Pre-Race Info for Kasey Kahne, Justin Allgaier & Nelson Piquet, Jr.
KASEY KAHNE QUICK FACTS
No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet
Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 250
August 24, 2012
No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet News and Notes
Kasey Kahne Bristol Motor Speedway NNS Stats
Starts Poles Wins Top-Fives Top-10’s DNFs Avg. Start Avg. Finish
16 0 1 5 5 5 14.7 18.4
Kasey Kahne Career NNS Stats
Starts Poles Wins Top-Fives Top-10’s Avg. Start Avg. Finish
187 9 7 35 70 12.5 16.5
Kahne at Bristol Motor Speedway: By the numbers… In 16 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS), Kahne has one win (2007), five top-five and five top-10 finishes. He has 132 laps led with an average start of 14.7 and an average finish of 18.4.
In NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition at BMS, Kahne is credited with one pole, three top-five and six top-10 finishes. He has a total of 305 laps led with an average start of 13.5 and an average finish of 19.8.
Kahne’s In the Loop at BMS… Kahne is ranked in the top-10 in all of NASCAR Loop Data Categories and in the top-five in a number of them as well including Closers (3rd), Fastest Drivers Early in a Run (5th), Fastest Drivers Late in a Run (3rd), Fastest Laps Run (3rd), Green Flag Passes (4th), Green Flag Speed (5th), Laps in the Top-15 (5th), Laps Led (4th) and Speed in Traffic (3rd).
Changes Atop the Pit Box… Effective immediately, Trent Owens, who has led James Buescher and Nelson Piquet Jr. to NNS victories this season, will take over as crew chief for the No. 38 Great Clips team with drivers Kahne and Brad Sweet. A former driver himself, Owens is a long-time fixture in the NASCAR garage. Over the years, the Darlington, S.C., native has been successful working with a variety of drivers with different levels of experience and has visited victory lane with both rookies and veterans alike including Buescher, Piquet. Jr., Mark Martin, Dave Blaney and Reed Sorenson. The changes are part of an ongoing process by Turner Motorsports, which is credited with five NCWTS and six NNS wins since September, 2010, to gauge performance and ensure that the right people are in the right place to achieve race wins and championships.
This Week’s Impala… The No. 38 team will unload chassis TMS-325 this weekend at BMS. This chassis last saw track time at Kentucky Speedway, where Sweet posted a 16th-place finish. Sweet also piloted TMS-325 Auto Club Speedway, bringing home a season-best sixth-place finish. Kahne drove this chassis at Darlington Raceway, finishing 18th.
Kahne and Sweet: a unique combination… Not only are Kahne and Sweet good friends off the track, but the veteran is serving as mentor to Sweet as he makes the transition from open-wheel competition to stock cars. Sweet was handpicked by Kahne in 2008 to drive for Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR) where he has since experienced tremendous success in the World of Outlaws Series. Sweet will continue to compete on a limited basis for KKR when he is not behind the wheel of the No. 38 Great Clips machine in the NNS. You can expect Kahne to be very involved and present in the NNS garage when Sweet is behind the wheel of the No. 38 as he will closely monitor his progress and offer encouragement.
Kahne brought Great Clips their first win! From 2003-2005, Kahne and his sponsor, Great Clips, Inc., reached momentous milestones, including capturing Kahne’s first Nationwide Series victory in 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was also Great Clips’ first win as a primary sponsor. In 2005, Kahne captured his second career win at Texas Motor Speedway before leaving the Nationwide Series to allow more time for his Sprint Cup Series efforts.
Great Clips goes racing with the World of Outlaws in 2012! Great Clips will serve as sponsor for KKR driver Joey Saldana for the 2012 World of Outlaws season. The Minneapolis-based company has been a sponsor of KKR for the past two seasons. This year, they will be featured on all three KKR entries – as a primary sponsor on the #9 with Saldana as well as associate sponsor placement on Brad Sweet’s #49 and Cody Darrah’s #5 World of Outlaws cars.
12 Years and Counting… Great Clips, Inc. is currently the longest-running sponsor in the NNS and has used the Nationwide Series as their primary marketing platform for the last 11 years. Their sponsorship began in 2000 with Akins Motorsports as they climbed on board to sponsor the team’s No. 38 entry with driver, Christian Elder. Mark Green piloted the No. 38 for one season before general manager, Doug Stringer, hired up-and-coming talent, Kasey Kahne, thereby solidifying Great Clips’ commitment to their NASCAR sponsorship.
Kahne on racing at Bristol Motor Speedway
“Bristol is short track racing at its best. Patience is key but maintaining that patience for so many laps is not as easy as it sounds sometimes when you are beating and banging lap after lap at such high speeds. Turner Motorsports has made some changes this week internally and this will be my first week working with Trent Owens (crew chief) and his crew, but I’m looking forward to going out there and doing everything we can to win a race for Great Clips. It’s still my main goal to get that 38 car back into victory lane and I think we have a good shot at doing that this weekend at Bristol.”
Follow the No. 38 team on Twitter! Twitter.com/No38TurnerNNS
Follow Kasey Kahne on Twitter! Twitter.com/KaseyKahne
Follow Brad Sweet on Twitter! Twitter.com/KBradSweet49
Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports
About Great Clips: Great Clips, Inc. was established in 1982 in Minneapolis. Today, Great Clips has more than 3,000 salons throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world’s largest salon brand. Great Clips salons employ nearly 30,000 stylists who receive ongoing training to learn advanced skills and the latest trends. Make Great Clips your choice for value-priced, high-quality haircare for men, women and children. No appointments needed, and salons are open nights and weekends. And, it’s more convenient than ever with Great Clips’ Online Check-In. To check-in online, visit www.greatclips.com or download the app for Android and iPhone. For more information about Great Clips, Inc. or to find a location near you, visit www.greatclips.com.
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JUSTIN ALLGAIER QUICK FACTS
No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet
Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 250
August 24, 2012
Starts Poles Wins Top-Fives Top-10’s DNFs Avg. Start Avg. Finish
7 0 1 2 3 1 10.7 14.7
No. 31 BRANDT Chevrolet News and Notes
Weekend Rewind: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve – Justin Allgaier and the BRANDT team left their mark on the 2.71-mile road course in Montreal, Quebec. After surviving a pit road speeding penalty and two green-white-checkered finish attempts, Allgaier pulled around Montreal-native Jacques Villeneuve to take the win, his first on a road course and first of the 2012 season. The finish also closed up the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) point standings and Allgaier sits fifth, just 33 points back from fourth place.
Winning Twice as Nice (and Full of Firsts) for Turner Motorsports – Not only did Allgaier secure the NNS win in Montreal, Turner Motorsports teammate Nelson Piquet, Jr. secured his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory on Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway. Allgaier’s win was his first of 2012 and first at a road course, while Piquet’s victory was his series-first, as well as the first win for a Brazilian driver in the NCWTS. Also, Turner Motorsports is the first non-Cup Series affiliated team to win two races in the same day.
Returning to the Scene – Bristol Motor Speedway holds a special place in Allgaier’s heart as it’s the spot of his first career NNS victory, which came back in 2010. The former ARCA Series Champion held off then teammate Brad Keselowski in exciting fashion during the closing laps, to secure the win after starting from the 30th position. Allgaier looks to reclaim some of that magic this weekend at the high-banked, short track.
Allgaier at Bristol – This weekend marks Allgaier’s eighth career NNS start at the famed ‘Bull Ring’. In seven previous starts, the Illinois-native boasts one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes along with 29 laps led. He has an average starting position of 10.7 to go along with an average finish of 14.7.
In the Loop – According to NASCAR loop statistics, Allgaier ranks among the top in several categories among active, NNS-only drivers. He is first in Average Quality Passes (20.9) and Laps in the Top-15 (1348), and ranked second in Speed In Traffic (115.183 mph) and Driver Rating (95.4).
Happy Birthday Ms. Evelyn – One of Allgaier’s biggest supporters and co-founder of BRANDT, Ms. Evelyn Brandt Thomas will celebrate her birthday on Saturday, August 25. Allgaier will join the BRANDT team in celebrating Evelyn’s big day prior to the race while in Bristol.
This Week’s Impala – This weekend, Allgaier will drive TMS-322 in the Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway. This car last saw action at Dover International Speedway in June where Allgaier finished fifth after starting seventh.
Allgaier on heading back to the ‘Bull Ring’:
“Obviously Bristol is a special track for me, and always will be I think. You never forget that first win. I’m really anxious to see what the track is like though, after the recent changes that were made. I’m hopeful they’ll be good and that we can get back to the side-by-side, bump and run, short track racing the fans are used to. The night races at Bristol are always a lot of fun and I just hope we can put on a good show. I’ve always said that I wish all races could be night races, as I believe there is just an added element of excitement to them. We have continued to put this BRANDT Chevy in a position for a good finish every week. I’d love to be able to keep the momentum going and repeat last weekend’s result at Bristol.”
Follow the No. 31 team on Twitter! @No31TurnerNNS
Follow BRANDT on Twitter! @BRANDTRacing
Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports
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NELSON PIQUET JR. QUICK FACTS
No. 30 Qualcomm/ Autotrac Chevrolet
Bristol Motor Speedway
Food City 250
August 24, 2012
No. 30 Qualcomm/Autotrac Chevrolet News and Notes
Welcome Back…Nelson Piquet Jr., fresh off his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) last week at Michigan International Speedway, will take the wheel of the No. 30 Chevrolet Impala for Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Bristol Motor Speedway. This will mark Piquet Jr.’s first NNS start at the famed half-mile track and his fourth career NNS start.
Changes Atop the Pit Box…Effectively immediately, Mike Hillman, Jr. will take over as crew chief for the No. 30 team, which features a myriad of drivers. Hillman Jr. has served as a NCWTS crew chief since 2005, amassing two championships, 19 wins, 81 top-five and 107 top-10 finishes in 185 races atop the pit box. Hillman Jr.’s most recent NNS event as a crew chief came with Miguel Paludo at Road America in June of this year.
Winning Week… Piquet Jr. claimed the win in the NCWTS race at Michigan last Saturday for his first victory in the series. Hequalified second for the VFW 200, and went on to be the dominant truck. On Lap 56 of the 100-lap event, Piquet Jr. went spinning while fighting for the lead and was forced to make an unscheduled pit stop. Piquet Jr. went on to conserve fuel and claim his first victory by 8.082 seconds. Piquet Jr.’s Turner Motorsports teammate, Justin Allgaier, went on to win the NNS race at Montreal that same day. Turner Motorsports is the first non-Cup Series affiliated team to win two races in the same day.
Numbers… In only three starts, Piquet Jr. claimed his first NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) victory at Road America earlier this season. Piquet Jr. is currently competing for the NCWTS Championship this season. In his 42 career NCWTS starts, his results have included one win, two poles, eleven top-fives and 21 top-10 finishes. Piquet Jr. earned his first NASCAR victory earlier this season when he took the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. The 27-year-old Tuner Motorsports driver is currently eighth in the NCWTS championship standings, and will return to the seat of his No. 30 Chevrolet Silverado on August 31st, 2012 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
This Week’s Impala…The No. 30 Qualcomm/Autotrac NNS team will bring chassis TMS-314 to Bristol Motor Speedway. TMS-314 has seen action on the track at Phoenix International Raceway and Richmond International Raceway.
Changes Atop the Pit Box…Effectively immediately, Mike Hillman, Jr. will take over as crew chief for the No. 30 team, which features a myriad of drivers. Hillman Jr. has served as a NCWTS crew chief since 2005, amassing two championships, 19 wins, 81 top-five and 107 top-10 finishes in 185 races atop the pit box. Hillman Jr.’s most recent NNS event as a crew chief came with Miguel Paludo at Road America in June of this year.
Watch LIVE… Coverage of this week’s NNS UNOH 200 race will be live from Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday August 24th, 2012 at 8:00 pm EST on ESPN, with pre-race coverage starting at 7:30 pm EST. For even more coverage you can also tune in to MRN Radio or SiriusXM Satellite NASCAR channel 90.
Nelson Piquet Jr. on driving at Bristol Motor Speedway
“This is the first time I’ll be returning to a track that I have won at. My K&N Pro Series East win there was my first NASCAR win, and something I’ll remember forever. This style of racing is much different than what I grew up doing, but I enjoy it. I want people to know that I can race anything, which is why it was important to me to have my next Nationwide start at an oval instead of a road course. The last time I was in the No. 30 NNS Turner Motorsports Chevrolet Impala it resulted in a win, so hopefully we can come up with the same results this Friday night.”
Nelson Piquet Jr. Timeline
2012
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and select
NASCAR Nationwide series races with Turner Motorsports
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East – Race victory at Bristol, first Brazilian to win a K&N race
NASCAR Nationwide Series – Race victory at Road America, first Brazilian to win in NNS
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Race victory at Michigan International Speedway, first Brazilian to win in NCWTS, second born internationally
2011
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – Second-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway, nine top-ten finishes
2010
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – three top-ten finishes in 5 starts
NASCAR Nationwide Series – Seventh place finish at Watkins Glen on debut event
2009
Formula 1 World Championship with ING Renault F1 Team – partial season
2008
Formula 1 World Championship with ING Renault F1 Team – 1 podium, 5 points finishes
2007
Formula 1 World Championship Test Driver with ING Renault F1 Team
2006
GP2 Series with Piquet Sports – Championship runner-up with 4 wins, 8 podiums
Mil Milhas with Piquet Sports – race winner
Le Mans 24 Hours with Team Modena in Aston Martin DBR9 – 4th in GT1 class, 9th overall
2005
GP2 Series with Piquet Sports – 1 win, 5 podiums
A1GP World Cup of Motorsport with A1 Team Brazil – 2 wins, 5 podiums
2004
British F3 Championship with Piquet Sports – Champion with 6 wins, 13 podiums, youngest ever winner
Awarded F1 test drive with Lucky Strike BAR Honda team
2003
British F3 Championship with Piquet Sports – 3rd with 6 wins, 11 podiums
Winner of Autosport Best National Driver Award
Awarded F1 test drive with Williams Formula 1 Team
2002
South American F3 with Piquet Sports – Champion with 13 wins, 15 podiums
2001
South American F3 with Piquet Sports – part-season – 5th with 1 win, 5 podiums
1997-2000
Brazil National Kart Championship – Three-time Champion
