quick facts.
EVENT: O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, Round 6 of 34 in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series
DATE / TIME: Friday, April 8, 2011, 7:30 PM CT
VENUE: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX (1.5-Mile Oval)
DISTANCE: 200 Laps, 300 Miles
TV (PRE-RACE): NASCAR Countdown with Rusty Wallace-ESPN (Live-8:00 PM ET)
TV (EVENT): ESPN (Live-8:30 PM ET)
RADIO: MRN Radio / Sirius NASCAR Radio (Live)
news and notes.
THE STORY: Despite a slower than expected start to their 2011 campaign, Steve Wallace and his fellow 5-Hour Energy bandoleros ride into the Lone Star state this weekend with a spot in the Nationwide Series top-ten set squarely in their crosshairs. They currently stand in 11th position overall, a mere nine points behind tenth.
A HELPING HAND: The No. 66 and No. 62 cars-along with the other factory Toyota teams-will carry graphics supporting the American Red Cross’s Japan Disaster Relief efforts again this weekend in Texas. Texas is the home of Toyota’s award-winning Tundra and Tacoma lines of trucks, which are manufactured in San Antonio.
STEVE WALLACE AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Wallace heads into the season’s first night race seeking both his third-straight top-ten finish and third-straight top-ten start at Texas Motor Speedway. He started eighth and finished ninth in last year’s running of this event.
the machines.
TEAM 66 PRIMARY: RWR-064–With RWR’s COT vehicle production now in full-swing, Wallace’s 5-Hour Energy squad will debut a new car–for the second straight race–this weekend.
TEAM 66 SECONDARY: RWR-052–Rebuilt as an intermediate car for 2011, RWR-052 has yet to make its 2011 on-track debut. It scored a top-15 finish in its first start at Daytona last year.
your weekly energy shot.
SHOWING SOME LOVE’S: 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores as a partner for the Texas event. Love’s branding will appear on the television panel of Steve Wallace’s No. 66 car on Friday night.
UNITED WE STAND: 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes United Supermarkets as a partner for the Texas race. United branding will adorn the lower rear quarter panel of Steve Wallace’s No. 66 car for Friday’s race.
STEVE WALLACE LIVE: 5-Hour Energy Racing’s Steve Wallace will appear for autographs at a Valero Cornerstores location near TMS–at 18501 IH 35 W in Northland, approximately a mile from TMS–on Thursday from 12:00 PM-1:00 PM.
from the cockpit.
Q: You’re heading to Texas this weekend; what’s it going to take to two-step into Victory Lane?
A: “First of all, you’re going to have to quit using all of the bad Texas analogies! Seriously though, as far as the track goes, it’s obviously super-fast. At the same time, the surface there has really aged and it’s very abrasive. You’ll see guys wide open all the way around the track in qualifying trim, but once the tires wear a bit in the race, you’re definitely lifting and even having to use some brake if your car’s not handing very well. As the track has aged, it has also gotten really bumpy, especially in turns one and two. You’re going so fast here that you have to be really careful not to let those bumps upset your car. If you don’t, well, there’s no such thing as a soft hit at Texas. It’s going to hurt. We’ve run pretty well at Texas over the past couple years though, so hopefully we’re not going to have to worry about it.”
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About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC
North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder, Rusty Wallace-one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the prestigious NASCAR Nationwide Series, driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively. RWR entries have been among the top-ten in the final Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.
