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[/media-credit]THE EVENT.
EVENT: Virginia 529 College Savings 250, Round 7 of 33 in the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series
DATE / TIME: Friday, April 27, 2012, 7:30 PM ET
VENUE: Richmond Int’l Raceway, Richmond, VA (0.75-Mile Oval)
DISTANCE: 250 Laps, 187.5 Miles
TV (PRE-RACE): NASCAR Countdown, ESPN2 (Live-7:00 PM ET)
TV (EVENT): ESPN2 (Live-7:30 PM ET)
RADIO: MRN Radio / Sirius NASCAR Radio (Live)
THE HEADLINES.
THE STORY: Steve Wallace, a perennial Nationwide Series top-ten points finisher as of late, will make his 2012 NNS debut at the helm of RWR’s No. 4 Loanmax Ford Mustang in the April 27th Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Although his Rusty Wallace Racing team took a hiatus from Nationwide Series competition following 2011, Wallace looks to return to the Nationwide Series in a limited 2012 schedule, beginning with the Richmond event.
A HELPING HAND: Although Wallace’s Ford Mustang was prepared out of the Rusty Wallace Racing shops, his Richmond effort is in collaboration with JTG Daugherty Racing. JTGD’s No. 47 Sprint Cup crew will pit the No. 4 car, with No. 47 crew chief, Todd Berrier, calling the shots for Wallace on race day. Blake Bainbridge, the original RWR crew chief for Jamie McMurray, will head the team during practice, along with Wallace’s 2011 car chief, Ricky Cade.
STEVE WALLACE AT RICHMOND: Richmond has been one of Wallace’s most consistent venues in the past; he enters the weekend with nine-straight top-20 finishes at the Virginia bullring. During that span, Wallace has completed all but three of the 2,258 possible laps. His best Richmond finish is fifth and he finished 11th in last year’s edition of this event, after battling back from mechanical difficulties.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: Wallace and the No. 4 team tested their new Ford Mustang for the first time on Thursday, April 19 at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA.
THE MACHINES.
TEAM 4 PRIMARY: RWR-101-For the first time in his young career, Wallace will be at the helm of a Ford Mustang for the Richmond event. A former Trevor Bayne-piloted Roush-Fenway vehicle, Wallace’s Mustang will be powered by Roush-Yates Engines.
FROM THE COCKPIT.
STEVE, TALK ABOUT YOUR EFFORT FOR RICHMOND. “I’m really excited to get back on the racetrack finally. We’ve worked very hard to make this happen. Blake (Bainbridge) and I, along with a couple of other guys, put the entire car together. We tested it the other day up at Motor Mile Speedway and it went really well. Hopefully we’ll have a smooth race and put together a good finish that can help us firm up some sponsorship to run more races this year. Right now, our goal is to run 10 or so races this year and look at going racing again full-time in 2013. Just like everyone else, though, that’s just dependent on sponsorship. A good run this weekend though, certainly wouldn’t hurt in that department. I also want to thank Todd Berrier and everyone at JTG Daugherty Racing for helping us out this weekend-having someone with his experience on the radio will definitely help us a lot.”
YOU’VE RUN WELL AT RICHMOND IN THE PAST, WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GO FAST THERE? “We’ve run a lot better at Richmond than our record shows. We’ve had a couple flat tires and mechanical problems that have taken us out of possible top-five or top-10 runs there. Just like any short track, it takes a really good handling car to be fast at Richmond. You’ve got to be able to turn in the center of the corner and still have a lot of forward bite up off. It’s a little bit bigger than your normal short track too, so good horsepower and torque will definitely help a lot. I don’t think we’ll have that problem this weekend with Roush-Yates Engines.”
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About Rusty Wallace Racing
North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. In 2011, the team, led by third-generation driver Steve Wallace, campaigned the No. 66, No. 64 and No. 62 cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last four seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.
