JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet / No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
EVENT – STP 300 (200 laps / 300 miles) TRACK – Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval) DATE – Saturday, June 4, 2011 TV / RADIO – ESPN (coverage begins at 8 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 7:45 p.m. EST)
Aric Almirola No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet “I’m interested to see how our first stand-alone weekend at Chicago will go. There are only a handful of Cup regulars on the entry list for this weekend, so this will be another great opportunity for the Nationwide-only drivers to stand out.
“Chicago is unique in the fact that it has that curved back straightaway. We don’t see that anywhere else we go, aside from the dogleg at Phoenix. Typically there a lot of green-flag runs there too, so it could turn into a fuel-mileage race. Clean air is critical at mile-and-a-half tracks like Chicago, even more so with this new car.”
Danica Patrick No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet “I’m looking forward to coming back to NASCAR with Tissot and Go Daddy on board our No. 7 car. Both partners have been great supporters of our program at JR Motorsports. To be able to race at Chicago for a second time in a stock car is exciting, too. I think I’ve made some gains since we were last there. It won’t be easy, but hopefully we can continue to build on our progress from earlier this year.
“Being more familiar with these tracks gives our No. 7 team a much better platform for success. I said last year it was difficult to set goals without knowing what to expect. This year, I think we’ve raised the bar for ourselves a little bit with our performances earlier this season. It’s been a few months since I’ve been in a stock car and I’m excited to get back to it.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
DANICA’S RETURN – Patrick, a native of Roscoe, Ill., returns to wheel the No. 7 Tissot/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. It marks her first stock car race since March 19 at Bristol Motor Speedway. In the four stock car races Patrick has entered this season, she has one top-five, one top-10 and three top-20 finishes. Her career-best finish of fourth came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this year. She finished 24th in her last race at Chicagoland Speedway.
PATRICK’S SCHEDULE – The remainder of Patrick’s schedule looks like this: Daytona International Speedway (July 1), Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Aug. 20), Richmond International Raceway (Sept. 9) and Kansas Speedway (Oct. 8). She’ll also race in the final three races of 2011 at Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 5), Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 12) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 19).
JRM IN THE WINDY CITY – JR Motorsports has earned a top-10 qualifying effort in four of its eight starts at Chicagoland since 2006. The organization scored one top-five and three top-10 finishes during that time.
ALMIROLA AT CHICAGOLAND – Almirola owns one Nationwide Series start at Chicagoland Speedway. Additionally, he has never finished worse than eighth in two Camping World Truck Series starts at the facility.
NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 squad owns six top-10 and 10 top-15 finishes this season. Almirola gained a position in the championship points after last weekend’s race at Charlotte and is currently ranked fifth (-51). The No. 88 team is 11th in owner points.
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 a top-10 finish. The team occupies 14th position in owner points.
1 MILLION FACEBOOK FANS – JRM co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. became the first NASCAR-regular to surpass the one million fan mark on his Facebook page earlier this week. Earnhardt Jr.’s fan page, which is managed and updated by the staff at JRM, provides daily content including photos, videos, race results, and special offers to fans. Visit Dale Jr.’s page at www.facebook.com/DaleJr.
JRM DRIVER SIGNINGS – Fans have three chances to meet JRM drivers Aric Almirola and Danica Patrick this weekend. Patrick will be signing autographs at her merchandise hauler in the fan concourse area on Saturday, June 4, from 1:00 – 1:30 p.m. CST. Both Patrick and Almirola will sign at the Nationwide Series autograph session from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. CST. Finally, Almirola will sign at the JR Nation merchandise hauler from 2:30 – 3 p.m. CST.
WIN DALE JR.’S CAMARO – There is still time to win the keys to Dale Jr.’s Camaro. The Dale Jr. Foundation is giving fans the chance to win one of three prizes with the purchase of a $25 raffle ticket, including a shot at Earnhardt Jr.’s own 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. The contest will run through Sept. 1, 2011, with all proceeds benefitting The Dale Jr. Foundation. For complete details visit www.windalejrsride.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.
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.com is 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.
