Albertsons Companies, Safeway to Adorn Hood of No. 44 Ford Fusion
Going from a not-so-friendly track to one of Brian Scott’s favorite tracks, the No. 44 Albertsons/Safeway team is looking forward to racing at the 3/4-mile track of Richmond International Raceway this weekend. Following a 30th-place finish last weekend at Bristol, Scott heads to Richmond with a strong background at the track in the XFINITY Series and experience in the Cup Series.
Through 13 starts in the XFINITY Series, Scott has two poles (Fall 2013 and Spring 2014), four Top-Five finishes, five Top-10 finishes and seven Top-15 finishes. Also in the XFINITY Series, Scott led 239 of 250 laps in the Fall 2013 race, in which he started first and finished second. In his first Cup Series race at Richmond last Fall, Scott started 17th and finished 22nd.
At Richmond International Raceway, Scott will be running an Albertsons Companies paint scheme. Under the Albertsons Companies umbrella, Safeway will be featured on the hood of the No. 44 Ford Fusion. Safeway is a grocery chain and a banner store of Albertsons Companies based in the Western and Central US, with new stores opening across the East Coast in Virginia.
Scott will be meeting with USS Sailors in NASCAR’s Troops to the Track program on Sunday, April 24. This includes 14 Sailors from the USS Oscar Austin, whose maiden deployment in late 2002 resulted in her participation in the opening strikes of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Oscar Austin deployed in September 2005, once again in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The NASCAR Troops to the Track program is a season-long initiative that honors members of the military for their services.
Scott will also meet with the family of Army Specialist Brian Anderson, 24, of Harrisonburg, Virginia on Sunday. Spc. Anderson was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, stationed at Fort Drum, New York, and was killed June 12, 2010 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
“Bristol definitely didn’t go our way last weekend. The track was not friendly to me, and we, as a team, have a lot to learn and a lot of notes to take back with us to the shop to be better prepared for the night race in August. In the meantime, I’m really looking forward to heading to one of my favorite tracks – Richmond. I’ve had a lot of good experience in the XFINITY Series at Richmond and had a start in the Cup series last year. I enjoy the racing at Richmond, where it’s a fun mix of short-track beating and banging and speed coming through the turns. I’m a little more confident heading into Richmond with my success from the XFINITY Series, and I’m looking forward to translating that in the Cup Series and continuing to improve the short-track program at Richard Petty Motorsports.”
No. 44 Albertsons/Safeway/Shore Lodge Ford Fusion
A performance and marketing driven company, Richard Petty Motorsports, co-owned by NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty and successful business entrepreneur Andrew Murstein, is one of the most recognized brands in all of motorsports. With a history of over 200 wins and business partnerships with national and global leaders, today the race operation fields two teams in competition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Aric Almirola and Brian Scott. Almirola will return to the iconic No. 43 Ford with partners Smithfield Foods, STP, United States Air Force and the “Fresh From Florida” campaign. Scott will make his debut with the team and drive the Petty Family No. 44 Ford. Albertsons Companies, Shore Lodge, Twisted Tea and GoBowling.com will join Scott as he competes for Rookie of the Year in his first full-time season in the Sprint Cup Series. Richard Petty Motorsports will also field the No. 43 J. Streicher Ford Mustang in the NASCAR XFINITY Series with driver Jeb Burton. The team is headquartered in Mooresville, N.C.
