Kansas Speedway Advance Notes
Race: Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, Oct. 9
Track: Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval)
Location: Kansas City, Kan.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Media Contacts at Kansas Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
Jeff Dowling No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Arctic Cat Chevrolet
Shayna Keller No. 42 Target Chevrolet
NOTES
Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates on their official team Twitter page. Follow the No. 1 and No. 42 teams throughout the 2011 season @EGRTeams.
Charlotte Ticket Package: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGRFS) has teamed up with Charlotte Motor Speedway to offer our fans a promotion for the upcoming Bank of America 500 race weekend. Fans can go to the EGRFS Team Shop (Located at 8500 Westmoreland Drive, Concord, NC 28027) to take advantage of two separate ticket deals. All of these offers begin on Monday, October 10th and run through Friday, October 14th.
. If you spend $85 on merchandise, you will receive two (2) free tickets to the Bank of America 500.
. If you spend $160 on merchandise, you will receive four (4) free tickets to the Bank of America 500.
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Team
Kansas History: This weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway will be McMurray’s 10th career start at the track. In his previous nine races, he has scored two top-10s, completed 93.9% of the laps run (2,203 of 2,346) and has led 26 of them. His best start at Kansas came in 2009, when he started fourth, and his best finish was back in 2004, when took the checkered flag in seventh-place. He has been running at the finish in eight of his nine starts, and has finished on the lead lap six times.
Arctic Cat: Arctic Cat will be on the upper quarter panels on the No. 1 this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Jamie McMurray will also join Arctic Cat executives to help unveil their newest ATV model, “Wildcat” during the Bass Pro Shops store appearance on Saturday evening October 8th.
Dover Review: The second race of the season at Dover would prove to be a challenge for the McDonald’s team. The crew battled throughout the race to make up ground from their 23rd-place starting spot. The No. 1 would take advantage of early cautions to make adjustments to the McDonald’s Chevrolet and would move into the top-10 following the NASCAR-mandated competition caution on lap 40. Just before the halfway point of the race, the No. 1 group would get caught one lap down after a cycle of pit stops, but fought back, with the benefit of a quick caution, to gain positions and get back on the lead lap. The McDonald’s crew used the good fortune to bring home a 15th-place finish.
With Ganassi at Kansas: In his five starts at Kansas in Chip Ganassi-owned race cars, McMurray has both of his career top-10s, all of his 26 career laps led and has been running at the finish of all five races. He has completed all but one lap of competition (1,334 of 1,335), has an average start of 16.6 and average finish of 14.6.
Home is Where the Heart is: Kansas Speedway is considered the “hometown” track for both driver Jamie McMurray and partner Bass Pro Shops. McMurray hails from nearby Joplin, Missouri and the Bass Pro Shops corporate headquarters are located in Springfield, MO, with both cities being within three hours of the speedway.
Going to Bass Pro: Jamie McMurray will be making an appearance at the Olathe, Kansas Bass Pro Shops store on Saturday, October 8th, to sign autographs and meet race fans. The event begins at 4:00 pm CT. The address of the store is 12051 Bass Pro Drive, Olathe, KS 66061.
In the Points: With seven races remaining in 2011, McMurray and the No. 1 team held onto 27th-place in the NSCS point standings. They are now 145 points out of the 13th, the highest position occupied by a “non-Chase” driver.
Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team
Kansas History: This weekend, Montoya will be making his sixth start at Kansas Speedway in the Hollywood Casino 400. In his previous five races, he has tallied one top-five and one top-10 finish. He has completed 1,274 of 1,278 laps run (99.7%), led 11 of them and has been running at the finish in all five of those races. His best start came in the Spring race this season, when he started from the outside front row, and his best finish came in 2009, when he brought the Target car home in fourth-place.
Last Weekend at Dover: Juan Pablo Montoya made his 10th start at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. The Target Chevrolet lined-up 24th under cool, windy conditions, which was in stark contrast to the practice and qualifying conditions the days before. When the green flag waved, Montoya noticed the handling was off due to the difference in track temperatures. The team worked throughout the day to try to correct the issues with a total of nine pit stops. The weather came into play as teams endured two caution flags for rain and then long green flag runs to the end. In the closing laps, Montoya and another car made contact while fighting for position and the No. 42 brushed the wall. The Target Chevrolet stayed on track and drove it out giving the team a 22nd-place finish.
Finishing Up: Montoya has been running at the finish of every race that has been run this season. He currently has the fourth-longest streak of races in which he has been running at the finish in the Sprint Cup Series with 29 in a row. The only three drivers with more consecutive finishes are Carl Edwards (57), Ryan Newman (47) and Marcos Ambrose (44).
“Rack Up the Laps”: By completing 398 of the 400 laps run this past weekend, Montoya maintained his lead in the statistical category of “Number of laps completed” in 2011 with 8,406 (Of a possible 8,443). That means that he has completed 99.56% of the laps run this season in the Sprint Cup Series. The second-place driver is 19 laps behind with 8,387 (99.34%).
Meet The Target Team: If you are going to Kansas Speedway this weekend, be sure to visit the Team Chevy display in the corporate display area behind the frontstretch grandstands. On Sunday morning (Oct. 9) the No. 42 Target pit crew will be out there at the display to sign autographs and meet race fans from 10:30am-10:45am (CT).
In the Points: With his 22nd-place finish in the AAA 400 at Dover, Montoya remains 19th in the Sprint Cup Series point standings. He is now 44 points behind 13th, which is the highest points position that does not belong to a “Chase for the Sprint Cup” contender.
CHASSIS INFO
No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Artic Cat Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1106. The No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Artic Cat team will bring chassis #1106 to Kansas Speedway for the Hollywood Casino 400. This chassis has been used twice so far this season at Kansas in June and Atlanta in September.
No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1107. Jim Pohlman and the No. 42 team will be bringing chassis #1107 to Kansas Speedway this weekend. This will be only the second time that this car has hit the track this season after starting seventh and finishing 28th in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.
