THE RACE.
EVENT: Royal Purple 200, Rd. 10 of 34 in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series
DATE / TIME: Friday, May 6, 2011, 7:30 PM ET
VENUE: Darlington Raceway, Darlington, SC (1.366-Mile Oval)
DISTANCE: 147 Laps, 200.8 Miles
TV (Pre-Race): NASCAR Countdown, ESPN2 (Live-7:00 PM ET)
TV (Race): ESPN2 (Live-7:30 PM ET)
Radio: MRN Radio / Sirius (Live)
THE HEADLINES.
THE STORY: Steve Wallace and his 5-Hour Energy team knocked on the door of both the top-ten of the driver standings, as well as RWR’s first top-ten of 2011 last weekend in Richmond. They have been among the best at historic Darlington Raceway recently and head there this weekend, looking to take another swing at the top-ten.
STEVE WALLACE AT DARLINGTON: Steve Wallace ranks second overall in points scored over the last three NNS races at Darlington. He owns a streak of three-straight lead lap, top-15 finishes at the historic track, dating back to 2008, when he scored his second career top-five finish there. Wallace knocked down his first top-five the week before at Richmond.
NO. 66 TEAM ON TV: Steve Wallace, along with his No. 66 5-Hour Energy team, will shoot their fourth national television commercial on behalf of primary sponsor, 5-Hour Energy, next Tuesday and Wednesday in Charlotte. Information on a launch date will be forthcoming.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Rusty Wallace Racing will test on Monday and Tuesday at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia. Steve Wallace will assume the helm of the team’s test vehicle on Monday. He will hand the wheel to No. 62 driver, Michael Annett on Tuesday, when Wallace returns to North Carolina for the production of a 5-Hour Energy TV commercial.
A HELPING HAND: RWR’s No. 62 and No. 66 cars-along with the other Toyota factory teams-will carry graphics supporting the American Red Cross’s Japan Disaster Relief efforts again this weekend in Darlington. South Carolina is one of many states that produce parts for use in Toyota vehicles. Donations to the relief efforts can be made online at redcross.org.
THE MACHINES.
TEAM 66 PRIMARY: RWR-058-A new car for 2011, chassis 058 has two prior starts thiS season, at Fontana and Nashville. It is one of five cars to make starts for the 66 team this year.
TEAM 66 SECONDARY: RWR-052-Reconfigured as an intermediate car for 2011, car 052 has yet to make its 2011 on-track debut. It scored a top-15 in its first start at Daytona last year.
THE ENERGY SHOT.
WELCOME, BI-LO: 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes BI-LO as a partner for the Darlington event. BI-LO branding will appear on the television panel of Steve Wallace’s No. 66 car during Friday night’s 200-mile race.
FROM THE COCKPIT.
Q: You’ve been one of the best at Darlington recently. What are the keys to success there?
A: “As silly as it sounds, Darlington really is one of those places where you have to race the race track. If you don’t respect that place, it’ll bite you in a hurry, especially since they repaved it. Since the repaving, it’s still has some of the characteristics of the old Darlington; it’s just a lot, lot faster. You still see big time tire wear and you still fight the same stuff, like getting forward grip off the corners. I like unique tracks like Darlington, places that are drivers’ tracks, where the tires wear out and you really have to drive the car. A lot of drivers hate the place, but you can’t have that mindset going into it, or you’re not going to be fast. Hopefully the “Lady in Black” will have some mercy on us Friday night and we’ll be able to come out of there with a top-ten or even better.”
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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.
ABOUT LIVING ESSENTIALS, LLC.
Living Essentialsbased in Farmington Hills Michigan,is the maker of 5-Hour Energy®, the category leader of 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5 Hour Energy® is available nationwide in major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over 7 million bottles of 5 Hour Energy® per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.
