JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 Degree Men Chevrolet / No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
EVENT – Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
TRACK – Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
DATE – Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011
TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begin at 3:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3 p.m. EST)
Aric Almirola No. 88 Degree Men Chevrolet
“The racing surface at Kansas gets real slick. As the pavement gets older every year, it seems to get slicker and slicker. Grip is at a premium there. We’ll spend most of our practice trying to find the right amount of grip. The Degree Men team will work hard on that. It never really seems like you get it all, but it’s about who has more than the others.
“We’ll be racing a cool paint scheme with our Degree Men Chevrolet. It’s a good looking car, and I really like it. We ran this scheme at Bristol under the lights, and I’m anxious to see how it’s going to look racing in the daytime this week. JR Motorsports has had a lot of success with the Degree Men V12 logo on the hood of its racecars. I’m hoping for much of the same this weekend at Kansas.”
Danica Patrick No. 7 GoDaddy.comChevrolet
“This will be another track for me to experience in a stock car. The good news is Tony (Eury) Jr. and the Go Daddy crew do a phenomenal job preparing our cars for the racetrack. It will take me a few laps to get up to speed but after that we’ll be competitive. I’m familiar with mile-and-a-half tracks and from what everyone says Kansas is very similar to Chicago, so I feel like we’ll be in good shape.
“I’m looking forward to next year. It’s very important that we end this year strong with our Go Daddy car. We certainly can do that. Personally, I think I’ve jumped a small hurdle in the process of being more accustomed to these tracks. By season’s end there will only be a handful of tracks that I haven’t raced on in a stockcar. That will be a big advantage for next year.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
NINE OF 12 FOR DANICA – Patrick will compete in her ninth Nationwide Series race of the season at Kansas Speedway. Her season totals include one top-five and three top-10 finishes. She has led 14 laps on the season and earned an average finish of 16.2. Patrick holds two top-finishes in her last four starts. She returns to NNS action for races at Texas Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and Homestead-Miami Speedway.
PATRICK AT KANSAS – Patrick will make her Kansas Speedway debut in the Nationwide Series this weekend. In the IndyCar Series Patrick holds six starts at the 1.5-mile facility, earning an average finish of 10.3.
JRM’S INTERMEDIATE PROGRAM – JR Motorsports owns four top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 1.5-mile races this season. Drivers Almirola, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Patrick and Josh Wise have all contributed to the tally.
NEW LOOK CONTINUES FOR DEGREE MEN CHEVROLET – JRM’s flagship No. 88 Chevrolet will feature the Degree Men Adrenaline Series paint scheme for the second time this season. The Degree Men Adrenaline Series responds to increases in physical exertion, making it perfect for a hot afternoon of racing. The special paint features gold, black and silver colors with Degree Men logos on the quarter panels. Degree Men V12, part of the Adrenaline Series, will be featured on the hood of the No. 88.
ALMIROLA AT KANSAS – Almirola has four starts at Kansas Speedway across the Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series. His best showing came in a Billy Ballew-owned truck in 2010 when he finished seventh. Almirola holds two top-five and four top-10 finishes at 1.5-mile tracks this season with an average finish of 10.2 in those events.
NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 team’s season tally now stands at seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, including 10 top-10s in the last 13 races. Almirola is currently ranked fourth in championship points, with the No. 88 Chevrolet eighth in owner points.
NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 2011. The team occupies the 12th position in owner points. Every driver of the No. 7 this season has scored a top-10 finish. The list includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Patrick and Josh Wise.
ALMIROLA AUTOGRAPH SIGNING – Aric Almirola will sign autographs at the JR Nation merchandise hauler, located in the fan concourse area, on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. local time.
JR NATION GREAT GIVEWAY – From Aug. 28 to Oct. 16, 2011, the JR Nation web site, the official fan club site for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports, is giving away a prize a day for 50 days to both new and existing fan club members. All fans must do is log on to www.jrnation.com and click on the register now banner. In addition to the 50 daily prizes, JR Nation is offering a grand prize of an $888 gift card for use in the JR Nation online store. 10 second-place winners will receive an $88 gift card also for use in the JR Nation online store. Daily prizes include autographed memorabilia from Aric Almirola, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Josh Wise.
WATCH JRM RACING.COM’s VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website http://www.jrmracing.com/ www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a multitude of videos into its video gallery. http://www.jrmracing.com/media/videos/ Click here to view race preview videos, the “JRM 360” series and more.
