JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 Ragu Chevrolet / No. 5 Canadian Tire Chevrolet/
No. 7 Jimmie Johnson’s Anything with an Engine Chevrolet
EVENT – Zippo 200 (82 laps / 200.9 miles)
TRACK – Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile 11-turn road course)
DATE – Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011
TV / RADIO – ESPN (coverage begins at 2 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 1:30 p.m. EST)
Aric Almirola No. 88 Ragu Chevrolet “What a great few weeks it has been for our Ragu team. They’ve been doing an amazing job, and it’s definitely showing with our on-track results. The best thing we can do is keep these top-fives going. But that will be a challenge with Watkins Glen coming up. A top-10 finish is realistic for us. If we can keep ourselves inside the top-10 toward the end of the race, we may be in position to score a top five by taking advantage of some of the wrecks that tend to happen in the final laps there.”
Ron Fellows No. 5 Canadian Tire Chevrolet “You can bet our Canadian Tire team will be ready to go this weekend. We came so close to winning at Road America. It was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone after that race. As a racer, it’s so difficult to have the win seemingly in your grasp and then be told you’re runner-up instead. And unfortunately, there is no trophy for second place. So we’ve got a lot of motivation on our side heading up to Watkins Glen.
“I’m confident in this team. I’m thrilled to be back with (crew chief) Tony (Eury) Jr. and all these guys. Their hard work and dedication showed when we unloaded at Road America as fast as we were. I know they’ll do the same this week at The Glen.”
Jimmie Johnson No. 7 Jimmie Johnson’s Anything with an Engine Chevrolet “I’m excited about this opportunity. I’ve run a handful of races for JR Motorsports. I’m looking forward to having some fun and doing my best to put our car in victory lane. It’s cool to have my video game on the race car. It’s kind of a last-minute add and something we weren’t necessarily prepared for. We’ve got some art and graphics on the car. I’m looking forward to a good run with it and to getting more seat time on the road courses. I do only have one Nationwide win, and I’d love to get some more. So two attempts there, some seat time, and hopefully another trophy.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
THREE-CAR LINEUP FOR TEAM JRM – JR Motorsports will unload at Watkins Glen International with a three-car team this weekend. Aric Almirola, Ron Fellows and Jimmie Johnson combine to give the organization three entries for only the third time this season, and the first at a road course event.
JIMMIE JOHNSON’S ANYTHING WITH AN ENGINE – Published by Autumn Games and developed by Isopod Labs, Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine is scheduled for an October 2011 release on all three major home consoles. The game allows players to race unconventional vehicles created from everyday objects such as shopping carts and dumpsters outfitted with custom weapons in a humorous action-packed run to the finish line. Two of the eccentric characters Hazzard Hicks and Megaton, are featured on the hood of Johnson’s No. 7 machine. Hazzard Hicks uses his souped-up lawnmower to cut down the competition and Megaton, a former military officer, barrels around the track on a high-speed bomb.
JOHNSON AT THE GLEN – Johnson’s entry in the Zippo 200 marks his first NNS race since competing in four events for JRM in 2008. In 91 career Nationwide races, he has one win, eight top-fives and 23 top-10s. Johnson owns three starts at the Glen in NNS competition.
NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 2011. The team occupies 11th position in owner points.
FELLOWS RETURNS TO JRM – Ron Fellows, a native of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, reunites with JR Motorsports for this weekend’s NNS race at Watkins Glen. Known for his road-course talents, Fellows drove to a runner-up finish with the team earlier this summer at Road America. He owns seven career starts with the organization, earning one win (Montreal ’08), four top-fives and five top-10 finishes.
FIRST FOR CANADIAN TIRE – Watkins Glen marks the first of two consecutive races for sponsor Canadian Tire on the No. 5 Chevrolet with driver Ron Fellows. Canadian Tire is the largest automotive retailer in Canada with more than 480 stores. The retailer first graced the panels of Fellows’ JRM Chevrolet at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2010.
IMPECCABLE STATS – Fellows has enjoyed immense success in NNS competition at Watkins Glen. In 10 starts, he owns three wins, five top-fives and seven top-10s. He has also led 189 laps there. He still holds the distinction of being the senior victor at the facility, winning at the age of 41 years, nine months and 10 days old on July 8, 2001. Additionally, he is tied with Marcos Ambrose for second on the all-time NNS wins list at the Glen with three.
REUNITING WITH RAGU – Driving the red and yellow paint scheme of Ragu has equated to solid runs for the No. 88 team. In the previous two races this season (California and Iowa) featuring the Ragu brand, Almirola has finishes of ninth and fifth, respectively.
ALMIROLA’S POINTS UPDATE -Almirola has totaled 157 points over the past four weeks of competition, giving him the second most points of any Nationwide Series regular in that time. He is currently ranked fourth (-77) in the championship hunt, 48 points behind third-place Elliott Sadler and six points ahead of fifth-place Justin Allgaier.
ROAD COURSE INFO FOR ALMIROLA – Almirola holds one start at Watkins Glen in Sprint Cup Series competition. The No. 88 team was on the cusp of a top-10 finish at Road America earlier this season, but a brush with a competitor on the final lap resulted in a 22nd-place finish.
NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 team owns five top-five and 12 top-10 finishes this season. The team is ranked eighth in owner points.
JRM AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGS – Aric Almirola will signautographs at the JR Nation merchandise hauler, located in the fan concourse area, on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST.
BUY FOUR TICKETS GET ONE FREE FOR WIN DALE JR.’S RIDE RAFFLE – August is the final month to enter for a chance to win the keys to Dale Jr.’s Camaro. The Dale Jr. Foundation is giving fans the opportunity 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. As a special incentive this month, if fans buy four raffle tickets, they’ll get a fifth free. The contest will run through Sept. 1, 2011, with all proceeds benefitting The Dale Jr. Foundation. For complete details visit
