CORNELIUS, N.C. — This month’s NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen and Michigan saw multiple crashes, exciting finishes and post-race driver confrontations in the garage.
Now the series travels to Bristol Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s 500-lap race on the half-mile Tennessee high-banked track notorious for wild racing and boiling tempers. With just three races left to earn a berth in NASCAR’s 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Bristol could be the wildest race yet.
No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Brian Vickers will rely on veteran spotter Roman Pemberton to guide him during Saturday night’s race. With the cars turning 16-second laps, Bristol is a challenge for Pemberton and all spotters atop the Bristol stands.
ROMAN PEMBERTON ON THE TWO SIDES OF BRISTOL: “Bristol is as close to a restrictor plate track as any in the series. Everything at Bristol happens fast and there is always something going on. It wears you down when you have to focus for 500 laps. It’s mentally draining. But, spotting at Bristol is probably one of the easiest because the corner speeds and momentum are constant. You don’t have cars slowing down in the corners and there aren’t but one or two grooves. Also, out of your peripheral vision, you can see the whole track instead of constantly looking all around a track.”
DO YOU WATCH YOUR CAR OR THE FIELD? “It depends on where you are racing. If you get singled out you can look ahead and help the driver. When you are in traffic you are watching your car and helping him to avoid trouble.”
WHAT DO YOU DO DIFFERENT AT BRISTOL? “There are several different versions of how you spot at these tracks. At California you have multiple lanes so you are paying attention to what lanes the cars are running and where you can make up speed. At Bristol, you have to be really quick on the radio and economize your words. If you were to talk for 20 seconds that is more than a whole lap.”
NOTES:
· ALS CHALLENGE: Vickers took the ALS #IceBucketChallenge issued by Michael Waltrip in Michigan Saturday afternoon. The Aaron’s crew dumped water from a cooler perched on the No. 55 hauler’s lift gate. Vickers issued a challenge to racer Tommy Kendell, rock band OAR and singer Gavin Degraw as well as his Crew Chief Billy Scott who was doused moments later.
· CHASSIS: Primary: 797 finished seventh at California, sixth at Charlotte and 26th at Kentucky. Backup: 812 finished 43rd at Dover.
· 2015 TESTING: Vickers joined nine other drivers Monday testing potential 2015 Sprint Cup rule packages at Michigan Speedway.
· 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 Friday 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 INC: 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
