No. 18 Dollar General Toyota News and Notes:
· DG GOES PINK IN SUPPORT OF BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: For the second year in a row, Dollar General and Charlotte Motor Speedway are going pink for the Dollar General 300. For Friday’s 300 mile race, the discount retailer is changing the colors of the annual race to pink in support of breast cancer awareness month. Their efforts include a pink Dollar General 300 pace car, pink grandstand tickets and a pink start/finish line. Dollar General has also exchanged its traditional yellow for pink on its racecars. The No. 11 Dollar General Toyota driven by Brian Scott and the No. 18 Dollar General Toyota piloted by Denny Hamlin will be sporting special pink paint schemes. Dollar General and Charlotte Motor Speedway will also have a special recognition for breast cancer survivors during driver introductions for the Dollar General 300. The “Ring of Survivors” will include over 300 breast cancer survivors from the Carolinas.
· FIVE RACES TO WRAP UP TITLE: With just five races to go in the NASCAR Nationwide Series season, the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team is looking to win its fourth Owner’s Championship in the last five years as an organization. With just five events left, the No. 18 JGR Toyota extended its lead in the Nationwide Series Owner’s point standings following Joey Logano’s win at Dover International Speedway just two weeks ago. The No. 18 team now has a 21-point advantage over the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing machine and a 30-point lead over the No. 6 of Roush-Fenway Racing. Joe Gibbs Racing won the Owner’s Championship in 2008 (No. 20), 2009 (No. 18) and in 2010 (No. 18). Dollar General has been on the side of the No. 18 for four of its six victories this season.
· HAMLIN LOOKING FOR WIN ONE THIS SEASON: While Hamlin has been the hottest driver on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit this season, the 11-time Nationwide Series winner is still looking for his first trip to Victory Lane in behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota this season. Hamlin has made 10 starts this year, picking up six top-fives and seven top-10s along the way to go with a pole at Phoenix. And Hamlin hasn’t just been collecting top-fives, he has led 188 laps in those 10 races. And of his six top-five finishes, an astounding three of them have been runner ups, all coming in three-straight races earlier this year at Richmond, Darlington and Charlotte. In fact, Hamlin has been in contention of every race he’s run in the Nationwide Series this season with the exception on Daytona, when he was collected in a mid-race multi-car accident, and in Kentucky, when he lost and engine early in the race.
· DOLLAR GENERAL HOSTS ST. JUDE PATIENT AT CMS: Title race sponsor Dollar General will be giving five year old Ian, a St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® patient, and his family a VIP race experience on Friday. The Dollar General 300 will be his first ever NASCAR race. Ian came to St. Jude after he was found to suffer from bilateral retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eye. At St. Jude, Ian’s treatment included chemotherapy, radiation and laser therapy, and he finished treatment last year. Since 2007, Dollar General has been a partner in the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign. From the outset of their participation, Dollar General has not only raised over $7.8 million, but each year a St. Jude patient and their family get to enjoy a VIP race experience at the Dollar General 300.
· THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 18 DOLLAR GENERAL TOYOTA: Dollar General vendor partners Quilted Northern Ultra Soft, Arm & Hammer, Glad, First Quality, Gillette Venus, Band-Aid, Powerade, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Charmin, Sundown and Tums will be featured on Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota Camry this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
· RACE INFO: The Dollar General 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-mile track; Concord, NC) kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, October 12. Watch and listen live on ESPN, Sirius XM Channel 90 and PRN Radio starting at 7 p.m. ET.
Hamlin’s 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Season Stats:
Starts
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Poles
Laps Led
Earnings
Avg. Start
Avg. Finish
10
0
6
7
1
188
$267,370
5.8
10.4
Hamlin’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats:
Starts
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Poles
Laps Led
Earnings
Avg. Start
Avg. Finish
138
11
47
81
16
2427
$4,508,686
9.5
12.2
Hamlin’s Career NASCAR Nationwide Series Stats at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
Starts
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Poles
Laps Led
Earnings
Avg. Start
Avg. Finish
8
0
3
4
0
4
$229,685
9.5
16.3
From the Cockpit:
Denny Hamlin: “I’m really excited to get back in No. 18 this weekend and have another race for Dollar General. This is a big weekend for them with the emphasis on breast cancer awareness. I can’t say I’ve ever driven a pink car in my life, but I will be more than happy to do it this weekend and support such a great cause. What would really be the best is to put that pink car in Victory Lane at the end of the night. I felt like we were close earlier this year at Charlotte and we just need the breaks to fall our way and if we do, I think we have as good of shot as anyone to win the race.”
No. 18 Dollar General Toyota / Joe Gibbs Racing Team:
Driver – Denny Hamlin Crew Chief – Matt Lucas Car Chief – Charlie Brock
Race Engineer – Josh Noll Shock Specialist – Brad Rothlin Mechanic – Todd Brewer
Mechanic – Eddie D’Hondt Jr. Tire Specialist – Matt Sauer Setup Specialist – Kevin Kelley
Engine Tuner – Roger Purcell Truck Driver – Bennie Stevens Jr. Spotter – Chris Lambert
Jackman – Trey Burklin Gasman – Kenneth Purcell
Front Tire Changer – Nick O’Dell Front Tire Carrier – Brad Donaghy
Rear Tire Changer – Jake Seminara Rear Tire Carrier – Andy Brown
About Dollar General:
Dollar General Corporation has been delivering value to shoppers for more than 70 years. Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day!® by offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at low everyday prices in convenient neighborhood locations.
Dollar General is committed to the communities it serves and is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $74 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 4.4 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, visit www.dgliteracy.org
Find the Dollar General store nearest you or learn more about the company at www.dollargeneral.com or on Dollar General’s Facebook page.
DG at the Track:
Dollar General has more retail locations than any retailer in America, with 10,000 stores in 40 states. Here are the 11 closest to Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Dollar General #9221 Dollar General #3424 Dollar General #10100
501 Warren Coleman Blvd. 928 Cloverleaf Plz. 1416 S Main St.
Concord, NC 28025 Kannapolis, NC 28083 Kannapolis, NC 28081
Dollar General #2829 Dollar General #6096 Dollar General #8159
439 N Cannon Blvd. 8352 NC Hwy 49 2825 N Cannon Blvd.
Kannapolis, NC 28083 Mount Pleasant, NC 28124 Kannapolis, NC 28083
Dollar General #11597 Dollar General #8133 Dollar General #2642
106 S Enochville Ave. 214 Main St. W. 7322 Plaza Road Ext.
Kannapolis, NC 28081 Locust, NC 28097 Charlotte, NC 28215
Dollar General #12257 Dollar General #6962
221 Heathway Dr. 183 E Red Cross Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28213 Oakboro, NC 28129
