Tommy Baldwin Racing Logo

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 6, 2012) 

Pemberton comes from a family of racers. The Saratoga, N.Y., native started out sweeping floors at Roush Fenway Racing and worked his way up to a NSCS crew chief in 1997. Most recently, he served as crew chief for Brian Vickers at Red Bull Racing. During his career as a NSCS crew chief, he compiled two wins, 21 top-fives, 92 top-10s and 15 poles.

“I’m thrilled to join Tommy Baldwin Racing,” explained Pemberton. “TBR has shown a lot of growth in a short time, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of stepping up the program this year. Tommy, Dave and I all come from families of racing and have similar backgrounds, so I think it will be a good fit.”

This season will mark TBR’s fourth season of competition. TBR began as a part-time, one-car NSCS team in 2009 and developed into a top-35 team by 2011. In 2012, TBR plans to compete with two NSCS teams and a part-time NASCAR Nationwide Series team. The team would like to increase the number of races in both the NSCS and NNS schedules, provided more sponsorship can be found.

“Hiring Ryan is another stepping stone for TBR,” Tommy Baldwin commented. “Ryan brings experience and a wealth of knowledge from all the years he has been in the sport. He has been successful with every team he has worked for, and we are excited to have him be a part of our program.”

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin formed Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in 2009. Baldwin utilized a declining economy to open a NSCS team with a stringent budget. The team worked to build to full-time competition, and by the 2011 season, the team’s third season, TBR competed in every race and locked the No. 36 Chevrolet in the top-35 in NSCS Owner Points. Dave Blaney drove the No. 36 Chevrolet to TBR’s highest finish of third in the October 2011 event at Talladega Superspeedway. TBR also fielded a second car for select races in the past two seasons with multiple drivers.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the NSCS in 2012 with NASCAR veterans David Reutimann and Dave Blaney. The team will also compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Ryan Blaney, Bobby Santos and Ryan Truex.

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.

Source: Tommy Baldwin Racing, Press Release

No 5 Action Express Chevy Corvette - Photo Credit: Catchfence.com Open Wheel Editor, Paul Powell

Action Express Racing Bounces Back From Difficult Start 

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (Jan. 30, 2012) – The No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette Daytona Prototype overcame a number of difficulties – including not being able to make a qualifying run and having to pit after just one lap of the race – to turn in the top performance for Chevrolet in the 50^th Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.

“That was probably one of the toughest 24 Hours I have done,” Darren Law said following a fifth-place finish in the famed endurance race at Daytona International Speedway. “We had a lot of adversity. We had some engine issues prior to the race, (and) we had to miss qualifying. The first, probably, eight hours of the race, we had an electrical misfire, which really cut the motor back, and we struggled.

“But the guys worked really hard – Action Express, Chevrolet, Corvette – they all did a great job. I’m proud of the car. I’m proud of the team. … A top-five is a good start to the season, and we are happy to finish it.”

The Corvette Daytona Prototype was unveiled in November.

“There is so much potential in this car,” said Law, who shared driving duties with David Donohue and Christian Fittipaldi. “We literally got this car delivered to us the first of December, so we barely had any time on it. For us to be in the top five and run as well as we did, we see a lot of potential.”

The No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing entry had the distinction of being the first Corvette Daytona Prototype to lead a lap when Alex Gurney drove to the front late in the first hour.

“We’re pretty happy,” Gurney said following his first stint. “At the very beginning of the race, you’re always focused on not hitting anything and making sure no one does anything crazy on the start, and (I) was happy about that. … I didn’t have any close calls. A good start for the new Corvette.”

Gurney’s father, Dan, won the inaugural series race at Daytona in 1962.

The GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP, also driven by Jon Fogarty and Memo Gidley, did lead 19 laps but experienced a number of issues and finished 13th in the Daytona Prototype (DP) class.

The No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP – driven by Antonio Garcia, Richard Westbrook, Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen – ended up in eighth place.

The No. 9 Action Express Racing Corvette DP – driven by Terry Borcheller, JC France, Joao Barbosa and Max Papis – went to the garage at about the 14-hour mark to address a number of issues, and finished ninth.

The No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP started on the outside of the front row, courtesy of Max Angelelli’s qualifying effort, but experienced suspected valve train failure after just 14 laps.

“It’s really disappointing, but at the same time this is what happens in this game,” owner Wayne Taylor said. “We’ve never had an engine problem in all the time we’ve run the Chevrolet engine program, so this is the first time. There was truly nothing we were worried about.”

Ricky Taylor, one of the team’s four drivers and Wayne Taylor’s son, never even got the opportunity to get in the car, which was pulled after 14 laps.

“It’s such a big build up for [the Rolex 24] and it is the 50th anniversary,” Ricky Taylor said. “With our new car, there is a lot of excitement. The guys gave done so much work at the shop, (they) put in numerous 12- to-18-hour days. It is really tough. Now we have over a month until our next race. I know we’ll come back at Barber (Motorsports Park) and redeem ourselves.”

Ryan Briscoe also was scheduled to drive the No. 10.

The No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R paced Chevrolet with a fourth-place-in-class finish in the Grand Touring (GT) class. John Edwards, who was in the car at the end, said it was a very good way to start the season.

“Absolutely, especially with the endurance championship that’s going on later in the year,” Edwards said. “We got some good points, but it’s always hard to go through a 24-hour race, be chasing down a podium (finish), but not quite get it.”

Robin Liddell and Robbie Bremer also drove the No. 57.

Jordan Taylor picked up two spots in the closing laps to secure a ninth-in-class finish for the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT.R, which was also driven by Paul Edwards, Matthew Marsh and Tom Milner.

The No. 75 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R – driven by Al Carter, Hugh Plumb, Matt Bell, and Eric Curran – finished 30th in class. The No. 46 Michael Baughman Racing Corvette (Michael Baughman, Mike Yeakle and Ray Mason) finished 40th in class. Chevrolet will next compete in Grand-Am Road Racing when the season kicks into full-swing with the second event set for March 30-31, 2012 at Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Ala.

About Chevrolet 

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Source: Team Chevy, Press Release

Team Chevy Logo

GRAND-AM Road Racing Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Opens Season at Daytona International Speedway 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 27, 2012) – The No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R, driven by Matt Bell and John Edwards, got caught up in a last-lap incident and lost a number of positions, but still paced all Chevrolets in the season-opening Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway.

“Unfortunately there was an altercation in front of me in the bus stop in the final corner of the final lap,” Edwards said following a 17th-place finish. “All those cars came spinning back across the track, so to avoid I had to bail left and go across the grass over some cones and that just ruined my run to the start/finish line. I actually inherited about three or four positions but then lost six or seven, or maybe even 10, coming to the line just because I had such a bad run coming out of the bus stop after getting pushed in the grass.”

The Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R ran near the front of the field for most of the afternoon after Bell qualified fifth on Thursday.

“I know the Camaro is going to come on strong again, just like it did last year,” Edwards said. “Bad races are going to happen to everybody. Just hope [other teams] have some bad luck like we did today and we’ll be right back in the hunt.”

The No. 01 CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R, driven by Eric Curran and Lawson Aschenbach, qualified fourth, led 11 laps and was running in the top 10 before it, too, was involved in that last-lap, multi-car incident, dropping to a 22nd-place finish.

The second CKS Autosport entry, the No. 00 Camaro GS.R finished 36th in class, completing 29 laps before being sidelined because of a lack of oil pressure.

“We had a really good start in our Camaro GS.R,” co-driver Ashley McCalmont said. “I had to start last because we didn’t make qualifying. I was able to make it up to 10th before I handed it over to my co-driver, Brett. Unfortunately he was in a little skirmish and the alignment got bent out of shape a little bit, and then we lost oil pressure, so we had to unfortunately end it on that note. But, the car was really strong from the beginning. The Camaros are showing really well here. So, overall we are kind of happy.”

Both Mitchum Motorsports entries experienced early clutch-related problems. The No. 62 Camaro GS.R, driven by Gunter Schaldach and Joey Atterbury, completed just nine laps and ended its day with a 39th-place-in-class finish. The No. 6 Camaro GS.R was sidelined after 15 laps en route to a 38th-place showing.

“Unfortunately we had equal problems on both cars,” owner Chris Mitchum said. “One was hydraulic, one was disc.

“It’s a heartbreaker because the drivers were up to the task; Gunter (Schaldach) was doing great. Our cars were up front. We had an engine change on the No. 6 Camaro GS.R, he had to start from the back but Aaron (Steele) was equal pace to the leaders in the rain and working his way up. I think we had good cars underneath them. They were handling well even dealing with the mixed conditions. It is just really disappointing for the drivers and the crews when something this simple takes you out. Nothing they could have done differently.”

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Source: Team Chevy, Press Release

No 33 Kroger Chevrolet Impala SS

Richard Childress Racing to field fourth entry for “The Great American Race”

WELCOME, N.C. (January 25, 2012) – General Mills and The Kroger Co. announced today it will partner with Richard Childress Racing and veteran driver Elliott Sadler on the No. 33 Chevrolet for the 54^th annual Daytona 500 on February 26, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway.

“It’s great to be back in the Daytona 500. I’ve had a lot of success in this race in the past and want to thank General Mills, Kroger and Richard Childress for this opportunity,” said Elliott Sadler. “When we started putting this program together the first thing that came to mind is how strong RCR’s plate program has always been. We’re going to go out and have a legitimate chance to win the race. Speedweeks can’t get here soon enough!”

General Mills, entering its fourth year of partnership with the Welcome, N.C.-based organization, is teaming up with The Kroger Co. for a special paint scheme celebrating the great brands from both organizations. The special red, white and blue paint scheme adorning Sadler’s Chevrolet for “The Great American Race” will feature the Kroger Co. Family of Stores, Fred Meyer Jewelers and several General Mills brands. The Minneapolis, Minn.-based General Mills also sponsors RCR’s No. 31 Wheaties Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with driver Jeff Burton.

“General Mills is excited to partner with the Kroger Company and Richard Childress Racing to put the No. 33 car back on the track for this year’s Daytona 500. Kroger and General Mills have been strong partners over the years and I am pleased that we are continuing to advance the partnership in a whole new way,” says Pat Simmons, VP General Mills Motorsports.

“Kroger is excited to partner with General Mills and Richard Childress Racing at the Great American Race, the Daytona 500. We think this is a strong partnership that shows off the great brands and great values that our companies offer to shoppers throughout the US, said Evan Anthony, Vice President of Corporate Marketing and Advertising at Kroger. Add RCR and Elliott to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for success. We’re looking forward to a great race.”

Leading the effort for the No. 33 team will be veteran crew chief Gil Martin, RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series program team manager. Martin has been at RCR since 2000 and has served as crew chief for Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Kerry Earnhardt and Robby Gordon. He is one of a select few crew chiefs to win races in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

“We’re looking forward to having Elliott, Kroger and General Mills team up on the No. 33 Chevy with Gil serving as crew chief for this year’s Daytona 500,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “General Mills has been a terrific partner over the years, through both its Wheaties and Cheerios brands, so it’s great to expand their overall 2012 program by having a car in the Great American Race. We’re also excited to have Kroger on board given all their support and strong activation around our sport.”

Childress, a two-time Daytona 500 champion car owner, will use owner points accumulated during the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season to field the No. 33 Chevrolet entry. RCR’s No. 33 team finished 13^th in the final 2011 owner point standings on the power of one win, four top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit http://www.rcrracing.com.

About General Mills

General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries. Its consumer brands include Cheerios, Fiber One, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant and Old El Paso. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2011 net sales of US$14.9 billion.

About Kroger

Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 338,000 associates who serve customers in 2,439 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The company also operates 796 convenience stores, 363 fine jewelry stores, 1,067 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger was recognized by Forbes as the most generous company in the U.S. The company focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, breast cancer awareness, the military and their families, and more than 30,000 schools and grassroots organizations in the communities it serves. Kroger contributes food and funds equal to 125 million meals a year through its partnership with more than 80 Feeding America food banks. For more information about Kroger, please visit www.kroger.com.

About Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing (www.rcrracing.com) has earned more than 200 victories and 14 championships, including six in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. Its current Sprint Cup Series lineup includes Paul Menard (No. 27 Menards Chevrolet), Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser/Rheem/Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar/Wheaties/BB&T Chevrolet). Its Nationwide Series program includes Elliott Sadler (No. 2 One Main Financial Chevrolet), 2011 Camping World Truck Series champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Advocare/Bass Pro Shops/American Ethanol Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick/Brendan Gaughan/Paul Menard/Max Papis (No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino/Menards/Hunt Brothers Pizza/Armour/Fast Fixin’/ Chevrolet). Tim George Jr. and Brendan Gaughan (No. 2 Potomac Family Dining Group/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet), Joey Coulter (No. 22 RCR/Armour Chevrolet) and 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion Ty Dillon (No.3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) compete in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series season.

Source: Richard Childress Racing, Press Release

CSX Transportation

CSX Transportation Joins Denver-based NASCAR Team;

Chevrolet, Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers Renew Associate Roles

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Jan. 25, 2012) – Coming off its most competitive season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Furniture Row Racing is enjoying similar success on the sponsorship side with the addition of CSX Transportation and its railroad crossing and pedestrian safety campaign for the 2012 season.

CSX Transportation, the largest railroad in the East and third largest in the United States, joins Chevrolet and Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers in the associate sponsorship role with all three companies complementing the team’s primary sponsors – Furniture Row and Denver Mattress.

“Having a new associate sponsorship arrangement with CSX Transportation along with a renewed agreement with Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers and an ongoing relationship with Chevrolet brings a new level of enthusiasm to our race team,” said Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing.

“The three corporations are leaders in their industry and we are both humbled and proud that they have chosen Furniture Row Racing as a means to enhance their company’s branding and educational initiatives.”

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., CSX Transportation maintains a more than 21,000-mile freight rail network serving 23 states and portions of Canada.

Building upon several years of its innovative safety communications campaign, CSX will utilize the Furniture Row Racing sponsorship as part of the “Play it Safe” campaign to urge pedestrians and motorists to exercise caution around railroad tracks.

“We are pleased to join with Furniture Row Racing and driver Regan Smith to deliver our important safety message that railroad crossings and tracks can be dangerous if you don’t obey the law,” said Cliff Stayton, Director-Community Affairs and Safety for CSX Transportation. “We are working together to make sure that everyone knows how to play it safe around railroad tracks.”

Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers manufactures and markets in-house formulated and branded liquid fertilizer products. Incorporated in 1983, the St. Johns, Mich.-based agricultural company has worked years ahead of the industry response to the demand for environmentally-friendly products. The company owns the largest fertilizer research farm in the United States dedicated to plant nutrition.

Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers has partnered with Furniture Row Racing’s Farm American program, an initiative to bring awareness to the importance of keeping America’s food supply produced in the United States.

“After telling the Farm American story for a year with Furniture Row Racing we are pleased that the message is getting stronger with more people and companies joining the team,” said Albert Bancroft, marketing and communications manager for Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers. “We are a strong supporter and look forward to being involved another year as we all continue to positively promote American agriculture.”

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. From a competition standpoint in NASCAR, Chevrolet and its iconic bowtie logo have been dominant with nine consecutive manufacturer championships and 35 overall.

The Denver-based Furniture Row Racing single-car team and its driver Regan Smith enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2011. Smith and Furniture Row Racing captured their first career NASCAR victory in May, winning the famed Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

Smith drove his No. 78 Chevrolet to one victory, two top-fives and five top-10s last season. He scored top-10s in NASCAR’s four biggest races – Daytona 500 (seventh), Southern 500 (first), Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (eighth) and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (third).

Source: DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing, Press Release

Team Chevy Logo

DETROIT – 

The new Corvette Daytona Prototype, unveiled in November 2011, will make its competition debut with five cars from four teams. New to the Team Chevy Rolex Sports Car Series roster is Action Express Racing, fielding the No. 5 Corvette DP and the No. 9 Corvette DP.  Action Express Racing joins the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette DP, No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP and the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP.

Also competing in the Rolex  24-Hour under the Team Chevy banner will be Stevenson Motorsports, which will field the No. 57 and No. 75 Camaro GT.R. and the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT.R.

During pre-season Roar Before the 24 testing earlier this month, all five of the Corvette DP teams took a turn at the top of the speed charts.

“This is an exciting time for Chevrolet,” said Mark Kent, GM Racing Director. “We roll into the 50^th anniversary of the famed Rolex 24 with the new Corvette Daytona Prototype. Our engineers worked tirelessly with all of our teams, preparing the best possible packages for all of our Chevrolet entries in three classes. That collaboration has resulted in what we believe will be an extraordinarily competitive effort by our teams in DP, GT and GS. We were encouraged by our teams’ performances at the Roar Before the 24, and we are ready to get going in 2012.”

The redesigned Team Chevy Racing Display will also showcase its new features at Daytona.  Race fans can check out a great line-up of Chevrolet production vehicles, including Camaro, Camaro Convertible, Cruze Eco, Sonic, Malibu, Equinox, Volt, Traverse, Tahoe and Silverado Crew Cab.

“We’re excited to be able to offer fans of the GRAND-AM Road Racing Series and the prestigious Rolex 24 the opportunity to visit our Team Chevy Racing Display,” said Jeff Chew, Marketing Manager, Chevy Racing. “Being a partner with GRAND-AM is an exciting opportunity for Chevrolet. We have a strong contingent of teams and drivers on the track, and we want to offer fans a Chevy destination in the DIS infield at the Team Chevy Racing Display. Our display will showcase race cars, performance parts and accessories, games, driver Q&A sessions, and our exciting lineup of Chevrolet cars, trucks and cross-over vehicles. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and sign up with Team Chevy and receive a special Corvette t-shirt.”

Wayne Taylor Racing drivers Ricky Taylor, Max Angelelli and Ryan Briscoe will participate in a question-and-answer session with fans at the display on Friday, January 27, from 10:15-10:30 a.m. The Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT.R drivers Jordan Taylor, Paul Edwards, Tommy Milner and Matthew Marsh will be at the display Friday afternoon from 3:00-3:15 p.m. to answer questions from fans.

Prominently featured in the display will be high-performance parts and accessories for Chevrolet cars and trucks, as well as crate engines and engine parts available from Chevrolet Performance.

Additionally, there will be specialty vehicles, photo opportunities and other activities for fans to enjoy throughout the Rolex 24-Hour weekend. The display opens at 10 a.m. on Thursday, January 26.

The 50^th running of the Rolex 24-Hour will start at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 28 and conclude 24 hours later Sunday afternoon.

The opening race of the weekend, the Grand-Am 200 for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, will also feature Team Chevy entries.  Mitchum Motorsports will field the No. 6 and No. 62 Camaro GS.R joined by the No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports GS.R as well as the No. 00 and No. 01 of CKS Autosport.  The two and one-half hour race will start Friday, January 27 at 1:30 p.m. ET

TEAM CHEVY GRAND-AM CAR AND DRIVER ROSTER FOR THE GRAND-AM 200 AND THE ROLEX 24-HOUR AT DAYTONA:

ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES DAYTONA PROTOTYPE (DP):

• ·       No. 5 Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
• ·       Drivers

o   David Donohue

o   Darren Law

o   Christian Fittapaldi

• ·       No. 9 Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
• ·       Drivers

o   Joao Barbosa

o   Terry Borcheller

o   JC France

o   Max Papis

• ·       No. 10 SunTrust Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
• ·       Drivers

o   Max Angelellli

o   Ricky Taylor

o   Ryan Briscoe

• ·       No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet Corvette DP
• ·       Drivers

o   Antonio Garcia

o   Richard Westbrook

o   Oliver Gavin

o   Jan Magnussen

• ·       No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
• ·       Drivers

o   Alex Gurney

o   Jon Fogarty

o   Memo Gidley

TEAM CHEVY IN ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES GRAND TOURING (GT):

• ·       No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Jordan Taylor

o   Paul Edwards

o   Tommy Milner

o   Matthew Marsh

• ·       No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Robin Liddell

o   John Edwards

o   Robbie Bremer

• ·       No. 75 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Al Carter

o   Hugh Plumb

o   Eric Curran

TEAM CHEVY IN CONTINENTAL TIRE SPORTS CAR CHALLENGE GRAND SPORT (GS):

• ·       No. 00 CKS Motorsports Camaro GS.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Ashley McCalmont

o   Brett Sandbert

• ·       No. 01 CKS Motorsports Camaro GS.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Eric Curran

o   Lawson Aschenbach

• ·       No. 6 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Tim Bell

o   Aaron Stelle

• ·       No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Matt Bell

o   John Edwards

• ·       No. 62 Mitchum Motorsports Camaro GS.R
• ·       Drivers

o   Joey Atterbury

o   Gunter Schaldach

About Chevrolet 

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Regan Smith and world tour freeskiing champion Jess McMillan take a break from mountain driving in the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet near the ski slopes in Telluride, Colo. Smith and McMillan were shooting scenes for an upcoming ski movie produced by Warren Miller Entertainment.

DENVER, Colo. (Jan. 20, 2012) –

And that begs the question: Why was the 28-year-old Smith, dressed in his Furniture Row firesuit, driving the race car at 9,000 feet above sea level on icy and snow-packed roads where tandem drafting would never work no matter how many rule packages were introduced?

While last week’s Daytona test session was all about preparation for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season-opening Daytona 500, Telluride was all about shooting scenes earlier in the week (Monday and Tuesday) for the annual Warren Miller Entertainment ski movie.

For more than 60 years Warren Miller Entertainment has been the gold standard for the production of ski movies. The Telluride shoot was one of multiple worldwide locations that will be utilized for the 2012 ski classic, which is scheduled for an October premiere.

Riding along with Smith in the race car, which was equipped with a ski rack and studded snow tires for the road less traveled, was national and world tour freeskiing champion Jess McMillan.

“It’s an interesting storyline why I was driving Jess McMillan up the mountain,” said Smith. “I can’t say more about it until the movie is released. The conditions were tricky and the car was a handful to drive at times, but it was a blast. However, I did have my moments and let’s just say that the car didn’t leave Telluride dent free.

“Due to the popularity of the ski movie, I feel this was a win, win experiences for Furniture Row Racing, NASCAR, Warren Miller Entertainment, Spyder and Regan Smith. The perks keep on coming as a result of having Furniture Row Racing based in Denver.”

McMillan, who has had her share of excitement during her freeskiing career, experienced a new thrill as a passenger in the Furniture Row Chevrolet.

“There is nothing like riding in a race car,” stated McMillan. “When Regan started his engine, my heart rate skyrocketed. I had a blast working with Regan and the Furniture Row team. It was an experience I will never forget. Car 78 looked so cool with a ski rack on its roof driving through snow-covered mountain passes. I can’t wait to go to my first race.”

Source: DMF Communications for Furniture Row Racing, Press Release

Jeff Gordon (far left), driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, talks with crew chief Alan Gustafson (second left) while crew members listen - Photo Credit: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

AJ Allmendinger and Brad Keselowski, with the identical lap speed of 200.548 mph, posted the second and third fastest speeds respectively, while Kasey Kahne (200.481) was fourth fastest and Denny Hamlin (199.973) was the fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest were Joey Logano (199.969) who was sixth fastest, Martin Truex, Jr. (199.601) seventh, Clint Bowyer (199.596) eighth, Juan Pablo Montoya (199.159) ninth and Jamie McMurray ( 198.904) posting the tenth fastest lap speed.

Next Up: SpeedWeeks, and the NSCS team haulers descend upon Daytona International Speedway Thursday, Feb. 16th, and those participating in the Budweiser Shootout, hit the track for their first practice session on Friday, Feb.17th, from 5:00 PM – 5:45 PM (EDT). (The first practice session for the Daytona 500 is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 18th, from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – EDT).

Pos No Name                   Make Best Time Best Speed

 1  24 Jeff Gordon          Chv  44.874    200.562
 2  22 AJ Allmendinger      Dge  44.877    200.548
 3   2 Brad Keselowski      Dge  44.877    200.548
 4   5 Kasey Kahne          Chv  44.892    200.481
 5  11 Denny Hamlin         Tyt  45.006    199.973
 6  20 Joey Logano          Tyt  45.007    199.969
 7  56 Martin Truex Jr      Tyt  45.090    199.601
 8  15 Clint Bowyer         Tyt  45.091    199.596
 9  42 Juan Pablo Montoya   Chv  45.190    199.159
10   1 Jamie McMurray       Chv  45.248    198.904
11  88 Dale Earnhardt Jr    Chv  45.310    198.632
12  55 Mark Martin          Tyt  45.368    198.378
13  31 Jeff Burton          Chv  45.378    198.334
14  18 Kyle Busch           Tyt  45.419    198.155
15  43 Aric Almirola        Frd  45.446    198.037
16  16 Greg Biffle          Frd  45.451    198.015
17  17 Matt Kenseth         Frd  45.452    198.011
18   9 Marcos Ambrose       Frd  45.488    197.854
19  99 Carl Edwards         Frd  45.540    197.628
20  78 Regan Smith          Chv  45.541    197.624
21  87 Joe Nemechek         Tyt  46.199    194.809
22  48 Jimmie Johnson       Chv  46.462    193.707
23  27 Paul Menard          Chv  46.560    193.299
24  29 Kevin Harvick        Chv  46.744    192.538
25  21 Trevor Bayne         Frd  46.777    192.402
26   6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr   Frd  47.001    191.485

Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, talks with Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, during Daytona Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 14, 2012, in Daytona Beach, Fla. - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

Recorded the second fastest with the identical lap speed of 201.545 mph, was Jeff Gordon, followed by Kurt Busch (199.464) who was third fastest, Mark Martin (199.459) fourth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (199.406) who was fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest were Jimmie Johnson (199.397) who was sixth fastest, Jeff Burton (199.049) seventh, Regan Smith (199.045) eighth, Jamie McMurray (194.456) ninth and Juan Pablo Montoya (192.951) posting the tenth fastest lap speed.

The teams will return to the track for their final test/practice session this afternoon, which is scheduled to run from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (EDT).

Pos No Name                 Make Best Time Best Speed

 1   5 Kasey Kahne          Chv  44.655    201.545
 2  24 Jeff Gordon          Chv  44.655    201.545
 3  51 Kurt Busch           Chv  45.121    199.464
 4  55 Mark Martin          Tyt  45.122    199.459
 5  88 Dale Earnhardt Jr    Chv  45.134    199.406
 6  48 Jimmie Johnson       Chv  45.136    199.397
 7  31 Jeff Burton          Chv  45.215    199.049
 8  78 Regan Smith          Chv  45.216    199.045
 9   1 Jamie McMurray       Chv  46.283    194.456
10  42 Juan Pablo Montoya   Chv  46.644    192.951
11  27 Paul Menard          Chv  46.721    192.633
12  10 Danica Patrick       Chv  46.868    192.029
13  14 Tony Stewart         Chv  46.904    191.881
14  18 Kyle Busch           Tyt  46.955    191.673
15  21 Trevor Bayne         Frd  46.967    191.624
16  29 Kevin Harvick        Chv  47.010    191.449
17  22 AJ Allmendinger      Dge  47.013    191.436
18  43 Aric Almirola        Frd  47.056    191.261
19  20 Joey Logano          Tyt  47.102    191.075
20   6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr   Frd  47.176    190.775
21  16 Greg Biffle          Frd  47.188    190.726
22  11 Denny Hamlin         Tyt  47.195    190.698
23  15 Clint Bowyer         Tyt  47.217    190.609
24   9 Marcos Ambrose       Frd  47.260    190.436
25  56 Martin Truex Jr      Tyt  47.276    190.371
26  99 Carl Edwards         Frd  47.317    190.206
27  17 Matt Kenseth         Frd  47.408    189.841
28   2 Brad Keselowski      Dge  47.534    189.338
29  36 Dave Blaney          Chv  47.739    188.525
30  87 Joe Nemechek         Tyt  47.855    188.068

Jeff Gordon - Photo Credit: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DRIVE TO END HUNGER CHEVROLET met with media and discussed the test, his expectations of the car speeds and format for the upcoming Daytona 500, Kasey Kahne joining Hendrick Motorsports, and more.

THE MODERATOR: We’ll start here with Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet. If you would talk about the test session thus far and what you’ve learned.

JEFF GORDON: Yeah, it’s been really good for us. You know, our car was quick right away yesterday, so pretty happy with all the hard work that has gone into coming down here and preparation for Daytona. So excited about this whole year, really, and having a great car here at the test. So that’s all good.

You know, I don’t know if we learned a whole lot more than normal for the runs that we made all day yesterday and up until lunchtime today, pretty much typical just single car runs, qualifying stuff, and then we did do some drafting, which is very interesting. With the smaller spoiler and restrictor plate, cars have a lot of power, a lot of speed, and definitely that has changed things a bit. You know, the pushing is a little bit unique and different. The cars aren’t quite as stable as they were, but yet and we can’t go as long, which I think is the goal.

Audio: 2012 NSCS Preseason Thunder at Daytona Press Conference with Driver Jeff Gordon

You know, we did some more drafting and really I mean, I wish more than anything that we couldn’t push at all, because gosh, I had so much fun out there today in those big packs when we weren’t pushing. You can pass and the cars are moving around a little bit and kind of just reminds me of the good old days.

Q. They keep trying different things, they keep trying to break up the two car tandem. Do you realistically see any way that they’re already big pack racing again, that they’ll be able to get to a point where the two car tandem will go away?

JEFF GORDON: I mean, I think we’re always going now that we know that we can push and as long as the bumpers are lined up if we had known this 10, 15, 20 years ago, we would have done it then, too, or figured out how to do it. So I think that now that it’s here, it’s always going to be here.

But it doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s all you’re going to see all day in the race, in the 500. I think that if they may have to limit us a little bit more on the cooling, and I’m not saying I don’t have ideas and thoughts on what exactly they should do, but I think we’re probably going a little bit further than what they thought we would.

If we had to swap, then there’s not a big advantage of the tandem drafting for the majority of the day, but you’ll still you’re going to have to win the race with it. And so you might see some more pack racing.

But I think that if we get it figured out how to maintain those temps, then you will, you’ll see it all day long. But it looks like it’s more challenging, more difficult, and especially if we’re in a pack trying to do it. I’m not saying it’s going to be eliminated, but I don’t think it’s going to be what we’ve seen in the past. I think you’re going to see more pack racing, more cars driving in packs, and it’s the 500 is a long race. Survival is important, and you’ve got to figure out what is going to get you there to the end so that you can hook up with somebody and win the race.

But you cannot deny, whether it’s for a lap, a half a lap, or three laps, when you can pick up 10, 15 miles per hour, then you’re going to do it.

Q. (No microphone.)

JEFF GORDON: Yeah, I do. I don’t think that’s going to change. And I think it’s a combination of some of the aero testing that NASCAR has done with what they call that shark fin or whatever. I think some of that has allowed them to increase the speeds and feel comfortable with the cars as they spin and stay on the ground.

They’re also at the same time trying to I think they found that the more power you have, the faster that you go, the less blade that you have, the harder it is to stay connected and to do the tandem drafting. So I think it’s kind of working in their favor in a couple ways. And I think seeing those 200 plus mile per hour laps out there is pretty exciting.

Q. When NASCAR kind of told you guys to do the big pack draft or strongly suggested or whatever you want to call it, it seemed like kind of an unusual situation. We don’t see that that often. Were you okay with that? Is that fair game, I guess?

JEFF GORDON: Absolutely. If their reason for asking us to participate is to determine where everything really is at with the package that they have brought here, and if they’re going to think about tweaking it at all, I think we all have to be in just like we have to give our opinions on what we’re feeling out there, we also have to contribute to give them all that we can as a team, as drivers, to help them make the best decisions as they go forward.

They asked a favor out of us, and I think we were happy to do it. It was a little wilder out there than I anticipated. I think they left a few things out of the instructions on the drafting because once we got out there, I thought we were like five to go in the Daytona 500. It was pretty wild.

I think it gave them some good information, and us, as well. So I think it was a win win for everybody.

Q. Two things: The first one, it’s funny, you mentioned the good old days and that’s what a lot of people have come in and said today, it felt like the good old days. Does it really feel like the good old days are so far behind you?

JEFF GORDON: Certainly when it comes to drafting at Daytona, yeah. I mean, pretty much every race that I’ve won here was won in a type of drafting style where you had to plan to pass and work yourself into position every single lap of that race, and it took several laps to try to make a pass on the car, whether they were the lead car or fifth place or whatever it may be.

Every lap it was important to maintain that position that you had up towards the front and hold onto it and watch your mirrors, not let anybody get runs on you from behind, and then utilize the cars behind you to get some runs to pass, to try to win the race.

These days the shuffling just goes back and forth, back and forth, and it just seems like the passing and getting passed is it’s kind of easy in some ways, and it’s really as much about timing and luck as it is about planning it and really trying to come up with a strategy and what the car is doing and working the air around you and stuff. There’s still a lot of that but just not like it used to be. I know those days have passed us by.

Q. The other thing I wanted to ask you about is Kasey Kahne joining the team this year. You were one of his heroes when he was coming up and just starting racing. What kind of interaction have you had with him, and what does he bring, and Kenny Francis?

JEFF GORDON: Oh, I think they’re a great addition. I think they’re a great package. They seem to really get along well and understand one another well. Kenny is a super smart guy. I think he’s a great crew chief, and I think that Kasey is one of the top drivers in the series. We’re thrilled to have them with Hendrick. I had fun working with them today and can’t wait to work with them all year long. Kasey and I have been texting one another back and forth all last year. Every time that we were fast in qualifying or won a race, he was texting me, and I kept telling him, we’re just getting things ready for when you come. You know, we’ve been talking about having some fun with that for a long time, and I’m really looking forward to it.

And I think they add a lot, as well, because they’re like I said, they’re a great package.

Q. You were asked on TV earlier about the speeds, and I think you said something like I’ve never done it before, drafting at these speeds, and I’ve always wanted to do it. 200 miles an hour has always been sort of a taboo number. Did drivers prove a point with the conditions almost simulating what they might be like in a race where they were so wild, the drivers maybe proved to NASCAR they can handle it? And it sounds like you were comfortable but did you sense that everybody was comfortable at that level?

JEFF GORDON: Well, I mean, I’m not you’re right, and even for me, I went up to Darby and said, we can’t run these speeds, right? Surely you’re going to slow us down because it’s embedded in our minds that we can’t go over 200 miles per hour out there in race conditions. And when I saw their reaction of, no, not so much, we feel like we’ve learned some things and we’re okay with that, somehow it’s become accepted, and I think that’s a good thing.

But I don’t think that it really had anything to do with us proving it. I think they’re fine with us being out there doing it. I think they’re happy obviously to see that.

But I think a lot of it was just getting their data and information that made them feel comfortable with cars out there. A lot of things have changed since cars were going airborne here at over 200 miles per hour, and not saying that cars won’t still get airborne, but I think they’ve learned some things that are going to help with it dramatically, and I think that these speeds are more what I feel like this track is capable of and what we should be running here. Not that the fans are going to sit there and go oh, that car is doing 190 and that car is doing 205, I think the racing is going to be a little bit better at those speeds.

There was moments I wasn’t very comfortable, but I any you know, the thing is when they repaved this racetrack, the grip level became so good and the track so smooth that what we used to have here when tires would wear out and you’d slip and slide around and you had your hands full when you had to drive it and that was one of the fun things about Daytona, and when they repaved it, it took a lot of that away. So I think these speeds are getting back to some of that where it’s a little bit more in the drivers’ hands, and I think that’s a good thing.

Q. John Darby during one of the times he was in here the last couple days talked about he thought it was important that in the qualifying aspect cars were really going too slow to be of any kind of entertainment value. Have you noticed what kind of difference have you noticed being able to go like 194, 195 in qualifying?

JEFF GORDON: Well, I think, that’s one of I’ve been saying for years, I wish we could run a different restrictor plate or different spoiler for qualifying just because in single car runs we’re able to go so much faster, and it’s a lot different obviously when you’re in a group of cars doing those speeds and aerodynamics start to become play a big role. I’m very comfortable and feel good about it’s nice to see those speeds, but I wish we were going 20 miles per hour faster for qualifying, and then I wish that we could get it back down to about where we are now. I think that would be really cool to just see, just how fast we could I mean, it’s very comfortable, put it that way. It’s extremely comfortable.

Q. Speaking of comfortable, this is kind of like a fan question. How are you most comfortable with fans and could you share with fans it’s your role, but then again, you get to enjoy it, too?

JEFF GORDON: Yeah. You know, I try to always go back to when I was younger, growing up and looked up to people like Rick Mears and A.J. Foyt and got autographs at racetracks from sprint car drivers like Steve Kinser. It blows me away that there are people out there that are as avid as they are, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get 100 percent comfortable with that because that’s very humbling and gratifying thing to accept. But and when I look back and put myself in those shoes, that to me was so cool to be able to meet my hero and get their autograph or have them say something to me or get a picture, and to know that there are people out there like that that feel that way about me is amazing.

We get caught up in the moment of this is our job and we’re trying to compete for the Daytona 500 and all these things, and sometimes you go, yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m sorry I can’t do it right now, I can’t do it right now. But at the end of the day you have to remind yourself how important they are to the sport, how important they are to you because of what they share and what they go through as fans to come here, whether they travel or whatever it is, and to stand there on the fence and yell your name, hope that they get that opportunity to meet you or get an autograph. That’s pretty unbelievable.

So I have to remind myself to be very thankful of that and put myself back in the shoes of myself when I was a kid doing that same thing.

Q. Would you be willing to; if they wanted to pump up qualifying, would you be willing to just run two laps around here without a restrictor plate?

JEFF GORDON: Sure, absolutely. I can say that now because I’m sitting here.

You know, I think without the restrictor plate it actually makes us have to do a lot of different things to the car because I was talking to Martin Truex today and he was talking about how they ran like 210 or something here testing not too long ago and that he was dragging everything off the bottom of the car it was hitting so hard because of the speed. So it’s not just that easy where you can take off the plate and go run. There’s a lot of things that come along with it. I don’t know how Goodyear feels about those speeds and how prepared they are for that, as well. But I would certainly like to do it. I’ve always wanted to do it. I’ve always wanted to do it at Talladega. These cars have so much downforce and drag that you kind of reach terminal velocity even with all that horsepower. I think the cars would be still comfortable to drive but a little bit more driving would be needed. But I think it would be awesome.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time today. Best of luck in 2012.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Source: NASCAR, Press Release

Kurt Busch - Photo Credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Regan Smith, with a lap speed of 206.053 mph, was second fastest and was followed by Kyle Busch (205.813) who was third fastest, while Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne ran the identical laps (205.747) and were recorded fourth and fifth fastest respectively.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest were Paul Menard (205.100) who was sixth fastest, Kevin Harvick (205.095) seventh, Denny Hamlin (204.997) eighth, Martin Truex, Jr. (204.820) ninth and Clint Bowyer (204.806) posting the tenth fastest lap speed.

The teams will return to the track Saturday for their final two sessions with the first session running from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (EDT) and the afternoon session will run from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (EDT).

Pos No Name                 Make Best Time Best Speed

 1  51 Kurt Busch           Chv  43.677    206.058
 2  78 Regan Smith          Chv  43.678    206.053
 3  18 Kyle Busch           Tyt  43.729    205.813
 4  24 Jeff Gordon          Chv  43.743    205.747
 5   5 Kasey Kahne          Chv  43.743    205.747
 6  27 Paul Menard          Chv  43.881    205.100
 7  29 Kevin Harvick        Chv  43.882    205.095
 8  11 Denny Hamlin         Tyt  43.903    204.997
 9  56 Martin Truex Jr      Tyt  43.941    204.820
10  15 Clint Bowyer         Tyt  43.944    204.806
11   2 Brad Keselowski      Dge  43.964    204.713
12  22 AJ Allmendinger      Dge  43.965    204.708
13  10 Danica Patrick       Chv  44.044    204.341
14  14 Tony Stewart         Chv  44.044    204.341
15  88 Dale Earnhardt Jr    Chv  44.046    204.332
16  20 Joey Logano          Tyt  44.074    204.202
17  39 Ryan Newman          Chv  44.078    204.183
18   6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr   Frd  44.103    204.068
19  17 Matt Kenseth         Frd  44.105    204.058
20  16 Greg Biffle          Frd  44.190    203.666
21  21 Trevor Bayne         Frd  44.228    203.491
22  55 Mark Martin          Tyt  44.300    203.160
23  13 Casey Mears          Frd  44.453    202.461
24  43 Aric Almirola        Frd  44.689    201.392
25   9 Marcos Ambrose       Frd  44.693    201.374
26  42 Juan Pablo Montoya   Chv  44.710    201.297
27   1 Jamie McMurray       Chv  44.878    200.544
28  99 Carl Edwards         Frd  44.882    200.526
29  48 Jimmie Johnson       Chv  45.776    196.610
30  31 Jeff Burton          Chv  46.075    195.334
31  36 Dave Blaney          Chv  46.724    192.620
32  87 Joe Nemechek         Tyt  46.856    192.078

Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet addresses the media, - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

An Interview With:

JIMMIE JOHNSON

KRISTI KING: We’ll start off our media availability today with Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet. Just talk a little bit about the day and a half you’ve had of testing here so far at Daytona.

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, we’ve been really just focused on our single-car runs. We brought down a really fast race car, and I’m proud of all of HMS and engine shop included, 48 guys. They really brought down a nice race car. We haven’t really showed our hand, and we’re right there with the top cars in single-car speed. I’m proud of the work that’s gone on over the off-season with our plate program, and our plate stuff has been real strong, especially from a qualifying standpoint through the last few plate races last year. We’re still maintaining pretty well, and excited about the speed that the car has.

KRISTI KING: Also, too, looking at the trophy here right beside you, what would it mean to you to win the Daytona 500 here next month?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: It’s such a special race, and I feel very fortunate to have won that race. At that point I didn’t have a championship, and it’s one of two races that you get a title when you win this race, this one and the Brickyard. It can make a career, and it was a huge, huge thing for myself when I won it in 2006.

Audio: 2012 NSCS Preseason Thunder at Daytona Press Conference with Driver Jimmie Johnson

Q. Jimmie, can you talk a little bit about the drivers’ meeting that NASCAR just held? What did they tell you and what do you expect out of the pack drafting this afternoon?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: I missed it. I was over taking my drug test and missed it. It ran a little longer. There was a long line of guys waiting to use the restroom. But what I did hear is that they want to get everybody into a big draft and collect data without the pushing, just to see how stable the cars are, what the cars do. So they’re just trying to encourage everybody to get out there in a big group and use the old style of drafting to see what the cars do.
I’m not sure we’ll participate in it. We don’t want to take any chances with this car. It’s way too fast. We don’t need it on a hook.

Q. I wanted to ask you a little bit about having Kasey Kahne a part of the team, and since you had known for so long that he was going to join the team, did you guys kind of have a bonding session or get to know each other coming in, and just how do you see him fitting in?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: I’ve been real fortunate that Kasey and I have been friends really since we met, since he came into the series and was a part of the Cup Series. He and I have always had a great relationship and friendship. It’s really been the same since he’s come on board and even through when the announcement was made until now, we’re great friends.
The relationship that has grown, and I’ve spent some more time getting accustomed to Kenny. I didn’t know Kenny other than just some casual passings in the garage area. And I’ve really enjoyed the time I’ve spent with him and picking his brain and understanding what he’s about. Two big assets that Hendrick Motorsports picked up, and I look forward to what they can do.

Q. Obviously you knew Chad wasn’t going to be here, but did you almost still expect him to be here when you got here, and have you heard from him at all, and what’s it like to be at a test when he’s not around?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: He’s been texting and emailing, so there still is that communication taking place. But we’ve got a very confident race team, and everybody is following the test plan, and we’re going through the motions. Truthfully a lot of the work for this test was done at the shop getting prepared, and now we’re just following a test plan. It’s worked out well for Chad to take some time for himself, and I’m really happy that he has decided to do this. As we all know, he doesn’t give himself much personal time, and I’ve been on a similar trip to the one he’s on now and know how special it was to Chandy and I. I can’t wait to hear the stories when he gets back and what he goes through. It’s been a nice calm test so far.

Q. With all these rule changes for the 500, plus the introduction of fuel injection, being at a team like Hendrick, which always seems to be a step ahead of everybody else, what kind of comfort is that to you?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: I have to believe that all the teams and engine shops feel pretty comfortable with all the testing. In the time to prepare for this race and what we’re doing now, we’ve worked through a lot of the gremlins, so I think NASCAR has handled this really well, and we’ve had a lot of time to develop the systems and get things going.
I don’t have any fear, and I don’t really sense any throughout the garage area. But we’re still learning the rules packages as we go, and with a day and a half left to go, I’m not sure NASCAR has settled in on the package that they want just yet, and we’ll keep fine tuning.

From an overall aero package and plate package, there’s still probably some adjusting that would take place I would guess. I don’t really know, but from a reliability standpoint of the EFI, I don’t see any issues for anybody.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about the psyche, if you will, entering this season because it’s, as you well know, obviously very different than it has been the last five years?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, I’ve spent a lot of time through the off-season thinking about the way I’m involved with the race team, the responsibilities I have, the — just the way I’ve gone about work for the last five years, and it’s hard to argue with the last five years and what had happened. Last year was the sixth year and we didn’t get the results that we wanted. But I really felt like we were competitive in a lot of areas. Chad and I made some mistakes in the Chase and took ourselves out of it.

It’s been a very good off-season for me to internalize some things and to really evaluate what goes on from my standpoint and my involvement with the team and how good of a teammate and team member I can be for the 48 car, and I’m making changes. I feel like even though I tried to over the five-year run not stall out and tried to continue to evolve and challenge myself and recreate myself. It’s hard to do it. You have a roadmap that’s working and it’s hard to get too far from it. This winter has been really good for me to really dive down and understand the areas where I feel like I can do a better job and be a better member of the 48 team.

So I know I’m stronger and better today than I was leaving Homestead, so I’m looking forward to 2012.

Q. I know this isn’t an official race weekend and the trailers aren’t parked on points, but is this still one of those times when you walk out of your transporters in the middle of a pack, and you’re like, damn, I’m not the champion anymore? Has that hit you?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, I’ve made more mistakes walking to the wrong end of the garage. I’ve been programmed for so many years to walk to a certain stall that it’s been tough, and even driving into the pits the first three or four times, I didn’t know where to pull in. It’s not going to end. That’s a good thing, too, that reminder every week that I had it really good over there as the champion in that first spot.

Q. Competition is coming from NASCAR up on the podium after you. What would the perfect Daytona 500 look like to you, number of laps where you could do tandem drafting or how much people may lay back because they don’t want to blow water out so they’re going to save and maybe it’ll create people going to the back? What would the perfect Daytona 500 mix be like to you?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: I’m not sure of the mix but I know what I want the results to be. I want the 48 car in victory lane. There’s a fine balance as a competitor with the tandem racing does give the driver some control to race. But at the same point, the fans aren’t into that style of racing. That’s what we need to pay attention to.

I think we’re all learning. These three days are going to be very useful for teams, for NASCAR to find the right package and right balance. So I’m just not getting attached to anything yet and just waiting to get through these three days and see where we’re at then.

Q. The same question I asked Jeff Gordon about, he’s got a charity now as a sponsor, but did you think when you first got into racing that you would be giving back as much as you do both in time and money to charity?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: No, I didn’t. I mean, I spent a lot of time being involved with different charities and supporting them and donating my time and funds when I could. But until Kyle and Pattie Petty sat me down and really explained what I could do and what the NASCAR fan base and my fan base would get behind, also my sponsors — at some point I guess I would have figured it out, but I’m so grateful that they sat me down, and my wife, sat us both down and said this is what you’re doing, which is great, but this could happen. It’s been far more money donated, impacting more lives.

I never thought that our foundation would be on a race car at a racetrack, and it’s been there for a few years now at the California races. It’s far more than I ever expected.

Q. Just to kind of touch on something earlier that was brought up, for a guy who’s won five championships, you’ve won the Daytona 500, going forward, what motivates Jimmie Johnson? Is it something as simple as winning the next race, or is there kind of a NASCAR bucket list that you still have something left unchecked?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: You know, there are some events that fit into that and some stats and some goals. But really the thing that motivates me is the fire hasn’t gone out in me to compete, and as long as that fire is burning, who I am as a person, I’m going to give 100 percent. I know when I do a good job, what my responsibilities are. That’s the thing that keeps motivating me and that’s what I’m reflecting on from last year is at times we did a good job, and when we put up 100 percent we got the results that we wanted. But some other time things just didn’t work out as they should and weren’t handled correctly from my side and the way I went about things. So that’s my motivation for this coming season is to not make those mistakes and to do the best job that I can and be the best member of this 48 team that I can be.

Q. This question is about there’s definitely pressure during the last few races of the season; can you talk about pressure when you actually start the season, especially the back and forth that you have to do between the East Coast and West Coast in the first few races?

JIMMIE JOHNSON: Yeah, the start of the season with the 500 as our first event, we walk into a pressure cooker right away. Leaving there with the limited testing that we have, you go to the first couple fast racetracks, downforce tracks, wondering if everything you worked on in the shop is going to pay off or not. So there is a lot of pressure for the first, I don’t know, four or five races just to find out where you’re at. And then from there you can address some problems and try to correct any issues that you have or sit there on top of the pile and be real happy with the work that took place over the off-season.

Coming out of the gate, there is a lot of pressure for the first few weeks.

KRISTI KING: Jimmie, thank you for your time, and thanks to everyone who joined us on the teleconference today.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Source: NASCAR, Press Release

Kasey Kahne drives the No. 5 Farmer's Insurance Group Chevrolet during Daytona Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 12 in Daytona Beach, Fla. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET, met with media and discussed driving the Cup car for Hendrick, his new team and sponsors, the preseason test, and more. 

KERRY THARP:  We’re going to finish up this afternoon.  We’ve got Kasey Kahne joining us and then Carl Edwards is going to come in here in a few minutes.  Kasey is with a new race team this year.  He’s driving the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

            Kasey, good to see you out there in those new colors.  Talk about being here at Daytona and being with a new race team, certainly the cream of the crop.  You’ve got to put Hendrick Motorsports right up there and you’re driving the 5 car.  Talk about your excitement and enthusiasm coming here to Daytona with a new race team.

Audio: 2012 NSCS Preseason Thunder at Daytona Press Conference with Driver Kasey Kahne

KASEY KAHNE:  It’s really just exciting to get started, to start working with the 5 guys and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports.  It’s really an incredible place.  I was able to spend some time there over the off season and just try to be as prepared as possible when we get here for testing and then when we get started during Speed Weeks.

It’s neat, though.  It’s awesome to be able to talk with Jimmie and Dale and Jeff about racing and driving and things like that, and then just all the people that they have there.  I don’t know, it’s just been kind of a different feeling more than anything than what I’ve had before at other race teams.  It’s a great opportunity, and I want to take full advantage of it.

Today we had a really good day just trying to get our car    just trying to figure it out.  They do things differently, and we’re trying to kind of feel it out and see how things felt and did a little bit of two car stuff at the end that went pretty well, too.  So I thought we had a good day.  It was a nice first day at Daytona.

Q.  How many laps were you able to do in the two car draft?  How many do you think you can do, and did you notice much of a difference with the new rules?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, we went out right at the end with the 88, and he pushed me for I think about four laps, and then the time was running out, so then I pushed him for three right before it ended up, before it ran out.  But I could have went a little bit further.  I don’t know about his car.  I would say it’s changed somewhat.  The handling of the car has changed a little bit when you’re getting pushed, and definitely the temperature has changed.  So we’re just trying to figure that out.

But it wasn’t as big of a change as what maybe    what I thought it maybe could be.  I’ve heard some people saying it probably wouldn’t be that big and others saying it would.  It didn’t seem like as big of a deal as what it could have been.

Q.  Robin Pemberton indicated tomorrow he wants you guys all in a big draft.  Is that going to be the true tell of this package?

KASEY KAHNE:  I think so because I think the    to me if the draft is fast enough and everybody can run together and you don’t have to be pushing each other, then when you do have to change from one car to the other because your engine gets hot, you’re going to lose way more than what you gain, depending on how close the draft is to the two car speed.  So until we do that, it’s just kind of an unknown of how fast that draft will be.  I mean, you have to have 20 to 30 cars in that draft to see where it’ll really stand up, stack up against maybe the tandem or a couple cars in line tandeming together.  I think tomorrow we’ll learn more about it and Saturday, as well.

Q.  Just kind of as a follow up, so basically tomorrow if you guys discover that being in the pack, like it used to be, is just as fast as doing the two car thing, it could    that would be how the situation would ultimately change the racing, correct?

KASEY KAHNE:  I think that’s what I’ve kind of thought of anyways.  I don’t know if that’s what they were    I’m pretty sure that’s probably what they were thinking.  You know, when you switch from the two car, you go from running a 44 or a 45 flat to a 47 flat, so you lose two seconds, and then it takes    over two, three laps you lose about three seconds.

So for the big draft    and you’re having to switch every four laps.  So if the big pack is a lot faster and closer to that, then you’ll go by those cars that are switching and everything.  It’s just hard to say until we get in that big pack.  I think the big pack is going to be faster now than it was last year, and it should be a little bit closer to those tandems.  But still, the tandem at times, you’re going to have to do it.  It’s just speed.  At times you’re going to see cars get hooked up and try to make some passes.

Q.  The Hendrick guys have been saying even since late last year that Kenny was bringing new ideas to the table and making them think in different ways.  Have you been able to tell just how differently you used to do things versus how they do things there and what sort of an impact Kenny can have and sort of helping these guys think outside the box a little bit?

KASEY KAHNE:  Yeah, I think the way they look at things and the way they’ve been doing things for a long time is a great way, and it’s really worked for them.  I think Kenny looks at some of the things that way, and then others a different way.  There’s so many ways to go about this car and about getting around each corner and around the racetrack.  So it’s something we’re always learning, they’re always learning and just putting in time to figure it out.  But I think together they all    they’ve worked really well together so far.  It’s been pretty awesome on my side to see how Kenny has fit right into that group, how they’ve wanted Kenny, how he’s wanted to be part of it.

I had a question earlier today, was this something that you demanded of Kenny Francis be your crew chief, and it really wasn’t.  It was something where I went in, and when I was talking to Mr. Hendrick when we were getting the deal done, I told him, man, Kenny is really good, he should be part of this place, and it would be great if he was my crew chief.  And they’re like, yeah, we’re going to look at it, we’re going to figure it out.  And from there it was all them wanting Kenny Francis.

So it’s been good.  It’s been a really good fit for everyone, and I think together we should all be able to grow more than where we’ve been in the past for sure.

Q.  On day one, how have you felt like you fit into the Hendrick program?  I assume there may have been a driver debrief or some sort of typical routine that they do.  What was it like being with a new team?

KASEY KAHNE:  Really I kind of got here the same time I would have last year or any other year, and actually got here the same time at Jeff.  We walked in and just got started.  They’re all very focused and serious about what they’re doing, but at the same time you can talk and things.  From an outsider in the past, you’re not sure maybe how that group works or some of that, but I thought today it was really relaxed, and the guys working there, the drivers, like everybody is good people.  I fit in well so far.  I mean, it’s pretty easy to fit in on day one, but it’s been good so far.

Q.  Have you had second thoughts lately about how you do things on Twitter?

KASEY KAHNE:  I took a little time off Twitter, and I just got going again now.  I’m glad we’re racing again.  I just talk about racing like I’ve always done on Twitter.  That’s about    that’s kind of where that stands.

Q.  Given the speed of the cars, do you think NASCAR will make a change with the restrictor plates, and as fast as they were going, how was the sensation different when the tandem drafted as opposed to the past?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, I didn’t really feel like it was a whole lot different.  You know, we were going a little bit faster, but it felt pretty similar.  In the past you can catch a big draft with two cars, and you’re catching maybe eight or ten that are kind of together, and I think we’ve went that fast before because it felt really normal going those speeds.  To me it’s not a real big difference.  I think NASCAR decides on the speeds and how fast they want everybody to go.  But it felt pretty normal.

Q.  Throughout the course of your career you’ve had success despite the fact that some of the organizations that you’ve been at times have been somewhat volatile.  What’s it like for you now to walk into work at Hendrick Motorsports in a place that is so solid and where you don’t have to worry about that, where you’ve got peace of mind?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, I think the biggest thing is the stability and knowing that I have four years here where I can    I just need to make the best out of it.  I need to put all the effort that I have into it.  It could be my best four years ever.  So I just want to do all that.

And to be at a team where it’s so stable, there’s so many people working at the same goal, and to have an owner, a boss like Mr. Hendrick is something that is just a great opportunity to be there and be part of that organization.

Q.  NASCAR drivers seem to adjust well.  That seems to be one of your traits, and you’ve had to adjust obviously to a lot of teams in the past.  How did that help you so far do you think with Hendrick Motorsports?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, last year switching to the Red Bull, that was the first real big adjustment because those guys did things a little bit different than what we had in the past.  And the whole    the other changes, we still had Kenny and some of the things were pretty normal, but I think last year actually probably helped me and helped Kenny and maybe gave us a little bit of a different outlook coming into this and knowing some of the things that will be different and how the car will feel and the engine will feel.

I think last year helped a lot, to be able to make this year a little bit smoother transition than last.  And last year we made a pretty good change there.  We got going pretty quick right at the start and finished strong.  But it definitely takes time because it’s all different.  The way they build the parts and pieces and the way that feels to me and the way I relay that to Kenny, that’s something that takes time, and hopefully it doesn’t take us too long.  But there’ll definitely be some things that will confuse me at times for sure.

THE MODERATOR:  Kasey, thanks for coming in and all the best to you here at the test and at Speed Weeks for sure.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

About Chevrolet 

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Source: Team Chevy, Press Release

Dale Earnhardt Jr Diet Mt Dew - Photo Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images

DALE EARNHARDT JR, NO. 88 DIET MOUNTAIN DEW CHEVROLET met with media and discussed Pre-Season Thunder at Daytona, the off-season, team changes for 2012, and more.

KERRY THARP:  We’re here with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., driver of the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew National Guard Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, and Dale, first thing I’m going to ask you, you’ve won the Daytona 500, you know what it’s like to go to victory lane here at Daytona.  What would it be like to go into victory lane here at Daytona again in 2012?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  Winning the 500 is the biggest race of the year.  It’s the greatest feeling.  When it comes to winning single events, you can’t beat it.  A lot of effort goes into this race.  Just like down here testing for three days, we don’t really do it anywhere else.  Same amount of work that you’re seeing down here for three days, that’s what’s happening back at the shop with the engines for this race, for that whole Speed Weeks.  The effort is quadruple when it comes to how much goes into the engines just for that race and the bodies on the cars just for that race.

Audio: 2012 NSCS Preseason Thunder Press Conference with Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

A lot goes into it for whatever reason, more than any other event.  So it’s a pretty big deal when you win. 

            Q.  Just a simple question:  What’s your mindset entering the season?  How did the off season go as far as you thinking about this season and what’s your approach going to be?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  The off season has been good.  I’ve been able to relax a lot, and I’ve been looking forward to getting in the car.  I really wasn’t ready to get out of the car, and I’ve been asking Steve when we were going to test, when we’re going to go to the racetrack just to be doing something instead of sitting around at home.  We plan to test a little bit more than we did last year before the season starts, which I think will be good for our team.

It’s been good, though.  I’ve been just enjoying the time off and really getting charged up and ready for the year to start.

Q.  What’s your thoughts on the speed y’all are running out there now?  Do you think it’ll be faster, slower?  Do you like it better than last year?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  Yeah, I like going faster than we’ve been going.  The cars are really, really slow by themselves the last couple years at Daytona and Talladega.  Qualifying in the mid-180 range is just way too slow.  You know, when I was growing up as a kid, hearing the numbers that guys were trying to put up and how fast they would go, 210 here and 214 at Talladega when Elliott was doing that in ’85, maybe it was ’84, but just back then those kind of numbers, man, that was awesome stuff to read about, and it gets you really excited.

So going 30 miles an hour slower than that doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, and it’s not.  So I’m glad that they opened up the cars a little bit, took a little plate away, took a little spoiler away and gave us a bigger plate.

I could always    the cars, the track is brand new, and the tire is really good, so the cars don’t handle.  I like the cars to handle some.  I’d like to have to adjust on my car and work on the handling and get it to drive good, but it doesn’t go fast enough to have a problem.  So that’s a little disappointment.

But I think that the changes they made are really good.  I can feel that I’m going around the corner faster than I have been the last couple years, which is good.

Q.  What kind of racing do you think we’ll see if it’s not tandem racing?  What kind of racing will fans see from the grandstands?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  I’ve only run single car runs today, so I don’t really know how to answer that question.  If I had to guess, I’d guess it’s going to look like last year’s race.

Q.  I was just curious your thoughts about what kind of impact the stories we’ve seen about limiting communications between drivers on the track might make.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  I don’t think it’ll be a big deal.  You know, pretty much everybody is working with teammates anyways.  I don’t think they’re going to limit that.  I don’t think it’ll be any big deal.  When we first started tandem drafting, you might end up working with somebody outside of your company, but then everybody sort of got a little strict on who they were going to work with and how they were going to do it, and they stuck with that plan the entire races.  So I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.

Q.  Do you have any changes at all really with your team this year, and if not, can you just talk about kind of the difference going into this year compared to last year?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  We had a couple people move around.  I had a really, really good interior guy that went to work at RCR because it’s a little closer to where he lives.  A lot, actually.  And we got a new guy who works out really good.

A couple other positions like that, similar to that, that can really affect a team.  Everybody’s personalities have to mesh and everybody has to get along good.  You get one guy in there that everybody doesn’t like, then you’ve got a big problem, kind of a bruise over the entire season and can really bring a team down from the inside out.

But I feel pretty good about the changes we’ve made.  I believe in what Steve chooses when it comes to personnel, to put the team around him that he thinks he needs.  So I’m excited about some of those changes that we’ve made.

But other than that, we have nothing really huge that’s been done.  I think they did hire a fellow to come in and manage the fabrication department or something like that, which is a pretty big deal, but the effects of that won’t be felt for another month or so.

Q.  When Danica came here in ’09 for the ARCA test she talked about how nervous she was and had trouble figuring out how to put her hair in the uniform and things like that.  Did you pay any attention to her today?  Did you feel like this is routine stuff for her, that she’s kind of gotten past all that?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  I didn’t even remember that she was supposed to be here.  I didn’t know who was in the 10 car until Steve told me because I saw 10 on the board, and I’m thinking, There’s no 10; who’s in the 10?  But she’s been relatively quiet, and that’s probably good for her to be able to come in here and work and get everything done she wants to get done and concentrate on her driving and concentrate on her new team and everybody.  She’s learning a whole new group of guys, and the nuances of the Cup car versus the Nationwide car.  As far as I can tell it’s been a pretty quiet day, considering.

Q.  Just wanted to ask you about Cole Whitt in your Nationwide car, about that deal.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  All right.

Q.  Tell me how you came to pick him over the other drivers who are out there and what you think he brings to your team.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  Well, I thought that, no disrespect to any of the guys that we didn’t choose, they know who they are, but we considered a lot of different people.  I just felt like Cole had some potential that was untapped, that we hadn’t    he had potential and ability that we hadn’t been able to    he hadn’t even discovered yet, and I feel like in the guys that we looked at, we sort of know what kind of hand and cars they had and what kind of talent they had and where they would take us.

And I think it’s more exciting, a lot more risky but more exciting to go with a guy who you don’t really know what he’s capable of and could be big things, but you’ve just got to take that risk.  And that’s really why I do it.  I don’t do it to make money.  I don’t have a whole lot of other reasons to be in the Nationwide Series other than just to help somebody.  When I’m able to do that    I enjoy seeing what happened to Brad and seeing Eric get a deal like he’s got now.  That’s why I do it, you know.

It’s funner to help the new guy than it is to help the guy that’s kind of been through the ringer a few times.  Everybody deserves their opportunity, and I just feel like that was going to be Cole’s only shot.

Q.  You had watched Keselowski and seen him on the track and kind of had him on the radar screen.  Did you have that same kind of interest with Cole because this really came together very quickly with Eric leaving.  Was he somebody that you said, my goodness, if we could give this kid a shot somewhere down the road    because you also have Josh under roof, too.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  Well, Josh did a good job for us.  I didn’t really watch Cole like I did Brad.  I knew Brad before I even thought about hiring him as a driver.  I just knew him, knew his family and stuff and would see him and watch him drive and watch him do stuff.

And he impressed me, but I didn’t have the opportunity to sort of    I didn’t have the opportunity to watch Cole.  The only time I really got to see Cole race was at Phoenix in the Cup car when I was out on the track with him.  I never watched any of his truck races, never seen him drive before then.  But everybody who works in that garage in there that has my phone number called me and told me Cole was the guy.  Every  one of them.  People I don’t even talk to, people that I don’t really have relationships with took time out of their day to call me and say, that’s the guy you need to hire.  They had no other interest, other than interest in seeing Cole do well and get an opportunity.  I thought it said a lot for people to do that.

And the ones that I reached out to, that was the first guy on their list.  I trusted all these people, and I feel like the guy    from what I can tell, what I can see, that he deserves an opportunity.  This might be his only opportunity, so I wanted to be the one to give it to him.

Q.  How did your ’70s themed New Year’s Eve party go, and who did you end up dressing up as?

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  I’m glad you asked.  I was Evel Knievel, of course.  Has Matt Kenseth been in here today?  Is he coming in?

KERRY THARP:  He’s coming in in about 30 minutes.

DALE EARNHARDT, JR.:  Y’all can remind him that he owes me $2,500 because he had a beard that night and I bet him he couldn’t keep it through the test, and we actually sent a few texts back and forth to confirm the bet, and he shaved his beard.  You guys can remind him    I told him to go to the bank, but maybe he forgot.  I want my $2,500.

KERRY THARP:  Thank you, Dale.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

About Chevrolet

Founded in Detroit in 1911, Chevrolet celebrates its centennial as a global automotive brand with annual sales of about 4.25 million vehicles in more than 120 countries. Chevrolet provides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliver high quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. The Chevrolet portfolio includes iconic performance cars such as Corvette and Camaro; dependable, long-lasting pickups and SUVs such as Silverado and Suburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers such as Spark, Cruze, Malibu, Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers “gas-friendly to gas-free” solutions including Cruze Eco and Volt. Cruze Eco offers 42 mpg highway while Volt offers 35 miles of electric, gasoline-free driving and an additional 344 miles of extended range. Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStar safety, security and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-Free Calling, Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. More information regarding Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com .

- Team Chevy, Press Release

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates

Belkin to Debut New Brand Identity on Team’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

LAS VEGAS – January 10, 2012 – Belkin today entered the world of motorsports and announced a partnership with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, the team behind Jamie McMurray’s No. 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet.  Belkin’s new logo and brand identity will adorn the No. 1 car and team assets for the duration of the 2012 NASCAR season, but take center stage as the primary sponsor during the race at Martinsville, Virginia on April 1.

Belkin revealed its new brand identity and logo on a specially-designed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car at the 2012 International CES in Las Vegas in booth #CP40. The new brand reflects Belkin’s commitment to creating people-inspired products that seamlessly connect people to the experiences they love.

“We are excited to join Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and Jamie McMurray as a sponsor for the upcoming 2012 NASCAR season, said Chet Pipkin, CEO and founder of Belkin. “With tens of millions of fans and legions of devotees and viewers, NASCAR is a sport of the people, so it seems like a natural fit for a company that prides itself on taking inspiration from real people and creating products that enhance the role of technology in people’s lives.”

“Earnhardt Ganassi welcomes Belkin as a new partner of our team,  the No. 1 Chevrolet  and Jamie McMurray, and we hope this relationship will help generate awareness and brand loyalty for Belkin among our large number of devoted race fans, said Steve Lauletta, president of Earnhardt Ganassi. “Belkin’s commitment to innovation, design, quality, and performance speaks to racing fans and is natural tie-in with our mission at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing.

About Belkin International, Inc.

At Belkin, we make people inspired products. With more than 200 patents, Belkin invents products that harness the power of technology to enrich people’s lives. From wireless home networking and entertainment, to mobile accessories, energy management, and a broad USB and cable mix, Belkin products connect the dots between people and technology. Belkin also provides public and private sector organizations with high-quality security, infrastructure, energy, and server-room solutions. A privately held company founded in 1983, Belkin has more than 1,200 employees in 21 countries. Headquartered in Playa Vista, California, Belkin can also be found on the web atBelkin.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/belkin, and on Twitter at Twitter.com/belkin.

About Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Teams

Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with sponsor, Target.  Today, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams includes two in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, four entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Cars Series.  Overall his teams have 14 championships and 145 victories, including three Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas.  Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis, Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto www.earnhardtganassi.com

Source: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, Press Release