Team: No. 17 Fifth Third Bank Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Primary Chassis: RK- 814 – 2012 No. 99 chassis -last ran at Dover – finished 26th
Backup Chassis: RK-801 – 2012 No. 99 chassis
ADVANCE NOTES
· Stenhouse at Martinsville
o Stenhouse will make his first Sprint Cup career start at Martinsville Speedway this weekend.
o Stenhouse has never raced in any series at Martinsville Speedway
o Stenhouse is currently 12th in the point standings, 60 points behind the leader.
· The Car
o Chassis RK-814 is a chassis that the No. 99 team ran various times in 2012. It was last raced at Dover by Edwards resulting in a 26th-place finish.
o The backup Chassis RK-801 raced various times in 2012 by the No. 99 team.
· Fifth Third Bank
o Joined Roush Fenway Racing in 2012.
o This is their first primary race this season. Their next scheduled primary paint out is Kentucky in June.
o To find the nearest Fifth Third Bank branch near you – visit https://www.53.com/atm/
· Martinsville Native
o Engine Tuner, Jonathan Salmons, grew up in Bassett, Virginia. He is an active supporter of Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center where is nephew attends. For more information on the center, visit www.braacroanoke.org.
Stenhouse on Martinsville:
“I am looking forward to Martinsville since I have never raced there before. I heard this paper clip shaped track is very tough. We tested at a similar shaped track last month and learned a lot so we will carry that into this weekend. I knew coming in to this year that there were two tracks on the circuit that were going to be new to me, Martinsville and Sonoma. I think if we can leave Martinsville with a top-15 finish then it would be a success.”
Graves on Martinsville:
“We as an organization have struggled in the past at Martinsville. Friday when we hit the track for practice will be the first time Ricky has ever driven around the 0.526 mile track, but he is a quick learner and adapts his driving style very well. We will rely heavily on our teammates this weekend for pointers. I think if we can stay out of trouble then we should have a solid finish.”
