34-TIME MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPION – NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE
CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY
Charlotte, NC
May 21, 2011
CHEVY RACING FOR THE FANS AT NASCAR REV’D UP CHARLOTTE:
. Team Chevy Racing will have a display at NASCAR Rev’d Up, a free concert and festival put on annually by NASCAR to kick off NASCAR Sprint All-Star Week
. NASCAR Rev’d Up will begin at 4 p.m. through 11:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 in front of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte
. Register for a free Team Chevy T-shirt and check out the all new Silverado HD and Camaro
TEAM CHEVY IN 2010 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:
. Chevrolet has won 34 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
. Team Chevy drivers have scored 674 wins AND 614 poles in NSCS competition
o 2011 wins – 5
o 2011 poles – 5
. In 2010, Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet team scored their unprecedented fifth consecutive drivers’ and owners’ NSCS championships
TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE-CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY – PAT SUHY, GM RACING NASCAR GROUP MANAGER: “Team Chevy heads to the heart of NASCAR country this week, with the first stop at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2011. While Saturday’s race is a non-points event, it’s still important and has championship implications. It gives all the teams that participate a chance to “go for it” without any championship points penalty if they push past the limit or miss the mark. They can bring a new, more radical chassis/setup combination or try something new in the engine that might work and give them an edge for the rest of the season. Four of the races between now and the Chase for the Championship and half of the Chase events are on mile and a half tracks. Finding something that works this weekend can have an impact not only on whether a team gets into the Chase, but on how well they do once they get there. So while the fans are pulling for their favorite Chevy driver to collect the cool million at the end of the race, our GM engineers and all of the team’s engineers will be paying close attention to what we can learn from the event regardless of finishing position. Taking that information and applying it to future points races will pay off by helping our teams get themselves positions in the Chase and then in a position to secure another drivers championship for Chevrolet.
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK-SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE-CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
* A total of 10 Chevrolet drivers are qualified for the Sprint All-Star Race
* A Team Chevy driver has won 14 of the 26 All-Star Races * Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, has won three All-Star races, more than any other active driver * Jimmie Johnson, No. 5 Lowes 5% Chevrolet, has two All-Star victories on his resume * Mark Martin, No. 25 Farmers Insurance/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet, has won the All-Star twice * Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 Dale Jr. Foundation Vh1 Save The Music/AMP Energy Sugar-Free/National Guard Chevrolet:, has one All-Star win to his credit * Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser-Realtree Chevrolet, has won the All-Star once * Ryan Newman, No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet, took the All-Star win once * Tony Stewart, No. 14 Burger King Chevrolet, has won the All-Star race once * Remainder of Team Chevy drivers qualified are:
* Clint Bowyer, No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet * Jamie McMurray, No. 1 National Wild Turkey Federation Chevrolet * Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Energizer Chevrolet * Regan Smith, No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet
TEAM CHEVY IN THE SPRINT SHOWDOWN: Chevrolet drivers Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet; Landon Cassill, No, 09 Thank a Teacher Today Chevrolet; Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 Dale Jr. Foundation-VH1 Save the Music/AMP Energy Sugar-Free/National Guard Chevrolet: Paul Menard, No. 27 Moen-Menards Chevrolet; Scott Riggs, No. 81 Whitneyscollision.com Chevrolet; David Stremme, No. 30 TBA Chevrolet and J.J. Yeley, No. 46 Red Line Oil Chevrolet will compete for the two starting positions available in the All-Star Race by finishing one-two in the Sprint Showdown. All are also in the running for the fan vote to complete All-Star Race field.
TEAM CHEVY IN THE FOURTH ANNUAL PENNZOIL ULTRA VICTORY CHALLENGE: Team Chevy driver Clint Bowyer will compete to be the winner of the Pennzoil Ultra Victory Challenge and the title “King of the Post-Win-Celebration”
TEAM CHEVY IN THE SEVENETH ANNUALNASCAR SPRINT PIT CREW CHALLENGE PRESENTED BY CRAFTSMAN: Pit crews from the following Chevrolet teams will compete for the honor of “Fastest on Pit Road” in the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge: No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet; No. 5 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet; No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet; No. 27 Menards Chevrolet; No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet; No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet; No. 33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevrolet; No. 39 US Army Chevrolet; No. 42 Target Chevrolet; No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet; No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet and No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Chevrolet
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
NASCAR SPRINT ALL-STAR TEAM CHEVY ENTRIES BY CAR NUMBER:
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION CHEVROLET: “Charlotte is obviously a special place to me, because it is where I won my first Sprint Cup Series race. However it is different when we come here for the All-Star race. It is a no limits type of race where winning is the only objective. There are no points on the line and second place means nothing. This event allows the teams to have some fun racing in front of our family and friends at our home track. It’s all about the bragging rights getting to race the best of the best. I’ve been fortunate enough to win races at Charlotte, but winning the Sprint All-Star Race would be huge for our team.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 5 LOWE’S 5% CHEVROLET: “I think we had a great shot to win last year’s All-Star race and led late and I think we had a problem on pit road and came out third; and restarted inside of the No. 11 (Hamlin) and spun out with I think just a lap or two to go. It was one of those make-it or break-it moves. I needed to get by him if I was going to have a shot at the No. 2 (Kurt Busch), and I just didn’t have that opportunity. So I just went out and went through the grass off of Turn 4 down the front stretch. So, we’re there. I enjoy that track. The old track, and how rough it was and abrasive it was, really fit my style. We had a great set-up for it and I knew how to drive the track. The rougher the track, the better in my opinion; I seem to do better at those tracks. So, in time, the track will get there. It changes a little bit each year and we’ll see where it is now. But I’m looking forward to it. There’s nothing like being home. Our All-Star race is a true all-star event. I’m very proud of our sport and Sprint and what they’ve done with that event. Everybody is charged up for it and then we roll out of that into one of the biggest weekends in motorsports, period.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 BURGER KING CHEVROLET: “Yeah, everybody amps it up so much (by) saying there’s nothing on the line but money. Trust me, we all think of the trophy first and the money second. But it’s fun to know that you can take extra chances in that race and you know that everybody is going to do it so it just takes the whole level of racing and just takes it up a whole new level that we don’t get a chance to do when we’re racing (the normal schedule).”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET: “This event takes a total team effort, and that’s what I love about it. We have the pit crew competition on Thursday night that determines the order we choose pits. On Friday, we incorporate the crew into qualifying so it doesn’t matter if you have the fastest car on the track – it’s about a total team effort for qualifying. And then there are mandatory pit stops during the race on Saturday night. This race – this whole week, really – shows which teams are strong, and I think that’s really cool to have an all-star event like that. Another element to this race that makes it more exciting and interesting is that we’re not racing for points, so it’s all about the win. Drivers are willing to take more risks inside the race cars. The crew chiefs, the engineers and the teams are willing to take more risks in the setups. Teams are more willing to try something different in this race. If you hit on something with the setup, it may help you the following week in the ‘600’ or later on this year. Those gambles are just another aspect of what makes this event so exciting. You might fail with them. Or you might just succeed.”
MARK MARTIN, NO. 25 FARMER’S INSURANCE/GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET: “I remember racing against this No. 25 back in the earlier days of my career. Tim (Richmond, driver) was a great guy and it’s cool to kind of be wearing his same firesuit and taking his car out this weekend. There have been some great drivers behind the wheel of this car, including Rick (Hendrick, team owner). There’s just a lot of history here that I’m real proud to be a part of. The last time I won the All-Star race was in a throwback paint scheme for the No. 6 car. Maybe it’s a good luck thing. This is usually one of those throw-down, exciting races that leaves a lot to be talked about on Sunday morning. I love this race. It’s all kind of out there on the line. No points. Just the win. It’s a great race, too, because everyone brings their family out for it. It kind of reminds me of those Saturday night races we were all in as kids. There’s just an excitement to it.”
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER-REALTREE CHEVROLET: “The All-Star week is always a lot of fun. The crew guys are a big part of All-Star weekend with all the pit stop competitions and their a big part of the race so it’s an important week for us just to kind of see what we have to head to the 600 with and really evaluate the performance of the race car on the race track a week before the race. It’s a fun week and a lot of money on the line. I guess it’s a really good paying test session but it’s a lot of fun too.”
CLINT BOWYER, NO. 33 BB&T CHEVROLET: “The All-Star race, everybody has a different opinion on that. It’s a million dollars to win, you can’t take that from it, but there’s nothing more you can do. It’s still another race. That’s the way I look at it. Every lap I try as hard as I can and if that’s not good enough, it’s not good enough. I can’t reach in my bag of tricks and pick out more speed. If you’re in a situation with a green-white-checkered, you’re going to go for it. Whatever expense — you’re going to go for it and that’s the situation that can erupt at such a big, prestigious race like that with nothing to lose. That’s a great situation to be in for a fan to be able to watch that and hopefully year after year that same case can play out. There’s nothing to lose, there’s no consequences about that so you might as well go for it. Usually the teams build a car for that place so that way just in case something happens, it’s not going to set you back for the upcoming races after that. There’s absolutely no consequences, you have to take all the risk, all the gambles that you possibly can and sometimes those will bite you.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO. 39 HAAS AUTOMATION CHEVROLET: “I think one of the coolest things about the All-Star Race for us is that it is a short race. It’s kind of like the races we all grew up racing – you have to make your move and you have to make it now kind of thing. It’s a unique layout, and to me that’s what makes it fun. You have the different segments and the rules, and the strategy changes each and every lap. The All-Star Race is huge in our eyes because it’s the All-Star Race, and it’s in our backyard, everybody’s backyard. It’s all about bragging rights. We’re all about beating each other at our own game at our home field, I guess you would say. It’s definitely a challenging race, but it’s a lot of fun. Everyone wants to come out on top not just for the $1 million, but also for the bragging rights.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 ENERGIZER CHEVROLET: “I’m excited about the Sprint All-Star race this weekend. It’s only my second appearance in the race and we’re going to have Energizer on board to promote their Light up the Night campaign so it’s a cool deal. Since it’s not a points race we get to go out there, have some fun, try some new things with the car and try to win a lot of money. There’s not a ton of pressure on us and it definitely helps having extra seat time heading into the Charlotte race next weekend.”
REGAN SMITH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW CHEVROLET “Oh, it feels great (to be in the All-Star race). It was one of the first comments I made on the radio (after winning at Darlington) was hey, we’re in the All-Star race now, guys! And certainly that’s something that every driver in this garage thinks about. I know sometimes everybody says ah well, it is what it is and we’ll see how it all goes down or whatever. But for me, that’s a thrill to be in that race. I’d say the past three years I’ve been on my couch sitting and watching it in time for the start of the race and it’s been absolutely miserable. You watch your fellow competitors out there and there’s 22 or 23 of them on average I’d say, that the gloves come off and they get to race and not worry about things. So I’m excited about running that race.”
THE SPRINT SHOWDOWN TEAM CHEVY ENTRIES BY CAR NUMBER:
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 MENARDS/MOEN CHEVROLET: “Yeah, we’ll head to Charlotte (Motor Speedway) ready for the 20-lap short runs. We would have rather been qualified already for the All-Star Race, but the Showdown is a lot of fun. There’s little to no pressure. Obviously, you still want to run well. We’ll also use that as a test session for the (Coke-Cola) 600. We’ll try some things, but we want to race our way into the All-Star race. I think we have a good shot at it. “One million dollars is a big deal, but the pride that goes along with winning it (the All-Star Race) is a much bigger deal. Winning that trophy would be pretty cool. I’d find a really nice spot for it (at the house).”
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET: “It’s disappointing not to be in it (the All-Star race). It’s embarrassing not to be in it, you know? To have won over 20 races and especially the first half of the year we had last year to not win races and running as well as we were, has had a lot of different consequences, and that’s one of them. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. We go over there and we try to have fun. That’s a weekend to go have fun and not have a lot of pressure. At the same token, it’s no fun if you’re not in that big race. It’s no fun practicing and preparing to run the non-qualifier race. It’s no fun. Nothing against anybody in that race, but we’ve won a lot of races and done a lot of things and it’s embarrassing not to be in it.”
DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 DALE JR. FOUNDATION VH1 SAVE THE MUSIC/AMP ENERGY SUGAR-FREE/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET: “I don’t take it for granted that we’ll get the fan vote; anything can happen. So, we’re just going to go and enjoy that weekend. That weekend is pretty fun. I would rather, personally make it through the fan vote because the qualifying procedure is a little bit of a pain in the tail, but, from a driver’s standpoint anyways, I’m sure that is probably not everybody’s opinion. Having to qualify and then sit around and wait for everybody else to qualify and run up and down pit road like hooligans is not a lot of fun. The most important thing is just focusing on the points races, the races that matter toward the championship. When we get to All Star weekend, however things are lined up is how things are lined up. That is just a fun weekend regardless. It will be interesting being on the other side of the fence, trying to find a way into the race and going through that experience myself personally to have an appreciation for what that is like versus just showing up and being locked in. It could be interesting and good for me to have that experience as well.”
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