CORNELIUS, N.C. — The No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine team has a lot of work left in the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.
With just four races remaining to earn a berth in NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, driver Brian Vickers knows winning is the most likely way he’ll join the 16-car Chase field. But Vickers and the Billy Scott led team have work to do for the 2015 season as well at Michigan International Speedway.
NASCAR will begin on-track testing of its potential 2015 rules package for the Sprint Cup Series on Monday less than 24 hours after Sunday’s 400-mile race. Approximately four teams from each of the manufacturers will participate in the one-day test. Michael Waltrip Racing’s Director of Competition Scott Miller said he’s focused on Sunday’s race but knows the importance of Monday to the sport and Toyota’s future success.
SCOTT MILLER: “Monday’s test is a test that NASCAR has initiated. This test will help us evaluate some potential rules changes for 2015. Mostly centered around varying levels of downforce and varying levels of power optimization.
“This test is pretty well defined by NASCAR on what packages they want us to run. They have a pretty quick paced schedule that they want all teams to follow. There won’t be a whole lot of time to vary off from the plan. I look for us to just follow suit with their test plan like everyone else will and see if something jumps out at us as a potential package for 2015. The whole goal is to gather as much information as we can then use it to keep NASCAR racing as exciting as it can be for the fans.”
MICHIGAN SUCCESS: “Michigan hasn’t been one of MWR’s most outstanding tracks over the past couple of years. However, we feel like we have made some gains with our cars that were introduced at Indy and raced at Pocono. We are optimistic that we can turn our recent Michigan fortunes into something better.”
NOTES:
· CHASSIS: Primary: 808 finished 26th at Darlington and 42nd at Michigan on June 15. Backup: 801 finished 13th at Las Vegas.
· AARON’S RACING REWARDS 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.
· CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT: The 2014 Daytona 500 marked the first race for No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Crew Chief Billy Scott. The 36-year-old began racing motorcycles as a 5-year-old and stock cars when he turned 15. He worked in the truck series as a mechanic before he returned to college to obtain an engineering degree. After graduating in 2005 Scott worked at Robert Yates Racing and began as an engineer at MWR in 2008. He served exclusively as the No. 55 team’s lead engineer the last two seasons.
· 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
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@mw55
@mwrteam
@aaronssports
@aaronsinc
@toyotaracing
