[media-credit name=”doverspeedway.com” align=”alignright” width=”133″]
[/media-credit]No. 78 Chevrolet to Carry CSX Safety Message: “I Brake for Trains”
DENVER, Colo. (May 30, 2012) — Regan Smith and Furniture Row Racing have a renewed spirit due to recent performances in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
After enduring a four-race slump, Smith and the Denver-based team feel the ship has been righted as the circuit heads to Dover (Del.) International Speedway for Sunday’s running of the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks.
Smith’s finishes of 14th (Darlington) and 17th (Charlotte) might appear to be so-so, but in reality the 15.5 average is indeed miles better than his 28.5 average in the previous four races.
“Of course we want better finishes than 14th and 17th,” said Smith. “But right now it’s about showing improvement and that’s what we’re doing.”
Though Smith is looking for better results, had he secured a 15.5-average finish in the first 12 races of the season he would have accrued enough points (342) to be positioned in 13th place in the driver point standings. Instead, he has a 22.00-average finish and sits 23rd in points after gaining three spots following Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.
“That goes to show you that consistency always wins out in the end,” said Smith. “We let some races slip away before we hit the slump. A 15.5-average finish is by no means out of the question for our Furniture Row Racing team. Looking back, had we not had some bad breaks when we were running well we would have easily achieved that average.”
The 28-year-old Smith has also qualified better, claiming a pair of top-10 starting positions of 9th and 10th in the past two races.
“Keeping up the momentum is what we’re looking for this weekend in our Furniture Row/CSX Play it Safe Chevrolet,” stated Smith.
But to keep up the momentum, Smith knows that patience and respect for Dover’s all-concrete Monster Mile are vital for having any kind of success.
“Dover is another animal and you better be ready with the right setup there or you’ll be lapped quickly — that’s a given,” explained Smith. “It’s a fun place to race at when it’s going well but on the other hand it can be awfully miserable if you’re off the pace. It doesn’t take long at Dover to find yourself a few laps down.”
Smith has started in eight Cup races at Dover and his best finish was 17th, which came in the track’s second race last season.
Smith’s No. 78 Chevrolet will again carry the “I Brake for Trains” bumper sticker, promoting CSX Transportation Play it Safe campaign to urge pedestrians and motorists to exercise caution around railroad tracks.
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FarmAmerican.com will feature stories about American farm and ranch families during the course of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season as part of Furniture Row Racing’s Farm American program, an initiative to keep America’s food supply produced in the United States. This week’s story is about a farmer, who specializes in the economics of the agriculture business ________________________________________________________________
Smith’s Dover International Speedway Sprint Cup Results
St Fn 2008 29 21 26 37
2009 33 22 33 32
2010 37 24 18 26
2011 11 34 16 17
Smith’s 2012 Results
Date
Event
St
Fn
Laps
Status Prize Money Driver Points
Standing 2/27 Daytona 500 6 24 200/202 Running 357,034 21 23 3/4 Phoenix 3 20 311/312 Running 93,483 24/45 19 3/11 Las Vegas 28 15 267/267 Running 129,413 29/74 20 3/18 Bristol 6 24 496/500 Running 111,343 20/94 20 3/25 Fontana 22 20 128/129 Running 114,163 24/118 19 4/1 Martinsville 17 16 513/515 Running 106,343 28/146 18 4/14 Texas 26 23 332/334 Running 130,238 21/167 21 4/22 Kansas 29 24 263/267 Running 103,443 20/187 22 4/28 Richmond 15 27 398/400 Running 95,968 17/204 25 5/6 Talladega 31 40 15/194 Engine 87,275 4/208 27 5/12 Darlington 9 14 368/368 Running 117,488 30/238 26 5/27 Charlotte 10 17 398/400 Running 128,488 27/265 23
Avg. Start: 16.833 Avg. Finish: 22.000 Money: $1,574,679
No. 78 Over-the-Wall Crew Front-tire changer Shane Pipala, Frankfort Square, IL Front-tire carrier Jon Bernal, Holland, Mich. Rear-tire changer Coleman Dollarhide, Hickory, N.C. Rear-tire carrier: Dwayne Moore, Griffin, Ga. Jackman Gabe Martin, Lake Wylie, S.C. Gasman Justin White, Lynnville, Tenn. 2nd Gasman Ryan Bergenty, Plainville, Conn. 7th Man/Windshield Todd Carmichael, Redding, Calif. _____________________________________________
No. 78 Road Crew Crew Chief Pete Rondeau, Saco, Maine Competition Director Mark McArdle, La Crosse, Wis. Car Chief Robert Huffman, Hickory, N.C. Engineers Phil Jiminez, Germantown, Tenn. Matt Faulkner, Memphis, Tenn. Spotters Rick Carelli, Arvada, Colo. Clayton Hughes, Thomasville, N.C. Engine Specialist Scott Meesters, Hanford, Calif. Engine Builder Earnhardt-Childress Racing Shock Specialist Nick Kerlin, Old Fort, Ohio Tire Specialist Chad Krauch, Loveland, Colo. Technical Support Michael McCullough, Imperial, Calif. Mechanics Ryan Bergenty, Plainville, Conn. Todd Carmichael, Redding, Calif. Joe Kerrigan, Canon City, Colo. Transportation Henry Benfield (also gas runner), Statesville, N.C. Jim Gilbert, Belleville, IL Dave Hicks, Montcalm, WVa. Chuck Lemay, DeKalb, IL John Slingerland, Sacramento, Calif. Dennis Valverde, Albuquerque, N.M.
