Kansas Speedway Advance Notes
Race: STP 400 on Sunday, June 5
Track: Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval)
Location: Kansas City, Kan.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Media Contacts at Kansas Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
Jeff Dowling No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet
Shayna Keller No. 42 Target Chevrolet
NOTES
Jamie McMurray and No. 1 McDonald’s Team
Racing for Hope: Joplin, Mo. native Jamie McMurray will be returning home this Thursday, June 2, to help raise awareness for the “Convoy of Hope” after last week’s tornado struck his hometown. McMurray will be joined by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris, whose Bass Pro Shops headquarters is located in nearby Springfield, Mo. To do your part, you can text the word CONVOY to 50555 and make a $10 donation to the “Convoy of Hope” or you can go online to www.convoyofhope.org to make a donation.
Kansas History: McMurray will be making his ninth NSCS start at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. His best start came in 2009 when he started in the fourth-position. He has two top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway, an eighth and seventh-place finish in the 2003 and 2004 races respectively.
Last Weekend: Jamie McMurray started the Coca-Cola 600 from the 35th position and quickly gained positions, making his way all the way to the lead before the halfway mark of the 400 lap race. On lap 182 his hopes soured when the engine of his No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Convoy of Hope Chevrolet let go, relegating him to a 37th place finish.
The Return of the Big Mac: This weekend the No. 1 team welcomes back McDonald’s as primary sponsor on the car for the race at Kansas Speedway. With over 30,000 restaurants, McDonald’s is one of the largest fast food chains in the world with over 100 billion hamburgers sold.
Home is in the Heartland: Kansas Speedway can be considered a “hometown” track for both driver Jamie McMurray and partner Bass Pro Shops. McMurray is from nearby Joplin, Mo. and the Bass Pro Shops headquarters are located in Springfield, Mo., both within three hours of the speedway.
Can I Take Your Order?: Jamie McMurray, 2010 Daytona 500 champion driver of the No.1 McDonald’s Chevrolet, will greet the public at 6 p.m. Friday, June 3 at McDonald’s, 2200 Vernon Ave., North Kansas City, Mo. McMurray, who races for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, will sign autographs, take photos and greet the public during a special McDonald’s event to celebrate Kansas City’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Races at Kansas Speedway on June 5. McMurray may even help work in the drive-thru! The event will include the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet showcar.
Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team
Kansas History: Juan Pablo Montoya will be making his fifth NSCS start at Kansas Speedway this weekend. Montoya had his best career start last year at Kansas when he started in the seventh position and a career best finish of fourth in 2009. He has completed 99.7% of the possible laps at Kansas and has zero DNF’s.
Last Weekend: NASCAR teams readied themselves for the longest race of the season where they started out under sunny skies and finished under the bright lights of the speedway. Montoya lined-up the No. 42 car in the 29th position and focused on maintaining track position throughout the marathon race. The Target Chevrolet pitted a total of 11 times for fuel and adjustments to help alleviate the changing track conditions. Montoya would be credited with leading a lap at the midway point of the race and find himself in the 12th position as the checkered flag waved.
Finishing Strong: Montoya was one of the biggest movers Sunday evening as he advanced 17 positions, 29th to 12th, from the beginning to the end of the race. He was also one of four drivers to have made at least 166 green flag passes during the evening.
Library Makeovers: This month, Target announced 42 new schools from across the country will receive a new library as part of the 2011 Target School Library Makeover program. By creating this program, Target is building a foundation for students to give them tools to prepare them for college, a career, and life. This is one example of how Target is making an impact in local communities and helping to foster a love of reading among children nationwide.
Right on Target: Race Fans In need of groceries and other essential tailgating needs while at Kansas Speedway? Head on over to Target conveniently located at 10900 Stadium Parkway, Kansas City, KS.
CHASSIS INFO
No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1106. Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No. 1 McDonald’s team will bring chassis #1106 to Kansas Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.
No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1105. Crew Chief Brian Pattie and the No. 42 Target team are bringing chassis #1105 to Kansas Speedway this weekend. This chassis has been used twice in 2011 at Texas and Darlington with finishes of 13th and 23rd respectively.
