JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 Ragu Chevrolet / No. 7 iRacing.com Chevrolet
EVENT – U.S Cellular 250 (250 laps / 218.75 miles)
TRACK – Iowa Speedway (.875-mile oval)
DATE – Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011
TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7 p.m. EST)
Aric Almirola
No. 88 Ragu Chevrolet
“Right now our Ragu team is having a lot of fun. We’ve been unloading at the racetrack with strong cars, and we’ve made a lot of gains over the past few races. Pops (Eury Sr., crew chief) has made some great calls on top of the pit box and that’s helped us finish well. Anytime you can get positive momentum going for your team, you want to keep riding it as long as possible.
“Iowa wasn’t good to us when we were out there in the spring. We ran in the top-five for a time, but after the final restart that long green-flag run really hurt us. It seemed like we had a good car for the short run. It just didn’t play out the way we needed it to.”
Josh Wise
No. 7 iRacing.com Chevrolet
“Iowa is a great little short track that I really enjoy. The last race there was problematic for our iRacing.com team. I think we ran something like the first 20 laps before we had brake problems that brought us to pit road for repairs. We were behind the eight ball from the very beginning. Luckily, it happened early enough that the guys fixed it and we were able to get back out there and log laps.
“This is going to be my last race in the 7 car for a couple of weeks and it would mean a lot to me to help get these guys a finish they deserve.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
RAGU RETURNS – The red and yellow paint scheme of Ragu makes its return to the racetrack at Iowa Speedway on board Aric Almirola’s No. 88 Chevrolet. This marks the second of four races for the brand in 2011. It joins Hellmann’s, Degree and Suave Men as Unilever brands to have primary paint schemes with JRM this season. The No. 88 Chevrolet will also carry the Ragu brand at Watkins Glen International (Aug. 13) and Dover International Speedway (Oct. 1).
SECOND OF TWO FOR IRACING.COM – Wise’s No. 7 Chevrolet will race under iRacing.com colors for the second time in as many races at Iowa Speedway this weekend. Iracing.com, an online racing simulator, is celebrating a new software release titled iRacing 2.0. This long awaited release will add many user enhancements and features to the popular multi-player racing title.
2009 WINNERS – The Tony Eury Sr.-led No. 88 team won the inaugural Nationwide Series race at Iowa Speedway in 2009. The team started 11th and led 121 of 250 laps en route to its second of four victories during the 2009 season.
ALMIROLA’S POINTS UPDATE – Almirola has totaled 118 points over the past three weeks of competition, giving him the second most points of any Nationwide Series regular in that time. Currently he is ranked fifth (-69) in the championship hunt, 18 points behind fourth place Justin Allgaier and 25 points ahead of sixth place Jason Leffler.
WISE UPDATE – Wise holds two previous Nationwide Series start at Iowa in the No. 7 car, with a best finish of 11th in 2010. The 28-year-old native of Riverside, Calif. is currently 14th in driver points but has raced in only 19 of the 21 Nationwide Series events to date in 2011.
ALMIROLA AT IOWA – Almirola owns two starts in the Nationwide Series at Iowa. He also has two starts in the Camping World Truck Series with a best finish of 2nd (2009). Additionally, he has never qualified outside the top-10 in two truck starts at Iowa.
NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 team owns four top-five and 11 top-10 finishes this season. The team is ranked ninth in owner points.
NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds four top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 2011. The team occupies 12th position in owner points.
JRM AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGS – Fans have two opportunities to meet JR Motorsports drivers Aric Almirola and Josh Wise at Iowa Speedway this weekend. The pair will sign autographs at the Nationwide Series autograph session behind the Manatt Grandstands on Saturday, Aug. 6, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. CST. Then from 4:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. CST the teammates will sign at the JR Nation merchandise hauler in the fan concourse area.
BUY FOUR TICKETS GET ONE FREE FOR WIN DALE JR.’S RIDE CONTEST – August is the final month to enter for a chance to win the keys to Dale Jr.’s Camaro. The Dale Jr. Foundation is giving fans the opportunity to win one of three prizes with the purchase of a $25 raffle ticket, including a shot at Earnhardt Jr.’s own 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. As a special incentive this month, if fans buy four raffle tickets, they’ll get a fifth free. The contest will run through Sept. 1, 2011, with all proceeds benefitting The Dale Jr. Foundation. For complete details visit www.windalejrsride.com.
WATCH JRM RACING.COM’s VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a multitude of videos into its video gallery. Click here to view race preview videos, the “JRM 360” series and more.
