JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet / No. 7 VooDoo Ride Chevrolet EVENT – Top Gear 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
TRACK – Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad-oval)
DATE – Saturday, May 28, 2011 TV /
RADIO – ABC (coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EST) / PRN (broadcast begins at 2 p.m. EST)
Aric Almirola No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet “Charlotte is not a typical race week for us. Usually we’re running around getting things together before we catch a plane to the racetrack, but not this week. It’s fun to be close to home, and we always have a lot of sponsor appearances and autograph sessions scheduled around Charlotte. We have a good time with it all. It seems to be a race that everyone wants to attend – family, friends and sponsors. If I was a race fan there’s no way I’d miss out on coming to Charlotte during race weeks. This is the place to be. Charlotte Motor Speedway and all the race teams do a great job interacting with our fan base, and there is so much for fans to do here. The whole city almost gets a homecoming feel to it.”
Josh Wise No. 7 VooDoo Ride Chevrolet “I’ve driven some cool looking cars in my day, but this VooDoo Ride Chevrolet ranks right up there on the list. The big green skull on the hood looks awesome. I’m sure it will look great on the racetrack, too. We’ve got a lot of things lined up for this week surrounding race weeks. I’ll be running go karts at NASCAR Speed Park on Wednesday and we’ve got a couple autograph sessions to attend. Plus, fan day is Friday at the JRM shop and that’s a blast. Anyone who’s in town should come check it out. It will be a lot of fun for sure.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK – VOODOO RIDE CHEVROLET DEBUTS –Wise’s No. 7 Chevrolet will feature the VooDoo Ride paint scheme this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The black scheme showcases VooDoo Ride’s chilling skull logo on its hood and quarter panels. VooDoo Ride is a car care and lifestyle company co-founded by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2007. It produces a vast array of car care products, including all surface speed detailer (named Mojo), high-gloss tire finish (Hypd), synthetic liquid polish (Silq), wheel and tire cleaner (Shoq), car wash soap (Juju), scratch remover (Hexx) and micro fiber cloths (Jakd). Visit its website at www.voodooride.com.
2011 RACE WEEK ACTIVITIES AT JRM – Beginning on Thurs., May 26, and continuing through Mon., May 30, fans are invited to JR Motorsports in Mooresville, N.C. for festivities surrounding Charlotte race week. Highlighting the action is an autograph session on Fri., May 27 from Noon to 1 p.m. ET with Aric Almirola, Josh Wise, and Kelley Earnhardt. Karsyn Elledge, L.W. Miller, and late model driver, Josh Berry will also be signing for fans. A total of 150 tickets will be distributed for the session.
MEET ALMIROLA AND WISE –There will be plenty of opportunities for fans to meet JR Motorsports drivers Josh Wise and Aric Almirola this week. Fans can join Josh Wise, along with several other NNS drivers, at the NASCAR Speedpark at Concord Mills Mall in Concord, N.C. on Wed. May 25th for the “NASCAR Fan’s Choice Challenge” go kart event from 6 – 8 p.m. ET. Wise also will be signing autographs at Nationwide Autograph Evening at Food Lion’s Speed Street in downtown Charlotte (corner of Third and Tryon Streets) on Thurs., May 26, from 8 – 9:30 p.m. ET. Aric Almirola will appear at the Unilever Display at Speed Street (on Tryon St. between 3rd and 4th Streets) on Fri., May 27 from 2 – 3 p.m. ET. Both drivers will attend an autograph signing at the JR Nation merchandise hauler in the fan concourse area at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 28, from 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
KELLEY EARNHARDT CAMEO IN NEW BRAD PAISLEY VIDEO – JR Motorsports general manager Kelley Earnhardt joined a host of other NASCAR personalities in appearing in CMA Entertainer of the Year Brad Paisley’s latest music video entitled “Old Alabama.” The video premiered last weekend at the NASCAR Sprint Cup All Star Race. In the video Earnhardt drives a classic Corvette while lip-syncing to Paisley’s lyrics, and even tries her skills at a burnout. “Old Alabama”, which is the second single on Paisley’s new album “This Is Country Music”, hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart this week. Aside from being named CMA Entertainer of the Year in 2011, Paisley is a three-time Grammy Award winner. Other NASCAR personalities appearing in “Old Alabama” include Jeff Gordon, Erin Crocker, Darrell Waltrip and Rick Hendrick. Watch the music video for “Old Alabama” hereat VEVO.com.
WATCH THE NEW “JRM 360” VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website www.jrmracing.com the team has added a new video series entitled “JRM 360”. It’s a light-hearted look at the inner workings and extraordinary personalities at JRM’s shop in Mooresville, N.C. A daily briefing column that gives fans the scoop on day-to-day activities at the shop is also part of the new line-up this season.
WISE IN 2011 –Wise’s 2011 statistics in seven races with the No. 7 team include two top-10s and four top-15 finishes. He led a total of 10 laps in the No. 7 Chevrolet (Nashville, Dover). Wise also holds three previous Nationwide Series start at Charlotte with a best finish of 18th. The Riverside, Calif. is ranked 10th in the driver championship standings (-129).
ALMIROLA AT CHARLOTTE – Almirola owns one top-five and two top-10s in five Nationwide Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He finished eighth in the No. 88 Hellmann’s Chevrolet with JRM last fall. He also has two top-10 finishes in two starts in the Camping World Truck Series.
NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds one top-five, four top-10 and seven top-15 finishes in 2011. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Josh Wise have shared driving duties in the No. 7 Chevrolet throughout the year, each scoring at least a top-10 finish. The team occupies 14th position in owner points.
NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 squad owns five top-10 and nine top-15 finishes this season. Almirola is currently ranked sixth (-52) in championship points. The No. 88 team is 12th in owner points.
VISIT THE RELAUNCHED ALMIROLA WEBSITE – Are you a fan of Aric Almirola? Visit his newly relaunched website at www.aricalmirola.com and get inside access to all the cool and interesting facts about the Tampa, Fla. native. The site includes a complete biography, photo gallery, and updated race reports.
NEW JRM RACING WEBSITE – JRMracing.comis the digital home of the JR Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series race teams. Visit it for more information about the company, its history, and drivers, including Aric Almirola, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Josh Wise. Watch exclusive video content, including the “JRM 360” series and pre-race reports with drivers and crew. Plus, get the latest scoop on shop activities with the daily briefing column.
