No. 55 Jet Edge TOYOTA
Martinsville Speedway Preview
ON MARTINSVILLE: “Last year when we went to Martinsville it was only my second time in the No. 55. We were riding some momentum from Bristol- and I think the same can be said for this year. Granted it’s with the new GEN 6 car, but we rallied at Bristol. Rodney (Childers) was searching for ways to make the car stay off the splitter and toward the end of the race we got it going. We were able to make a big push at the end to come home with another top ten. This is only going to be my tenth race with them, but really feel like we can continue in a positive direction. We had a great outing last fall when we almost sat on the pole and started second. This team continues to show every time they hit the track that they have something to prove. We all sat together at the beginning of the season for a dinner and just talked about our thoughts, goals and plans for the year- and it was to keep the momentum going. I really appreciate getting in the car knowing these guys are putting 110% in it each weekend. I also enjoy seeing a continued relationship off the track too with Jet Edge. They were on board last year in New Hampshire and it’s great to see them come back. They are literally a big part of the building process of these race cars and I know Michael Waltrip Racing really values them as a partner in the program.”
NOTES
· MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Vickers will visit the media center on Friday at 10:30 a.m.
· VICKERS AT MARTINSVILLE: Vickers owns 15 starts at Martinsville Speedway. He has three top-10 finishes and had led 27 laps of competition.
· VICKERS 2012: In eight Sprint Cup starts last season, Vickers scored three top-5 and five top-10 finishes. He also led 158 laps and had and average finish of 13.2.
· CAREER: Vickers owns 264 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts. He has two wins (Talladega– 2006 and Michigan– 2009), 11 poles, 24 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes.
· INSIDER PROGRAM: Michael Waltrip Racing launched its Insider Program in 2013 that offers all race fans sponsor discounts, specials on merchandise, exclusive pictures and video content plus fan giveaways throughout the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Fans can access the MWR Insider Program through the CardStar application available on most smartphones. MWR will work on behalf of the fans to expand the offerings beyond just its current sponsor line-up, aggregating industry-wide deals and discounts. Fans can text MWR to 42828 to get the card for free. Offers include free headset with rental of a FanVision unit ($19.99 value) and 25% off Toyota Racing merchandise at ToyotaRacing.com.
· MWR GIRLS: At Las Vegas, Michael Waltrip Racing announced its new social media and fan engagement models – the MWR Girls. The models will be at track each week to interact with fans and partners and give an inside look at what is going on around the racetrack. Follow the MWR Girls on Twitter – @MWRGirls.
· No. 55 DRIVERS: Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races, Brian Vickers in nine races and Michael Waltrip in three races.
BROADCAST SCHEDULE
Date Friday April 5
Practice Noon. SPEED
Qualifying 8 p.m. SPEED
Date Saturday April 6
Practice 10:30 a.m. N/A
HH 11:30 p.m. SPEED
Date Sunday April 7
Race 1 p.m. FOX
