Stewart-Haas Racing Logo

Alliance Provides Danica Patrick and No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Guaranteed Starting Spot in 54^th Annual Daytona 500

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Jan. 31, 2012) – Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) has entered into a collaborative partnership with Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) where TBR will field the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala for all 10 of Danica Patrick’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2012.

The alliance guarantees a starting spot for Patrick in her Sprint Cup debut – the 54^th annual Daytona 500 on Feb. 26 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

TBR’s No. 36 car, which finished the 2011 season 33^rd in points, becomes the No. 10 for 2012. For the 26 races where Patrick is not scheduled to drive, David Reutimann will pilot the No. 10 car. TBR has sponsorship inventory available for these 26 races.

“Tommy Baldwin Racing has proven to be a very strong organization and it’s a good fit with Stewart-Haas Racing,” said Matt Borland, vice president of competition, SHR. “It’s a Chevrolet team led by a racer who knows every inch of a racecar. That kind of technical expertise, along with a company mindset that is similar to ours, provides the ideal environment for Danica to learn and succeed.”

TBR was formed in 2009 and has matured from a single-car team to one that in 2012 will field two Sprint Cup entries and a NASCAR Nationwide Series entry. TBR is owned by Tommy Baldwin, who as a crew chief secured five victories, including the 2002 Daytona 500 with driver Ward Burton.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve established at Tommy Baldwin Racing, and the opportunity to partner with Stewart-Haas Racing and aid in the development of Danica Patrick is a testament to all the hard work we’ve put in over the years,” Baldwin said. “Danica will have a great teammate in Dave Blaney, who has been instrumental in getting our race team to where it is today. And with David Reutimann driving the No. 10 car in the races where Danica is not, the team will remain in a strong and competitive position throughout the year.”

The agreement means TBR will also work with GoDaddy.com, the world’s largest Web hosting provider and Patrick’s longtime sponsor.

“Go Daddy is a first-rate sponsor,” Baldwin added. “Look how they’ve supported Danica over the last six years. Go Daddy is a sponsor that knows how to get things done right.”

Baldwin will maintain a hands-on presence with the No. 10 car and will work closely with Greg Zipadelli, who serves as SHR’s director of competition. Baldwin and Zipadelli have similar backgrounds, as both grew up in the Northeast – Baldwin in Bellport, N.Y., and Zipadelli in Berlin, Conn. – and made a name for themselves as successful crew chiefs within the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour before rising up the ranks as crew chiefs in the elite Sprint Cup Series.

“Working with Tommy will be like old times,” Zipadelli said. “We both grew up together and competed against each other in Modifieds and we did the same thing when we got to Sprint Cup. To finally be able to work with each other and help Danica Patrick make a successful transition from Indy cars to stock cars is a challenge we’re both looking forward to.

“Partnering with Tommy and his team provides Danica with the foundation she needs to succeed. With a guaranteed starting spot, we can go into each weekend and simply learn. It’s all about getting her comfortable in the car, and with the variety of tracks she’s running, seat time will be incredibly valuable. A guaranteed spot in the race ensures that she’ll have the opportunity to make as many laps as possible.”

Patrick’s 10-race Sprint Cup schedule is as follows: 

• ·         Feb. 26:     Daytona 500
• ·         May 12:     Darlington (S.C.) Raceway
• ·         May 27:     Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway
• ·         Aug. 25:     Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
• ·         Sept. 2:      Atlanta Motor Speedway
• ·         Sept. 16:    Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.
• ·         Sept. 30:    Dover (Del.) International Speedway
• ·         Nov. 4:      Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth
• ·         Nov. 11:    Phoenix International Raceway

One more race is still to be determined, with the plan being to assess Patrick’s development as the season progresses and then choose the remaining venue based on need and competitive reasoning.

“Our goal with Danica’s schedule is to try and maximize her 10 races so that she’s as prepared as she can possibly be for a full-time Sprint Cup schedule in 2013,” said Stewart, co-owner of SHR with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest machine tool builder in the western world. “There are short tracks, intermediate 1.5-mile ovals, and some unique tracks like Darlington and Phoenix. The point is to expose her to as many challenges as possible so that she’ll know what to expect in 2013.”

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team co-owned by three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world. The team fields two entries in the elite Sprint Cup Series – the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for Stewart and the No. 39 U.S. Army/Quicken Loans Chevrolet Impala for 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman. Based in Kannapolis, N.C., Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 140,000-square-foot facility with more than 160 employees. For more information, please visit us on the Web atwww.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing and on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng.

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

Veteran NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief Tommy Baldwin formed Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) in 2009, where he saw opportunity amid a declining economy. With a stringent budget and a small, but talented, group of team members, Baldwin built a Sprint Cup team from humble beginnings to one that now competes fulltime and is a top-35 mainstay in the series’ owner point standings. The Mooresville, N.C.-based team will field two Sprint Cup entries in 2012 – the No. 10 Chevrolet Impala for Danica Patrick and David Reutimann, and the No. 36 Chevrolet Impala for Dave Blaney – along with one NASCAR Nationwide Series entry for Ryan Blaney via the No. 36 SealWrap Repair Chevrolet Impala. For more information, please visit us on the Web atwww.TommyBaldwinRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/TBR.HBR and on Twitter @TBR_Racing.

About Go Daddy:
Go Daddy is the world’s largest domain name provider, Web hosting provider and new SSL provider, focused on helping small businesses grow larger. Go Daddy provides dozens of cloud-based services and is the largest worldwide mass-market hosting provider by annual revenue according to Tier1 Research (Mass-Market Hosting Report-Winter 2011) and is the No. 1 provider of net-new SSL certificates for 2011, according to the Netcraft, LTD Secure Server Survey. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com/PR.

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

SPEED Performer of the Year Logo

CHASE RUN ELEVATES SMOKE AS 2011 SPEED PERFORMER OF THE YEAR 

            Racing legend Mario Andretti presented his namesake trophy to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart on SPEED Center last night, acknowledging the three-time champion’s Chase run as the difference maker among a very impressive field of finalists for the annual SPEED Performer of the Year presented by ACE®.

“This is an awesome moment in my career,” Stewart said on the program. “I grew up in Indiana watching this guy a lot. Winning any award is an honor, but winning one with Mario’s name on it is very special.”

Five of this year’s seven finalists received first-place votes, including Stewart, runner-up Casey Stoner; AMA Supercross/Motocross champion Ryan Villipoto; last year’s SPEED Performer of the Year, Sebastian Vettel, and USAC/WoO phenom Kyle Larson.

“I get to see the best of the best and, Tony, you are in that company,” said Andretti, who actually noticed Stewart’s calm demeanor during the Chase and texted the driver, “I smell championship.”

The award, now in its sixth season, is presented annually by SPEED to the racer who puts a premium on winning races, shines on motor sports’ biggest stages and does it all with a measure of sportsmanship and class.

The 2011 SPEED Performer of the Year was selected by a panel including racing legends Andretti and Dan Gurney, “Wind Tunnel” host Dave Despain, veteran broadcasters Varsha, Ralph Sheheen and Leigh Diffey, SPEED.com writers Robin Miller and Tom Jensen, versatile racers Tommy Kendall and Dorsey Schroeder and a select group of SPEED motor sports producers.

The trophy, a true work of art created by bronze sculptor Elie Hazak, stands 38 inches tall and weighs 95 pounds.  It features eight cars, including six of the most important in Mario’s rise to superstardom, as well as an array of artistic symbolism that captures the essence of the trophy’s namesake.

Mario Andretti Trophy winners and runner-ups: 

• 2006 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR. Nicky Hayden, MotoGP
• 2007 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Donny Schatz, WoO
• 2008 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Tony Schumacher, NHRA
• 2009 – Tony Schumacher, NHRA; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
• 2010 – Sebastian Vettel, F1; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
• 2011 – Tony Stewart, NASCAR; Casey Stoner, MotoGP

About SPEED™

SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in nearly 84 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services, including SPEED2, a groundbreaking new broadband network featuring live, streaming and on-demand events complementing offerings of the linear network. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority.

About FOX Sports Media Group

FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets under Chairman & CEO David Hill.  Built with brands that are capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships.  FSMG now includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 19 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus; FUEL TV; and Fox College Sports.  In addition, FSMG also includes FOX Sports Interactive Media, which comprises FOXSports.com on MSN, whatifsports.comand scout.com, reaching almost 30 million unique visitors monthly.  Also included are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network, FOX Sports Skybox restaurants and FOX Sports Grills.

Source: SPEED, Press Release

No. 33 Rheem / Menards Chevrolet Impala

In addition to competing at the 14-turn road course, Papis will serve as a driver coach for fellow RCR teammates, assisting in strengthening their road-course racing skills.

“It is an honor to join a history-making team like RCR and continue what I started with Kevin Harvick Inc. the last couple of years,” stated Papis. “I feel ready to win races in NASCAR and, at the same time, I’m honored to have the chance to pass all the experience I built in my last 20 years of competition around the world to real racers like Austin Dillon and Ty Dillon and doing it with my never-give-up attitude that brought me all the way here.”

Papis, a native of Italy who now resides in North Carolina, has nine road-course races on his Nationwide Series resume with his career best finish of second coming at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in August 2009. The 2004 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series champion has also competed in six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series road-course events, posting his best finish of eighth at Watkins Glen International in the same year.

“Max is a great addition to our driver lineup and to RCR overall,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “He has shown his talents in many different forms of auto racing all over the world and will be able to share that knowledge with our less experienced drivers. He’s the perfect driver for the No. 33 Menards Chevrolet when the NASCAR Nationwide Series gets to Road America. Max also has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm wherever he is, at the track or the shop.”

The 2007 Petite Le Mans race winner made his NASCAR debut in 2006 when he joined the 43-car field in the Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen International, posting a 14th-place finish. Since then, he has competed in 88 races across NASCAR’s top three national series, accumulating two-top five and seven top-10 results.

Papis is scheduled to share the No. 33 Nationwide Series ride with teammates Brendan Gaughan, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard and Tony Stewart for the 2012 season.

For additional information on today’s announcement, and all that’s happening at RCR, please visit www.rcrracing.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/American Ethanol/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Kevin Harvick/Brendan Gaughan/Paul Menard/Tony Stewart/Max Papis (No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino/Menards/Hunt Brothers Pizza/Armour/Fast Fixin’/Bad Boy Buggies 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) will compete in the 2012 Camping World Truck Series season.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Drew Charlson

“I can’t wait to get to Daytona for the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200. We are so thankful to Aluma Trailers, AgriGold Seed and Heitkamp Crop Insurance for giving us this opportunity. With the increased sponsorship dollars, we were able to purchase a car from Richard Childress Racing. This car has visited victory circle at Daytona and Talladega so we know that we have the equipment to be a contender” said Charlson. Daytona is the biggest race on the ARCA schedule, and the list of former winners includes Benny Parsons, Kyle Petty, Ryan Newman and Kyle Busch. “I really feel we can join the ranks of ARCA winners this year. We tested Daytona in December and ended up 8th fastest of over 50 cars so we are very confident in our ability.”

Aluma Aluminum Trailers (Bancroft, Iowa) is a relatively new company that produces light weight, strong, rust free trailers for many purposes. With over 60 models of open utility and enclosed cargo trailers to choose from, you are sure to find a perfect trailer for any need. Today, Aluma builds an average of 50 trailers a day and ships them to all 50 states and Canada. Aluma Trailers also feature an all inclusive five year warranty on all of their products, the best in the industry! “Aluma has provided us with amazing trailers to transport our race cars. We log tens of thousands of miles annually and could not be happier with our trailers. They pull so smooth and easy that sometimes I forget they are behind me. They have the most complete aluminum utility and recreational trailer line in America and we couldn’t be more pleased to expand our relationship with them” added Charlson.

Charlson is also proud to welcome AgriGold Seed Company (The Corn Specialists) and Heitkamp Crop Insurance on board. “If you are a farmer, you already know about AgriGold Seed. If not, you are missing out. I recommend you plant those AgriGold Giants and then see John Heitkamp for all your crop insurance needs. Because of these new marketing relationships, as well as our ongoing relationship with Elmer Schaeffer Amsoil Dealer and Mid America Properties, we are able to step up our racing program to levels only dreamt of in the past!”

Charlson will be running a limited ARCA schedule this year. Confirmed races include the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, Talladega ARCA 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 4th, and the Iowa ARCA 200 at Iowa Speedway on July 13th. All of these races will be televised live on SPEED channel. More races may be added as sponsorship allows. Charlson will also be running the full Main Event Racing Series Outlaw Late Model schedule, where he finished 6th in points last year. He has had a successful racing career so far with over 150 kart wins and 17 championships, 5 USAC Midget Feature wins and a runner up points finish. He also set a USAC record as the youngest driver (age 13) in his 1st USAC National Level Midget race, the Ft. Wayne Rumble indoor, qualifying 15th, winning his heat and finishing 6th behind NASCAR veteran Tony Stewart.

For more information, please call Heitkamp Crop Insurance at 419-305-4798 or visit www.alumaklm.com, www.agrigold.com, and www.drewcharlson.com.

- D C Racing Team Press Release

A general view of the Stewart-Haas Racing media day during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Jan. 23 in Concord, N.C. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

“From Columbus, Indiana, the three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, entering his 14th year on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala, Tony Stewart.

“From South Bend, Indiana, a winner of 15 races and 49 poles in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, entering his 11th full year of Sprint Cup racing, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army / Quicken Loans Chevrolet Impala, Ryan Newman.

“From Roscoe, Illinois, the first woman to win a Major League open wheel race in a North American series with her win in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Indy Japan 300 at the twin ring oval in Japan, entering her first year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a ten race schedule, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.Com Chevrolet Impala, Danica Patrick.

“Now their crew chiefs.  From Spartanburg, South Carolina, the crew chief for Tony Stewart, the No. 14 Office Depot, / Mobil 1 team, Steve Addington.

“From Daytona Beach, Florida, the crew chief for Ryan Newman, and the No. 39 U.S. Army / Quicken Loans team, Tony Gibson.

“And from Berlin, Connecticut, the director of competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, and the crew chief for the No. 10 GoDaddy.Com team, Greg Zipadelli.

“The glue that keeps all of this together, from Haslett, Michigan, the vice president of competition for Stewart-Haas Racing, Matt Borland.

“Excellent.  Thank you, everyone.

“Tony Stewart, driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing.  We’ve said it once, we’ll say it a lot.  You’re now the three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion.  First off, how’s the view from the top of the mountain, and more importantly from behind the wheel of that Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet?”

TONY STEWART:

“I’m scared of heights, so I don’t try to get up too high.  But, no, it’s felt good this winter.  It’s definitely been a short off season, but had a lot of changes, obviously, having Steve Addington on board and having my great friend, Greg Zipadelli back on board. We’re very excited about it.

“It’s been a short off season, but we’re having fun watching the changes of Stewart-Haas Racing and how it’s going to help us be better this year.”

MODERATOR:

“Ryan, you came off another strong chase performance, and a pretty historic day where you led Stewart-Haas Racing to a one-two qualifying effort, and a one-two finish at New Hampshire, and Quicken Loans coming on board and joining the U.S. Army, as well as a host of sponsors, as well as Aspen Dental which was secured over the weekend joining Outback Steakhouse, WIX Filters, Tornados and Haas Automation, how pumped are you for the 2012 season to begin?”

RYAN NEWMAN:

“Really excited.  It’s a great list of sponsors, and obviously to have the U.S. Army back, one of our founding partners with the team at Stewart-Haas, it’s a great feeling.  To have Quicken Loans, and like you said the whole list of them – with Outback Steakhouse, new sponsors to the sport, and then Aspen Dental, new sponsors to our team – just really look forward to having an opportunity to get each and every one of them a shot at victory lane.”

THE MODERATOR:

“Danica, the year that stock car racing takes center stage is finally upon us, and after balancing IndyCars and stock cars last year, it’s all stock cars all the time, including this Memorial Day weekend.  For the first time you’ll be in Charlotte for the Coca Cola 600 instead of Indianapolis for the Indy 500.  So what’s it going to be like for the GoDaddy girl?”

DANICA PATRICK: 

“I don’t know.  You tell me.  I’m very fortunate to be in this position with this team and these people.  I’m very fortunate.  I’ve been wanting to race stock cars full time for a little while here, and it’s happening.

“We’ve added another challenge with the Coke 600 or Coke 6,000 as I’ve been told.  It’s quite long.  So I just want to thank everyone for making it happen at Stewart-Haas, and thank GoDaddy for supporting me the whole way through.  I even have my own GoDaddy microphone.  That’s pretty clever.  So life is good.”

THE MODERATOR:

“We’ll reintroduce the folks behind these drivers, starting off with Steve Addington.  Steve, welcome to Stewart-Haas Racing.  How has the transition been as you sort of rejoin the family that you once knew at JGR?”

STEVE ADDINGTON:

“It’s been awesome.  To come in and work with a group of guys like Tony Gibson has made the transition of just asking me or telling me everything that I need to know and give me the information that I need to get started and where I need to look for stuff.. Matt Borland’s got a great group in the engineering department and those guys have been very, very welcoming in getting me started and seeing where we’re at and see what direction we need to get going.”

THE MODERATOR:

“Tony Gibson, crew chief for Ryan Newman, you’ve been at Stewart-Haas Racing since the beginning.  Can you talk a little about how Stewart-Haas Racing went from a relatively unknown that people really didn’t know what would happen to, to an organization that consistently wins races and contends for a championship and finally won a championship this past year?”

TONY GIBSON:

“I think it’s just being surrounded with good, old fashioned racing people.  You know, Stewart’s just an old redneck guy that loves to race and will drive everything.  Everybody at our place, we just love racing.  We grew together and things happened probably a little faster than most expected.

“But when you put a bunch of guys together that all they want to do is win and perform and run up front, things like that happen, partnered up with Chevrolet and they make things easy too.  They give us all the things we need to improve our race teams and our company.  We have great sponsors.

“So when you put all that in a Bowl, it’s got success written all over it.  Really fortunate to be associated with Stewart-Haas Racing from the beginning and great drivers.  Like I said before, Ryan’s one of those guys you want driving, because he’s going to give you 110% whether you’re two laps down or leading a race by half a lap.  Doesn’t matter, you get the same effort out of him.

“So it’s a privilege to be hooked up with him, and Matt Borland.  I’m looking forward to working with Steve and Greg and Danica, new people in our organization that are going to help us grow and be better.  Already we’ve seen huge gains in our company since they’ve come on board.  Looking forward to it.”

THE MODERATOR: 

“Excellent.  And Greg Zipadelli, you’re reunited with Tony, but in a different way, as the competition director here at Stewart-Haas Racing.  But still not far away from that pit box as Danica’s crew chief for this ten race schedule.”

GREG ZIPADELLI:

“Yeah, it’s a great opportunity for myself.  Next chapter in my life, maybe stepping back a little bit as a crew chief goes.  I was excited to find out I was going to have the opportunity to do ten races and kind of help put this deal together.

“We had a really good test.  I have enjoyed working with Danica.  A good group of guys.  I can’t say enough about the people at Stewart-Haas.  The heart and the passion that every individual that I’ve met that works there is truly amazing.  Very warm welcomes.  Everybody has been very good to work with.

“They have done so much to help me make the transition.  The people in the shop, Tony Gibson and his guys preparing cars for us, Matt Borland in engineering, a phenomenal place.  We’re very, very excited about the future there.”

THE MODERATOR:

“Matt Borland, the vice president of competition wore many hats in 2011, oversaw a lot of change, and also oversaw a lot of success.  How did you manage it all?

MATT BORLAND:

“I think it’s pretty easy.  You look up here and we’ve got three new people up here along with all the people that have been here, each one brings a different talent and experience level to our program.  We’ve got Steve who comes from Penske and Gibbs and a lot of new fresh ideas, things to look at, things to try.

“We’ve got Greg that’s come on board and he’s got new ideas from JGR that are all things we can try and try to make our stuff better than it’s been.

“Danica comes on board, another driver with open wheel background.  So she’s got a lot of new ideas, new thoughts and new ways of thinking about things, and that just helps everybody come up with new ideas, new thoughts, new processes and hopefully out of that we’ll get a lot of wins and a lot of poles.”

THE MODERATOR:

“Well said.  We’ll open it up to questions.”

Q.  I guess sometimes I miss things, but I don’t think I missed this, Danica.  That’s news that you’re running the Coca Cola 600?  Where does that leave the Indy 500?  I assume you won’t try a double.  Is that a difficult decision to race in that event this year?

DANICA PATRICK:

“No, you didn’t miss it.  I’m going to do the Coke 600.  I’m not going to do the Indy 500.  I hope to do it in the future, the Indy 500, that is.  Maybe it will be a double.  But at this point in time after a lot of conversations, it’s just going to be the Coke 600.  It’s going to be a big challenge, but I’m looking forward to it, and especially a hometown like Charlotte for NASCAR.”

Q.  How did you make the decision?

DANICA PATRICK:

“The decision?  Well, it was just something that didn’t work out as far as the business side of things.  It just didn’t work out.  I’m hopeful to do it in the future, but for this year, it just didn’t happen.”

Q.  With the fuel injection system, how does it affect this race strategy?  And, I think you still get your engines from Hendrick Motorsports.  Is there still space left for your own modifications and changes to get ready for the race?

TONY GIBSON:

“As far as the engines we get from Hendrick, they do a fantastic job, first of all, and they have done a great job of getting prepared for the EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) stuff this year.  They’ve done a lot of testing.  They’ve really kept us involved in it, and we’ve done a lot of stuff with Hendrick Motorsports and Stewart-Haas.

“We get the engines from them.  When they come, we put the headers and transmissions and stuff on it.  But their engine tuners come over in our shops twice a week, three times a week.  So we don’t actually build them, but they keep us in the flow of things.  We’re hands on with it.  They’re very open about it.  They want our ideas and especially from those guys.  Borland on the engineering side making harnesses and stuff for us that go in and sink in with the Hendrick side of it.  They’re very welcome to our ideas.

“So on that side of it, it’s been a great partnership, and pretty smooth so far.”

Q.  Matt, can you talk about the whole development of Stewart-Haas Racing, and people talk about the projects you have going on back there.  Can you talk about how you’ve seen the evolution of Stewart-Haas Racing?

MATT BORLAND:

“Yeah, Gene Haas and Joe Custer started Haas back in 2002.  They put a great program together and when Tony came on board, he added a whole other level of capabilities to the program.  It’s allowed us to get a lot more people, get a lot more    what is the word I’m looking for?  We have a lot more people to do a lot more things to be more specialized at what we’re looking at and refining things.

“I think the biggest thing that’s come about with that is we’re able to dive down into the details of the program.  With the cars the way they are now, there’s not huge gains to be made.  There are small gains to be made in a lot of areas.  So it takes a group of very strong people that can go and try to find all those little things.

“To Tony Gibson’s point, to have a bunch of racers that that’s all they want to do.  They want to race.  They want to beat everybody.  They want to find those little things that gets them that much better than the next team out there.”

Q.  Ryan, your whole team comes back intact.  You have a lot of new sponsors associated with the 39 this year.  Are you in the best position in terms of your career with Stewart-Haas than you’ve ever been before in the last couple of years there?

RYAN NEWMAN:

“From a sponsorship standpoint, without a doubt.  We’re really proud to partner up with these new sponsors.  Like I said in my opening, sponsors that haven’t been a part of NASCAR at all, like Quicken Loans and Outback has a little bit of history.

“But just from our standpoint, when you have great sponsors, you’re allowed to get the great people and do the great things.  Without a doubt, the sponsorship is a big part of that.

“So, yes, from that standpoint, no doubt.  From a team standpoint, it’s great to have all our group back.  We had a great run to get into the Chase.  Our Chase was a bit of a struggle for us as a team.  But those are the things that you get through them, work on them, build them, and make yourself stronger as a team and an organization for the next years.

“Tony can attest to this too, you can win a championship one year, doesn’t mean you’re going to win it the next year.  You have to work really hard.  Other teams, when you win, you build fire and desire within them.  So you have to have that same fire and desire within yourself to go back and do what we did as an organization last year.

Q.  Tony, the spotlight’s going to be bright on your team this year.  Not only are you the defending champion, but with the addition of Danica Patrick and with Ryan, how best is the team able to deal with that?  From the very beginning, there is a lot of attention given to your team.

TONY STEWART:

“Yeah, we’re not worried about that.  It’s a good thing with our partners on board.  It helps us from the marketing side and the sponsorship sides to make sure we’re fulfilling what our partners need.

“When it comes time to being at the racetrack and doing what we do on the track, this group of people up here are really good at focusing on the task at hand.  I think we’re all up for the challenge.  It’s a good way to start the year.  We came off of a great finish to the year last year, and we got a lot of new exciting partners on board this year, and a new teammate that’s going to be fun to work with.  And a teammate that’s always fun to work with over on this side.

“We’re excited.  We’re probably as excited to start the year as I can remember being in a long time.”

Q.  This is a special championship.  What did you do personally to celebrate it?

TONY STEWART:

“Stayed at the shop until the Wednesday of Christmas.  I didn’t really do anything, to be honest.  Like I said, with the addition of Steve and Greg and Danica, we wanted to make sure that we were kind of there to make sure that everybody was getting started off in the right direction.  I wasn’t really there for anything more than moral support.

“These guys are the guys that make it all happen, for sure.  But honestly, I didn’t really do much of anything.  I went and raced a couple of times through the winter here, but for the most part, it’s been business as usual.” 

Q.  Can you assess the different dynamics in the shop with the addition of Danica, and Zippy, and Steve Addington, and then the fact that Tony won the championship last year, the mood of the team and the dynamics in the shop?

MATT BORLAND:

“I think in general, the dynamics are very positive, very excited.  Like Tony was saying, everybody’s looking forward to Daytona, looking forward to a great new season.  As well, there are so many influx of new ideas this year, that we’re able to look at so many different things and find hopefully some more gains that will elevate us even better than we were last year.

“It’s been very positive.  All the people on the team are pumped up and excited.  It’s a great deal right now.”

Q.  Tony, you won your third championship last year, five of 10 Chase races, and in a driver / crew chief relationship that you ended up changing, how much pressure does that put on the guy to your left when he walks in the front door? 

TONY STEWART:

“You’re asking the wrong guy.  You need to ask him.  I feel just fine.”

STEVE ADDINGTON:

“I do too.”

TONY STEWART:

“I think he’s thinking he’s on vacation now.  Just saying.  It’s kind of like what Tony Gibson was saying earlier.  We’re just low key, down to earth racers and hard core racer that’s want to race.  That is the attitude that Steve has coming in here.

“And as far as from my side, I’m not putting any pressure on him.  I’m looking forward to going out and racing again.  We both know there is going to be a period of getting to learn each other, and just little things that we’ll have to get sorted out to where we get into that weekly routine.

“Daytona’s not going to be… that ten day period’s not going to get it done.  It’s going to take more of that.  It’s going to take getting through Phoenix and some of those races to really get in tune with each other.  But he’s been easy to work with so far.

“We’ve been able to work with him directly at Gibbs.  So we kind of know him a little bit.  I think it’s going to be pretty laid back, and we’re going to have a lot of fun.  I don’t think it’s a big stress situation for either one of us right now.”

MODERATOR:

“Steve, do you want to chime in on that as well?”

STEVE ADDINGTON:

“No, look at what the organization did.  One guy’s not going to make the big difference.  I’ve got to keep the communication with him going as far as the race car’s concerned, and having that supporting cast, the people that are around you through the organization makes you successful.  That’s what I’m looking forward to.

“Everybody that I’ve run into or worked with in the organization, I’ve worked with them at some point or beside them at some point that they’ve welcomed me with open arms.  Asking me everything that I need to go racing with them, and that’s it.  You’ve got the supporting cast there that’s going to be successful.”

Q.  Tony, could you explain to fans how life changes and how life doesn’t change after becoming a champion for the first, second, and third time?

TONY STEWART:

“It hasn’t changed at all, honestly.  I think the first time it changes a little bit because you’ve accomplished that goal.  But after the first one, it really doesn’t change your life so much the second and third one.  Like I said, it’s kind of been business as usual.  We’ve enjoyed the whole off season with the team, and it’s been fun being at the shop to see how excited the guys are.  Guys that three years ago had never won a race, and now they’re celebrating their first championship together.

“It’s been fun to be at the shop around those guys and see how excited they are to have Danica come on board and Zippy and Steve.  It’s been fun to watch everybody have fun in the off season.  You’ve got these two guys to the right that are always keeping you on your toes and making it fun, too.

“So we’ve just got a great group of people that have made it fun, and it really hasn’t changed my life any.  Like I said, I probably took less time this off season to go enjoy myself than any other time.  But I’ve had fun doing what I’ve been doing.”

Q.  Tony Gibson, the last 30 years we’ve had two owner/drivers win the championship, Tony and Alan Kulwicki.  You worked with both of those drivers.  Can you talk about what similarities there are between them and what differences there are?

TONY GIBSON:

“I think the differences may be the engineering side of it.  Kulwicki was more like Newman on the engineering side of it.  But he loved the race.  He loved all about racing, and all about winning.  In his heart it was win, and the grass roots of racing whether it was in Wisconsin doing the late model stuff or in a Cup car.

“Stewart has that same desire.  He has in his heart all he wants to do is race.  Every time he’ll text you he’s at a racetrack somewhere racing, and that’s all he wants to do.  So the difference is probably maybe on the schooling.  I don’t know where you went to school at.”

TONY STEWART: 

“High school.”

TONY GIBSON: 

“He went to high school.

“When it comes to strapping the belts down and putting a helmet on and taking the green, it’s all with your desire to win.  Him and Alan, as far as I’m concerned, had the same desire to win and that’s why they’re both champions.

Q.  Tony, will you divide up your time now any differently between the Cup side and the short track team now that you’ve got more people?  You’ve got more people to supervise.  Are you asking more people to supervise to give you more time for your other ventures? 

TONY STEWART:

“No, it’s pretty much business as usual.  We’re adding more to the program, so you want to make sure that you’re keeping that time to make sure that everybody’s where they need to be and making sure that everybody is comfortable with what we’ve got.  So as far as the time that I divide running the short track stuff versus what we’re doing here, it’s pretty much the same balance.”

Q.  Tony, the economy has been down the last couple of years, but it seems to be doing a bit of a rebound.  You guys have been doing well signing on new sponsors.  Can you talk about your efforts signing new sponsors and the economy of your team?

TONY STEWART:

“I’ll be honest, I’m really, really proud of our marketing team.  Mike Verlander has done a great job introducing some new partners in the sport.  I think it’s one thing from day one when we brought Tornados on board with Ryan’s car, and now Quicken Loans and Aspen Dental to bring new partners like this into the sport and introduce them to NASCAR is something that I take a lot of pride in.

“Like I said, it’s our marketing stuff that’s done it.  I can’t take the credit for it, but I’m really proud of them.  It’s been a tough economy, as we know.  But to show these new companies that there is this value in NASCAR is something that we’re proud of.  I think Tornados has had a great experience .  I think it’s been the same way for Quicken so far.

“We finished up the year last year with them, and I think they enjoyed the first trip in the sport.  Looking forward to having Aspen Dental on board.

“I’m really excited about it.  It’s the best position sponsorship-wise that our company has been in, and we still have races to sell.  But it’s the best position that we’ve been in since I partnered up with Gene three years ago.  So we’re really excited about it.

“I think it’s a sign that hopefully things are starting to turn around and work their way back up now.”

Q.  For Tony, Zippy, and Danica, what is a reasonable expectation or goals for this season?  Danica, when you answer, if you could also address the Nationwide Series.

DANICA PATRICK:

“I think that first starting out with the Nationwide stuff, very much it depends on the individual weekend itself.  There are still some tracks that I haven’t raced at before, so probably a little bit different expectations for those.  But for the most part, solid top-10.  Getting into the top-five more consistently through the year would be a goal, and I’d like to get to victory lane.

“As far as the Cup stuff, I think that it would be good if they answered as well on this.  But I’d like to know what I should expect.  But I think that at Daytona, the cars are very fast as you guys can see, and as we saw already at the test.  So I feel good about that race.  I feel good about… I mean, I was lucky enough to get to run with Tony in the Nationwide race last summer, and that went pretty good.  So I feel good about Daytona.

“I think there is a real chance if luck falls our way to perhaps win.  I think that’s a real chance.  I mean, a guy like Trevor Bayne last year showed that.

“So those are the expectations for the first race, but then beyond that.  I don’t know.  Top-20 or so, I guess, would maybe be a good goal.  I feel like longer races are good.  I like long races.  I feel like I learn, I get more comfortable out there and we keep tweaking on the car and making it a little better on each pit stop, so I’m hoping that plays into my favor with the length of these races.”

GREG ZIPADELLI:

“For myself, it’s just good solid days.  Give her as much track time as we can, and support, and just trying to teach her as much as we can about this sport and this series for the following year.”

TONY STEWART:

“I’m excited about it.  From my standpoint, I crashed everything I drove from the Nationwide cars, and it – on the Cup side – it got better obviously.  But looking at it, these ten races for her this year, for me it’s just finishing the races and getting the track time.

“In the short amount of time that I’ve worked with her, she’s so good at processing information and what she learns on the racetrack.  She can explain it to you right away and very accurate.  I think her feedback is excellent.

“Just getting the time on the racetrack and, I guess are from my standpoint, I’m not worried about the finishes at the end of the day.  It’s just finishing the race, getting the laps and getting that experience in the car.  Five hundred mile races are long races, especially in the Cup series when you’re dealing with a 3,400 pound car.  It’s a learning process.

“I think the success at the end of the year won’t be judged by where the finishing position is at the end of the day as much as what she’s taken away from race weekend.  So that’s what my goal is for her.”

THE MODERATOR:

“A couple other story lines that are definitely worth asking these folks in their one –on-one sessions.  Danica Patrick in the Super Bowl.  While the New England Patriots and New York Giants are making a return to the Super Bowl in two weeks, so does Danica.  This will be the eighth straight year GoDaddy has run a Super Bowl ad campaign, and the sixth in which Danica has starred.

“So all told, Danica has appeared in ten GoDaddy Super Bowl ads dating back to 2007, giving her the title of most commercials of any celebrity in the history of the event.

“Not to be lost on television, Tony Stewart spent part of his off season doing a little acting himself.  He made a guest appearance on ABC’s ‘Last Man Standing’ with Tim Allen.  That episode is slated to air Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

“Tony is also running the season opening NASCAR Nationwide Series race.  He’ll be in the No. 33 Oreo 100th anniversary Chevrolet Impala.  He’ll be looking for his fifth straight win in that event, and his seventh in the last eight season opening NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Daytona.

“Again, from a sports business story, I know we’ve touched about it a little bit, in addition to all the sponsors that have returned to Ryan Newman in the No. 39, new to the sport, Quicken Loans, Aspen Dental, Outback Steakhouse coming back to NASCAR, all affiliated with Ryan and that No. 39 team.”

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

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, speaks with the media during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Jan. 23 in Concord, N.C. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Danica Skipping Indy, Will Run Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway In May

Instead, Patrick revealed during the opening stop of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway that she will be behind the wheel of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27.

“I’ve wanted to race stock cars for a little while here and it’s happening,” Patrick said. “We’ve added another challenge with the Coke 600, or Coke 6,000 as I’ve been told.”

The decision, Patrick said, was mainly a business decision. Patrick has raced in the past seven Indianapolis 500s, earning a best finish of third in 2009 while driving for Andretti Green Racing.

“I hope to do it in the future, the Indy 500 that is. Maybe it’ll be a double,” Patrick said, referring to the Coca-Cola 600 and Indianapolis 500 double that her Sprint Cup team owner Tony Stewart, John Andretti and Robby Gordon have done in the past.

Patrick is scheduled to run up to 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events this year for Stewart-Haas Racing in addition to the full NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule with JR Motorsports.

Pressure is On Tony Stewart and Steve Addington in 2012
Members of the media got their first look at the new driver/crew chief combination of Tony Stewart and Steve Addington Monday and the pair already look like they’ve been working together for years.

But still, the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Stewart admits they have a lot to learn about each other.

“We’re just a bunch of low-key, down to Earth racers, hardcore racers that just want to race. That is the attitude Steve has,” Stewart said. “I’m not putting any pressure on him (Addington). I’m looking forward to going out and racing with him.

Steve Addington, the new crew chief of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet, speaks with the media during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday in Concord, N.C. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

If Addington was concerned about any potential learning curve, he certainly didn’t show it.

“One guy isn’t going to make a big difference,” said Addington, who moved to Stewart-Haas Racing from Penske Racing. “I’ve gotta keep the communication with him going as far as the race car is concerned. Having that supporting cast, the people that are around you and throughout the organization, that is what makes you successful.”

Another new piece of the puzzle at Stewart-Haas Racing is Greg Zipadelli, Stewart’s former crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing. Zipadelli joins Stewart-Haas Racing as the organizations new competition director and will also serve as Patrick’s crew chief during her 10-race venture into Sprint Cup.

Stewart Eyes Seventh Daytona Nationwide Win
Tony Stewart will attempt to win his seventh NASCAR Nationwide Series race on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25. This year Stewart will drive the No. 33 Oreo 100th Anniversary Chevrolet fielded by Richard Childress Racing. Stewart has won the last four NASCAR Nationwide season openers at Daytona and hopes to add a fifth-straight victory next month.

Aspen-Dental to Sponsor Newman; Outback Steakhouse, Quicken Loans Join SHR 
Stewart-Haas Racing announced Monday that it reached a multi-year agreement with Aspen Dental, one of the largest networks of dental-care providers in the United States, as a new sponsor for Ryan Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet.

The Syracuse-based dental care provider will be the primary sponsor for Newman in 2012 for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona in July and New Hampshire in September and will serve an associate sponsor at other events.

Stewart-Haas Racing announced in late 2011 that it would add Outback Steakhouse and Quicken Loans to its stable of sponsors for 2012.

New Crew Chiefs Settling In At Joe Gibbs Racing

Darian Grubb, the new crew chief of Denny Hamlin's No. 11 FedEx Toyota, speaks with the media during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday in Concord, N.C. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Darian Grubb, who won the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship with Tony Stewart, was hired to replace Mike Ford as crew chief for Denny Hamlin on the No. 11 FedEx Toyota.

“I’m really excited to join Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 11 FedEx team,” Grubb said Monday. “We’re having lots of fun, we’re having lots of meetings. We’re kind of setting the course for what we want to do. We want to go out there and be competitive.”

Elsewhere, crew chief Jason Ratcliff was promoted from the JGR NASCAR Nationwide Series operation to replace Greg Zipadelli as crew chief of the No. 20 Home Depot/Dollar General Toyota driven by Joey Logano.

“J.D. (Gibbs) gave me the opportunity about seven years ago to come over and work on the Nationwide program,” said Ratcliff. “It has been great for seven years and I knew it would have to be a really special deal to move beyond that.

“They’ve given me an opportunity that fits well with a great driver, with great sponsors like Home Depot and Dollar General, and a team that is eager to go out and win races,” Ratcliff added.

The one driver at Joe Gibbs Racing that didn’t get a new crew chief is Kyle Busch, who will again partner with Dave Rogers for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.

Quotes of the Day
Tony Gibson, crew chief for Ryan Newman in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, on working for the last two owner-driver champions (Tony Stewart and Alan Kulwicki) in Sprint Cup competition: “He (Kulwicki) loved to race. It was all about racing and all about winning. … Stewart has that same desire. In his heart all he wants to do is race.”

Darian Grubb, on transitioning from working at Stewart-Haas Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing: “The hardest part of the transition so far has been getting my three-year-old son to say Denny Hamlin is his favorite driver.”

Source: Charlotte Motor Speedway, Press Release

Carl Edwards - Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images for NASCAR

“The way we’re approaching this season is, I’m not committing to any races right now,” Edwards said. “And as the season goes, if I decide I’m just a nervous ball of energy on Saturdays and I can’t function without going and racing — because that might be the case — then we’ll work to try to go [Nationwide] racing.”

“Once they said we could not run for the championship, I had already committed and Roush and the sponsors had already committed to running the full season,” Edwards said, “so we stuck with it and we did it. But to me, that was really, in my mind, my last real go at it for the whole season.”

Edwards’ hopes for the Sprint Cup championship ended when Tony Stewart won five of 10 Chase races in 2011. He and Edwards were tied in points following the Ford 400 finale, but Stewart won the championship via the tiebreaker.

Edwards did have the consolation prize of earning the 2011 Nationwide Series owners’ championship for RFR, but says he’s compelled to do more in 2012.

“I’m hoping this lets me focus more on the Cup car,” Edwards said, “lets me be a better Cup racer by maybe having more time during the race weekend to maybe hone the setups in.

- NASCAR.com

Danica Patrick unveils her No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for the 2012 season with team owner Tony Stewart - Photo Credit: NASCARMedia

An Interview With:

TONY STEWART and DANICA PATRICK

KERRY THARP: Joining us now is Danica Patrick. She drives the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing. Danica, it’s great to see you back here at Daytona. You’re going to be making your Sprint Cup Series debut in the biggest race of the season. Talk about that, being able to come to the biggest platform and the biggest venue that we race, and it’s a place where you actually got your NASCAR start a while back. Talk about being here racing at Daytona.

DANICA PATRICK: Well, it’s good to be back. It’s not been too long of an off-season, that’s for sure. But I made the most of the weeks that I had, so it’s good to be back, and the car seems pretty good so far, pretty fast. Not too different yet as we’re just running out there by ourselves at this point in time. But it’s going to be really exciting. Obviously it’s the biggest race of the year. I’d really like to run well, and I don’t just want to be here, I want to run well.

I think at a place like Daytona there’s that opportunity. I think I’ll probably have slightly more realistic expectations for some of the other ones, but for this one at Daytona I think there’s a real opportunity.

Audio: 2012 NSCS Preseason Thunder Press Conference with Drivers Tony Stewart & Danica Patrick

Q. What is on your to-do list today with Zipadelli? What do you guys want to accomplish short-term?

DANICA PATRICK: Well, today is just run on our own and seeing how fast we can get the car to go. And then I think tomorrow we’ll work on bump drafting. And I heard Tony say he’s going to let someone else go do it first with the new rear spoiler and spring. So that’s fine with me. I said I think I want to be the one getting pushed so that I don’t want to be the one that takes out my boss. That would be bad. I said you can push me first.

KERRY THARP: Speaking of Tony Stewart, he joins us now. Tony is our three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. He, of course, won the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in fine fashion with a walk-off victory at Homestead Miami Speedway.

Tony, talk about winning the championship. You’ve had, I guess, I don’t know how many days to maybe decompress, if you do such a thing.

TONY STEWART: Two.

KERRY THARP: Two days. But now you’re at Daytona, and certainly it’s a race that you would love to win, the Daytona 500 here in about 45 days. Talk a little bit about coming in as the defending series champion and then trying to win at Daytona.

TONY STEWART: Well, obviously the end of the year last year was — still almost like a fairy-tale for us, storybook ending obviously. But this is our biggest race of the year. It starts today. Well, it started the day after Homestead actually for the crew guys, and today is the first day that we get to get an idea of the rewards for their hard work and see these cars on the racetrack and see what kind of speed they have. It’s an exciting time for the crew chiefs, the car chiefs, all the engineers, all the people that build these cars. Today is a really big day for all of them and what they’ve done during the off-season to get ready for the 500.

Our sport is unique obviously having our biggest race the first race of the year. But it’s very fitting at the same time because this race, we have more time during the off-season to prepare for this race than we do the others. You bring cars here that you have the extra time to just make them that little bit nicer than you normally have time to do.
It’s exciting to be back, and looking forward to it. It’s been fun to get back in the car today and get running around. Normally I’m hiding from the racetrack in testing, but it was fun to come back this morning and get back in the car and get rolling around again.

Q. Danica, in the last month, I guess, it was decided that you’ll be paired with Zippy at least for the time being. How long will it take for you to get a good relationship with him, and what sort of differences, if you’ve even had a chance to see, are between he and Tony, Jr.? And then for Mr. Stewart, why did you think that Zippy would be a good fit with Danica?

DANICA PATRICK: His accent is not as thick as Tony, Jr. I understand every word he says. We get along great. I feel really comfortable with him so far. I feel respected, and I feel like he’s been very patient. Even the little things, getting here this morning and just kind of adjusting a belt a little bit and adjusting a throttle a little bit, he doesn’t look at me like I’m inexperienced and I should be comfortable right away or it should be right or the throttle doesn’t feel right or I should get used to it and be used to it. He investigates and says no problem, let’s get it right, and makes me comfortable with that kind of stuff.

Obviously we haven’t worked together with the whole how the car feels and how we’re going to change it and that kind of stuff, and especially here at Daytona, that’s probably — we’re probably not going to get a lot of that. It’s not that kind of a track. But I can say so far I feel very comfortable and I feel very fortunate to have him to work with to have that experience. So thank you, Tony.

TONY STEWART: You know, I think for us it was a scenario where we were trying to get Zippy hired as a competition director, but it really was a perfect opportunity for us because it’s hard to get a really good crew chief hired to only run ten races a year in the first year. So to have somebody like Greg that has been working with Joey and has been a crew chief for the last 13 straight years, he can come into this scenario, and he’s brought — the last two guys he had both were rookies when they came in. So he’s familiar with this and the process of getting a rookie adapted to the car and knowing what to do to make them comfortable.

So for us from a company standpoint it made sense to have him since we had him in house anyway to be able to apply him over there in a crew chief role and at the same time the practicality of it, of him having that experience of working with new drivers, makes it a smart decision for us to have somebody like him that can work with Danica and know what those — know how to go through those learning processes and how to help with that. So it really is a — we get the best of both worlds with it.

Q. Danica, for you, some drivers talk about working with a new team like being the first day at school, butterflies that go with that, nerves that go with that even though you’ve been in the car a lot. And Tony, it’s somewhat reminiscent of 12 years ago, you coming to test with Zippy the way you did in 1999. Talk about that, and what’s it like to see Zippy on your side again in your team colors working for you?

DANICA PATRICK: It is a little like first day. I think that with racing you do have an opportunity to meet some of the people just at the track in general, and then of course making a seat and getting comfortable and fitting everything, you get a chance to meet everybody. I can’t say I remember everybody’s name yet. Somebody said hello to me last night, and they’re like, Hey, don’t just walk by. There’s so many people, I don’t know who everyone is yet. I’ve got a lot of people to learn.

But I do — just like probably like going to the first day of school, you want to make a good impression, you want to do a good job. And probably missing pit in on pit road and having to back up is probably not what you want to do at school. I didn’t want to trip like that. But it’s probably not that big of a deal. It’s finding your way around, finding my locker literally. There’s no combination for it, of course, but it is a locker that I needed to find, getting in sync with that.
They said they were going to Olive Garden to get some lunch and would that be okay, and I was like, well, I guess I usually have a sandwich. So anyway, just getting familiar with all the little things and getting comfortable and setting everything up so when I hop in throughout the year it’s simple and straightforward.

TONY STEWART: You know, it’s nice having Zippy back. I got to work with him for ten years, so seeing him at the track here today was the first big reminder of kind of going back to what it was like to start with him in ’99. I know we’re excited to have him back, and it’s — we’re not working in the same capacity together that we did for ten years, but he’s right there next door, and it feels like home again. So I’m pretty excited about it.

Q. (No microphone.)

TONY STEWART: It’s odd, I got a sandwich for lunch.

DANICA PATRICK: What kind of sandwich did you get?

TONY STEWART: I just got a ham sandwich.

DANICA PATRICK: I like a turkey sandwich. They’re going to get some slick meat for me to put in the fridge. I learned what slick meat was. I don’t know, I called it sliced deli meat, right, some deli meat and some cheese and some bread and mustard.

Q. Danica, when you were here in ’09 for that ARCA test, I know you said you had trouble figuring out how to get your hair into your uniform and get in the car and little things like that. Did the day feel more natural, like business as usual for you? And after that I wanted to talk about your infatuation with the honey badger.

DANICA PATRICK: It did feel a little bit more comfortable, yeah. I’m really kind of glad that the first time that I’m in a Cup car is here at Daytona where I can get the fit right and get all the little things right so that when we go to a track that’s a little bit more challenging from a driver’s perspective that stuff is all good to go and there’s no concern or no distraction with those things. So it’s nice to be here to run for the first time and feel comfortable in having been here before. But like I said, it’s a pretty straightforward track for a driver.

And the honey badger, it was last year, I think, somebody showed me this video of the honey badger, and the commentator on it was very, very funny. Anyway, the honey badger, he doesn’t give a crap, he takes what he wants. And that’s how I’m going to be this year, like a honey badger. But I feel like it’s a little diluted with the football player that has the honey badger nickname, too. He’s No. 7, as well.

Q. LSU, Tyrann Mathieu.

DANICA PATRICK: I bet he’s not feeling like a honey badger. I bet — anyway, the video is great. He eats a poisonous snake and he falls asleep and wakes right back up. The video is funny, so I encourage you all to watch that. I think Randall something is the commentator or the name on the YouTube video.

I don’t know, it’s a mindset. I even have a honey badger picture on my screen saver on my phone to inspire me. It takes what it wants.

Q. Have you been able to kind of wrap your arms around the emotion of entering this series full-time, and does it compare to anything else that you’ve done in terms of just starting out? Again, if you can just kind of tell us emotionally kind of where you’re at in terms of how you feel about entering the big stage.

DANICA PATRICK: I’m really excited and I’m really happy. And that’s it. I mean, yeah, there’s nerves. There’s a lot of things that are unknown, especially with running the full-time Nationwide championship, wanting to do really well in that, and wanting to make a good impression in the Cup races that I’m doing. But overall I’m feeling comfortable, as comfortable as I could imagine myself in this situation, and just really excited and really happy and glad to be where I’m at.

Q. Tony, have you decided if you’re going to give Danica your owner points or if you’re still looking for points, or is she just going to have to qualify her way into the 500?

TONY STEWART: I think we’re still trying to figure that equation out, but the good thing is looking on the sheet today, the car seems to have good speed right off the bat. I’ve got the utmost confidence that even in the worst case scenario that we’ve got the right driver that can get this car in the race, no problem. But we’re working through that and trying to get that finalized and trying to figure out our options to make sure we give her the best opportunity to get in the Daytona 500 and get her all the experience that we can get her.

Q. With these rules changes, what kind of racing do you think we’ll see, because race fans don’t like tandem racing. What do you think will come out of this test?

TONY STEWART: We haven’t ran together yet, so it’s hard to tell until we get out there and actually do it. I don’t know if anybody is even planning on trying to do any two-car pack running today. I think you’ll see some of that tomorrow.
I don’t think we’ll honestly have an accurate answer for you until we actually get a chance to get on track and actually run together and find out what the cars are going to do and how they’re going to draft with each other.

DANICA PATRICK: Is it true that fans don’t like it at all? I know I’ve watched some of the races that I’m not in and I think it’s kind of interesting. I’m not saying it’s normal; it seems kind of weird for sure. But I don’t know, I watch it and I think it’s kind of exciting. You never know what’s going to happen. I don’t know, I was just asking.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

Source: NASCAR, Press Release

Tony Stewart Stands Atop of his 25-foot Tournament Model fishing boat for winning the Ford 400 Last November - Photo Credit: Getty Images Sport

MIAMI –

With delivery of the boat scheduled for later this month, Stewart appreciates the reward and come-from-behind victory that enabled him to claim it:

“We had to win the race to win the championship, and that’s what we did,” said Stewart. “To walk out of Homestead-Miami Speedway with a race trophy, the Sprint Cup championship trophy, and then to top it all off – a Contender fishing boat – it really doesn’t get any better than that. I’ve gotten some pretty cool trophies, even a couple of guns for winning poles and races, but never a boat. It’s cool. When we’re out on the water fishing with it, we’ll have a pretty good story to tell whenever someone asks about our boat.”

The vessel, which boasts a four-stroke, 300 horsepower Yamaha outboard, is valued at more than $115,000.

Homestead-Miami Speedway and Contender Boats are awarding the winner of Ford 400 a top-of-the-line fishing boat each year through 2013. This year’s season-ending championship race is set for Sunday, November 18.

About Contender Boats

Contender Boats was founded in 1982 and incorporated in Florida in 1984. It has operated continuously since then, producing more than 6,000 boats with both open and cabin configurations, ranging in size from 21 to 40 feet in length. The current production facility is located in Homestead, where all components are manufactured in-house including metal fabrication, carpentry, electrical, and upholstery.  www.contenderoffshore.com 

About Homestead-Miami Speedway

The Speedway has been open since 1995 following an initiative to spur economic recovery in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.  The 640-acre facility is active more than 280 days per year and hosts NASCAR’s Championship Races during Ford Championship Weekend (November 16-18, 2012).  The Sprint Cup Championship Ford 400 is broadcast live on TV and radio to 175 countries and into 24 languages.  The 2011 championship attracted ESPN Television’s largest NASCAR Sprint Cup viewership ever with a peak audience of 10.5 million when the checkered flag fell. Homestead-Miami Speedway, featuring a 1.5-mile oval and 2.21-mile road course, generates more than $250 million annually for the region.

Homestead-Miami Speedway continues its rich history of sports car racing in 2012 when the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series returns to South Florida’s road course. The Grand Prix of Miami, set for April 27-29, features Daytona Prototypes and Grand Touring classes in Race 3 of the 2012 GRAND-AM campaign. For information on the more than 280 events held each year at Homestead-Miami Speedway, please visitwww.homesteadmiamispeedway.com  or call 866.409.RACE.

Source: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Press Release

Justin Lofton Charity Golf Tournament

“The support that we got this year meant a lot. I am so glad to be able to provide more for the kids at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley,” Lofton said. “I can’t thank everyone enough for their involvement. Whether it was playing in the tournament, sponsoring a tee, bidding on an auction item – it all means more for those kids, and to be able to help them is a great thing.”

Lofton, who is from nearby Westmorland, California, chose to host the event near his hometown so that the community could be more involved. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley was his charity of choice for the event, and is located just miles from the golf course.

Currently, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley serve over 600 Imperial Valley youth, providing kids a safe, supervised, and affordable place to go every day after school. Nearly 200 kids are greeted daily by caring adult staff and participate in character-building, educational and recreational programs all while making friends and having fun. Concentrating on youth who need the most support, the Club provides programs in four key areas: health and fitness, education, the arts, and most importantly, in character development.

Justin Lofton With The Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley

Activities began for Lofton on Friday afternoon when he made a stop to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley. Lofton talked with the kids, took photos, signed autographs, passed around his fire suit, and let them get an up close look at his No. 6 College Complete (www.collegecomplete.comTo) Chevrolet.

On Saturday, the golfers split into teams and teed off for the tournament at the Del Rio Country Club. Trevor Tagg, Garret Fargo, and Joe Iten made up the winning team.

That evening, the fun moved to the Stockmen’s Club for the awards ceremony, dinner, auctions, and concert with Curb Records recording artist Tim Dugger. The event included a silent auction, and a live auction consisting of donated items from fellow drivers and teams from off road, drag racing, and NASCAR. The highest items during the live auction included a race worn fire suit, donated by two-time NCWTS champion Todd Bodine, an electric bike, space on Lofton’s truck during the season-opener at Daytona, and a Lofton race worn helmet signed by Lofton, five-time Sprint Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson, four-time NSCS champ Jeff Gordon, three-time NSCS champ Tony Stewart, and many others. The helmet was the highest bid upon item of the evening, which went for $3,100.00.

The total amount raised for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Imperial Valley will be determined over the next few weeks, as final auction items are picked up and donations are counted.

Thank you to tournament patron and tee sponsors: Accelerex, Accu Data Corp., AdMax, Advanced Payment Services, All American Grain, BackToLearn.com, Benson Farms, Brandt Company, Burnett Farms, Butterspur Cattle Feeders, Cal Energy Operating Corporation, Cameiro Heifer Ranch, Debbie and Paul Cameron, Community Valley Bank, Coni Stokely Insurance, Consuasor Insurance Advisors, Cosmetic Gasket, Crusader Staffing Associates, Curl Up ‘N Dye, Debbie Davis, El Toro Land and Cattle, El Toro Export, Equine Veterinary Services, Farmer’s Insurance, Farmer’s Land Leveling, Fred Eady Insurance, Higher Ed Growth, Hutchinson & Bloodgood, Patrick Hutchinson, Lidco, McDaniel’s Accounting, McNeece Brothers Oil Company, Mesquite Cattle, Jill Newcomb, Phillips Cattle Company, Primo Construction, Rabobank, Richard Laughrin, Spreadco, Superior Cattle Feeders, Superior Export, Steve Dahm Ranches, Stiff Equipment, Team Onion, The Elmore Company, Troy Caston Farms, VHM Network/JobDiagnosis, Viejas Casino, Wells Fargo Commercial Bank, Westway Feed Products.

A special thank you to our presenting sponsors for their support: CollegeComplete.com, J.D. Heiskell & Co., Rogers and Rogers Toyota, and Eddie and Theresa Wiest.

About Eddie Sharp Racing:

Eddie Sharp Racing (TeamESR.com) is a 40,000 square foot championship winning race team based in Denver, NC. After just four short years of competition within the ARCA Racing Series, the team impressively accumulated upwards of 20 race wins. 2009 was a pivotal year for ESR, as they dominated the series with six race wins, 15 top-fives and 19 top-10s en route to the series championship with driver Justin Lofton. In 2010, ESR made the transition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 2011, owner Sharp and Lofton were reunited within truck competition. In 2012, ESR will expand to three teams, with Lofton set to return to the No. 6 CollegeComplete.com Chevrolet Silverado, Cale Gale set to join the team behind the wheel of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado, and a third driver to be named later.

About College Complete:

CollegeComplete.com helps the public navigate the ever-changing and highly complex landscape of higher education, connecting students with the institutions whose offering maximizes the likelihood of success. Partnered with hundreds of educational institutions and across all types of education goals, including traditional college degrees, trade and vocational certifications, and professional licensure, College Complete helps students assess all of the information that exists in the public domain, allowing them to understand and make sense of their educational opportunities. CollegeComplete.com is the student facing subsidiary of Ed Ideas, Inc.

About JoinAPS:

At APS, we find the best processing solution for your business. We are your first stop for Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover along with other value-added merchant services like your own gift card program. We also work with check services; cash advance options and other value-added services to help your business succeed. APS can provide many of the services needed to help you build your business. APS understands that running a business requires various aspects such as supply vendors, day-to-day operations, and customers to succeed. Acceptance of credit card, debit, gift cards, and check payment options is essential in any business. APS provides tailored merchant solutions specific to different types of businesses. With APS, we show you the best options by industry type to handle your payment needs from beginning to end. Visa/MasterCard, Amex, Discover, EBT services along with terminals that handle multiple other services including your gift cards and check payment solutions needs. All of these services can be customized to fit your business. APS offers a complete solution for all types of businesses that need to process credit card related transactions. Our “INDUSTRY SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS” provide the best options for your business model. We have experienced client service representative who understand what your processing needs are.

- Justin Lofton Media Relations Press Release

Taylor Ferns

The 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals begins on Tuesday, Jan. 10 indoors at the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla. Ferns will compete on the opening night of the five-day event aboard the Motor City Transport Inc. Spike, with a Stanton Mopar engine under the hood. The Chili Bowl will consist of four qualifying nights that will determine the feature lineups for the finale on Saturday, Jan. 14. The festivities will open with a practice session on Monday, Jan. 9, which Ferns will take part in.

“I’m really excited for the Chili Bowl,” said Ferns. “I’ve been going for the last few years and now I am finally old enough to race in it. I can’t wait. I’ve been counting down the days. It’s going to be a lot of fun and some great racing.”

The first Chili Bowl was held in 1987, which was eight years before Ferns, 16, was born. The entry list is a virtual “Who’s Who” of short track open wheel racing, and the high school sophomore is one of 19 drivers on the entry list that earned a championship in 2011.

“It’s always exciting to go to an event or a race track that has a lot of history,” she noted. “To be able to race there and be part of that history is pretty special.”

Ferns has raced indoors a couple of times this winter. She competed with the POWRi Midget Series at the Southern Illinois Center in early December on a temporary 1/6-mile dirt track. Most recently, she raced in the Rumble in Fort Wayne over New Year’s weekend, on the tight indoor track on the floor of the Memorial Coliseum. The temporary dirt oval inside the QuikTrip Center that the Chili Bowl is run on measures ¼-mile in distance.

“During the winter it certainly helps to race and be in the seat, which keeps you in shape,” explained Ferns. “I’ve had a chance to race a couple of times this winter, which has helped me stay sharp.”

Ferns will compete in the Chili Bowl against a number of fellow midget drivers, as well as drivers from winged and non-wing sprint cars, dirt late models, off-road racing and even a handful of NASCAR drivers, including three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. A total of 261 drivers representing 31 states in addition to Australia, Canada, Finland and New Zealand are on the current entry list.

“It’s pretty awesome to have drivers from so many different series and types of cars come together for this one event,” she shared. “What makes it even cooler is that everyone comes together for a midget race.”

Ferns, who is the winningest female in USAC history, is taking the same approach to the Chili Bowl that she does for each and every race she competes in. The native of Shelby Township, Mich. started 16 feature events with the USAC Mopar D1 Midget Series last year and finished in the Top-10 in each and every one en route to claiming the title. She looks to use the experience she gained in a midget on the smaller, tighter bullrings in 2011 this week during the Chili Bowl.

“Even though the Chili Bowl is a big race, it’s just another race, and you have to go in it with that mindset,” noted Ferns. “I’m just going to race and not think about how many other cars are there or anything like that.”

Keep up with all the action: For the latest news and results, visit Taylor Ferns and Ferns Racing online at http://www.taylorferns.com.

- Ferns Racing Press Release

NASCAR Nationwide Series Logo

The 20-somethings could just as easily have been comparing fraternity rings. After all, Stenhouse and Dillon will be forever intertwined as part of an elite society of stock car racers.

Unlike the majority of graduates, however, Stenhouse and Dillon finished at the top of their class. And with “NASCAR title” topping their resumes, the future is bright for both the drivers and the sport.

What differentiates these youngsters from top champions in other sports is their humility and appreciation for the opportunities they have been given. While Stenhouse and Dillon came from different backgrounds, each driver received tremendous support from family and owners along the way to mold these champions for the challenges that lie ahead.

Stenhouse’s trials have been well-documented. Tony Stewart, who fielded cars for Stenhouse in USAC, recommended his driver to NASCAR team owner Jack Roush. At 20, he competed in the ARCA Series and won two races for RFR. In 2009, the rookie showed tremendous promise behind the wheel of a Roush Fenway Racing Ford during a limited seven-race run in the Nationwide Series.

By 2010, Stenhouse was set to run for rookie honors, but Roush parked the driver after he wrecked the No. 6 Ford five times in the first 12 races. Roush sent Stenhouse to work in the shop. He described his protégé as being “driven to be competitive to the extent of self destruction to start with.”

But Stenhouse didn’t argue. Nor did he complain. He showed respect for his owner, dug in and learned from the experience. He learned what it means to be part of a team. Certainly, the seasoning grounded him before he re-emerged, holding off NASCAR veterans on the way to his first title.

“The one biggest thing I think I learned from everything Jack has done for me is that he cares about me as a person and really wanted me to succeed,” Stenhouse said. “If he didn’t care he wouldn’t put me in the body shop. That is one thing I learned from my dad. He was tough on me growing up but it was always for a reason.

- SPEEDtv.com

Great Clips Racing

All three drivers have deep roots in open wheel racing and all three look to be strong contenders for the Golden Driller trophy. Leffler, who will be driving for owner Keith Kunz, is credited with multiple USAC championships throughout his career. His best performance in the five-day event occurred in 1998 when he came away with a second-place finish. Other top finishes include a fifth-place in 2004 and ninth in 2000. Leffler did lay claim to the title as an owner when Damion Gardner won in the event in 2008, driving under the Leffler Racing banner.

Sweet and Hummel will both be driving KKR entries in the event. Sweet also made a name for himself in the national open wheel racing circuits. Tapped to drive for KKR in 2008, Sweet became a superstar in his own right in the USAC racing world with victories including the Belleville Midget Nationals, the Knoxville Midget Nationals and both the Sprint Car and Midget “Four Crown Nationals” at Eldora Speedway. Sweet has made four starts in the Chili Bowl Nationals with a best finish of ninth in 2010.

Hummel, who works for KKR as a mechanic, will be making his third start in the Chili Bowl Nationals. Prior to working at KKR, Hummel moonlighted in the midget series in California and Indiana. His career-best finish was seventh at Belleville.

After a practice session on Monday, January 9th, the 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals will kick off one night later with the first of four qualifying nights. For Leffler, Tuesday night will include the fourth annual International Chili Bowl Race of Champions, featuring past event winners and other top Chili Bowl contenders squaring off in a special feature race. The action continues with Wednesday’s River Spirit Casino Qualifier, Thursday’s Suburban Chevrolet Qualifier and then Friday’s International Qualifier.

The top-three finishers from each of the Qualifying Night features will automatically lock into the Saturday night (January 14th) Lucas Oil Chili Bowl championship feature, with the balance of Saturday’s Lucas Oil championship feature events lined up according to Qualifying Night finishes.

Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Quick Facts

What: 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals

Where: Tulsa Expo Raceway – ¼-mile clay oval inside the QuikTrip Center at the Tulsa State Fairgrounds

When:

January 10-14, 2011

Tuesday – Warren CAT Qualifying Night plus Vacuworx Chili Bowl Race of Champions

Wednesday – River Spirit Casino Qualifying Night

Thursday – Suburban Chevrolet Qualifying Night

Friday – Vacuworx International Qualifying Night

Saturday – Lucas Oil Championship Feature Events

The five nights of racing action will be preceded by a practice session on Monday, January 9.

Past Winners: Kevin Swindell (2010 and 2011), Sammy Swindell (2009, 1998, 1996, 1992 and 1989), Damion Gardner (2008), Tony Stewart (2007 and 2002), Tim McCreadie (2006), Tracy Hines (2005), Cory Kruseman (2004 and 2000), Dan Boorse (2003 and 1999), Jay Drake (2001), Billy Boat (1997), Donnie Beechler (1995), Andy Hillenburg (1994), Dave Blaney (1993), Lealand McSpadden (1991), Jon Heydenreich (1990), Scott Hatton (1988), Rich Vogler (1987).

Trade Show: Always a popular attraction at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals is the Trade Show, which is open to the public each day (Tuesday through Saturday) free of charge. All variety of racing products, apparel and more is available with well over 100 different vendors. The Trade Show covers approximately 20,000 square feet.

Tickets: A limited number of reserved seats for Tuesday night’s Warren CAT Qualifying Event and the Fourth Annual Vacuworx International Chili Bowl Race of Champions are available for $43 per person and may be obtained by calling 918-838-3777 or at the gate if still available. Pit passes for all five nights are available at the gate as well.

Chili Bowl on the Net: All official news pertaining to the 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, including official entry lists, race results and recaps, is available first at www.chilibowl.com. Also, all five nights of the Chili Bowl Nationals will be broadcast live (audio) on www.racinboys.com.

- Stringer Motorsports / Great Clips, Inc. Press Release

JR Motorsports

Whitt, a 20-year-old native of Alpine, Calif., will also compete for Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He comes to JR Motorsports from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he finished ninth in last year’s championship standings with one pole, two top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. To date he is the youngest driver ever to win the USAC (United States Auto Club) National Midget championship, as his title-winning effort in 2008 put him alongside esteemed former USAC national champions such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne.

“Cole is the guy we wanted, and we’re lucky to get him,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “He’s got raw, untapped talent, but we are most impressed with his ambition. I sought advice and input from people I respect in the industry, and the overwhelming consensus was that Cole has the potential to do great things in this sport.”

The signing of Whitt completes the 2012 driver line-up for JR Motorsports, which will compete in Nationwide Series competition with Whitt in the No. 88 Chevrolet, Danica Patrick in the No. 7 Chevrolet, and Earnhardt Jr. in select races in the No. 5 Chevrolet. All three drivers will compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25.

“This is a big opportunity for me, and I’m happy to be a part of the JR Motorsports team,” said Whitt, who was introduced to employees Wednesday morning. “I’m grateful to Dale, Kelley and everyone at JR Motorsports for giving me this chance. It’s an honor to work with the Eurys, and I will do everything in my power to put this No. 88 team where it belongs in Victory Lane.”

Whitt got his start racing karts and saw immediate success with eight International Karting Federation championships and two World Karting Association grand national championships. He was the Hoosier Sprint Car Rookie of the Year in 2006 and earned 34 top-10 finishes in 60 USAC starts in 2007 before winning the championship in 2008. Whitt advanced to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2010, promptly notching two poles and finishing fourth in points in his first year.

OTHER NEWS: JR Motorsports has hired Bruce Cook as crew chief for the No. 5 team, which will run primarily with Earnhardt Jr. in select races. Cook comes to JR Motorsports from Kevin Harvick, Inc., where he served as crew chief in 2011 in the Camping World Truck Series, predominately for the No. 2 KHI Chevrolet, which won the owner’s championship. With Cook atop the pit box, his team scored six wins, 19 top-fives and 22 top-10s. Cook was also the winning crew chief of the Nationwide Series season-opener at Daytona in 2011 with driver Tony Stewart.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

Based in Mooresville, N.C., JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s nine-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series where the team owns 10 victories. To learn more about the organization and its stable of drivers which include Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt, visit www.JRMracing.com. The JR Motorsports facility also houses the JR Nation retail store, Hammerhead Entertainment and JRM Licensing.

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Justin Allgaier

“Our NASCAR program has grown significantly over the years, and because of the strong support our racing program receives from our customers and vendors each year, it was a no-brainer to make it 19 straight seasons of such activity in 2012,” said Steve Cook, Northeastern Supply’s President and CEO.

During the company’s nearly two decades of NASCAR programming, Northeastern Supply has grown from a business with six branches in two Middle Atlantic States to one operating 32 branches and distribution centers conducting business in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

“The associate support we have given so many NASCAR teams in the Nationwide Division over the years has been an interesting journey for our company, and because of how they do business and treat their sponsors, it was an easy decision for us to remain with Turner Motorsports for another season,” Cook explained.

“We enjoyed three good seasons backing the efforts of the Great Clips team and drivers Jason Leffler and Kasey Kahne. Now we’ve decided to move over to Justin Allgaier and the #31 Brandt Farm Equipment Chevrolet team in 2012 in hopes of helping them challenge for the championship,” Cook added.

Allgaier is the 25-year-old Riverton, IL driver who in his last two Nationwide Series campaigns has posted two victories and finished fourth and third, respectively, in the 2010 and 2011 driver championship competition. Allgaier’s 2010 effort came while driving a Dodge for Penske Racing before moving over to a Chevrolet at Turner Motorsports last season in which he recorded six top five and 17 top ten finishes in beating everyone in points except for champ Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and runner-up Elliott Sadler.

Nicknamed “Little Gator” at a young age because of his small size and ferociousness behind the wheel, Allgaier began developing his talents driving quarter midgets and by the time he was 12 had already earned more than 100 feature wins and five championships.

Allgaier steadily progressed up the competition ladder, moving to Late Models at age 13. In 2001, at just 14 years of age, Allgaier made national headlines when he became the youngest driver to ever qualify for the ‘A’ Main in the famed Chili Bowl indoor midget event in Tulsa, OK. That performance enabled Justin to earn a shot to race full bodied stock cars two years later when he debuted in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with a team part-owned by former NASCAR star Ken Schrader. In three starts in this high-level competition that season, Allgaier earned a best finish of 11th and the experience served as a springboard to a full-time ARCA effort in 2006.

In 2007, after returning to the Chili Bowl and earning a third place finish in the ‘A’ Main behind now 3-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and veteran J.J. Yeley, Allgaier ran all 23 ARCA races and finished fourth in driver points after winning once, posting four top five and 11 top ten finishes. He also found time that year to win five UMP Late Model Series and three midget races, displaying ability to successfully drive pretty much anything on four wheels.

Allgaier raced 21 times in 2008 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, and at the age of 22 captured the overall championship with a 6-win, 14 top-five and 16 top-ten campaign that directly propelled him to NASCAR and a driver development contract with Penske Racing. He made his Nationwide Series debut for Penske that same year before competing full-time in the country’s second top stock car circuit in 2009.

In 35 starts that season, Allgaier recorded three top five and 12 top ten finishes en-route to a 6th place finish in driver points. Only a lack of sponsorship dollars kept Allgaier from continuing with the Penske organization beyond the 2010 season when Justin had a breakout year that included his first Nationwide Series victory, two poles, an average 11th place finish and a 4th place effort in driver points. Penske Racing’s loss is obviously Turner Motorsports’ gain and now to the benefit of Justin’s newest sponsor, Northeastern Supply.

Allgaier will be the lone Turner Motorsports driver to carry the Northeastern Supply flag in 2012 that will feature the hard-charging chauffeur in various Northeastern Supply promotions conducted throughout the season. Heading these promotions will be a variety of customer-driven events to be held in conjunction with each of the two NASCAR race weekends at the Dover (DE) International Speedway, Northeastern Supply’s “home” race track.

“We’re excited to have Northeastern Supply back in the Turner Motorsports family next year,” Allgaier stated. “The upcoming season will be Northeastern’s 19th consecutive in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition and fourth straight with Turner Motorsports. I know they have several big events scheduled throughout the year and I’m honored to have the chance to be included and play a more integral part in them.”

Allgaier is the latest top name to be added to the impressive list of drivers who have been sponsored by Northeastern Supply over the years. That list includes Leffler, Kahne, Yeley, Mike and Kenny Wallace, Jason Keller, Phil Parsons, Sterling Marlin, Hank Parker, Jr. and Kevin Lepage.

- On Track Marketing, Inc. Press Release