Ricky Stenhouse Jr – Cheez-It 355 at the Glen Advance
Team: No. 17 Ford Ecoboost Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Mike Kelley
Primary Chassis: RK- 758 – back up chassis for road course races in 2012.
Backup Chassis: RK- 919 – Last raced at Sonoma – finished 31st.
ADVANCE NOTES
· Stenhouse Jr. at Watkins Glen
o Last year was Stenhouse’s first career Sprint Cup start at Watkins Glen where he finished 18th.
o Last year despite battling a brake issue, the Sprint Cup rookie contender ran consistently in the top-25 for the majority of the 90-lap race. As the end of the race neared, a series of cautions occurred as everyone was battling for position. With only three laps remaining, Stenhouse took the final green flag in the 18th position and battled intensely to claim an 18th-place finish in his first Sprint Cup career start at Watkins Glen International.
· The Car
o Chassis RK-758 is the same chassis that the No. 99 team used in 2012 as a backup for all road course races.
· Ford Ecoboost
o Delivering up to 20 percent better fuel economy than conventional engines, EcoBoost uses smaller overall size combined with turbocharging and gasoline direct injection to bring customers the power they want and the fuel economy they need.
Stenhouse Jr. on racing at Watkins Glen:
“We learned a lot last year at Watkins Glen, and for me the seat time at the road courses is so valuable. I felt like we had a decent run going on at Sonoma earlier this year, so hopefully that will help this weekend. Pit strategy and track position are key at Watkins Glen, so we will have a plan heading into Sunday and hopefully leave there with a top-10 finish.”
Mike Kelley on racing at Watkins Glen:
“We felt that we had a decent car at Sonoma, so we will use those notes for Watkins Glen. So much can happen at a road course, so you want to make sure that you are there at the end. Fuel strategy always comes in to play, so we will come up with plan and execute. I feel confident that we can leave Watkins Glen with a top-15 finish.”
