CORNELIUS, N.C.— The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits Watkins Glen International this weekend for the second and final road course race of the 2014 season.
Race fans are sure to hear all about road course racing pit strategy throughout the weekend. No. 55 Crew Chief Billy Scott explains how that strategy is different from most oval races as well as his team’s strategy for getting its driver Brian Vickers to victory lane.
The Michael Waltrip Racing team saw a likely top-10 finish evaporate in a 13-car accident Sunday at Pocono Raceway. The 37th-place finish left Vickers 21st in points 51 behind the 16th and final qualifier for NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. With just five races remaining before the start of the Chase, Scott says winning becomes imperative to secure a Chase berth.
CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT: “Not that we haven’t always been, but we are in total race winning mode. We aren’t going to take a 1 percent chance to get to victory lane but if there is any debate on whether we go for a win or get a top-10 finish then we are going to go for the win.”
WHAT IS ROAD COURSE RACE PIT STRATEGY: “You can pit under green if you are within a reasonable distance from the leader without losing your lap. As long as you have enough fuel to go to the end and tires don’t outweigh track position, you pit as early as you can. If the caution comes out and the other cars pit, you get to pass them for free.”
WATKINS GLEN STRATEGY: “It’s funny, but everybody has played the road course race strategy the last two weeks on the big ovals at Indy and Pocono. The tracks are so big you can pit and get back out without losing a lap. If you time the yellow just right you move up when everyone else comes in. So Watkins Glen will be the third weekend in a row we think like this.”
BRIAN VICKERS AS A ROAD COURSE RACER: “He’s a good road course driver. We were really fast at Sonoma and Brian has a lot of experience running on road courses all over the world. I’m pretty confident he can get us to victory lane.”
NOTES:
· CHASSIS: Primary: 772 finished 14th at Sonoma. Backup: 771 has not raced.
· Aaron’s Racing Rewards Member Program: Join Aaron’s Racing Rewards and take advantage of exclusive member benefits such as at-track discounts from Michael Waltrip Racing and FanVision. Become a member by Aug. 22, 2014 and you’ll be automatically entered in our Racing Rewards Sweepstakes where the grand prize is a $5,000 shopping spree at Aaron’s! Visit www.aarons.com/racingrewards for more information.
· AARON’S: Aaron’s joined MWR in 2000 serving as a primary sponsor in Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races. The Atlanta-based company, with more than 2,130 stores across the country, helps customers own the life they want. Aaron’s carries only the best brand names in furniture, electronics, and appliances with a variety of flexible payment options. It’s really easy to “Own it” at Aaron’s with customers who are now pre-approved for up to $2,500 in merchandise without needing credit. Visit Aarons.com to find a store near you.
· FANTERN: Each week MWR offers fans a chance to become an official MWR Fantern. This person will get the opportunity to be an “intern” on race day helping the pit crews with set-up activities, attending driver appearances and getting full access to the pit and garage areas. Fans can write in a submission to webmaster@michaelwaltrip.com or share a video on our social channels explaining why they should be the Fantern at the race of their choosing during the 2014 season.
· #ASKMWR: Throughout race weekends in 2014 MWR will collect questions hash-tagged #AskMWR on its @MWRteam Twitter handle. No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Jackman Wes Evans will host a three-minute video each Wednesday on www.michaelwaltripracing.com featuring MWR experts answering the best fan questions from the weekend.
· No. 55 CREW:
Billy Scott Crew Chief
Ryan Langley Front Tire Changer
Chris Hall Front Tire Carrier
Shannon Myers Rear Tire Changer
Blake Haugland Rear Tire Carrier
Wes Evans Jack Man
Jeff Kerr Gas Man
Steve Channing Car Chief
David Cropps Interior Mechanic
Roman Pemberton Spotter
Brandon Pope Race Engineer
Joe Bisson 2nd Engineer
Jeremy Sharpley Shock Specialist
Jacen Johns Front Mechanic
Joe Zanolini Rear Mechanic
Kevin White Tire Specialist
Denny Chandler Engine Tuner
Tim Bruce Engine Engineer
Glenn Shano Truck Driver
Al Nelson 2nd Truck Driver
· FOLLOW US ON TWITTER:
@brianlvickers
@mw55
@mwrteam
@aaronssports
@aaronsinc
@toyotaracing
