IRWIN Tools Night Race Advance Notes

@jamiemcmurray – Looking forward to @BMSupdates this weekend. We had a great test there a few weeks ago.

@KyleLarsonRacin – Hey @TomCruise, @kylepetty does this car look familiar? Excited for @TooToughToTame!

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Team

Michigan Recap: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) returned to the Irish Hills of Michigan and Michigan International Speedway (MIS) this last weekend.  Jamie McMurray started the Pure Michigan 400 from the 17th position in the Cessna/McDonald’s Chevrolet SS and crossed the finish-line with a 16th-place result.

Bristol Stats: Jamie McMurray has made 25 starts at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) where he has completed 12,213 of 12,527 (97.5%) laps of competition. He has 10 top-10 and three top-five finishes with an average start of 16.4 and average finish of 17.2.  McMurray has led a total of 179 laps in NSCS competition. His best start of third which came in Aug. 2007, which matches his best finish of third on two occasions (Aug. 2003 and Aug. 2010).

Walk This Way: Aerosmith front-man and Rock n Roll Hall of Famer, Steven Tyler will be featured on the decklid of the No.1 car at Bristol this weekend. Tyler has a new album, “Love Is Your Name” which is a solo country music album released by the iconic rocker. Tyler will perform a pre-race concert on Saturday night prior to the Irwin Tools Night Race where he will perform his new single “Love Is Your Name”, the first from his upcoming solo album with Dot Records. Ticket holders will also be treated to some familiar Aerosmith favorites. Chip Ganassi Racing has a long-running partnership with Big Machine Records and Tyler’s latest project is on Dot Records, part of Big Machine Record Label Group, home to artists like Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, and The Band Perry.

Kyle Larson and No. 42 Target Team

Michigan Recap: Michigan International Speedway (MIS) played host to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) this weekend for the second and final time this season. Although the Target Chevy had a slow start to the weekend and earned a disappointing 34th place start in qualifying, the team worked hard to improve the car for Sunday’s race, where Larson drove to a 13th place finish.

Larson at Bristol: Larson will be making his fourth NSCS start at BMS this weekend, where he has finishes of 10th and 12th last season, and seventh earlier this year. During the Bristol race earlier this season, Larson led 90 consecutive laps, which ranks as the most laps he’s led during a NSCS race. Overall, Larson has an average start of 24.7 and average finish of 9.7 and has completed every lap in his three starts.

Mobile Machine: This weekend, one race before Darlington’s throwback event, Larson’s car will feature a new paint scheme for his NSCS ride, but a familiar look from last season. Larson’s No. 42 Chevy will feature Target’s mobile savings, Cartwheel, which served as the primary paint scheme for most of Larson’s races last season in the XFINITY Series. The Cartwheel app allows users to choose from hundreds of offers from across multiple categories that can be saved and used from a mobile phone. Cartwheel users to date have saved over $281 million and counting.

Working Overtime: Larson will be pulling double-duty this weekend as he returns to the No. 42 Chevy Camaro in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS). In four previous NXS starts at Bristol, Larson has one pole award, two runner-up finishes and a total of three top-five finishes. Larson will be driving the No. 42 ENEOS Chevy SS this weekend.

A Shopping Bullseye: If you have made it to the race only to find out you’ve forgotten to pack a few necessities, there’s no need to worry. For all your last minute needs, and forgotten items, Target has all of the essentials and more. Target is located at 16600 Highlands Center Blvd., Bristol, Va. 24202 and can be reached at (276) 642-6300. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need.

TEAM ROSTERS

Max Jones – Team Manager

John Probst – Technical Director

Tony Lunders – Competition Director

No. 1 (NSCS)

Hometown

Hometown

Crew Chief:  Matt McCall

Denver, NC

Rear Tire Changer: Kenyatta Houston

Bronx, NY

Chief Mechanic:  Ryan Bergenty

Plainville, CT

Rear Tire Carrier: Art Simmons

Newark, MO

Front Tire Changer:  Daniel Kincaid

Port Byron, NY

Gas Man:  Mike Metcalf

Charlotte, NC

Front Tire Carrier: Ben Fetzer

Fredericksburg, VA

Spotter:  Lorin Ranier

Prestonsburg, KY

Jack Man:  Shane Wilson

Edgewater, MD

No. 42 (NSCS)

Hometown

Hometown

Crew Chief:  Chris Heroy

Angola, IN

Rear Tire Changer:  Steven Tautges

Abbotsford, WI

Chief Mechanic:  David Bryant

Concord, NC

Rear Tire Carrier:  Gene Cornwell

Rock Hill, SC

Front Tire Changer:  Nick Krizmanich

Kenosha, WI

Gas Man:  Ed Watkins

Richmond, VA

Front Tire Carrier:  Aaron Schields

Goodland, KS

Spotter:  Derek Kneeland

Windham, ME

Jack Man:  Graham Molatch

Harrisburg, NC

ONE TEAM

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four cars in the IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Prototype in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. Overall his teams have 17 championships and over 160 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and six Rolex 24 At Daytonas and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.

For more information log onto www.chipganassiracing.com