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[/media-credit]TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
SAMSUNG MOBILE 500
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
FT. WORTH, TEXAS
APRIL 14, 2012
DID YOU KNOW? In March, sales for every model in the Chevrolet model line had a sales increase bringing the brand up a total of 17 percent. Sales of the Sonic have increased steadily since it launched in August 2011, with March reaching 8,251 vehicles. Volt sales of 2,289 were 50 percent higher than December 2011, which had been the vehicle’s best month since launch. Cruze deliveries of 21,607 marked the car’s seventh month of sales exceeding 20,000 units and its seventh consecutive month of higher year-over-year sales.
CHEVY RACING AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY – JEFF CHEW, MARKETING MANAGER, CHEVY RACING: “We are very much looking forward to returning to Texas Motor Speedway, where the Team Chevy Racing Display will have something for everyone in the entire family – including experiencing Chevy’s newest products, with the opportunity to take a test drive. Fans also can ask questions of Team Chevy’s Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Danica Patrick and Justin Allgaier, and get autographs from Harvick’s No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet race-day pit crew. You also can spend time with one of our friendly product specialists and learn more about Chevy’s great 2012 vehicle lineup, and compete with other fans on our video race simulators. Also on display are Chevrolet Performance Parts crate engines and an assortment of accessories and performance parts for fans to purchase from their local Chevy dealer. We hope to see you there.”
TEAM CHEVY SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Team Chevy on Facebook and @TeamChevy on Twitter to receive the latest news as well as updates with times and locations of events
TEAM CHEVY FOR THE FANS AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
· Fans can visit the Team Chevy Racing Display in the Texas Motor Speedway Fan Midway area
· Fans can check out great Chevrolet vehicles including: Malibu ECO, Corvette Grand Sport, Sonic 5 Door, Cruze Eco, Equinox, Silverado 1500, Silverado 3500 Crew, Suburban, Volt and Camaro ZL1
· At the display see a variety of show cars including the No. 88, No. 29, No. 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup cars, plus the Grand-Am Camaro
· Also on display is a Chevrolet R07 racing engine complete with electronic fuel injection that will power all of our NASCAR Sprint Cup series Team Chevy drivers in 2012. Fans can also see a sample of engines, parts and accessories available for purchase from Chevrolet Performance at their local Chevrolet dealer
· Team Chevy Test Drive – This weekend at Texas Motor Speedway they Team Chevy Display will feature the Team Chevy Test Drive area. This is an area where fans can climb behind the wheel of an array of featured Chevrolet vehicles and give them a test drive on site. The featured vehicles fans can test drive include: Malibu Eco, Sonic 5 Door, Cruze, Volt, Corvette Grand Sport, Camaro Convertible, Camaro Coupe, Tahoe, Traverse, Equinox and Silverado HD
Jamie McMurray, driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet will be on site at the Test Drive to give fans rides in a Chevrolet from 9:30 am to 10:30 am on Friday April 13th.
· Other activities at the Team Chevy Racing Display include a variety of interactive games for adults and kids
· When fans register at the Team Chevy Racing Display they will receive a 35 Manufacturers’ Championship t-shirt
DRIVER FAN Q/A APPEARANCES:
· Friday, April 13 – Johanna Long will make an appearance at the Team Chevy stage at 2:00 p.m. followed by Danica Patrick at 2:30 p.m. and Justin Allgaier at 2:45 p.m.
· Saturday, April 14 – Ryan Newman will visit the Team Chevy stage at 2:50 p.m. followed by Kevin Harvick at 3:10 p.m. Also appearing at the Team Chevy stage will be the No. 29 Chevrolet over-the-wall pit crew who will hold an autograph session prior to the running of the Samsung 500 on Saturday night
· Hours of operation: Thurs. April 12 – 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Fri. April 13 – 9:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. and Sat. April 14 – 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
TEAM CHEVY IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (NSCS) COMPETITION:
· Chevrolet has won 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Manufacturers’ Championships
· Team Chevy drivers have scored 690 wins and 622 poles in NSCS competition
CHEVROLET ON THE TRACK—TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY:
· Chevrolet drivers have won 7 of 22 races at Texas Motor Speedway
· A Chevrolet driver has won two (2) of the last six (6) races at TMS
· A Chevrolet driver has sat on the pole at Texas Motor Speedway 11 times
· Team Chevy drivers have scored 39 top-five and 94 top-10 finishes at TMS
· A Chevrolet has led 2,727 laps (36.7% of possible 7,418) at Martinsville Speedway
o Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, has two (2) victories at Texas Motor Speedway (’97 & 2007)
o Tony Stewart, No. 14 Mobil 1 Advanced Fuel Economy/Office Depot Chevrolet, has two (2) wins at TMS (’06 & ’11)
o Kurt Busch, No. 51 Phoenix Construction Services Inc. Chevrolet, has one victory at Texas Motor Speedway (’09)
o Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, has gone to Victory Lane once at TMS (’00)
o Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont 20 Years Chevrolet, has recorded one victory at TMS (’09)
o Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet, has gone to Victory Lane one time at Texas Motor Speedway (’07 )
o Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, has one win at TMS (’06)
o Ryan Newman, No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, has taken the checkered flag at TMS one time (’03)
TEAM CHEVY IN THE GARAGE MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY – ALBA COLON, PROGRAM MANAGER, NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES, CHEVROLET RACING: “First of all, Congratulations to Ryan Newman, Tony Gibson and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing on their win in Martinsville, Virginia, that was a race full of drama and a lot of unexpected happenings.
“After a well-deserved weekend off for all the teams, we head to Texas Motor Speedway (TMS).
“TMS is a track that drivers enjoy. It is a fast, challenging, and fun track, especially when we race under the lights like we will this weekend. Also, the track has widened out and it has several grooves, which allows the drivers to race all over it. With corners that have a decreasing amount of banking as the car travels from entry to exit, this mile and a-half track presents some unique challenges to the teams.
“Texas presents its own set of demands on the handling side too; and the dependability of our engines will be key. TMS is definitely a horsepower track. To all of these obstacles, throw in one more wrinkle with fuel Injection. The last six races have been a great opportunity to learn a lot about the systems, to get all the ‘gremlins’ out, and to be sure that the engines/systems are reliable every time.
“The season is young and there still a lot of racing to go. Our objective is to take each race one at a time; learn, get great finishes, earn the maximum points available, and build toward obtaining those Driver’s and Manufacturers’ Championships!
“Our teams have been working hard, which is paying off with a strong start to the season for Chevrolet. We are looking forward to another good race with good results again this weekend in Texas.”
TEAM CHEVY FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT:
DALE EARNHARDT, JR., NO. 88 DIET MOUNTAIN DEW/NATIONAL GUARD CHEVROLET – 2nd IN STANDINGS:
“At Texas, you can expect pushing in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2 and that you’ll be really loose into (Turn) 3. You try to just get around the rest of the track the best you can. I expect to go out there and run in the top five, lead laps and try to win the race. I think that I would be disappointed if we do not do that. Finishing in the top 10 is OK, but really not what we are after.”
TONY STEWART, NO. 14 MOBIL 1 ADVANCED FUEL ECONOMY/ OFFICE DEPOT CHEVROLET – 3rd IN STANDINGS: “You have to be comfortable or you’re not going to go fast. The more comfortable I am, the faster we go. This track, the grooves have moved around, especially in the last couple of years. We’ve seen the track get wider and it’s made it to where you can move around on the racetrack and where you can run the top side or the bottom side. It’s nice from a driver’s perspective to be able to have that flexibility behind the steering wheel, knowing that if your car’s not driving exactly the way you want it to, you can move around the racetrack and find a spot the car likes better.
“Any time you put more seasons on a racetrack, the better it gets because it seems like the pavement wears out on the bottom and it makes it to where you can run the top and be fast and you can run the bottom and be fast. It makes the whole racetrack, speed-wise, about the same, versus when they pave a racetrack and the only groove is right on the bottom. The fastest way is the shortest way because it all has the same amount of grip, so the shorter distance is faster. Every year we come here, I think the racing just gets better and better, as far as being able to move around on the racetrack and guys not having to just follow each other and get stuck behind each other. You can actually pass. You can race. You can get away from guys if your car’s fast.”
KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 29 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET – 5th IN STANDINGS:
“(Texas) is a really fast race track and the banking is where you can really feel how fast you are going. It’s one of those few race tracks where you feel the speed in the car. The unique part about this race track is that you have that big speed for about three or four laps and as you go through the tire run the speed really drops off a tremendous amount. But from a driver standpoint you have a lot of options and the race track has a lot of bumps, which adds character. You have to make your car work good and you have to get up off Turn 2, but you can run all over the race track. Obviously we’ll run the bottom for qualifying, but when race time comes we will be moving around all over the place so it’s fun from a driver’s standpoint.”
RYAN NEWMAN, NO 39 U.S. ARMY CHEVROLET – 8th IN STANDINGS:
“I always look forward to racing at Texas. I love the speed at Texas. It’s a fast race track. Texas is actually one of the fastest tracks we go to all year, so you have to be on top of your game because things can happen pretty quickly. It’s a track I’ve always liked, although it doesn’t necessarily show in my finishes. It’s a smooth, fast race track and there are multiple grooves, so it’s fun to race there. The asphalt has aged the track to the point it has gotten better and better each time we come back. What I mean is that the track has basically gotten wider. It’s gotten a bit more character. A little more bumpy, which is fine. I like it. I think that, in general, the track has gotten wider and racier each time we’ve come back. It’s got less grip, but that’s fine. I’d rather slide around a little bit and be in charge of my race car than be stuck to the race track.”
JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S/KOBALT TOOLS CHEVROLET – 10th IN STANDINGS: “As it (Texas Motor Speedway) ages the bumps get bigger, the surface has less grip which builds in a lot of challenges within it. The thing that comes to mind for me is the long green flag runs we have there. Any small problems you would have with the balance of the car are magnified and add up. It’s hard to ever catch the leader because there is just so much green flag running. You need to have your stuff right there because of the green flag runs.
“I think it’s neat how some tracks really go out of their way to create cool trophies. Texas has done that the six years are very fitting. I have a really corny, dorky photo of me with a cowboy hat on and six shooters that I am very proud of. I hope to have that experience again.”
PAUL MENARD, NO. 27 QUAKER STATE/MENARDS CHEVROLET – 14th IN STANDINGS:
“It (Texas Motor Speedway) is definitely getting a lot of bumps, especially over the tunnels on both ends. It’s a wide track. During practice sessions the outer groove doesn’t come in very well, but it does during the race.
“The race really slows down and opens up, but qualifying there is a real eye-opener. The fall race is usually faster than the spring race for whatever reason. You are as close to not lifting in a Sprint Cup Series car as you’ll ever get outside of Daytona (International Speedway) and Talladega (Superspeedway).”
JEFF BURTON, NO. 31 CATERPILLAR CHEVROLET – 15th IN STANDINGS: “That just shows you how hard the sport is. I know that no matter how well we ran one week, it doesn’t mean we are going to run that poorly the following week. It’s a constant test of where you and your team are and this is a very demanding sport. Honestly, none of our performances last year looked very good and it was just a continuation of what had gone on for the entire season. I think we have run better than many of our finishes indicated. Texas Motor Speedway is different anytime we run there. That is why we have seen so many different winners. That track doesn’t have a personality. Every time you go there, it is something different. I think that is why you see so many drivers run well there one race and then terrible the next. I don’t know why, but it is different every time we go there.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA, NO. 42 TARGET CHEVROLET – 17th IN STANDINGS:
“Well, Texas hasn’t been one of our best tracks but it’s actually a track I really enjoy going to. It’s bumpy and you slide a lot but it’s good racing. Especially in turns three and four, you can make up a lot of ground there and run high. I’ve always ran better at the tracks where you can get up into the high groove. We’re hoping for a good day. The Target team tested last week and I really think things are starting to come together.”
REGAN SMITH, NO. 78 FURNITURE ROW/FARM AMERICAN CHEVROLET – 18th IN STANDINGS:
“We’re ready to roll after having an enjoyable weekend off. Texas Motor Speedway is very fast and that’s why it’s one of my favorite tracks. We’re coming from the slowest track on the circuit (Martinsville) to the fastest at Texas. That’s ok with me, I’ll just pull my seat belts a little tighter. One reason I am encouraged about this weekend is at the fall race in Texas last year we found something, and what we found, has helped our mile-and-a-half program. We’ve had fast cars this year, but what we need is to start the race fast and make sure that we’re comfortable with our setup after the final practice. Finding the right setup during the race is too late sometimes. However I am confident that we’ll have a fast Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet this weekend.”
JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT 20 YEARS CHEVROLET – 21st IN STANDINGS:
“This race is one that is on our radar. We ran well at California a few weeks ago, so that has me excited going to the one-and-a-half mile tracks. It’s frustrating, but that’s the way our year has been going. If we keep bringing good cars to the track, we’ll put a complete race together. Right now, it’s just about putting the whole race together. It’s about having the car that we need and limiting our mistakes.
“That is the beauty of the Chase – we are still in it. We just have to focus on winning races right now. We can’t focus on trying to be in the top-10 in points. If we win races we might get there, but if we win races, we will be in (the Chase). A lot of people might think, ‘Well how are they ever going to win a race because look at where they are in points.’ I don’t think we’re that far from winning races. We just have to eliminate the mistakes and we have a lot of races left to be able to pull that off.”
JAMIE MCMURRAY, NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS/TRACKER BOATS CHEVROLET – 24th IN STANDINGS:
“Texas is always a fun place to race. We have had good cars at the mile and a half tracks in the past and we got our first top-10 of this season at Las Vegas. Although that is not as similar as Texas is to Charlotte and Atlanta, it is encouraging to have a solid run on that size track as those are the majority of what we run throughout the season. it was nice to have the break and weekend off for Easter, but I am ready to get back in the car. It is going to be a lot of fun racing under the lights in Texas!”
KURT BUSCH, NO. 51 PHOENIX CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INC. CHEVROLET – 26th IN STANDINGS:
“I would say the exit of turn four is the toughest part to negotiate. There are times when the set-up on the car is just right and you can drive right off the turn and put down good traction. Then there are other times – maybe when you miss the setup by even a little bit – that you are literally sideways and you’re basically wrecking at 180 mph.”
DAVE BLANEY, NO. 36 TOMMY BALDWIN RACING CHEVROLET – 29th IN STANDINGS:
“Texas is a cool part of the country to go to. The track is a great facility and always puts on a great show. And we are going back to racing in primetime on Saturday, which adds excitement. I’m fired up about having Jimmie Johnson’s video game ‘Anything with an Engine’ on the car this weekend. The car looks great.”
KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET – 31st IN STANDINGS:
“Our car was really strong at Las Vegas, and I think we would have been battling for a top-five (finish) in California if the rain had stopped. So going back to mile-and-a-half tracks for a couple of weeks is exciting. We’ve been so fast each week, especially at the intermediate tracks, so I know our time will come. We’re going to compete for wins this season.
“It’s great to already have two poles this year. We’re consistently starting in the top 10, and that shows our potential on the racetrack. We aren’t lacking any speed. We just need a little luck to swing our way.”
Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Manufacturers Championships
Total (1949 – 2011): 35
First title for Chevrolet: 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles: 9 twice (1983 – 1991) (2003-2011)
Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Drivers Championships
Total (1949 – 2011): 28
First Chevrolet champion: Buck Baker (1957)
Highest number of consecutive titles: 7 (2005 – ’11)
Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Event Victories
Record for total race wins in single season: 26 – (in 2007)
2012 STATISTICS:
Wins: 3
Poles: 2
Laps led: 964
Top-five finishes: 12
Top-10 finishes: 27
CHEVROLET IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP CUMULATIVE STATISTICS:
Total Chevrolet race wins: 690 (1949 – to date); (2,323 possible = 29.6%)
Poles Won to Date: 622
Laps Lead to Date: 206,066
Top-Five Finishes to Date: 3,459
Top-10 Finishes to Date: 7,077
Total NASCAR Cup wins by Corporation, 1949 – To-Date
GM: 1,025
Chevrolet: 690
Pontiac: 155
Oldsmobile: 115
Buick: 65
Ford: 707
Ford: 607
Mercury: 96
Lincoln: 4
Chrysler: 462
Dodge: 213
Plymouth: 190
Chrysler: 59
Toyota: 40
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.
