No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado (Ricky Carmichael) - Photo Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR

Event / Date: Coca-Cola 250 Powered by fred’s – October 22, 2011

Venue: Talladega Superspeedway – Talladega, Ala.

· This Week’s Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado … Ricky Carmichael will pilot chassis TMS 016 from the Turner Motorsports NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) stable in Saturday’s Coca-Cola 250 Powered by fred’s at Talladega Superspeedway. Built new last season, this is the same Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado Carmichael drove to a fifth-place finish last fall at Talladega and to an eighth-place showing in this year’s season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

· A Look Back at Las Vegas… Despite being collected in an early race incident of another driver’s making, Carmichael and his Doug George-led Monster Energy Team dug deep and came away from last Saturday’s Smith’s 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with an admirable 12th-place finish. While the damage to his Turner Motorsports-prepared entry was substantial, George made the executive decision to not have his driver take the truck to the garage area for repairs but to assess and fix the machine on pit road. The plan paid off in spades and after multiple trips to the service lane, courtesy of an inordinate amount of yellow flags, Carmichael turned in an exceptionally respectable finish. At the same time, the Tallahassee, Fla., resident moved inside the top 15 of the NCWTS driver point standings. Immediately following the Truck Series race, Carmichael headed for Sam Boyd Stadium where he worked the broadcast booth for SPEED’s live coverage of the inaugural Monster Energy Cup where Monster Energy rider Ryan Villapoto dominated the event and took home a cool $1 million in prize money.

· Talladega Totals … Carmichael has two NCWTS starts at Talladega Superspeedway and calls a fifth-place finish a career-best at the gargantuan 2.66-mile Alabama race course. He’s earned an 11th-place starting average, a 12.5 average finish and completed 188 of the 193 total laps run (97 percent) over both races.

· In a Nutshell … The 2011 season marks Carmichael’s second year competing on a full-time basis and third overall in the NCWTS. Since making his series debut 64 races ago, he has gone on to earn three top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. Over those same 64 races, the motocross legend has logged a 15.0 average start, a 16.9 average finish, led 39 laps, completed 91.6 percent of the laps run and earned just over of $817,000 in purse money.

· A Busy Week … Following last week’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Carmichael headed to California on Sunday morning where he’s spending the week visiting sponsors Monster Energy, Fox and Oakley.

· Turner Truck Totals … In 21 NCWTS races in 2011, TMS entries have earned 11 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes. James Buescher leads the way with 17 top 10s and is third in points. With the exception of Martinsville, Chicagoland and Las Vegas, Buescher has finished inside the top 10 in every race in which he has competed in the division this season. Carmichael has logged five top 10s and is 15th in the standings. Blake Feese finished fourth and Ryan Newman was fifth in Atlanta. Mark Martin finished seventh in the No. 32 machine at Pocono while Brad Sweet drove the same truck for the first eight races of the year, logging a pair of top-10 results.

· Get to the Point(s) … Carmichael jumped from 16th to 15th in the NCWTS driver point standings after finishing 12th last weekend in Las Vegas and is currently just four points behind 14th-place Justin Lofton. Buescher trails current point leader Austin Dillon by seven points and is only two markers behind second-place Johnny Sauter. While Blake Feese has made just six starts in 2011, the No. 32 machine is assured a spot on the starting grid by virtue of being 16th in the NCWTS owner point standings.

· Stars Fell On … JR Norris, truck chief for the No. 4 Monster Energy Team, hails from nearby Hueytown, Ala., just an hour from Talladega. Norris, a former racer, made a name for himself in the NASCAR Auto Zone Southeast Series in 2004 by earning Rookie of the Year honors. In 2006 he claimed the series’ championship after an intense battle that came down to the final laps of the season. Norris also has three NCWTS starts to his credit, having never qualified outside the top-15 in those starts.

· Welcome Aboard … Turner Motorsports and Monster Energy are pleased to feature CVS Pharmacy on the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 4 entry this weekend at Talladega. CVS Pharmacy is the second largest pharmacy chain in the United States, with over 7,000 stores in 41 states and Puerto Rico. As the retail pharmacy division of CVS Caremark, CVS Pharmacy sells prescription drugs and a wide assortment of general merchandise, including over-the-counter drugs, beauty products and cosmetics, film and photo finishing services, seasonal merchandise, greeting cards and convenience foods through their CVS Pharmacy and Longs Drugs retail stores and online through CVS.com.

· Nationwide Notes … In 31 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011, TMS-fielded teams have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes. TMS’s No. 32 Dollar General team maintained seventh in owner’s points after Brian Vickers finished 10th last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, was seventh in the final rundown last week and jumped from fifth to fourth in the driver point standings. Jason Leffler was credited with 11th in Charlotte and held on to sixth in points. The drivers and teams of the NASCAR Nationwide Series enjoy the next two weekends off before returning to the track the first weekend in November at Texas Motor Speedway. ESPN2’s live coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge will be televised on Saturday, Nov. 5 beginning at noon Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Qualifying for Round 32 of the 2011 Nationwide Series Championship will be televised live on SPEED Friday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. EDT.

· See the Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado … Carmichael’s No. 4 Monster Energy Chevy show truck will make three stops this week in the Talladega area. On Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m., the Monster Energy Silverado will visit CVS Pharmacy located at 1535 Decatur Highway in Fultondale, Ala. On Thursday, Carmichael’s race truck will CVS in Moody, Ala. – 2828 Moody Parkway – also from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. The truck will make its third and final pit stop of the week in Birmingham on Friday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the CVS located at the intersection of Highway 280 and Valleydale Road.

· Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Coca-Cola 250 Powered by fred’s will take the green flag Saturday, Oct. 22 beginning at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The race will be televised live on SPEED and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Qualifying for Round 22 of the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship will be televised on SPEED Friday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. EDT.

Ricky Carmichael - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Talk about this weekend’s race at Talladega.

“I’m always excited when we go to restrictor-plate races. We’re taking the same truck we raced at Daytona in the first race of the season. It’s a very fast truck so everyone will have a little extra pep in their step this weekend. We had a great finish with the Monster Energy Chevy last fall at Talladega and given how we ran at Daytona, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be as good, if not better, than we were in the season opener.”

How is Talladega different from Daytona?

“Daytona is more of a driver’s track than Talladega is. The race track is quite a bit narrower than Talladega but this race always produces great side-by-side racing and a lot of passing. The fans are going to be on the edge of their seats from the drop of the green until the checkered flag. We’ve made some good ground in the points over the last two races and that’s what we’re looking to do this weekend, as well. We’ve been working hard to break into the top five all year and we’re in great position to do just that this weekend. ”

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega
Thursday, October 20th

7:45 AM             NSCS EFI TEST HAULERS ENTER
8:15 AM             NCWTS HAULERS ENTER
8:30 AM             NSCS EFI TEST GARAGE OPENS
10:00 AM 4:00 PM    NSCS EFI TEST SESSION
12:30 PM            NCWTS REGISTRATION OPENS
1:00 PM             NCWTS GARAGE OPENS
5:00 PM             NSCS EFI TEST GARAGE CLOSES
5:00 PM             NCWTS REGISTRATION CLOSE
7:00 PM             NCWTS GARAGE CLOSES
7:00 PM             NSCS HAULERS ENTER 

Friday, October 21st

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

Saturday, October 22nd

6:00 AM             NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM             NCWTS REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM 10:00 AM    NSCS Autograph Session
9:45 AM             TRACK SERVICES MEETING
10:00 AM            NCWTS GARAGE OPENS
10:00 AM 1:30 PM    NCWTS Minor’s Admitted into Garage Area*
10:30 AM            NCWTS SPOTTERS MEETING( GARAGE)
10:45 AM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT **
11:00 AM            NCWTS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (GARAGE )
11:15 AM (12:15 PM) NSCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS) IMPOUND
1:00 PM             TRACK SERVICES MEETING-PIT ROAD
2:00 PM 2:30 PM     TV EXHIBITION RUN
2:30 PM             NCWTS DRIVER INTRODUCTION-SECURITY CLEAR PIT ROAD
3:00 PM             NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES
3:00 PM (4:00 PM)   NCWTS RACE (94 LAPS, 250.04  MILES)
3:30 PM             NCWTS  REGISTRATION CLOSES 

Sunday, October 23rd

9:00 AM             NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM 11:30 AM    NSCS Minor’s Admitted into Garage Area*
9:00 AM 9:30 AM     NASCAR Pace Car Rides
9:30 AM 11:00 AM    Talladega Superspeedway Pace Car Rides
9:30 AM             TRACK SERVICES MEETING
10:15 AM            NSCS SPOTTERS MEETING
11:00 AM            NSCS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (NSCS GARAGE AREA)
12:00 PM            NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** UNTIL ONE HOUR AFTER RACE
12:30 PM            NSCS DRIVERS INTRODUCTION- SECURITY CLEAR PIT ROAD
1:00 PM (2:00 PM)   NSCS RACE (188 LAPS, 500 MILES)
1:30 PM             NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES
                    *With Proper Credentials
(EASTERN)

ALL TIMES ARE LISTED IN LOCAL / CENTRAL TIME ZONE
TENTATIVE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

TALLADEGA, Ala. –

“Fans that renew their frontstretch tickets can rest assured they will be getting the lowest prices Talladega Superspeedway will offer in those sections,” said Talladega Superspeedway Chairman Grant Lynch. “Also, race fans that purchase new tickets early in the on-sale process will get better prices than fans that wait until the last minute to buy. We are committing the best prices to the race fans that commit early to attending our race weekends.”

Current customers will begin receiving their renewal packets to the Talladega 500 as early as this week and must renew by May 20^th to ensure the lowest prices available.

Payment plans using a credit or debit card can be arranged for fans that want to lock in the lower price points but spread their payments out. Talladega offers a monthly installment plan and a 50/50 plan with half due at purchase and the remaining balance due on August 15^th.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 1.

The lowest prices available to non-renewal customers will be offered the entire month of July. After July, ticket prices in all Tower sections at Talladega Superspeedway will increase in increments until race time. This means that fans that purchase tickets during the month of July have the opportunity to save as much as $20 per ticket over a fan that waits until race week to buy. Renewal customers have the potential to save even more per ticket.

Talladega Superspeedway continues to offer the best deal in all of motorsports with a two-day Allison Grandstand seat for only $49 with kids 12 and under admitted free with a paid adult. As always, Talladega Superspeedway offers more than 300 acres of free camping in several on-property campgrounds.

For more information on tickets to Talladega Superspeedway, please call the Talladega Superspeedway Ticket Office at 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit them online at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

- Talladega Superspeedway, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

TALLADEGA TALES:

NATIONWIDE AT NASHVILLE: Camry drivers Logano (April) and Busch (June) earned a pair of Gibson guitar NNS trophies at Nashville Superspeedway in 2009. In addition to his win at the track, Logano has two pole positions at the 1.33- mile concrete oval — one last spring and another in June 2008. Busch started from the pole in April 2008.

TUNDRAS IN TUNE TOWN: Toyota drivers have five victories in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) at Nashville, including a sweep of last season’s races. A year ago, Busch picked up a first-place trophy in the spring race and Todd Bodine was first to the checkered flag in the summer event. David Reutimann (2005) and Johnny Benson (2006 and 2008) also have NCWTS wins in the ‘Music City.’

HAMLIN’S CHARITY RACE: Toyota driver Denny Hamlin will host his ‘Short Track Showdown’ at Virginia’s Richmond International Speedway next Thursday, April 28. Among the NSCS drivers who will join Hamlin in the race are Busch, Kasey Kahne, Logano and Michael Waltrip. The charity event, which will benefit the Denny Hamlin Foundation, will begin immediately following the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) event at the three-quarter-mile race track. Toyota will sponsor the Fan Zone at the Hamlin ‘Short Track Showdown.’

REVOLUTION RUNDOWN: Revolution Racing’s Sergio Pena earned his first career victory in last Sunday’s weather- delayed NKNPE event at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway. The win was the third in the last 12 races for a Drive for Diversity (D4D) driver, and the first East win since the team began utilizing Toyotas during the off-season.

NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS):

Since the start of the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for one victory, five top-five results, 14 top-10 finishes and have led 704 laps … After eight races, Kyle Busch is sixth in the NSCS point standings, trailing leader Carl Edwards by 38 points … Denny Hamlin (17th), Kasey Kahne (18th) and Martin Truex Jr. (19th) are also in the top-20 in the standings … The NSCS takes this weekend off, before returning to action Sat., April 30 at Virginia’s Richmond International Raceway … Camry driver Bobby Labonte will host and participate in the Bobby Labonte Foundation ‘Share the Road Memorial Ride’ to benefit the Bikes Belong Foundation and Habitat for Humanity … The charity ride will take place Sat., April 23, beginning in Archdale, N.C., with 25 and 50 mile routes through Randolph County .

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Kingsford Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing

What led you to host a bike ride for charity? “We wanted to have an event to benefit the community and at the same time bring awareness to the need for motorists and cyclists to share the road responsibly. This gives cyclists a chance to come together to pay tribute to their friends and fellow cyclists. Cycling is something I am very passionate about. We’re expecting around 250 riders on Saturday. It will be a really special day for all of us.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What does it mean to host a charity race in your hometown? “It’s good because there are so many hometown fans and race fans I know in that area that when a Cup race is on Saturday night, but their local short track is on the Saturday night — they’re there watching the local heroes. For me, I know the hardcore fans are right there in the Richmond-area and that’s why I know we’ll have a great turnout and raise a lot of money.”

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS):

Since the start of the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for four wins, eight top-five results, 18 top-10 finishes and have led 657 laps … Brian Scott (eighth, -27 points) is the top Toyota driver in the NNS point standings … Kenny Wallace (ninth), Joe Nemechek (10th), Michael Annett (12th) and Steve Wallace (13th) are also in the top-15 in the standings … Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) will run the No. 64 Camry in a partial schedule this year, beginning with David Reutimann at Nashville … David Stremme and Jason Bowles will also share time in the RWR No. 64 … Race fans can put their name on a special ‘fan car’ to be run by K. Wallace later this season (Charlotte, Oct. 14) by logging onto kennywallace.com and donating $20.

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

Do you enjoy racing at Nashville? “The race track is real finicky. It’s a fun place. It’s a 1.33-mile, and yet it feels more like a short track almost. You got real long straightaways, real fast speeds and you get down in the corner and you have to use a lot of brake, but yet there’s a lot of grip because of the concrete surface and the tire that Goodyear brings there. With the Trucks and the Nationwide cars being there on the same weekend, I like it because it gives you a little bit — it’s kind of like a Nationwide-Cup weekend. It gives you a little bit more track time, kind of gives you maybe a little bit of an advantage. I enjoy the back and forth stuff. And, Nashville being a standalone non-Cup weekend, seems to be a little bit more relaxing and a little bit easier.”

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

Do you feel you can be successful at Nashville? “This particular race track — an all concrete track — has been good to me. I have a couple second-place finishes over the years, of course I haven’t run great there the last three or four years, but I truly am looking forward to going to Nashville and finishing in the top-five. I am excited about it — I love the race track. It’s a beautiful facility with easy access to the interstate. There’s not a lot of drama — you’re in and out. I would really like to see the grandstands a little bit fuller this time so we can keep racing there.”

Is the April race at Nashville different than the summer race? “They’re all a little different. What happens is you go early in the year when everything is a little bit cooler and then what happens is all the race tracks, kind of like your yard at home, heat sinks in and the grass starts burning up, so the second time we go to the race tracks, it’s really warm. Just because you ran well the first time doesn’t mean you’re going to run well the second time. You always come the second time prepared for something different.”

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 64 Toyota Camry, Rusty Wallace Racing

Why are you going to race this weekend instead of taking time off? “We’re going to go and run the Nationwide race. No sense in having an off-weekend. When you enjoy racing there is nothing better. The opportunity just kind of looked like it presented itself where we could go and run Nashville. I really, really like Nashville a lot. That’s one of my favorite race tracks, so hopefully we’ll be able to go there and have the possibility of doing well.”

How did the opportunity to race this weekend come about? “Rusty (Wallace) gave me a call and asked if I would be interested in maybe doing something, and I was like, ‘Yeah.’ Heck, to drive for Rusty Wallace would be a cool opportunity. It’s a pretty cool opportunity that he’s given us and they’re going to take a third car and do a little experimenting on the thing. Just trying some different setups and stuff like that and hopefully be able to make all of the cars better. Not that I’m going to have anything to do with that — they are just letting me drive.”

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS):

Since the start of the 2011 NCWTS season, Tundra drivers have registered three wins, eight top-five results, 13 top-10 finishes and have led 291 laps … Six Toyota drivers are currently in the top-15 in the NCWTS points after four of 25 races — Timothy Peters (third, -7 points), Todd Bodine (eighth), Max Papis (ninth), Miguel Paludo (10th), Brendan Gaughan (13th) and Craig Goess Jr. (15th) … Nine-year-old Spring Hill, Tenn.- native Dalton Griffin will be ‘Riding Shotgun with Kyle Busch Motorsports’ after submitting an essay about receiving his first trophy from the Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby in his third year competing … Griffin’s photo and name will be visible on the passenger side of the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra piloted by Busch.

TODD BODINE, No. 30 Germain.com Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing

Is Nashville Superspeedway similar to any other race track? “The surface, the banking and the corners all separate Nashville from the other intermediate tracks. The concrete racing surface is the single biggest difference from the other 1.5-mile tracks — they are all asphalt. The concrete doesn’t change from day to night as much or throughout the race as rubber gets put down on it. What that means is the better you can get your Tundra handling in practice, the more consistent it will be in the race.”

BRENDAN GAUGHAN, No. 62 South Point Hotel & Casino Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing

Do you enjoy racing at Nashville? “Nashville’s always been a good track for me going back to my earliest days in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. I’ve rarely had a bad race at the track. Nashville is the start of us being back to tracks that are good for me and for Germain Racing. I like the concrete surface and banking at Nashville — it suits my driving style. It’s a fast track. I like rolling the corners and driving into the corners real hard. We’re coming into a stretch of tracks where I kind of look at them and see the string of bigger tracks that I feel as a driver I am better at than other places.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway

TALLADEGA, Ala. –

The weekend was highlighted by the Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, which featured a record-tying 88 passes as well as an amazing four-wide finish involving a pack of eight cars.

It took video replays to conclude that Jimmie Johnson had nipped Clint Bowyer for the victory by 0.002 seconds, matching the closest margin of victory since NASCAR began using electronic timing.

“When you’re four wide coming across the finish line, that’s a pretty good race,” Johnson said. “There was just so much going on at the end of that thing coming to the stripe.

Employing the two-car tandems that have become popular this year in restrictor-plate racing, the final lap appeared to be a showdown between Bowyer, who was being pushed by Kevin Harvick, and Jeff Gordon, who was being pushed by Mark Martin.

But as that group came out of turn four and entered the trioval, Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. dipped down to the low side and barely squeezed past the Gordon-Martin combo. Meanwhile, just before the pack reached the finish line, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle got into the mix on the high side near the wall, and all eight cars roared across the line within a fraction of a second of each other.

“If you didn’t like that finish, you’re crazy,” Bowyer said. “That was an unbelievable finish. I hope people enjoyed it, because it looked pretty wild through the windshield.”

Kyle Busch had a wild view through his windshield the day before, as he capped a pass-happy race in the Aaron’s 312 with a tight squeeze through a pack of cars to emerge with his 47th career NASCAR Nationwide Series victory.

Busch motored to the lead on the final lap by using a strong push from Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Joey Logano to create a new lane down the middle of the backstretch, cutting between cars on either side and barely squeezing through the narrow gap.

“I saw daylight, and I said if I can see daylight I’m shooting for it,” Busch said. “I knew that was it, that it was the only opportunity I’d have. Somehow we made it through there.

“I didn’t think it was wide enough for a car to fit through, but I certainly made it wide enough. I closed my eyes and held my foot to the floor and prayed for the best.”

There were 56 lead changes among 18 drivers in the race, smashing the old record of 36 for the most passes in a Nationwide race.

“It was definitely intense,” said 47-year-old Joe Nemechek, who finished third. “My heart is still beating fast and my head is really spinning. But it was really fun. I had a blast.”

The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards began the weekend’s racing action Saturday morning with the 3 Amigos 250. That race set the tone for the weekend by also having a daring last-lap pass for the victory.

This time it was 19-year-old Ty Dillon who made the winning move. Dillon stayed tucked behind ARCA veteran Frank Kimmel at the bottom of the track throughout most of the final lap, but at the last possible moment he shot to the high side and used an old-fashioned slingshot move to slip past Kimmel at the finish line.

“That looked like a classic Dale Earnhardt move on the last lap at the right time,” said Dillon’s grandfather, Richard Childress, who was Earnhardt’s longtime car owner. “You can have a good car, but you have to know what to do with it, and he does. He puts a lot of work and effort into it.”

Dillon said the victory, which was his third in only five career ARCA starts, was special because it occurred at Talladega Superspeedway.

“This is awesome,” Dillon said. “I always went to Talladega as a kid. I’ve always loved to see how they race, the big packs and the wild finishes. To have my own wild finish and to win at Talladega is really cool.”

For more information on Talladega Superspeedway, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

- Talladega Superspeedway, Press Release

Granny Grump

Friday we were suppose to enjoy the televised ARCA race there, but the bad weather just switched that up in a big way. Know what I mean? So the schedulers moved that race to Saturday makin’ that day a two race long viewin’ day for us all. I rather liked it that way except I was cookin’ so early in the mornin’, but a granny’s got to do what a granny’s got to do. So, I fired up the stove and cooked up a big pot of deep fried chicken liver nuggets (Duck likes his with Ranch dressin’), then used the same hot pot of lard to cook up some battered okra, made some buttered up popcorn, of course, and we drank some “aged” plum cider. The cider wasn’t my particular first taste choice for the day, but, I thought it might work well to keep Duck calmer if you know who didn’t you know what. And he didn’t and Duck was. Know what I mean?

So Saturday mornin’ Duck and I settled in for a long race viewin’ day. Now bein’s that I am a very busy woman I don’t always have time to watch those ARCA races, but, there’s a few young’uns in that series includin’ a couple of girls that I like to keep an eye on from time to time. Ty Dillon is one of ‘em and that Brandon McReynolds is another to name 2. Ty had the pole spot, Brandon started 6th and one of those girls, Maryeve Dufault had raced her way in to the 3rd startin’ spot but failed post qualifyin’ inspection and wound up in the back of the pack in the 39th startin’ spot. Sad for that pretty young’un, I say.

As you all may know and if ya don’t you will now, Ty Dillon is Richard Childress’ grandson and Brandon McReynolds is Larry’s son. They are both little cuties to my way of thinkin’, I can tell ya that much right now. I can’t spend too much time on this event, but, Ty started on the pole and won the race. He and Brandon worked together quite a bit, which brought some long time family ties together once again and that was very pleasin’ to this granny. 9 time champ Frank Kimmel finished 2nd after startin’ 22nd and that cute little Brandon finished 25th one lap down. Pretty Maryeve Dufault came in 12th after her disappointin’ failure of post qualifyin’ inspection. Good for Ty and Frank, I say! You can look up the rest. Know what I mean.

Now on to the same day Nationwide race. I was lookin’ forward to the event even though Duck had a bit of the burps again. I made him ease up on the liver nuggets about half through the ARCA race cause I wasn’t sure if the burps would turn to somethin’ uglier. Know what I mean? He was all excitied to watch his idol Flippin’ Carl compete in another 2 race weekend. KHI had the top 2 spots for the race. Cutie curly headed Elliott Sadler was on the pole and Clint bowyer had the outside. JR, Jamie McMurray and that amazin’ Trevor Bayne rounded out the top 5 startin’ spots. Flippin’ Carl started in the 6th spot for those of you who care how optimistic Duck was when the race started and he was, more or less. The Nationwide drivers didn’t really know what to expect what with these new cars and all, but, they learned in rapid fashion let me tell you that one somethin’ right now. It wound up bein’ the return of the draftin’ duets for certain. Oh my good and gracious LORD is was excitin’. Duck and I were up more than down if ya know what I mean.

Now just to set the record straight right up front here, I didn’t say I like this kind of racin’, I’m just sayin’ it was excitin’. Course Talladega is known for the “big one” and it came with pert near 30 laps to go. 16 cars were all tangled up but that wasn’t the end of the excitement. Nosirree. I can’t even remember anymore who was where with who in the last 10 laps cause it was changin’ quicker that you could grasp. I do know that Mike Wallace and Joe Nemechek were hooked up and in the lead with 2 laps to go showin’ that at least this type of racin’ can offer some of the underdogs a shot at amazin’ results, but, sadly for them they got separated and on the last lap Mike rolled and Flippin’ Carl wrecked, as well. Thank our good and gracious Lord, it happened so fast that I don’t think Duck realized what was happenin’ until the race was over and both divers were ok. I think Duck may have had too much cider, but, that’s neither here nor there. Anyway, Boy Howdy Rowdy who was involved in that wreck fest back on lap 87 shot to the front with a push from JR and won that race. I’m tellin’ ya one somethin’ right now, that boy could slip in a slick and pop up a dancin’. Know what I mean? Anyway, wide smilin’ Logano, Joe Nemechek, Keselowsi and curly locks Sadler rounded out the top 5. For those of you who are JR fans, he finished 8th and flippin’ Carl finished 17th but on the lead lap in spite of his racin’ woes. The rest you can look up. Excitin’? 100% Yessirree! Best kind of racin’ for viewin’ pleasure? Well you be the judge.

The weather held and Duck and I got ready for the Cup race Sunday. Duck woke up with a headache, but, acceptin’ of his idol’s previous day’s fate. We just had left over food and drink. It worked rather well for the previous day so why mess with success? Know what I mean? But, that’s neither here nor there. We piled on the divan with our food on the crates and I put us at each end in case the burps started again and we cheered and quacked as the green flag flew.

This was a Hendrick start. Jeffie and same champ Jimmie started 1 and 2 with Mark and JR in the 3rd and 4th startin’ spots. As the previous day’s event showed, we knew what to expect as far as the draftin’ duets, and that it was. The lead was changin’ faster than Duck and I could keep up with. With every lap we were expectin’ the big one. I can tell ya that much right now. Oh the pairin’ seemed to work all too well. If memory serves me right, and who knows when we’re talkin’ about a granny, there were 57 lead changes and 6 or so cautions. It was just too much for this granny to keep up with and Duck was no help, neither. The burps arrived before midway through the race so I tried to keep my divan distance and concentrate as much as the race confusion allowed, but, my head was spinnin’ from the action. Somewhere around lap 140 the “big ‘un” happened. I believe some 12 cars were involved. Thank our good and gracious LORD, no one was hurt, but it ended some hopes for the day. I can tell ya that much right now. The up front jostlin’ was constant. There was Harvick, Bowyer, McMurray, Blaney, Truex, Bayne, Rowdy and David Ragan to name some who held the lead at one point or another. While it was excitin’ to watch it had to be exhaustin’ and frustratin’ to the drivers. In the end only one lap counts and that’s the final one as we all understand. Same champ Jimmie pulled that one off BARELY with the help of teammate JR. GOOD for him, I say. And I mean that. Anyone that can pull a win off in that kind of race however they do it deserves an atta boy! That was one of them photo finishes right there. Looked like a mere inch or 2 that separated same champ from Bowyer. LORD have mercy that is a nerve wrackin’ place for viewin’ so I can only imagine what those drivers go through lap after lap. Anyway, Jimmie won followed by Bowyer, Jeffie, JR and Kevin Harvick. Flipper finished 6th which made Duck happier than the day before and I was the one with the headache at the end. Jimmie gave JR the checkered flag, nice gesture that it was and the celebrations began while I cleaned up the crate, the floor and the divan. You can look up the rest and you know what I mean.

Now for the other stuff before I see what Cousin Grouch has to say. She was at Talladega, lucky cousin that she is.

I still remain confused as to why the Daytona Dudes choose to relegate those drivers to that type of competition at Talladega and Daytona. Course I understand the safety this and that chatter and that is needed. I know that, but, the drivers don’t like it. They haven’t liked restrictor plate racin’ for years. And now with these made up cars and such the field looks like the Noah’s Ark racin’ at Daytona. You can only fix somethin’ that ain’t broke so many times before ya can’t get back to where it was to begin with. I guess that is what they’re aimin’ at, but, they ain’t doin’ the drivin’. Know what I mean?

And now I want to talk about JR. I am a big fan of his and I admit it up front. I just know as certain as this granny can be that he will win this year and I can’t wait. The road out front of my place is just made for dancin’ and dance out there I will when he celebrates in Victory Lane. But this week he showed what a teammate and an owner is made of. He worked with Aric Almirola a lot in the Saturday race and he pushed same champ Jimmie around all day Sunday. Now, you know that boy is winnin’ hungry but he worked for the good of both teams and good, good, good for him I say! I am proud of him for stickin’ it out and not desertin’ the post he chose. Next week, though, go for it JR, honey. Granny’s awaitin’ just like all your other millions of fans.

That’s it for now. Bring it on Grouch.
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Granny Grouch

Movin’ on to the Sprint Cup race. There were only six caution flags in this race but there were some pretty interestin’ saves (that’s where they didn’t tear up the equipment) in this one. How about that Ryan “RocketMan” Newman? He saved his car TWICE. I think he might know a thing or two about drivin’ a race car hisself, don’t you? Remember he’s got hisself all that open wheel trainin’ behind him. Then “Mr. Handsome Blue Eyes” in the number 4 car for Red Bull decided he was gonna start a fire and roast marshmellows, I’m guessin’. Somebody please tell him that he can’t do that until after the race in the motor home parkin’ lot! I’m just thankful that everyone was able to walk away from the wrecks, as I am every week, of course, aren’t you? Well, I must confess that I was NOT a happy camper, with the outcome of this race, so now I can truly say that I know how Duck feels when his driver don’t win either (sorry to bring this up Granny but just don’t let him read this article and everthin’ will be fine! Come to think of it, can Duck read? Oh well, I guess that’s neither here nor there! Bubba hasn’t had too much to say about the racin’. I’m thinkin’ he might be getting’ bored with it or just plain sick of the announcers in that there broadcastin’ booth. He says they don’t have a clue as to what they’re talkin’ about most of the time, accordin’ to him, they don’t even know who is drivin’ which car! Oh Lord, help me, I guess I could try watchin’ it out in the barn and seein’ if he’s a missin’ me – - – fat chance of that happenin’! That’s all I have for y’all for this week. Next week we will be at Nashville Superspeedway for the Nationwide and Truck Series only, Sprint Cup Series has the weekend off. Join us next week for a full report from Nashville, have an awesome week everybody! For those of you in the Carolinas, our thoughts and prayers are with you during this wicked weather that y’all are experiencing, darlin’s. Cousin Grouch over and out!
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Well thank ya again, cousin for your excellent writin’s. Good job there! I want us all to send our thoughts and prayers out to all those people affected but the terrible weather down south and for the wild fires in Texas.

So there you have it from the 2 grannies. Comment, email or don’t. Either way is just fine cause we’re very busy women. Til next time Grump and Grouch over and out.

2011 NSCS Dave Blaney - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

The No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet took the green flag of the Aaron’s 499 from the 35th position. Crew chief Tommy Baldwin joined spotter Carl Miller on the spotter stand and ran teammate strategy throughout the race while Miller handled typical spotting duties. During the first 100 laps, Blaney teamed up with Kevin Harvick and ran toward the back to avoid incidents. The pair practiced strategy and experimented with switching the leader of the duo while teamed up in the back.

By lap 100 of the 188-scheduled laps, Blaney took the lead in the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet for the first of six times. The final 88 laps of the Aaron’s 499 were filled with excitement as Golden Corral and American families saw the chance of the “Top-10 Kids Eat Free” promotion, in which Golden Corral would give a free kids buffet with a paying adult on Monday, April 18th.

Blaney spent the remaining laps jostling for position within the top-10. He worked with Harvick until a lap-144 restart when Harvick teamed up with his teammate and the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet paired with Regan Smith. Showing the car’s speed and his driving prowess, Blaney drove back to the lead with Smith pushing closely behind. The Buckeye Bullet came over the radio and proclaimed he had a fast racecar with someone fast pushing him.

TBR found another dancing partner in Kurt Busch and rocketed to the lead on lap 180. Knowing the leader is usually steamrolled in the final laps, the new pairing fell back to the 13th spot and positioned to go after the win. Going into turn four with four laps to go, Busch pushed Blaney as the No. 36 approached traffic, and the Golden Corral Chevrolet spun coming off of turn four. Blaney quickly recovered without damage but fell back to the last car on the lead lap. With the spin and continued green-flag racing, Blaney drove to a 27th-place finish.

Adding to the disappointing finish, the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet fell back to 37th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Owner Standings, 12 points outside of the top-35.

“It could have been a great day for us,” explained Blaney. “Contending for the lead felt great. We had a really fast car, especially when we had a fast guy behind us. It’s disappointing that we missed out on a great points day and finish for Golden Corral. But, I am really happy for this TBR team. I think we really showed that we can contend for the win. It was really disappointing to not have the finish to show for it, but leading the second most laps and being there near the end was very exciting.”

Blaney and the TBR team will return to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) action following an off-weekend. The No. 36 TBR Chevrolet will compete at Richmond International Raceway for the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 on Saturday, April 30th.

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:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin formed Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2009. Baldwin utilized a slumping economy to open a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team for a fraction of the cost. 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 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet. Looking to improve on-track performance and increase the number of races they complete, TBR is still seeking partners to support their racing efforts. 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

Andy Lally Drafting with Michael Waltrip at 'Dega

Talladega, AL, (April 17, 2011) -

Lally, being a rookie, knew going into Talladega that it would be a challenge to negotiate with his fellow competitors to be drafting partners around the superspeedway. That fact appeared early when he could not arrange for a dance partner and went down a lap. The persistence of the team, led by crew chief Doug Richert, was able to keep Lally in a position to get his lap back and earn the respect from some of his competitors. With 37 laps to go Lally was able to hook-up with Terry Labonte and ran up into the top 10. A late race caution and the constant shuffling of the field put the Northport, New York native in 19^th at the wave of the checker. The finish is the best NASCAR Sprint Cup series result for Lally this season date.

“Every restart that I faced I felt like the kid in elementary school that gets picked last for the kickball game,” Lally said. “I am the only rookie in the series this year, no teammates and not a lot of these guys know me at all. It is inevitable that when the green flag drops the guys who know each other for years and have raced together for years end up working together. That leaves me the odd guy out. We fought and clawed our way through the deal and tried to stay with anyone that we could. It kept working out. Things went alright. We were able to get the Lucky Dog and got back on the lead lap. Doug did a good job working the strategy with the wave around in the middle race. I was working well with my spotter today. He helped keep me informed and clean all race. The team worked together really well this weekend.

I got hooked up with Terry and we were fast together. I did my fastest lap of the race with about 25 to go. I was running off the rev-limiter. Unfortunately Terry overheated and blew-up and that left me without a drafting partner. When Montoya had his problem that left Jamie McMurray without a partner, he was nice enough to stay with a rookie and push me across the finish line. I thought that was cool.”

Kevin Buckler, team owner, was proud of his team today.

“What a great day for the team,” Buckler said. “It is our second race with Ford equipment and the first with Doug on the box and Andy did a great job. It is tough for a rookie to get the help in drafting from the veterans. You have to earn their respect and I think Andy did some of that today. We got down a lap early, but were able to manage the strategy and get him back on the lead lap. He got a taste of running at both ends of the field in a restrictor plate race and he kept his cool. There is not a scratch on the car. I think our partners at Interstate Moving Services were on the edge of their chair. On top of everything we learned it was a big and important points day for us. We really need this next week off so we can catch up on building up our Ford fleet.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will take next weekend and then travel to Richmond International Raceway for the Crown Royal 400 to be run April 30.

Interstate Worldwide Relocation Services is part of the Interstate family of companies encompassing a worldwide group of relocation management, transportation and logistics management solutions serving government, corporate, and individual clients. Interstate Worldwide is a $100+ million enterprise employing more than 300 people, maintaining a fleet of over 300 vehicles, and consisting of over 1,500 global service partners. Interstate Worldwide distinguishes itself with key industry certifications, including ISO 9001:2008, FAIM-ISO for International business, and numerous industry awards. For more information, visit www.InterstateWorldwide.com or contact Emily.Richards@Invan.com.

TRG would like to thank associate sponsors TIFCO Industries, Super Eco-Fuel Saver, Stone Harbor Investment Partners, HPT, Guardian Angel Motorsports, ACG Motorsports, Savory Thymes.com, and Adobe Road Winery for their support.

TRG is a full-service motorsports company offering a total driver ladder approach, as well as comprehensive sponsorship and business opportunities. For drivers, this approach starts with track days, goes to club events, up into street stock series and culminates in the ultimate goal of professional motorsports. For sponsors and business partners, this method starts with everything from executive events, to traditional sponsorship models, all the way to comprehensive business-to-business opportunities and experiential marketing. With facilities in Petaluma, California and Mooresville, North Carolina the team can offer turn-key marketing programs as well as arrive-and-drive support.

The company’s NASCAR operations are headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry and has the capacity to run ARCA, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series.

The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of motor racing. The team boasts Rolex Series GT championships in 2005 and 2006 and holds the record for the most wins in Grand-Am with 32. The team’s resume is highlighted by five championships, four Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona victories, and a Le Mans 24 Hour win.

- TRG Motorsports, Press Release

Wood Brothers Racing's Trevor Bayne Get Caught Up in Accident at 'Dega

Because the race was an impound event, Bayne had to give up his 11th starting position and start in the rear after his team made an adjustment to his brakes after qualifying. But he hooked up with fellow Ford driver Greg Biffle and drove the No. 21 Ford Fusion straight to the front.

Bayne, using the two-car tandem draft, pushed Biffle into the lead for the first time on Lap 25. The two swapped places and Bayne led for the first time at Lap 33. He then passed Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Lap 35 and maintained the top spot for three laps, and led again on Lap 37.

He and Biffle remained in the lead group until Lap 90 when Bayne was collected in a multi-car crash in Turn Three. Bayne, seeing the trouble ahead, slowed and drove onto the track’s apron in an effort to avoid the crash, but he was hooked by the spinning car of David Ragan, and the Good Sam Ford Fusion shot up the track and into the wall, ending the team’s run.

“That was one of the harder hits I’ve taken, just because it was so much of a frontal impact across the track, off the apron, all the way to the wall,” Bayne said after being checked out at Talladega’s infield care center.

Bayne, who wound up 40th in the finishing order, went on to say that he knew there was trouble ahead just before the crash, and radioed a warning to Biffle, who backed off immediately. But that wasn’t enough to salvage the day.

“I just saw the 2 [Brad Keselowski] get hooked at the same time the 6 [David Ragan] was on fire,” Bayne said. “He goes across the track, I saw him hit the outside wall, but then I don’t know who caught us in the right-rear and sent us.

“But I thought we were safe. I was like, ‘Man, that was close,’ and about the time I said that I was headed toward the outside wall, so not a fun ride.”

He said his car was every bit as good as it looked to those watching it up front and leading at Talladega.

“It really was,” he said. “I was excited about it, because anytime Greg and I wanted to go; we would go right to the front. We led some laps there. We hung out in the back when we wanted to.

“I thought we were kind of out of harm’s way there, but, obviously, we weren’t far enough back out of it.”

Bayne and the Wood Brothers team, who have planned a limited Sprint Cup schedule this year, will skip the next three Sprint Cup races and return to the track on May 21 at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race with sponsorship from the Good Sam Club. Bayne and the Woods are guaranteed a starting spot in the All-Star race because of their victory in the season-opening Daytona 500.

- Wood Brothers Racing, Press Release

2011 NSCS Tony Stewart - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR

Tony Stewart emerged from Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway with an undamaged racecar and a 17^th-place finish. Typically, a result like that would leave Stewart stewing, but at Talladega, where racing is a crapshoot and a driver’s result is dependent upon help from other drivers, the bar is set low.

While no one was high-fiving the top-20 effort, crew members clad in Office Depot/Mobil 1 uniforms were happy to load a straight racecar into the team transporter, something that couldn’t be said for many of their counterparts.

Certainly, a better result was the aim, and Stewart’s No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala was poised for at least a top-10 finish before race-long drafting partner David Gilliland had to let off the gas ever so slightly to avoid a spinning Dave Blaney. The hiccup broke the draft between Stewart and Gilliland, briefly losing momentum for the two and allowing Kurt Busch to suck in behind Stewart’s bumper.

The draft, however, is fickle, and Busch proved it by quickly jockeying over to push another car, which left Stewart hanging, momentarily, before Gilliland caught back up with his Talladega teammate.

The successive breaks in momentum jettisoned Stewart from a surefire top-10 effort to an ambiguous 17^th-place finish. Not great, but not bad either – especially by Talladega standards.

“This thing is a crapshoot,” said Stewart after the race. “You try to do your best and think ahead and put yourself in the right position to do what you think you need to do, and it still doesn’t work.

“But I think what we were trying to do was right, and I had the right guy pushing me. David (Gilliland) was a workhorse. He could push me all day, it seemed. And when he did, it was solid. We never really had any dramas. Obviously, we were hoping for a better result, but David finished ninth and I’m happy for him. He sure earned it.”

Stewart’s official teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), Ryan Newman, had a solid day undone by back-to-back spins incurred from inopportune bump-drafts from his Talladega teammate, Denny Hamlin. Newman led three times for six laps around the 2.66-mile oval, but wound up 25^th after having to pit multiple times to repair his No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet.

Jimmie Johnson won the Aaron’s 499 to score his 54^th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his second at Talladega.

Clint Bowyer finished .002 of a second behind Johnson in the runner-up spot to equal the closest margin of victory since NASCAR instituted electronic scoring in May 1993. The margin tied Ricky Craven’s margin of victory over Busch at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in March 2003.

Jeff Gordon finished third, while Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Gilliland and Joey Logano comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 88 lead changes among 26 drivers during the race to tie the all-time Sprint Cup record for lead changes, first set at Talladega last April. And there were six caution periods for 24 laps, with eight drivers failing to finish the 188-lap race.

With round eight of 36 complete, Newman remained seventh in the Sprint Cup championship standings. He now has 253 points and is 42 markers behind series leader Edwards. Stewart dropped two positions to 12^th in the standings. He has 240 points and is 55 points back of Edwards.

After a rare weekend off to celebrate Easter, the Sprint Cup Series returns to action April 30 with the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 7 p.m.

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

2011 NSCS Aaron's 499 Photo Finish with Jimmie Johnson Edging Out Clint Bowyer by 0.002 Seconds - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

TALLADEGA, Ala. –

Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race concluded with a pack of eight cars spread out four wide across the track, all crossing the finish line within a blink of the eye. It took video replays to conclude that Jimmie Johnson had nipped Clint Bowyer for the victory by 0.002 seconds, matching the closest margin of victory since NASCAR began using electronic timing.

The race also equaled the NASCAR record for the most passes in a race, set last year at Talladega Superspeedway. There were a total of 88 lead changes among 26 drivers.

“When you’re four wide coming across the finish line, that’s a pretty good race,” Johnson said. “There was just so much going on at the end of that thing coming to the stripe.

It originally appeared that the sprint to the finish would come down to a battle between Jeff Gordon, who was being pushed by Mark Martin, and Clint Bowyer, who was being pushed by Kevin Harvick. But as that quartet came out of turn four and entered the trioval, Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. dipped down to the low side and barely squeezed past the Gordon-Martin combo.

Meanwhile, just before the pack reached the finish line, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle got into the mix on the high side near the wall, and all eight cars roared across the line within a fraction of a second of each other. Gordon finished third, Earnhardt fourth, Harvick fifth, Edwards sixth, Biffle seventh and Martin eighth.

“If you didn’t like that finish, you’re crazy,” Bowyer said. “That was an unbelievable finish. I hope people enjoyed it, because it looked pretty wild through the windshield.”

Several drivers agreed with Bowyer’s assessment. The new two-car tandems that have become all the rage at restrictor-plate tracks have enabled cars to gain speed and make passes, something that had been more difficult during the days of pack racing.

“There is some technique required now, instead of just running wide open all the time and sitting there in a guy’s tire tracks,” Johnson said. “There’s some work and skill required. I think this racing was fun. When you have this many lead changes in a Cup race, that’s a good thing.”

The final pass occurred at the last possible moment. Gordon and Bowyer ran side by side in the middle of the track through turns three and four, enabling the Johnson-Earnhardt combo to make a late charge through the trioval.

“They were worried about racing each other and left the bottom open, and we had momentum on our side and off we went,” Johnson said.

Bowyer said he was hoping that Gordon and Martin would shift toward the bottom of the track in an effort to block Johnson, a move that Bowyer felt would have given him the victory.

“I saw them coming, and (Gordon) and I were drag racing off each other and trying to break each other’s momentum,” Bowyer said. “I was like, ‘Oh no. Block ‘em, block, ‘em.’ I knew if they had dipped down to block them, that we had the race won. But we came up just short. It’s frustrating.”

Earnhardt said he was willing to push his Hendrick Motorsports teammate to the victory because their tandem did not seem to work as well when Earnhardt’s car was in front and Johnson was doing the pushing.

“I was more comfortable pushing Jimmie. I think that way was the faster combination for us,” Earnhardt said. “When we got to the white flag (indicating one lap to go), I got on the radio and told Jimmie not to lift, no matter what.”

Johnson never did, and afterward he gave Earnhardt the checkered flag to thank him for his help in getting Johnson to Victory Lane.

“Junior was more worried about the team having a good performance than anything,” Johnson said. “We worked together all day, and in the end he was responsible for this win. I can’t thank him enough.”

For more information on Talladega Superspeedway, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

- Talladega Superspeedway, Press Release

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

+ THANKS, KURT

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Two-car packs carrying the No. 22 were Goliath. The two Red Bull Toyotas carrying Brian Vickers and Kasey Kahne were the Davids. One David took a beating; the other David got burned Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway.

After starting a season-best ninth, No. 83 driver Brian Vickers, for the fourth time in eight races, was collected in an accident that had nothing to do with him. In the early laps of the Aaron’s 499, Vickers and teammate Kasey Kahne had formed an all-Red Bull Toyota two-car pack — despite starting 22 positions apart — and that tandem was well on its way to front. “When I was with Brian before Brian got taken out, we were working pretty well together,” Kahne said. “We led laps, we were up front and everything was good and then we lost him.”

Enter the No. 22 of Kurt Busch, who on lap 28 shoved Landon Cassill’s No. 09 into Vickers’ Red Bull Toyota. Boom! The right side took a shot, broke loose, sliced back across the track and careened head-on into the outside wall along the backstretch. That was essentially it for Vickers, whose car lacked the aerodynamic shape that’s critical at NASCAR’s widest, longest and, arguably, fastest track. Hard work by the No. 83 crew got Vickers back out, but the effort proved to be futile. After the wreck, Vickers exited the track in 40th, returned in 40th, left again for a driveshaft change in 40th and rode out the remaining laps to finish 38th. He slipped two positions to 28th in the standings — 36 points out of 20th.

“I was riding around minding my own business and we just got hit in the door,” Vickers said. “It looked like Kurt got into the left rear and turned the 09, and we happened to be the unlucky victim. Again, we’ve had a really good car — ran up front, like we’ve had many times this year and we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Enter the No. 22 of Busch again on lap 90. Busch’s car tagged his teammate’s car — the No. 2 of Brad Keselowski, who went spinning near turn three and collected the No. 6 of David Ragan. Ragan, of course, was a passenger and went up into the wall, down to the apron and up the track again. Smoke was everywhere. Behind that smoke was Kahne’s No. 4 Red Bull Toyota. Kahne bounced off the No. 6 and into the grass. He proceeded to roar through the infield with his tail on fire — literally. He was eventually forced to stop near the entrance of pit road, car on fire and thick, black smoke puffing everywhere.

In true Red Bull form, the No. 4 guys got cracking and got Kahne back out. And like Vickers, he rode out the remaining laps and ended up 37th. Kahne dropped two spots in the driver standings. He’s now 51 points out of 10th. “I actually didn’t really even get in that bad of a wreck. It was more the car just got some flames in the back,” Kahne said. “I sucked up a little bit of black smoke, but that was it. I stink, too.”

+ UP NEXT:

Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400, Saturday, April 30, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va.

- Red Bull Racing Team, Press Release

Jimmie Johnson climbs out of the No.48 Lowe's Chevrolet in victory lane after winning the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

With eight races in the 2011 season record books, Johnson now sits second in the standings just five points out of the lead. He led four times during the day for a total of 14 laps after starting second.

Team Chevy drivers swept the top-five finishing positions in the second superspeedway race of the season.

Clint Bowyer, No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet, who led a race high 15 times for 38 laps, finished second by a mere 0.0002 seconds. In a virtual drag race to the checkered flag, Bowyer claimed his second runner-up finish in his past three races with and scored the win here in October, 2010.

Bowyer jumped two positions in the top-12 standings to 10th place.

After claiming the top-four positions in qualifying Hendrick Motorsports claimed three of the top-five finishing positions and four of the top-10 at the end of the 188-lap/500-mile race.

Pole sitter Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet, finished third and is 13th in the standings, just six points out of the top-12 Chase contenders. The four-time NSCS champion led three times for a total of nine laps.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet finished fourth and jumped three spots in the points to third place. To the thrill of the crowd, he led 11 laps during his four times at the point.

Richard Childress Racing’s strong showing continued with Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, who finished fifth. Harvick led five times for nine laps and now sits fifth in the standings.

Mark Martin, No. 5 CARQUEST/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, finished eighth to give Team Chevy six of the top-10 finishers. He led once for one lap and is 14th in points, just 19 points out of the Chase.

In total, Team Chevy drivers occupy eight of the top-12 Chase contention points positions.

After recovering from on-track contact and a spin. Ryan Newman, No. 39 Haas-Automation Chevrolet, the first of the Stewart-Haas Racing cars in the Chase standings, remains seventh in the standings with a 25th place finish.

Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Chevrolet, was making a charge to the front when he received damage after an amazing save from incidental contact late in the race. He finished 30th and sits ninth in the standings to represent Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in the battle for the Chase.

Paul Menard, No. Schrock/Menards Chevrolet, is the third RCR car in the Chase standings, sitting 11th after today’s race. He led twice for four laps on the way to a 12th place finish.

Tony Stewart, No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, rounds out the top-12 in the standings and gives SHR both cars in Chase contention after a 17th place finish in today’s race.

After a weekend off, the Series’ resumes competition with short-track racing at Richmond International Speedway on April 30th.

POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

JIMMIE JOHNSON AND CREW CHIEF, CHAD KNAUS, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET – RACE WINNER

Audio: 2011 NSCS Aaron’s 499 Post-Race Press Conference with Race Winner Jimmie Johnson & Crew Chief Chad Knaus

KERRY THARP: Let’s roll into our race winner for today’s 42nd Aaron’s 499 here at Talladega Super Speedway. And our race winner Jimmie Johnson. He drivers the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports and is joined up front by crew chief, Chad Knaus.

As I mentioned earlier, the margin of victory of the margin of victory of .002 seconds ties the closest margin of victory since the history of electronic scoring previous .002 was in Darlington, 2003, and the 88 lead changes ties the all-time series record.

This is Jimmie Johnson’s 54th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, his first in 2011, his second here at Talladega. Jimmie, talk about the closing laps and when you were making your way up through the pack and that last part of the race where you got to the lead.

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, we had a plan coming into the race, and stuck to it and learned a lot as the event went on, really Junior and I did, on how we would communicate, on what runs we could make, how we could set them up, how we could pass, how to have the guy push and could cool his car. Really there was a lot of learning that went on through all of the laps throughout the race.

Once we got to the end, Junior started getting warm and had to pull out a couple of times with three or four to go and at one of the points we got disconnected, and a bunch of guys went buy. But we stayed committed to the top and had our momentum wound back up and somehow trucked by a bunch of guys on the bottom. I don’t know if they had to switch lanes or what, but before we knew it, we found ourselves in third after we took the white and a decent gap from us to the leaders.

And they got side by side, which allowed us to really close up and as we went into turn three, I had a big run, and was thinking about the bottom, and the 5 and 24 defended that, and then I kind of wandered to the middle and didn’t have an option then and knew I still had probably a mile to go.

So I just chilled out and sat in their draft and as we came off of four, those two groups were occupied trying to side draft each other and racing each other at the top, covered up. As we started rolling up on them, I shot down to the bottom, and we were able to surge by out of the triangle (ph) coming out of the bottom because they kind of left it open there. Just worked out.

So very, very proud of the effort Hendrick Motorsports has put in as always. I think it showed in qualifying and here are our four cars fighting for the win at the end.

So very proud of that; Chad and Stevie, and the growth of the 48/88 shop, and the way Junior and I worked together today. So very proud of the effort.

KERRY THARP: Chad, talk about the performance of the 48 crew.

CHAD KNAUS: I thought it was a really good day. To hit on what Jimmie was talking about, it was much more than just the 48 car that was able to pull off this victory. We worked really hard. We have a collective group of guys at Hendrick Motorsports that work on our Super Speedway program and they do a fantastic job of putting a very good product out there. And I think that started to show signs on Friday. Definitely started to show shines in Daytona when we were able to qualify with the 88 car on the pole and bring some of that momentum back here for qualifying at Talladega.

You know, we have been working a while to try to get to where we could get the drivers to really commit to one another and work together, and I think it was really nice to see the 5 and 24 work together the way they did today. I thought it was nice to see the 48 and 88 work together. It made it a lot easier on Steve Letarte and myself to call the race when you have that kind of strategy going on.

I think it was a good race for Jimmie and Dale to get a lot of experience work together and learning how the draft works and hopefully we can apply some of that to the race when we come back here in the fall. So it was a very collective effort on a lot of people’s parts and it was really nice to see.

Q. In watching the replay, it appears that your left wheels had come across the yellow line; were you concerned at all that NASCAR was going to call that on you?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Someone mentioned that to me outside, and my eye line was on the 5 and the 24, because they were coming down the track trying to protect the inside lane. I have not seen the video yet, and I was not focused on where that yellow line was. I was more worried about causing a big pile up and luckily the 5 quit coming down and then the 24 pulled back up.

So I don’t know where my left side tires were, but I’ve heard that a statement has been released and everything is cool. So I’m glad I’m not sitting here having to worry about that.

Q. You kind of answered this but a follow up to the question about the yellow line. Were you surprised the 24 and 33 didn’t crowd you so that it became an issue possibly that you were near the yellow line?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: You know, the way it’s working with the tandem situation, the spotter calls you in a way that like if I’m inside the 5, the 24 thinks that a car is in the side of him. So in some ways I guess Jeff could have come all the way to the bottom and blocked me and it may have worked out for him.

You know, as soon as he heard I was inside the 5, I could see the 24 pull back up, and maintain his line with the 5 connected to his bumper. So, I don’t know. There’s still so much going on at the end of that thing coming to the stripe, I haven’t seen it yet, either, like I mentioned and I don’t know what anybody could have done differently. When you’re four-wide across a start/finish line, I think that’s a pretty damn good race.

Q. You pulled up and gave Dale Jr. the checkered flag at the end, class move on that. Can you tell us the exchange and why you did that?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Just came to mind. I handed it to him and he said, “Man, I don’t want that.

I said, “Well, I have to give you something for the push and working with me.”

He said, “No, that’s what teammates do.”

I smiled and I said, “Take the damn flag. I’ll give you the trophy, too.”

He says, “No, I don’t want the trophy. I’ll take the flag, though.”

Man, he’s a riot. You guys scan all the time but to hear him on the channel and Stevie and the things he talks about; can I have this channel more often just to listen?

CHAD KNAUS: No.

JIMMIE JOHNSON: I mean there’s some entertaining stuff going on. On a serious note, he was committed, and as was I, and it showed today. We were; neither one of us were selfish and we worked as a group. And at the end, he felt like the 48 car leading was faster; we agreed.

Looking back, it could have gone either way if we were single file and he was in the catbird’s seat and could have pulled a move like the 29 did to the 1 that we saw in the in the fall or spring at some point; but the way the race unfolded, the leader had the spot, and he pushed me to victory. So just proud of the effort and hope to do more and continue to work like this it as time goes on.

Q. How far back in the race did you decide that you were going to be the one that was leading and that Junior was going to be the one that was pushing?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: We kind of traded responsibilities off so that we could each learn and get a feel, just know we didn’t know what would unfold at the end, and after the last pit stop I was pushing him for a while and we were getting disconnected pretty easily. And at that point, he just said, hey, you need to lead, it works better with you leading and Chad and Stevie confirmed that our lap times were faster with the 48 in front of the 88 and we made a swap going into turn one and just kind of stayed that way from there on out.

Q. Was it fairly evident to you as you crossed the finish line that you had won or was there some mystery left?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: There some mystery. I didn’t hear anything on the radio and the first voice I heard as we went into turn one was Junior and it was something like, “Hell, I think the 48 won.”

And then I started going nuts. Chad didn’t know what radio to talk to me on, and I didn’t know whether I had won or not, so I was going to stay in the throttle until I heard different. But he was the one that broke the news to me. But it was close. I knew in my mind that if it that was the checkered, it was close, and I didn’t know if I had it won.

Q. At one point Jimmie waited in his box for Junior to come out; how much against the grain is it for you guys to do that and what were you thinking at that point?

CHAD KNAUS: It’s tough. It’s tough. You know, you have to change your mentality when you come to a track like this, and I think we have done as a team a good job of changing the mentality of how you run a racing organization at Hendrick Motorsports and being committed to the team and the betterment of the organization.

We had to carry that to the nth detail today to make that happen. If you saw how we were working on the car, we were taking four tires; so was the 88. We had damage, the 88 hung out and made sure their stuff was right; and they took two tires, we took two tires and vice versa.

It’s different. It’s different. Usually you’re going for the win every single one, but today we wanted to get one of those cars in victory lane.

Q. The last lap, the two different tandems came up and side drafted each other and stalled them out; is that how you saw it and it also looks like watching the videotape, you talk about being high, you make a very big moving to down two lanes. I’m guessing you normally wouldn’t do that, or how dramatic of a move was that, and were you able to give any warning to Dale Junior or he just has to follow you in a situation like that?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I was on the radio with him going down the back, and just trying to explain what I saw in front. We had a good run coming into three, and I talked him down to the bottom, and then the 24 and 5 defended that.

And so then I thought I could get up to the middle and was telling him on the radio, and the 29 and the 33 had that kind of covered where there wasn’t a move.

So I just stayed in the middle of the track and those two side by side, those four cars side by side punched such a big hole in the air that I kind of let off the gas a little, let Junior really to me and create some energy and as we came off four, worked my way back to wide open, we were rolling.

From my perspective, they were up there worried about each other side drafting and really stalling each other out, and I had such a run, I was talking to Junior, I was like, low, low, low, and off we went. We got down there and the 5 and 24 were trying to defend it, but we just had a little too much speed coming, and we were able to get by them.

Q. For you, you and Junior obviously worked really well today but there was a point at Talladega like six years ago where he was pretty upset with the way you used to draft. Was there a moment when you guys sort of like learned to work well together and sort of change your style and became to the point where you guys could work so well to go today?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, in plate racing, you go out there before we could push all the way around the track, we would kind of bump on the straights and different things. I’m learned, coming up through the ranks, learning at the Cup level, made some mistakes. Certainly caused some big wrecks here at this track. That’s where one of those comments came from.

As you race and as time goes on, watch the best guys in the business make mistakes and cause big wrecks and watch guys that don’t have a lot of experience make wrecks; they end up causing wrecks.

So there’s really nothing consistent about it. You’re mad at the time and you leave the track and you go on and next time you come back to a plate race, you’re mad at someone else and a whole new group of people. You see it week in and week out with the interviews after plate races. There’s a lot of blame floating around, a lot of guys mad when they are wrecked. That’s what it was, and I’m glad that I haven’t been the root cause of anything major lately.

Although, I’ve been in a ton of wrecks. Seems like each plate race, especially Daytona we are in wrecks and we did that again this year. So I have climbed out of the car upset at plenty of guys, as well, just part of the game.

Q. I heard you say on the radio you told Dale, “Next one is on us, brother.” Do you approach the rest of the season differently and try to turn it around and try to help Stevie and Dale Jr?

CHAD KNAUS: I think we take the exact same approach and see how it shakes out the end. You have to be aware as to which situation is faster, and definitely today, we would have been pushing the 88 car if Dale had not come on the radio and said, high, guys I don’t think we are fast enough the way we are right now, we need the 48 in front. If we get to Daytona and the roles are reversed that will be it, we will follow him across the line with sparks and fire a blazing.

Q. Jeff Gordon earlier came in and talked about the fact in his estimation, this has always been a 15 or 20 lap race in, his words. He said that either you can run up front or you can run in the back but you’re crazy to run in the middle, which of course is difficult to see how you would have a race without someone in the middle. But what I’m saying it, your methodology was different from his today, and why do you do it your way, as opposed to his hanging back, and he and Mark roared up front near the end. Why do you do it your way as opposed to theirs?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: To be honest I’ve tried it pretty much every way and had plenty of issues take place. Today we had our Jedi senses in order. If you look at we were up front at the right times; we road at the right times; there were wrecks around us; in front of us; the leaders wrecked one time down the back with the 18 in that mess that took place; and we just sensed something that didn’t look right, and between Junior and myself and the spotters we backed off and put some distance between us and them.

There are other times where it was thinned out and we wanted to lead a lap and we marched up there and I led a lap we switched roles and marched Junior up there and got him his bonus points. It’s really a gut feeling and it’s good working with someone all day long so you can understand what they are thinking and you can work together and before you know it, you’re thinking more alike than you ever thought you would.

So as a group today, that’s how we when we decide it and how we decided to race and when to ride.

Q. Can you remember any time during the race where you were not with Junior? Was the only time that he wasn’t pushing you or you pushing him was when you went down pit road to victory lane and he made the left into the garage?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Pretty much. There were a couple restarts where we were separated, but we didn’t go more than half a lap before we found each other again. In that last restart, I was a handful of spots ahead of him on the outside and he was on the inside and I just went to the wall on the outside and just was waiting and he found a way to get out of the inside lane and the next lane and to my bumper before we were at the center of one or two. I don’t know how that all worked out for him but we made it happen quick and got it done we only had 11 to go or something at that point. We knew it was time to find each other quick.

Q. Are you guys far along enough in your knowledge to know what makes a car a better pusher or what makes a car a better pushee? Yeah, just leave it at that.

CHAD KNAUS: That’s about the answer as well, I hate to say it.

We are not. We do know in years past before you had the restrictions that you did on your water capacity, your air inlet, things of that nature. You could begin to delegate who would be a good pusher or out front.

For instance you would take a car and put the car with maybe less grill inlet opening and the smaller radiator in front and the car with the bigger radiator and larger radiator grill in the back, and he then could push for a much longer period of time. And that would work out pretty well for you.

Now, it’s just not quite like that. NASCAR has got us in a pretty good little box to where everybody has got pretty much the same equipment when it comes to that.

So there’s, what it boils down to is a little bit of set up, a little bit of the body dynamics on the car and things of in a nature, and the way the lead guy draft. So I wish I could say we were smart enough to be able to do that but we can’t really anymore.

Q. Wondering how much you and Dale worked together on it practice on Friday?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: This weekend we didn’t get any time together on the track. We had a good plan in place before practice started and with the weather moving in, we just rolled out and the car behind us when we left pit road was 18 and he didn’t have a teammate to work with and we went to work together and got a handful of laps and that was that.

In Daytona we waited for each other because we didn’t have weather as a problem and worked together a lot during the race, or tried to in the race but didn’t have the overall commit many. It was more of, when I see you, I’ll work with you thing. But today, we knew what we were doing from lap one.

Q. There’s been a lot of different thoughts on this kind of tag team race, great finish obviously but maybe not the greatest racing to get to that finish. I know you’re happy with winning the race but what’s your thoughts on this style and does NASCAR need to do anything to kind of get the drivers away from this a little bit?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: From my perspective, we were complaining with the old package and riding side by side and not enough passes for the lead, and there was always the big wreck. Now we have a ton of passes for the lead and statistically you look at the race and it looks pretty awesome.

From a driver standpoint, we have a lot more control now with what we can do. Yes, it is still plate racing, but race. You can make stuff happen and there is a technique required to stay together and to work traffic together and to communicate and it puts it back in the driver’s hands a lot more than the old combination of racing.

So I think it’s entertaining. And again, I don’t remember people excited about the way it was before. So I think we’re evolving as teams and drivers, and continuing to put on a better show, and from where I was all day long, I thought there was a lot of racing that took place. I thought it was a great race.

Q. On that last lap, did you feel like you had enough time to make the move to get to the front? And do you think that most of these races will now come down to like three wide packs of two rather than a guy trying to pull out from behind another and making a slingshot pass for the win?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: The two or three to go, Junior and I got separated and I felt like we were in big trouble. We got together quickly and found ourselves back in third. And at that point, I felt like we still had a shot. When I went into three and didn’t have anywhere to go with my run I felt like I was out of moves. But then it’s still such a long distance from the exit of four to where the finish line is here that a whole new environment or whole new opportunity opened up for me, and I had a shot and got it done.

So in my mind, I felt like I had missed my chance a couple of times before the end and I was still too anxious and too eager worrying about the win; whereas that didn’t really need to place, instead of much later. And opportunities presented itself in a way that I could take advantage of it. Those guys were really side drafting hard.

I think the way this is evolving now, the lead car, unless you can get out pretty far, you can’t stay there long. The two car tandem situation punches such a big hole in the air that if you’re 20 back, you’re able to pick up a draft and close, quickly.

So those four cars racing side by side punch such a big hole in the air, Junior and I were running a quarter of a separate away back, we were able to have two shots at the win. So I think you will see the side by side racing at the finish like we did, especially at Talladega. Daytona a little bit more narrow; we’ll probably end up crashing before we get to the finish line but here there’s enough room that we can run four wide.

Q. Following up on what Paul and Bob asked, can we now expect to not see anybody running second, try to pass for the lead on the last lap? Was there any chance Junior was going to try to pass you? Was there any chance Mark was going to try to pass Jeff? Was there any chance that anybody was going to try to pass anybody in the last five or six laps today?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: In the situation that we had today, no. If for some reason we got by those four cars and they were bumping and banging and slowed up and we had a gap coming to the triangle, absolutely, Junior would have been in the right situation and would have been the race winner. It just did not unfold that way.

McMurray or Harvick, was it in the spring race last year, for whatever happened there, it worked out to be a two car break away, Kevin got around the one and won. We just didn’t have that today.

Q. Everybody very controlled this afternoon; as you do more of this tandem drafting and become more familiar with it, will drivers take more chances out on the speedway?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, we are all getting wiser and I don’t know

CHAD KNAUS: Hmmm, he always is wiser.

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Seems like it. I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I mean, I can work up an answer to both sides of it. I felt like today there was a lot of control from the drivers. We gave each other enough room. We had respect for guys that had big runs coming.

Daytona, there’s less room so it’s a bit tighter and more of an issue. But today guys were real respectful and smart. I don’t know what caused a couple of the wrecks, but we didn’t have big, big pileups like we typically see.

Q. Can you just talk about getting a win and what it means for you?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, we have been knocking on the door. We had Bristol and Martinsville and California and was not able to get it done, a variety of little situation that is popped up. I’ve always said it, when you run in the Top 5, you’re going to have your opportunities and today we did that and certainly had a Top 5 car if not the fastest car and opportunity presented itself and we got the job done.

Q. Depends who you talk to, some drivers say it was a lot of fun others of course saying it was completely different perfect what they have ever experienced. How would you describe the race out there today?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Sounds like a plate race to me. The guys that run well are happy and the guys that are crashed and don’t run well are mad.

It is different. In some ways I thought it was cool to see I don’t even know who is in 32 but the 32 and 71 were up there running in the Top 5. It’s good for those teams.

You know, there is some technique required now, instead of just running wide open all the time and just sitting there in a guy’s tire tracks, now there’s some work required and some skill. I think that this racing is fun, and certainly easy for me to say because I won, and probably if I crashed I would be bitching and moaning. But it was a good day. When you have this many lead changes for a Cup race, that’s a good thing.

KERRY THARP: Congratulations enjoy the win, happy Easter.

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POST RACE PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT:

CLINT BOWYER, NO. 33 BB&T CHEVROLET – FINISHED 2^ND

Audio: 2011 NSCS Aaron’s 499 Post-Race Press Conference with 2nd-Place Finisher Clint Bowyer

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET – FINISHED 3RD

KERRY THARP: Clint Bowyer, you won last fall here, you were all of strong here again today. Talk about this race here this afternoon.

CLINT BOWYER: Yeah, it was a lot of fun. You know, the whole race was fun. BB&T Chevrolet was fast all weekend, the same hot rod that we won with in the fall, and just proud of the guys and everybody at ECR Engines. You can’t say enough about their efforts and the job they have done. We didn’t sit on the front two rows, but we were up front all six engines were up front pretty much all day long. So, proud of their guys. Proud of their efforts and just come up short.

Man, what a bummer. Man, I saw them coming, and the 24 and I were, you know, trying to suck off each other and break each other’s momentum and drag racing each other so much, I was like, oh, no, block ‘em, block ‘em, block ‘em. I knew if he dipped down to block them, that we had the race won. But we just come up short. It’s frustrating. I know the importance of getting a race win right now is big.

You know that win; if I would have won right there, it could have put me in the Chase. I was thinking about that. That’s going to be important throughout the year, and you know, that was a good shot at it. It just slipped through our fingers.

Q. Could you speak about how much you were able to work with Kevin today, how much you were compelled to work with him and how different it is finding partners and staying with partners in this type of racing than it was in the big pack racing?

CLINT BOWYER: Well, start to with that, it’s very difficult to stay with a partner all day long. My partner is Jeff Burton. I hated that we got separated there. It happened you know, when the caution that didn’t happen; when Ryan Newman spun, everybody lifted. Everybody thought the caution was coming out, and looked out the side mirror and he gathered it up and I looked up and it was still green.

So, I was like, oh, man. Jeff and I were way separated and luckily Kevin had got separated from his guy and still had the momentum I did. We hooked up and were able to go on. I hated that for Jeff; that very spot right there put him back in the field, and I don’t know where he finished, but it separated us.

So it was very difficult to keep together. But like I said, when Kevin and I got hooked up, we were able to work well together. We were talking amongst each other. We were down and out you know that was the biggest thing about Kevin and I. I was pushing him and his car wouldn’t lead at all. We were bad. We went all the way back to 17th there I think with four to go and I was like, we’ve got to switch, we’ve got to do something. Everybody was blowing by us and we switched there on the front straightaway and drove all the way back up through them and had ourselves in position. So, we tried.

Q. Throw out the weekend and I guess since Daytona too, there’s been mixed reactions about the two car draft. Junior said all weekend he hates it and drivers that got spun out today said they didn’t like it. After that finish, I mean what do you think’s going to be the general reaction in the garage?

CLINT BOWYER: Here is the thing. It doesn’t matter what happened throughout that race or what your thought was. If you didn’t like that finish and it didn’t make you forget about the race, you’re crazy.

Something about that, it just makes you forget about it and makes it if it was a problem, it ain’t a problem anymore. You know, it always seems to fix itself at the end of these restrictor plate races. It doesn’t matter who is up there.

You know, whether it’s ten cars or 43 cars left, it’s always a hell of a finish at these plate races, and always comes right down to the wire for whatever reason. You know, that wasn’t a green and white checkered; you thought it was going to be. I thought it was going to be, and it never presented it receive. But it was still, you know, an unbelievable finish.

Q. Any satisfaction to know that your name is NASCAR history is losing by

CLINT BOWYER: Hell, no, that sucks (laughter). It’s never very good to know you made NASCAR history by losing. Sooner or later I need to start making history by winning. That guy’s won enough (chuckling).

The only thing that bums me out about that is those guys lagged back all day long. That’s what makes it tough, losing by somebody that did that. We were up front for our sponsors and our team and digging all day long. When you get it taken from you at the end by somebody who lagged back all day, it’s hard to take.

Q. How much deliberation was put into swapping?

CLINT BOWYER: It really just depended on your temperatures. You know, how you were able to manage that, and once you got together, if you were three wide, you couldn’t manage it anymore. You couldn’t duck out. You couldn’t get air. As long as you were two wide and out front, you know, Jeff and I were able to manage it and pretty well push each other the whole time. No different than Michael and I did at the beginning of the race. He never did, you know, switch.

So if you were able it to manage it and your car would do it, if it was capable of it the guys have worked hard on making sure that it does that. And some instances, it wasn’t even necessary.

Q. I know, but that last swap that you talked about. Did y’all talk?

CLINT BOWYER: It was necessary. No, we got passed we found ourselves 17th from the lead. And when that happens, something’s wrong. We’ve got to switch something up.

Q. Do you think you would have been any better at the end of the race with Jeff?

CLINT BOWYER: I don’t know. Like I said, it was a shame that we got separated. We worked well all day together. Jeff is a great teammate. Like him a lot. I appreciate everything he’s done for me and that’s just one of those situations where it sucks. You know, you wish that the guy that helped you get there was a guy that, you know, got the reward and unfortunately he did.

I don’t know where he even finished. I don’t know, but it is that’s the frustrating part about it.

KERRY THARP: Clint thank you very much. Great show out there. See you at Richmond.

Audio: 2011 NSCS Aaron’s 499 Post-Race Press Conference with 3rd-Place Finisher Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon drives the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger AARP Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff, certainly a competitive race out there. A lot of cars had an opportunity to win there at the end. Your thoughts?

JEFF GORDON: Obviously very happy with the results. You know, to come back to come away with a third place finish, I mean, any time you come to a restrictor plate track, you know, you’re on the fence of survival, keeping the car in one piece and try to win.

I feel like we had a great strategy coming in. We played it very conservative obviously and I think it paid off for us for sure. I really did expect there to be some more cautions there at the end, but you know, I feel like Mark and I did a great job working together. We just communicated well. Our spotter did a great job; the whole team.

All weekend you know we put ourselves in position to win. We were leading coming off of four. I’m sure when I watch the video, there’s definitely plenty of things I would have liked to have done a little bit different, but I feel like we did a really nice job.

Q. Could you speak to your day long commitment to running with Mark, and what lengths you went to to maintain that relationship close to each other on the racetrack and how it’s different from how you found partners in the big pack racing?

JEFF GORDON: Yeah, we pretty much just had the philosophy coming in this weekend, you know, don’t leave your wing man. And I think we learned a lot in Daytona. In Daytona, we kind of said, oh, let’s just kind of ride out and see how it goes. We didn’t expect everybody to get right into twos as soon as they dropped the green flag.

Based on that, we realized that you have to have somebody that you can count on, somebody that you trust, somebody that you can get on the radio and work; and who better to do that with than your teammates? And in our case, this weekend, was Mark Martin, which I thought and this is the first time we’ve done it. Now going through the experience, we’ll be even better the next time. But I thought we did a really good job, and like I said, we put ourselves in position to win.

But I didn’t work with anybody else all day long. Mark was the only one. Sometimes I was pushing him. Sometimes he was pushing me. And we were just trying to maintain that gap to the leaders. We got behind one time. You know, they kind of strung out and got more spread out and so the pack picked up pace. And they were not racing as hard so that got us behind one time and made us a little nervous.

But from that point on, we pretty much maintained about a five to seven second gap that worked out really well for us.

Q. You and Jeff and Mark were working together there and he was doing the majority of the pushing. Is this something you talked about before the race and did he feel uncomfortable leading with you pushing him?

JEFF GORDON: Well, we had talked, you know, and you can’t always control who comes off pit road first and who is going to be pushing or if you’re going to be pushing.

So it’s just it was one of those things where actually, I think he got off pit road on the last pit stop before us. I was in behind him pushing him, and they basically wrecked without throwing a caution down there in three and four, and when they did that, everybody checked up, and I was able to keep the momentum pretty good. And I got in front of Mark, and at that point, he got in behind me. And we had already talked he kind of said, you know, hey, I would like to push you instead of you push me.

So you know, it kind of worked out in our favor the way we wanted anyway. Seemed like we did a bit better job communicating in our pace and everything; not speed wise, but just being able to judge the pace and stay connected with me leading and him running behind me.

But at the end, I was just as happy to be pushing him and would have done everything I could to push him to the front just like he did for me.

Q. It wasn’t too long ago that bump drafting was considered taboo and reckless and dangerous in the turns, and now things have changed and people bump all the way around. But almost every crash was caused by cars bump drafting in the turn or the entrance; is there a certain way to do it; do you not push as hard in the turns or not rest or just push and not bump? What is the way to do that?

JEFF GORDON: First let’s backup, the reason why it was silly to bump draft in the corners before is the bumpers didn’t lineup. So you would get somebody that would get aggressive with it, and they would basically wreck a guy in front of them.

But what we learned was the closer you could get to the bumper of the guy in front of you, the faster you wasn’t went. If you had the bumpers lined up back then you might have been able to push all the way around. Now we have a car that has a tremendous amount of downforce. There’s very little we can do to this car for here versus other tracks like we used to do. We used to come here and not that we don’t put that effort into this car; we do, but the cars, amount of down far as difference between our Daytona and Talladega cars versus our short track and intermediate track cars was huge, you know, ten years ago, or eight years ago. Now, it’s not near as much as you would think.

So that’s kind of the evolution, and you know, I don’t know, to me, at Daytona is a little trickier pushing, where you had to be a little careful if you got to the left rear corner of somebody.

I didn’t see any of the wrecks today, what caused them, so I can’t really comment, but Mark and I pushed and checked up in front of one another, switched lanes. We did all kinds of things, and it all worked out pretty well for us. I thought the cars were very comfortable here. Usually what happens is somebody breaks the momentum and checks up and you swerve and that guy behind you, because he’s basically blind, he tries to follow you and sometimes they hook you.

But I couldn’t comment any more on it than that it, because I didn’t see it.

Q. After that finish, is there any question that this is the style of racing to go? There are some people that don’t like it, but I don’t see how you can argue with that kind of finish.

JEFF GORDON: Well, you know, it comes down to a strategy race to try to get yourself in position with 20, 25 to go. And there’s more to it than you think. I mean, you know, when you see me and Mark out there riding around, six, eight seconds back to the lead, it’s not as easy as you think it is to manage that and to figure it out.

You still are having to watch your temperatures and different things. But let’s be honest: In my opinion, Talladega has always been about a 15 to 25 lap race, and the rest is just trying to get to the end. And that’s basically what we have now.

If you want to survive and you want to make it to the finish, you know, you have to either choose to try to push to stay up front, or ride in the back. But being in the middle, to me, is not worth it. And we have just had such terrible luck here at the restrictor plate track in recent years that we didn’t feel like there was any choice but to go to the back, once we got shuffled back from the lead. And we kind of planned that coming into the weekend and it worked out for us. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t, but that certainly worked out for us. But this two car draft is here to stay. Unless they drastically change the cars, something is going to take that. The restrictor plate is not going to change that. It would take a whole new revamping of the car to change that. But you know, I kind of laugh at that because that’s kind of what was designed, you know, with this car, was to create that.

And not necessarily two car draft, but you know, to be able to get to the bumper and not spin one another out; have a car that’s much boxier to blow a bigger hole in the air. You know, that’s what we have to deal with now and that’s what’s created the kind of racing that we have.

I personally don’t have a problem with it actually. I think I thought that was pretty fun there at the end, whether I was pushing or being pushed. Those last ten, 15 laps are fun from a driver standpoint.

Q. Having said what you just about did the kind of race to go stay, when we saw the wrecks today, in the past it had been 12, 15, 18 cars at a clip that had gone out. Barring a last lap kind of thing where there’s all kinds of craziness, today there were four or five cars, just a little bit, as opposed to what had been. I hate to put is the big one gone in this type of racing with the two car draft and their separation? Give me your take on that.

JEFF GORDON: You know, just depends on how the cautions fall in my opinion. I thought that everybody did a really awesome job there in the closing laps. I’m surprised there were not more incidents than there was in the caution, you know, with four or five to go, because I was expecting it. Even though we are in these two car groups, at the end of the race, we are actually in packs of them. You know, and they might stretch out a little bit on the restart, but then it seems like they come right back together.

So it’s just as easy to me to have a big one now as it ever has been in the closing laps. I think that and I’ve always felt this, that even with the old car and the way we were all bunched together, I thought it was absolutely ridiculous that we were out there pushing and shoving and running three and four wide, at lap, you know, 40. Didn’t seem to me to be very smart. And I think that with this two car draft, it forces you to think a little bit more about, you know, how aggressive you’re going to get with it.

And there’s still some guys that want to be aggressive with it and I think it caught them today. But there’s other guys that want to be real patient with it.

Q. How sure advised were you to see Dave Blaney running at the front today and sounds like you’re fighting a cold, was it a physical struggle?

JEFF GORDON: I am sick as can be and have been the last couple of days and not having a lot of fun with that. That’s the beauty of driving a race car, especially at Talladega, is here, it’s not so physical as it is mental. And you know, once they drop the green flag, it was mind over matter and I was so focused I didn’t even think about being ill.

As far as Blaney, or anybody in this field, when you’re pushing like that, if you’ve got a decent car pushing you or you’re pushing a decent car, there’s anybody that can win this race that can go to the front, which is not that much different than the way Talladega has always been. And I thought that was pretty cool to see Dave up there in the closing laps. It just seems to me like you always see that 22 car up there at the front in the closing laps. Doesn’t matter who he’s pushing or whose pushing him. He seems to know his way up there, and Dave is a great race car driver. Certainly happy for Tommy Baldwin and those guys to run good like that.

KERRY THARP: Hope you feel better. See you at Richmond. Happy Easter.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports …

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- Team Chevy, Press Release

2011 NSCS Drivers Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin draft together at Talladega Superspeedway - Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR

There were 88 lead changes at the start/finish line, tying an all-time NASCAR record set in last season’s April event at Talladega. The final lead change occurred on the last lap – eight of the last 12 Talladega races featured a last-lap lead change.

Jimmie Johnson edged Clint Bowyer by .002 seconds, which matches the closest margin of victory since the inception of electronic scoring in May 1993. That mark was originally set at Darlington Raceway on March 16, 2003, with Ricky Craven beating Kurt Busch.

Since 1993, every race at Talladega finishing under green – 29 in all – has had a MOV under .400 seconds.

Johnson, with his 54th-career victory, moved into a tie with NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Lee Petty for ninth on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins list.

Passing numbers – for the lead and otherwise – also were high.

There were 159 green flag passes for the lead all around the race track, with a total of 11,025 green flag passes throughout the field.

Sunday’s race capped off a record-breaking weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

In Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race, there were 56 lead changes, an all-time record since the series’ inception in 1982.

- NASCAR, Press Release

Regan Smith - Photo Credit: Cameras in Action

Not so.

In fact, it was more of a long face for the Furniture Row Racing driver following Sunday’s Aaron’s 499 Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway.

“Guys, we were much better than 15th, no doubt about it,” stated Smith to his crew after taking the checkered flag in the second of four superspeedway races of the season.

Smith later said, “We ran up front for most of the race but got shuffled back near the end and couldn’t find the same drafting success we had earlier. These cars are so sensitive — they can draft well with one car but not with another. I don’t know why. But I do know that it was sure disappointing not mixing it up at the end and contending for the victory.”

Smith’s No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet was indeed one of the premier cars at the 2.66-mile oval.

Smith led five different times during the 188-lap race and it appeared that he would at least better his seventh-place finish he earned in the previous superspeedway event — the season-opening Daytona 500.

“Our Furniture Row Chevrolet had the power to win this deal,” said Smith. “Right now it’s hard to take, but in a few days I’ll probably look back and say, ‘It was a pretty good day overall.’ ”

With 25 laps remaining in the race Smith radioed his crew chief Pete Rondeau and said, “I am happy with the car.”

At that time Smith was easily running in the top five and enjoying drafting success with either Paul Menard or Dave Blaney. But a few laps later on Lap 169, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin got tangled in front of Smith, who did a brilliant driving job to avoid an accident. But the incident shuffled Smith back to 18th place and without his drafting partners that he teamed with for the majority of the race.

“It was nobody’s fault, we got pushed back,” explained Smith. “I hooked up with the 31 (Jeff Burton) and we just couldn’t get a head of steam when we needed to. Again, it nobody’s fault, just a quirk of superspeedway racing.”

The race winner was Jimmie Johnson. Rounding out the top-five in order were: Clint Bowyer, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick.

The Sprint Cup Series will have the coming Easter weekend off. The next Cup race is Saturday night (April 30) at Richmond International Raceway.

- DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing, Press Release