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Bodine and No. 30 Valvoline Tundra Ready for Texas Return

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Bodine Leads Truck Series Championship Battle by 216-point margin

Has Earned Four Wins this season, 21 in his Truck Series Career

Germain Racing has 22 Truck Series Victories and Nine Pole Awards

November 2, 2010 (Mooresville, N.C.) – Texas Motor Speedway is set to host its second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race of the season, and Germain Racing is one Truck Series team that can’t wait to unload their hauler at the Fort Worth, TX, facility. Germain Racing has earned wins at Texas in six of seven seasons, including a sweep in 2007 for a total of seven trips to Texas’s victory lane. In addition, the team has two pole awards. Germain Racing’s Todd Bodine has a 50% chance of steering the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra into Victory Lane on Friday night based on his Texas record of six wins in 12 NCWTS races.

“We appreciate Valvoline coming on board in time for our race at Texas in June and we were happy to get a win for them. We hope to get another one on Friday night with the Valvoline Tundra. Valvoline has been an incredible sponsor and ambassador for our sport for a lot of years and we’re proud to represent them,” said Bodine, who led 106 of 169 laps at Texas in June and has led 305 of the 1845 laps he has completed at TMS.

Crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. likes the team’s chances any time they head to Texas, but with this particular race truck, Chassis TRD-131, he is extra confident.

“When we put this race truck on the track for the first time in Nashville this spring, we knew we had a special Tundra. What makes it great is that it responds consistently to whatever chassis setup we throw at it. We’ve won three races with this truck this year, including in June at Texas. We’ll try our best to sweep the Texas races with the Valvoline Tundra on Friday night,” said Hillman.

Texas Motor Speedway fits into the ‘intermediate’ race track category. It’s a track that’s one and a half miles in length, it’s D-shaped, and it’s got a fair amount of banking (24 degrees in the corners and 5 degrees on the straightaways. But of the intermediate tracks, it’s the one that Bodine has been the most successful with and he’s not sure how to explain why.

“Texas Motor Speedway is a track that suits my style, and we’ve always had great Tundra race trucks there which makes it easy to go fast,” said Bodine, who says the team sticks to their weekly plan when they arrive in Fort Worth, despite their outstanding performance record there. “We go to Texas and do our deal like we do every time, every race, it doesn’t matter where it is, we just go. We get the truck driving as best as we can, as fast as we can and we race to win.”

Watch Bodine the No. 30 Valvoline Tundra continue on their mission to secure the second Truck Series title for Germain Racing and Toyota on Friday, November 5th, at Texas Motor Speedway. You can watch the action on SPEED beginning 8:30 PM Eastern on Friday night. If you won’t be by a TV, set your DVR, and tune your radio dial to your local MRN affiliate. Follow Germain Racing on Twitter @GermainRacing or on the web at Germainracing.com or become a Facebook fan.

About Valvoline: Valvoline, a brand of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), has been serving American motorists longer than any other motor oil. The Valvoline family of products includes Eagle One® appearance products, Car Brite® car restoration products, Zerex® antifreeze, SynPower® performance products and MaxLife® products created for higher-mileage engines. With more than 850 locations throughout the United States, Valvoline Instant Oil Change® is a leader in serving the quick lube market.

Martin Truex Jr., OUT! Pet Care Toyota Texas Preview

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CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota driver Martin Truex Jr. hopes his successful return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series continues this weekend at the ultrafast Texas Motor Speedway. In his three 2010 starts, the two-time champion owns two top-five finishes and has led 34 laps. The Mayetta, N.J. native finished second at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Oct. 25 just 1.137 seconds behind Brad Keselowski. The Diamond-Waltrip Racing team’s first-year sponsor OUT! Pet Care, headquartered in Dallas, calls Texas Motor Speedway its home track.

QUOTES

TRUEX ON RACING IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES AT TEXAS: “What I like about running in the NASCAR Nationwide Series is there is no pressure on me and going into the race this weekend. I know I have a real shot at winning because of the quality of cars we have a Diamond-Waltrip Racing. It’s been a lot of fun working with that team and at Charlotte, we almost won the race. I expect a similar situation heading to Texas because it’s one of my favorite tracks. What I like about Texas is it takes a complete package. You have to have a great motor, a great aero package and a great chassis. Downforce is also important. It is one of the fastest places we go to and you have to like to go fast. That’s what I like about Texas. You spend a lot of time in the throttle and during the race, the key is to get your car turning well.”

ON THE DIAMOND-WALTRIP NATIONWIDE PROGRAM: “The Nationwide program at Diamond-Waltrip Racing is awesome. The cars are always really fast right off the truck. Jerry Baxter and Mike Greci have done a great job fine tuning these cars. I think DWR is one of the top Nationwide teams in the garage. Every time I have been in one of those cars this year, I have had a chance to win. I am really excited about running a few more Nationwide races this season and hopefully grabbing a win or two.”

IF RACING ON SATURDAY GIVES HIM CONFIDENCE FOR SUNDAY: “I think running the race on Saturday gives me a lot of confidence for Sunday. The cars are very different and racing on Saturday doesn’t help you with the car setup for Sunday. However, learning things about the track and understanding where the track goes throughout the Nationwide race gives you a little head start on Sunday. Figuring out which way the track goes during the race gives you a better idea as to where you need to start on Sunday. It’s definitely an advantage but for me I just enjoy driving that car. The OUT! Pet Care Toyota has been running well and they always seem to have a good car for me. Hopefully I can get into victory lane.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

· Gary and Blake Bechtel along with Michael Waltrip Racing own Diamond-Waltrip Racing that fields Toyota Camrys out of the MWR shop in Cornelius, N.C. The Bechtels have owned cars in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series since 1990. The Morgan Hill, California residents’ teams have visited victory lane 10 times in the Nationwide Series.

· Truex won Nationwide Series titles in 2004 and 2005. He became the fifth driver to win consecutive NNS championships, and the sixth to win multiple titles.

· Truex owns 100 NNS starts. He has 13 wins, 10 poles, 39 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes. The Mayetta, N.J. native, has led 1,852 laps of competition and has only scored five DNF (did not finish) in his Nationwide Series career.

· Saturday is Truex’s fourth NNS race at Texas Motor Speedway. He has started all three races from the top 10 and has a finishing average of 18th. His best finish is 10th (April 3, 2004) and he has run 570 of 600 laps of competition (95 percent). His last NNS start at the 1.5-mile track was Nov. 5, 2005.

David Reutimann Quick Facts: Texas Motor Speedway: No. 11 Rexall Toyota Camry

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DAVID REUTIMANN QUICK FACTS

Texas Motor Speedway

O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

November 6, 2010

· Rexall™ colors on the hood and David Reutimann behind the wheel of the No. 11… The No. 11 will feature primary sponsor, Rexall, this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). The orange and blue Rexall car comes to the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) as the nearly 100 year-old line of health care products makes their debut at Dollar General stores around the country. Reutimann, who brought home a hard-fought 12th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the No.11, will also be behind the wheel of the Rexall Toyota in the season finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

· Previous pole award winner at Texas Motor Speedway! Reutimann has eight NNS starts at Texas Motor Speedway with an average start of 13.5 and an average finish of 12.6. He is credited with one pole award and four top-10 finishes with 22 laps led. In April 2010, he finished eighth at TMS after starting 26th in the No. 10 Camry for Braun Racing.

· Turner Motorsports 2011 plan to be announced on Friday! Turner Motorsports will proudly announce 2011 plans for both its NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Series programs on Friday, November 5 at 2:30pm CT. The announcement will include driver and sponsor line-up as well as manufacturer and engine supplier details. The press conference will take place in the Victory Theater at the TMS Media Center.

· Braun Racing acquired by Turner Motorsports… Recently, it was announced that Turner Motorsports acquired select assets of Braun Racing. The team will continue to operate as Braun Racing for the remainder of the 2010 season. Plans for Turner Motorsports in 2011 include fielding three entries in both the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) and the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS).

Reutimann on racing at Texas Motor Speedway

“I love Texas. It’s one of my favorite racetracks. I’ve won a pole there and we’ve always run well there in the past. It’s really just one of my favorite racetracks on the circuit. It’s a great venue, the fans come out and support the racetrack and it’s a really, really fast place. It’s multi-groove so you can run on the top or on the bottom. I’m looking forward to the weekend coming up. I’m excited to get in the Rexall Camry and contend for the win for Rexall and Dollar General!”

Follow the No. 11 Rexall Team on Twitter! http://twitter.com/No11BraunRacing

Follow David Reutimann on Twitter! http://twitter.com/DavidReutimann

Become a Braun Racing fan on Facebook! http://facebook.com/BraunRacingFans

Equipment Information

The No. 11 Rexall team will battle for the win with chassis No. BR044 this weekend at TMS. This chassis last hit the track at Auto Club Speedway with driver James Buescher where he finished 17th after starting in the 18th position.

Career NASCAR Nationwide Series

NNS Stats at Texas Motor Speedway

No. Starts: 119

Wins: 1

Top-5 Finishes: 17

Top-10 Finishes: 43

Poles: 3

Average Start: 17.1

Average Finish: 15.6

Laps Led: 503

No. Starts: 8

Wins: 0

Top-5 Finishes: 0

Top-10 Finishes: 4

Average Start: 13.5

Average Finish: 12.6

Laps Led: 22

Carl Edwards Texas Fast Facts

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Carl Edwards – NSCS TEXAS ADVANCE

Team: No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion

Crew Chief: Bob Osborne

Chassis: RK-705 Last raced at Dover, Sept. ‘10 – finished fifth

Edwards, NSCS at Texas Motor Speedway:

Date Event S F Laps Led Status Money

4-19-10 Samsung Mobile 500 20 33 317/334 0 Accident $122,498

11-8-09 Dickies 500 6 39 174/334 0 Accident $146,406

4-5-09 Samsung 500 13 10 334/334 9 Running $176,579

11-2-08 Dickies 500 16 1 334/334 212 Running $496,300

4-6-08 Samsung 500 2 1 339/339 123 Running $541,150

11-4-07 Dickies 500 21 26 331/334 0 Running $108,625

4-15-07 Samsung 500 10 12 334/334 0 Running $129,975

11-5-06 Dickies 500 15 15 339/339 0 Running $120,050

4-9-06 Samsung 500 37 36 256/335 50 Accident $101,175

11-06-05 Dickies 500 30 1 334/334 82 Running $440,550

4-17-05 Samsung 500 20 19 334/334 0 Running $100,125

Races Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Led Money

Cumulative 11 3 3 4 0 476 $2,483,433

Carl Edwards on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“We’ve had great success at Texas and I love racing there. Everything is bigger in Texas – they have a huge crowd and a huge purse. If you win you get a cowboy hat and two pistols so it doesn’t get much better than that. It’s a great place to race and a great place to win. At this point in the season we’ve got three races left to finish strong and Texas is one we feel like we have an opportunity to go get a win so this race couldn’t come at a better time.”

Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“Texas is a great track for Carl, and it really seems to suit his driving style. His record there is very impressive and I’m hoping we can add to those stats this weekend. We’re taking the same car we raced at Dover which was new then and it performed quite well. It would be great to get a win before the season ends, and I think Texas is one of our best chances.”

Fast Facts

Carl Edwards will make his 12th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Texas Motor Speedway this weekend in the AAA Texas 500.

FOR THE RECORD… Edwards has accumulated three wins at the 1.5-mile Texas track, the most of any active Sprint Cup driver, and is the only driver to win both the spring and the fall races in the same season.

Edwards’ average NSCS start at Texas is 17.3 and his average finish is 17.5.

IN THE LOOP… According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics, Edwards ranks second in laps led with 476 in the past 11 races. He has also turned 268 of the track’s fastest laps, which is third best. He has a driver rating of 97.8, fifth best among active drivers.

REWIND NOVEMBER, 2009… While running 11th, Edwards had a good run on the outside line and was passing Juan Pablo Montoya. At the same time Montoya got loose and hit the left rear of the Aflac Ford. The contact sent Edwards into the wall with irreparable damage. He was unable to continue and after only 174 laps of competition he was scored in 39th place by the end of the race.

ON THE TRACK…The No. 99 team will be unloading chassis No. RK-705 at Texas this weekend. This Ford Fusion most recently raced at Dover in September where it started 10th and finished fifth. It was a new car at Dover.

Timothy Peters Ready For Return To The Lone Star State

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  • Peters at Texas…The WinStar World Casino 350 will mark Timothy Peters’ sixth career start at Texas Motor Speedway. In five previous starts Peters has earned four top-20 finishes. Earlier this season, he started 11th and finished seventh, capturing his first top-10 finish at TMS.

 

  • Bouncing Back…After a couple rough weeks Peters seems back on track. Accidents at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway left him with 26th and 34th place finishes respectively. Hoping to turn things around, Peters did just that at Talladega Superspeedway by earning a seventh place finish. That top-10 marked the #17 team’s 16th top-10 of the season in 22 events.

 

  • Every Point Counts…As the season winds down, Peters knows that every point he earns in the last three races will be critical. A top-10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway helped Peters to gain a little ground in the driver point standings. He currently sits seventh, just seven points behind sixth place and 85 points behind fifth place.  With the goal of getting back inside the top-five, Peters knows he must earn as many points as possible before the checkered flag falls at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

 

  • Crescent Tools Back On Board At Texas… The Crescent Tools logo will adorn the #17 Toyota Tundra as an associate sponsor at Texas Motor Speedway. The Crescent brand product line now consists not only of adjustable wrenches, but also a wide selection of other tools. These include several styles of pliers, ratcheting wrenches, screwdrivers, and tool sets. One of the most recent examples of Crescent innovation is the new RapidSlide™ adjustable wrench.

 

Timothy Peters on racing at Texas Motor Speedway “I’m looking forward to our return to Texas. We had a really good run going there earlier this year but I had a problem on the last restart and lost our top-five finish.  I get my favorite truck back this weekend and I’m ready to get back behind the wheel of that chassis. We need to unload strong and get that top-five finish that eluded us in June. We are doing everything we can to get back inside the top-five in points and the only way to get there is to finish in the top-five these last three weeks. I know this team is more than capable of getting it done.”

Jeff Hensley on racing at Texas Motor Speedway “Texas is one of my favorite tracks. I’ve never been able to get a win there but I’ve finished second about five times.  We had another second place run going this summer but got shuffled up on the green white checkered restart and lost some spots. If we start off like we left off there in June we should have a shot at it. The only way to win in Texas is to be better than Todd Bodine so that is our goal for this week.”

Equipment Information Timothy Peters will compete with chassis #138 in the WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis he last raced at Darlington Raceway where he started on the pole and finished 2nd.

Timothy Peters Seeks Sponsorship Partner Peters is still seeking sponsorship for his #17 Toyota Tundra. Red Horse Racing is currently running the #17 without primary sponsorship. For more information on sponsorship opportunities please contact Tom DeLoach at 704-662-0039.

TEAM DUPONT TO ‘FALL BACK’ AT TEXAS

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FORT WORTH, Texas. (November 2, 2010) – Clocks will be adjusted this weekend as Daylight Saving Time ends, but Jeff Gordon and Team DuPont will “fall back” to springtime well before Sunday.

TEAM DUPONT TO “FALL BACK” AT TEXAS Earlier this year, Gordon led a race-high 124 laps at Texas Motor Speedway before a late-race multi-car accident relegated the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion to a 31st-place finish. Setups have evolved since that event seven months ago, but Gordon and company will begin this AAA Texas 500 weekend like it is April all over again.

“We had such a great car here earlier this year that it’s hard to start off the weekend any different,” said Gordon, who is fourth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings and 207 behind the leader.

“We’ll start out the same and we’ll find out how much this sport and setups have changed since we were last here. “We’ll fine-tune it from there.” In 19 starts at the 1.5-mile track, Gordon has one win (2009), two poles (2008 and 2009), seven top-fives and nine top-10’s. The Texas track has been one of the most challenging for the No. 24 team – Gordon finished last here in 2008 – but they are much improved with a victory, a runner-up finish and the strong run earlier this year in the four races since.

“It’s a tough 1.5-mile race track because the transitions from straightaways to the corners and corners to straightaways are very challenging and abrupt,” said Gordon, who has 17 top-10’s in 2010.

“So it’s hard to get the car comfortable in those sections.  And if you get comfortable in those sections in and off the corner, how do you get the car to turn in the middle? You’re doing all those things at a 170 or 180 miles per hour, so it’s a very challenging race track. It’s been one of the most challenging for me and my race team over the years for that reason.” Whether it is the challenge of the track or the race itself, Gordon knows one variable that helps earn trips to Victory Lane. “

You never know what it’s going to take to pull off a win, but a fast race car certainly helps,” said Gordon.

“We had that in the spring and we hope to have another fast car this weekend. “I expect us to be really strong.” With a “fall back” setup that may spring the No. 24 team to victory.

Justin Allgaier, No. 12 Verizon Dodge – Texas Motor Speedway Preview

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Justin Allgaier

No. 12 Verizon Dodge Charger

Texas Motor Speedway – O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

November 6, 2010

Verizon Team News and Notes

This Week’s Verizon Dodge … Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-032 in Saturday afternoon’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway. Built new for 2010, this Dodge Charger debuted at Texas Motor Speedway in April, where Allgaier started 18th and finished 11th. The 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year then raced it at Charlotte Motor Speedway, where he started 11th and finished fourth, and at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September, where the Riverton, Ill.-native started 20th and finished 13th. Most recently, Allgaier raced this chassis to a seventh-place finish at Kansas Speedway in October.

Allgaier at Texas … In four previous NNS starts at TMS, Allgaier has recorded one top-10 finish. His best finish, 10th, came in the spring race of last year. Additionally, the 24-year-old driver has an average starting position of 14.8, an average finish of 16.8 and has completed 92.8 percent of the laps contested (742 of 800).

Through 32 Races … With 32 races of the 2010 season in the record books, Allgaier has accumulated two poles, one win, eight top-five and 19 top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 11.7 and an average finish of 11.6. Allgaier has led 221 laps of competition and has completed 97.5 percent of the laps contested (5,736 of 5,884) so far this season.

Streaking … Allgaier heads to TMS tied for the longest consecutive top-10 streak of his brief career – five races. Additionally, the third-year driver has recorded consecutive third-place finishes in the last two NNS races, at CMS and Gateway International Raceway.

Get to the Points … Allgaier ranks fourth in the NNS championship point standings heading into this weekend’s event at TMS. He trails current point leader and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski by 866 points, and third-place contender Kyle Busch by 161 points.

Best in Class … Allgaier’s fourth-place position in the point standings is best among full-time, Nationwide Series-only drivers. Allgaier leads fellow Nationwide-only driver Trevor Bayne, currently ranked eighth, by 645 points.

Dash 4 Cash Leader … Allgaier currently leads the point standings for the 2010 “Dash 4 Cash” bonus program by 32 markers over second-place contender Bayne. Heading into the fourth and final Dash race of 2010 at TMS this weekend, Allgaier is in position to claim the $75,000 bonus for NNS regulars. Should a non-eligible driver win the race, Allgaier could collect a $150,000 check from the series sponsor.

Penske Racing at Texas … In 11 previous Nationwide Series starts at Texas, Penske Racing entries have recorded one pole (Ryan Newman, 11/05), one win (Kurt Busch, 04/06), two top-five and four top-10 finishes, and have been atop the leaderboard for 192 laps.

Penske Racing in 2010 … With 32 races completed in the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded seven poles, seven wins, a combined 31 top-five and 45 top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have completed 11,619 of 11,768 laps contested, and have been atop the leaderboard for 1,367 laps with drivers Allgaier and Keselowski.

Are You Experienced? … In addition to his four previous NNS starts at the 1. 5-mile venue, Allgaier has competed in one Camping World Truck Series race at TMS, posting a 27th-place finish in November of 2005.

Cast Your Vote … Some 30,000 fans have cast their votes since July 6, and Allgaier is currently ranked among the top-five in the NNS Most Popular Driver award voting (through Wednesday, Sept. 15). Fans can visit www.nascarnationwideseries.com to vote for their favorite NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. Voting continues through Saturday, November 13.

Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Allgaier on Thursday, November 4 from 6 – 7 p.m. CDT at the Verizon Wireless store located at 12550 South Freeway in Burleson, Texas.

Justin Allgaier on Texas Motor Speedway

“Texas is a fun place. It’s a fast mile-and-a-half track that has a lot of bumps in Turns 1 and 2. It’s got very different banking characteristics than Charlotte or Atlanta. It’s a place where you race hard every lap. We’ve had some decent races there, but the fall race has always seemed to be a weak point for us. I’m not sure if it’s the weather or if it’s that we’re pushing that much harder because we know we didn’t run as well as we would have liked in the spring. I think many of the problems we’ve had have been out of our control, other than when I spun out by myself last fall. It seems like we’ve gotten all of our mistakes out of the way, and we should be all set to have a good showing this weekend at Texas.”

Crew chief Chad Walter on Texas Motor Speedway

“Texas Motor Speedway has been a track that we’ve never quite gotten a handle on. Handling and track position are the keys to success. Track position is crucial. The cars carry a lot of speed, and there’s usually two, if not three lanes by the time the race begins. Driver comfort is always the first priority, then trim in speed. It’s a great area, it’s a fan-friendly venue, and I think we’ll put on a good show for everyone this weekend.”

Justin Lofton Texas Motor Speedway Preview

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JUSTIN LOFTON QUICK FACTS

Texas Motor Speedway

WinStar World Casino 350k

November 5, 2010

Last Time Out… In last Saturday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, Justin Lofton was quietly logging laps, playing it safe in the draft early in the running of the Mountain Dew 250. But after another competitor spun in the middle of the pack, Lofton had nowhere to go, getting caught up in the wreck just 22 laps into the event. The accident caused heavy damage to Lofton’s Toyota, ending the team’s effort.

Texas Take 3… This Friday’s stop at the Texas Motor Speedway will mark Lofton’s third visit to the 1.5-mile track this season (once in Nationwide competition, and once in trucks). Track position and timing got the best of the rookie racer both times, with Lofton getting caught up in run-ins not of his doing. With confidence that the third time is the charm, Lofton and crew chief Mark Rette will turn to a reliable race truck this time around, by running the same truck that has logged multiple top-10 qualifying positions, with a best finish of fifth on a similar 1.5-mile track in Chicago.

Approaching Off Season Means Busy Schedule For Lofton… With the off season closing in, Lofton is making plans to keep busy during the nearly two-month break in racing action by planning a charity golf tournament. The Justin Lofton Inaugural Charity Golf Tournament will be held on January 22, 2011 at the Del Rio Country Club in Brawley, California. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of the Imperial Valley. As the event comes together, sign-up and event information can be found via LoftonRacing.com.

Justin Lofton on racing at Texas Speedway “I’m ready to get back to Texas and get the finish that we deserve. We’ve had some really good runs with the truck that we’ll have there this weekend, and I like racing on intermediate tracks. The guys have been working really hard all season, and we’re looking to end the season on a high note over these last three races.”

Crew Chief Mark Rette on Texas Speedway “Justin knows how to race at Texas and tracks like Texas, we just need some luck to go along with it. If we can qualify up front, log some laps, and have solid pitstops, we’ll put together a good race.”

Equipment Information Lofton will race chassis RHR65. It is the same truck Lofton raced in Kentucky and Chicagoland, qualifying within the top 10 both times, with a best finish of fifth.

Reed Sorenson Quick Facts : Texas Motor Speedway : O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

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REED SORENSON QUICK FACTS

No. 32 Dollar General Toyota

Texas Motor Speedway

O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge

November 6, 2010

Notes of Interest:

· Sorenson is set to make his seventh NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). In his six previous starts, he has three top-five finishes and has led for 31 laps. His best start of second came on April 8, 2006. He has twice scored his best finish of third at the 1.5-mile track: first in his NNS debut in Ft. Worth on April 16, 2005 and second, when the NNS last visited the speedway in April, 2010.

· Turner Motorsports 2011 plan to be announced on Friday! Turner Motorsports will proudly announce 2011 plans for both its NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Series programs on Friday, November 5 at 2:30pm CT. The announcement will include driver and sponsor line-up as well as manufacturer and engine supplier details. The press conference will take place in the Victory Theater at the TMS Media Center.

· Chassis #40 returns to Texas! The Dollar General team will unload chassis #040 this weekend at TMS. This chassis was last seen on track at Dover International Speedway (September, 2010), where Sorenson drove it to a fourth-place finish. In 12 races, the car has qualified inside of the top-10 for eight of the events and has finished outside of the top-15 only once!

· Braun Racing acquired by Turner Motorsports… Recently, it was announced that Turner Motorsports acquired select assets of Braun Racing. The team will continue to operate as Braun Racing for the remainder of the 2010 season. Plans for Turner Motorsports in 2011 include fielding three entries in both the Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series.

· The No. 32 Dollar General team is currently SIXTH in the NNS owner’s point standings.

Sorenson on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“Texas Motor Speedway is a wide track with multiple grooves that allows you to move your car around to find where it works the best. The biggest thing at Texas is to still be there at the end of the race. It’s a fast track and the racing is bumper-to-bumper, so staying out of trouble is the key. You can be sure that the racing will get dicey in the final laps as everyone who stayed clean all race, tries to get the win.”

Sorenson on returning to Texas with the Dollar General team:

“As we’re winding down the season, I think as a team, we are working well together. Our communication is good and our pit crew is consistent. I’m looking forward to heading back to Texas with these guys. We had a solid Nationwide Series car there in April and we’re bringing that same one back this weekend. We’ve had a lot of success with this particular car. It has become ‘old reliable’ in our stable of Dollar General Toyotas so hopefully we can put it into Victory Lane this weekend before these cars become obsolete next year as we start racing the ‘New Car’ full-time.”

Reed Sorenson Statistics

Texas Motor Speedway

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Season-at-a-Glance (2010)

No. Starts: 6

First Start: April 16, 2005

Best Start: 2nd (April, 2006)

Best Finish: 3rd (April, 2005 & April, 2010)

Average Start: 17.8

Average Finish: 15.7

DNFs: 1

Laps: 1064 / 1206 (88.2%)

Laps Led: 31

No. Starts: 25

Best Start: 2nd (Richmond, April)

Best Finish: 2nd (Nashville, April and Gateway, July)

Average Start: 13.3

Average Finish: 11.8

DNFs: 3

Laps: 4702 / 5056 (93.0%)

Laps Led: 74

Top-5 Finishes: 8

Top-10 Finishes: 19

Gil Martin Named WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race at Talladega Superspeedway

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Roswell, GA (November 2, 2010) – Gil Martin, crew chief for the No. 29 Realtree Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s AMP Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.

Twice during the event, Harvick suffered cosmetic damage to his machine, but Martin and company made the necessary repairs to help the No. 29 to a runner-up finish behind teammate Clint Bowyer.

The first incident saw Harvick swerve to the apron to miss teammate Jeff Burton’s car (which was spun out by Dale Earnhardt, Jr.). Damage was done to the side-skirts and splitter. Still on the lead lap in 22nd just three laps later, Marcos Ambrose spun directly into the path of Harvick, who plowed into the side of his Ambrose’s car.

More damage was suffered to the nose and right front fender, but just like after the first incident, the Martin-led crew worked on the car continuously (over four pit stops) to make it the best if could be aerodynamically. As a result, Harvick’s battered machine miraculously marched through the pack and wound up second in a photo finish.

“Gil made critical decisions on what repairs had to be done to No. 29,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative Jeff Hammond. “The repairs that were made proved to be efficient as Kevin’s torn up race car remained super competitive. There was a late-race caution with eight laps to go and I give credit to Gil for keeping Kevin on the track, trusting that the repairs that were made with more than 30 laps left would remain in tact. They were able to keep track position instead of going back to the rear of the field.”

WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Results

Todd Berrier, Burton and the No. 31 CAT team finished a disappointing 41st after the spin ignited by Earnhardt, Jr. Burton started fifth and was a strong contender all day. His day ended after the altercation with the fourth-turn wall on lap 133 of the 188-lap event.

Frank Kerr, crew chief of the No. 47 Camry driven by Ambrose, rebounded from the spin (which began from a tap from eventual winner Bowyer) and came home 34th after extensive repairs on pit road.
WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Team
Berrier, Kerr and Hammond, along with representatives from the WYPALL Wipers brand, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners. In addition to the $500 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week.  The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at season’s end.
 
Former winners of the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge include Tony Eury, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), Robbie Reiser (Matt Kenseth), Doug Richert (Greg Biffle), Mike Ford (Denny Hamlin) and Chad Knaus (Johnson).

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 provide race teams with a number of products that demonstrate 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. 
 
The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the 2010 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.

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