Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR)

“Daytona is a bit like a homecoming for me,” commented Mike Skinner, driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet. “Angie and I lived here for 15 years, so we still have a lot of friends and family in the area. I love coming here to race, and I know the equipment at ESR is good. If everything goes according to our plan, at the end of the night we’ll be up front and competing for the win.”

After purchasing assets from Kevin Harvick Inc. following the conclusion of the 2011 season, ESR expected to run three full-time teams throughout the 2012 season. Having Skinner in the No. 8 Chevrolet entry at Daytona International Speedway moves the organization closer to that goal.

“ESR has made a significant investment over the winter and the vision is to have three full-time teams,” commented Eddie Sharp, owner of Eddie Sharp Racing. “We have two down [with Justin Lofton in the No. 6 CollegeComplete.com Chevrolet and Cale Gale in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet] and one to go, and now with the opportunity to race Daytona with Mike, we’re inching closer to that happening. The goal is to keep Mike in the truck all year and run for a championship. If you miss Daytona winning a championship is no longer possible—you have to be there.”

“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to drive for Eddie again this year at Daytona,” Skinner continued. “We’ve been in heavy negotiations with a sponsor who has signed an agreement to sponsor our truck the entire season. We’re waiting for the funding to be put in place, which would allow us to race every week and compete for the championship. If the funding doesn’t come through, then Daytona will probably be our only race unless some other sponsorship comes along. In the event that the sponsorship does come through, we can’t afford to miss Daytona—you can make up for hiccups here and there, but you can’t just give up a whole race on the front side of the year.”

Eddie Sharp Racing and Mike Skinner are still searching for sponsorship opportunities to continue competing in the No. 8 Chevrolet for the remainder of the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season.

The NextEra Energy Resources 250 from Daytona International Speedway will be broadcast live on SPEED at 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 24. Radio coverage of the 250-mile event will be available on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90, beginning at 7:15 p.m. Fans can also tune into SPEED to watch practice sessions at 12:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 23, and qualifying just prior to the race at 4:00 p.m. EST, on Friday, February 24.

About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp Racing (TeamESR.com) is a championship winning race team housed in a 40,000 square-foot facility in Denver, N.C. After just four short years of competition within the ARCA Racing Series, the team impressively accumulated upwards of 20 race wins. 2009 was a pivotal year for ESR, as they dominated the series with six race wins, 15 top-fives and 19 top-10s en route to the series championship with driver Justin Lofton. In 2010, ESR made the transition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2011, Sharp and Lofton were reunited within truck competition. In 2012, ESR expands to three teams, as Lofton returns to the No. 6 Chevrolet Silverado, Cale Gale joins the team behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado, and for Daytona, Mike Skinner drives the No. 8 Chevrolet Silverado.

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release

University of Northwestern Ohio Logo

The University of Northwestern Ohio’s (UNOH) College of Applied Technologies offers a unique curriculum to young people interested in professional motorsports competition as a career. The University is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the College of Applied Technologies is accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. The University also has a College of Business, College of Occupational Professions, College of Health Professions and Graduate College offering Associate and Baccalaureate Degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, Marketing, Sport Marketing, Information Technology, Medical Assisting and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

The College of Applied Technologies offers associate degrees and diploma programs in High Performance Motorsports. Student interns training in this curriculum will be assisting RCR Development at the track during race weekends.

“The University of Northwestern Ohio is honored to continue and expand our relationship with Richard Childress Racing and Ty Dillon,” said Dr. Jeffrey A. Jarvis, President of the University of Northwestern Ohio. “Ty Dillon’s personality and professionalism along with his championship ability, makes him the perfect fit to represent UNOH.”

Dillon, 19, takes the next step in his motorsports career after earning the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship. In his first full ARCA season, he earned seven victories, seven pole qualifying positions and 16 top-10 finishes in 19 races. He made his debut and competed in three Truck Series races during the 2011 season, finishing third November 4 at Texas Motor Speedway in just his second start.

“I’m really excited to have the University of Northwestern Ohio on the No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado for my rookie season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said Dillon. “UNOH has been a big supporter of mine, with both my dirt car racing and last season’s ARCA Series championship. It’s great to have them move up with me and the No. 3 team.”

RCR competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series from its inception in 1995 through 1999 before returning to the series in 2009 with Ty’s brother, Austin Dillon, who went on to claim the 2011 Truck Series championship. It has earned 24 victories, as well as the inaugural series championship with driver Mike Skinner. RCR’s three-truck lineup for 2012 consists of Ty Dillon in the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, Joey Coulter in the No. 22 RCR Chevrolet along with Brendan Gaughan and Tim George Jr. in the No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino/Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet.

“The University of Northwestern Ohio has great educational programs, from motorsports to business to health care, as well as a program to earn your degree online,” said Richard Childress, President and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “Everyone at UNOH has been great to work with this season and we’re proud to continue our relationship with them in 2012 as Ty takes the next step in his racing career in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.”

For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit www.rcrracing.com.

About UNOH

The University of Northwestern Ohio is an entrepreneurial, not-for-profit, university founded in 1920. There are five colleges within the university: The College of Applied Technologies, College of Business, College of Occupational Professions, College of Health Professions, and the Graduate College. UNOH has taught students from all 50 states and 16 foreign countries, and currently has more than 4500 students enrolled from 36 states and 6 foreign countries. UNOH offers more than 60 different programs of study including Master’s, Baccalaureate, Associate, and Diploma programs.

The University is situated on a 200+ acre campus and is in the midst of a 10-year expansion plan that includes new apartment-style dormitories and a new academic building that will house Health and IT classrooms along with a new library, student learning center and food services. The University of Northwestern Ohio also offers a variety of athletics including Men’s & Women’s Basketball, Men’s & Women’s Tennis, Men’s & Women’s Golf, Women’s Volleyball, Men’s and Women’s Bowling, Men’s Baseball, Men’s Soccer and six Co-Ed Motorsports teams.

The University of Northwestern Ohio has an impact of more than $250 million on the local economy. Limaland Motorsports Park, which is owned by UNOH, has an additional $15 million impact.

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its current Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties Chevrolet). Its Nationwide Series program includes Elliott Sadler (No. 2 One Main Financial Chevrolet), 2011 Camping World Truck Series champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Advocare/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick/Brendan Gaughan/Paul Menard (No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino/Menards/Hunt Brothers Pizza/Armour/Fast Fixin’/ Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. and Brendan Gaughan (No. 2 Potomac Family Dining Group/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet), Joey Coulter (No. 22 RCR/Armour Chevrolet) and 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion Ty Dillon (No.3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) will compete in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series season.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Truck owner and Grandfather Richard Childress (L) celebrates the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with grandson Austin Dillon (R) at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Photo Credit: RCR)

The accomplishment marks the second NCWTS championship for RCR, who earned the inaugural NCWTS series championship in 1995 with Mike Skinner, also in a No. 3 Chevrolet. The 42-year-old racing organization, headed by Dillon’s grandfather Richard Childress, now has 14 motorsports championships overall, spread across the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NCWTS and the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

“It’s so special when you’re family,” said patriarch and team owner Richard Childress. “Our whole family is involved, and I remember the very first championship with Dale Earnhardt. I had the same feeling tonight watching Austin, my grandson. It’s just so special to have the family and know how hard all of them worked. Danny Stockman (crew chief), Bass Pro Shops, everybody on the No. 3 team did so much to help put it together. Austin kept it together so good under the pressure. For a 21-year-old guy, man, to be able to hang in there and do what he did was very special.”

Dillon, the 2010 NCWTS Rookie of the Year, becomes the first driver in the 11-year history of the NCWTS to earn the rookie title and then the driving championship the subsequent year. He also holds the honor of youngest champion to be crowned in the series’ history. Along with Ty Dillon, the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion, the Dillon’s are the only brothers who have earned same-year championships on a national stock car tour.

“We definitely worked hard this year and accomplished this as a team,” said Dillon. “This was our goal at the beginning of the year and no one ever gave up. Danny Stockman and every member of the Bass Pro Shops team worked nonstop. We rebounded from so many little mistakes and unfortunate incidents this year-the hood flipping up at Kentucky Speedway, for example. It’s the way you react to the undesirable situations that show what a championship team is made of, and these guys reacted in all the right ways. This championship means so much to me and I’m thrilled to be able to represent my family, Richard Childress Racing, Bass Pro Shops and NASCAR as a champion.”

En route to the 2011 title, Dillon and his Danny Stockman-led Bass Pro Shops team celebrated in Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway and Chicagoland Speedway, posting an impressive five pole awards among 10 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 25 races. Dillon finished second on four separate occasions.

At 29-years-old, the 2011 championship marks crew chief Stockman’s first in only his second year as a crew chief. Prior to joining RCR in December 2009, he earned two championships (’07 and ’09) in the NCWTS as a truck chief at Kevin Harvick, Inc.

“Like Austin said, the last restart was quite gut wrenching,” added Stockman. “Just awesome to be a part of this deal with Richard, Mike, Austin and Tina, and everybody that just let me have this opportunity to be a part of it. Austin Dillon is just a great up-and-coming race car driver. I am just really happy to be a part of it. We have a heck of a good race team, and just got to thank everybody back at the shop for all their hard work.”

The nation’s No. 1 outdoor retail leader, Bass Pro Shops, was positioned as the primary partner on Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet for the duration of the 2010 and 2011 race seasons. A long-time RCR supporter, Bass Pro Shops began its association with Richard Childress Racing in 1998 with associate sponsorship of the No. 3 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet Monte Carlo made famous by seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt. Bass Pro Shops’ partnership with RCR has also included sponsorship of the No. 29 Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick and primary sponsorship of Earnhardt’s eldest son, Kerry Earnhardt, in RCR’s No. 33 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for six Sprint Cup Series races in 2004. The company sponsored Ty Dillon for his season-finale race in the ARCA Racing Series this year.

“Congratulations to Austin from all of us at Bass Pro Shops, Tracker Marine and all our Tracker independent dealers,” said Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. “Austin is a fine young man who loves racing, loves the outdoors and has a great future ahead of him. What a proud moment for Austin’s grandparents Richard and Judy Childress and his mom and dad Mike and Tina Dillon.”

Dillon joins an exclusive list of NCWTS driving champions, including Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday, Jr., Johnny Benson, Ted Musgrave, Bobby Hamilton, Travis Kvapil, Mike Bliss, Jack Sprague, Greg Biffle and Mike Skinner. He will be formally honored at the annual NNS and NCWTS Awards Banquet at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Monday, Nov. 21. SPEED will broadcast the banquet on Friday, Dec. 2 from 7-9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

About Bass Pro Shops Group:

Bass Pro Shops -58 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 110 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO.

Tracker Marine Group –

Manufactures and sells Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Tahoe and Mako boats through Bass Pro Shops retail stores and over 400 dealers worldwide. Visit www.trackerboats.com

Resort Group –

Big Cedar Lodge and other resort properties including restaurants and golf course. Visit www.bigcedar.com for more information.

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 NASCAR championships, including six in the Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its 2011 Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet). Its Camping World Truck Series program includes 2010 Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Joey Coulter, Jr. (No. 22 RCR Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. (No 31 Applebee’s / Potomac Family Dining Group Chevrolet) and Ty Dillon (No. 41 RCR Chevrolet) will compete in the 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Austin Dillon celebrates his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship with his Richard Childress Racing team at Homestead-Miami Speedway. - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland, Getty Images for NASCAR

THE MODERATOR: Let’s roll into our championship race team in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It’s the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet, driver is Austin Dillon, our crew chief is Danny Stockman, Jr., and our owner is Richard Childress. This is Richard Childress’ second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers’ championship. His first came in the inaugural season in 1995 with driver Mike Skinner. And crew chief Danny Stockman, this is your first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

Richard, you talked to me out in the hall. You’ve had a lot of championships, but how does this one rank.

RICHARD CHILDRESS: It’s got to be right up there at the top. It’s so special when you’re family. Our whole family is involved, and I remember the very first championship with Dale Earnhardt. I had the same feeling tonight watching Austin, my grandson. It’s just so special to have the family and know how hard all of them worked.

I was at Ohio, Toledo, when Ty won his championship a few weeks ago, and just it’s a dream come true to have both these young men win championships.

And Danny Stockman, Bass Pro, everybody did so much to help put it together, and Austin kept it together so good under the pressure. For a 21 year old guy man, to be able to hang in there and do what he did was very special.

THE MODERATOR: Speaking of which, our championship driver has joined us now. That’s Austin Dillon. He drives the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet. At 21 years, six months and 22 days, he becomes the youngest champion in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history. Congratulations, Austin. Tell us what it’s like to win a championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

AUSTIN DILLON: How does it feel? Amazing, best feeling I’ve ever had in my entire life. I’m so happy for my grandfather. He’s got two champs this year. I’m worried about Ty coming back and beating me for the youngest champion ever. He’s pretty awesome. It’s going to be a wonderful week, a wonderful month. Can’t ask to go out of the Truck Series any better than this, coming out as a champion.

Danny Stockman has done a great job this year. We’re all a family over at RCR, and we fight like dogs, but we love each other the same. It’s cool that we’re out there, a championship. It was wild. The last restart was not the way I planned it. It made it interesting, but we still came out on top.

THE MODERATOR: Danny Stockman, talk about being the crew chief for this championship team.

DANNY STOCKMAN: Yeah, like Austin said, the last restart was quite gut wrenching. Just awesome to be a part of this deal with Richard and Mike and Austin and Tina and everybody that just let me have this opportunity to be a part of it. Austin Dillon being a great race car driver, up and coming race car driver, just really glad to be a part of it. Got a heck of a good race team, and just got to thank everybody back at the shop there. Really good.

Q. Austin, a little more detail on that last restart. Was it a tire issue? And I think Hornaday said when he went by you there that he saw oil or something like that. Was that communicated to you, as well?

AUSTIN DILLON: I didn’t see the oil, but I know right behind the right front fender we were knocked in. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t hit anybody on the track, but I think it happened on pit road. We got really tight once I got back there, but I think it was more the conservative side when I was three wide. We were three wide in the middle, and to force a spot right there is not worth it.

I wish we would have finished I think we had a shot to win the race. We really had a fast race car. When you get back there in that situation, your head tells you to be smart, but at the same time they’re telling you to go because you’re close there. I went as hard as I could, started entering the corner harder at the end and helped us out. But we got really tight when the fender got knocked in. I think it was close really with the fender, but the rain came at the right time, the Lord was looking after us, and it’s really cool to be where we are today.

Q. Austin, I want to say you didn’t really say anything on the radio as you were falling back there or even for the few laps after that. Did you not want to say anything? What was going through your head?

AUSTIN DILLON: There was no need to, just focus and get back on the wheel. When you get down like that, you can’t do anything but drive back to the front, and we’ve done that all year. I’ve struggled in certain spots and restarts. Actually my restarts have been really great to the end of the year. That one wasn’t a bad restart. I kind of Johnny went I didn’t anticipate as well as I needed to, and when Denny stuck me three wide, I probably could have made something out of it in the middle, could have got to the top quicker, but I didn’t know who was out there and no one said clear on the radio, so we obviously weren’t.

When you get three wide, and these trucks, the air pushes you around so much it’s hard to run three wide, and down the back stretch it was really hairy, so I just rolled out a little bit, got back in line and went to working on everybody in front of me and were able to pass quite a few of them.

Q. Can you just talk about what the last six, seven weeks have been like? You’re leading the points coming out of each of these last six or seven races. Has it been nerve wracking or has it been easier to handle than you thought?

AUSTIN DILLON: You know, watching these guys in the Cup Series talk to each other, it’s pretty wild. I listen to Tony Stewart and I listen to Carl Edwards and the different approaches they take to it. Offense is your best defense most of the time in racing, and I felt like today I probably played too much defense. It wasn’t enough offense, and my grandfather got onto me midway through the race and said, You can’t get comfortable here, you’ve got to keep racing. Went back and got on the wheel and drove up through a bunch of them and found ourselves in second.

We had a fast race car there at the end, and when we got three wide, I had to play conservative because it wasn’t worth it. It worked out for the better of everything, and leading up to this week, I’ve just been hunting and fishing, doing stuff I love to do, keep my mind off of it, hanging out with the people I always hang out with, talking to Danny, preparing ourselves the way we do for every race.

There’s no difference coming into the championship. You can’t approach things different. When you’re sitting outside the lead, you can take more chances, that’s for sure. Johnny could take more chances today than we could, Buescher the same way, they have nothing to lose. Stewart is right, he has nothing to lose for Sunday. It’s hard to play offense. You’ve got to play off, though. My best advice to Carl is to go out there and play offense, go out there he knows what he has to do. They have a different situation; they’re very close in points. There’s a benefit there.

I actually talked to Ricky Carmichael, he’s won lots of championships, and I was talking to him and he said the closest championship was probably the easiest because he knew what he had to do. 16th was what we were supposed to finish to win, and we knew that going in, and got us a top 10, so we did our job.

Q. That said, Austin, what was today like, because it wasn’t maybe a normal day because of the rain and everything. Was there a chance for nerves to get in? And with winning the championship, what’s your experience so far? Is it everything you thought it would be?

AUSTIN DILLON: Today with the rain, it did make it you had to think a little bit more, I guess. You could think about it longer. But I actually watched a Clint Eastwood movie during the middle of the day. That was pretty cool. It kept my mind off it. I laughed a few times. It was the one with the chimpanzee. “Any Which Way But Loose” is what I watched today. I watched it with my buddy Tim Dugger and my girlfriend and his girlfriend, we just hung out and watched the movie and waited on everything, and when it got down to it, started listening to my music, had our team meeting. That’s when we all get emotional is in our team meeting because we all know why we’re here, and it was really cool, we all had a big prayer session before, and I told them I was nervous going in, as nervous as they are, but we’ve got to go do our job, and we did it.

Austin Dillon soaks in the glory after becoming the youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion following Friday night's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images for NASCAR)

AUSTIN DILLON: The championship, yeah, it’s amazing. You get to spray champagne everywhere. You’re on top of the world. It’s the best feeling in the world. You stink real bad. Darrell Waltrip told me the best feeling in the world is going home stinking and having a trophy in your lap, and we were able to do that. I think now I’m more nervous about making a speech Monday, but we’ll figure that out. I’ve got some time.

Q. Going back to your celebration, are you maybe the first NASCAR champion to try planking on concrete?

AUSTIN DILLON: Yeah, the planking is cool. It’s something new. I feel like the good thing about NASCAR, we’ve got some really good drivers coming up. I am friends with a bunch of them that are going to represent the sport well. I think NASCAR has a lot to look forward to going forward. I feel that the newer fans coming in are young, and it’s really cool for sponsors, and I love the social media network, and I’ll be out there having fun any way I can. Yeah, I think that was one of the coolest planks you can do, I guess, winning a championship and then planking.

Q. Maybe your riskiest move of the night, too?

AUSTIN DILLON: That was probably my riskiest move, yeah. But it was wet enough where I could have got a little slide, and I have Sparco suit, so it’s the best suit in the world.

Q. You didn’t think about “Tebowing,” did you?

AUSTIN DILLON: Yeah, I kind of did. I pointed up when I was over the car. I didn’t get down on one knee, but that would have been cool to Tebow. He got it done last night, too; it was pretty impressive.

Q. What were you thinking when the rains came? Did you figure you had it at that particular time?

AUSTIN DILLON: Never thought about it. Andy Houston, my spotter, said, That’s probably going to be it, man, and I stayed in the truck and waited for the signal. It kind of drizzled, it was drizzling, and I knew they had lost the track because it was so slippery driving around under caution, and my grandfather said, Do not spin out under caution; slow down. I said, Wow, if I do this, that would be really a good way to lose the championship, rolling around under rain, so I backed her off and pulled in, and Hermie Sadler told me I won the championship, so I started celebrating and planked.

Actually, you know what, I did play some Xbox this week and tweeted my Xbox Live name and had like 50 people play Xbox Live Call of Duty with me. That was pretty fun, too. That was my RCR clan. It was good. I ended up on top like three times, but it was cool because everybody was going to tune into the championship, and they’re like mention the RCR clan in victory lane. I didn’t do it, but I got it in the media center, so I’m going to go back and play with them and talk to them about the championship. It’s cool, I interacted with fans that way.

Q. For Richard, what do you think allowed him to have the poise and everything to hold onto this lead in the points the last seven weeks, and is there anything that he’s done that you obviously have watched him race since he was little, but is there anything he’s done in the last two months that either particularly impressed you or surprised you?

RICHARD CHILDRESS: I think watching the race at Texas was the key to winning this championship. He was conservative when he had to be and he raced hard when he had to be. I think that was a big win we finished second, but it was a great run, and I think going into tonight, he I haven’t talked to him a whole lot this week because I didn’t want to add any extra pressure. He handles pressure better than a lot of people his age, he and his brother does, Ty. I couldn’t believe with the way he handled himself in the ARCA championship. They must get it from their mom because me and their dad gets a little wound up sometimes.

One other thing: Tonight with Johnny winning, that was 51 wins for ECR, and I told them at our kickoff banquet last year that they won 50 last year, so I told them you’ve got to beat it this year, so tonight made it 51. Great job for ECR.

Q. With the strength and the momentum you have after winning this championship, you’re taking the entire team with you to the Nationwide Series. What are you expecting for next season?

AUSTIN DILLON: Yeah, we’ve built a great team going into 2012. We’ve been working a little bit leading up to this race, and Stockman has been really harping on worried about this race, not worried about next year. But we’re so excited I can’t wait. It’s going to be amazing, feel like we can do it again. Two in a row would be awesome, just keep moving up and doing our job and we’ll be there at the end.

I was able to run some really good races with the Nationwide Series this year, and I feel like we stack up well, and we’ll have similar equipment. RCR and Pop Pop always make sure we have the best, and we’ll go out there and do our job in that No. 3.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations to the No. 3 truck, Austin, Danny and Richard.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Chevrolet Press Release

Austin Dillon soaks in the glory after becoming the youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion following Friday night's race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images for NASCAR)

“Everyone at Chevrolet is extremely proud of Austin Dillon’s accomplishment this year,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “Throughout his young career, he has proven himself to be a very talented driver. After winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of Year in his 2010 debut, to come back and win the championship this year clearly demonstrates the bright future Austin has in NASCAR.

“We are very proud of our long partnership with Richard Childress Racing and couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of every victory and every championship Richard’s teams have won.”

Dillon, 21, led the series with five poles, and added two wins, 10 top-fives and 16 top-10s in 25 races this season.

Dillon, who carried a 20-point lead into the season finale’, is the sixth Team Chevy driver to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, joining Ron Hornaday Jr. (2009, 2007, 1998 and 1996), Jack Sprague (2001, 1999, and 1997), Travis Kvapil (2003), Mike Bliss (2002) and Mike Skinner (1995).

This is Childress’ second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship; Mike Skinner won the first in the series’ inaugural season, 1995 – also in the No. 3. Childress also won six NASCAR Sprint Cup championships with Dale Earnhardt (1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994).

“It’s been a very successful season for Team Chevy in the Camping World Truck Series,” Campbell said. “We’d also like to congratulate Kevin Harvick Inc. on winning the Owners’ Championship. What a way for KHI to close out a tremendous 10-year run in the series.

“In addition, our congratulations to Joey Coulter for winning the Series’ Sunoco Rookie of the Year.”

Chevrolet earlier clinched the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers’ Championship for the seventh time.

Tonight’s season-finale was won by Johnny Sauter, No. 13 SafeAuto / Curb Records Silverado.

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Chevrolet Press Release

Team Chevy Logo

DETROIT (November 4, 2011) –

“We’ve worked hard over the past several years to win as many races as we can,” said Harvick, driver of the No. 2 Hunt Brothers Pizza Silverado. “We’ve been fortunate to win some championships and have come up short on the manufacturers’ end of it.

“To be able to win the Owner’s Championship, win the race and win the Manufacturers’ Championship in the same night is pretty cool because Chevrolet has been a huge part of KHI (Kevin Harvick, Inc.) since the beginning. To go out and score a bunch of points this year and win the Owner’s Championship and the Manufacturers’ championship says a lot about everybody who’s involved and Chevrolet has been a huge part of providing the assets to make that happen.”

This is Chevrolet’s seventh NCWTS Manufacturers’ title since the Series’ inception in 1995 and occurs one day after Chevrolet celebrated its 100th anniversary.

“Chevrolet is very proud to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers’ Championship,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “This is one of the many reasons why we have been involved in racing all of these years. Thank you to all of the Chevrolet Silverado drivers, team owners, crew members and engineers. This achievement is truly a result of great teamwork and the collective efforts of many talented people.

“On behalf of Chevrolet, I would like to congratulate Kevin and DeLana Harvick and the entire Kevin Harvick, Inc. team for clinching the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Owner’s Championship. It is a tremendous accomplishment for the organization and we are proud of our association with KHI.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series closes out its 2011 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18. Austin Dillon sits atop the standings, followed by fellow Silverado drivers Johnny Sauter (20 points behind the leader) and James Buescher (28 points behind Dillon).

Chevrolet drivers have won 10 NCWTS championships, with Ron Hornaday being the only four-time champion of the Series. Chevrolet’s first drivers’ championship was won by Mike Skinner in 1995.

Earlier this year, Chevrolet clinched the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturers’ Cup, its 35th, and ninth in a row (2003-11).

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Chevrolet / General Motors Press Release

Max Q Motorsports

Mooresville, NC. (November 3, 2011)—

“I’ve known Larry for years, he’s an old driver like myself, I raced against him many times. He knows what he’s doing with this team. He’s a fighter,” added Skinner about Max Q Motorsports team owner Larry Gunselman.

Skinner has fared well at Texas in the past. He is the owner of six career poles on the Sprint Cup circuit to go along with 39 top ten finishes, a best career start in the series of 9th and has finished 12th there twice in 12 career starts.

“There are great fans in Texas, I’ve always run well there, its definitely been one of my best tracks,” commented Skinner about racing in Texas.

- Max Q Motorsports, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 4th

How is the TRD horsepower under your hood today? “It’s good. It’s so tough to say really until you get into race conditions what differences you can feel. I just can’t say enough for everyone at TRD (Toyota Racing Development) and Joe Gibbs Racing for putting this deal together. This is going to be a long compilation of engineering and things. We’re going to bring a lot to the table to them as well as they’re going to bring it to us. I can’t say enough for them and their efforts to get this in here in such short notice.”

How are you feeling after Monday’s accident at Watkins Glen? “I feel good. I felt better. Today is better than yesterday. Wednesday was the worst, by far. It’s a little tough to sit down right down — my tailbone is hurting me pretty good. But, other than that it’s good to be back at a race track and obviously being competitive.”

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 12th

What do you think of what Michael Waltrip said if you keep running like this, he’s going to hit your other leg? “Problem is — we still have a lot of fast cars to go. It’s a decent lap. Hopefully, it will hold up good, give us a good starting position and a good pit selection for the Aaron’s Dream Machine. I’m glad to be here and glad to be away from Watkins Glen. It’s a cool race track. It just wasn’t good to me the other day.”

Are you pleased with your qualifying run? “We were a little bit free. I’m not sure if that is going to be enough to get the job done. Hopefully, it will hold up for a decent starting position and see what it gives us on Sunday. The main deal is getting is a good pit selection. Starting position is one thing — pit selection is something that can help you all day. So, we have to qualify well to get that.”

How are you recovering from Monday’s accident at Watkins Glen? “It’s time to go race and not worry about the rest of the stuff.”

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 14th How was your qualifying lap? “Everything felt pretty good there. I missed turn three a little bit. On my entry I screwed up and got loose-in, which I did by myself. But, the car was — I probably should have run a .15 or .20, and I ran a .28. I made a mistake, but it felt better than practice. It’s good changes.”

What’s the key to being successful at Michigan? “Probably momentum. It’s a big part of it — to keep your momentum up. I just feel like this track is all about momentum. And you slow that down — you get passed from behind by someone who is keeping their momentum up. It’s a cool track to race. But, you have to keep your momentum going.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 15th

What did Jimmie Johnson ask you after your qualifying run? “He was just getting a few pointers. No, I’m just kidding. He was just wondering if I thought my lap was decent because he thought his was not pretty decent. We beat him by about a tenth. I thought it was okay. I left a little out there. The car wasn’t perfect, but a good lap. We picked up from practice for our NAPA Toyota. These guys are doing an awesome job for me and I love working with them. We’ll see how long it stays up there — hopefully it will be a good starting spot for us.”

How good was your qualifying lap? “Pretty good. It was a good pickup from practice in the NAPA Toyota. We fought a few little issues in practice and the guys did a good job working on the car making it better. We’ll see where that ends up. I’m proud of them for their efforts. They’re doing a great job for me. Hopefully, it stays somewhere near the front and we’ll have a good starting spot for Sunday.”

What will you work on in practice tomorrow? “Long runs — it goes green a long time here and got to have a good race car on the long runs. We had a good car here in the spring race. I had a little trouble on pit road towards the end. Started were we were there (in the spring), hopefully get it even better and see if we can’t go out and win one of these things.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 17th

How was your qualifying run? “Our Interstate Batteries Camry wasn’t bad. I got through (turns) one and two perfectly and got a good run down the back. But, when I got to turn three, we were way too tight through that end of the track. Wish we would have had a better lap, but we will work on it tomorrow in race trim and hope we can run like we did here in June and have a shot to win.”

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Starting Position: 21st

How was your qualifying lap? “You know, honestly I was feeling like it was a little warmer and I was going to be pretty happy if we went out there and ran a .40 or a .50. To run a .30 was pretty good for us. We were struggling being really loose at the start of practice and they did a good job tightening it up. It felt pretty good. I was able to get to the gas hard. It was loose all the way off but I was able to stay in it. I’m sure it’s going to get quite a bit faster, but it was a good start so far for the GEICO Toyota.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 23rd

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 26th

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Kingsford-Bush’s Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Starting Position: 28th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Starting Position: 37th

What do you have planned this weekend after qualifying at Michigan? “We’re trying to get up to Montreal to run that race tomorrow. Just the travel logistics are pretty tough. There’s only one airplane that I know of right now going from Michigan to Montreal, so I have to make other arrangements. Going up there, going to run our Nationwide car. My qualifying lap here today was just a really good, smooth lap. You’re talking about holding it wide-open — you can’t do that here anymore. It’s a good weekend here at Michigan and I know they’re getting ready to do the repave here. It’s a fun race track. My car has been driving great since we unloaded and I can’t thank my guys enough.” – more -

TODD BODINE, No. 66 HP Racing Toyota Camry, Gunselman Motorsports Starting Position: 40th

MIKE SKINNER, No. 60 Big Red Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Starting Position: 43rd

Was your car a handful during qualifying? “I think that was a triple handful there, but I wasn’t going to let off the throttle. I was like, we might hit the wall but we’re not going home because the driver let off. We made an adjustment right there at the end of practice and it kind of took the car out of the race track and it was awfully loose in the gas. You know, the Big Red Toyota is in the race and that’s what we came here to do.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM)

TRACK: Iowa Speedway

PRIMARY SPONSOR: Toyota

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

PRIMARY CHASSIS: KBM-7

BACKUP CHASSIS: KBM-6

MOTORS: Triad Racing Technologies

BROADCAST: Saturday, July 16 – 8:00 p.m. ET SPEED/MRN/Sirius NASCAR 90

ICKLER A SEASONED VETERAN AT IOWA SPEEDWAY

Brian Ickler, set to make his second start of 2011 in Kyle Busch Motorsports’ (KBM) No. 18 Tundra, is a seasoned veteran when it comes to racing at Iowa Speedway. Saturday’s Coca-Cola 200 will be Ickler’s ninth career start at the 7/8-mile tri-oval. His resume includes two previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts, two each in the K&N Pro Series East and West, one in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and one in the ARCA Racing Series. The 25-year-old won the 2008 U.S. Cellular 200 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race and has collected five career top-10 finishes at the asphalt track. The California native has already visited Iowa Speedway once this season, practicing the No. 60 NNS car that Carl Edwards finished second with in the Iowa John Deere Dealers 250.

KBM NO. 18 TUNDRA ENTERS COCA-COLA 200 WITH 20 CONSECUTIVE TOP-10 FINISHES

Kyle Busch’s win last Thursday at Kentucky Speedway was the 20th consecutive top-10 finish for KBM’s No. 18 Tundra. Over the last 20 races, the team has made 12 trips to victory lane, registered three second-place finishes and recorded a remarkable average finish of 2.35. The No. 18 Tundra has completed all 3,184 laps during those races and has not finished lower than seventh in any race.

BRIAN ICKLER @ IOWA SPEEDWAY

· Won the 2008 U.S. Cellular 200 K&N Pro Series East race and finished second to Kyle Busch in the 2009 Long John Silver’s 200 K&N Pro Series East Race

· Started fourth in the 2010 NCWTS Lucas Oil 200 and ran second for 60 laps before being involved in an accident on lap 80 that put him two laps down — fought back to earn a lead-lap 13th-place finish (7/10/2010)

· Started seventh and finished 18th in the 2009 NCWTS Lucas Oil 200 (9/5/09)

· Started 29th and had worked his way up to sixth when was involved in an accident on lap 167 that relegated him to a 32nd-place finish in the 2009 NNS U.S. Cellular 250 (8/1/09)

· Started sixth and finished fifth in the 2009 ARCA Racing Series Prairie Meadows 200 (7/11/09)

· Registered one top-ten finish in two career K&N Pro Series West races (2007 & 2009)

BRIAN ICKLER CAREER

· In 19 career NCWTS starts has one pole (6/13/09 @ Michigan International Speedway), five top 5′s and nine top 10′s (2009-2011)

· One top-10 finish in eight career NNS starts (2008-2010)

· Captured two pole awards and registered four top-five finishes in seven ARCA Racing Series starts in 2009

· Has four career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East wins (Iowa Speedway, Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Mansfield Motorsports Park, South Boston Speedway) including three in 13 starts in 2008

· In 2007 registered a K&N Pro Series West-leading three wins (Douglas County Speedway, Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, Evergreen Speedway) in 13 starts

· Named 2004 Southern California Off-Road Enthusiasts (SCORE) Rookie of the Year after clinching the A-Class championship with five wins, including the prestigious Baja 1000

KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS NO. 18 TOYOTA TUNDRA

· Leads the 2011 NCWTS Owner Point Standings by 56 points over KHI’s No. 2

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

· Ranks first in the NCWTS in wins (6), top 5s (9), laps led (602) and fastest laps run (281)

· Has registered 20 consecutive top-10 finishes including 12 wins and three runner-up finishes

· Only team in NCWTS to have completed all 1,134 laps this season

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

Brian Ickler – Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood / Getty Images for NASCAR

“Iowa Speedway is a very unique track; they did a great job designing it. It definitely has a short track feel, but it is round and big and you have to stay on the throttle to keep your momentum going — like you do on the mile-and-a-half tracks. The track has changed since the first time I raced there in 2007; the bump in turns 1 and 2 is getting worse and you have to be really good to get through there.”

BRIAN ICKLER ON EXPECTATIONS FOR COCA-COLA 200

“I’ve raced at Iowa several times and have a win there in the East Series. I have a good feel for what I need to go fast and have been very competitive no matter what series I’ve raced there. A little over a month ago, I was able to practice Carl Edward’s Nationwide car. I’ve been on the track already this year and that track time should help this weekend. We had a fast truck last year but got caught up in an accident and didn’t end up with the result we were capable of. I’m confident that Eric (Phillips) and the guys will provide me with a fast Toyota Tundra again this year. If we can avoid trouble, I think you’ll see us running up front and be in the mix at the end of the race.”

ERIC PHILLIPS ON PRIMARY TRUCK SELECTION

“This will be our third race with KBM-7. It was a brand new truck in February when we won at Phoenix and we also finished second with it at Martinsville. Iowa has a lot more banking then those two tracks, so our setup for this weekend is quite a bit different. We ran well last year with Brian at Iowa and two years ago I ran well there with Mike Skinner. I think we’ll have a good truck and we’re looking forward to having a strong finish with Brian.”

ERIC PHILLIPS ON BRIAN’S COMFORT LEVEL AT IOWA

“You definitely can tell that Brian is very comfortable at Iowa. Last year at the beginning of practice, we were a little bit off the pace and he knew exactly what he needed to make the truck go faster. We made a few changes and quickly got to where we needed to be. In comparison, at Texas a few weeks ago it took us a lot longer to get the truck where he wanted it because he didn’t have a lot of track time and wasn’t able to provide us with the same type of quality feedback.”

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

Justin Lofton Inc.

“I am really looking forward to working with Justin again. We work well together and we are great friends. I know what he wants in a setup, and we already have the communication down,” Bormann said. “I am really excited about the opportunity and I can’t thank Eddie and Justin enough.”

With the addition of Bormann, Trip Bruce will now serve as ESR’s competition director. He will also take the reigns on pending development programs within the team.

“Dan was very vocal in helping this team be as successful as we were in 2009. To be able to bring him and Justin back together again speaks volumes for what we built. Justin and I both know he will get the job done. He is a genuine leader,” added team owner Sharp. “With Dan joining Trip, this adds even more depth to our company. Trip is a huge asset. ESR can only continue to grow from here with him in a position of overseeing the program.”

Though this marks 33-year-old Bormann’s first go around as crew chief, he has a plethora of racing experience to his credit. A 13 year motorsports veteran, Bormann got his start at local short tracks in his native California. After learning the ropes in the K&N Pro Series West, he decided to move east, and relocated to North Carolina in 2005.

He padded his resume by working with veteran drivers Mike Skinner, Tony Raines, and Jimmy Spencer before moving to Clay Andrews Racing in 2006. Later that year, the team earned the race win in Kentucky with driver David Gilliland. Gilliland promptly made the move to the Sprint Cup Series, and CAR dissolved. Bormann then also made the move to Cup competition with Roush Fenway Racing. After a short stint at RFR, Bormann landed at Chip Ganassi Racing, where he remained for three seasons. During that time he made numerous trips to victory lane in the Nationwide Series while working with drivers Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya.

In early 2009 Bormann moved to Eddie Sharp Racing where he spent the season as car chief on Lofton’s ARCA entry. Together, they earned six race wins, 15 top-fives and 19 top-10s en route to the title.

Following the championship season in 2009, Bormann transitioned with Lofton to Camping World Truck Series competition, serving as his truck chief at Red Horse Racing. They earned a season best finish of third with four top-five and eight top-10 finishes through the year.

Bormann started the 2011 season at Turner Motorsports, where he served as truck chief for Ricky Carmichael until the call came that Lofton was returning to ESR.

“It was a no-brainer for me and it really means a lot that Eddie, Justin, and Justin’s Dad Bob believe in me enough to ask me to lead this team. I am really looking forward to Kentucky and racing together again,” Bormann added.

“I trust every decision Dan makes on these trucks. It’s been a long time coming and I know he’s the right man for the job,” Lofton said.

Additional Dan Bormann Information

Birthdate: 5-12-1978

Hometown: Shingle Springs, California

Residence: Cornelius, North Carolina

Hobbies: fishing, boating, water skiing

Wife: Allison

Children: Daughter, Kendall

- Justin Lofton Inc. Press Release

No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra

RACE: UNOH 225

TRACK: Kentucky Speedway

PRIMARY SPONSOR: Dollar General

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

PRIMARY CHASSIS: KBM-4

BACKUP CHASSIS: X-128

MOTORS: Triad Racing Technologies

BROADCAST: Thursday, July 7 – 8:00 p.m. ET SPEED/MRN/Sirius XM NASCAR 90

KYLE BUSCH HOPING TO INTRODUCE KENTUCKY FANS TO HIS VERSION OF THE TRIFECTA

With legendary Churchill Downs located just over an hour away, many fans attending NASCAR races at Kentucky Speedway are probably familiar with the term trifecta. Kyle Busch is hoping to introduce those fans to his version of the trifecta — the version which doesn’t include any second or third-place finishes. The 26-year old, who last August at Bristol Motor Speedway became the first driver to win races in NASCAR’s top three divisions in the same weekend, will begin his try at the Kentucky Speedway trifecta driving the No. 18 Dollar General Toyota in Thursday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225. The Las Vegas native, who figures to be one of the favorites in all three races this weekend, has visited victory lane at the 1.5-mile paved oval twice in his career, winning the ARCA Racing Series Channel 5 205 in 2004 and the NASCAR Nationwide Series Meijer 250 in 2005.

6-YEAR-OLD BRADLEY BUMPAS “RIDING SHOTGUN WITH KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS”

6-year-old Bradley Bumpas from Elizabethtown, Ky. was recently selected as the winner of the “Riding Shotgun with Kyle Busch Motorsports” essay contest for Kentucky Speedway. Bumpas’ essay was chosen among submissions from children age 5-12 that live in areas surrounding Kentucky Speedway. The youngster’s name and picture will adorn the area above the passenger side window of Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Dollar General Toyota for Thursday’s UNOH 225.

KYLE BUSCH @ KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

* Led a race-high 73 laps and finished fourth in the 2010 NCWTS Built Ford Tough 225 (9/3/10)

* Started second, led 43 laps and finished sixth in the 2008 NCWTS Built Ford Tough 225 (7/19/08)

* Ranks first among NCWTS drivers over the last six races at Kentucky Speedway with a Driver Rating of 119.7 and 38.7% laps led

* Ranks first among drivers entered in the UNOH 225 in career laps led (116) and fastest laps (65)

* In his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start at Kentucky Speedway, led the final three laps of the 2004 Meijer 300 en route to victory (6/19/04)

* Won the 2003 Channel 5 205 ARCA Racing Series race and led 91 of the 137 laps

KYLE BUSCH 2011 NCWTS

* Ranks first in the NCWTS in driver rating (128.3), average finish (2.4), laps led (446), miles led (465.78), percent of laps led (38.6), fastest laps run (211), average running position (5.1), fastest early in run (3.2), fastest late in run (3.4), fastest on restarts (3.8), green flag speed (2.5) and speed in traffic (3.5)

* Has won four races in seven starts and registered six top-five finishes

* Had a three-race winning streak snapped when he finished sixth in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas (Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway)

* Has recorded top-10 finishes in each of the last 19 NCWTS races he has entered, collecting 11 wins, four runner-up finishes and an average finish of 2.1 over that span

KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS NO. 18 TOYOTA TUNDRA

* Leads the 2011 NCWTS Owner Point Standings by 47 points over KHI’s No. 2

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

* Ranks first in the NCWTS in wins (5), top 5s (8), laps led (541) and fastest laps run (268)

* Has registered 19 consecutive top-10 finishes including 11 wins and three runner-up finishes

* Only team in NCWTS to have completed all 1,134 laps this season

* 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 30.4% of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 48.9%

* Tied with Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip for third in All-Time Combined National Series with 97

* Tied with Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague for second in NCWTS history with 28 wins

* Tied for seventh in NCWTS history in poles (11), 11th in top 5s (54) and 15th in top 10s (72)

* 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

Kyle Busch

“Any time that NASCAR has a tripleheader at the same truck, you know that I have my eyes on winning all three races. With the Sprint Cup Series racing at Kentucky for the first time, it gives me another shot at a trifecta. I’ve had some success at Kentucky in the past — I’ve won in both the ARCA and Nationwide Series. Last year the Dollar General Tundra was the dominant truck for most of the night until the race was decided by fuel strategy. I think we’ll have a good shot at getting the weekend started with a win in the truck and been one of the contenders in both the Nationwide race on Friday and the Cup race Saturday. It should be a great atmosphere, they have had great crowds for the truck and Nationwide Series races in the past and the Cup race is already a sellout. Hopefully, we can make it a memorable weekend!”

KYLE BUSCH ON RACING AT KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY

“I couldn’t expect anything but some good, hard racing. Kentucky is a fast race track. There’s a lot of sweeping corners there so you’ve really got to keep your momentum going and it’s a big momentum-type race track. There’s a lot of throttle on time there. You carry a lot of good speed, but yet the place is really wide so you’ve got room for maneuverability. You can run the bottom. It seemed like you can run the middle. I don’t know how great the top will be, but we’ll have to see once we get there and what kind of tire we’re on.”

ERIC PHILLIPS ON WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON AT KBM SINCE LAST RACE

“Despite not racing in three weeks, it’s been pretty busy at KBM. We were able to get to the wind tunnel a couple times and worked on a few things to try and make our trucks better. We also went to The Milwaukee Mile for a two-day test with Josh Richards. Josh got to make some laps in a truck and I think it went very well. It should definitely help prepare him for his debut in the No. 15 Tundra at Kentucky and we’re looking forward to his debut in our No. 18 Tundra at Nashville.

ERIC PHILLIPS ON PRIMARY TRUCK SELECTION

“Our primary truck for this weekend will be KBM-4. It’s raced nine times and has won six races including Darlington and Nashville this year. Brian Ickler finished fourth with it at Texas. The truck came home from Texas with a little cosmetic damage, so we fixed it up and took it in the wind tunnel last week.”

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM)

Kyle Busch – Owner / Driver

NCWTS Career Highlights:

· Tied with Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague for second most wins in NCWTS history with 28

· Winning driver/owner in closest margin of victory in NCWTS history (.002-seconds over Aric Almirola in the Mountain Dew 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 30, 2010)

· 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)

· 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

· Has won 30.7% of the NCWTS races he has entered and finished first or second in 49.4%

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

Most Memorable Experience in the NCWTS:

“I’ve had a lot of memorable moments in the truck series — winning a championship in my first year as an owner, my first-ever truck series win at Charlotte, the fantastic finish last year at Talladega and getting the sweep started in the trucks at Bristol all quickly come to mind – it’s been a great series to be a part of as both a driver and now an owner. But, if I have to pick one moment that stands out above the rest, the most memorable would have to be my first win as an owner last April at Nashville Superspeedway.

It was extremely rewarding to see the hard work of everyone involved at KBM come to fruition. Having the first win come at the hometown track of Dollar General in their first race as a primary sponsor of our Toyota Tundra was icing on the cake. That win seemed to be the spark that helped propel us to more wins and an owners’ championship in our first season. It also was instrumental in developing our relationship with Dollar General into something bigger this season.”

Rick Ren – General Manager

NCWTS Career Highlights:

· Winningest crew chief in NCWTS history with 27 wins

· Has gone to victory lane an additional 13 times as an executive at KBM — making him a part of one in every 10 wins in NCWTS history.

· Has won two NCWTS championships as a crew chief and one as a General Manager

· Won a NCWTS record five consecutive wins with driver Ron Hornaday Jr. in 2009

· Has collected NCWTS wins with five different drivers (Hornaday Jr., Johnny Benson Jr., Travis Kvapil, Rick Carelli and Andy Houston)

Most Memorable Experience in the NCWTS:

“I’ve had a great career in the truck series and have many memorable moments. To pick out one individual moment as my favorite — that’s a tall task. The championships were all great. Leading a rookie to his first win, winning at Dover the day I met my wife, the look on Kyle’s face last year at Nashville when he won for the first time as an owner — looking back, those were all pretty cool moments. Probably winning five consecutive races with Ron Hornaday Jr. in 2009 would have to be my biggest accomplishment. Not only was it a truck series record, it tied a 38-year old NASCAR record. The way things played out in each of those races in order to win five consecutive, you couldn’t write the script any better. The stars and the moon lined up pretty good.”

Eric Phillips – Crew Chief

NCWTS Career Highlights:

· Winningest active NCWTS crew chief with 23 career wins — which also ranks him third on all-time list

· Crew Chief for Toyota’s first-ever NASCAR touring series victory (Travis Kvapil at Michigan International Speedway on 7/31/04)

· Has collected NCWTS wins with five different drivers (Busch, Kvapil, Dennis Setzer, Clint Bowyer and Mike Skinner)

Most Memorable Experience in the NCWTS:

“Being the crew chief for Toyota’s first-ever NASCAR win is definitely my most memorable experience in the truck series. I still have the trophy at home and it brings back great memories.”

About Kyle Busch Motorsports

Kyle Busch Motorsports has quickly established itself as one of the most successful teams in all of NASCAR. The reigning Camping World Truck Series owners’ champions prepare a fleet of race-winning Toyotas out of a 77,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C. Pending LEED certification, the facility’s state-of-the art equipment and innovative green initiatives make it unmatched among its peers. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest KBM news online at kylebuschmotorsports.com, by liking the team on facebook (KyleBuschMS) and following the team on twitter (@KyleBuschMS).

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

Kyle Busch climbs out of the No.18 NOS Charged Citrus Toyota in victory lane after winning the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Busch paid remembrance to Baker, a 10-year-old Hickory, N.C., who was found slain last year, by winning the N.C. Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night. After Busch collected the checkered flag, he immediately walked to Zahra’s picture on the side of his truck and was “kissed by an angel.”

“I had an angel riding with me in that last run of the race with Zahra Baker,” said Busch. “We didn’t have the truck to beat tonight – Clint Bowyer did. Somehow I found some more out of it and I’m going to say that I had some help tonight. It’s weird how things work. When you believe in it, you trust in it, and you have faith in it – it will repay you. I can’t say enough about NOS Energy Drink and this Kyle Busch Motorsports team. Toyota, M&M’s, Flexco, and Dollar General. It was a great night for all of us. To come out here with a win and with a special name on the side of the truck – it means a lot to Kyle Busch Motorsports, Speedway Children’s Charities and the North Carolina community. Especially the people from Hickory – who knew and loved Zahra. It means the world to me to be able to pay remembrance to her with a win tonight.”

Friday night’s win was monumental for the 26-year-old driver. Busch, who drove into victory lane for the 97th time in NASCAR’s top three series, moved into a tie with NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip for third on the all-time combined national touring series wins list. The victory was the Las Vegas native’s 28th career NCWTS Series win, moving him into a tie for second all-time with series legends Mike Skinner and Jack Sprague.

Busch, who an hour before the start of the truck race captured the pole for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, started the N.C. Education Lottery 200 from the fifth position. In the early stages of the race the defending race champion communicated to crew chief Eric Phillips that the No. 18 NOS Energy Charged Citrus Toyota was extremely loose.

On lap 53, the extremely loose became uncontrollably loose as the back end of the Las Vegas native’s Toyota snapped around coming off turn four. The rear end of the No. 18 slid up the banking, nearly collecting the outside wall then slid back down the banking and just before the nose of the truck was about to make contact with the inside retaining wall Busch got the truck back headed in the right direction to complete the miraculous save.

When pit road opened, Busch brought his No. 18 to the attention of his team for four fresh tires, a full tank of fuel and wholesale adjustments to try and tighten the truck. He was scored in the ninth position when the race restarted on lap 59.

As the race progressed, the man who had led the most laps en route to dominant victories in the last two NCWTS races seem destined to run just inside the top five. He was running in the fourth position when a three-car crash on the backstretch brought out the seventh caution of the race on lap 77. Crew Chief Eric Phillips made the decision to come for a fuel-only pit stop when pit road opened.

When the race restarted on lap 82, the No. 18 NOS Charged Citrus Tundra was scored in the fifth position. The race continued to be slowed by numerous cautions as the laps wound down. Busch tried to force his way to the front of the field at times making things three and four wide on the numerous restarts.

On lap 107 David Starr brought out a record-breaking 10th and final caution of the race after spinning off Turn Four. Although he had the dominant truck in Friday’s race, Bowyer knew that Busch was lurking in the third spot. Bowyer chose the outside lane for the final restart of the race to try and get a jump on the inside lane where the No. 18 was lurking.

Bowyer’s decision appeared to have paid off as Busch fell to the fourth position when the race restarted on lap 112. NASCAR’s winningest active driver dove to the inside of Ron Hornaday Jr. and James Buescher going into turn three with 22 laps remaining and moved into the second position.

The No. 18 NOS Charged Citrus Toyota slowly chipped away at Bowyer’s lead as the race headed into the final 10 laps. On lap 127, Busch made a big run on Bowyer off the top side of turn two. As Bowyer’s No. 2 moved up the track to try and slow Busch’s momentum, the No. 18 quickly dove to the inside making it a side-by-side challenge for the lead down the backstretch. The 26-year-old was able to complete the pass off of turn four and hold off Bowyer for the last seven laps en route to his fourth NCWTS victory in seven races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Rookie Cole Whitt finished third followed by Buescher and Hornaday Jr. Rounding out the top 10 were Johnny Sauter, Austin Dillon, Parker Kligerman, Justin Marks and Brad Sweet.

The victory was Busch’s fourth NCWTS in 2011 and fifth for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). Dating back to 2010, KBM finished in the top 10 in 17 consecutive races; including 11 wins and three runner-up finishes. The defending owners’ champions have opened a 59-point in this year’s standings after six races.

Busch will be back behind the wheel of the No. 18 Dollar General Toyota when the NCWTS heads to Kansas Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 June 4 at 2:00 p.m. ET.

About Kyle Busch Motorsports

NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch added a second career within NASCAR in December 2009 when he announced his Kyle Busch Motorsports team would compete in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2010. KBM is a leader on and off the track in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, becoming the first team since the series originated in 1995 to capture the owners’ championship in their inaugural season. In October of 2010, the team moved into a brand new 77,000-square-foot facility in Mooresville, N.C., which boasts state-of-the-art equipment and its pending LEED certification make it unmatched among its peers. Fans can stay up-to-date with all the latest KBM news online at www.kylebuschmotorsports.com, by liking the team on facebook (www.facebook.com/KyleBuschMS) and following the team on twitter @KyleBuschMS.

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

MAKE Motorsports Thumbnail

A tangle in turn one and two just after the drop of the green flag left Bell with a hole in the right front fender after a chain reaction pushed the Pinnacle Rubber Mulch Chevy into the truck just ahead of it. Spotter Mike Skinner saw the damage from the spotter’s stand and suggested the team bring TJ down pit road under the next caution on lap 14 to fix the fender that was causing a slight tire rub.

The MAKE Motorsports crew would continue to make repairs to the fender during the next several pit stops, with coaching from Crew Chief Mike Cheek and Skinner to get the correct patches made up before coming down pit road. The team pulled the fender out as far as it would go during a stop on lap 75, and driver and spotter commended the team for their continued hard work on each stop.

“I have to give you guys an ‘E’ for effort tonight because you have all worked your tails off trying to get this thing going again,” Mike Skinner said over the radio.

A two-truck accident on the front stretch on lap 96 led to a red flag that would pause the field before a restart on lap 102. Heading into turn one, TJ scraped the nose of the Pinnacle Rubber Mulch Chevy on the apron, shooting him up the track and into the outside wall. The Nevada-native held on and kept his truck under control after sustaining slight damage and an infamous “Darlington Stripe” on the right side of the truck.

He continued to log laps mid-pack until leader Kasey Kahne in the No. 18 caught TJ on lap 117, placing the MAKE Motorsports Chevy one lap down. After falling a lap behind the leader, the crew pulled TJ down pit road on the caution that would follow on lap 119. Cheek’s crew gave their driver four fresh sticker tires and some final adjustments to the truck and damaged right front fender, sending him back out into battle to put himself into the “Lucky Dog” position for the next caution.

Restarting just outside the top 20 on lap 122, Skinner relayed to Bell to be smart and keep the fenders on it to stay in position to get his lap back. TJ immediately went to work and stayed tight with the lead pack, avoiding trouble and staying in contention to get his lap back.

Just prior to the final yellow flag for debris with less than ten laps to go, the No. 15 truck driven by Dusty Davis fell behind the leader and became the first truck not on the lead lap, unfortunately taking the “Lucky Dog” position away from Bell. A restart with three laps to go left TJ with no time to make up any more ground, and he crossed the finish line in the 22nd position.

TJ Bell - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Co-Owner of Make Motorsports, Mark Beaver, was also pleased the race truck came home in one piece after a wild night at Darlington Raceway.

“TJ did a great job staying out of the wrecks and keeping the truck on the track,” Beaver said. “We can’t thank Liberty Tire Recycling, Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, Lilly Trucking, VP Parts Warehouse, Pro Gold Engine treatment and all of our partners that helped us get to this point enough. It was a long night but we’re going to work hard to get ready for the next race with what we’ve learned from tonight.”

About Liberty Tire Recycling:

Liberty Tire Recycling is the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America. By recycling more than 110 million tires annually, Liberty Tire reclaims about 1.5 billion pounds of rubber for innovative, eco-friendly products. The recycled rubber produced by Liberty Tire is used as crumb rubber and industrial feedstock for molded products; as tire-derived fuel for industrial kilns, mills and power plants; and as rubber mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. The company maintains a nationwide network of processing plants, and comprehensive door-to-door collection services. Liberty Tire Recycling is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, please visit LibertyTire.com.

About Pinnacle Rubber Mulch:

Pinnacle Rubber Mulch is an innovative and eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. Unlike wood mulch, rubber mulch is resistant to wind and water erosion, bug and rodent infestation, fading caused by sunlight, and decomposition. Plus, rubber mulch is clean, and minimizes airborne dust and particles.

LTR Products transforms recycled rubber into smart, eco-friendly landscaping products for landscapers, builders, school districts and businesses across the nation. For more information, updates and promotions, please visit PinnacleRubberMulch.com.

About MAKE Motorsports:

Founded in 2010 by Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe, diverse motorsports owners with 50 years combined in racing, MAKE Motorsports made a natural progression into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In previous endeavors, Mark Beaver has owned NHRA, IHRA, Super Late Model Dirt Series, Legends, SCCA Trans Am and SCCA World Challenge teams. One of the only female team owners in racing, Tracy Lowe has owned and competed in Dirt Late Models and SCCA before taking on the NCWTS ranks.

Believing only in the best quality prepared vehicles, experienced crew and sound business practices, MAKE Motorsports is the first NCWTS team to be operated out of historic Shelby, NC in 15 years. MAKE has partnered with Liberty Tire Recycling and Pinnacle Rubber Mulch, ProGold Engine Treatment, VPPartsWarehouse.com, Twin Oaks Services South, Dedmon Trucking, All Sport, Beaver Bail Bonds and Lilly Trucking for the 2011 season. For more information, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

- MAKE Motorsports Press Release

Make Motorsports

“Mike Skinner is a great asset to me and to this team this weekend and brings a lot of knowledge and experience to the plate,” Bell commented. “No matter what form of racing you’re engaged in, you’re always learning. With Mike on top of the spotter’s stand he’ll be able to help me with the truck’s handling and give me advice throughout the event, which I’m really looking forward to.”

Mike Cheek, veteran of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, will also be an addition to the MAKE Motorsports roster as he assumes the role of crew chief.

For more information, follow the MAKE and TJ Bell on Twitter (@MAKEMotorsports, @TJBell_Racing), and find MAKE Motorsports on Facebook. Tune in to Sirius XM Channel 128 Friday night at 9:15 PM with Claire B. Lang on “Dialed In” as Bell will discuss the changes to his MAKE Motorsports team and what he expects for Saturday night.

About Liberty Tire Recycling:

Liberty Tire Recycling is the premier provider of tire recycling services in North America. By recycling more than 110 million tires annually, Liberty Tire reclaims about 1.5 billion pounds of rubber for innovative, eco-friendly products. The recycled rubber produced by Liberty Tire is used as crumb rubber and industrial feedstock for molded products; as tire-derived fuel for industrial kilns, mills and power plants; and as rubber mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. The company maintains a nationwide network of processing plants, and comprehensive door-to-door collection services. Liberty Tire Recycling is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. For more information, please visit LibertyTire.com.

About Pinnacle Rubber Mulch:

Pinnacle Rubber Mulch is an innovative and eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood mulch for landscaping and playgrounds. Unlike wood mulch, rubber mulch is resistant to wind and water erosion, bug and rodent infestation, fading caused by sunlight, and decomposition. Plus, rubber mulch is clean, and minimizes airborne dust and particles.

LTR Products transforms recycled rubber into smart, eco-friendly landscaping products for landscapers, builders, school districts and businesses across the nation. For more information, updates and promotions, please visit PinnacleRubberMulch.com.

About MAKE Motorsports:

Founded in 2010 by Mark Beaver and Tracy Lowe, diverse motorsports owners with 50 years combined in racing, MAKE Motorsports made a natural progression into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In previous endeavors, Mark Beaver has owned NHRA, IHRA, Super Late Model Dirt Series, Legends, SCCA Trans Am and SCCA World Challenge teams. One of the only female team owners in racing, Tracy Lowe has owned and competed in Dirt Late Models and SCCA before taking on the NCWTS ranks.

Believing only in the best quality prepared vehicles, experienced crew and sound business practices, MAKE Motorsports is the first NCWTS team to be operated out of historic Shelby, NC in 15 years. For more information, visit www.MAKEMotorsports.com, Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MAKEMotorsports.

- MAKE Motorsports Press Release