5-Hour Energy Team News and Notes
. This Week’s 5 Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-070 in Saturday afternoon’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge. This is a brand new 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry that will be put through its first paces this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
. With Heavy Hearts, We Race … The Wallace family lost their patriarch on Sunday, October 30. Russ Wallace passed away at the age of 77 from complications of a stroke. In memory of Wallace, both Rusty Wallace Racing entries will feature “in memory of Russ Wallace” in place of the driver’s names.
. Three to Go … With 31 races of the 2011 season in the record books, Wallace has accumulated two top-five, five top 10 and 15 top-15 finishes, an average starting position of 13.5 and an average finish of 16th. Wallace has completed 98.2 percent of the laps contested (5,692 of 5,797) thus far.
. Get to the Points … Wallace’s 13th-place finish at Charlotte dropped him one position, to ninth, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings. Wallace trails eighth-place driver Brian Scott by seven markers, and holds an 11-point advantage over his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate, Michael Annett, for the 10th position.
. Wallace at Texas … In 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Wallace has recorded two top-10 finishes. His best result at the 1.5-mile oval is ninth, which he posted in April 2010.
. Welcome Aboard … Rusty Wallace Racing and 5-Hour Energy are pleased to feature Tom Thumb on the TV panel and Murphy Oil on the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 66 Toyota this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
. Rusty Wallace Racing at Texas … In 21 combined NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have earned three top-10 finishes with drivers David Stremme and Steve Wallace. Rusty Wallace Racing entries have led 30 laps of competition and have completed 4,048 of the 4,216 (96 percent) laps contested in those events.
. Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 31 of 34 races completed thus far in the 2011 season, Rusty Wallace Racing’s three NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded a combined three top-five, 12 top 10 and 31 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 12,424 of 12,819 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 19 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Steve Wallace.
. Cast Your Vote … Voting has begun for the Most Popular Driver of the Year award in the Nationwide Series. Fans are encouraged to log onto NASCAR.com to vote for their favorite driver from the series once per day until voting ends on Thursday, November 17.
. Fall Break … Wallace and the No. 66 team took advantage of the final off-weeks in the 2011 schedule by heading to Rockingham Speedway for a test session on Monday, October 24. The following day, the Doug Randolph-led team spent the day at the wind tunnel in Mooresville, N.C. Additionally, Wallace entered a couple of UARA Late Model races, including last weekend’s event at Concord Motorsports Park, where he picked up his fourth series win in dominating fashion – winning the pole and leading every lap along the way.
. Loop Data Says … According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Wallace is tied with three other drivers as the series’ fifth-best closers at Texas Motor Speedway. Over the last 13 events there, the Greensboro, N.C., native has gained an average of .8 spots over the final 10 percent of laps in each race. Wallace has improved a total of eight positions in the 10 races he has competed in there.
. Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Wallace and his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate Michael Annett on Friday, November 4 from 1 – 2 p.m. CT at the Pilot Flying J store located at 2400 Alliance Gateway in Fort Worth, Texas.
. Cast Your Vote … Voting has begun for the Most Popular Driver of the Year award in the Nationwide Series. Fans are encouraged to log onto NASCAR.com to vote for their favorite driver from the series once per day until voting ends on Thursday, November 17.
“Texas Motor Speedway is super-fast. The surface there has really aged and it’s very abrasive. You’ll see guys wide open all the way around the track in qualifying trim, but once the tires wear a bit in the race, you’re definitely lifting and even having to use some brake if your car’s not handing very well. As the track has aged, it has also gotten really bumpy, especially in Turns 1 and 2. You’re going so fast here that you have to be really careful not to let those bumps upset your car.” – Steve Wallace on racing at Texas Motor Speedway
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About Living Essentials, LLC
Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in 2 oz. liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.
About Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC
North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the 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.
