|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
To view current point standings,
|
Jason Keller No. 11 K&N Racing
Chevrolet
Camping World RV Service 300 at Auto Club Speedway
August 28, Fontana, CA--- JASON KELLER/ CJM RACING TEAM FAST FACTS:
· California based K&N Engineering, Inc. will serve as the primary sponsor on the No. 11 CJM Racing entry this weekend at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California
· K&N is the inventor and leading innovator of reusable cotton gauze filter technology for automotive applications. From humble beginnings as a family run business over 35 years ago, K&N Engineering, now a truly global company with offices in the U.K. and the Netherlands, continues to exist as a family owned business with an enthusiast mindset and a direct connection with motor sports. For more information please visit www.knfilters.com
· Advanced Payment Services (APS) has joined the CJM Racing family as an associate sponsor. JoinAPS.com will be displayed on the lower rear quarters of the No. 11 for the remainder of the 2008 season
·
CJM Racing visited the “Worlds Fastest Half-Mile” last week and finished out the evening in the 12th position·
Keller has 14 starts at Auto Club Speedway of Southern California, the most out of any active driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and has never had a DNF (did not finish) at the two-mile facility·
Out of those 14 starts, Keller has completed 2090 out of 2100 laps (99.5%)·
Keller has an average starting position of 20th and an average finishing position of 15th at California· In 448 career starts; Keller has 10 wins, 82 top-five and 166 top-10 finishes. He currently holds the all-time career start record and winnings in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Keller recently surpassed the $12 Million mark
· The K&N race team will be running chassis #08 at California; #08 has run at Nashville twice (15th & 18th), Lowe’s (17th), Darlington (7th) and California in the Spring (14th)
· The Camping World RV Service 300 will be broadcast live on ESPN2 this Saturday, August 30th at 9:45 PM (EST)
JASON KELLER @ AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY:
SERIES STARTS WINS TOP-5’s TOP-10’s BEST START BEST FINISH
NNS 14 0 1 4 2nd (2002) 5th (2002)
FIVE MOST RECENT CALIFORNIA NNS STARTS:
DATE START FINISH STATUS EARNINGS
03/25/08 32 14 Running $33,633
09/01/07 29 17 Running $25,400
03/25/06 30 15 Running $38,430
09/03/05 5 6 Running $36,375
03/26/05 28 17 Running $24,935
KELLER’S THOUGHTS ON THE POINTS SITUATION:
“The point standings “battle” has never been far from my thoughts. The last time I ran a full season (2005) I finished out the season ninth in points and I would love nothing more than to return to the awards banquet. It’s funny now
that I am in a position to get into the top-10 again I realize just how much it means. When your winning all the time you tend to take things like that for granted.”
KELLER’S THOUGHTS ON CALIFORNIA:
“The one thing that comes to mind with this race is HOT! Last year it was about 120 degree’s in the race car and it felt like you were going to melt. Hopefully the temperatures will be a little bit cooler and we can enjoy our time in Southern California.”
Ambrose Looking For Day in the Sun in Kingsford Ford
August 28, Fontana, CA--- Saturday night’s Camping World 300 will be under the lights at the Auto Club Speedway of California. But that won’t keep Marcos Ambrose and the No. 59 Kingsford with Hickory Ford from enjoying their day in the sun.
The team is eager to continue its push to finish the NASCAR Nationwide Series season as a Top 10 team. Equally important, JTG Daugherty Racing is eager to find quick redemption for the mechanical glitches of a week ago.
“I’ve said all along it’s important to keep an even keel in this sport,” Ambrose said. “You can’t allow yourself to get too high after a win; you can’t let yourself get too low when something goes wrong. No matter what happens, you start over a week later. Every week is a new race with new challenges. We had our problems at Bristol, but we put that behind us on Monday. From that point on, all we’ve concentrated on is California.”
Ambrose is 10th in the Nationwide Series standings. The two-mile, D-shaped layout in Southern California plays into the team’s strengths.
“Our mile-and-a-half program is probably our strongest suit,” said crew chief Gary Cogswell. “The best thing to do when you have a problem is get right back at it. That’s the beauty of this sport. You have to prove yourself every week. It’s a challenge that drives all of us.”
Although Saturday night’s race will start at dusk, temperatures still are expected to be in the 90s. While some will try to minimize the effects of the hot weather, Ambrose won’t change his routine. He will run a couple miles in the morning before qualifying the Kingsford car.
“Heat doesn’t bother me,” Ambrose said. “It’s simply another obstacle. I run to stay in shape so I can be at my physical peak inside the car. When the car’s right, it’s just another day in the sun. You don’t feel any discomfort. Besides, as a group we’ve developed a really good package for the hot, slippery tracks. The hotter the better.”
Qualifying is at the hottest part of the day on Saturday – 5 p.m. ET. The main event follows at 10 p.m.
FAST & FUN FACTS:
- Ambrose is 10th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings with five Top-10 finishes – and one win – in 26 starts for JTG Daugherty Racing.
- Ambrose has finished in the Top 20 in 11 of the last 12 Nationwide Series races.
- Ambrose has three career starts at the Auto Club Speedway in California. His average starting spot is 25.0; his average finish is 20.0
- Kingsford has the longest current-running sponsor relationship with the same Nationwide Series team, dating back to the 1998 season.
- Ambrose is a two-time Ford V8 Supercar Series champion, a road-racing series in Australia. He won 27 races in that series.
- Ambrose will make 12 selected appearances in the Sprint Cup Series this season, including four starts for JTG Daugherty Racing. His next scheduled start is the Camping World RV 400 at the Kansas Speedway on Sept. 28.
Bires to turn up the heat in No. 47 ICP Ford at California
August 28, Fontana, CA--- Turn up the heat. The hotter the better. And while you’re at it, make the Auto Club Speedway at California greasy and slippery for Saturday night’s Camping World 300.
At least that’s the plan for Kelly Bires and the No. 47 International Comfort Products Ford.
The team left the Michigan International Speedway – California’s sister track – with a ninth-place finish and a good idea how to make the JTG Daugherty Racing-prepared car even better. Better yet, the team’s setup works even better in hot, slippery conditions.
“The first time we used that new setup for hot and slippery tracks was Michigan and we got out of there with a ninth-place finish,” said crew chief Scott Zipadelli. “If we had one more pit stop in that race, we could have made one little adjustment that would have taken us to a Top-Five finish. When we unload for Saturday’s race, the car already will have that last little adjustments. We should be good from the start.”
California and Michigan have a similar layout. What works at Michigan should work at California, Zipadelli said.
Bires is making a late-season push to finish in the Top 10 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings. He’s currently 14th, 55 points from 13th.
“We’re still taking it one race at a time, one spot at a time,” Bires said. “The big picture is the most important thing, but you can’t get there in one race. We’re working with a new generation race car Scott and the guys at JTG Daugherty Racing developed and it’s really paying off. We’re in good shape for the last nine races of the year.”
Zipadelli said the only way to compete in the Nationwide Series is to be thinking ahead. He’s already got plans for a newer generation – the sixth overhaul of the team’s fleet in the past three years.
“Every time you make a significant change in the way these cars are built, it takes months of planning and some on-track testing,” Zipadelli said. “We try to incorporate some minor adjustments during practice and the race. The ones that work become part of the permanent construction for future cars. When you get the car right, you better be thinking about something new because nobody keeps the same generation of race car very long. There’s an old saying in this sport that if you’re caught up, you’re already behind. I believe that.”
Bires will be sporting the colors of ICP, a company that designs, manufacturers and markets high-quality central air conditioning systems and gas and oil furnaces. He said the team’s new setup for hot and slippery conditions provided dramatic results at Michigan.
“In 2007, we really struggled at Michigan,” Bires said. “We came back with a new car a couple weeks ago and we instantly were a Top-10 car. To top it off, it wasn’t nearly that hot at Michigan. When we get to California, we hope it’s hot; we hope it’s slippery. If it is – and temperatures are expected to be about 90 degrees at the beginning of the race – everything will go exactly as planned.
FAST & FUN FACTS:
- Bires is 14th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings with two Top-10 finishes in 26 starts for JTG Daugherty Racing.
RACE INFORMATION:
What – Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race
When – Saturday, Aug. 30, 10 p.m. ET
Where – Auto Club Speedway at California
Networks – ESPN2, Sirius Satellite Channel 128
K&N to Premiere as the Primary Sponsor of CJM Racing at California
August 27,
Mooresville, NC--- California based K&N Engineering, Inc. will serve as Jason Keller's primary sponsor on CJM Racing’s No. 11 entry at the upcoming Camping World RV Service 300 in California. K&N has been affiliated with CJM Racing since the start of the 2008 season serving as an associate sponsor and provider of products to the NASCAR Nationwide Series race team.
“K&N has become a part of the CJM Racing family and we are very pleased that they have signed on to become the primary sponsor in California. Our relationship continues to grow and we’re looking forward to what the future brings,” stated co-owner of CJM Racing Tony Mullet.
K&N Engineering is the inventor and leading innovator of reusable cotton gauze filter technology for automotive applications. From humble beginnings as a family run business over 35 years ago, K&N Engineering, now a truly global company with offices in the U.K. and the Netherlands, continues to exist as a family owned business with an enthusiast mindset and a direct connection with motor sports.
“We’re thrilled to be associated with CJM Racing as they compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series on our hometown track at the California Speedway. Our hallways have photos from the 1970’s of retired NASCAR drivers running K&N air filters at the old Riverside Raceway, so it seems only fitting that the K&N logo is once again storming around a California Speedway, exclaimed Steve Rogers, CEO of K&N Engineering. “We’re pulling for CJM Racing to drive our logo right into the winner’s circle.”
The No. 11 K&N Chevrolet will compete in the Camping World RV Service 300 this Saturday, August 30th. The race will air live on ESPN2 at 9:45 pm (EST).
Chase Miller Pilots the No. 9 Ragu Dodge Charger
August 27, Statesville, NC--- Chase Miller is making his 10th NASCAR Nationwide Series start of the 2008 season on Saturday night at the 2-mile racetrack in Fontana, Calif. Miller is in his second season as a driver for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. The 21-year old Canton, Ga. native is making his first career start at Fontana.
In his two seasons with GEM, Miller has turned in one top-10 finish in 15 starts. His first top-10 came in May of this season at Darlington. Miller has compiled an average starting position of 21.4 and an average finish of 20.5.
Chase Miller Quotes
Talk about racing in the Nationwide Series: "I’m excited to be racing in the Nationwide Series. There are a lot of great drivers and the races are really competitive. It gives me a chance to test my driving skills against some of the best drivers in the business and gives me seat time which at this point in my career is the most important part of my development.”
Talk about racing at California: "I’ve never raced at California, but some of the other drivers told me that it can be a lot of fun. It’s a big, wide track, so hopefully I will get a chance to really race hard and have some fun. We are looking for a strong top-five, top-ten performance. It is fun to race with the guys up front and it’s also the best way to get experience.”
TV and Radio Times: Qualifying is set for Saturday at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on SPEED TV. The race broadcast beings at 9:45 p.m. (ET) on ESPN2 and MRN Radio.
Chassis Info: The No. 9 Ragu Dodge team will use GEM chassis #B23; the same chassis Miller ran as the No. 19 at Lowe’s Motor Speeedway in May.
Miller at Fontana: Miller is making his first career start at Fontana.
Miller’s Nationwide Season: Will make his eighth start of the season in the Nationwide Series. Miller’s lone top-10 came at Darlington on May 9. Following this weekend at California, Miller has four races remaining on his Nationwide schedule for the 2008 campaign – at Lowe’s, Atlanta, Texas and Homestead.
For Joey Logano, It's Draft Day
August 27, Huntersville, NC--- With the first pick in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series draft, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has selected Joey Logano to drive the No. 20 Sprint Cup Toyota Camry starting next season.
Well, it was like a draft, sort of. While it wasn’t exactly the kind of draft he’s accustomed to in the NFL, it doesn’t mean that JGR team owner Joe Gibbs was any less pleased with his selection.
The three-time Super Bowl-winning former head coach of the NFL’s Washington Redskins and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Monday that the talented 18-year old would be moving up into NASCAR’s top series full-time in 2009. But unlike many of his draft days in the NFL, Gibbs has actually had Logano in the fold for quite some time, signing him to a development deal more than three years ago when he was just 15 years old.
While Gibbs couldn’t be happier with the future now laid out for his young driver, he knows that his latest draft pick needs to focus on the task at hand starting with Saturday night’s Camping World RV Service 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., where Logano will pilot the No. 20 GameStop Toyota.
As the Middletown, Conn., native heads west to Auto Club Speedway, he knows that a much different kind of draft will take place at the Southern California track. Just two weeks ago, Logano competed in his first race on a 2-mile oval and was able to bring home an impressive seventh-place finish at Auto Club Speedway’s sister track, Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Much like his ability to adapt to the draft despite having no racing experience at Michigan, Logano has proven that he can adapt to just about any track layout. He’s already notched seven top-10 finishes in just 10 Nationwide Series starts this season. Of those 10 starts, he had only raced at four of those venues prior to this season, including the site of his first career Nationwide Series win, Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, where in just his third series start he became the youngest race winner in Nationwide Series history at the age of 18 years, 21 days.
So as Logano and Co. head to Auto Club Speedway for the first time this weekend, JGR’s newest “draftee” will hope to use the draft on the high-speed track to his advantage en route to his second career Nationwide Series win.
Joey Logano – No. 20 GameStop NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota Camry at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
While NASCAR doesn’t exactly have a draft, what do you remember about first talking with Joe Gibbs and J.D. Gibbs before signing with them three years ago?
“I met J.D. (Gibbs) first at one of the conference rooms at JGR. We started talking and we had this little video that we showed J.D. about everything I had done before that. He said, ‘I have to go get my dad,’ and then Joe (Gibbs) came walking in and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s Joe Gibbs, right there.’ He’s a cool guy and he’s just a normal guy and that’s what’s pretty neat about him. I have no problem going up to him and seeking advice since he has so much experience with people from coaching football. It’s a big family at JGR, and that’s what really attracted me to the organization and why I’m excited to be a part of JGR for years to come.”
You ran your first race on a 2-mile oval two weeks ago at Michigan. What did you learn about the draft there that you can apply to a similar 2-mile oval this weekend?
“I learned a lot about aero-stuff at Michigan. I had been there before for an ARCA test, but you really can’t simulate what it feels like to be racing with 42 other cars and how much the air really affects the handling of your car. I learned a lot at Michigan about what to do and where to run. The draft is really big at places like Michigan and California. You haul the mail and then you get right next to another car and it’s like hitting the brakes.”
There’s been a lot of attention and pressure put on you in just a short time this year. Have those expectations almost become normal for you?
“I think I’d feel weird without the pressure because I’ve kind of gotten used to it. And if I didn’t have the pressure, I’d think something would be wrong. I’m 100 percent cool with it. I go out there expecting to win. I go out there expecting my team to expect to win. I think that’s what everyone is here for and that is what I want my team to be here for.”
The trend over the last few years has seen drivers getting younger and younger. You’ve been one of those young guys from the time you started racing up until now. How have you handled that?
“A lot of the guys start so young, now. I started when I was five or six years old. Back then, people didn’t start racing until they were 16. I’m 18 and I’ve been racing for 12 years, now. I feel that’s where it’s different. But if you look at all sports, they’re getting younger and younger. I don’t want to say that it probably wouldn’t hurt, but I feel I’m ready and I think when the team feels you’re ready, they’re not going to put you out there not ready because that’s not helping me and it’s not helping the team, and it’s just not the right thing to do. I’ve got a lot of confidence in everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing since there are so many good people who have won races and championships there. But at least for the rest of this season, I’m obviously focused on running well and winning races with my GameStop car here in the Nationwide Series.”
The Car
Chassis No. 2081: This chassis was built during the off-season and will make its sixth start of the season in the Camping World RV Service 300 at Auto Club Speedway. Its first start came at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, where Kyle Busch led five times for a race-high 153 laps before a broken right-front shock mount sent his car into the turn one retaining wall as Busch was leading handily. The impact knocked Busch out of contention for the win, but it did not inflict any permanent damage to Chassis No. 2081. After repairs were made, the No. 20 team brought the car back two weeks later to Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway where, again, Busch led four times for race high 125 laps before a spin with 62 laps remaining knocked him out of contention for the win and forced him to settle for a 16th-place result. Joe Gibbs Racing hung a new body on Chassis No. 2081 prior to its next outing in May at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where Denny Hamlin started ninth and finished second. At Nashville in June, Chassis No. 2081 carried Joey Logano to his first career Nationwide Series pole. Logano then wheeled Chassis No. 2081 to lead twice for 64 laps before a tap from another car sent Logano spinning into the frontstretch wall and a 31st-place finish. From there, its next start came at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., with Tony Stewart at the wheel. There, it qualified second and finished ninth. In its most recent start, Chassis No. 2081 had another solid outing two weeks ago at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, where Stewart started seventh and finished third.
About GameStop
Headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, GameStop Corp., is the world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer. The company operates 5,453 retail stores in 16 countries worldwide. The company also operates two e-commerce sites: GameStop.com and EBgames.com. It also publishes Game Informer® magazine, a leading multi-platform video game publication. GameStop Corp. sells new and used video game software, hardware and accessories for video game systems from Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft. In addition, the company sells PC entertainment software, related accessories and other merchandise. General information on GameStop Corp., can be obtained at the company’s corporate website: www.gamestopcorp.com.
Kyle Busch, "Go West, Young Man"
August 27, Huntersville, NC--- Nineteenth-century journalist Horace Greeley coined the phrase, “Go West, Young Man” to encourage able-bodied individuals to explore new opportunities on the western United States frontier.
Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), already has a head start.
Growing up in the western desert, the Las Vegas native earned more than 65 wins in Legends cars from 1999 to 2001 and racked up two track championships at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring before moving up to Late Model stock cars. Even with that, winning seemed to come naturally for Busch, as he captured 10 victories in Late Model competition at the Bullring in 2001.
Busch, who now lives near Charlotte, N.C., has since graduated to NASCAR’s Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series, and always jumps at the chance to “Go West,” where he will be again this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., for Saturday’s Camping World RV Service 300 Nationwide Series race.
While Las Vegas is where he is from, Busch has quickly made Auto Club Speedway his home away from home over the course of his nearly five-year NASCAR career. The 2-mile oval was the site of his historic first Sprint Cup win in September 2005, when he also became the youngest winner ever in Sprint Cup competition.
In fact, in 16 total starts at Auto Club Speedway among NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series divisions, the talented 23-year-old has two wins, seven top-fives and 12 top-10 finishes. Busch also has finished no worse than third over his last three Nationwide Series starts at the Southern California track.
In addition to Busch’s high hopes for the weekend, Z-Line Designs – the San Ramon, Calif.-based designer and import manufacturer of ready-to-assemble furniture – is hoping to score its second straight victory at Auto Club Speedway. Busch’s teammate at JGR, Tony Stewart, captured the win in the track’s first Nationwide Series race of the season in February sporting the familiar black and red colors Z-Line Designs.
In addition to extending Z-Line’s winning streak at California, Busch hopes to add to his ever-growing all-time NASCAR record of 17 overall wins this season across NASCAR’s top three series – three in the Truck Series, six in the Nationwide Series and eight in Sprint Cup.
Busch looks to combine his strong past out west with his record-breaking season by adding more hardware to his collection at a track that’s quickly become his new home away from home.
Kyle Busch, No. 18 Z-Line Designs NASCAR Nationwide Series Toyota Camry at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
What are your overall thoughts heading into the Nationwide Series race at Fontana?
“It’s just a fun place to race. Its wide-open racing and you can run from top to bottom. I didn’t run the Nationwide Series race at Michigan, so this will be my first race since the rule change that I get to run where we could see the horsepower difference. At Michigan, both Tony and Joey ran well and toward the front, so I still expect the Z-Line Designs Toyota to be up there like we always are.”
How has Auto Club Speedway changed over the last few years, going from a new track to a place that has a lot more character and more racing grooves?
“That place is tough. It’s really a hard race track to get hold of now, especially when it’s hot and the sun is out. There are two completely different types of racing when you run the top versus the bottom groove. You can run from the top to the bottom, but when you run the bottom, you really feel like you’re puttering around the race track. You feel like you aren’t making up any time on the bottom, but when you are running the top groove you feel like you’re getting the job done. The guys who run the bottom have a little bit more patience and handle it better than the guys who are on the gas on top.”
You’re racing out west for the first time in several months. Do you enjoy traveling out there and do you feel more comfortable going to that part of the country since that’s where you grew up?
“Everybody hates the time change. I use that to my advantage since I think I’m usually on West Coast time anyway. I still haven’t gotten East Coast time down, yet. It’s fun for me. It’s a cool atmosphere and the weather is great without the humidity. If it’s hot out, it’s nice and warm, so the heat at Fontana doesn’t bother me as much as other places. And if it’s cold, it’s a crisp cold. It’s still home and I love being out west, and I really feel at home any time we race out there.”
Three years ago this weekend, your first career Sprint Cup win came at Auto Club Speedway. What do you remember about that night in 2005?
“We ran in the top-five all day long, but we really didn’t think we had a winning car. When we got the lead a few times throughout the race, we just pulled away and led by quite a bit. It was really cool to have a really dominant race car. I remember having to drive the car really loose. That was the loosest I think I’ve ever driven a race car that was still moving forward. It was crazy because I came over the radio and told the guys I couldn’t believe how loose I have to drive the car. But it was fast.”
The Car
Chassis No. 1861: This car made its first start of the season earlier this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with Kyle Busch at the controls. He led 18 laps before a cut right-front tire and subsequent accident ended his day, resulting in a 31st-place finish. Next, the car attempted to make the race at Darlington (S.C.) in May, but Denny Hamlin wrecked it during qualifying and the No. 18 team did not participate in the event. Since then, JGR worked on rebuilding the car in preparation for its run at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn two weeks ago, where Joey Logano started sixth and brought home a solid seventh-place finish in its most recent outing. Chassis No. 1861 also ran three times last season, with its first race coming at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta with former JGR driver Brad Coleman finishing a career-best second. The car returned to action in August at Michigan that same year, where Coleman finished 15th. And finally, Tony Stewart drove this car to a seventh-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth last November after leading a race-high 114 laps. Despite Stewart’s dominance that day, contact midway through the race with lapped traffic hurt the car’s aerodynamics.
August 27, Fontana, CA--- NOTES:
· The Camping World RV Service 300 will mark Brian Vickers’ fourth Nationwide Series start at Auto Club Speedway. In three previous starts he has earned one top-10 finish. One of those starts came in a Braun Racing entry in August 2007 where Vickers earned his best start of ninth and finished 27th due to an accident.
· Making his 10th start of the season for Braun Racing, Vickers has earned the team six top-10 finishes including a fourth place finish at Daytona in February, a fifth place finish at Lowe’s in May, a fourth place finish at Chicagoland in July and a runner-up finish at Michigan. He is scheduled to run a total of 15 races for the Braun Racing team during the 2008 season.
· Vickers has experienced even more success on the Fontana, California two-mile oval in the Sprint Cup Series. In nine Cup starts, Vickers has three top-10’s and one top-five to his credit. He also has completed 99.3% of all laps possible, including 49 laps led.
ABF Freight adds Seymour of Sycamore to the No.32 at Auto Club Speedway
ABF Freight Co. is in its third year of sponsorship at Braun Racing. A partnership that began in 2006 has been nothing short of successful. Last year, ABF etched their name in the history books when the ABF Camry captured the first Toyota Camry pole in history at California Speedway. This season, the ABF Camry will be piloted by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veteran, Brian Vickers, in nine races.
This weekend Seymour of Sycamore will take ABF’s place on the hood of the No.32. Seymour, the inventor of aerosol spray paint, is the supplier of choice for quality aerosol coatings and chemical products. Seymour of Sycamore served as the primary sponsor for a Braun Racing Camry in two races during the 2007 season.
Vickers on racing at Auto Club Speedway “We seem to really have some momentum going these past couple weeks. We finished second at Michigan and then ninth last weekend in Bristol, so I’m confident we can carry that to California and get another strong finish for this Seymour Paint and ABF team. Racing at Auto Club Speedway is a lot of fun because the track is so wide you can run multiple grooves. The cars do get pretty spaced out during the race so track position is key. We’ll work on making sure we stay up front all night and hopefully have a shot at Victory Lane!”
Equipment Information The No. 32 Seymour Paint/ABF Racing team will compete with chassis #24 in the Camping World RV Service 300 at Auto Club Speedway. This is the same chassis Vickers raced at Michigan two weeks ago where he started third and finished second.
August 26, Fontana, CA---
GETTING CLOSER – After scoring his second win of the season last weekend at Bristol, Brad Keselowski is now just 122 markers behind point leader Clint Bowyer. This is the closest the championship battle has been at this point of the season since Martin Truex Jr. led Kyle Busch by 105 points after 26 races in 2004. Keselowski is 109 points ahead of third-place driver Carl Edwards, and continues to be the highest-ranked Nationwide Series-only driver.BACK TO CALIFORNIA – Auto Club Speedway has proven to be an important track in Keselowski’s career. In 2006, Keselowski made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at the Fontana, Calif., track for Keith Coleman Racing in the fall event. In the same race one year later, Keselowski survived a horrific, fiery crash on Lap 67 that destroyed his No. 88 Chevrolet. Emergency medical technicians helped Keselowski exit the wreckage, and he was air lifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center. There doctors performed a CT scan and x-rayed his left ankle and chest before releasing him later that evening. This year Keselowski returns to Auto Club Speedway as he battles with Cup drivers Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards for the Nationwide Series championship.
HOT SUMMER – Keselowski and the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet team have been on fire this summer. In the 14 races this summer (May 24 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway through Aug. 22 at Bristol), Keselowski has scored two wins, one pole award, seven top-fives and 11 top-10 finishes. He’s led in six of those races for a total of 269 laps. His worst finish in that stretch was 19th at O’Reilly Raceway Park, and it was his only finish outside the top 12 in that span.
SEASON STATS – Twenty six races into the 2008 season, Keselowski’s first full year in the Nationwide Series, he has scored two wins, one pole award, nine top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes.
STAT LEADER – Keselowski continues to lead the Nationwide Series in quality passes. He’s made 723 green-flag passes while running in the top 15. That’s 34 more quality passes than Bowyer who has made 689 this year.
FOURTH FOR JRM – The No. 88 Navy team’s victory at Bristol was the fourth win of the season for JR Motorsports. Mark Martin scored the company’s first win in the Sam’s Town 250 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. Keselowski visited Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway in June, and earlier this month Ron Fellows picked up a win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
CHASSIS NO. 318 – The No. 88 JR Motorsports team will race Chassis No. 318 in Saturday’s Camping World 300 at Auto Club Speedway. Keselowski drove this car to Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway in June and finished third in it at Chicagoland Speedway in July.
FLEET HONOREE – The No. 88 Navy team’s Fleet Honoree for Saturday’s race is NMFC/JTWC, making the long commute from Hawaii. NMFC was originally established as Fleet Weather Central (FWC), Pearl Harbor in 1941 by authority of the Commander-in-Chief, Pacific. JTWC was established in 1945 as the Typhoon Tracking Center and was responsible for tropical cyclone reconnaissance and warning in the Pacific from 1945 until 1958. In 1995, the JTWC became fully operational at this command and today, NMFC and JTWC work hand and hand as one command forming the Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
LENDING A HAND – The Navy Fleet Honorees from NMFC/JTWC will provide assistance at a Habitat for Humanity event on Friday in Redlands, Calif., as a part of their race weekend experience stateside.
DALE JR. CELEBRITY SPORTS AUCTION – The No. 88 Navy Chevrolet will feature the logo of the Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction on the decklid this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. The event is scheduled for Oct. 13, at the Concord (N.C.) Convention Center and will feature a roundtable discussion with celebrities in addition to live and silent auctions. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Dale Jr. Foundation, Make-A-Wish and Victory Junction Gang Camp. There will also be a charity concert at Whisky River on Oct. 12 in conjunction with the event. Tickets for the Dale Jr. Celebrity Sports Auction went on sale Monday. For more information on the event and how to get your tickets, visit www.thedalejrfoundation.org.
-----
KESELOWSKI (on battling Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer for the title…) - "Carl [Edwards] is going to be the guy to beat this weekend. He was struggling earlier this year and then at Michigan he killed everyone. He’s going to be just as strong in California. I think Clint [Bowyer] and I are pretty equal, so my team and I need to do whatever we can maintain our place in the standings and capitalize on every opportunity we have to gain points. We’re coming down to the last few races and every point counts. Every position is one step closer or one step back from the championship.”
KESELOWSKI (on what it will take to win the championship…) – “We need to keep getting top-10 finishes and work toward having an average finish of eighth for the year. The start of the season wasn’t so good for us. We had a few bad finishes right at the start of the year, so we need to do better now to help make up for that. I believe that about an eighth-place average is what it’s going to take to win the championship this year.”
August 26, Fontana, CA--- QUICK FACTS:
· Home Sweet Home: A Long Beach, CA native, Jason Leffler will return to the west coast for racing at his home track, Auto Club Speedway, for Saturday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race this weekend.
· In (9) career NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Auto Club Speedway Leffler has one pole (2004) and two top-10 finishes to his credit. His best performance at his hometown track came in 2005 when he started and finished 7th.
· In his only Craftsman Truck Series start at California, Leffler finished second after starting eighth.
LEFFLER ON RACING AT HIS “HOME TRACK”
“I always look forward to going home for this race at the Auto Club Speedway! With the hectic schedule we have all year I don’t get to see my family and friends out here as often as I would like to. The two weekends we have racing out here each year gives me a chance to catch up with everybody. To win here would be a huge deal for me. Of course, you want to win every race, but you especially want that win in front of the home crowd and with your family and friends cheering you on.
This is a really fun race track. It’s wide-open pretty much all the way around and has multi grooves so there is a lot of two and three-wide racing. You carry a lot of speed down the straight-aways and with the sweeping corners you can run around the bottom or you can run up high. You’re always searching for that groove where your car is the fastest. After the strong performances we have had as a team the last few of weeks, we are carrying a lot of momentum into this weekend and we look to get the Great Clips Camry back to victory lane!”.
EQUIPMENT INFORMATION
The No. 38 Great Clips team will unload chassis #33 in this weekend’s Camping World 300. Nicknamed “Golden Child,” this is the same car Kyle Busch drove to victory earlier this season in Charlotte. Other finishes include a second place finish in Chicago with Denny Hamlin and eighth in Michigan with Leffler.
Lamar Pilots No. 27 at Bristol
No. 27 Kleenex Ford Fusion Spends a Night Under the Lights
August 25, Bristol, TN--- Burney Lamar and the No. 27 Kleenex Ford Fusion team headed east to Bristol to experience an under the lights race on the world’s fastest half-mile track. It was Lamar’s first time behind the wheel of the No. 27 car.
Lamar qualified the No. 27 Kleenex Ford Fusion in the 28th position with hopes to push the car to the front of the field. However, the team battled a tight car all night and could not get the necessary track position to gain ground on the leaders.
“We fought track position all race long,” said Jeff White, crew chief. “The No. 27 Kleenex Ford Fusion had good lap times and was running well. We went out early in qualifying and didn’t get to start with the best track position. Running here at Bristol, track position is everything and we weren’t able to achieve what we wanted tonight. There were very few cautions and that hurt us. Burney did a great job with the No. 27 Kleenex Ford; it’s time to shift focus to California.”
The No. 27 Kleenex Ford Fusion team heads to the west coast as they are back in action on Saturday night at Auto Club Speedway in California.
Jason Keller, CJM Racing Brings Home a 12th Place Finish From Bristol
August 25, Bristol, TN--- The NASCAR Nationwide Series returned to Bristol Motor Speedway for some short-track racing action. Noted as the “Worlds Fastest Half-Mile”, the track definitely lives up to its name. Fast paced beating and banging occurred for 250-laps and the America’s Incredible Pizza Company Chevrolet ended the evening without a scratch and in the 12th position.
The morale heading into the Food City 250 was high. Bristol Motor Speedway has always been a favorite track for Jason Keller. His stat’s are impressive with 29 starts, a win, four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. This was the team’s opportunity to get back on track and start working on climbing back into the top-10 in points.
As the one day show got underway, Keller climbed into the No. 11 America’s Incredible Pizza Company Chevrolet for the first of two practice sessions. The first session was successful as Keller posted the eighth quickest time with a 15.970 second, 120.150 mph run. Shortly after the final practice session began and Keller posted the 27th quickest time with a 16.083 second, 119.306 mph run (no mock qualifying run was made).
The day grew long as the Nationwide Series had a five hour break before qualifying started. The team continued to tweak the race car and get it race ready. Just past the 5 o’clock hour, Keller headed toward pit road for qualifying. Drawing a late spot, the America’s Incredible Pizza Company Chevrolet went out 26th and Keller placed the No. 11 machine in the 11th position for the start of the Food City 250.
Day turned into night and the lights illuminated the half-mile facility. 43 drivers buckled into their race cars and readied themselves for non-stop race action.
The Food City 250 started out without a hitch until lap 17 when the first caution flag would fly. This gave the drivers an opportunity to access the handling of their race cars. Keller reported in, “I’m a little free rolling in but good center off.”
The race restarted and the America’s Incredible Pizza Company Chevrolet remained consistent out on the race track running anywhere from 11th to 15th in the first part of the race. The first pit stop would occur on lap 88 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to help alleviate the nose of the race car sliding across the center.
Back out on the track and running in the 13th position on lap 104, Keller was turning lap times faster than the race leader. As the laps continued the handling of the race car changed and Keller was fighting a tight condition. When a caution flag came out on lap 186 the America’s Incredible Pizza Company Chevrolet came down pit road again for fresh tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment.
Unfortunately the handling woes continued when green flag racing resumed. Keller reported in on lap 205, “This is the worst we’ve been. The car is bouncing all over the place on entry.”
Keller was called to pit road on lap 207 for a final stop. The America’s Incredible Pizza Company pit crew quickly changed four tires with a slight air pressure adjustment. Keller restarted in the 17th position and made a final charge to the front. In the closing laps he was able to gain five positions and end the evening in the 12th position.
“We had some handling concerns throughout the race. The guys made the needed adjustments and we were able to get a solid finish out of it,” Keller remarked.
NASCAR heads out west next week to race in Fontana, California. The Nationwide Series race will air live on ESPN2 this Saturday, August 30 at 9:45 pm (EST).
Kevin Harvick No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Team Race
Preview
Auto Club Speedway
August 25, Fontana, CA--- SEEKING FIRST NATIONWIDE SERIES WIN IN CALIFORNIA: Kevin Harvick returns to the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California, looking to pick up where he left off in February where he finished third in the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet. In 11 starts at the 2-mile track, Harvick has scored six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. His worst result at the track came in his first start at the track where he finished 14th. He has completed 99.9 percent of laps attempted (1499 of 1500 laps) and led 116 laps. His average Nationwide Series start at the track is 11.9 with an average finish of 5.5.
IROC SUCCESS: On his quest to winning the 2002 True Value International Race of Champions (IROC) points title, Harvick secured a win at the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California in just his first year competing in the series. The win helped him to become the sixth rookie and the first driver representing the Nationwide Series (for his 2001 Nationwide Series title) to win the IROC championship. In addition to the win at California, he also finished ninth at Daytona, third at Chicago and fourth at Indianapolis in the four-race series.
CALLING THE SHOTS: Ernie Cope, crew chief for the No. 2 KHI Chevy Silverado piloted by Jack Sprague in the NASCAR Truck Series, will call the shots for the No. 33 Camping Chevrolet for this weekend’s Camping World 300 at the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California. Two weeks ago at Michigan International Speedway, Cope sat atop the pit box calling the race for Cale Gale and the No. 33 team. Gale started the race second and after pitting right before a late race caution, was caught one lap down and finished 19th.
BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER KEVIN HARVICK:
What do you enjoy more, being an owner or being a driver? “There are different aspects you enjoy of each role. For me, from the ownership side of it, it is a challenge to put the people together and the day-to-day challenge of keeping the business going forward in a positive direction is fun for me. I enjoy that challenge. But, the competitive driver is what drives me on a day-to-day basis to stay enthused about everything that is going on. They both have different drives and different aspects of what you want to achieve and the gratification that comes out of them.”
On how tough California Speedway is on the engines: "This place and Michigan are probably the two toughest places on engines. The race is 300 miles, so it creates a challenge for the engine builders. You have to get your car handling good, but the power of the car is very important, and you have to weigh in the reliability factor. When we run our engines on the reliability dyno, Michigan is where we run it which is very similar to California."
Do you consider California your home track? “Definitely. I grew up in Bakersfield, (Calif.) so clearly I remember watching races at Riverside and Ontario. It is always fun to come back to California and race in front of my family and friends.”
GAINING GROUND: Following a fourth-place run at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, the No. 33 KHI Chevrolet now sits sixth in the Owner’s Point Standings, a gain of two positions. In the last five races, the team has earned three top-five and 4 top-10 finishes, a total of nine top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 2008.
CHASSIS HISTORY: Harvick will pilot chassis no. 038 from the KHI stable this week at the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California. This chassis was last on track with Cale Gale at Michigan International Speedway, where he started on the outside pole and ran most of the race in the top 10, but after pitting immediately before a caution late in the race was caught one lap down to the leaders and finished 19th. Prior to Michigan, this chassis was on track at Chicagoland Speedway (18th-place finish following a lap-one incident), Dover (Del.) International Speedway (13th-place finish), Texas Motor Speedway (34th-place finish after a broken axle while leading), Atlanta Motor Speedway (second-place finish) and the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California (third-place finish).
PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Cale Gale most recently piloted the No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet for the Food City 250 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. In his first Nationwide Series career start at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” Gale won his first Nationwide Series career pole and ran in the top five all race. Staying out of trouble and with a good, fast car, Gale crossed the finish line in the fourth position, a Nationwide Series career-best finish, and earned the honor of top Raybestos Rookie of the Race.
Gale Wins First Career Pole, Finishes Career-Best Fourth at Bristol
August 25, Bristol, TN--- In a weekend filled with career-bests, Cale Gale and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Camping World Chevrolet started the Food City 250 from the pole position, Gale’s career first pole, and crossed the finish line in fourth place, another career-best finish for the 23-year-old driver.
“Our Camping World Chevy was really good from the time we unloaded it off the truck,” said Gale. “We unloaded and the car was good, qualified good and ran up front all night. We really had a good time tonight. This is the same car that I ran a few weeks ago at ORP (in Indianapolis) and it seems to be doing pretty good. We were able to stay up front most of the night and stay out of the trouble. We were just a little bit tight on a long runs, but not too bad. I tell you, the car drove really great. Our Camping World Chevy has been really good the last few weeks and we’ve got the finish to show for it and got the pole. Hopefully we can go to Memphis in a few weeks when I drive again and get a win. I’m pretty sure Kevin (Harvick, his car co-owner) will get us a couple (of victories) before the year is out. Overall, I’m really excited with the finish and hopefully it’ll pay off for me next year.”
In his first NASCAR Nationwide Series start at the “World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” Gale took the green flag for the Food City 250 from the pole position and quickly settled in, leading the first 17 laps.
Gale settled in to the second position before the first caution on lap 19. The team stayed out under the yellow and restarted on lap 22 in second place.
Gale pitted under the second caution of the night on lap 89, leading another lap on pit road. The team changed four tires and added fuel. Gale told crew chief Rick Ren the car was “not bad, but got a little tight at the end of the run.” While under the caution, Kevin Harvick, KHI team co-owner and four-time Nationwide Series winner at Bristol, took the time to give Gale some pointers about how to get in the corners, a few words of encouragement and adding to keep up the good work. Gale restarted in the second position on lap 93.
Gale was scored in the fifth position on lap 137, his lowest running spot all night. The team made their last pit stop on lap 189 while under caution. Gale told Ren the car was good and he wanted no changes, just four fresh Goodyear tires and fuel.
Gale crossed the finish line on lap 250 in the fourth position, a Nationwide Series career-best finish, and earned the honor of top finishing Raybestos Rookie of the Race.
LITTLE BIT GOES LONG WAY FOR BIRES IN 17th-PLACE FINISH AT BRISTOL
August 25, Bristol, TN--- Kelly Bires’ No. 47 Bush’s Baked Beans Ford was nearly perfect during last Friday night’s Food City 250 at the Bristol Motor Speedway. But at the World’s Fastest Short Track Bires needed an absolutely perfect race car.
“We just missed it a little bit,” Bires said after finishing 17th. “We took a couple shots at it, but we couldn’t quite get it. We got it better by making it a little freer getting into the corner, but we couldn’t get it where we needed it.
“We were on the verge of making it perfect. In this sport, however, even if you’re close to perfect, you’re not going to win. You have to be absolutely perfect – the car, the pit stops, the strategy, everything.” The finish, however, continued to show the improvements at JTG Daugherty Racing. Bires started 14th and remained in the Top 20 throughout the entire race.
“Kelly was competitive all night,” said crew chief Scott Zipadelli. “We were afraid to make dramatic changes to the car because with only 250 laps, there’s not enough time to recover. We were one minor change away from getting the car to rotate through the corners. “The primary goal every week is to race on the lead lap, bring the car home in one piece, make the car better during the race and be competitive. We accomplished that. We made the most of our opportunities.”
Bires agreed.
“We learned a lot,” he said. “We’ll do our homework before we come back here next year and we’ll be a lot better. We won’t need much to be really good the next time. But at Bristol, a little bit goes a long way.”
The team is looking forward to traveling to the two-mile, D-shaped oval at Fontana, Calif., for next Saturday’s 300-mile race. The high-banked speedways have been the team’s strongest suit this year, and it comes as the team continues its push to finish in the To 10 in the Nationwide Series point standings.
FAST & FUN FACTS:
- Bires remained 14th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings with three Top-10 finishes in 26 starts for JTG Racing. He’s 55 points from 13th place.
- Brad Keselowski won the Food City 250, followed by Clint Bowyer in second, Greg Biffle in third, Cale Gale in fourth and David Stremme in fifth.
- JTG Daugherty Racing teammate Marcos Ambrose was 34th.
- The next race for Bires and the Clorox Ford is the Camping World 300 at the Auto Club Speedway at California on Saturday night.
Ambrose Loses Ignition In Bristol
August 25, Bristol, TN--- Marcos Ambrose’s playful demeanor was replaced by frustration and disappointment last Friday at the Bristol Motor Speedway.
A faulty ignition caused the No. 59 Kingsford with Hickory Ford to lose 20 laps during the Food City 250, relegating the team to a 34th-place finish.
The JTG Daugherty Racing team started the race with 11 consecutive Top 20 finishes. Despite the mechanical glitch, Ambrose remained 10th in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings heading into next Saturday’s race at Fontana, Calif. “It just stopped,” Ambrose said. “We have back-up boxes and stuff, but nothing worked so we had to come in and change the whole panel and away she went. We just tripped over ourselves. We’re trying to get into the Top 10 in points. If we’re going to stay there, we have to avoid nights like this.”
Crew chief Gary Cogswell said the team will dedicate itself to finding the problem this week in the shop. He also said the quick work by the Kingsford team minimized the deficit.
“It was very unusual what happened. We’ll go over everything to see what caused the problem and it won’t happen again,” he said. “We changed out an entire ignition box in about eight or nine minutes. The guys jumped right on the problem and we got Marcos back on the track as soon as possible.” The team’s persistence may prove critical at the end of the season. By making quick repairs and returning, Ambrose picked up several spots in the final rundown. He’s now 57 points from ninth place in the rankings.
Once Ambrose returned to the half-mile raceway, the strategy changed to making laps and staying out of trouble. It was a unique approach to one of the most-competitive short tracks in the sport.
“I tried to look after the car and be nice to people out there,” Ambrose said. “Normally you’re on the offense at Bristol. We had to play defense. At the same time, we got some laps at Bristol, which always helps. But all in all, it was a very disappointing day.”
August 23, Bristol, TN--- Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, scored his second win of the 2008 season on Friday night in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway and with only nine races remaining this year, he closed to within 122 points of series leader Clint Bowyer.
Notes of Interest:
- FROM THE BACK: Keselowski started the Food City 250 from 37th position. In the 52 prior Nationwide Series races at the track, only one other driver has scored a win after starting that far back in the field. Kevin Harvick started 38th when weather cancelled qualifying at Bristol for the spring race in 2005. Only 9.4 percent of the Nationwide Series races at Bristol have been won by drivers who’ve started outside the top 20.
- MOVING UP: Despite starting 37th, Keselowski methodically charged toward the front of the field. He broke into the top 20 on Lap 32 and was inside the top 10 by Lap 90. Keselowski took over fifth position on lap 111 and moved into second place on Lap 192.
- HOW IT ENDED: Keselowski passed Bowyer on Lap 226 and led the remaining 24 laps. He took the checkered flag in the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet 1.025 seconds ahead of Bowyer’s No. 2 Chevrolet. Keselowski became the 38th different driver to score a Nationwide Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway.
- FOURTH FOR JRM: The No. 88 Navy team’s victory was the fourth win of the season for JR Motorsports. Mark Martin scored the company’s first win in the Sam’s Town 250 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. Keselowski visited Victory Lane at Nashville Superspeedway in June, and earlier this month Ron Fellows picked up a win at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
- MORE OF THE SAME FOR KESELOWSKI: Keselowski’s two Nationwide Series wins have come at Bristol Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway this year. Both trips to Victory Lane have come at concrete tracks in Tennessee.
- GETTING CLOSER: Keselowski is now just 122 markers behind point leader Clint Bowyer. This is the closest the championship battle has been at this point of the season since Martin Truex Jr. led Kyle Busch by 105 points after 26 races in 2004. Keselowski is 109 points ahead of third-place driver Carl Edwards, and continues to be the highest-ranked Nationwide Series-only driver.
- STAT LEADER: Keselowski continues to lead the Nationwide Series in quality passes. He’s made 723 green-flag passes while running in the top 15. That’s 34 more quality passes than Bowyer who has made 689 this year.
Keselowski joined team owner, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and crew chief, Tony Eury Sr., in the Bristol Motor Speedway media center at the conclusion of the Food City 250 to answer question for the members of the media in attendance. Below is a transcript of that Q&A session.
MODERATOR: Tony Eury Sr., What are your thoughts on Brad picking up his second win here tonight?
TONY EURY SR.: “The last time we were here we ran really well and thought we had a shot to win the race, but the rain came and messed us up. We ended up finishing fourth, but we knew we had a good car. We came back this time and knew what adjustments we needed to make to be a little better. We worked on those this morning. We weren’t sure we had it. We were a little concerned because we thought the track was a little different than when we were here in the spring, so we were a little concerned and made some changes that we didn’t think we were going to have to make. I think that’s why we qualified so badly. The car was really loose in qualifying, but it came around in the race. I’m tickled Brad did a good job. It’s hard to start in the back here and not get lapped, but I told him, ‘You’ve got to race hard, but you’ve got to be patient with these guys too.’ He did both. He did a good job and here we are now.”
MODERATOR: Dale Earnhardt Jr., that first win that Brad had in Nashville, I don’t believe you were able to see in person. You were certainly able to see this one tonight. Congratulations. What are your thoughts?
DALE EARNHARDT JR.: “I’m just really happy
for Brad. He’s so deserving. He’s done such a good job. He’s done such a
good job for us this year. We’re really proud of what we’ve accomplished.
I’m happy for Tony Sr. It certainly means a lot for him for all the effort
he puts into his team to go out and be able to perform like he expects to.
Having worked with him for so long, I know how important these wins are to
him. The team is doing really well. They’re putting up a good showing for
themselves in the last third of the season here and we’re just trying to
keep the momentum going. This is a huge win for our company. The future of
the company really depends on us having finishes like this. I don’t know. I
didn’t get to see the expressions on all their faces after the first win. A
lot of those people have been with our company since we started. It’s not
that old of a company, but it seems like we’ve been together for years now
trying to trudge through and get this thing off the ground. We brought in a
lot of key people that we have to give a lot of credit to -- obviously my
partner, Rick Hendrick, and all the resources that he brought to the table
at
the beginning of the season for us really helped our program tremendously --
giving us great equipment, engines and engineering help. It really gives
Tony Sr. and those guys the tools to go out and compete like they did
tonight.”
Q: Did you have any potential sponsors here tonight watching the race? What does this do for sponsorship in the future?
EARNHARDT JR.: “We don’t have anyone that we’re entertaining specifically here this weekend. Things like this definitely help our chances of putting together a bona fide program for next season. It’s really important like I said in the last statement – runs like this really help our program and the future of our program. I feel like this season we’ve really risen toward the top. We compete with the best week-in and week-out in the Nationwide Series. I feel like we justify a full-time sponsorship and that’s definitely what we’re working to put together for next year.”
MODERATOR: Let’s hear a few comments from our race winner, Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. Brad, let’s hear your thoughts on picking up the win here tonight.
BRAD KESELOWSKI: “Awesome. This is Bristol, man. This is cool. I’ve always loved this place and ran well here. I don’t know why we struggled like we did here in qualifying, but it didn’t matter because our car was just so good in the race. I have to thank everybody on my team for a great car. The pit stops just made it that much easier for me. We gained spots on pit road both times, big spots – ones I was going to have a tough time passing. I knew Kyle [Busch] was going to be really tough to pass and they got him for me on pit road. They got Denny Hamlin for me on pit road. All guys that were great and I was going to need some help with and they got it done on pit road today. That was big. And I got some help from Clint [Bowyer]. I’m not sure what exactly happened there. I felt that if I put some pressure on him, I might catch a break, and that seems to be what might of happened there.”
Q: Dale and Tony Sr., can you talk about Brad’s development through the season?
EURY SR.: “We saw a lot of development last year in the little bit that he drove for us when we made a driver change. I think Dale Jr. had watched him before that and knew this guy had a lot of talent and that’s why we made the change. We were running out of cars for one reason. We had to do something to help the company out, so we made a change. Dale Jr. is the one who spotted him. He’d been watching him. We put him in the car and he did exactly what Dale Jr. thought he was going to do. We’re really happy. Some of the race tracks we’ve been to this year he’s been a rookie at, and he hasn’t performed like a rookie. We’re charging hard for this championship. We are going to give Clint [Bowyer] and Carl [Edwards] a run for. We might not win it, but they’re going to know we’re there. We’re going to run for it for sure.”
EARNHARDT JR.: “Brad has a lot of intangibles as a driver. To be able to compete and succeed under a pressure situation like this evening, running second to Clint. Clint looked pretty strong, strong enough to win the race. Brad stayed calm and didn’t make the mistakes that you might typically see in a guy with the limited experience that he has. So, he has a lot of intangibles that you really can’t teach. I think working with Tony Sr., Tony is a great mentor. I’ve experienced that myself. I think those two things especially are good for Brad. Having Tony on his side and a guy like that to help him and have his back, because Tony definitely has your back at all times. I saw a lot of things in Brad, early, that you can’t teach and rarely pick up over a course of experience or a course of years. He already kind of had those. I think growing up in a racing family really paid off for Brad in really understanding how things work. I think the incident in Charlotte really forged a bond between the entire team. It melted those guys together and welded them together pretty tightly. They felt very strongly about having some injustice there at Charlotte. I think that motivated them and made them charge harder and work harder. A lot of credit has to go to Tony Sr. just for being a good leader. He really gets people underneath him and within his team to want to do well and want to work hard. Under any situation they put forth all the effort and that has to motivate Brad as a driver to see those efforts coming from his team.”
Q: Brad, coming from a short-track racing background, what does it mean to win at a place like this? Dale, how soon do you think it’ll be before we see Brad run a Cup race for Haas this year?
KESELOWSKI: “Haas? Did you know about that? You must have some surprises for me. We haven’t been all that strong on the short tracks this year, but these high-banked places like Bristol -- I just seem to have taken a liking to Bristol and Dover. We were really good here in the spring. I was really shocked that we qualified 37th, but that makes for a great stat to win a race from starting 37th. There aren’t many people who can claim that. As far as short tracks, I grew up racing tracks that probably had a little more banking and were aggressive like this track and I think I learned a lot from that and was able to apply that here when I came here for
