Dr Joe Matioli

Long Pond, PA (January 26, 2012) ―

He kept his fingers on the pulse of stock car racing and read everything printed concerning the sport. He was in the office daily, until last fall, and oversaw all aspects of the Pocono Raceway operations. At age 83, Dr. Mattioli spearheaded an ambitious solar energy project. He built a three megawatt photovoltaic solar energy system on 25 acres at Pocono Raceway. It is the world’s largest solar-powered sports facility, making Pocono Raceway a leader in the renewable energy and environmental fields.

Dr. Mattioli was also well respected in the community. In 2009, he received the Philanthropic Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for his generous and continuous contributions to local civic organizations, hospitals, schools and charities. He served on the board of directors of numerous organizations and was dedicated to improving the quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

He served in the Pacific during World War Two as a Navy medic. Using the G.I. bill, he enrolled in the dentistry program at Temple University (where he met his soon to be wife, Rose.) Upon graduation, he developed his dental practice into a very lucrative business by working 12 to 14 hour days, six and sometimes seven days a week. He then began investing in and developing properties in Philadelphia and Northeastern Pennsylvania where he became involved in the start up of Pocono Raceway.

Dr. Mattioli is survived by his wife of 63 years, Dr. Rose, daughters Louie and Michele and son Joseph Mattioli III, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. His passing leaves a void in the NASCAR community and especially to his family and extended “Pocono Raceway” family.

Service Arrangements for Dr. Joseph Mattioli are incomplete at this time.

Source: Pocono Raceway, Press Release

Pocono Posse' Logo

‘Repave & Relaunch Sweepstakes’ for a VIP Pocono Raceway experience announced

LONG POND, PA (October 11, 2011) – Pocono Raceway is proud to announce the relaunch of our official Facebook Fan Page. Our Facebook page will now include a fully-interactive landing site allowing the ‘Pocono Posse,’ the fan-voted nickname for our social media followers, to see our latest news stories, tweets from our Twitter handle and other clickable icons directed at multiple sources. Additionally, in conjunction with our ongoing track improvement projects, race fans can visit us on Facebook and enter the ‘Repave & Relaunch Sweepstakes’ for a chance to win a VIP NASCAR experience.

The ‘Repave & Relaunch Sweepstakes’ will allow fans to get their first look at our new Facebook landing page, as well as, enter for a chance to win a one-of-a-kind prize package for our June 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekend. One lucky winner will receive a meet and greet with their favorite NASCAR driver, four Saturday Grandstand tickets for the ARCA Racing Series Pocono 200 and Pocono 400 Qualifying, four Sunday Grandstand Tickets for the Pocono 400, four Pre-Race Pit/Paddock Passes good for the entire race weekend, hotel accommodations for two nights, a $100 Sunoco gas card and a commemorative collective piece of Pocono Raceway’s old Start/Finish Line.

“Fan interaction is what we’re all about here at Pocono Raceway,” said Raceway President & CEO, Brandon Igdalsky. “We have seen a spike in the numbers of our race fans using Facebook to communicate with us. We felt it was vital to focus some of our marketing efforts to follow this ever-growing social media trend and develop a place on Facebook where fans could decide where to be directed. Our new landing page gives race fans the option to remain on Facebook, check on our Twitter updates, visit our main website or purchase tickets. We are excited about this first change to our social media efforts and look forward to hearing feedback from the greatest fans in the world.”

To see the new landing page, click here: www.facebook.com/poconoraceway.

About Pocono Raceway

“The Tricky Triangle” is host to two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races each year and added a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in 2010. Pocono Raceway’s 2.5-mile triangular design makes it truly unique. Pocono is the only track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Circuit with three turns, three different radii and three variant degrees of banking. All that ensures our fans will enjoy some serious action, meanwhile presenting a competitive challenge to the world’s best drivers and their crew chiefs. Pocono strives to create a family atmosphere with increased focus on the Fan Experience. We are Pocono Raceway and this is “The Tricky Triangle.”

In business for over 50 years, Pocono Raceway is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. We are located within 300 miles of one-third of the U.S. population and within 90 miles of New York City and Philadelphia. Pocono Raceway is and always will be an attractive option for NASCAR and race fans alike.

Pocono Raceway is the world’s largest solar powered sports facility. The Raceway developed a 25 acre, three megawatt solar farm that provides the energy needs of the Raceway as well as adding electricity to the local power grid.

- Pocono Raceway, Press Release

Pocono (Pa.) Raceway

Starting with the June 10, 2012 Pocono Sprint Cup Series race, the scheduled distance for both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races will be shortened to 400 miles. “The 400 mile distance will make NASCAR racing at Pocono even more exciting,” stated Raceway President and CEO , Brandon Igdalsky. “Race strategies will change, fuel mileage calculations will be altered and I firmly believe that our fans will be treated to outstanding racing at the 400 mile distance.”

“NASCAR supports Pocono Raceway’s move to two 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2012,” stated Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR Senior Vice President, Racing Operations . “We believe this will be a good transition for the fans and competitors. It will provide the teams with a new type of strategy and should make for even more exciting competition at a unique facility that has a long-standing history in our sport.”

Eight weeks after the Pocono 400. It will be the August 5, Pennsylvania 400. Both 400 mile races will have the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards as companion races. The August Pennsylvania 400 weekend will also feature a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on August 4.

-XXX

Contact: Bob Pleban, 570-646-2300, bpleban@poconoraceway.com

About Pocono Raceway

The Tricky Triangle” is host to two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards races each year and added a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in 2010. Pocono Raceway’s 2.5-mile triangular design makes it truly unique. Pocono is the only track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Circuit with three turns, three different radii and three variant degrees of banking. All that ensures our fans will enjoy some serious action, meanwhile presenting a competitive challenge to the world’s best drivers and their crew chiefs. Pocono strives to create a family atmosphere with increased focus on the Fan Experience. We are Pocono Raceway and this is “The Tricky Triangle.”

In business for over 50 years, Pocono Raceway is family-owned and situated in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. We are located within 300 miles of one-third of the U.S. population and within 90 miles of New York City and Philadelphia. Pocono Raceway is and always will be an attractive option for NASCAR and race fans alike.

Pocono Raceway is the world’s largest solar powered sports facility. The Raceway developed a 25 acre, three megawatt solar farm that provides the energy needs of the Raceway as well as adding electricity to the local power grid.

- Pocono Raceway, Press Release

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 2 Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevrolet, celebrates winning in Victory Lane after the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125 at Pocono Raceway on Aug. 7 in Long Pond, Pa. - Photo Credit: Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

Harvick, who led 44 laps of the 53 laps that were run, received his first series win of the 2011 season, his tenth series career win (ties him for 12^th with Bobby Hamilton on the all-time series wins list) and his first series win at “The Tricky Triangle.”

Following Harvick and Busch to the drop of the checkered flag were James Buescher finishing in third, Johnny Sauter finishing fourth and continues to lead in the points with a 5-point lead over fifth-place finisher, Austin Dillon.

Rounding out the top-ten finishers were Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, Joey Coulter, finishing in sixth, Mark Martin seventh, Matt Crafton eighth, Ron Hornaday, Jr. ninth and Timothy Peters finishing in tenth.

RACE NOTES:

Average Speed: 99.582 MPH
Time of Race: 1 Hrs, 19 Mins, 50 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.140 Seconds
Lead Changes: 2 among 2 drivers
Cautions: 7 for 22 laps
Attendance: 20,000

Unofficial Top-Ten in the Point Standings: 1. Johnny Sauter – 493 (Leader) 2. Austin Dillon – 488 (-5 Points Behind the Leader) 3. James Buescher – 474 (-19) 4. Timothy Peters – 465 (-28) 5. Cole Whitt# – 453 (-40) 6. Matt Crafton – 451 (-42) 7. Joey Coulter# – 441 (-52) 8. Parker Kligerman# – 439 (-54) 9. Ron Hornaday – 436 (-57) 10. Todd Bodine – 415 (-78).

Next Up: The teams will have next weekend off and will return to action in the VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, August 20^th, with SPEED beginning their (pre-race) coverage at 12:00 PM (EDT).

2011 NCWTS Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125 Race Results

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie
PE Post Entry (No Points)

The Road to Richmond

Known as the Tricky Triangle because of its unusual triangle shape featuring three turns of different radius and three different lengths of straight-aways, Pocono Raceway is a demanding track, testing a driver’s endurance and skill and the car’s horsepower. Chesterfield, Virginia native Denny Hamlin is always a favorite at Pocono with four career wins.

Hamlin, who currently sits 11th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings and would be the first driver to take a Wild Card position with one win, is looking to add to his win column this weekend. He has seven top-five finishes, eight top 10s and two pole awards to go along with his four victories at Pocono. With a series-best Driver Rating of 118.6 and an average finishing position of 9.2, Hamlin has a great shot to take the checkered flag on Sunday.

A couple drivers will battle Hamlin for Pocono supremacy, including five-time winner Jeff Gordon and two-time winner Kurt Busch. Both drivers are comfortably inside the top 12 and looking to gain the valuable bonus points that would come along with a victory. Gordon has five career wins at Pocono, with his most recent win coming in the June event. He returns to Pocono with 17 top fives, 26 top 10s and the fourth-best Driver Rating (101.3). Busch scored perfect Driver Ratings (150.0) in both of his victories at Pocono and has the third overall Driver Rating of 104.1 at the track.

For Gordon and Busch, the focus will be tackling the Tricky Triangle and getting to Victory Lane, but for Hamlin and several other drivers, the focus will remain on the Wild Card positions, without losing sight of the challenges on the track at Pocono.

Fresh off his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory at Indianapolis, Paul Menard currently holds the final Wild Card spot, while sitting 14th in the points standings. David Ragan, currently 16th and Brad Keselowski, currently 21st, could rush in and take a Wild Card spot with a win this weekend.

Here is a look at drivers fighting for a Wild Card position and their stats at Pocono:

Paul Menard: While he does hold the finial Wild Card spot right now, Menard ranks 33rd in the Driver Ratings (55.5), with an average finish of 24.3. He did finish 14th in the June event, so there’s a chance he could break into the top-10 at the checkered flag.

David Ragan: He wasn’t the “favorite” for Daytona in July and he’s not the favorite this weekend either with a 61.7 Driver Rating that’s 27th overall. His average finish is 21.4, but he did bring home a top-20 finish in June.

Brad Keselowski: Probably the guy who has the most on the line, sitting 21st in points and needing to reach the top-20, with an additional win to even have a chance at a Wild Card spot. He’s 24th overall in the Driver Ratings (66.5) and has an average finish of 21.3. He finished 23rd at Pocono in June and will need to do better than that to break into the top-20 in points.

When NASCAR returns to Richmond for the doubleheader weekend September 9-10, drivers will have one last shot to be one of the top 12 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Anything can happen on “The Road to Richmond.” Get your tickets now to see the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers battle “under the lights” in the Wonderful Pistachios 400 “One Last Race to Make the Chase.” Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased by calling 866-455-RACE (7223) or by logging on to www.rir.com. Additionally, tickets are also available for Friday night’s Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Friday tickets start at $30 and include WRIC-TV8 Pole Qualifying and practice for the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as well as Fas Mart Pole Qualifying and practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Family seating, presented by Virginia 529, is also available. Designated Family Sections will feature a special price on NASCAR Sprint Cup Series tickets for kids 12 and under. Kids 12 and under will be admitted at half price in the Family Sections presented by Virginia 529 when accompanied by a paying adult. In addition to the special kids pricing for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, alcohol is also prohibited in Family Sections presented by Virginia 529.

- Richmond International Raceway, Press Release

• Gaughan drives the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra
• He is an 8-time winner in the Truck Series
• He holds two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Championship Titles
• Gaughan won in the GT class in the Rolex 24 at Daytona this year
• Gaughan has never competed in a Truck Series event at Pocono, but he has 2 Cup starts there

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

“It’s been a while since I’ve actually raced Pocono Raceway. Back when I drove it, we shifted and ran a ridiculously high RPM. I really like it. There’s one flat turn that reminds you of a St. Louis or Milwaukee only about 30 miles per hour faster. The tunnel turn— if you hit the curbing on the inside too hard it’s like an off-road jump. When you are on the front straightaway, all you see in front of you is wall at the end and it looks like there’s no way you will be able to make the turn. It’s exciting that the Trucks get to race there and I’m looking forward to seeing what our South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra will do,” said Gaughan who had two appearances at Pocono in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Gaughan has been racing in the Truck Series for many years, but he was on full-time assignment in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last season when the Trucks made their debut at Pocono. The 50-lap Pocono 125 shootout will be an new experience for the Las Vegas native.

Chassis TRD-026 has been chosen for Gaughan to race at Pocono. Gaughan has scored his top-five and all of his top-ten finishes this season in this Tundra. His best finish is third at Kentucky Speedway.

Watch Gaughan in the No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Tundra at Nashville Pocono Raceway on SPEED. Practice airs at 2:00 PM ET on Friday, August 5th. Qualifying airs at 9:30 AM Saturday, August 6th with racing action at 1:00 PM. Tune in early to catch the NCWTS Setup at 12:30 PM. Not in front of a TV? Tune your radio to your local MRN affiliate.

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

Brendan Gaughan holds eight Truck Series victories to go along with his two K&N Pro Series West championship titles. He currently ranks 11th in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver’s points standings, just 79 points out of first place.

Follow Gaughan at www.BrendanGaughan.com or on Twitter @Brendan62.

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

- Germain Racing, Press Release

ESPN NASCAR Logo

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Tricky Triangle Live on ESPN

ESPN continues its coverage of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a live, flag-to-flag telecast of the 500-mile race at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., on Sunday, Aug. 7. The uniquely-shaped track, which has three turns instead of the usual four, is known as the “Tricky Triangle.” The NASCAR Countdown pre-race show kicks off the day at noon ET with the race telecast starting at 1 p.m. and the race’s green flag at 1:18 p.m.

ESPN’s coverage from Pocono also includes a telecast of NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 10:30 a.m. on ESPN2.

Analysts Dale Jarrett, the 1999 driving champion, and two-time champion crew chief Andy Petree will join lap-by-lap announcer Allen Bestwick in the booth to call the action. Two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage, while pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch.

NASCAR Countdown from the ESPN pit studio will be hosted by Nicole Briscoe with analysis by 1989 champion driver Rusty Wallace and Brad Daugherty. The studio team will interact with the booth during the telecast of the race.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Live in Prime Time from Iowa on ESPN2

ESPN2 continues its season-long coverage of the NASCAR Nationwide Series with a live, prime time telecast of the event at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, on Saturday night, Aug. 6. NASCAR Countdown presented by OneMain Financial airs at 7 p.m. ET and the race’s green flag flies at 7:44 p.m.

The Iowa race is the second in the 2011 Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash, a bonus program designed to reward Nationwide Series championship contenders. Drivers Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson and Michael Annett are eligible for a $100,000 bonus to be paid to the highest-finishing of the four in the race. Sorenson, who won the bonus in the first Dash 4 Cash race at Daytona, has the possibility of winning $1 million over the course of the four select races.

Marty Reid will call the action for the race with analysis by former NASCAR Sprint Cup race winners Ricky Craven and Ken Schrader. Schrader, who has been a panelist on ESPN2’s NASCAR Now roundtable discussion programs this year, will be working as an ESPN race telecast analyst for the first time. Pit reporters will be Rick DeBruhl, Jim Noble and Shannon Spake.

ESPN’s Pit Reporters to Debate on NASCAR Now Roundtable

Three pit reporters for ESPN’s coverage of NASCAR will be panelists on NASCAR Now’s weekly roundtable discussion program airing Monday, August 8, at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Allen Bestwick will host the edition of ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program with Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch.

Nicole Briscoe hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this week at 5 p.m. while Mike Massaro hosts an episode airing Friday at 3 p.m. Massaro also hosts the one-hour weekend edition of NASCAR Now airing at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 7, with a preview of that day’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. Marty Smith and David Newton will report from Pocono along with analyst Dale Jarrett.

NHRA Concludes Western Swing with Seattle Event

The NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series concludes its annual three-event Western Swing this weekend with the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Seattle. ESPN2 will air action from qualifying on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 6 p.m. ET and coverage of eliminations airs Sunday, Aug. 7, at 7 p.m. NHRA fans also can watch the full day of eliminations live on ESPN3.com starting Sunday at 2 p.m.

One of the tour’s most breathtaking environments, the facility is parked in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier and surrounded by towering trees that add more than beauty at the first stop on the Western Swing: They emit tons of power-enhancing oxygen to feed the appetites of the high-horsepower machines, resulting in prime performances.

Paul Page anchors for ESPN with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Former NHRA driver Whit Bazemore will be a guest reporter for the three-race Western Swing. Gary Gerould and Dave Rieff will report from the pits.

American Le Mans Series Races at Mid-Ohio

Mid-Ohio Sports car Course in Lexington, Ohio, will be the setting for the fifth round of the American Le Mans Series season and sports car racing fans can watch the race live on ESPN3.com on Saturday, Aug. 6, at 2:45 p.m. ET. Also from Mid-Ohio, ESPN3.com airs coverage of qualifying on Friday, Aug. 5, at 2:20 p.m. John Hindhaugh and Jeremy Shaw will call the action on the ESPN3.com telecasts.

Highlights from the Mid-Ohio race will air on ESPN2 in a two-hour format on Sunday, Aug. 7, at 10 p.m. Brian Till, Bill Adam and Johnny O’Connell will be in the TV booth with pit reporters Jamie Howe and Kelli Stavast.

ESPN.com Offers RacingLive! During Pocono Race

NASCAR fans looking for an online gathering during ESPN’s telecasts of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series now have a place to go on ESPN.com.

RacingLive! on ESPN.com is a live blog where fans can engage in debate and discussion with ESPN.com writers and editors during the NASCAR Sprint Cup races. On Sunday, Aug. 7, RacingLive! Pocono will kick off to coincide with ESPN’s live telecast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. Fans can join ESPN.com’s NASCAR experts in dissecting every aspect of the race live at http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/.

ESPN Radio Raceday Airs Saturday, Sunday

Each weekend morning, ESPN Radio’s RaceDay starts its engines at 6 a.m. ET with host Pat Patterson anchored from Daytona Beach, Fla. Patterson also originates the broadcast from several racetracks with key races during the season. On both Saturday and Sunday mornings, ESPN Radio’s RaceDay listeners get an hour of news, previews and analysis, as well as profiles and interviews with NASCAR’s biggest names and newsmakers and the involvement of listeners via calls and e-mails.

Additionally, many of ESPN’s NASCAR reporters and analysts contribute each week as ESPN networks televise the entire NASCAR Nationwide Series and the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” championship. A list of ESPN Radio affiliates can be found at www.espnradio.com.

- ESPN Communications, Press Release

Good Sam RV Insurance 500
Thursday, August 4TH

3:00 PM             NCWTS HAULERS ENTER
3:30 PM 6:00 PM     ARCA REGISTRATION OPENS
4:00 PM 6:00 PM     ARCA HAULERS ENTER (UNLOAD ONLY)
7:00 PM             NSCS HAULERS ENTER

Friday, August 5TH

6:00 AM             NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
6:30 AM             NSCS REGISTRATION OPENS
7:00 AM             NSCS GARAGE OPENS
7:30 AM             TRACK SERVICES MEETING (GARAGE)
8:00 AM             ARCA GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM             NCTWS DRIVER & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
9:15 AM             ARCA ROOKIE MEETING
9:30 AM             ARCA DRIVER & SPOTTER MEETINGS & DRAWING FOR QUALIFYING ORDER
10:00 AM 11:50 AM   NCWTS FINAL PRACTICE
11:00 AM            NSCS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
11:30 AM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT **
12:00 PM 1:30 PM    NSCS PRACTICE
1:40 PM 3:00 PM     ARCA FINAL PRACTICE
2:00 PM             NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
3:00 PM 4:00 PM     NCWTS Autograph Session
3:00 PM             NCWTS GARAGE CLOSES
3:30 PM             NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT **
4:00 PM 5:30 PM     NSCS FINAL PRACTICE
5:00 PM             NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES
5:40 PM             ARCA QUALIFYING (ONE LAP, ALL POSITIONS) IMPOUND
6:00 PM             ARCA REGISTRATION CLOSES
6:30 PM             NSCS GARAGE CLOSES
7:00 PM             ARCA GARAGE CLOSES

Saturday, August 6TH

6:30 AM             NCWTS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
7:30 AM             NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
8:10 AM             TRACK SERVICES MEETING
9:35 AM             NCWTS QUALIFYING (ALL POSITIONS)
10:10 AM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT **
10:10 AM 10:40 AM   TV EXHIBITION RUN
10:30 AM            NCWTS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING (GARAGE)
10:40 AM            NSCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)
11:00 AM            ARCA GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
11:00 AM            TRACK SERVICES MEETING-PIT ROAD
12:20 PM            ARCA DRIVER / SPOTTER / CREW CHIEF MEETING (GARAGE)
12:30 PM            NCWTS DRIVER INTRODUCTION
1:00 PM             NCWTS RACE (50 LAPS,125 MILES)
1:30 PM             NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSES
2:00 PM             NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES
2:00 PM             ARCA REGISTRATION CLOSES
2:30 PM  APPROX.    ARCA DRIVER INTRODUCTION
3:00 PM             ARCA RACE (50 LAPS,125 MILES)

Sunday, August 7TH

7:00 AM             NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
8:40 AM 9:10 AM     NASCAR Pace Car Rides
9:30 AM             TRACK SERVICES MEETING
11:00 AM            NSCS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING (ARCA GARAGE)
12:00 PM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** UNTIL ONE HOUR AFTER RACE
12:30 PM            NSCS DRIVERS INTRODUCTION
1:00 PM             NSCS RACE (200 LAPS, 500 MILES)
1:30 PM             NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES

ALL TIMES ARE LISTED IN EASTERN
TENTATIVE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE

2011 NSCS No. 36 Golden Corral / Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet Impala SS

The TBR team unloaded the Golden Corral Chevrolet and posted the 33^rd-fastest lap of 55.133 seconds in first practice on Friday while working on the Chevrolet’s handling. The team continued to try different setups in final practice and posted the 41^st-quick lap of 55.604 seconds. The NSCS qualified 40^th for the 5-Hour Energy 500 with a lap of 53.874 seconds.

The No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet took the green flag for the 5-Hour Energy 500 from the 40^th spot. Blaney quickly worked his way up to the 33^rd spot by the first caution flag on lap 10. Crew Chief and substitute spotter Tommy Baldwin called for the No. 36 to stay out, as the field would have a lap-20 competition caution. Blaney told the team the car was hurting in turns two and three. He described the condition as tight rolling into the turn and radioed that the Chevrolet had good forward drive.

The green flag flew on lap 12 with the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet in the 20^th position. By the lap-20 competition caution, Blaney fell to the 36^th spot. During the caution period, he pit for four tires, fuel and an adjustment. He restarted on lap 22 in the 31^st spot, and by lap 30, he radioed that the Golden Corral Chevrolet was brutally tight off turn three. The TBR team made the first green-flag pit stop of the day on lap 44. The crew changed four tires, added fuel and made a trackbar adjustment. Blaney drove back out on the track in the 33^rd position and radioed that the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet started off tighter during this run.

Blaney fell a lap down on lap 64 while running in the 30^th position. The team made a green-flag pit stop on lap 70 and once again changed four tires, added fuel and made a trackbar adjustment. By lap 78, the Buckeye Bullet radioed that the Golden Corral Chevrolet was the tightest it had been all day and needed a lot more front grip. When the third sequence of green-flag pit stops began, Blaney was in the 29^th spot, one lap down. The team made a four-tire pit stop on lap 95 and put rubber in the right rear to battle the tight condition.

By the halfway point of the 200-lap race, Blaney drove in the 32^nd position, one lap down, and by the lap-112 caution, he worked the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet up to the 28^th spot. Baldwin called for the No. 36 to stay out in order to get the wave around to the lead lap. Blaney restarted 28^th on lap 117. He worked up to the 25^th position before making a green-flag pit stop on lap 118. The TBR team made a four-tire pit stop and an air pressure adjustment.

Blaney returned to the track in 28^th, one lap down. By lap 125, the Hartford, Ohio native radioed that the Golden Corral Chevrolet was having transmission problems and he had lost third gear. By lap 130, he worked his way back onto the lead lap, still in the 28^th spot. By lap 145, the TBR team made another four-tire, green-flag pit stop. When the caution waved on lap 156, the Golden Corral team utilized the opportunity to stay out and return to the lead lap. Blaney restarted in the 26^th position with 40 laps to go.

The No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet ran in the top-25 until the team’s final pit stop on lap 174. The team changed four tires and added fuel on the green-flag stop. Blaney radioed that the Chevrolet was turning better than it had all day, while he drove in the 27^th spot, one lap down. Blaney drove the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet up to the 26^th position when the checkered flag fell.

The solid finish kept the No. 36 Golden Corral in 32^nd, within three points of the 31^st spot, in the NSCS Owner Points. The TBR team is now 50 points ahead of the No. 7 in 36^th. Blaney held onto the 31^st position in NSCS Owner Points. He sits 18 points behind David Gilliland in 30^th and nine points ahead of Casey Mears in 32^nd.

“We just weren’t fast enough all weekend,” said Blaney. “We were great in turn one but really lost a lot of ground in turns two and three. The team worked really hard making the car better throughout the race, and they did. For not having third gear and not being able to shift for the last 75 laps, the car was really good by the end of the race. The good part is that every week we improve throughout the race, which is a good sign that we will continue to get better at the bigger tracks. This was the first time TBR has run a full race at Pocono, and I think we learned a lot.”

The TBR team will return to NSCS racing next weekend at Michigan International Speedway. Blaney will pilot the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet for the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 Sunday, June 19^th.

About Golden Corral Corporation:
Founded in 1973, privately held Golden Corral Corp. is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. Golden Corral currently has 485 restaurants in 41 states. The company’s vision is to be the leader in the family restaurant segment by making pleasurable dining affordable for every guest, at every restaurant, every day. Golden Corral restaurants nationwide have long been strong supporters of the U.S. Military and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). Golden Corral helped raise more than $1,000,000 for the DAV in 2010 as part of its annual “Military Appreciation Monday” initiative. For more information on Golden Corral, visit www.goldencorral.com.

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:
Tommy Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin utilized a slumping economy to open a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team with a stringent budget. The team competed in two full seasons with multiple drivers behind the wheel of the No. 36 Chevrolet and improved in the standings each year.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2011 with NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney piloting the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet. Looking to improve on-track performance, TBR found success early in the 2011 season with partners Golden Corral, Big Red and Accell Construction. TBR’s driver development program, Heinke-Baldwin Racing, will also compete in various NASCAR series in 2011.

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/TBR.HBR, and Twitter, twitter.com/TBR_Racing.

- Tommy Baldwin Racing, Press Release

Red Bull Racing Teams No. 4 (Kasey Kahne) and No. 83 (Brian Vickers)

DRIVERS:

LONG POND, Pa. — It’s getting to be about that time of year — either get into the top 10 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings or have a couple of victories in the bag to snag one of the Chase’s two wild-card spots.

The June race at Pocono starts the summer stretch that can propel a team into NASCAR’s playoffs. Entering Sunday’s Pocono 500, 13 races remained before the Chase begins Sept. 18 at Chicagoland Speedway. No. 4 driver Kasey Kahne ranked 18th in the standings before Sunday. No. 83 driver Brian Vickers sat 26th.

Now, 12 races remain — and the Red Bull Toyotas gained only minimal ground.

Kahne finished 12th and Vickers 22nd in a Pocono 500 defined by debris, long green-flag runs, a No. 4 Red Bull Toyota that wouldn’t turn too well on the front end and two speeding penalties on pit road for the No. 83.

+ As for debris, all four yellow flags waved for that, prompting plenty of long runs and green-flag pit stops that made Pocono unusually tidy. Time of race: 3 hours, 26 minutes, 21 seconds.

+ As for the No. 4, Kahne struggled with the car, as the front-end tires wouldn’t help it turn to his liking. Still, he hung on to the top 10 most of the day, even climbing to as high as fifth after a lap 112 pit stop. But he slipped in traffic during the ensuing stint and rallied to 12th at the finish. “The pit crew was great today,” Kahne said. “We gained some spots in the pits and the strategy worked for us some of the times. The handling was slightly off but we managed and will continue to gain in the points.”

+ As for the penalties, Vickers was assessed with two — on laps 95 and 98 — for speeding while exiting the pits. Taking two wave-arounds helped the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota stay on, or at least within striking distance, of the lead lap. He never could gain any amount of track position as the leaders set a furious pace far up ahead while, as he put it, “the biggest problem is waiting on the front tires in turn three and drive off in turn one.” And turn three, as they say, is the launching pad for NASCAR’s longest straightaway. The best Vickers could do at the checkered flag was 22nd.

+ And as for points, Kahne picked up a spot in the driver standings to 17th. Winless this season, he’s 46 out of 10th. Vickers remained 26th in points — 44 out of 20th.

UP NEXT: Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400, Sunday, June 19, Michigan International Raceway, Brooklyn, Mich.

- Red Bull Racing Team, Press Release

2011 NSCS Casey Mears - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Long Pond, PA (June 12, 2011)

After being 36th in the opening practice session on Friday, Mears gained speed and rested 29th on the chart when the final practice session closed later in the afternoon. His qualifying draw did him no favors, as he was just the ninth driver to take a shot at a starting position for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race when qualifying got underway on Saturday at Pocono Raceway. Mears paced the 2.5-mile tri-oval in 53.360 seconds, landing the #13 GEICO Camry 35th on the starting grid, just behind Kyle Busch in 34th.

Race day found teams pondering Mother Nature’s plans, as overcast skies, cool temperatures and light drizzle encompassed the Pocono area. With 200 laps on the docket, teams were plotting strategies that would hopefully find them at the head of the field at the halfway point. Fortunately, for the full house of race fans on hand Sunday, the weather would hold off and the field would go green at its advertised start time.

Mears and the GEICO Camry rolled off of the starting grid in the 35th position when the green flag was displayed in Long Pond, PA, on Sunday afternoon. Bookended on the starting grid by Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle, Mears was looking to make quick progress in the #13 GEICO Camry. By the close of the opening lap, he had moved into the 34th position, and Lap 2 saw the #13 GEICO Camry in 31st.

Mears wheeled effortlessly around the ‘Tricky Triangle’, maneuvering the #13 GEICO Camry into the 17th position on Lap 12. The Gecko’s assault on Pocono would continue and Mears would eventually break into the Top 5 on Lap 21.

Mears’ success would not come without adversity, however, as he seemed to have a war brewing with Turn 3. Lacking rear bite, Mears struggled to make it through the turn on each lap. A scheduled green flag pit stop on Lap 45 provided the Germain Racing pit crew the opportunity to refresh the #13 GEICO Camry with four new Goodyear tires, a tank full of Sunoco racing fuel and much needed adjustments.

Upon his return to the racing surface, Mears would once again approach the Top 20 before Lap 64 delivered a gut-punch of sorts. Mears radioed to crew chief Bootie Barker that his shifter handle had broken, leaving the #13 GEICO Camry stuck in fourth gear. The good news is that the car was stuck in fourth gear, which allowed Mears to remain at speed while navigating the racetrack under green flag conditions. The challenge would be getting the #13 GEICO Camry off of pit road during any upcoming pit stops when the first three gears were not available to assist.

The first hurdle came on Lap 73, when Mears visited pit road for service under green flag conditions. He would quickly go down a lap and find himself in the 33rd position. An undaunted Mears would not surrender to his frustration, but instead continued the fight. By the halfway point of the race, Mears had the #13 GEICO Camry once again approaching the Top 25 and ran in 27th on Lap 98.

A much needed caution flag was displayed on Lap 110, allowing the Germain Racing pit crew the opportunity to fix the infamous shifter handle. It would take two separate visits to pit road in order to avoid going down another lap, but the GEICO crew made the repair and Mears returned to the racetrack with all four gears in operable condition.

After restarting the race in the 32nd position on Lap 117, Mears spent the balance of the afternoon trying to make up lost ground.

When the checkered flag waved in the Pennsylvania mountains, Mears and the #13 GEICO Camry recorded a 30th place finish and further solidified their position in the Top 35. The Germain Racing team remains 33rd in the standings, but they now have a 39-point cushion over 35th.

“It was a frustrating day for us because we had a good car and a good motor and the #13 GEICO Camry felt good out there early on,” Mears said after exiting the GEICO Camry. “The important thing is that we showed how well we can run and we also remained composed when we had to get the shifter repaired. I love the attitude of this team and the fact that we never quit. We could’ve very easily gone down three or four laps, but we didn’t. It was a tough day, but we still were able to gain in the point standings.”

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.geicogarage.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

Please visit the Casey Mears Facebook fan page: www.facebook.com/caseymearsracing

- Player Management International, Inc., for GEICO Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy of Tony Stewart - Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

After starting 15th in Sunday’s 5-Hour Energy 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway and spending the first 123 laps of the 200-lap contest working on the handling of his racecar, Tony Stewart finally broke into the top-five for the first time on lap 124.

Unfortunately on lap 126, he radioed to crew chief Darian Grubb that his No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala had lost third gear. With drivers shifting in each of Pocono’s three turns throughout the 500-mile event, Grubb and Stewart knew that a top-10 finish was nearly impossible and had to settle for a disappointing 21st-place result. It was only the sixth time in 25 career Sprint Cup starts at Pocono where Stewart has finished outside the top-10.

“We had a good car,” said Stewart, who has victories at Pocono in June 2003 and June 2009. “As soon as we cracked the top-five, we lost third gear. At some point things have to start going our way. It’s just one of those things.”

On lap seven, Stewart clipped the outside retaining wall with the right rear of his car while exiting turn three of the 2.5-mile triangle and radioed to Grubb that his car was too tight. When the caution flag waved on lap 10, Stewart came to pit road whereupon four new tires and a chassis adjustment were taken to remedy the condition. However, no fueling occurred, as NASCAR mandated a competition caution on lap 20 and would not allow teams to add fuel before that mark.

Stewart’s car was still not to his liking, so when the caution came out again on lap 19 for debris, which also served as the competition caution, Grubb ordered the Mobil 1/Office Depot over-the-wall crew to change four tires, add fuel and make a track bar and front shock adjustment.

That big swing by Grubb quickly began to pay dividends. While Stewart restarted in 27th on lap 22, he was up to 19th by lap 31. From there, Grubb continued massaging the handling of the car, while Stewart dealt with a bit of an issue inside the cockpit in the form of a broken throttle spring.

Each time he wanted to roll out of the throttle, Stewart couldn’t just take his foot off the pedal, as it would not retract with the broken spring. Instead, he had to utilize the toe loop on the gas pedal to pull the pedal back.

Despite that, Stewart inched closer to the top-10, and after pitting for four tires, fuel and a tire pressure adjustment under caution on lap 112, he restarted in 12th. From there, the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet came to life, and Stewart moved to fifth by lap 124, just before losing third gear.

When a caution came out on lap 155 for debris, Stewart was in 11th place, but Grubb knew that without third gear, a difficult decision was ahead of them. If Stewart pitted with the 22 cars on the lead lap and came out in 11th, not having third gear on the restart would cause a dangerous situation for Stewart and his competitors. If Stewart had any trouble coming up through the gears and his car did not get up to speed, he could get hit from behind and not only suffer damage to his machine, but also damage other driver’s cars as well.

With that in mind, the decision was made to stay out on the track, lead a lap in order to get a valuable bonus point, and then restart the race at the back of the field in 22nd. Stewart managed to climb as high as 16th with 22 laps remaining, but faded outside the top-20 when the checkered flag flew.

His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala, finished ninth to scored sixth top-10 finish of 2011 and his eighth top-10 in 19 career Sprint Cup starts at Pocono.

Jeff Gordon won the 5-Hour Energy 500 to notch his 84th career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his fifth at Pocono. Gordon is now tied with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for third on the all-time Sprint Cup win list.

Kurt Busch finished 2.965 seconds behind Gordon in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Newman, and Martin Truex Jr., comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were four caution periods for 14 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish.

With round 14 of 36 complete, Stewart and Newman are ninth and 10, respectively, in the championship point standings. Stewart dropped one spot while Newman maintained his 10th-place standing. Each driver has 417 points and is 75 markers behind series leader Carl Edwards. While technically tied, Stewart is ahead of Newman via the tiebreaker of best finishes this season.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the June 19 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by TNT beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS Ryan Newman (Haas Automation/Stewart-Haas Racing) - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Ryan Newman and the No. 39 Haas Automation team pinpointed Sunday’s 5-Hour Energy 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway as one that could turn the tide of their season and get them back on the right track. And after 500 miles around Pocono’s 2.5-mile triangle, that’s just what Newman and his Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team did by finishing a solid ninth – the team’s sixth top-10 this season and first since a fifth-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in May.

The ninth-place effort didn’t come without some adversity, however. While Newman started eighth and ran in the top-10 for much of the day and the crew performed solidly on pit road, trouble struck late in the 200-lap race as Newman reported on lap 179 that he had lost third gear. Despite the failure, he was able to maintain his position on the racetrack and pull out a top-10 finish.

“With 21 laps to go, we lost third gear in the transmission,” said crew chief Tony Gibson. “And we thought we were going to be OK, but the transmission started running hot and started pumping fluid out. We didn’t know it at the time. It smoked a little bit in the corners, but then it cleared up and went away and we ran the last 15 laps with no smoke.

“I think what happened was it just kind of dumped all the fluid out of the transmission. It just got hot and started pumping it out. So, we were just very, very lucky today to finish this race. For once, a break went our way. We didn’t need a green-white-checkered and we needed to finish with a broken transmission. We’ll take it and go on.”

Under overcast skies, Newman had a competitive racecar from the drop of the green flag. He started eighth and reported to his crew that the car’s balance was good, but that he needed to be tightened up just a little bit toward exit, especially in turn one. Newman told his crew that the car definitely felt better as the run went on, but he still needed just a little help.

At lap 19, NASCAR threw a competition caution so that the teams could check tire wear due to excessive rains overnight in Pocono. Newman gave up his seventh-place spot and brought the car to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments in the right-front and left-rear tires.

Due to varying pit strategies with some teams opting to take just two tires, Newman restarted in 24th on lap 21. But the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevy was strong, and Newman quickly began picking off positions to regain the spots lost on pit road. By lap 40, he was 11th.

Newman continued to complain that his car was just a little too free, and at lap 46, he pitted under green for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. The quick stop helped him maintain his 11th-place position once the green-flag pit stops cycled through.

While Newman reported that the car felt “real nice,” he followed up by telling Gibson that his car continued to be just a little too free, and added, “the car’s got a good bit of speed in it if we can tighten it up.”

Despite being too free, Newman moved into the ninth spot by lap 60.

A slightly loose-handling racecar – particularly in turn one – continued to be Newman’s biggest problem throughout the race. At each opportunity, Newman’s crew opted for a variety of adjustments on pit road, including track bar, wedge and air pressure adjustments to improve the car’s handling.

With each adjustment, Newman would report that his car’s handling had improved slightly, but that he still needed to be tightened up just a little bit.

When the caution flag waved on lap 154, Newman sat in seventh place. He told his crew that the car felt “pretty good,” but he still needed to be a little tighter. Once again, the crew changed four tires, added fuel and made air pressure adjustments in the left-rear and right-front tires.

An ultra-quick stop helped Newman restart in fifth place at lap 159. He ran in the top-eight until pitting for his final stop of the afternoon at lap 176.

It was then while running in 11th that Newman reported he had a problem to his crew. Like his SHR teammate Tony Stewart, Newman had lost third gear. “It’s grinding up third right now,” he said.

Despite the loss of third gear, Gibson encouraged his driver to do all he could in the closing laps of the race to get the best finish possible.

“We were money in the tunnel turn all day – nobody could beat us there,” Newman said. “I really appreciate all the guys’ hard work today. We had a really good, competitive Haas Automation Chevy all day long. I would’ve liked to have seen where we could’ve ended up without the transmission issues, but this was definitely a finish that we needed after the last few races.”

Stewart finished 21st in his No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala. It was only the sixth time in 25 career Sprint Cup starts at Pocono where Stewart has finished outside the top-10.

Jeff Gordon won the 5-Hour Energy 500 to score his 84th career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his fifth at Pocono. Gordon is now tied with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for third on the all-time Sprint Cup win list.

Kurt Busch finished 2.965 seconds behind Gordon in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Juan Pablo Montoya, Matt Kenseth, Newman, and Martin Truex Jr., comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were four caution periods for 14 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the 200-lap race.

With round 14 of 36 complete, Stewart and Newman are ninth and 10, respectively, in the championship point standings. Stewart dropped one spot while Newman maintained his 10th-place standing. Each driver has 417 points and is 75 markers behind series leader Carl Edwards. While technically tied, Stewart is ahead of Newman via the tiebreaker of best finishes this season.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the June 19 Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by TNT beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

- True Speed Communication for Stewart-Haas Racing/Haas Automation, Press Release

2011 NSCS Regan Smith - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

The result was Smith’s fifth top-15 of the season and his best finish in only six career starts at the Pocono track, known as the Tricky Triangle.

Smith, who posted a strong fifth-place qualifying effort, rode in the top-10 early in the 200-lap, 500-mile event. But as the race wore on, he experienced handling issues, which dropped him to mid-pack as he maneuvered his way through the three challenging corners.

“We might have been a little better than 15th, but overall that’s pretty much what our Furniture Row Chevrolet had today,” said Smith. “We lost some track position early, but thanks to our pit crew we managed to make a pretty good gain late in the race. This is a challenging track and each time I come back here I feel more comfortable about figuring out this place.”

Smith gained two spots in the driver point standings and now sits in 27th place after 14 of 36 races completed.

“We’re not where we want to be in points and we’re going to keep battling until we get there,” stated Smith. “You know, we’re just okay with top-15s. We really want those top-10s and top-fives. Another win would be great too. We’ve been a little inconsistent lately and hopefully today’s result will trigger a streak of solid finishes for our Furniture Row team.”

The race winner was Jeff Gordon. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick.

The next Cup race is this coming Sunday (June 19) at Michigan International Speedway.

- DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing, Press Release

Team Chevy Logo

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, RACE WINNER: ON TODAY’S RACE: WHAT HAS CHANGED IN LAST TWO WEEKS?

TWO WINS NOW, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE LOCKED IN THE CHASE? “No, there is too much racing left to go. You have guys like (Denny) Hamlin who are really strong and a bunch of other ones that can ease up. (Greg) Biffle, there are guys that can win multiple races. I feel a lot better about it though. That is for darn sure.

“Man, I am just so excited to be a part of this sport. I mean, I am going to be 40 this year. To have Ella (his daughter) here and say hi to Leo (his son) at home and my wife Ingrid here, this is just an amazing experience to share this with my family. I haven’t had a chance to do that even when I won at Phoenix, the kids were missing so this is awesome.

“Thank you Sprint for all they do.”

YOU DROVE HERE THIS WEEKEND: “I always drive to Pocono. I enjoy that. If I could drive to more tracks, if they were close enough, I would. I drive to Martinsville. I love that little two hour drive if I can make it happen whether I am in New York or Charlotte. It is very relaxing. The most relaxing thing is having a race car like that with these guys behind me. That was awesome. Congrats to Alan and say hi to Rick (Hendrick) I know he is at home watching. This is awesome.”

ON HIS DAY: “Well, you know there weren’t a lot of cautions so you had to have the car right. Luckily we had it pretty close. We just made some little adjustments to keep the car up front. Great pit stops by my team. They were awesome. I just can’t thank them enough for that effort.

“But I really have to thank Alan Gustafson and all the engineers on this DuPont Chevrolet. They just worked so hard to get me what I needed to go fast. They never lacked confidence in what I could do out there. That is so important and that is what makes it a winning effort like this. I have to thank them and all those guys and everybody back at the shop. This is awesome. To win at Pocono again, to do it in the fashion that we did it today. To have DuPont on board and of course AARP Drive To End Hunger and Pepsi Max. Great day.”

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE HAD LOST CONFIDENCE IN YOU? “When we don’t win, I get down and everybody does in this sport and you start to question everything. When our teammates are outrunning us, then you have to look at that as well. This team went to work and we made big improvements and we’ve shown that the last couple of weeks. Today was proof that all that hard work can pay off. The balance of the car was great all weekend. The grip was there and then you follow that up with great pit stops. That is an amazing effort. We talked about it before the race started and it all came together today.”

THE SHIFTING, ANY CONCERNS? “I definitely had concerns. We put a temp gauge in there during practice to check it out and we felt like we were pretty good there. I was more concerned with what it did to the car. How unstable the car was when I would shift. I started shifting a little bit more than I had when the pace dropped. We got real loose that last run. Kurt (Busch) was coming. He was tough. When he was out front, I could hang with him but he was good on the long runs. There at the end I knew we had to pull away early and we did. But then he started creeping back in there on me. I got a little worried. I made a few mistakes. Got real loose and said, all I could do was drive it smooth and straight and see what happens and we started driving back away from him.

“This is awesome. I have to thank all the fans. Pocono has the greatest fans. Thank to them for all their support for all these years. This feels awesome to get back to victory lane at this race track. The safer barriers, that was awesome. I don’t think anyone tested them today, but I’ll tell you what, it is sure nice to know they are there. Just a great DuPont Chevrolet team today. Thank them and Sprint for all they do as well.”

ALAN GUSTAFSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, RACE WINNER: CONGRATULATIONS: “I have to catch my breath! I am really happy for DuPont first all. They have stuck with us. We have had some terrible runs in their car so it feels good to win one for them. They have always supported the No. 24 car. I’m real happy for them. Have to thank everybody at HMS (Hendrick Motorsports) for sticking behind us. We’ve had a terrible start to this season and a lot of work coming back. These in the No. 5/No. 24 shop have done an awesome job getting us here. I have to thank Mark Whitten in the chassis shop first and foremost. This is the clip of the week and it won a race so I have to give him a hard time.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET – FINISHED 4TH:

YOU HAD A GOOD SOLID RUN TODAY, WHICH IS WHAT YOU NEEDED

“Yeah, it was a great day. It was a great day in the pits and on the track. Man, I really thought I had a shot there on that restart at the end and kind of got stuck in the middle and lost a bunch of track position and just had to recover from that. But it was a great day today. I’m very happy to see the No. 24 (Jeff Gordon) in victory lane. Everybody at Hendrick Motorsports has been working very hard to make sure that the cars are getting speed in them and they’ve done that. Our engine package held up today with the abuse we gave it. It was a great day all in all.”

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 OKUMA CHEVROLET, FINISHED 5TH:

TALK ABOUT YOUR DAY: “It was a total team effort to get our Okuma Chevy up there. They did a great job at the beginning playing the pit strategy and we got to the top-10 before we even got to half way. Good solid day for us. We just have a little bit of work to do before we came back.”

THIS IS THE KIND OF DAYS YOU HAVE TO HAVE: “We had a good car in qualifying, I just didn’t do a very good job of qualifying. That is probably about where we should have finished. Solid top-five and we’ll go on with this.”

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 AMP ENERGY/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET – FINISHED 6TH:

ON THE DAY

“I’m real happy with where I finished. On the last restart of the race, we were 18th with 30 to go. And we drove back up to sixth so I’m real happy about that. The car was pretty good. We had a little struggled with the handling in the middle part of the race. But it was really good at the start and really good at the end. We had good speed all weekend. And hopefully when we come back we’ll have good balance again.”

HOW WAS THE SHIFTING?

“I was good with it.”

HOW HAPPY ARE YOU NOW WITH ALL THIS FINISHES YOU’VE BEEN STRINGING TOGETHER?

“Today, some guys that were behind me finished in front of me. But I’ve got to go home and look at NASCAR.com and see what the finishes look like. But I’m really happy to be running well and being up front. It’s surely a difference from the last couple of years, so I feel fortunate and feel lucky to be able to compete.”

TONY GIBSON, CREW CHIEF, NO. 39 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET – FINISHED 9TH:

“With 21 laps to go, we lost third gear in the transmission. And we thought we were going to be okay but it started running hot, the transmission did, and started pumping fluid out. We didn’t know it at the time. It smoked a little bit in the corners, but then it cleared up and went away and we ran the last 15 laps with no smoke. I think what happened was it just kind of dumped all the fluid out of the transmission; it just got hot and started pumping it out. So, we were just very, very lucky today to finish this race. For once a break went our way. We didn’t need a green-white-checkered and we needed to finish with a broken transmission. So like I said, it worked out good for today and we’ll take it and go on.”

REGAN SMITH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW RACING CHEVROLET – FINISHED 15TH:

“We might have been a little better than 15th, but overall that’s pretty much what our Furniture Row Chevrolet had today. We lost some track position early, but thanks to our pit crew late in the race we managed to make a pretty good gain. We’re just okay with top 15s, and really want to those top 10s and top fives. We’ve been a little inconsistent lately and hopefully today’s result will trigger a streak of solid finishes.”

JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET – FINISHED 7^TH:

TELL US ABOUT YOUR DAY

“We had a really good car all day. We had a great car. With like 25 laps to go I lose third gear. It was kind of weird. It was a good thing we didn’t have another caution because we would have been completely done. We’ve had some problems with the gear box and things lately but I don’t know. Our Target Chevy ran good all day.”

About Chevrolet: Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 140 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

- Team Chevy, Press Release