JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet/No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
EVENT – Camping World 300 (150 laps / 300 miles)
TRACK – Auto Club Speedway (2-mile D-shaped oval)
DATE – Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010
TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 4 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 4 p.m. EST)
Aric Almirola
No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet
“It’s no secret our entire GT Vodka team was disappointed after last week’s race. We were racing hard for position toward the end there, and we just came out on the bad side of it. I hate we tore up a good race car in the process. But that’s in the past, and we’ve got a clean slate heading to California.
“In the two races I’ve been in the GT Vodka Chevrolet we’ve made some progress. I’m really getting a feel for how the team operates, and I think Pops (crew chief, Tony Eury, Sr.) and the guys are getting a handle on my driving style and what I’m looking for in the car. We’re definitely on the right track. If you look at ORP (O’Reilly Raceway Park) and Kansas, we’ve been running in the top-five most of the time, and we’ve been able to lead laps each race. This GT Vodka team is itching to get back to the regular success they had in 2009. I’m hoping we’re on our way to reaching that point. It’s our job to get things right over these last six races of the season so we can contend for a championship next year.”
Danica Patrick
No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
“I’m interested to see how things progress this weekend in our Tissot/GoDaddy.com car. It’s the first time I’m returning to a track that I’ve raced on before in a stock car. We’ve been thinking about this for some time, and I’m confident this weekend will help us evaluate where we’re at.
“So much of this year has been learning and familiarizing myself with this type of racing. I’m taking some comfort in heading back to Fontana, where I know a lot more of what to expect. When we were there in the spring, it was only my second race in the series and my third in a stock car. By no means am I saying I have all the answers now, but I’ll be a little more in my comfort zone. I’m a lot more familiar with the interior of the car, restarts, getting up through the gears, and onto pit road. Those aspects were challenging for me.
“Everyone has been talking about their off-season plans over on the IndyCar side, but for me, I’m excited to have two more months of racing ahead. This NASCAR journey has been difficult, but I’m still having a lot of fun with all this racing.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
TISSOT ON BOARD THE 7 – JR Motorsports welcomes Tissot as the primary sponsor of the No. 7 Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway this weekend. Tissot, a manufacturer of Swiss watches since 1853, along with GoDaddy.com will fill out sponsor positioning on the No. 7 Chevrolet at California. Tissot is also serving as an associate sponsor on the No. 7 Chevrolet for the remainder of 2010 and in all of Patrick’s 2011 races.
PATRICK’S INDYCAR SEASON – Patrick finished second in the IndyCar Series season finale at Homestead last week. She ends her season 10th in the standings. Patrick will now turn her focus solely to her No. 7 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
ALMIROLA IS BACK – Almirola embarks on his fourth race with JRM this weekend. It’s the first time he will compete in consecutive races for the 88 team. The Tampa, Fla. native has one top-five and one top-10 finish in three starts for JRM. He has led seven laps in those events and earned an average finish of 12.0.
FIRST AND ONLY RETURN – This is the first and only weekend in 2010 that showcases Patrick returning to a track where she has previously raced in a stock car. In her last race at Fontana, Calif., Patrick started 36th and finished 31st.
ALMIROLA AT CALIF. – Almirola may own 34 starts in the Nationwide Series, but this weekend will be his first at the two-mile Auto Club Speedway in the series. The 26-year-old does have four starts at the Sprint Cup level and one in the Camping World Truck Series at the facility.
GT VODKA TEAM AT FONTANTA – The No. 88 GT Vodka squad, led by two-time champion crew chief Tony Eury Sr., has scored one top-five and two top-10 finishes in its last two starts at Fontana. The team has earned an average finish of 6.0 in those races with drivers Brad Keselowski and Kelly Bires.
TEAM POINTS POSITION – The No. 88 GT Vodka team is ranked ninth in the 2010 owner points after Kansas. The No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet team is 16th in owner points.
LOOKING BACK TO DOVER – Patrick’s sixth-place finish driving the No. 83 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the K & N Pro East Series race at Dover tied her best finish in a stock car, and also marked her best finish in a NASCAR sanctioned race. She also led three laps on the day, another first for the 28-year-old.
JRM ANNOUNCES FESTIVITIES SURROUNDING FALL FAN DAY – The festivities for JR Motorsports fall fan day begin next Thursday, Oct. 14, and will continue through Sunday, Oct. 17. The JRM fan zone and retail store will open on Oct. 14, at 8:30 a.m., to be followed by an autograph session featuring JRM drivers Aric Almirola, Danica Patrick, Josh Wise and co-owner Kelley Earnhardt at 10:30 a.m. (200 wristbands for the autograph session will be distributed on Wednesday, Oct. 13, in the retail store beginning at 8:30 a.m.). Fans can enjoy sponsor displays, food, and live radio remote broadcasts, as well as the first annual JRM car show, which will be held on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The first 50 fans in attendance on Oct. 14 – 16 will also receive free JRM goodie bags. For a complete schedule visit www.dalejr.com or check out the JR Motorsports Facebook page.
CRUISIN’ WITH DALE JR. – The Dale Jr. Foundation has announced that bids are now open for the Foundation Fast Laps, which offers a limited number of ride alongs with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Monday, Oct. 18th, 2010. Fans have their choice of either bidding on a ride through the NASCAR.com auctions page, or purchasing one through The Dale Jr. Foundation website. Winners are entitled to many extras, including two pre-race pit passes, and two grandstand seats for the Bank of America 500, a walk-through tour of Dale Jr.’s Hendrick Motorsports hauler and much more. Proceeds will benefit the Blessings in a Backpack program, which fills backpacks with food for underprivileged children. The auction page can be found here, and to purchase a ride visit http://www.thedalejrfoundation.org/_10_08_17.html
