Roswell, GA (November 8, 2010) – By helping his driver stay on or near the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings for most of the 2010 season with crafty, gutsy and successful race decisions, Gil Martin, crew chief for the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, is a land slide victor as the 2010 WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year.
A formal announcement will be made this Friday, November 12th, at Phoenix International Raceway’s Media center where Martin will be presented with a $20,000 check from WYPALL Wipers.
Martin will also be honored by being asked to serve as the Grand Marshal for Saturday’s WYPALL* 200 Powered by Kimberly-Clark Professional NASCAR Nationwide Series event at PIR. It is the first time a current crew chief has been the Grand Marshal for one of NASCAR’s premier top-three series’ events.
Incredibly, Martin won seven (7) WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race awards, which were presented after each Sprint Cup Series race. Finishing second with three awards each were 2008 and 2009 award recipient Chad Knaus (crew chief of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet and driver Jimmie Johnson) and Kevin “Bono” Manion (Crew Chief for the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and driver Jamie McMurray).
Entering Phoenix, Martin led the No. 29 Richard Childress Racing team to three wins, fifteen (15) top-five and twenty four (24) top-10 results. Harvick and his Martin-led team stood atop the championship standings for fifteen (15) straight races in 2010 before the final 10-race chase began on Sept. 14th. The team sits third, 59 points behind, in the title standings with two races remaining.
Martin, who got his first win as a Crew Chief in 2001 and has six (6) Cup wins overall, was the first Crew Chief in NASCAR History to win in all three of its top divisions – the Camping World Truck Series, the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series.
Fans can see Martin as the Grand Marshal give the live call to start the engines Saturday on ESPN2 at 4 pm EST, when the green flag falls for the WYPALL 200 * Powered By Kimberly-Clark Professional.
“[Gil] Martin and his team have had an amazing year, something to be proud of for sure,” said NASCAR television analyst and former champion crew chief Jeff Hammond, who is a spokesperson for WYPALL. “Martin really displayed great leadership on so many occasions this year. My congratulations go to him and his entire crew for an outstanding year. He truly deserves being named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year.”
The 2010 WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge has been a season-long contest that has strived each week to determine the best crew chiefs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage. Following each Cup race, a panel including Hammond, and Sprint Cup Crew Chiefs Todd Berrier (No. 31 – Jeff Burton) and Frank Kerr (No. 47 – Marcos Ambrose) voted to determine which Crew Chief demonstrated the most outstanding strategy and leadership during the race.
“The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge spotlights the crew chief’s efforts each and every race,” said Stephanie Rossignol, Business leader for Kimberly-Clark Professional and the WYPALL Brand. “WYPALL Wipers and crew chiefs are a natural fit. Crew chiefs only want to use reliable products on their cars and engines, that’s why they choose WYPALL Wipers. Our products are used to wipe up the toughest, most stubborn messes including oil and grease, and we want to focus on the men who put WYPALL Wipers to use each week. That’s why we continue to show our appreciation to the crew chiefs.”
Martin joins of list of prominent crew chiefs who have won the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year including the aforementioned Knaus (twice, ’09/’10), Mike Ford, Tony Eury Sr., Robbie Reiser, and Doug Richert.
About WYPALL* Wipers
WYPALL is a brand of Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2004, WYPALL Wipers has been affiliated with some of racing’s top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provides race teams with a number of products providing strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.
For more information log onto www.wypall.com.
