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Earnhardt’s stellar runner-up season-opening performance secured for Hendrick Motorsports the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Race Award and McGrew the Moog Problem Solver of the Race Award.

Both awards are part of NASCAR’s Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provide teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.

Earnhardt, who opened Sunday’s race from the outside pole position and led four laps, was running outside the top 20 on the first green-white-checkered restart, but rallied from 10th to second in the final two laps.

“I’m happy for my team, they worked so hard,” said Dale Earnhardt Jr. during the post-race press conference. “Awesome engine. Several engines were great this week. I’m just proud of the whole AMP Energy National Guard team.”

Coming off their run in Daytona, the No. 88 team of Hendrick Motorsports currently leads the overall standings in the year-end Mahle Clevite Engine Builder Award with 17 points based on qualifying, laps led and finishing position. Hendrick Motorsports has racked-up a total of 14 MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year titles since 1984.

Crew chief Lance McGrew made exceptional calls atop the pit box, including a call in the closing laps to put on four fresh Goodyear tires, enabling Earnhardt’s final charge to the finish. For his efforts, McGrew was awarded the Moog Problem Solver of the Race Award and currently sits atop the standings for the year-end award. The Moog Problem Solver is awarded to the crew chief that improves the most from the first half to the second half of the race utilizing the 40 best lap times.

Official winners of this week’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Prize Money & Decal Program special awards include:

* COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Mark Martin (191.188 mph, 47.074 secs.)
* DIRECTV CREW CHIEF OF THE RACE AWARD: Gil Martin (crew chief for Kevin Harvick)
* GOODYEAR GATORBACK BELTS FASTEST LAP AWARD: Kasey Kahne (192.744 mph, Lap 127)
* MAHLE CLEVITE ENGINE BUILDER OF THE RACE AWARD: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
* MOBIL 1 “COMMAND PERFORMANCE DRIVER OF THE RACE” AWARD: Jamie McMurray
* MOOG CHASSIS PARTS PROBLEM SOLVER OF THE RACE AWARD: Lance McGrew (crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr.)
* O’REILLY AUTO PARTS POSITION IMPROVEMENT AWARD: Jeff Burton (28 places)
* RAYBESTOS ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD: N/A
* SUNOCO DIAMOND PERFORMANCE AWARD: Jamie McMurray
* TISSOT “PIT ROAD PRECISION” AWARD: Juan Pablo Montoya
* WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD: Kevin Harvick (41 laps)

About the NASCAR Prize Money & Decal Program

The NASCAR Prize Money & Decal Program, commonly referred to as the contingency program, is administered by the NASCAR Automotive Group. The program strives to build strong relationships with high-quality, performance-driven brands that are leaders in their respective categories and award money to NASCAR teams via per-race and year-end postings. Competitors become eligible for awards money by displaying partner decals on the front fender of their race vehicles and, in some instances, use of a sponsor’s product. National series contingency sponsors will contribute over $8.8 million to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams in 2010.

- NASCAR, Press Release

WEST ALLIS, WI (June 21, 2009)— Rusty Wallace Racing’s Steve Wallace (No. 66 USfidelis Chevrolet) scored his fifth top-ten of the 2009 Nationwide Series Saturday night, in the NorthernTool.com 250 at The Milwaukee Mile. Wallace’s sixth-place effort in Milwaukee marks his best 2009 finish to date.

Following a 28th-place start, it did not take long for Wallace to make his charge forward. He cracked the top-20 for the first time prior to lap 20 and made his way into the top-10 before the 90-lap mark of the event. With approximately 70 laps remaining, Wallace charged his way past RCR’s Stephen Leicht and into the top-five, climbing as high as fourth just prior to the race’s final restart.

Although a late-race battle with a lapped car would barely knock Wallace from the top-five, he remained undeterred, holding off veteran Mike Bliss over the closing laps to bring home the No. 66 team’s best result of the 2009 season. Wallace’s efforts in Milwaukee earned him the Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race Award for the event.

With his sixth-place finish, Wallace maintained his hold on a top-ten spot in the driver standings. Although he remains in tenth position, Wallace significantly closed the gap to his competitors. He now stands a mere 62 points from sixth-place, Mike Bliss and has opened a margin of 31 points over eleventh-place Michael McDowell.

Said Wallace, “We had a really strong Impala SS tonight. It just took us a little too long to get going on new tires, but once the tire pressures came up, that thing just really took off. Our car was just very loose for about five to ten laps before the tires would come in; that’s what hurt us a bit late in the race.

“With the way things ended up, we probably had at least a third-place car; I was really running down the 88 car before that last caution. Unfortunately, the lapped cars just really gave us a hard time on the final restart and we lost a couple of spots.

“All in all though, I definitely can’t complain about our night. This was a great run for our team, especially in the first race for our new crew chief and engineer combination of Trip Bruce and Dale Ferguson. We’ve finally managed to get a little bit of momentum going, so I’m really excited about heading to New Hampshire next weekend.”

Meanwhile, for Wallace’s teammate Brendan Gaughan (No. 62 5-Hour Energy Extra Strength Chevrolet), the night started out strongly, with a third-place qualifying effort and an early-race battle for the lead. However, as the race went on, Gaughan began to fight handling issues and fell from the top-15 for a period of time. Despite those handling issues, Gaughan remained determined and fought back late in the race, charging his way from 19th to 13th over the race’s final 70 laps.

At the end of the night, Gaughan’s perseverance would prove to have paid off. His 13th place effort in Milwaukee allowed the Vegas native to maintain his seventh-place ranking in the driver standings and put him a mere one point behind Mike Bliss for sixth. Gaughan’s Milwaukee finish also bested those of his main Raybestos Rookie of the Year rivals and allowed him to extend his lead in the Rookie of the Year standings over Penske’s Justin Allgaier.

Noted Gaughan, “Our 5-Hour Energy Chevrolet was really fast in qualifying, but as the race went on, we just got tighter and tighter. We worked really hard to try and free up our race car, but we were just a bit off on our setup tonight.

“Rusty (Wallace) has put together a good team though and we won’t let this get us down; we’ll just work hard to get better. To say that we had a bit of an off night and still finished in the top-15 says a lot about how far the RWR program has come. We’re one of only two teams with multiple drivers ranked in the top-ten right now and that makes me very proud to be a part of this group.”

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

Mooresville, NC-based Rusty Wallace Racing is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder and one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time, Rusty Wallace. In 2008, the team’s No. 64 entry was ranked among the top-ten overall in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. For 2009, the organization campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Chevrolets in the Nationwide Series. Its No. 66 entry is piloted by third-generation wheelman, Steve Wallace and its No. 62 wheeled by former NASCAR Truck Series Rookie of the Year, Brendan Gaughan. Both drivers are currently ranked among the top-ten in the 2009 standings. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC Press Release