speedy Reedy. Again Busch out ran the rest and finished the best. He was very thankful to Carl for racin’ him clean and again I enjoyed seein’ him in Victory Lane so here’s another good for Kyle, I say!

Then came the Cup race Sunday. I decided we should have our meal with racin’ as usual. Well that just might have been a bit of a mistake, to my way of post race thinkin’. We were off that divan and on our feet so much that Duck and I both knocked our plates off the crates more than once! I just hate havin’ to clean up a mess durin’ racin’, so I didn’t. I just let Goober the Goat in and he did it. Shoot fire, he did a better job than I would have anyway, bein’ that I was so involved in watchin’ and all. I think Granny is developin’ some bad racin’ habits, if ya know what I mean, but that’s neither here nor there. Oh my good and gracious LORD, that was a smackin’ good race. Lots of action. Unfortunately there were quite a few torn up cars but Jeff Gordon got ahold of the race and just wasn’t gonna give it away in any permanent way! Course everyone made a much too big to do over his winless streak to my way of thinkin’. I mean, sure, we were all knowin’ he could drive a corn cob and win, but, that’s the way it happens sometimes. Point is he was the best and poo pooed the rest! Kyle tried. He really did, but it just didn’t happen! It was oh so good to see Jeffie win again! So good, good and good for him, I say! Kyle finished a hard fought second, Same champ Jimmie, who just may not be this year, finished 3rd followed by Harvick and Newman. In fact all of that handsome Rick’s boys finished in the top 13! Why this shake up at Hendrick’s is just a fact of beauty, isn’t it? All but the same champ Jimmie with Chadrick the Trick, as Duck calls him, got a change for crew chiefs. I’m thinkin’ this will end some other streaks if ya know what I mean. I sure am hopin’ so. Yessiree Bob, I really am. Now, I’m not wishin’ anyone any back luck or anythin’ like that. I’m just wantin’ to see the other drivers in that stable become a lead horse more often, too. It’s time. Know what I mean?

And now for the other stuff. In the Cup race Rowdy boy Kyle wrecked Edwards. Now I am not sayin’ it was intentional in anyway and Kyle apologized up one side and down the other over and over again. Sweet and flippin’ Carl feels that wreck took out the best car in the race and that just may be so. No one is sayin’ it was on purpose. Racin’ can be wreckin’, after all. I’m just sayin’ when push comes to shove, and it will sometime between those two, who knows who is gonna be doin’ the pushin’ and who the shovin’? Time will let us know, I’m pert near sure of that.

And how about that Danica girl? Why she finished 17th 3 laps down. Durin’ a televised post race interview I expected her to unzip her firesuit and she didn’t! Good for you I say girl! I was shocked, but, good for you. That’s a start, anyway. I do have to say I found that commercial where she’s tellin’ JR to go long and then he left her at the track, quite amusin’. Now look here, you know that girl could get a ride to anywhere! But if that occurrence were real would she grab her shirt and well, nevermind. I’m just sayin’ that that girl is as pretty as they come. No doubt about it and the car doesn’t know if she’s female or what she’s wearin’, or not. The young girls of today need a role model and one who presents herself with class as well as beauty. Good role models for today’s young’uns are hard to come by and even more so for female young’uns. Know what I mean?

Granny Grouch

I hate to say this, younguns, but I’m havin’ a real hard time figurin’ out this new rulin’ bout only bein’ eligible to run for one series championship in a season. Why in blazes would ya wanna drive your tail off and not get a single point fer all your hard drivin’? I’m a lookin’ at that there Kyle “Rowdy” Busch runnin’ in all three series races, when he can only git the points for one series, don’t make no cotton pickin’ sense to this OLD granny ! ! !

I don’t know what it’s gonna take for some of these races to be excitin’ cause the race I seen on Saturday was as BORING’ as watchin’ grass grow! Why, I had to git up and go feed the chickens, slop the hogs, milk the cows and whitewash the fence whilest “Rowdy” ran around in circles with not a feller in sight to chase him down. That there ain’t racin’ to this OLD granny’s way of thinkin’, why it was a Sunday afternoon drive on Saturday for heavensakes! And as for Sunday’s race, I think them boys in the Broadcast Booth all need some eyeglasses, especially ol’ DW cause he kept a sayin’ that the #48 car was workin’ real hard to come through all the traffic in the field, well my landsakes, there was a fifteen car pile-up and most of the cars were in the garage gittin’ all fixed-up so they could come back out and race some more, so what’s he talkin’ bout? Then there was “Cousin” Carl Edwards – - – wreckin’ everythin’ but the Tow Truck and the Ambulance! What on earth was he thinkin’ of? I was happy as a pig in slop for Jeff Gordon winnin’ that there race but I think he needs to git to practicin’ his burn-outs! hehehe He also needs to remember who his sponsors are but I know he was excited, it bein’ over two years since he’s won a race an all.

Okay, this OLD Grouch has gotta go do the rest of her chores – - – -see ya next week from Las Vegas Motor Speedway!

——————————————————

So there you have the Grump’s and the Grouch’s thoughts. Cousin, darlin’, now don’t get your bustle in a big bunchup here, but I agree with MOST of what you were sayin’. Ain’t really worth mentionin’ it here. This ain’t the place. Know what I mean? Just come on by and we can discuss it over cornbread and buttermilk. I’ll put Duck in the bedroom so you won’t worry about your coat, but, it’s only fair to warn ya that he is hot under his feathers over your Carl comments. Hope to see ya soon, dearie!

So, loyal readers and other folks email us or comment if ya like. Grump and Grouch, over and out!

No. 81 Zachry Toyota Tundra (David Starr) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

David was very strong in practice posting the eighth best time in the morning session before qualifying the Zachry Toyota 15th with a lap of 27.93 seconds at 131.42 mph around the uniquely shaped one-mile track just west of Phoenix.

At the drop of the green flag the No. 81 Zachry Toyota showed the speed seen in the earlier practice session moving up two places by the races seventh lap when he moved under Brendan Gaughan. By lap twenty, David had grabbed two more positions and was knocking on the door of the top-ten when the first caution flew for debris on lap 42.

Starr restarted his Tundra from thirteenth on lap 47 and once again charged toward the front of the field reaching the top-ten on lap 60. David was one of the fastest trucks on the track as he dove past two trucks in one lap and was soon battling 2010 series champion Todd Bodine and Justin Johnson for the sixth position before another caution slowed the field again on lap 102

The Jason Miller led SS Green Light crew gave David four fresh Goodyear’s and packed his fuel cell with Sunoco racing gas for the run to the checkers. Several competitors only took two tires dropping the Zachry Toyota to tenth on the restart where David got caught on the outside and lost a couple positions before he could maneuver his Tundra to the preferred lower grove.

David Starr – Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

David was credited with 34th in the final rundown behind winner Kyle Busch, dropping him from 9th to 21st in the NCWTS driver standings.

Starr and the rest of the NCWTS teams have next week off before the Too Tough to Tame 200 at Darlington Raceway on March 12th.

For more information on SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com.

- SS Green Light Racing Press Release

No. 77 Lofton Cattle Toyota (Justin Lofton) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

“It’s disappointing because I had some family come from California and I always look forward to racing here. I knew something wasn’t right pretty early, but it is something that gradually gets worse and you can’t tell right off what it is,” Lofton said. “Once we figured it out, the truck ran pretty good. We’ll shake it off this week and be back at it in Darlington.”
At the start of the race, Lofton dropped his No. 77 Toyota to the rear of the field after the crew made adjustments to the truck following qualifying. Initially, Lofton grabbed the 24th starting spot. With just under 20 laps on the board however, the 25-year-old radioed to crew chief Ryan Fugle that the truck seemed sluggish on the front stretch.

Justin Lofton - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Despite rejoining the race with a 10 lap deficit, Lofton did his job, running a clean race and clicking off lap times that equaled other trucks within the top-10.

On lap 104 Fugle and Lofton agreed to drop to the rear of the field following a restart, since “cautions breed cautions.” And they were right. Five more caution flags waved during the course of the final 40 laps. Spotter Mark Green called Lofton through the action, allowing the California native to drive his Toyota home to a 30th place finish.

After a week off the No. 77 Lofton Cattle crew will next head to Darlington Raceway on March 12th.

- Justin Lofton Media Relations Press Release

No. 20 Panhandle Grading Toyota Tundra

Long lined up the No. 20 Panhandle Grading Toyota Tundra in the 25th position with a qualifying lap time of 27.735 and a speed of 129.800mph. She ran a 28.621 fast lap early on in the first 20 laps of the race, then went on to hold her own between 24th and 29th position.

Taking four tires and fuel at lap 38, Long restarted in the 28th position. Staying out during lap 41′s caution flags, Long restarted in the 26th position. She continued to range between 26th and 27th until lap 111 at the race’s last caution, when she began, as crew chief Cowboy Starland claimed over the radio, “knocking down pins of position.” Holding her own through her first NASCAR flat track experience in the final laps, Long showed her determination at Phoenix by powering down seven positions with the No. 20 – taking it home in the 20th position at the checkers.

The finish not only gives Long her first top 20 of the season for Panhandle Motorsports, but also lands her as the ninth highest Rookie driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver points going into Darlington on March 12.

Johanna Long

“I have to thank my guys for giving me a great truck this week, from practice to qualifying to the race night. They freed it up to help me learn, and I learned so much over the course of just a few days at my first NASCAR flat track. We say it in the hauler – taking ‘baby steps’ this year and just dig – but still with competition in mind. We’re competitors, and I’m looking to improve at every showing this year.

I have to remember that it’s my first time at these tracks – and be encouraged by the knowledge I bank at every track. On to Darlington preparation – another first!”

- Girl Friday PR Press Release

Photo Credit: LAT Photo

No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records Chevrolet Silverado

Johnny Sauter lined up the No. 13 Safe Auto / Curb Records Chevrolet Silverado in the 8th position with a qualifying lap time of 27.083 seconds at 132.925mph speed. He made impressive strides early on in the race by protecting the seventh position and following teammate Matt Crafton in the No. 88 Menards / Ideal Door Chevrolet – even after giving feedback in the first 30 laps that the truck was rolling over and having trouble in the corners.

Taking four tires and fuel at lap 38, the team also worked on air pressure to protect from splitter damage. Sauter went on to restart seventh after a lap 41 caution and motor to fourth by lap 63. Holding the spot for 25 laps until the next caution warranted a pit stop, Sauter wheeled the truck through a fast pit stop with four tires, trackbar and air pressure adjustments and as crew chief Joe Shear Jr said, “enough gas to get us through this thing as the tires hit.” On lap 122, he powered back from fifth to fourth position and battled Ron Hornaday for the third position. Holding his own through a tight race truck in the final laps, Sauter showed his on-track prowess at Phoenix by motoring the No. 13 home in fourth position at the checkers.

The strong finish not only gives Sauter his first top 5 of the season (after Daytona’s 17th finishing spot) for ThorSport Racing, but also lands him in the fourth position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver points going into Darlington on March 12.

Johnny Sauter

“It was a solid night for me and my guys, I am so proud of them. We chased it all night long and freaking dug. The guys did an amazing job in the pits, I can’t say that enough. We were fighting loose, tight, loose, tight all night long – just couldn’t get that perfect balance. So to get the fourth place finish, we really worked as a team. Congrats to Kyle Busch on the win – that guy is just unbelievable. He just wins.”

Next Race

Too Tough to Tame 200

Darlington Raceway

March 12, 2011

Practice: 9am-10am and 10:30am-12:00pmET

Qualifying: 3:15pm

Race: 5:00pm on SPEED, SiriusXM Radio, MRN Radio

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

No. 88 Menards / ThorSport Racing Chevrolet Silverado

Matt Crafton lined up the No. 88 Menards/Ideal Door Chevrolet Silverado in the 6th position and ran as high as fifth in the race’s first 20 laps, before the first caution flag flew on lap 41. On the restart in 8th position after four tires & fuel, he motored to as high as third position behind Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch. As the caution flags were more prevalent with 50 to go, Crafton wheeled the No. 88 through two more pit stops, coming out in 4th position at lap 111; then taking two tires at lap 132′s caution and coming out in 6th position. In the final laps, Crafton navigated through several on-track incidents to power his No. 88 Menards / Ideal Door Chevrolet Silverado into the 7th position at the checkers.

The solid finish not only gives Crafton his second top 10 in two races (after Daytona’s 10th finishing spot) for ThorSport Racing, but also lands him in the top position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver points going into Darlington on March 12.

Matt Crafton

“We had a great truck in Phoenix, it was awesome on the long runs. Bud (Haefele, crew chief) and the guys set it up perfectly. It’s a shame we had to take 2 tires to try for track position late in the race, happened with several other frontrunners too. We know we’re fast and my team is fast, but if we can’t beat them off pit road, then we can’t win races. We’re going to keep working towards Darlington and stay up in the points race. It’s great to be first in driver points, but we’re on race 2 of 25. We’re looking to keep that consistency over the race season.”

Next Race:

Too Tough to Tame 200

Darlington Raceway

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Practice: 9am-10am and

10:30am-12:00pmET

Qualifying: 3:15pm

Race: 5:00pm on SPEED, SiriusXM Radio, MRN Radio

- ThorSport Racing Press Release

2011 NCWTS Ron Hornaday Jr - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Avondale, Ariz. (February 27, 2011) –

The one-day event began with a one hour and fifty-minute practice session, followed by mid-afternoon qualifying at the 1.0-mile tri-oval. Hornaday was the 43rd truck out to qualify and was able to solidify a fourth-place starting position.

The green flag waved for the Lucas Oil 150 and the red, white and blue Sherwin-Williams machine remained in the fourth position for the first quarter of the race.

The first of eight caution flags came out on lap 43 for debris on the track left from another competitor making contact with the wall. During the caution period crew chief Jeff Hensley led Hornaday down pit road to top off with fuel and take four tires. With a solid pit stop, Hornaday lined back up in third position for the restart on lap 49.

A truck spun in turn two to bring out the second caution of the night on lap 59. The No. 33 KHI team elected to stay out and Hornaday was reminded to save fuel where he could. At the halfway mark, the Sherwin-Williams Chevrolet was fighting tight conditions as Hornaday followed KHI teammate Clint Boywer who was running in the second position.

Anticipating green-flag pit stops, the third caution flag dropped at lap 102 an accident in Turn 3, allowing the team to regroup and make the right adjustments to free up the vehicle. Taking four fresh tires, fuel and making a wedge adjustment, the No. 33 team was ready to make the most of the remaining laps.

Multiple back-to-back cautions flew over the next 30 laps but Hornaday was able to maintain his third-place restart position and hang on for the final green-flag run with 11 laps to go. On the final lap, the No. 33 Sherwin-Williams Chevrolet steadily held track position and captured a third-place finish. Kyle Busch took the checkered flag with KHI weekend teammate Clint Bowyer taking the second position.

A great night for the KHI Truck Series family was marked by two top-five finishes and a top-15 for Rookie of the Year contender, Nelson Piquet Jr., who was able to bring home a clean truck and a 13th-place finish. The Truck Series will take a weekend off and return to action on March 12 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, the track “Too Tough to Tame.”

Comments from driver, Ron Hornaday:

“Phoenix is one of my favorite tracks and it was a great night for the No. 33 Sherwin-Williams Chevrolet.” Hornaday stated after the race. “We were just way too tight. If we can work on this small adjustment at the shop, we’ll be able to unload at the track that much better. We’ll be the truck to beat.

“This was a great points night for the No. 33 team and for KHI. With Kyle and Clint not running for the Truck Series championship it allowed us to capitalize and make up 13 positions in the point standings. We are now 10th in the Driver’s Point standings and only 14 points out of first.”

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

No. 1 Fuel Doctor Platinum Chevrolet Silverado (Jeffrey Earnhardt) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

Earnhardt qualified the #1 Fuel Doctor Platinum Chevy in the 29th position, after several trucks went home not making the 36 truck field. Earnhardt knew that this race was going to be a battle of attrition.

When the green flag dropped for the 150-lap event, Jeffrey worked through a tight condition that unfortunately put him one lap down, before a caution on lap 41 allowed the “Team Green”, Fuel Doctor pit crew to make adjustments. Crew chief Joe Lax requested four tires and fuel with adjustments to the track bar, and as Earnhardt left the pits, he remained in the 32nd position, one lap down.

Still getting acclimated to the track, Earnhardt continued to increase his lap speed before another caution fell on lap 57. Crew Chief Joe Lax and team green went to work once again, this time adding a spring rubber attempting to help turn the Fuel Doctor Chevy as Jeffrey restarted in the 29th position.

Earnhardt still battling a tight condition stayed in the hunt in the 25th position before a string of cautions showed just how tough the NASCAR Camping World Truck racing really is at Phoenix International Raceway. Four cautions flew within the next thirty laps as Jeffrey maneuvered his Fuel Doctor Chevy through the mayhem of trucks around him and landed himself in the 21st position.

“Jeffrey turned his fastest lap of the race on lap 140, which is exactly what I thought he would do.” Said team owner Rick Ware. “This is a tough track to learn, but once he finally got a good line down that started working for him and a feel for the track, I knew he would really start improving on his lap time.”

A restart with just eleven laps remaining gave Jeffrey the opportunity to race his way into a respectable top-20 finish as the youngster took the checkered flag in the 19th position.

Jeffrey Earnhardt (Photo Credit: Godwin Kelly / DBJ)

Earnhardt now sits 7th in the Championship standings just 9 points from point leader Matt Crafton.

Jeffrey and the Fuel Doctor Chevy will now prepare for the Too Tough to Tame 200 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday March 12th, 2011 which will be aired live on SPEED at 5:00pm EST. Tune in for the NCWTS Pre-race SET-UP show beginning at 4:30pm.

For more information visit www.wareracing.com or you can also follow the team on Twitter at @rickwareracing

For more information on Jeffrey Earnhardt please log on to jeffreyearnhardt.com or contact Tanya Hall at tanya@jeffreyearnhardt.com or (602) 448-6069.

ABOUT FUEL DOCTOR USA:

The Platinum FD-47’s cutting-edge technology increases fuel economy by power conditioning the vehicles electronic system resulting in decreased CO2 emissions released into the environment.

Fuel Doctor USA products are available for purchase online at www.fueldoctorusa.com or by calling 1.877.512.FUEL. For motorsports marketing information please contact tanya@fueldoctorusa.com or Tanya Hall @ (602) 448-6069.

- Jeffrey Earnhardt Inc. Press Release