“Armour Foods Expands Primary Sponsorship to Two Races and Associate Sponsor for Entire Season”

Kevin Harvick Inc. Logo

“Once again, we at Armour look forward to teaming up with such a winning team as KHI,” said Mark Parker, Senior Vice President of Customer Strategy and Operations. “The organization Kevin (Harvick) has built and the commitment he demonstrates to this great sport is admirable and we are honored to be a participating member of that effort. The Armour brand appeals to a wide range of the population, but we are particularly popular among avid race fans – we attribute a significant portion of that to our relationship with KHI and the winning combination we are now taking into our second year.”

The 2010 season will mark Pinnacle Foods second season with KHI representing the Armour brand. The recognizable Armour blue and gold car will be on track at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway on April 3 and Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on September 10, both with KHI co-owner Harvick behind the wheel.

“The Armour brand is very excited to continue our partnership with KHI for the 2010 NASCAR season,” said Eric Hintz, Executive Vice President of Marketing. “Kevin Harvick and his team have been great stewards in representing our brands at Pinnacle Foods, particularly Armour Vienna Sausage and we look forward to cheering for their racing success in 2010.This sponsorship affords us great opportunities to reach our consumers and extend partnerships with key grocery retailers across the country. We thank Kevin and KHI for their support and are excited for even more success in 2010.”

In their only primary event of 2009, Armour became a part of one of Harvick’s most memorable Nationwide Series races. At Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in March, Harvick led 46 laps behind the wheel of the No. 33 Armour Chevrolet on his way to his first career Nationwide Series win in a KHI-owned car and fifth career Nationwide Series win at the famous short track.

“We’re excited to have Armour foods back with the Nationwide program this year,” said Harvick. “Last year they were a part of a very special weekend for me in my racing career as I got my first Nationwide Series win in a KHI car. The Pinnacle Foods brands have become a part of the KHI family in both the Nationwide and Truck Series, and I look forward to continuing our success this season both on and off the track.”

Armour will also be represented all season as an associate sponsor on the No. 33 KHI car in the Nationwide Series.

About Pinnacle Foods:

Pinnacle Foods Group LLC, with offices in Mountain Lakes and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products in the frozen foods and dry foods segments. The dry foods segment consists primarily of Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings; Vlasic® pickles, peppers and relish; Armour® canned meats; Open Pit® barbeque sauce and Mrs. Butterworth’s® and Log Cabin® syrups and pancake mixes. The frozen foods segment consists primarily of Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts; Swanson® and Hungry-Man® frozen dinners and entrees; Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® frozen seafood; Celeste® pizza; Lender’s® bagels; and Bird’s Eye ® vegetables and dinners.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001 by Kevin and DeLana Harvick, is an 80,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. Home of the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship team, KHI enters 2010 in its seventh full year of competition with two full-time Truck Series teams and one full-time Nationwide Series team. Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday returns to the helm of the No. 33 Truck team looking for his fifth title and third championship for KHI (2009 and 2007), while Sprint Cup series stars Kevin Harvick and Elliott Sadler guide the No. 2 Truck team. Two-time NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Harvick will again shine as the lead driver of the No. 33 Nationwide Series team as he continues to make his mark in motorsports and establish KHI as one of the top teams in NASCAR competition. For more information about KHI and its teams, please visit www.KevinHarvickInc.com.

- Kevin Harvick Inc. Press Release

Colin Braun - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

“I’m excited to be able to take part in this special event to honor
these 10 Con-way Freight employees with the President’s Award,”
Braun said. “The award is very important to the company as well as
the folks from all over the country who are receiving it. I really
enjoy this part of my job because I get to interact in a very personal
way with the people who allow me to do what I love week in and week
out.”

Braun will resume racing in the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford Fusion at
Bristol Motor Speedway next weekend after the two-week Nationwide Series
hiatus.

About Con-way Freight

Con-way Freight is the industry’s leading less-than-truckload (LTL)
freight transportation company, providing guaranteed, day-definite
regional and transcontinental service with exception-free delivery,
on-time service performance and faster transit times through a single,
unified network of more than 300 service centers in the United States,
Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Con-way Freight offers LTL freight
transportation across North America and through Global LTLTM delivery in
the United States from around the world. Global solutions include
international less-than-container (LCL) ocean shipments from Asia
through its OceanGuaranteed(r) service; expedited U.S. delivery for
inbound international cargoes from Europe through an exclusive alliance
with TNT; direct service to more than 30 Bahamian and Caribbean ports
through TropicalDirectSM; and domestic offshore transportation to
Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Con-way
Freight is a certified FAST highway carrier and is C-TPAT/PIP, ACE- and
CSA-certified.

Con-way Freight is a subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), a $4.3
billion diversified freight transportation and logistics services
company. For more information, visit www.con-way.com/en/freight

About Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating eight
motorsports teams. Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers
Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the
Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Colin Braun, and
Paul Menard. For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing
teams, log on to www.RoushFenway.com. Become a fan of Roush Fenway
Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway. And
for sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645

Eddie Sharp Racing Logo

The morning session was delayed due to heavy precipitation the day before. The 1.5-mile superspeedway was dry enough to start practice by 1 PM CDT, and 21 drivers took to the track in preparation for the Rattlesnake 150 on Friday, April 16, 2010.

Brandon McReynolds tested the No. 2 Eddie Sharp Racing Toyota, running second fastest overall at 185.752 mph. McReynolds, son of former crew chief and current FOX race analyst Larry McReynolds, was also fast when he tested at Daytona in an ESR Toyota. He hopes to return to TMS for his first career ARCA Racing Series start if sponsorship is found.

McReynolds found his experience being around the track with his dad, who served as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt and Davey Allison, to be beneficial in establishing his comfort level at the track during the test. “It definitely helped being around the race tracks,” said McReynolds. “I’m comfortable at TMS because I’ve been here before, and I’ve seen the facility. Obviously, with Dad over here, it is amazing the things he can tell you even though he didn’t drive the race car; he really knows what he’s doing.”

Craig Goess, driver of the No. 81 Toyota, also had a successful test, finishing fourth fastest with a speed of 184.074 mph.

“We made good, steady progress all day,” Goess said. “We tried a bunch of stuff; some worked and some didn’t, but we learned a lot. We should be very competitive when we come back.”

Goess took advantage of the test day not only as a time to hone his skills during the 6-week break between races, but also to get acquainted with a track he has never raced on.

“It was my first time driving at Texas,” said Goess. “It’s fast. You find yourself holding your breath for the first few runs. It takes a while to figure out just how much corner speed you can carry here. The winner of this race is going to have to be on his toes.”

After recent news that he will be running three ARCA Racing Series races with ESR, Piquet tested the No. 6 ESR Toyota and finished the test in the 16th position with a speed of 180.186 mph. The test provided another opportunity for the Formula One driver to get more comfortable during his first year in stock cars.

“Every day I’ve been learning a lot, hearing stories,” said Piquet. “The driving part is taking time because I’m not in a car every day. For me, it’s tougher to run these kinds of cars than a normal road course. Hopefully, I’ll eventually get more and more used to it. Today is a big day for me.”

Piquet made his debut in both the ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in February at Daytona.

Eddie Sharp, owner of ESR, was pleased with the progress all teams made at the TMS Test. “The test went very well. I think we made progress on all fronts,” said Sharp. “I was really pleased with Brandon’s quickness and Craig’s car. It was the first true test for Craig and the communication was exceptional. I think this test really proved to us that the changes we made over the winter worked. I’m excited for Craig going forward.”

“The test was an eye-opener for Nelson,” Sharp stated. “The only thing he had to relate to was Daytona, so Nelson got another chance to see what he still needs to learn. Seat time and running more ARCA races are really going to help him. I think if he went back and tested tomorrow, he would have done even better. Nelson really has a lot of talent.”

The next race for ESR is the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA 200 presented by ApplianceZone.com on April 11, 2010 at Salem Speedway. ESR will return to TMS on April 16 for the Rattlesnake 150.

About Eddie Sharp Racing

Eddie Sharp set up shop in 2005 after several years of transforming young, talented drivers into ARCA championship contenders. Today, Eddie Sharp Racing has evolved into the rite of passage for any serious upcoming driver with an ambition for professional stock car racing. Located in Denver, North Carolina just north of Charlotte, Eddie Sharp Racing occupies a top-notch facility that closely resembles a five-star NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team, both inside and out. The two ESR buildings each contain two teams where on any given day, championship contending cars are assembled, engines tuned and teams strategize to score the next race day victory.

- Eddie Sharp Racing Press Release

Bryan Ortiz

Marlin, a three-time track Champion at Nashville Speedway USA and winner of eleven poles and ten victories in his 748 career NASCAR Sprint Cup starts, tested the 21-year old Ortiz at the Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee in November and liked what he saw.

“Bryan (Ortiz) did a great job in our test at the Fairgrounds,” Marlin stated. “He has tremendous talent and I was impressed with his ability to communicate about the car based on his engineering knowledge. I see a very bright future for this young man.”

Ortiz began his quest for speed at age five as a skilled snow skier and aptly handled the family boat by age eight. At fourteen, Ortiz became a member of the “Puerto Rico Power Squadron”, a participating group in the Europe-based Federation of International Motor Boats.

In 2002, Ortiz made the transition to kart racing, capturing the Yamaha Junior Karting Championship and Rookie of the Year. One year later, he won the Tag Light Karting Championship, was named Rookie of the Year, and placed second in his first Renault Formula Championship. Ortiz captured the Formula Renault Championship in ’04 and ’05, then moved to the Rolex Grand Am and Koni Challenge Series earning several honors in the past several seasons.

“I’m very thankful to Sterling Marlin for the opportunity that he has given me,” Ortiz commented. “With his guidance and direction, I look forward to competing in the Sunoco National Tour.”

BD Racing with Sterling Marling is teaming with High Performance Motorsports to build and field 2010 Chevrolet Camaros for Ortiz. High Performance Motorsports was established in 2009 after previously being known as R.V. Performance. Since the ASA Late Model Series’ inception in 2003, High Performance Motorsports has enlisted such drivers as 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, Landon Cassill, as well as former winner in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and 2005 ASA Late Model Series Challenge Division (now Sunoco National Tour) Champion, Stephen Leicht. In previous seasons, 2008 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion, Johnny Benson Jr., has steered a High Performance Motorsports entry in the ASA Late Model Series.

Ortiz plans to compete in all ten of the Sunoco National Tour events in 2010. The first scheduled race is March 27th at the New Smyrna Speedway in Florida.

- BD Racing with Sterling Marling Press Release

An Insider’s Guide to 5 of the Hottest Tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Circuit

The Ultimate NASCAR Insider’s Track Guide: Everything You Need to Plan Your Race Weekend by Liz Allison

That’s why we’ve created an application for 5 of the hottest tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Circuit: Daytona, California, Las Vegas, Bristol, and Atlanta. The applications are based on the book The Ultimate NASCAR Insider’s Track Guide: Everything You Need to Plan Your Race Weekend by Liz Allison (Jan 2010, Center Street/Hachette Book Group).

From dining and shopping, to lodging, and tips for getting driver autographs, this is the app that every NASCAR fan needs. One-click instantly gives you access to listings of restaurants, hotels, and area attractions. Other features include a how-to for ticket purchasing, tips on what you can [and can’t] bring in to the grandstands, instructions for using a garage area access pass, and much more.

The app also includes a section on what to do in case of an emergency, whether it’s you or your four-legged friend. All phone numbers will automatically dial when clicked for any establishment listed [iPhone only].

You can even e-mail friends to recommend it and buy other circuits right through the app. Each app includes an overview of the track experience, an area map link, and plenty of helpful advice that will make your weekend at the race a memorable experience.

Link to the apps here:

Las Vegas – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/las-vegas-the-ultimate-nascar/id353949062?mt=8

Fontana – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fontana-the-ultimate-nascar/id353948224?mt=8

Atlanta – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/atlanta-the-ultimate-nascar/id353948408?mt=8

Bristol – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bristol-the-ultimate-nascar/id353947975?mt=8

Daytona – http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/daytona-the-ultimate-nascar/id353734351?mt=8

Liz Allison has been a veteran of the speedway as a reporter, fan, girlfriend, wife of late NASCAR driver Davey Allison, and mother. A former television correspondent for NASCAR Sprint Cup events, she has written five books on racing and a NASCAR romance series with Harlequin, and she is a contributing author to numerous race publications.

Toyota Motorsports Logo

• Camry Drivers’ Off-Weekend Plans
• Drivers Optimistic After Strong Start to Season
• J.D. Discusses Taylor’s Finish Line Festival
• Scott Gives Update on Injured Wrist
• Skinner’s Round-Up Preview

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)

NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: Toyota drivers have combined for two top-five results and six top-10 finishes through four of 36 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races … Scott Speed leads the Camry contingent sitting 12th in the NSCS point standings, trailing leader Kevin Harvick by 162 points … Toyota drivers Joey Logano (14th), Kyle Busch (15th) and David Reutimann (18th) are also in the top-20 in points … The NSCS will have a weekend off before returning to action at Bristol Motor Speedway, March 21.

SCOTT SPEED, No. 82 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team

What does it mean to start the season so strong? “This is awesome. It’s fantastic. I’m so happy with all of the progress we’ve all made, and I still know how much I have to learn. So, I’m really optimistic for the future.” What are your plans for the off-weekend? “We’re going to Gainesville, Florida to the Gatornationals (NHRA event). There’s a bunch of us and I’m actually taking my motor home there. Amanda’s (wife) brother Matt Smith and his wife Angie Smith are racing motorcycles down there so we’re going to go and check that out.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What are your plans for the off-weekend? “A week off seems like it’s a lot of time off for me. I’m not used to that. I know I’m going to California to do a thing for Home Depot out there, so I’ll be running around a little bit. I’m sure I’ll go to the shop a few days and try to go over some short track stuff and see if we can get ready for Bristol and Martinsville. There might be a test in there somewhere, too. I’m sure we’ll be plugging along and trying to get ready to get back to short track racing.”

MARCOS AMBROSE, No. 47 Little Debbie Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing

Do you think it’s the right time to have an off-weekend? “It’s the right time because I’ve got my family coming back from Australia so we’re going to hang out for the week. But, NASCAR seems to fill the off-weekends pretty quick now. I’ve got six days of testing in the next 15 days. We’re sure to be busy as a race team getting everything ready. We’re excited. We’ve got a good package running and I’m going to see my kids again, which will be fun and exciting. Who knows how our season is going to unfold, so when you get a weekend off it makes it a bit nicer.”

Are you able to relax during the off-weekend? “Not really. I’m gearing up to run the season now so I wouldn’t mind to just keep going. I’m here in America for one reason and that’s to race and try to win and off-weekends don’t mean much to me. Apart from my family being back, which I’m excited about, I’d prefer to be racing somewhere.”

J.D. GIBBS, president, Joe Gibbs Racing

How are plans coming together for Taylor’s Finish Line Festival in May? “Everything is coming together and the festival is going to be a tremendous family friendly event. There is already so much excitement that weekend with the Sprint All-Star Race the night before and the NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony earlier that day. We hope to really build off of that excitement to raise a lot of support for ‘Make-A-Wish Foundation’ and ‘Levine Children’s Hospital.’ These two organizations have really blessed our family and it has been amazing to witness how the local community, as well as our partners and so many others in the NASCAR family, are rallying to support the festival and these great charities.”

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)

NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: Toyota Camry drivers have combined for one win, four top-five results and 13 top-10 finishes after three of 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races … Brian Vickers and Steve Wallace are two of only four total NNS drivers to open the season with three straight top-10 finishes … Vickers (third), Kyle Busch (fifth) and Wallace (sixth) are currently in the top-10 in the NNS point standings … The Nationwide Series will have one more weekend off before returning to action at Bristol Motor Speedway, March 20.

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

Are you happy with the way your team has performed to start the season? “Three top-10s is a great way for us to start the season. It always seems like the guys who can have a good start to the year and build some momentum tend to stay towards the front of the point standings for most of the year. We’ll build on this and head to Bristol — it’s one of my favorite tracks and our hot rods should really be strong there.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 AccuDoc Solutions Toyota Camry, Braun Racing

Has your wrist fully healed after breaking it last June during the Michigan NCWTS race? “Last Monday (March 1), my wrist was evaluated by a highly regarded specialist in New York. A high-resolution CT scan shows that it has healed to 85 percent. I will need to keep it braced and work on range of motion. However, there is nothing to hinder my commitment to my sponsors AccuDoc Solutions, StopRepairBills.com, BigSpot.com and the No. 11 Braun Racing Toyota team. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support.”

TREVOR BAYNE, No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Diamond-Waltrip Racing

What are your thoughts on the start of the 2010 season? “We had the best finish for Diamond-Waltrip Racing at Las Vegas — actually my best career finish in the Nationwide Series — so we’re pumped up for Bristol. We’ve got some momentum going and I can’t wait to get to my home track (Bristol). We’re getting better and better each week. If we can continue to keep running like we are, I think we will be strong by the end of the year.”

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)

NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: Tundra drivers have combined for one win, six top-five results and nine top-10 finishes in the first two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races … Aric Almirola has recorded 11 top-10 finishes in 19 NCWTS starts since joining Billy Ballew Motorsports in 2009 … Steve Wallace, driving the No. 15 Billy Ballew Motorsports Tundra, earned a fourth-place finish in his first career Truck Series start at Atlanta last week … Todd Bodine currently leads the NCWTS point standings with a four-point advantage over fellow Tundra driver Timothy Peters … Almirola (fourth), Kyle Busch (fifth), Stacy Compton (sixth) and Tayler Malsam (ninth) are also in the top-10 in points … Tundra driver Mike Skinner will host the fourthannual ‘Toyota Skinner Round-Up for Charity’ on March 11 and 12 at Daytona International Speedway and Spruce Creek Country Club in Daytona Beach, Fla., to raise funds to benefit charities in Volusia County (Fla.) … The NCWTS will have a two-week break before returning to action at Martinsville Speedway, March 28.

MIKE SKINNER, No. 5 International Trucks/Monaco RV Toyota Tundra, Randy Moss Motorsports

Are you excited to host your fourth-annual ‘Toyota Skinner Round-up for Charity’ event? “It’s really, really great to have a bunch of friends come down and some musicians and athletes from different places around the country and race fans and have a heck of a lot of fun raising money for good causes and local charities right there in Volusia County. The only thing I can do is say thanks. A lot of our competitors are coming and that just tells you what a family this sport really is. We all want to beat the heck out of each other on the race track, but when it comes to doing charity work everybody pulls together. Guys that drive different manufacturer’s vehicles and the people that want to beat us are going to come and support us and I think that’s pretty cool.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Are you pleased with the performance of Kyle Busch Motorsports so far in 2010? “For a young team, this is good to come out of the box and run strong and do well. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, though. We’re excited about what happens next and getting to Martinsville and then of course on to place likes Dover, Kansas and Charlotte. We’ve got a long year ahead of us and this is a testament to how well this team is going to run and we’re looking forward to it.”

ARIC ALMIROLA, No. 51 Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota Tundra, Billy Ballew Motorsports

Are you happy with your start to the season? “We performed well last year and we’re showing once again we can do it again this year. We continue to put ourselves in position to win races and we run strong every week. For the amount of work and everything that the guys have went through over the winter, I’m really proud of Richie Wauters (crew chief) and all of the guys at our race shop. They’ve been working really hard and putting in a lot of hours to make our race team better and we’re gaining on it. We’re not all the way there, but we’re gaining on it and it makes me proud to see their hard work pay off. We’re just as strong of a team as we were last year.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Annual Celebration Highlights Five Community Service Projects Across The Country
Aimed At Education And Helping Children Live Happier, Healthier Lives

The NASCAR Foundation

NASCAR Day is an annual charitable celebration of the NASCAR spirit that enables fans and corporate partners to join together to make a difference in the lives of children. Since it began in 2004, NASCAR Day has raised nearly $8 million for charity.

This year marks the first time that the Foundation has taken on multiple national service projects of this magnitude to celebrate and create awareness for children’s causes through the NASCAR Day platform.

“We are very proud of this program and what it has been able to accomplish over the past several years,” said NASCAR president and NASCAR Foundation Board Member Mike Helton. “The contributions from our fans and partners to NASCAR Day make it possible for the Foundation to take on these multiple community service projects across the country. We hope that our fans will come out to support these efforts or find a way to volunteer in their own community to help celebrate NASCAR Day.”

Fans can help support these initiatives by making a $5 donation for the 2010 NASCAR Day collectible lapel pin or by registering to volunteer at one of the service projects. For more information visit WWW.NASCAR.COM/NASCARDay.

Details of “The Big Five” projects:

* Atlanta, Ga. – Aflac, NASCAR’s official partner, and The NASCAR Foundation have partnered on the project which will involve a room renovation at the Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to help give it a fresh new face-lift with a racing theme. Recognized as one of the top childhood cancer centers in the country by U.S. News & World Report, the Aflac Cancer Center treats more than 370 new cancer patients each year and follows more than 2,500 patients with sickle cell disease, hemophilia and other blood disorders.

* Daytona Beach, Fla. – Bank of America, the Official Bank of NASCAR, and The NASCAR Foundation will work together in Daytona to raise awareness for the critical role math and science play in the sport of NASCAR by bringing more than 100 middle school students to Daytona International Speedway. The NASCAR Day event is part of the “Students at the Speedway” program, the bank’s signature program designed to showcase NASCAR as a strong career path for students who are eager to learn in the areas of math, science and technology.

* Fontana, Calif. – The NASCAR Foundation has partnered with Auto Club Speedway to host a youth initiative at the track on NASCAR Day.

* Kansas City, Mo. – With the help of Sprint, an official partner of NASCAR, and hundreds of volunteers, The NASCAR Foundation will build a brand new playground at the Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City. The playground will be dedicated in memory of Tom Murphy, a former Sprint Executive and NASCAR Foundation Board Member who passed away last year. The Ronald McDonald House serves more than 6,000 families per year and is desperately in need of a playground facility.

* Charlotte, N.C. / Rock Hill, S.C. – A community service project at A Place for Hope. A Place for Hope (APFH) is committed to providing material resources, hands-on educational training and job development programs, and psychological hope for the residents of Blackmon Road. The Blackmon Road Community is one of the poorest communities in South Carolina. The residents of Blackmon Road live without indoor plumbing, bathrooms or showers, without trash pick-up, without paved roads, and without street lights.

In addition to the five service projects, the contributions raised through NASCAR Day will help a variety of other organizations with an emphasis on children’s health and education. Last year, NASCAR Day funds also supported charitable organizations and non-profit programming including gifts to Kyle and Pattie Petty’s Victory Junction camp in Randleman, N.C., the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, the Speediatrics racing-themed pediatric units and others.

One lucky fan will also win the trip of a lifetime to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas that includes airfare, hotel and two tickets to the Awards Ceremony in December 2010 through the NASCAR Day Sweepstakes. To learn more visit WWW.NASCAR.COM/NASCARDay.

About The NASCAR Foundation
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., (NASCAR) launched The NASCAR Foundation in January 2006. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity that embodies the compassion of the NASCAR Family and its commitment to serving communities. The Foundation seeks to raise funds and increase volunteerism to support non-profit charities and charitable causes throughout the nation with an emphasis placed on initiatives that affect the ability of children to live, learn and play. For more information on The NASCAR Foundation, please visit the website: WWW.NASCAR.COM/foundation.

About NASCAR Day
Annually celebrated on the third Friday in May, NASCAR Day is a charitable celebration of the NASCAR spirit that enables fans and partners to join together to make a difference in the lives of children. NASCAR Day encourages fans to make a $5 donation for a collectible lapel pin which in turn will support programs that help children live happier, healthier lives. Since it began in 2004, NASCAR Day has raised nearly $8 million for charity. Bring your family and friends to a NASCAR Day service project and experience how together you can improve the lives of those we care about the most. Visit WWW.NASCAR.COM/NASCARDay to register as a NASCAR Day team member, to find out about volunteer opportunities or to learn more about how The NASCAR Foundation is helping children in need.

- The NASCAR Foundation, Press Release

Kyle Petty - Kyle Petty Charity Ride

The camp is an amazing facility which offers a much needed and medically-sound year round camping experience to children with chronic and terminal illnesses. This is a place where these children can, as much as possible, forget what illnesses plague their daily lives, and can just have fun. Laughter is, after all, an amazing medicine, and these kids need to and do laugh, laugh, laugh.

During the charity ride, the participates will greet fans and supporters at stops in North Las Vegas, Nevada, Richfield, Utah, Durango, Colorado, Amarillo, Texas, Texarkana, Texas, Choctaw, Mississippi, Chattanooga, Tennessee and Asheville, N.C. where fans and supporters who have held various charity events to raise fund for Victory Junction will have the opportunity to meet and present the Pettys with their donations.

Operating solely on donations, Victory Junction Camp has now brought laughter and fun to the lives of more than 7000 chronically ill children ages 6 to 16 free of charge. Last year ground was broken for a new facility in Kansas City, Kansas. This year’s success in raising funds is particularly important, because the economy has affected everyone and more and more children are deserving of the Camp’s services now more than ever!

I spoke with Kyle last week about the upcoming ride. The excitement in his voice was so evident. “It’s time to ride again,” he began laughingly. Speaking about, hopefully better weather than the last month nationwide, “We’ll probably get a springtime that’s 200 degrees since the winter has been snowy and icy and rainy for the last 15 or 20 days of winter. Then we’ll probably get a springtime that goes straight in to summer.”

“This is our 16th year. That is the most amazing part to me, that this ride has lasted for 16 years. I think that’s a tribute to the people who go on this ride. There’s a core group of about 35 to 40 people that go every single year and they invite different friends. There’s about 150 to 200 people every year, but, it’s that core group that keeps this going.”

“This is (like) extended family and obviously by being on this thing and having this thing go for this long of a period of time, like in any family you experience really high highs and really low lows. We have lost people during the course of the year through illness, accidents and other ways…family members from the ride have passed away. It’s truly amazing to go to Charlotte or to have to fly to Texas for a funeral or some illness in somebody’s family and you get there and everybody from the motorcycle ride is there. You understand why people ride bikes and have that brotherhood because it truly is an extended family. Everybody pulls together. When we lost Adam, looking back, you think how your close and good friends respond to that. And it’s funny because everybody handles grief in a different way and everybody looks at things in a different way and just knowing somebody who cares is there is important. That’s the way the people on the ride are. You know they are always there.”

“We all live in different parts of the country. We’ve got guys who go on the ride, the Bartels, who live in San Francisco. We’ve got people who live in Durango, Colorado, we’re going through there this year, and people everywhere. And it’s funny how you’ll get back together on the ride each year and somebody has gone on vacation and called up somebody (from the ride) and stayed at their house. It’s like yeah we were passing through Durango so we stayed with the Cables and some of those people, so, it’s pretty amazing how we’re such a tight group. We all are pretty much family.”

I asked what they do for overnight stays…do different people do different things? Do they camp out or stay in motels? How is that handled?

“Well,” Kyle continued,”it really depends. It depends on where we are and what we’re doing. Like when we get to Durango this year, the Cables, Dee Dee and that crowd are going to have a dinner for us. They have a place there and the night after that we are going to be in Amarillo. We’ve been through there before and done some stuff with the Quarter Horse Industry and we’re just going to have an open night where everybody can go out on the town and do whatever they want to. And when we get to Philadelphia, Mississippi we’re staying at a casino and we’re going to have a poker night to help raise money for the camp and some local charities. So, it really depends on where we’re at and what we’re doing.

“We always stay at hotels. Sometimes we have to stay at 4 or 5 because there are so many of us, but, we always stay at pretty nice places. We eat breakfast and lunch together but at night sometimes we scatter and each do something different. But, it’s pretty cool to see this many people and this many motorcycles come to a town all at one time. And we have our support vehicles which is another staff of 50 to 100 people with us in trucks and trailers and a medical unit who travel along, so, for insurance purposes, hotel purposes, we know who is going before we leave. Diane Huff and those guys have checked everything out and have narrowed it down to a science from police escorts to hotels to lunch stops and to gas stops. Everybody knows months in advance when we’re coming so they are prepared for us.”

“We start planning for next year almost immediately. Diane Huff and Morgan Castano kind of run everything over there. They work on it all year and make sure everything works. It’s the people on the journey that make ride. It’s not the destination. It’s the camaraderie that makes it all so enjoyable.”

It sounds amazing…these great people coming together for such a great cause. It is just what we have all come to expect from this amazing Petty family. We at www.catchfence.com wish them a safe, enjoyable and successful journey. I laughing as I say I may take you up on the invitation some time, Kyle, but I will have to ride in the van and thanks for that suggestion!

For more information about Victory Junction, please visit www.victoryjunction.org. And for more information about the Charity Ride, please visit www.kylepettycharityride.com.

Again, good luck and God Bless!

NASCAR has suspended two crewmen for violating its substance abuse policy, including the former brother-in-law of Jeremy Mayfield.

William David Keith, a spotter for David Gilliland in the Sprint Cup Series, is one of the two crewmen and was suspended Tuesday. Keith is also a former winner in the ARCA Racing Series.

Keith gave a deposition in Mayfield’s legal battle with NASCAR, claiming he witnessed Mayfield using methamphetamines several times. Mayfield became the first driver last May to be suspended under NASCAR’s toughened drug policy.

Matthew Huffstetler was the other crewman suspended. He works for Daisy Ramirez Motorsports in the Camping World Truck series.

- SI.com

LEBANON, Tenn. – Race fans at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, April 3 will have a good reason to remain on their feet following the conclusion of 300 miles of NASCAR Nationwide Series action. Big Machine Records recording artists Steel Magnolia will perform a post-race concert on the frontstretch as part of the Dillon Transportation Concert Series immediately following the race, scheduled to take the green flag at 3 p.m.

The concert is free to all April 3 NASCAR Nationwide Series race ticket holders.

As the season two winners of CMT’s Can You Duet?, Steel Magnolia (Meghan Linsey and Joshua Scott Jones) captured America’s hearts with their dynamic harmony and music that is one part Country and two parts Southern Soul. The duo’s top-15 hit, “Keep On Lovin’ You,” is the lead single from the Valentine’s Day Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and is the highest-charting debut single from a Country duo in over three years.

Steel Magnolia are multiple 2010 Academy of Country Music Award nominees (for overall Top Vocal Duo of the Year and Top New Vocal Duo) and have been featured nationally on Lopez Tonight, the The Early Show on CBS and Better TV. The duo has been acclaimed as one of Country Weekly’s “Who to Watch in 2010,” People Country’s “Fan Wanted,” and one of the top-five new Country artists that fans are “Most Excited About in 2010” according to a current GAC-TV poll.

Steel Magnolia’s self-titled debut EP is currently available on iTunes. For news, live performances and more information about Steel Magnolia visit BigMachineRecords.com/SteelMagnolia.

Tickets are now on sale for all 2010 NASCAR events at Nashville Superspeedway including the April 2-3, 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series doubleheader weekend, the June 4-5, 2010 “Federated Auto Parts 300” NASCAR Nationwide Series weekend, and the Aug. 7, 2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race.

For more information, or to purchase race tickets, call 1-866-RACE-TIX or visit NashvilleSuperspeedway.com.

About Nashville Superspeedway

Nashville Superspeedway is owned by Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD), a leading promoter of motorsports events in the United States. DVD subsidiaries operate three tracks in three states, and present several hundred motorsports events each year. This includes 14 major, national events which include races sanctioned by NASCAR and the NHRA. Dover Motorsports, Inc. also owns and operates Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., and Gateway International Raceway near St. Louis, Mo. For further information log on to www.DoverMotorsports.com.

- Dover Motorsports, Inc. Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

• Red Bull Rally in Atlanta
• Tundras Tally Top-Fives in Georgia
• Racing Will Resume at Short Tracks

ATLANTA RACE REWIND: Red Bull Racing teammates Brian Vickers (seventh) and Scott Speed (10th) earned top-10 finishes for Toyota in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Camry driver Marcos Ambrose (11th) also collected a top-15 finish at the 1.5-mile Georgia oval. Other Camry drivers in the 341-lap, 524-mile race included Denny Hamlin (21st), Kyle Busch (25th), Martin Truex Jr. (27th), Max Papis (34th), Joey Logano (35th), Joe Nemechek (38th), David Reutimann (40th), Dave Blaney (41st), Michael McDowell (42nd) and Robby Gordon (43rd).

POINTS PACE: After four of 36 NSCS races this season, Speed (12th) is the top Toyota driver in the unofficial 2010 NSCS point standings. In addition to his 10th-place result at Atlanta, Speed finished in the top-20 at both Daytona International Speedway and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. He trails points-leader Kevin Harvick by 162 points. Other Camry drivers in the top-20 in points following Atlanta include Logano (14th), Busch (15th), Vickers (16th) and Reutimann (18th).

TUNDRA TALLY: Busch (second) was the highest-finishing Tundra driver in Saturday’s 200-mile NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Atlanta. Tundra drivers Aric Almirola (third), Steve Wallace (fourth) and Todd Bodine (fifth) also posted top-five finishes. Timothy Peters (seventh), Brad Sweet (12th), Tayler Malsam (13th), Mike Skinner (14th), David Starr (15th), Stacy Compton (19th) and Justin Lofton (20th) were other Tundra racers in the field. Bodine leads Peters by four points (340-336) in the unofficial 2010 NCWTS point standings after two of 25 races. Almirola (fourth), Busch (fifth) and Malsam (ninth) are also in the top-10 in the NCWTS point standings.

RETURN TO ACTION: All three of NASCAR’s national touring series are off this weekend, but the NSCS and NNS will return to action March 19-21 for the first short track race of the season at the half-mile Bristol Motor Speedway. The NCWTS will take two weeks off before taking on its first short track race of 2010 at Virginia’s half-mile Martinsville Speedway on March 27.

SKINNER’S ROUND UP FOR CHARITY: Skinner, driver of the No. 5 Tundra for Randy Moss Motorsports in the NCWTS will host the fourth annual ‘Toyota Skinner Round-Up for Charity’ on March 11 and 12 at Daytona International Speedway and Spruce Creek Country Club in Daytona Beach, Fla. Celebrities that will attend to help raise funds to benefit Volusia County (Fla.) charities include Nashville recording artist Stacy Mitchhart, ‘America Idol’s’ Bo Bice, and NASCAR personalities Michael Waltrip, Ron Hornaday Jr., Tommy Baldwin, Rick Crawford and Steve Park. Over the last three years, the ‘Round-Up’ has raised over a half million dollars for area charities. The two-day event kicks off to the public on Thursday evening at the Fan Zone and the Daytona 500 Club at Daytona International Speedway at 7:00

PM. SUIT SWEEPSTAKES: As part of a promotion for its upcoming NSCS and NNS weekend (May 7-8), South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway is giving away a fire suit worn by Vickers — the 2003 NNS champion. Vickers has one win at the 1.366-mile speedway in NNS competition (2003). Fans can enter to win the fire suit at DarlingtonRaceway.com.

TOYOTA SPONSAFIER: Ever want to design your own race car? Now fans can with Toyota’s ‘Sponsafier’ available at ToyotaRacing.com. Between now and March 15, fans can log on to the ToyotaRacing.com site, click the ‘Sponsafier’ link, create an account and design a race car for their favorite Toyota driver. Once designed, fans submit their race car paint scheme online for voting and a chance for their design to lead the field prior to the start of the 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte.

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

NASCAR Logo

On March 5, both were found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2010 NASCAR rule book.

- NASCAR, Press Release

Martinsville Speedway

The bargain package from SPEED includes a ticket for the Kroger 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on March 27, a ticket for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 on March 28 and admission to a breakfast that will include appearances by NASCAR Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck series drivers along with SPEED personalities.

“Grub-N-Rub is an awesome deal SPEED has put together for fans,” said Martinsville Speedway president W. Clay Campbell. “You get tons of action, lots of good food and some up close time with drivers. It’s a pretty amazing deal.”

The $99 price tag, $69 for children 12 and under, includes a two-day reserved ticket in the Blue Ridge Tower on the front stretch for the Kroger 250 and the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500. It also includes breakfast at 9 a.m. on Saturday with question and answer sessions with Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick, truck series drivers Timothy Peters and Ricky Carmichael, track president Campbell and personalities from SPEED.

Tickets for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 on Sunday, March 28, the Kroger 250 on Saturday, March 27 and the Duracell Battery Kroger Pole Day on Friday, March 26 are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Tickets for the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 start at just $25.

- Martinsville Speedway, Press Release

Brian Scott

“We’re very excited to be back in NASCAR this year with a great up and coming driver like Brian Scott and an outstanding racing team in Braun Racing. We are looking forward to our first race in Phoenix and showcasing our BigSpot.com brand to the NASCAR nation,” said Andrew Lissak, President and CEO of Offerwise.

BigSpot.com is an online service that introduces online users to consumer research firms. Users have the opportunity to share their opinions in order to influence products and services. BigSpot.com is owned and operated by Offerwise, a Virginia-based company that provides offline and online marketing strategy services to the consumer research industry. Serving the industry since 2006, Offerwise has emerged as a trusted leader in helping market research firms promote their respective online consumer panels to online users worldwide.

Scott, one of the NASCAR Nationwide Series hottest rookies, has two top-10 starts in the first three races of 2010. Under the direction of experienced crew chief Billy Wilburn, strong runs at California and Las Vegas have netted him one top-10 finish and second place in the ultra-competitive 2010 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. The Boise, Idaho native comes to Braun racing in 2010 after cutting his teeth in the Camping World Truck Series for three years.

“It’s exciting anytime you can align yourself with great marketing partners like BigSpot.com,” said Scott. “Braun Racing continues to bring in new sponsors in tough economic times and I’m proud to be a part of it. We have gotten a great start to the year with AccuDoc Solutions and StopRepairBills.com. Hopefully we can continue our strong runs and give BigSpot.com good results as well.”

About Braun Racing

Braun Racing is a leading team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series that was handpicked four years ago by Toyota to help lead their entrance into the series. The team is proud to have claimed Toyota’s first Nationwide Series pole on February 24, 2007 at California Speedway and their first win at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 28, 2007. Founded by team owner Todd Braun in 2002, the team is in its eighth season of competition in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and is expanding into a four-car operation in 2010 with an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Brian Vickers, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, David Reutimann and Brian Scott. Braun Racing’s marketing partners includes Great Clips, Dollar General, Beringer Vineyards, AccuDoc Solutions, Fraternal Order of Eagles, ABF, Northeastern Supply, StopRepairBills.com, BigSpot.com, SEM and Safety-Kleen.

- Braun Racing Press Release

No. 7 visitPIT.com Toyota Tundra (Justin Lofton) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

“We were en route to a solid top-10 with a top five in sight. On that restart, I went to the high side of another truck. He started chasing his truck up the racetrack, squeezing me into the wall. It damaged the right side and the nose of the truck. The crew did an awesome job keeping us on the lead lap with all of the crash damage they had to repair,” Lofton said. “It’s disappointing to have such a great run taken away from us.”

Though the team did not get the finish they showed they deserved, Lofton earned respect and proved he’ll be a contender as the season rolls on.

Initially, Lofton took the green flag from the 22nd position. Knowing pre-race that their machine was set up for longer runs, Lofton settled in, maneuvering his Toyota into 18th after just five laps.

An early caution flag with just over 20 laps on the board allowed the 24-year-old to relay to crew chief Mark Rette that his visitPIT.com-backed Tundra was handling a bit loose in traffic. The team took advantage of the yellow, swapped out Goodyear tires, made a slight track bar adjustment, and got their driver back on track with a good stop, lining him up in the 12th position for the restart.

With the truck dialed in, Lofton wheeled his machine into the top 10 by lap 45, with Rette telling him, “Welcome to the top 10. Be cautiously aggressive, go get them.”

Lap after lap around the 1.54-mile track, the California native put his driving skills on display, muscling his entry into sixth, eyeing a top five effort by the time the caution waved on lap 69.

“You’re doing a great job out there bud. You’re impressing the heck out of me. Just take care of it here, there are a lot of laps left,” Rette said. “When we get a long run, we’re going to eat these boys up.”

Following cleanup for the caution, the field took the restart on lap 74. Lofton maintained the sixth position, mixing things up with the race leaders which included past and reigning NASCAR Nationwide Series champions Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch.

On lap 77 however, Lofton’s climb ended abruptly when another competitor drifted high on the backstretch, pushing Lofton, who was running in the outside lane, into the retaining wall. A victim of track position, Lofton’s truck suffered damage to both sides, forcing him to the pits for repairs.

The crew got to work and fixed as much of the damage as they could under yellow in order to keep their Toyota on track. Lofton stayed up on the wheel, finishing out the race, bringing home a 20th place finish.

Justin Lofton

After the first two events, Lofton shows 18th in the point standings.

Next up, Lofton and the No. 7 crew will head to the paperclip shaped Martinsville Speedway short track on March 27th.

For more on Justin Lofton, visit LoftonRacing.com

Follow Justin on Twitter at twitter.com/jlracing

- Justin Lofton Racing Press Release