Carl Edwards - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Edwards (who lead 148 laps of the 225 laps that were run) received his 2nd series win of the 2011 season, his 31st series career win (which ties him with Jack Ingram for fourth on the all-time series wins list) and his 4th series win at Nashville Superspeedway.

Following Edwards to the drop of the checkered flag by 0.521 seconds was Kyle Busch, and they were followed by Brad Keselowski finishing third, pole sitter Joey Logano fourth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finishing in the fifth position.

Rounding out the top-ten finishers were Trevor Bayne who finished in sixth, Austin Dillon seventh, Reed Sorenson eighth, Josh Wise ninth and Aric Almirola finished in tenth.

RACE NOTES:

Average Speed: 125.375 MPH
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 23 Mins, 32 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.521 Seconds
Lead Changes: 16 among 7 drivers
Cautions: 6 for 25 laps
Attendance: 18,000

Unofficial Top-Ten in the Point Standings: 1. Justin Allgaier – 264 (Leader) 2. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – 264 (-0 Points Behind the Leader) 3. Jason Leffler – 262 (-2) 4. Reed Sorenson – 260 (-4) 5. Trevor Bayne – 260 (-4) 6. Elliott Sadler – 259 (-5) 7. Aric Almirola – 257 (-7) 8. Brian Scott – 228 (-36) 9. Kenny Wallace – 216 (-48) 10. Michael Annett – 184 (-80).

Next Up: The BUBBA burger 250 at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, April 29th, with SPEED beginning television coverage at 7:00 PM (EST).

2011 NNS Nashville 300 Race Results

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie

Joey Logano - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

This was Logano’s first series pole of the 2011 season, his sixteenth series career pole (which ties him with Matt Kenseth and Brett Bodine for 11th on the all-time series poles list) and his third series pole at Nashville Superspeedway.

Starting on the outside pole with a qualifying lap speed of 157.250 mph, will be Trevor Bayne, followed by Austin Dillon (157.157) who will start third, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (156.916) starting fourth and David Reutimann (156.818) will start from the fifth position.

Rounding out the top-ten starting positions will be Kyle Busch (156.803) starting in sixth, Carl Edwards (156.803) seventh, Elliott Sadler (156.491) eighth, Brad Keselowski (156.435) ninth, and Brian Scott (156.318) will start tenth.

Only 43 teams attempted to qualify, so no one failed to make the starting lineup.

The Nashville 300 is scheduled to get underway a little after 3:00 PM (EST) this afternoon.

2011 NNS Nashville 300 Starting Lineup

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie

2011 Nashville April NCWTS Pole Kyle Busch - Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Busch (who led 140 laps of the 150 laps that were run) received his 2nd series win of the 2011 season, his 26th series career win and his 2nd series win at Nashville Superspeedway.

Rookie contender, Nelson Piguet, Jr., finished in the second-place position, and was followed by Timothy Peters who finished in third, Ron Hornaday, Jr., fourth and James Buescher finished in the fifth position.

Rounding out the top-ten finishers were Matt Crafton finishing in sixth, Johnny Sauter seven, David Starr eighth, and rookie contenders Craig Goess and Parker Kligerman finished ninth and tenth respectively.

Johnny Sauter leads the point standings by 3 points over Timothy Peters.

RACE NOTES:

Average Speed: 119.433 MPH
Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 40 Mins, 27 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.061 Seconds
Lead Changes: 5 among 4 drivers
Cautions: 6 for 24 laps
Attendance: 12,000

Unofficial Top-Ten in the Point Standings: 1) Johnny Sauter – 187 (Leader) 2) Timothy Peters – 184 (-3 Points Behind the Leader) 3) Matt Crafton – 183 (-4) 4) Ron Hornaday Jr. – 182 (-5) 5) Cole Whitt # – 175 (-12) 6) Austin Dillon – 163 (-24) 7) Todd Bodine – 148 (-39) 8) Clay Rogers – 144 (-43) 9) Max Papis – 142 (-45) 10) Parker Kligerman – 136 (-51)

Next Up: The Lucas Oil 200 at Dover International Speedway on Friday, May 13th. The race will run at 4:45 PM (EST) but will be tape-delayed on SPEED at 8:00 PM (EST).

2011 NCWTS Bully Hill Vineyards 200 Race Results

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie

David Reutimann - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Second fastest was Kyle Busch with a lap speed of 156.972 mph, followed by Austin Dillon (156.916) who was third fastest, Brad Keselowski (156.772) fourth fastest and Carl Edwards / Brian Ickler (156.563) was fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest in “Happy Hour” were Elliott Sadler (155.724) who was sixth fastest, Steve Wallace (155.649) seventh, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (155.422) eighth, Justin Allgaier (155.371) ninth and Brian Scott (155.201) was the tenth fastest.

The teams will return to the track at 12:10 PM (EST) Saturday afternoon for qualifying, and then the drop of the green flag is scheduled to fall a little after 3:00 PM (EST).

2011 NNS Nashville 300 Final Practice Session Speeds

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series

# Denotes Rookie
* Required to Qualify on Time

Kyle Busch

This was Busch’s first series pole of the 2011 season, his eleventh series career pole and his second series pole at Nashville Superspeedway.

Sharing the front row with Busch will be Austin Dillon, who ran a qualifying lap speed of 156.568 mph, and they will be followed by rookie contender Justin Johnson (156.532) starting third, rookie contender Nelson Piquet, Jr. (156.445) fourth and Elliott Sadler (156.186) will start in the fifth position.

Rounding out the top-ten starting positions will be rookie contender Cole Whitt (155.911) starting sixth, Todd Bodine (155.881) seventh, Ron Hornaday Jr. (155.608) eighth, Johnny Sauter (155.442) ninth and rookie contender Parker Kligerman (155.221) will start in tenth.

Failing to make the starting lineup were the #57 driven by Norm Benning; #16 driven by John King; #73 driven by Brian Johnson Jr., and the #10 drivenby Jennifer Jo Cobb(i).

The Bully Hill Vineyards 200 is scheduled to get underway a little after 8:00 PM (EST) this evening, and to be aired on SPEED.

2011 NCWTS Bully Hill Vineyards 200 Starting Lineup

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie

Kyle Busch - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Second fastest was Brad Keselowski, with a speed 154.307 mph, followed by Reed Sorenson (154.228) who was third fastest, Carl Edwards (154.218) fourth fastest and  Austin Dillon (154.114) was the fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest were Brian Scott (153.508) who was sixth fastest, Joey Logano (153.454) seventh, Justin Allgaier (154.449) eighth, Elliott Sadler (153.189) ninth and Jason Leffler (153.082) was the tenth fastest.

The teams will have their “Happy Hour” session from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM (EST) this evening, before returning on Saturday for their 12:05 PM (EST) scheduled qualifying session to determine the starting lineup for the afternoon’s 3:00 PM (EST) start of the race.

2011 NNS Nashville 300 First Practice Session Speeds

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie
* Required to Qualify on Time

2011 NCWTS Kyle Busch - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Austin Dillon was second fastest with a lap speed of 156.757 mph, followed by Ron Hornaday Jr. (156.557) who was third fastest, rookie contender Cole Whitt (156.445) fourth fastest and Max Papis (156.410) was fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest in “Happy Hour” were Todd Bodine (156.384) who was sixth fastest, rookie contender Nelson Piquet Jr. (156.109) seventh, Timothy Peters (156.094) eighth, rookie contender Parker Kligerman (156.094) ninth and Johnny Sauter (156.074) was the tenth fastest.

Next up for the teams is qualifying at 5:10 PM (EST) for tonight’s Bully Hill Vineyards 200 at 8:00 PM (EST).

2011 NCWTS Bully Hill Vineyards 200 Final Practice Session

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie
* Required to Qualify on Time

2011 NCWTS Kyle Busch - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Second fastest and with a lap speed of 156.532 mph, was Ron Hornaday Jr., followed by Austin Dillon (156.272) who was third fastest, Timothy Peters (156.216) fourth fastest and Max Papis (156.003) was the fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten were Todd Bodine (155.982) who was sixth fastest, rookie contender Cole Whitt (155.790) seventh, rookie contender Joey Coulter (155.065) eighth Brendan Gaughan (155.065) ninth and rookie contender Parker Kligerman (154.925) was the tenth fastest.

Next up for the teams is “Happy Hour,” which is scheduled to run from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM (EST) and then qualifying at 5:10 PM (EST) for tonight’s Bully Hill Vineyards 200 at 8:00 PM (EST).

2011 NCWTS Bully Hill Vineyards 200 First Practice Session Speeds

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie
* Required to Qualify on Time

Through its affiliates, TRX is developing proprietary desktop and online income tax software solutions under the YonderWorks and TaxExact brand names, as well as a comprehensive and integrated suite of accounting, payroll, business management and CRM software offerings.

Based in Murfreesboro TN, TRX currently serves thousands of independent tax firms accounting for approximately 500,000 tax returns annually.The firms sister company Tax Exact will be an associate sponsor for those races as well. At Talladega last week, Danny Efland was able to bring home the #52 chevorlet to a 21st place finish after being caught up in a multi car crash on lap 89.

With that finish, Jimmy Mean’s team moved up two positions and now sets just outside the top 30 in points. Tim Schendel will drive the #52 Chevrolet this weekend at Nashville.

- Means Motorsports Press Release

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM)

The “Riding Shotgun With Kyle Busch Motorsports” Essay Contest will allow one Nashville child, age five to 12, to have a decal with their name and 2.5″ x 3.5″ photo above the passenger window of Busch’s No. 18 Dollar General Toyota for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday, April 22. Additionally, the winner of the Nashville essay contest will receive a $100 gift card from Busch’s primary sponsor for the race Goodlettsville-Tenn. based Dollar General.

“The message behind Kyle Savoie’s letter was how dreams are important and to never give up on your dreams,” reflected Busch. “He even sent us his five dollar-allowance with the letter in an effort to help support our KBM truck team. He suggested that if other kids followed his lead, they could serve as the sponsor for a race. In return, he suggested that we would put their names and school pictures on the truck. I obviously don’t want kids to send us their allowances, but I loved the idea of recognizing kids for positive experiences and achievements by putting their name and picture on my truck! Too many stories in the news these days are about negative issues. This essay contest will be a great way to create a positive news story with the help of children in Nashville.”

To recognize Kyle Savoie for inspiring the contest, a decal with his name and picture adorned the area above the passenger window of the No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra driven by Busch in the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 18.

Nashville is the first of 10 races throughout the 2011 season that an essay contest winner will follow in Savoie’s footsteps and “Ride Shotgun” with Kyle Busch Motorsports. The other races scheduled are Dover (May 13), Kansas (June 4), Kentucky (July 7), Michigan (Aug. 20), Bristol (Aug. 24), Chicagoland (Sep. 16), Talladega (Oct. 22), Texas (Nov. 4) and Homestead-Miami (Nov. 18).

The topic of the essay is to describe an experience and/or achievement that occurred in the last 12 months that has affected your life in a positive way using 150 words or less. The deadline to submit an essay for the Nashville race is April 8, 2011. Entries can be submitted via email to essay@kylebuschmotorsports.com or mailed in to:

Kyle Busch Motorsports

351 Mazeppa Rd.

Mooresville, N.C. 28115

Attn: “Riding Shotgun” Essay Contest

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

Sprint Speed and Sound in Nashville

But the event’s board of directors and its charitable beneficiaries have announced that there will not be a sixth Sound & Speed in 2011 due to current economic conditions, as well as the lingering effects of last spring’s floods that devastated many residential neighborhoods in Nashville and the surrounding area.

“I can speak for NASCAR when I say that everyone involved was always anticipating Sound & Speed,” said NASCAR President and Sound & Speed board President Mike Helton. “It’s unfortunate that various economic conditions and, more importantly, the fact that much of middle Tennessee is still struggling to recover from the terrible flooding that occurred there last May, preclude us from staging another highly successful event.  Therefore, it is with great regret that we share the news that Sound & Speed will no longer continue in 2011.”

Sound & Speed, which began in 2006 as the brainchild of the late Brian Williams, former Senior Vice President of SunTrust Bank, Inc., and popular Nashville artist manager Don Light, has raised more than $1 million to benefit both Victory Junction and the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum during the past five years.

Since its inception, the event grew to become a ceremonial and highly anticipated kickoff to the upcoming NASCAR season each January for drivers and fans alike, as well as for the artists and fans of the country music industry who joined them for a unique celebration of motorsports and music. Heading the list of notable celebrities who have participated in Sound & Speed over the years are Taylor Swift, Alan Jackson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Tony Stewart.

“Being associated with Sound & Speed over the last five years has benefited us in many ways,” said Kyle Young, director of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. “We brought together two unique industries with an audience in common – NASCAR and country music – and delivered a one-of-a-kind event for fans. The event has been retired, but we feel that our new friendships in the world of NASCAR racing and in the country music artist community will continue to be mutually beneficial to all concerned.”

“Although the actual event is over, Sound & Speed will continue to live on through all of the (Victory Junction) campers and those involved with the event over the years,” added John McKee, Victory Junction President, and Mary Vaughn, Victory Junction Chief Operating Officer, in a joint statement. “Sound & Speed enabled Victory Junction to make many friends and brought many smiles to children’s faces each year.”

Sound & Speed organizers encourage fans of NASCAR racing and country music to continue supporting Victory Junction and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. More information about the two charitable organizations can be found at their respective Web sites, www.VictoryJunction.org and www.CountryMusicHallofFame.org.

- True Speed Communication for Sound & Speed, Press Release

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing

“First of all, we are happy that Mike is back in the U.S. and will be with us in Miami. We wish that he could be racing, but his recovery process is the most important thing right now. With it being the final race of the season, we felt that Ana was the perfect choice. We are excited about having her back with the team. She did a great job for us in Brazil, Indianapolis, and Chicago. It will be good to have her in our car again for the last race. Ana has really shown us her talent and motivation. We look forward to running her as she competes at Homestead Speedway,” commented Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Co-Owner, Dennis Reinbold.

The Brazilian driver made her IZOD IndyCar debut at her home race in Brazil a couple of months ago and again at the Indianapolis 500 and at Chicagoland Speedway. The Sao Paulo native proved that she was ready to be in the IZOD IndyCar Series as she was the highest finishing rookie and female for the season opener. Beatriz competed in the Firestone Indy Lights category for the last two seasons. Her accomplishments include finishing third in 2008 in the Firestone Indy Lights point standings for Sam Schmidt Motorsports with one win, nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes.

Beatriz also became the first female driver to win in Firestone Indy Lights when she won at Nashville in July. As a result, she was named winner of the Firestone Indy Lights Rising Star Award. For 2007,
she tested for A1 Team Brazil in A1GP at China. In 2006, Beatriz finished fifth in South American Formula 3 with five podium finishes and one pole. She was named winner of the São Paulo Citizen Driver. In
2005, Beatriz became the first female to ever win a Formula Renault race and she went on to finish third in Formula Renault Brazil with three wins (Campo Grande, Vitória and Tarumã) and four pole positions (Campo Grande, Vitória, Interlagos (twice). Beatriz won a Gold Helmet Award and in 2004
finished fifth in Brazilian Formula Renault.

“I am very excited to get back in the car and race at Homestead. The only time that I’ve raced there was in 2008 when I debuted in Firestone Indy Lights. It is a tough and very challenging oval. I would like to thank Robbie, Dennis and Larry for the confidence and our partners, Roll Coater, OX and Bardahl in making this happen. Also, after not being able to sign up for the entire season, Andre Ribeiro, Augusto Cesario and I planned on running four races this season and I am very happy and proud that we have achieved that. This is very important in growing my experience in the IZOD IndyCar Series and it will help me a lot for next year,” stated Beatriz.

Although he won’t be piloting the No. 24 Roll Coater entry, Mike Conway will be on the sidelines cheering his teammates on for the final race of the season. During the 94th running of the Indianapolis 500, Conway was involved in a big crash. With one lap to go, the Brit collided with Ryan Hunter-Reay, who had slowed to conserve fuel in order to finish the race. Unfortunately, due to the varying speeds between the two cars, Conway’s machine launched into the catch-fence and disintegrated as it ran along the track. As a result, Mike was transported via helicopter to Methodist hospital where he was released a week later. He had surgery to repair fractures to his lower left leg. Additionally, Conway had a compression fracture of one of his thoracic vertebrae.

After the accident Conway flew back to the UK, where he has spent the last three months recovering and undergoing a strict rehabilitation program. He was evaluated by the IZOD IndyCar Medical staff this week and he is healing progressively well. Although he is on the right track to recovery, Conway and the team feel that it’s best to focus on next season. The main goal is for Mike to get back to 100 percent with his fitness level before getting in the car. Conway has been released to test and to return to race next season.

“It’s great to be back in the US. It’s been three months since I’ve been here and I’ve been itching to get back. I’ve been watching most of the races from home and I’ve been following what’s been going on, so it’s good to see the guys. All is going well and I’ve healed up nicely. I have been working with a great team of people for my rehabilitation and can’t thank all of them enough for their hard work and support. Obviously, it’s an ongoing process and I’m just keeping on with my training, physio work and rehabbing so that when I get in the car I will be as good as I can be. My main focus is to be 100 percent with my fitness before I come back. It would have been nice to compete in the last race, but I think that it’s more important to look at the long-term goals. I want to stay in the IZOD IndyCar Series for a long time and I think to rush back to one race wouldn’t be a smart move. Now, I’m just focusing on future plans and I can’t wait to get back in the car. Although I won’t be racing, I will be at Homestead to catch up with everyone and to support the guys,” commented Conway.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will be on track Monday at Homestead Speedway to test in preparation for the final round of the IZOD IndyCar Series. For more updates on the team, please visit www.dreyerreinboldracing.com.

About Dreyer & Reinbold Racing:

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing is entering its 11th season of full-time competition in 2010, making it one of the longest-tenured teams in Indy Racing League competition. Current co-owners, Dennis Reinbold and Robbie Buhl, first teamed in full-time competition at the Walt Disney World Speedway in January of 2000. With Buhl behind the wheel, the two owners tasted victory in their debut race. The 2009 IZOD IndyCar Series season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg marked Dreyer & Reinbold Racing”s 200th series start.

DRR now has over 250 starts to tuck under its belt and has qualified a total of 27 cars for the Indianapolis 500. In its history, the team has boasted a championship list of alumni drivers. Besides Buhl, the team has run Indianapolis 500 winners, Al Unser, Jr., Buddy Lazier, and Buddy Rice, along with IndyCar Series race winner, Ryan Briscoe. The team has one of the longest lines of heritage in American open-wheel racing and the Indianapolis 500 as Dennis Reinbold”s grandfather, “Pop” Dreyer, built leading roadsters that raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the 30s, 40s, and 50s.

More information on the team can be found at www.dreyerreinboldracing.com 


More information on the IZOD IndyCar Series can be found at www.indycar.com.

- Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Press Release

'Racing Dreams' Poster

“We at Hannover House are excited to have a family film of this quality leading off our 2010 theatrical release slate,” said Hannover House President, Fred Shefte. “It will be as much a financial success as it already is an artistic success; we are proud to be associated with Racing Dreams.”

The film, directed by Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Marshall Curry and executive produced by actor Dwayne Johnson, follows 11-year-old Annabeth, 12-year-old Josh and 13-year old Brandon as they compete for the championship in the World Karting Association’s National Series — widely considered the Little League for professional racing. Clocking speeds of more than 70 mph, these young drivers race their way through the year-long National Series that spawned many of NASCAR’s top drivers. And at the same time, they navigate the treacherous road between childhood and young adulthood.

“On the surface, this is an exciting and funny movie about kids who love racing,” said director Marshall Curry. “But, beneath the surface, it’s a more universal coming-of-age story about being 11 or 12 years old and figuring out life and family and romance for the first time. Someone said recently it was ‘part Catcher in the Rye, part Talladega Nights.’”

What began as a simple request for the licensing of NASCAR footage and access to NASCAR events during filming ended with the NASCAR organization becoming an invaluable marketing and distribution partner once they screened the finished film.

“NASCAR embraced Racing Dreams as an exciting, heart-pounding portrayal of the path that teens and their parents take when chasing the dream of racing as a profession,” said Brad Ball, Vice President, Entertainment Marketing at NASCAR. “As part of our company’s ongoing youth initiative and content development, NASCAR is devoted to both educating and motivating young, aspiring NASCAR drivers.”

Named best documentary at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, Racing Dreams will join the slate of high-profile films Hannover House has recently acquired and plans to release throughout the year.

Racing Dreams was directed by Marshall Curry and produced by Bristol Baughan. The film was executive produced by Jack Turner, Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson of White Buffalo Entertainment and Ben Goldhirsh of Good Inc. It was recently announced that DreamWorks has optioned the remake rights to the film to be produced by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci through their deal at the studio.

Other recent acquisitions for Hannover House include Joel Schumacher’s thriller Twelve starring Chace Crawford and Emma Roberts as well as director Josh Radnor’s romantic comedy, happythankyoumoreplease. Both films were among the top echelon of major films premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Another significant acquisition, the action-thriller The Wild Hunt will screen for Hannover House at the New York City Gen Art Film Festival on Sunday, April 11.

For more information on Racing Dreams, please visit http://www.racingdreamsfilm.com/ or visit the film’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/RACING-DREAMS/173030410136?ref=ts.

ABOUT NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport — with more of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S. than any other sport, and is the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in 20 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport.

NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. Also part of NASCAR is Grand-Am Road Racing, known for its competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlotte (N.C.), Concord (N.C.), Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.), Mexico City, and Toronto.

- Racing Dreams Film, Press Release

Greg Biffle

Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion, is coming off a seventh-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series last season. He was a guest earlier today on the NASCAR teleconference to talk about his off-season and this weekend’s “Sprint Sound and Speed” in Nashville.

GREG BIFFLE – No. 16 3M Ford Fusion – HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GOING TO NASHVILLE THIS WEEKEND TO PARTICPATE IN THE SPRINT SOUND AND SPEED EVENT? “It’s so exciting to do events like this, where you meet up with so many influential people. The music industry is so passionate and it’s fun to go to Nashville. I think a lot of NASCAR fans can relate to this because it’s such a star-struck event, and the most important thing is it gives them an opportunity to come out and get autographs and see the drivers and attend a Q&A and do things like that in a setting where they can get a little one-on-one time and get a little closer when they go to the Municipal Auditorium. These are the stars of the sport you get a chance to get next to, plus all the music acts, so it’s gonna be a real fun event.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS EVENT AND WHY COUNTRY MUSIC AND NASCAR RELATE TO THE SAME DEMOGRAPHIC? “It really does. This is one event a year that I think a lot of us really look forward to because, number one, we’re not around the race track, we’re not around the race cars – we’re in a setting where we can relax and have a little bit of fun and spend some time around these guys that are very talented – men and women in the music industry – that I look up to. I’m not musical at all. I couldn’t play an instrument if I tried in my life, and I’m never gonna try to sing karaoke at the bar, but it’s so neat to listen to these guys and go and see the performances and be around them and talk to them. It’s a great opportunity for the NASCAR fans to get a double-whammy – to see the NASCAR drivers and see these guys perform is pretty neat.”

WHAT ABOUT DANICA PATRICK COMING TO NASCAR. WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE? “I think we all know it’s gonna be great for our sport as far as recognition and awareness and bringing some popularity over, and bringing some of her fans. It’ll be our first female driver in a while, so that will be good for us. I’m looking forward to seeing how she performs on the race track. I think it’s a win-win for everybody. I’m glad she’s decided to come over and give it a try. It’s very difficult. I hope she does well, and I’m looking forward to racing with her a little bit.”

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES SHE’LL FACE? “The same things some of these other guys have – Sam Hornish, Juan Montoya and some of the other open-wheel guys, like Scott Speed, who have come over and really tried to get a handle on these cars. These cars are very hard to drive and the list goes on. Max Papis and right on down the line, there are a bunch of guys – Boris Said and Ron Fellows, very successful road course drivers, not necessarily like open-wheel or anything like that, but very talented. The oval track with these cars are very, very difficult. We’ve seen them have huge success in road racing and won road races, but then have a tough time competing on the ovals. I don’t know what it is about it, but it is difficult and if it’s not what you’ve grown up with or not what your reflexes and your instincts and your car control and everything that you’re used to in your environment, it makes it difficult to adapt to. Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman – a lot of those guys come from those type of cars and have been very, very successful, so certainly it’s possible.”

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE OVER THE WINTER TO RETURN TO THE FRONT OF THE PACK AND CAN YOU GET ANY SENSE WITHOUT TRACK TESTING TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE OR WILL YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL DAYTONA AND CALIFORNIA? “Really, truly, we need to wait until California, Atlanta and some of those other race tracks because Daytona is kind of in a class of its own. It’s hard to get a feel for where you’re at competitive-wise at a restrictor plate track, but we’ve worked very hard this winter getting weight out of our cars, getting the center of gravity down, lightening them, working hard on our data acquisition and trying to understand our modeling better – working on aero. Combining the technology, somewhat, from the RPM group or the old Evernham stuff has helped us a little bit, I think. I think we were able to help them a little bit, so we were able to put two technologies together. We did a tire test in Phoenix for Goodyear. Kasey Kahne did one in California for Goodyear and I’m doing a test next week in Texas, so I think we’re gonna have a good mixed bag of data coming back into the organization from those three race tracks before the season starts, and, hopefully, more throughout the season. Hopefully, Carl gets a chance and David and Matt to do some more tire testing, and then if NASCAR makes a few rules changes along the way, that gives a chance for all the cars to get on the race track. If they’re gonna do a mass tire test, like before Indy, those kinds of things help us, so we just look forward to those opportunities. If they ever come up, we’re right there to take advantage of it. I think we’re doing everything we can to be better.”

LAST YEAR THERE WERE ONLY SEVEN FULL-TIME FORDS IN THE FIELD. THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE 10. HOW MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE IN TERMS OF THE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE YOU CAN DRAW FROM? “Certainly, we’ve added a couple of good, quality guys that won races last year or came close to winning races, so that’s certainly gonna help the Ford camp pick up some more wins. We’re really excited about that. Like I said, we’ve already consolidated some of those technologies and I think it’s really helped us and is going to help us.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU SHARE INFORMATION WITH OTHER FORD TEAMS? IS IT LIKE ONE BIG TEAM? “Yes. Last year we shared information across the board with the Yates organization and we feel we’ve worked hard, and we’ve talked a lot about it, that we feel like this year we want it to be the same as it was last year, and I think they’re all for that. They’ve said it’s gonna be an open book across the street, so I think it’s gonna help both of us. We’re gonna put our bump-stop technology together and all the things we can do, and I think it’s gonna help us all.”

THE TIRE TEST AT TEXAS, CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH WHAT GOES ON AT ONE OF THOSE? DO YOU HAVE ANY CONTROL? “It’s not quite like a test because you don’t have as much control, but you do get some track time to get on the race track, get your car running good. They want a good, driveable car – kind of like a race setup – so that they can put sets and sets and sets of tires on it and you can give them a good, accurate comparison of the sets of tires and not how your car his handling. So you get a few hours to work on your car and get it driving good, and get to try a few things that you might not at a normal race, but that’s about it. Then you go through all those sets of tires and usually when you finish up, or you get close to the end of the second day, you look forward to possibly getting a couple more hours or another hour to try another combination or another setup that you can try to get some data on. That’s another thing that’s important is we’ve got on-board data during these tests, which we don’t on race weekends, and, in turn, we can bring that back home and study it for the next month or two and see if there’s anything to be learned from that data. We can see if we can decipher anything from it that might help us, so you get a little bit of extra extended practice when you wouldn’t for a race weekend, but it’s certainly not like being at a two-day test.”

ARE THERE ANY COUNTRY MUSIC STARS YOU’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING? “I just enjoy being around all of those guys. Hank Williams Jr., and members from Diamond Rio are gonna be there. Chris Young – there’s just gonna be a bunch of talented guys there, so it’s just cool being around those guys and seeing what they can do – Jason Michael Carroll. I’ve heard all of their music, so it’s pretty neat to be rubbing elbows or shoulders with those guys.”

ANY OF THOSE GUYS EXCITED TO MEET YOU? “I don’t know. I think we all appreciate each other’s talents. They don’t know what it’s like driving a car each weekend and I certainly couldn’t imagine what it’s like performing in front of a packed auditorium of people or making a record or doing all those things. We certainly have our own things and I think I appreciate any other athlete, whether it’s a singer or a different series of racing or baseball or any of those – you can appreciate what they go through and how hard they work.”

WHO IS IN THIS YEAR’S PET CALENDAR? “The 2010 pet calendar got done in October and it’s been on sale since, and it’s just been great. All through the holidays it’s done well and, actually, January and February are some of our strongest months because people are still in need of a calendar and it makes a great gift. Some of the regulars and a few new guys – Kasey Kahne, Carl, Kurt Busch, Jeff Burton is in it this year, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, Casey Mears and his new wife-to-be in about four days, so it’s a great cause. We help a lot of animal rescue groups and if you go to gregbifflefoundation.com, it’s on sale there. We cover all the administrative costs, so all the money we collect off the sales of the calendar goes to animal rescue groups and adoption and spay and neutering programs.”

HOW MUCH OF YOUR TIME DURING THE OFF SEASON WAS SPENT ON IMPROVING NEXT SEASON? “Prior to Christmas we really just talked about what we needed to do and we worked on it some, but we did have a tire test in Phoenix that we went and did, but really since the New Year – this week – we’ve worked really hard. I’ve been at the shop everyday and we’ve been in meetings and doing different things. We’ve got a lot of exciting stuff. We’ve lightened our cars up, which we feel is gonna be important to help get some more ballast in them and get the weight balance correct. We’ve come up with new geometries, new shock packages, new bump stop stuff – some of it has been through the merger and some of it has been through what we’ve learned. We’ve worked very, very hard and all the guys are really, really excited about it. We can’t wait to get to the race track with our cars at Texas next week. That’s gonna be our first real true test, our first opportunity to get on the track.”

WHEN YOU GET TIME OFF DOES THAT RE-CHARGE YOUR BATTERY? “Actually getting some time off does. This off-season I’m doing a little bit more traveling and it’s a little busier than it was last year. Last year I really laid low. I really stayed home a lot and didn’t do a lot, and, I tell you, when Daytona came around and getting ready to go to Phoenix and all that, I was really charged up and ready to go. I’m looking forward to driving to the airport and getting on the airplane and going to the race track, versus when you get to the middle of the season and the end and it’s like, ‘Gosh, I can’t wait until it’s over.’ But that really charges your batteries up, having some time to spend at home, but we have some tests scheduled, a sponsor summit. I’ve got a few appearances right before the season starts. I’m planning on going to the desert with my buddies, and then I’m gonna do a little three-day vacation before I go to Daytona, so the month of January and beginning of February is pretty active prior to the 500.”

DOES DRIVING EVERY WEEKEND LESSEN THE THRILL OF OTHER ADVENTURES YOU DO? “I don’t think so. Maybe like driving something or some kind of activity like this, you would probably find more of a thrill than I would because we get to drive on the weekend. But everything else that you get to do – snow skiing or going on a vacation or going to the desert, or I’m going motorcycle riding, that I really enjoy and I don’t think what we do on the weekend diminishes that at all.”

- PCGCampbell for Ford Racing, Press Release

Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Logo

“The forecast right now is for rain, heavy at times, starting Thursday through Saturday,” said Danny Denson, promoter of Fairgrounds Speedway. “With that much rain, over three days we are concerned about the track seeping water on Sunday and this is not really an event we can do in one day. We thought it was best to pull the plug early and try another date rather than have all the teams and fans make the drive to Nashville and not be able to race.”

The All-American 400 weekend in Nashville will start with an open practice on Friday, November 20th, pits open and rig parking begins at 1:00 pm CST, rotating practice will go from 4:00 pm-9:00 pm. Pits open on Saturday, November 21st at 8:30 am, practice will begin at 11:00 am, qualifying at 3:45 pm. There will be racing on Saturday night with 50 lap features for the Howe CRA Late Model Series with the Nashville Super Trucks, the CRA Street Stocks with the Nashville Sportsman cars and for the USA Modifieds.

Pits will open on Sunday, November 22nd at 9:30 am. An autograph session involving all the drivers at the grandstand fence will begin at noon. The All-American 400 events will begin at 1:00 pm with the 250 lap CRA All American event followed by the 150 lap GAS Series All American event.

More event information is will be available at www.fairgroundsspeedwaynashville.com. More information on all the CRA Series is available at www.craracing.net.

- Fairgrounds Speedway at Nashville Press Release