Toyota Motorsports Logo

Homestead-Miami Speedway – November 19, 2011

- Denny Hamlin (fifth) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

- Camry drivers Brian Scott (ninth) and Joey Logano (10th) also earned top-10 finishes in the 200-lap event.

- Other Toyota drivers in the field included Joe Nemechek (16th), Michael Annett (19th), Kevin Conway (26th), Kenny Wallace (33rd) and Steve Wallace (34th).

- Four Camry drivers finished among the top-10 in the unofficial NNS driver point standings — K. Wallace (seventh), Scott (eighth), Annett (ninth), and S. Wallace (10th).

- Camry drivers earned 10 wins and five pole positions during the 2011 season. Toyota has recorded 64 victories and 54 poles since joining the series in 2007.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race?

“We struggled with our race car all day long and we had very limited practice time with the rain. Just didn’t have it today. It looked like all of the Roush cars were extremely strong. We just didn’t have the car that could hang with them in the end.”

How happy were you with your pit crew in tonight’s race?

“Yeah, this pit crew gave us a shot at it, no doubt about it. They were just an amazing pit crew. When you can gain us three spots and a clutch position like that, they deserve a lot of credit. They’re the ones who gave us a shot at it anyway.”

How are you feeling going into the Sprint Cup race on Sunday after two races so far this weekend?

“Good. I feel like we’re making strides. We just have got to keep digging. We’re a little off right now. As an organization I feel like we need to be better. Obviously, we’ve got a ways to go, but just have to thank everyone from Z- Line Designs for putting me in the car and obviously this whole 18 team for putting me in. Jim and Monica (Sexton, Z- Line Design owners) have done a lot for this program. FedEx, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Gillette and Wiley X. Couldn’t do it without everyone.”

Did you think you had a chance to beat the 60 car tonight to give Joe Gibbs Racing the owner’s championship?

“Carl (Edwards) had an extremely strong car. It looked like all of their cars were really good today. We just struggled with our Z-Line Designs Toyota. We felt like for the most part we had a fifth to seventh-place car for most of the day. It’s kind of where we ended up. The pit crew did an amazing job at least giving me a shot at it there at the end. We just couldn’t hang on. We just didn’t have the car for it today.”

Were you unhappy with the way your car handled during the race?

“I wish we had some more practice time. We were banking on that second practice. We just didn’t get enough track time with this car this weekend. We struggled. We struggled all day and just could not get the speed out of it that we needed. We ended up fifth.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 9th

Are you happy finishing the year with a top-10?

“I’ll take a top-10 to end the year. We fought hard ever since Daytona. We didn’t have the performance or the results that we wanted until about the middle of the year. This team — we flipped the switch. Kevin (Kidd, crew chief) and I really got on the same page and we started having good runs. We were a pretty good team the second half of the year. Definitely performed the last quarter of the year with some top-five finishes, and got a pole at Chicago. We’re going to focus really on the last part of the year and continue to build and do the things that we started doing at the middle of the year that will make us better to come back in 2012 and be even stronger.

I don’t see any reason why this team can’t make the progress through the off-season and come back with the yellow and black Dollar General car and have a team good enough to run for the championship. I feel like Kevin Kidd (crew chief) and I have a relationship that is on really good terms. We’re really communicating well. We’re going to continue to work through the off-season just as hard — if not harder — than we worked all year. Come back and be a really strong team.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 97 AM / FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 16th

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 19th

How would you look back at the 2011 season?

“Someone asked me the grade that I’d give this season — and I’d probably say a C+ — just because we started off so slow and behind. We made up a lot of ground throughout the summer and fell back behind it, and then made more gains. We know there are places we can make a lot of improvement in our program — mile-and-a-half tracks especially. So, that’s something we’re really going to work on in the off-season and come back on board with Rusty Wallace Racing and the No. 62. Hopefully, some more partners will come on board and help Steven’s (Wallace) car a little bit and that way can have a strong two car effort after the off-season.”

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 87 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 25th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Federated Auto Parts Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 33rd

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

Finishing Position: 34th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

No. 66 5-Hour Energy® Toyota Camry (Steve Wallace) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

This Week’s 5 Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-070 in Saturday afternoon’s Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Built new for the 2011 season, this Toyota Camry debuted at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this month, where Wallace finished 18th.

Looking Back at 2011 … Heading into the final race of the season, Wallace has accumulated two top-five, five top-10 and 15 top-15 finishes, an average start of 13.9 and an average finish of 16.5 in 33 races thus far in 2011. The 24-year-old driver has led six laps of competition and has completed 6,065 of the 6,197 (97.9 percent) laps contested thus far.

Get to the Points … A less-than-desired 29th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway last week dropped Wallace one position, to 10th, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings. After the 33rd race of the 2011 season, the 24-year-old driver trails eighth-place driver and Rusty Wallace Racing teammate Michael Annett by seven markers, and ninth-place Brian Scott by a single point.

Homestead Facts … In five NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Wallace boasts one top-10 finish. His best finish, eighth, came when the series visited the 1.5-mile oval in November, 2009. The Greensboro, N.C., native has an average starting position of 17th and an average finish of 18.8.

Welcome Aboard … Rusty Wallace Racing and 5-Hour Energy are pleased to feature Circle K on the TV panel and Sedanos on the lower rear quarter panels of the No. 66 Toyota this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Homestead … In 10 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes with three different drivers including Brendan Gaughan, Jamie McMurray and Steve Wallace. McMurray’s second-place run in November 2004 is Rusty Wallace Racing’s best effort at the mile-and-a-half oval. Additionally, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have led one lap of competition and have completed 1,963 of the 2,003 (98 percent) laps contested in those events.

Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 33 of 34 races completed thus far in the 2011 season, Rusty Wallace Racing’s three NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded a combined three top-five, 13 top 10 and 32 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 13,195 of 13,619 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 21 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Steve Wallace.

Steve Wallace - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I’m really looking forward to this weekend’s race. It’s been a very difficult year for the 5-Hour Energy team. The new Nationwide Series car really threw us for a loop. As soon as this race ends, we can start working on our program for 2012. But, we’ll give it all we’ve got for one more time in 2011, we’ll go out and try to finish the season with a strong run.” - Steve Wallace on racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway

About Living Essentials, LLC

Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

Michael Annett (Photo Credit: Autostock)

“We really didn’t start off with a top-10 car, but we stayed out of trouble and did our best with what we had. We were really free for three-quarters of the race and then in the last 50 laps we got the car happy enough to where we could actually drive it hard,” said Annett, “We were smart. We knew the car we had and we knew we couldn’t run up through the field. We let them make their mistakes and we were ready to jump on it towards the end. We did that and came out of Phoenix with a top-10. So we’re happy with that.”

Annett was the third highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s 200 lap event. He earned his seventh top-10 finish of the 2011 season and Rusty Wallace Racing’s 13th top-10 finish so far this season.

“We definitely needed this top-10 for our No. 62 Pilot Flying J/Oakley team. Although we didn’t have the best car on the race track, we came out with a strong finish and that boosted us two spots in both the driver and owner points races. We’ll carry on the momentum from this turnaround finish to the last race of the season at Homestead and look for another solid run to close out 2011,” said Annett.

The 2011 Nationwide Series season winds down to the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway this week. The last Nationwide Series event of 2011 kicks off on Saturday, November 19 at 4:30 p.m. ET. Tune to ESPN2 and MRN Radio for live coverage of Saturday’s 300 mile season finale.

For the latest updates on Michael Annett, please visit www.michaelannett.com.

For more information on Oakley and to order from their extensive product line, check out www.oakley.com.

About Pilot Flying J:

Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 retail locations across North America. Pilot Flying J is also one of the Nation’s largest wholesale fuel providers; delivering over 500 Million gallons of fuel to thousands of customers in 47 States and eight Canadian provinces. The company employs approximately 20,000 people and is the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America.

- Rising Star Management Group Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

Phoenix International Raceway – November 12, 2011

- Joey Logano (fourth) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Phoenix International Raceway.

- Camry drivers Ryan Truex (eighth) and Michael Annett (10th) also earned top-10 finishes in the 200 lap event.

- Truex was also the highest finishing rookie in the race.

- Other Toyota drivers in the field included Joe Nemechek (12th), Kenny Wallace (17th), Steve Wallace (29th), and Brian Scott (41st).

- Four Camry drivers are among the top-10 in the unofficial NNS driver point standings — K. Wallace (seventh), Annett (eighth), Scott (ninth) and S. Wallace (10th).

- Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Camry team currently leads the unofficial NNS owner point standings by one point after 33 of 34 races.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 18 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 4th

How was your race car today?

“We had a fast car. We had a pretty good GameStop Toyota. We just didn’t take off during restarts. The first 10 laps we were just junk — and we’d lose all the track position we had — and then we’d get going and be fast. It just took us too long. Once we got going we were all about the same speed too anyway. That’s awesome for Sam (Hornish). He’s a great guy. Awesome to see him win. Much rather have the old GameStop Toyota in victory lane. I felt like I had a car that can do it. Just had to work on our front side speed.”

How much did the track change during the race?

“Not as much as I thought, but it did change some for sure. Actually, the top side over in (turns) three and four actually starting working it self in pretty good. Just hard to figure out what you think the track is going to go in a certain direction — you adjust to it towards that and then it doesn’t do that. Then it’s really just an educated guessing game out there. It just didn’t change as much as I thought it would.”

Did you take advantage of the apron?

“Yeah. That’s a good way to pass cars. It’s really weird though. You go down there and I swear it about knocks your helmet off. It’s such a hard hit when you go down there. It’s such a shorter distance. You can drive right underneath a car doing it that way. It’s kind of weird. I don’t know if they’ll change anything about that to stop us from doing that. That’s one way we were passing cars, for sure. It was really weird.”

Why were drivers using the apron?

“It’s such a shorter distance. It feels like you’re cutting a quarter-mile off the track doing it that way.”

Do you expect to see drivers using the apron Sunday?

“Probably be a little bit harder in a Cup car, but I think people will do it.”

Did you learn anything that will help you Sunday?

“I learned quite a bit. This is one of those races that you’re glad you’re running double duty.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 20 Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

How was your race?

“It was good. I think we had a better car than where we finished. We started off there and just dropped back a little bit. Our car was too loose at the start of the run. We knew that was going to happen on the green flag. The track was just notin good shape at all. Pretty much everyone on the outside went backwards. We just worked on it and got it pretty good there on the long run, we were just a little too loose on the start of a run to stay up there with those guys. After about five laps we’d get really good, but those five laps we’d lose spots just because we were so free. It was a good day I guess, can’t complain about an eight-place finish with all the wrecked cars we have out here, so I’m happy about it.”

Did you use the dog leg to get around the track?

“Yes, very useful. We weren’t sure about it coming here. You look at it and it looks like there was so much room. If those guys were racing in front of you and you drive way down there, you can just blow by all of them. I don’t know how NASCAR feels about it, but it’s a pretty good way to pass some cars.”

What do you think about your chance to be series ‘Rookie of the Year’ this year?

“I don’t know if this is enough to take the lead or win it or what. I gave it my best and we’ll see what happens.”

How does it feel to be ‘Rookie of the Race’ in your final event of the year?

“I wasn’t worried about it in the race, I knew we had a good car and I knew we had all six races I’ve been in this car. It was a crazy race to say the least. The way you could pass people in the dog leg and drive way down like that was wild. There were a few guys out there that tried to get respect and I guess I have to earn it being a rookie. It was a good race. I think we should have finished better, we probably adjusted out of it a little bit in the end. I had fun and hopefully we can get ‘Rookie of the Year’.

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

How was your race?

“Eventful, we didn’t start off with a top-10 car. We were disappointed because we did have holes in practice, so I guess with the sun beating down on the track all day, we just kind of got behind a little bit and were really free for three-quarters of the race and then the last 50 laps we got the car happy enough to where I felt comfortable actually driving it hard. We were smart, we knew the car we had and we knew we couldn’t run up through the field. We let them make their mistakes and we’ll be ready to jump on it and we did and came out of Phoenix with a top-10.”

What did you think of the new track after racing on it?

“It’s pretty crazy. It’s just hard for the spotters to say ‘inside.’ Really, I did more just watching the mirror and trying to see how much track was between myself and the car in the inside because as far as he is inside, but he might be four car lengths down there. If they say ‘three-wide,’ you just really don’t know. I said to my spotter, ‘what they need to do is put a big patch of triangle grass out there to keep everybody from going down there’ just because this place is hard enough for spotters to spot where they do from the corner, they don’t need that added complication.”

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 AM / FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stoves Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 12th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 17th

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

Finishing Position: 29th

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 41st

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

No. 62 Oakley Toyota Camry (Michael Annett)

Oakley Again Teams with Michael Annett in West Coast Race: Oakley joins Pilot Flying J on Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 Nationwide Series entry for this weekend’s 200 mile event at Phoenix International Raceway. The Oakley brand also appeared on Michael Annett’s Toyota Camry at Auto Club Speedway in March and at Daytona International Speedway in July. Annett, a devout wearer of the Oakley brand, is outfitted by Oakley for all of his at-track gear including firesuits, gloves, footwear and sunglasses.

Relationship Continues with Rusty Wallace and Oakley: Dating back to 1990, Oakley began their relationship with driver-turned-team owner Rusty Wallace during his days as a Sprint Cup Series driver. That 21-year relationship has now carried into Rusty Wallace Racing where Oakley serves as the team’s primary outfitter.

Racing to Save Lives: After declaring St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® as his charity of choice, Annett will again support the hospital on Saturday by sporting their logo on his No. 62 Toyota. This week, the St. Jude logo will honor 11-year-old St. Jude patient Roberto Blanco. After suffering with nausea and fatigue that developed into having trouble holding his head up, Roberto’s parents, Roberto Senior and Aurora of Phoenix, Arizona, took him to the hospital where an MRI revealed a mass on his brain. Further tests showed that he suffered from medulloblastoma, a type of brain tumor. Roberto underwent surgery to remove the tumor, and his doctor referred the family to St. Jude for Roberto’s treatment and care. At St. Jude, Roberto successfully received intensive chemotherapy and radiation. He now returns to St. Jude for regular checkups. Roberto likes art and playing baseball, football and soccer. To join Annett in donating to St. Jude, please visit www.stjude.org/racingtosavelives.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Phoenix: In 29 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned one top-five and seven top-10 finishes with three different drivers. Rusty Wallace, a former driver in NASCAR’s junior division, himself contributed a top-10 finish in November 2004. The No. 62 team’s fourth-place run in April 2010 is Rusty Wallace Racing’s best effort at the desert oval.

Cast Your Vote: Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver voting continues on NASCAR.com. Fans can cast their vote for Michael Annett once per day by visiting www.NASCAR.com/nnsmpd. Voting runs from now until November 17. The winner of the Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver award will be announced at the year-end banquet on November 21.

For the latest updates on Michael Annett, please visit www.michaelannett.com.

From the Cockpit:

Michael Annett on Oakley and Pilot Flying J partnering for the Phoenix race:

“We’re excited to have Oakley and Pilot Flying J on board for another race with the No. 62 team. Both Oakley and Pilot Flying J have been behind me since my initial races at the NASCAR level, and I look forward to being able to give back to both brands for all of their support with a strong finish at Phoenix.”

Talking Shop:

Crew chief Rick Viers on this week’s race at Phoenix:

“A couple of our best races this year, including Loudon and Lucas Oil Raceway, were on flat tracks like Phoenix. We worked hard this week at TRD on the seven-post preparing for Phoenix and the new track surface. With the information we gained at TRD, we’re going to provide Michael with a great racecar for this weekend’s race. We’re looking forward to ending the season with two strong finishes at Phoenix and Homestead.”

The Machines:

Team 62 Primary: RWR-061 - The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team last raced chassis 061 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. They also finished 12th at Dover International Speedway (October) and sixth at Bristol Motor Speedway (August) in this car.

Team 62 Back-Up: RWR-051 - The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team’s last race competing with this chassis was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

Michael Annett’s Oakley Selection:

Annett’s current pick for Oakley shades is their signature SCALPEL. He also sports an Oakley firesuit, base layers, gloves and race boots.

For more information on Oakley and to order from their extensive product line, check out www.oakley.com.

Pilot Flying J Locations on your way:

Pilot Flying J provides 12 Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J locations along the highways throughout Arizona. Four of these locations are conveniently positioned within a 100 mile radius of Phoenix International Raceway. For more information on Pilot Flying J and to map their nearest locations along your route, please visit www.pilotflyingj.com.

Flying J

I-10 Exit 137

6700 West Latham

Phoenix, AZ 85043

Pilot Travel Center

I-10 Exit 133

900 North 99th Ave.

Avondale, AZ 85323

Pilot Travel Center

I-10 Exit 208

619 South Sunshine Blvd.

Eloy, AZ 85231

Flying J

I-10 Exit 208A

16189 S Sunshine Blvd.

Eloy, AZ 85231

About Pilot Flying J:

Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 retail locations across North America. Pilot Flying J is also one of the Nation’s largest wholesale fuel providers; delivering over 500 Million gallons of fuel to thousands of customers in 47 States and eight Canadian provinces. The company employs approximately 20,000 people and is the largest operator of travel centers and travel plazas in North America.

- Rising Star Management Group Press Release

No. 66 5-Hour Energy® Toyota Camry (Steve Wallace) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

This Week’s 5 Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-058 in Saturday afternoon’s Wypall 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. A workhorse of the 2011 season, this Toyota Camry raced at Auto Club Speedway in March, Nashville Superspeedway in April, and twice in the month of May, at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wallace then raced it at Michigan International Raceway in June, at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and most recently, at Richmond International Raceway in September.

White Flag Next Time By … With just two races remaining in the 2011 season, Wallace has accumulated two top-five, five top 10 and 15 top-15 finishes, an average starting position of 13.7 and an average finish of 16.1. Wallace has completed 98.2 percent of the laps contested (5,891 of 5,997) thus far.

Get to the Points … Wallace continues to maintain the ninth position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings. With just two races remaining in the 2011 season, Wallace trails eighth-place driver Kenny Wallace by 13 markers, and holds a 12-point advantage over his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate, Michael Annett, for the 10th position..

Wallace at Phoenix … In 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Wallace boasts two top-10 finishes. His best finish at the one-mile desert oval is 10th, where he has finished twice (November, 2009 and November, 2010).

Welcome Aboard … Rusty Wallace Racing and 5-Hour Energy are pleased to feature Safeway on the TV panel and Circle K on the C-post of the No. 66 Toyota this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Phoenix … In 29 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned one top-five and seven top-10 finishes with three different drivers including Brendan Gaughan and Jamie McMurray. Rusty Wallace, a former driver in NASCAR’s junior division, himself contributed a top-10 finish in November 2004. Gaughan’s fourth-place run in April 2010 is Rusty Wallace Racing’s best effort at the desert oval.

Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 32 of 34 races completed thus far in the 2011 season, Rusty Wallace Racing’s three NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded a combined three top-five, 12 top 10 and 31 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 12,821 of 13,219 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 21 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Steve Wallace.
Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Wallace Thursday, November 10 from 6 – 7 p.m. MST at the Total Wine store located at 1416 North Litchfield Rd. in Goodyear, Ariz.

Steve Wallace - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“We’re all looking forward to getting to Phoenix next week, because our short track program has been really strong this year. We feel like we can be competitive when we get there. Everyone is starting with a clean slate since the track has been reconfigured, so we’ll look to make the most of the extended practice sessions and hopefully have a good finish.” - Steve Wallace on racing at Phoenix International Raceway

About Living Essentials, LLC

Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

No. 66 5-Hour Energy® Toyota Camry (Steve Wallace) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

“It certainly wasn’t the showing we were looking for,” said Wallace. “We really wanted to have a good showing in honor of my grandfather, Russ, but it wasn’t to be. I’m looking forward to putting the 2011 season behind us. It’s no secret that the new Nationwide Series car has thrown our team for a loop. It’s incredibly frustrating to all of us. All of the guys on this 5-Hour Energy team are working hard, we’re just missing something.

Steve Wallace - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

About Living Essentials, LLC

Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

Texas Motor Speedway – November 5, 2011

- Denny Hamlin (second) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Texas Motor Speedway.

- Camry driver Joey Logano (eighth) also earned a top-10 finish in the 350-mile event.

- Kenny Wallace (13th) set a NNS record by making his 520th-career series start in Saturday’s race.

- Other Toyota drivers in the field included Brian Scott (12th), Steve Wallace (18th), Michael Annett (20th) and Joe Nemechek (21st).

- Four Camry drivers are among the top-10 in the unofficial NNS driver point standings — K. Wallace (seventh), Scott (eighth), S. Wallace (ninth) and Annett (10th).

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

What happened on the final restart?

“Yeah, we didn’t get the best restart there and those guys on the outside line really had an advantage and they were able to
pull us and just took us that long to get back to them. Took a long time to get this car where I felt like I wanted it and at the
end we had a car that could contend for a win and that’s all you can ask for.”

What is it like jumping in a car for the first time on race day?

“It was a tough day. It’s very tough to get into someone’s car. Any of these drivers that have been in someone else’s car at one moment or time during testing and it’s just — when things don’t fit, you’re exactly right and we have such a different stature and size and everything like that and driving style, it’s hard to make it work. But, we worked through it and by the end of the day we had a car that was capable of winning. We’ll take that.”

When did you find out you were going to race in today’s event?

“This morning, you know last night, this morning it was — we figured something was going on. I just got in the car this morning just in case and got fitted for it and that was it.”

What is your reaction to NASCAR’s actions today?

“It’s a tough spot. I think we’ve seen stuff like that. If you read my Twitter account, I think that what happened last night happened a lot last week and it’s happened all year, but obviously the stakes are a little higher when you have a championship contender and speeds are up and it’s under caution. All those things I think formulated into it and I feel like NASCAR felt probably a little pressure from fans and things like that to make a decision and they made what they thought was correct. It’s tough for everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing because I know that the whole No. 18 team works extremely hard to get to the position that they’re in and to have a chance at a good finishing points position kind of taken away at the end, it’s
tough for them. It’s tough for everyone at Gibbs.”

Will you think twice before dumping somebody in the future?

“I don’t know really where the line is. Like I said, there’s not much different than what happened last week. There was a lot of incidents very, very similar that took guys out and things like that. I’m still — I don’t know where the line is. It’s not going to be a defined line — it’s going to be their judgment call and what they say goes. We’ve got to realize that if we make a decision, a bad decision and decide to retaliate it could be, our future could be in NASCAR’s hands. We have to realize that.”

Would you race more Nationwide Series races this year if asked?

“I’ll do whatever I need to do. Obviously running his truck last week and his car this week — I’ll do whatever it takes to fill in the gaps where need be. We’ll just go from here.”

How will not having Kyle Busch in Sunday’s race affect you?

“It changes the complexion for us because he’s one of the guys I use every weekend for information and help tune our race car. Obviously Michael (McDowell) is in a tough spot trying to just get in that race car and go racing and be competitive. We obviously rely a lot on the information that we get from our other two crew chiefs and drivers. With one kind of being a big variable now, you kind of have to take it with a grain of salt. We’ll have to figure things out and kind of do it on our own for the most part this week.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

How was your race today?

“Terrible. It sucked. We ran like crap. We were just sideways all day — really loose no matter what we did. Tried to make it better and as we tightened it up, we just killed the aero platform, which takes overall grip away, so even balanced right we were still slow. It was frustrating.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 12th

How was your race today?

“I thought we had just an okay day. We ran just top-10 most the day — a little bit outside of it. We used pit stops to try to make our car better. We kind of went the wrong direction on one of them when we first put stickers on and we learned from it. We made some adjustment and I thought we were going to have a good day. Just so-so. (Elliott) Sadler moved up on us on the last pit stop and caved in our left front fender and we fell back a couple of positions and finished 12th, which should have been a top-10 day. Overall, just kind of nothing spectacular and nothing disastrous. Just had a day.”

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 G-Oil Camry, RAB Racing

Finishing Position: 13th

How was your race today?

“It was a decent race. It wasn’t a bad race by any means. For my 520th start, you want to have a competitive race. You don’t want to embarrass yourself, so 13th was okay. You know we’re really working hard on staying seventh in the points racing Brian Scott and my nephew, Steven (Wallace). A lot of emotion was put in to that last restart to get my lap back. Took some chances and it worked out and 13th is okay. It’s not great, but it’s okay and move on to Phoenix now and end this year in the next couple of races.”

How do you feel about breaking the NNS starts record with 520 starts?

“Well, I’ve been consistent in all of my comments and I haven’t been ‘wishy-washy.’ I still am thankful for my 10 years in the Cup Series with 344 starts. I’m learning all these stats now. To have been able to make a living my whole life has been a dream come true. It’s no different than in the media center I see a lot of you here and I’ve seen y’all come and I’ve seen you go and I’ve very grateful to have come out of Arnold, Missouri and if you would have told me that you can make a living in NASCAR and that’s all you’re ever going to do — I mean, I’ve made a living driving a race car my whole life and it looks like I will retire racing cars for a living. That’s perspective that I can put it into. I’m thrilled to death. I’m grateful to all the car owners that have given me rides and I’m really excited about today’s race. We’ve got a points battle going on for the seventh spot and it’s been like that my whole career, all types of little races.”

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

Finishing Position: 18th

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Flying J Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 20th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 21st

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

JD Motorsports

A week prior to his passing, Russ was able to see Mike win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. This Saturday will be much different for Mike when he takes to the track knowing, for the first time in his racing career, his dad will be watching from high above.

In his honor, Mike, his brother Kenny and their nephew Steve Wallace are taking their names off their respective driving doors and replacing them with Russ Wallace. Adding a personal touch, Mike’s No. 01 Chevrolet will have “Russ Wallace – my Dad” on his car. With that, he and the No. 01 G&K Services team of JD Motorsports will take to the 1.5-mile oval of TMS in honor of Mike’s dad.

Mike Wallace Info:

· This will be his 415th career NNS start and 32nd of the 2011 season.

· This year, he’s earned two top-10s with a best finish of fifth at Road America

· The four-time career race winner has completed 5,272 of 5,797 laps (90.9%) of laps contested

· He has 12 previous starts at TMS with a best finish of 12th and finish of 13th, both taking place in 2008.

· Four of those finishes were in the top-20

· He’s led five laps and completed 2,125 of 2,321 laps (91.65) contested.

Mike Wallace - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“He was able to watch me win the Talladega truck race and showed up at our little get together later that night to congratulate me. He was so happy to see me win, and for our whole family.”

“So, we’ll go to Texas and hope one of us can win the race in honor of Russ. I know everyone at JD Motorsports has put some extra care into the car for this weekend knowing that, too.”

“I would like to thank everyone for their notes, messages, phone calls and concerns for us during this time. You don’t realize just how big this racing family really is until something like this happens.”

- JD Motorsports Press Release

Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR)

Notes and Quotes:

LoanStar Partners with No. 62 in Fort Worth: Michael Annett’s No. 62 Toyota Camry will proudly sport the LoanStar Title Loans brand this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. A partner with Rusty Wallace Racing since 2008, the LoanStar logo has appeared on the No. 62 and No. 64 entries for select races throughout the last four Nationwide Series seasons. LoanStar’s last race aboard Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 car was at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2010. Annett and his team owner, Rusty Wallace, will sign autographs at the LoanStar Title Loans location at 305 SW Wilshire Blvd. in Burleson, Texas on Thursday, November 3 from 6-7 p.m. CT.

RWR Toyotas Pay Tribute to Russ Wallace: With the passing of Russ Wallace earlier this week, both the No. 62 and No. 66 Rusty Wallace Racing entries will honor him by displaying his name above their driver and passenger side doors for Saturday’s Nationwide Series event at Texas Motor Speedway. Russ molded his children and grandchildren’s careers in the sport of racing, and to honor his legacy the organization will pay tribute through their race cars this weekend.

Racing to Save Lives: After declaring St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® as his charity of choice during the Kansas Speedway race weekend, Annett will again support the hospital on Saturday by donning their logo on his No. 62 Toyota. This week, the St. Jude decal will run in honor of seven-year-old Darcy Cassidy from Meridian, Texas. Darcy suffered with an atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor beginning in November 2008. After 31 radiation treatments and four courses of chemotherapy at St. Jude, she is now thriving back at home in Texas where she recently started second grade. Darcy has proudly returned to her interest in rodeo riding where she finished in the top-15 for barrel racing in the 2010 Pro Youth Rodeo Association. To join Annett in donating to St. Jude, please visit www.stjude.org/racingtosavelives.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Texas: In 21 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned three top-10 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing cars have led 30 laps of competition at Texas Motor Speedway and have completed 4,048 of the 4,216 (96 percent) laps contested in those events.

Michael Annett at Texas: Annett has five career Nationwide Series starts on Texas’ 1.5 mile quad-oval. His best finish at Texas Motor Speedway was 11th in his first career start there in April 2009. In his five attempts at Texas Motor Speedway, Annett has led 10 laps and completed 981 of the 1,005 (97.6 percent) laps contested in those events.

Meet Michael: Coinciding with race week in Fort Worth, the No. 62 Pilot Flying J show car and No. 66 5-Hour Energy show car will be on display at the Pilot Travel Centers location off of I-35, Exit 65 (2400 Alliance Gateway, Fort Worth, Texas 76178) Thursday and Friday, November 3 and 4 from 6-10 p.m. CT and Saturday, November 5 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. CT. Annett and his teammate, Steve Wallace, will be on location signing autographs for fans and customers from 1-2 p.m. CT on Friday, November 4.

Michael Annett on this weekend’s event in Texas:

“We’ve got a lot of special things happening for our team this weekend, and most importantly we are running our race cars in honor of Russ Wallace with his name above our doors. Russ was responsible for bringing one of the most legendary families to NASCAR, and it’s a huge honor for me to be able to be a part of the Wallace racing family. Not only driving for Rusty and alongside Steve, but in the Nationwide Series with Kenny and Mike as well.”

“We are excited to add LoanStar Title Loans to our 2011 sponsor line-up for this weekend’s race in Texas. LoanStar has a strong presence in the state of Texas, so we’re looking forward to giving them a strong finish in front of their home state crowd.”

Mike Moore, Vice President LoanStar Title Loans, on partnering with RWR at Texas:

“We are very excited to team with Rusty Wallace Racing again for this weekend’s race in Texas. We’re looking forward to having Rusty and Michael out to our Burleson location on Thursday and seeing Michael on the track in the No. 62 LoanStar car in Saturday’s race.”

The Machines:

Team 62 Primary: RWR-059 - RWR’s No. 62 team most recently earned a 16th place finish at Kansas Speedway with this chassis in October. The team has also competed in this car at Iowa Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway in 2011.

Team 62 Back-Up: RWR-051 – The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team’s last race competing with this chassis was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

About LoanStar Title Loans:

LoanStar Title Loans provides hard-working Texans access to small, short-term loans secured by a borrower’s motor vehicle. LoanStar has over 150 locations in Texas and employs over 550 Texans. We believe in a simple, straightforward approach to getting the cash you need. For more information, please go to www.loanstartitleloans.net.

- Rising Star Management Group Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

Charlotte Motor Speedway – October 14, 2011

- Kyle Busch (second) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

- Busch’s finish marked his 12th top-five result at Charlotte in 17 career NNS starts at the speedway.

- Camry driver Brian Scott also earned a top-five result with a fifth-place finish in the 200-lap race — his second top-five finish this season in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 11 Camry.

- Camry drivers Steve Wallace (13th), Kenny Wallace (16th), Michael Annett (17th), Joey Logano (19th), Ryan Truex (34th), Kevin Conway (36th) and Joe Nemechek (37th) were also in the field at the mile-and-a-half oval.

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

How was your race car tonight?

“It was really good on long runs. Slow on short runs — didn’t have enough under the hood to keep up. Got out-motored on that last restart and finished second.”

JASON RATCLIFF, crew chief, No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What did it mean to run strong at a mile-and-a-half track after struggling earlier this season?

“We were really excited to have the opportunity to be up there. Mile-and-a-half tracks have not been our greatest tracks this year, but we’ve come a long way. I’m really proud of this team — this Z-Line Designs team and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. You know, we had a shot at it there and if we did everything right tonight the one thing that we struggled with a little bit is still the restarts. I think it’s just a product of horsepower, or you know whatever. And, those guys have been really good all year in that category. Kyle (Busch) did a great job all night. I don’t think he got beat there from a talent standpoint, obviously. He drove a phenomenal race. Just for us to be up there and be close and be in the fray is great. It was
a good night for us. Unfortunately, we came up one short. But, I’m really proud of Kyle and what he did and proud of this race team.”

What seems to be so tough at these mile-and-a-half tracks?

“It seems like we just always finish third at these mile-and-a-half tracks. These Dodges and Fords just seem really strong and they’ve got some of their set-ups figured out. We’ve been working hard on our set-up to get it better. I think we showed tonight that we did. I think at one point we had all three of our Joe Gibbs (Racing) cars in the top-seven and they were all three running strong. We just didn’t need to see the caution. Once we got the thing wound up and got it going, we could run with anybody, but we needed that clean air at the end and the 60 (Carl Edwards) got in front of us – it takes so much to get by him, especially on cold tires like that. If we had 10 more laps, who knows, maybe Kyle (Busch) drove up there and gave him
a little more run for his money. Just not enough laps left to get it done.”

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Doosan Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 5th

How was your race tonight?

“We started off really not where we wanted to, but we were able to hang out right near the top-10. The pit crew did a great job always moving us forward on spots. Kevin (Kidd, crew chief) did good adjustments and that just kept us in the hunt until we could get our car right. Towards the end of the race we had our car pretty good and we were able to gain some more positions and have some more good pit stops. We just kept working towards the front from about the middle of the race on and we made it count at the end when it mattered. That was great and we were able to bring home a top-five for Doosan and it was great to have them on the car. They are such a terrific partner at Joe Gibbs Racing and our Camry was just fast when it counted. That’s all that matters.”

How much momentum does your team have following this run?

“We’ve had some really good runs lately. We’ve ran up there the last — seems like five races. We haven’t really finished up there a couple times — Kansas comes to mind and Dover comes to mind. We’re capable of running up there and now we’re getting more finishes up there. We’ve got a lot of strength with this team and we’re going to end this year really strong and we’re going to go into next year representing Dollar General and try to win them a championship.”

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

Finishing Position: 13th

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Thank You Fans! Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 16th

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 17th

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 19th

How was your race car tonight and what happened when you hit the wall?

“We had a solid, strong top-five car. We could run third at times, fourth at times and we got up to second there for a little bit. Carl (Edwards) was really fast there at the end. I was doing everything I could to hold him off — I was doing anything. Since he got to the outside of me and the 6 (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) was following him and he just went in right on my door — right on my door. I just lost control of it and spun it out — well, I didn’t spin it out — I just put it in the wall. Unfortunately — we were better than that. We were making progress because we haven’t been this good lately. We’ll take it.”

What happened between you and Kyle Busch on a mid-race restart?

“I was wanting a one-two finish there and was trying to get him. At times I was better than Kyle (Busch) and then Kyle got pretty good throughout the race and got his car a little bit better than mine. We were pretty close to each other all day. I think our 20 team has made progress over the last few weeks here and making our car better. Obviously, I don’t have the finish to show it today, but I think we ran definitely a lot better than what we have been so we’ll take that.”

Do you think Kyle Busch was mad at you from that restart?

“I don’t think Kyle (Busch) is mad at me. The only thing that bummed him out was that he was leading the race and the caution came out that cost him the win. I didn’t want to wreck my car so it hurt me worse even. It’s a bummer that we lost a win for Joe Gibbs Racing, but we’re doing all we can do. Just trying hard.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 99 Toyota Camry, Pastrana-Waltrip Racing

Finishing Position: 34th

What happened that took you out of the race?

“I just blew a tire — out of nowhere with no warning or anything. We just blew a right front. I hate it for these guys. They worked so hard to get this car built and now it’s wrecked. Frustrating night. We had a motor problem right from the start of the race. We were down on power. I don’t know what happened. I don’t know if we broke a valve spring or what. We were way down on power so I would have to run the outside just to keep up with those guys. We were in for a long night either way and unfortunately we came up short.”

KEVIN CONWAY, No. 87 Extenze Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 36th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 97 AM / FM Energy Pellet & Wood Stove Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 37th

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

No. 66 5-Hour Energy® Toyota Camry (Steve Wallace) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

This Week’s 5 Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-064 in Friday evening’s Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage. Built new for the 2011 season, this Toyota Camry has raced seven times, with a best finish of eighth coming at Iowa Speedway in August. Most recently, Wallace raced this chassis to a 20th-place finish at Dover International Speedway two races ago.

Four to Go … With 30 races of the 2011 season in the record books, Wallace has accumulated two top-five, five top 10 and 14 top-15 finishes, an average starting position of 13.4 and an average finish of 16.1. Wallace has completed 98.1 percent of the laps contested (5,492 of 5,597) thus far.

Get to the Points … Wallace continues to maintain the eighth position in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings. With just four races remaining in the 2011 season, Wallace trails seventh-place driver Kenny Wallace by 27 markers, and holds a one-point advantage over ninth-place contender Brian Scott.

Wallace at Charlotte … In eight NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wallace has recorded one top-10 finish. His best result at the 1.5-mile oval is seventh, which he posted when the series last raced there in May.

Loop Data Says … According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Wallace’s 408 green-flag passes rank him 10th-best among 86 drivers over the course of the past six years who have competed in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Welcome Aboard … 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Harris Teeter as a partner for this weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harris Teeter branding will adorn the TV panel of Wallace’s No. 66 Toyota in Friday evening’s race.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Charlotte … In 35 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Rusty Wallace Racing’s best result came in May 2009 when Brendan Gaughan recorded a runner-up finish. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned three top-five and 19 top-10 finishes with five different drivers including Gaughan, Jamie McMurray, Kenny and Steve Wallace. Rusty Wallace, a former driver in NASCAR’s junior division, himself contributed two top-five and three top 10s from 1985-1988.

Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 30 of 34 races completed thus far in the 2011 season, Rusty Wallace Racing’s three NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded a combined three top-five, 12 top 10 and 30 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 12,024 of 12,419 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 19 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Steve Wallace.
Supporting the Cause … In honor of Breast Cancer awareness month, Rusty Wallace Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams will race with pink roof numbers for the Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night.

Steve Wallace - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I enjoy racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It’s great to race at home. We can all sleep in our own beds. I don’t really let myself get too worked up over it, but there is a little more pressure to racing at Charlotte because you’ve got not only your friends and family, but the friends and family of all the crew members too. Charlotte is a track where anything can happen. It’s very temperature sensitive, and it can really change the handling characteristics of the car over the course of the night.” – Steve Wallace on racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway

About Living Essentials, LLC

Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

No. 62 Pilot Travel Centers / Flying J Toyota Camry (Michael Annett) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

RWR Numbers Go Pink for 300 Miles of Courage: Both Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas will support Charlotte Motor Speedway’s 300 Miles of Courage race on Friday night by sporting pink car numbers on the roofs of their Camrys to promote the fight against breast cancer. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Charlotte Motor Speedway is dedicating Friday’s Nationwide Series race to the support of breast cancer research.

Annett is Racing to Save Lives: After announcing a partnership with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® last week in Kansas, Pilot Flying J driver Michael Annett continues his support of St. Jude’s pediatric cancer research center this week in Charlotte. The No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry will again feature a St. Jude decal, this week in honor of five-year-old St. Jude patient Sandhana Kumanan. Sandhana was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and began treatment near her home in Morrisville, N.C., but when her cancer showed regrowth, her parents searched for a promising new treatment for their daughter. Sandhana is currently enrolled on the St. Jude antibody study. Sandhana is a playful little girl who loves laughing and roughhousing with her younger brother. Sandhana and her brother were born here in the U.S. Both of their parents moved to the U.S. as adults from Chennai, India (formerly known as Madras, India), to start a new life.

Tight Points Battle: nnett currently ranks 10th in the Nationwide Series championship point standings with four races remaining in the 2011 season. The 25-year-old driver sits only seven points behind ninth place Brian Scott and just eight markers away from his teammate Steve Wallace in eighth.

Driver and Crew Chief at Charlotte: Crew chief Rick Viers’ first race calling the shots for driver Annett was at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May where the duo finished 14th. That race kicked off a six-race streak of five top-10 finishes. Friday night’s Dollar General 300 Miles of Courage race will be Annett’s sixth career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Annett has three top-15 finishes in his five attempts at the 1.5 mile Concord, N.C. track. Viers has a Sprint Showdown win at Charlotte to his name. The Rusty Wallace Racing crew chief earned his Showdown win in 2008 with Red Bull Racing and driver A.J. Allmendinger.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Charlotte: In 35 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the Rusty Wallace Racing organization’s best finish on the 1.5 mile quad-oval came in May 2009 when the No. 62 team recorded a runner-up finish. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned three top-five and 19 top-10 finishes at Charlotte with five different drivers. Rusty Wallace, a former driver in NASCAR’s junior division, himself contributed two top-five and three top 10′s to that total from 1985-1988.

Cast Your Vote: Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver voting continues on NASCAR.com. Fans can cast their vote for Michael Annett once per day by visiting www.NASCAR.com/nnsmpd. Voting runs from now until November 17. The winner of the Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver award will be announced at the year-end banquet on November 21.

For the latest updates on Michael Annett, please visit www.michaelannett.com.

Michael Annett - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Michael Annett on Friday’s Race:

“Charlotte’s one of my favorite tracks on the circuit to race on. It just really fits my driving style. We’ve got two really cool charitable initiatives that we are supporting this week on our No. 62 Pilot Flying J car. We’ll again be running a St. Jude logo in honor of a patient from their hospital, and we’ll continue that throughout the remainder of the season to encourage donations to St. Jude on their Racing to Save Lives donation page. Also, for breast cancer awareness month, the numbers in the roof of both mine and Steve’s cars will be pink in support of breast cancer research.”

The Machines:

Team 62 Primary: RWR-061 – The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team’s last two outings with this chassis were at Dover International Speedway earlier this month where they finished 12th and at Bristol Motor Speedway in August where they notched a sixth place finish on sponsor Pilot Flying J’s home track.

Team 62 Back-Up: RWR-051 – The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team’s last race competing with this chassis was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

Pilot Flying J Locations on your way:

Pilot Flying J provides nine Pilot Travel Centers and Flying J locations along the highways throughout North Carolina. Twelve of these locations are conveniently positioned within a 100 mile radius of Charlotte Motor Speedway. For more information on Pilot Flying J and to map their nearest locations along your route, please visit www.pilotflyingj.com.

Pilot Travel Center

I-85 Exit 63

2825 Lane St.

Kannapolis, NC 28083

Pilot Travel Center

I-85/I-77 Exit 39

3807 Statesville Ave.

Charlotte, NC 28206

Flying J

I-77 and Hwy 901 Exit 73

2435 Mount Holly Rd.

Rock Hill, SC 29730

Flying J

I-85 Exit 102

1011 North Mountain St.

Blacksburg, SC 29702

Pilot Travel Center

I-85 Exit 90

909 Hyatt St.

Gaffney, SC 29341

Pilot Travel Center

I-20 and US 601 Exit 92

522 Highway 601 South

Lugoff, SC 29078

Flying J

I-85 and I-40 Exit 150

1043 Jimmie Kerr Rd.

Graham, NC 27258

Pilot Travel Center

I-95 and US 52 Exit 164

2015 West Lucas St.

Florence, SC 29501

Pilot Travel Center

I-40/I-85 Exit 152

1342 Trollingwood Rd.

Mebane, NC 27302

Flying J

I-20 Exit 70

5901 Fairfield Rd.

Columbia, SC 29203

Flying J

I-95 Exit 169

3001 TV Rd.

Florence, SC 29501

Pilot Travel Center

I-95 Exit 170

3006 North Williston Rd.

Florence, SC 29506

About Pilot Flying J:

Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 locations in North America. The company employs more than 20,000 people and is the largest retail operator of travel centers in North America. Follow Pilot Flying J on Twitter at @pilottravel.

- Rising Star Management Group Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

Kansas Speedway – October 8, 2011

- Joey Logano (seventh) was the highest finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Kansas Speedway.

- Logano has four top-10 finishes in as many starts at Kansas Speedway — including wins in 2009 and 2010.

- Camry driver Ryan Truex also earned a top-10 result with a 10th-place finish in the 200-lap race — his third top-10 finish in five starts in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 20 Camry this season.

- Camry drivers Michael Annett (16th), Brian Scott (17th), Kenny Wallace (19th), Steve Wallace (20th) and Joe Nemechek (21st) were also in the field at the mile-and-a-half oval.

- Five Camry drivers are currently in the top-15 in the unofficial NNS point standings following 30 of 34 races in the 2011 season — K. Wallace (seventh), S. Wallace (eighth), Scott (ninth), Annett (10th), and Nemechek (14th).

JOEY LOGANO, No. 18 GameStop Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

How was your race today?

“It wasn’t quite good enough. At times we were decent. If we had the car decent — we could run up to third-place. But, as good as we could get it — balanced just right — we were just as good as the top-three cars. We were never as good as the 22 (Brad Keselowski) really, now that I think about it. We could hang with the 60 (Carl Edwards) and the 33 (Paul Menard) and the 2 (Elliott Sadler), when our car was good. With us, we were trying to fix a little bit tight in the center and we got too loose. And, then at the end we ran out of tires. We had to put ‘scuffs’ on and it cost us quite a bit of grip at the end. We couldn’t keep up with a lot of those guys. Trying to hold on for what I had — just hanging on there. I had a good time working with Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) and the 18 guys — they do a really good job. Learned a lot about the way they work and the way they do things, and things we can bring over to my team. Proud of what we learned. Just not the finish we wanted.”

RYAN TRUEX, No. 20 Schick Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 10th

How did you manage a top-10 finish after some issues early in the race?

“It seems like every race I’ve got to work my way from the back at some point. I don’t know. We came in and took fuel only and we went back out and we were just wicked loose. I thought we had a flat — a right rear flat — because the car was just evil. It was out of control and we dropped like a rock. We had to pit under green and get tires. And, then we just fell back from there. We got the wave-arounds. We got the ‘Lucky Dog.’ At the end there we were able to put tires on and run back up through the field. A top-10 is good after running — after being as far back as 25th or whatever. We had a top-five car again. I need to stop making mistakes pretty much so we can have a shot at these things.”

MICHAEL ANNETT, No. 62 Pilot Flying J Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Finishing Position: 16th

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 17th

What happened between you and Aric Almirola after today’s race?

“Really, it’s an issue that’s been building all year. He’s (Aric Almirola) run into the back of me on restarts, he wrecked me at Richmond, he walls me at Chicago. He races like it’s the last lap every time he’s around me, and I’ve had enough of it. He’s cost me a car and he continues to race like that, so I went and told him, and I just told him how I felt. I told him that Iowed him one and I told him if he’s going to continue to race like that I’m probably going to slip up and wreck him.”

What happened on the race track that led you to confront Aric Almirola?

“He (Aric Almirola) just races like, I don’t know any other better word for it than a jack you know what. He runs you tight — tighter than anybody. He tried to pass us on pit road and tried to block me from getting into my pits. It’s just an every week thing and I’m sick of it. I’m not going to put up with it anymore and that’s what I told him. Right there, he was blocking me from getting into the pits and his pit stall is way down there. He obviously has an issue with me and now I have a pretty big issue with him.”

KENNY WALLACE, No. 09 Family Farmers Toyota Camry, RAB Racing with Brack Maggard

Finishing Position: 19th

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

Finishing Position: 20th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Toyota Camry, NEMCO Motorsports

Finishing Position: 21st

- Toyota Motorsports Press Release

No. 62 Pilot Travel Centers / Flying J Toyota Camry (Michael Annett) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

St. Jude Joins Michael Annett in Kansas City: On Friday, Michael Annett will make a special announcement with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Annett, J.D. Peeples (Director of Sports Marketing for ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude) and nine-year-old St. Jude patient, Ryan Christian, will address the media in the Kansas Speedway media center at 4:05 p.m. CT on Friday afternoon.

Annett at Kansas Speedway: Saturday will be Annett’s third career attempt at Kansas Speedway. The Des Moines, Iowa native’s best finish on the Midwest oval was in last season’s 300 mile Nationwide Series event where he finished 16th. Annett’s best qualifying effort at Kansas Speedway was ninth in his first-ever race on the 1.5 mile track in his rookie season in the Nationwide Series. In the two races he’s competed in at Kansas Speedway, Annett has completed 381 of 400 laps contested (95.2 percent) and led five laps.

Rusty Wallace Racing at Kansas Speedway: Rusty Wallace Racing has nine combined Nationwide Series starts on Kansas Speedway’s 1.5-mile track. The organization’s single top-10 finish at the Kansas City oval was earned by the No. 62 team in October 2010 when they scored a ninth place finish in the Kansas Lottery 300. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have completed 1,577 of the 1,800 (87.6 percent) laps contested in those events.

Heading Home to the Heartland: Three members of Rusty Wallace Racing’s No. 62 team are Midwest natives. Driver Annett (Des Moines, Iowa), mechanic and jackman Brian Gainey (Moline, Illinois), and car chief and rear tire changer Ryan McKinney (Anderson, Indiana) all hail from states in the Midwest. Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 300 will be the Nationwide Series’ eighth race this season on a track in America’s Heartland.

Nationwide Series Points Race: Heading into the 30th of 34 races in the 2011 Nationwide Series season, Annett is seated 10th in the Nationwide Series championship point standings. He is positioned just seven markers behind ninth place Brian Scott and 11 points back from his teammate Steve Wallace in eighth with five races remaining in the 2011 season.

Cast Your Vote: Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver voting continues on NASCAR.com. Fans can cast their vote for Michael Annett once per day by visiting www.NASCAR.com/nnsmpd. Voting runs from now until November 17. The winner of the Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver award will be announced at the year-end banquet on November 21.

For the latest updates on Michael Annett, please visit www.michaelannett.com.

Talking Shop:

Crew chief Rick Viers on this weekend’s race:

“Kansas Speedway is another mile and a half track where we need to run better. We feel we have learned several things in the past two weeks, especially in the off-week, on the seven post and pull-down rig that will help our cars perform better. We hope that this helps us improve on our mile and a half program and leads us to a strong finish this weekend in Kansas City.”

Michael Annett - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Michael Annett on the race weekend:

“I like racing at Kansas, and although we’ve really struggled as an organization on mile and a half tracks, we’re looking to turn that around this weekend. I think the developments that both of our teams have made over the last few weeks will allow us to show improvement.”

“We’re excited to have a special guest from St. Jude with us this weekend, Ryan Christian. I made a visit to their hospital in Memphis on Monday, and we’ve got some exciting news to share together on Friday. St. Jude’s cause is very close to my heart, so I’m really looking forward to teaming with them through our race program.”

The Machines:

Team 62 Primary: RWR-059 - RWR’s No. 62 team most recently earned a 12th place finish at Iowa Speedway and a seventh place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with this chassis. The team has also competed with chassis 059 at Texas Motor Speedway, Nashville Superspeedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway in 2011.

Team 62 Back-Up: RWR-051 – The No. 62 Pilot Flying J team’s last race competing with this chassis was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March.

Pilot Flying J Locations on your way:

Pilot Flying J provides five convenient Pilot Travel Center and Flying J locations within a 100 mile radius of Kansas Speedway. For more information on Pilot Flying J and to map their nearest locations along your route, please visit www.pilotflyingj.com.

Flying J

I-435 Front Street

1300 N. Corrington Ave.

Kansas City, MO 64120

Pilot Travel Center

I-35 Exit 26

600 West SR 92

Kearney, MO 64060

Flying J

US Hwy 71 Exit J

700 J Hwy

Peculiar, MO 64078

Pilot Travel Center

I-70 Exit 49

6676 Highway 13

Higginsville, MO 64037

Flying J

I-35 and US 50 Exit 127

4215 West Hwy 50

Emporia, KS 66801

About Pilot Flying J:

Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 locations in North America. The company employs more than 20,000 people and is the largest retail operator of travel centers in North America. Follow Pilot Flying J on Twitter at @pilottravel.

- Rising Star Management Group Press Release