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Surprising and Not Surprising: Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono

By
SM Staff
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On a weekend where the patriarch of Pocono Raceway, Doc Mattioli, dramatically announced his retirement and sporadic rain made both the NASCAR Camping World Truck race and the ARCA Series race two-day events, it was no wonder that there was drama aplenty in the 38th Annual Good Sam RV Insurance 500.

[media-credit id=43 align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the Long Pond, Pennsylvania track known affectionately as the ‘Tricky Triangle’.

Surprising:  Although known for his victory lap celebrations displaying a large American flag, it was surprising how the race winner put aside both the celebration and the pain of his broken ankle to patriotically pay tribute to the lives of the troops lost this weekend.

Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, climbed gingerly from his race car after taking the checkered flag to pay tribute to the Navy Seals and all who protect the country.

“I’m no hero,” Keselowski said. “The heroes are the guys that died in Afghanistan this weekend. And I want to spend time thinking about them.”

“I have a cousin in the Navy Seals,” Keselowski said. “It was really inspirational to me.  That’s what it means to man up.”

“They were my inspiration for this weekend,” Keselowski continued. “I’m glad that we could win today but those are the heroes. I just drive race cars.”

This was Keselowski’s third victory in 74 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and his second victory in the 2011 season. This was also Keselowski’s first victory at Pocono Raceway.

Not Surprising:  With Keselowski’s set up in his car, it was no surprise that his teammate Kurt Busch, behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Dodge, finished third. This was Busch’s 12th top-10 finish in 22 races at Pocono Raceway.

Although Kurt Busch did everything he could after the race to deflect the attention, it was also not surprising that he had the most significant altercation in the race, on and off the track. Busch got into it with five-time champ Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, as the two battled for position late in the race.

“Today was definitely a hard fought battle,” Busch said. “We were hanging on to it at the end. And I brought her home third.”

“We had a good battle all day, especially at the end with the 48,” Busch said. “We’ve had our battles and a lot of times I come out on the short end of the stick. But what I saw today was good hard racing.”

“That’s what race fans love to see, that’s what they bought this ticket for, that’s what they’re sitting in the grandstands, rooting on their favorite driver for to see him get out there, mix it up clean, and bring it home, just like what we were third and fourth.”

Surprising:  At a track the he admittedly does not do well at and after spinning in the early laps of the race, as well as being penalized for pitting too soon, it was surprising to see the other Busch brother, Kyle, finish in the runner up position. This was the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota driver’s fifth top-10 finish in four races at Pocono but his 13th top-10 finish in 2011.

“The guys were flawless this weekend,” Busch said. “We worked real hard at it and it was fast.”

“That last caution killed us,” Busch continued. “I was really hoping to see it go green the rest of the way. Our car was fast out front.”

“All in all, it was a great day to come in second at one of my worst tracks.”

This was the second race of the day in which Busch finished second. He was also the bridesmaid to Kevin Harvick in the Camping World Truck Series race, held over due to the rain.

Not Surprising:  Speaking of weather, it was not surprising to see it impact the race, which ended up being was halted for a rain delay lasting one hour, 40 minutes and 46 second. Principal among those drivers who suffered the consequences of the precipitation was pole sitter Joey Logano.

The driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet not only started the race in front but was in the lead when the rains came pouring down. In spite of doing every rain dance possible, Pocono Raceway got the track dry and the race resumed. Logano, however, did not resume well,  struggling after the race restart, cutting a right rear tire down late in the race and finishing 26th.

“We just had a flat,” Greg Zipadelli, Logano’s crew chief, said. “You can’t predict that.”

Surprising:  Teammates Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, and Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, had their hopes for a good race weekend surprisingly dashed at the ‘Tricky Triangle.’

Vickers suffered an engine failure early in the race and suffered his first DNF since Talladega, officially finishing 39th.

“We lost an engine,” Vickers said dejectedly. “It was tough. I think we had a good car.”

“We just haven’t had things go our way.”

Teammate Kahne also did not have things go his way. He got into a late race collision with Juan Pablo Montoya and finished 28th.

“We started the weekend off pretty strong,” Kahne said. “But in the race we just were behind.”

“It definitely wasn’t what I expected, especially for a team that’s run so well here in the past.”

Not Surprising:  Since Jeff Gordon  won the June 12th Pocono race, it was not surprising to see him power his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet back from a qualifying encounter with the wall to finish top ten in the August 7th Pocono race.

“I’m happy with our finish considering were we started, deep in the field,” Gordon said.

It was also not surprising that his fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammates had good finishes as well, with Jimmie Johnson in fourth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in 9th and Mark Martin in 13th.

“We had a good car all day long and I’m real happy how that worked out,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said.

Surprising:  With all the focus on ‘Iron Man’ Keselowski for gutting out his win and the new feud brewing between five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and one-time champion Kurt Busch, the driver of the No. 27 Certain Teed/Menards Chevrolet went surprisingly unnoticed.

Yet Paul Menard followed up his surprising win from last week at the Brickyard with a tenth place finish at Pocono.

“It was a good follow-up to last week’s win,” Menard said. “We fought hard for this top-10 finish.”

Not Surprising:  It was not surprising that the three turns of Pocono wreaked havoc with many drivers, most significantly the driver of the No. 6 UPS Ford. David Ragan brought out the second caution early in the race when he spun, heavily damaging the back end of his car.

“I was probably a little too aggressive this early in the race,” Ragan said. “I ran out of race track and didn’t have enough room to chase it.”

With his 34th place finish, David Ragan not surprisingly became NASCAR’s biggest loser, plummeting three positions in the point standings to 19th, all but shattering his Chase hopes.

Surprising:  There were a surprising number of lead changes, however, they were primarily due to green flag pit stops and not passing on the track. Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota, had the lead four times for 65 laps and yet, in spite of that, still finished a surprisingly poor 15th at a track where he has excelled in the past.

Not Surprising:  Given the intensity of the restarts, especially on the long Pocono straightaway, it was not surprising to see yet another driver get bit by a changing lanes before the start-finish line penalty. Greg Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M/811 Ford, was assessed a pass through penalty, yet was able to learn from his mistakes, overcome it, and rebound to finish 8th.

 

NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Pocono

By
Jeffrey Boswell
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Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Carl Edwards: Edwards finished seventh at Pocono, just days after signing a multi-year contract extension with Roush Fenway Racing, leading two laps on the way to his 13th top-10 result of the year. He remains atop the Sprint Cup point standings, and leads Jimmie Johnson by 11.

“Jack Roush went ‘all in,’” Edwards said. “Now, he’s ‘all out,’ and I’m a very rich and happy man. He made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I put my name on the dotted line. That’s called a ‘dollar sign.’”

[media-credit id=43 align=”alignright” width=”226″][/media-credit]But how about that finish in Saturday’s Nationwide Series U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway, in which I crashed into and pushed Ricky Stenhouse’s car across the finish line. What a great time for Nationwide insurance to push their ‘accident forgiveness’ promotion.”

2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson posted his seventh top-5 finish of the year, taking fourth in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono. Johnson and Kurt Busch scrapped for third place during the final laps, and after the race, the two exchanged words and had to be separated by their crews. Johnson is second in the point standings, 11 behind Carl Edwards.

“Kurt Busch is a lot like a cosmetic surgeon’s scalpel,” Johnson said. “He really knows how to get under your skin. Lucky for him, I have compassion for a driver whose personal life is obviously in turmoil. Kurt is just a few weeks removed from marital breakup; I didn’t want him to get ‘dumped’ again, so I held back.”

It’s true that Kurt and I had to be separated by our crews. And it’s also true that Kurt and I are separated by four Sprint Cup championships.”

3. Kyle Busch: Busch chased Brad Keselowski down the stretch at Pocono, but was unable to catch the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, falling short of his fourth win of the year and instead settling for the runner-up spot. Busch improved one spot in the point standings and is now 16 out of first.

“In a footrace,” Busch said, “the result would have surely been different. But let’s give Keselowski credit for dealing with the pain, and by ‘pain’ I don’t mean his teammate, and my brother, Kurt Busch. Brad puts the ‘Ow!’ in Keselowski.”

4. Kurt Busch: Busch outdueled Jimmie Johnson for third at Pocono, banging doors down the stretch in a battle that continued after the race. Busch and Johnson argued vehemently after the race and had to be pulled apart by their respective crews. Busch improved two spots in the point standings to fourth and is now 14 out of first.

“They say the No. 48 crew is one of NASCAR’s best,” Busch said. “I agree. Not only did they keep Johnson out of trouble, they also did the same for me, because without their intervention, I likely would have been punched.”

But I refuse to back down from Johnson. And I’ll tell him that. I’ll speak my mind, and say to him the same thing I would say to my most bitter rival, or my car owner, or the former Penske technical director. I have a dirty mind, and I’m not afraid to speak it.”

5. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished a mediocre 14th at Pocono, his fourth-consecutive finish outside the top-10. Since winning atCharlotte in late May, Harvick’s best finish is a fifth, and while he’s still considered a championship contender, he needs to rekindle his winning ways before the Chase starts.

“I’ve got three wins on the year,” Harvick said, “and not much else lately. It’s known around here as the Harvick ‘win or else’ strategy.”

But if I need a good kick in the behind, recent history tells us that Richard  Childress is probably good for it.”

6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon overcame a poor qualifying effort, starting 31st, on the way to a solid finish of sixth at Pocono, his tenth top-10 result of the year. He remained seventh in the Sprint Cup point standings, and is 52 out of first.

“Did you see the size of Brad Keselowski’s broken left ankle?” Gordon said. “With that being said, let me congratulate him on such a ‘swell’ victory.”

7. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth faced handling issues and faltering brakes at Pocono, yet recovered late in the race to finish 16th. Kenseth fell one spot in the point standings to sixth, and is now 26 behind Carl Edwards.

“What’s the significance of Jack Roush’s lucrative offer to Carl Edwards here at Roush Fenway?” Kenseth asked. “Well, it means there’s at least one person who wants Carl around.”

8. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished 11th in the Good Sam RV Insurance 500, following Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Ryan Newman, who finished fifth, across the line at Pocono. Stewart overcame a flat tire early in the race, falling a lap down, before rallying to nearly crack the top 10.

“Let’s hear it for Brad Keselowski,” Stewart said. “The guts it must take to not only drive, but win, with a broken foot. It appears nothing can stop young Keselowski, except a wall at Road Atlanta.”

9. Ryan Newman: Newman finished fifth at Pocono, scoring his seventh top-5 result of the year. He remained eighth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 62 out of first and a well-cushioned 40 point edge over Denny Hamlin in 11th.

“I imagine Brad Keselowski had to be gentle with his broken left ankle,” Newman said. “For that kind of courage, Tony Stewart and I commend him. That’s something I think neither Tony nor I would be able to do, because, as our personalities suggest, we’ve never ‘pussy-footed’ around anything.”

10. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took an unlikely victory, winning at Pocono despite a broken left ankle suffered in a scary crash at Road Atlanta on Monday. Keselowski zoomed past Kyle Busch on a lap 185 restart and held off Busch over the final 15 laps. It was Keselowski’s second victory of the year, and placed him in prime position to claim a Chase For The Cup wildcard spot.

“I guess it’s now a good thing to be called a ‘wildcard,’” Keselowski said. “Sure, my win at Pocono was a surprising one. Surprising not because a driver won with a broken foot. Surprising because a driver was taking legal pain killers.”

HOORAHS AND WAZZUPS: ONE DRIVER ROSE ABOVE THE PAIN AT POCONO WHILE OTHERS LEFT THERE FEELING THE PAIN

By
SM Staff
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We’ve often heard the stories regarding professional athletes playing hurt and how they use a strong mental focus to overcome the high levels of pain from a physical injury. Brad Keselowski certainly proved how that theory can work. Then there were other drivers who rolled into the garage area after the race feeling the pain of a disappointing afternoon in Pocono and the impact it had on their chances of making the Sprint Cup Chase For The Championship. Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, things got pretty interesting in Iowa. With those thoughts in mind, let’s begin this week with:

[media-credit id=43 align=”alignright” width=”243″][/media-credit]HOORAH to Brad Keselowski for scoring his second win of the season at Pocono despite having to drive a 500 mile race while dealing with the massive pain from a broken ankle and a back injury sustained from a practice crash at Road Atlanta earlier in the week. There were video clips of Keselowski climbing in and out of his car and you could literally see the pain in the man’s eyes. Then to have to drive 500 miles around one of the most physically demanding race tracks on the NASCAR schedule, while working the clutch and brake pedals with a broken ankle, is just unimaginable.

HOORAH to Penske Racing for having the wisdom to fly in Keselowski’s Charlotte-North Carolina based chiropractor to assist the driver with treatments. This decision really loomed large during the approximate one hour and forty minute rain delay in the race which allowed the doctor to give his patient an additional adjustment in the comfort of Keselowski’s motor home.

HOORAH to Paul Wolfe, the winning crew chief, for a gutsy call from the pit box that provided his driver the track position to win the race.

A HOORAH also goes out to the Miller Lite crew for some great pit service that also helped with track position.

HOORAH for Keselowski’s win at Pocono elevating his status as a contender for the Chase. His second win moved him from 21st to 18th in the points standings and he’s now the top seed for one of the wild card berths. The wild card system states that the two drivers with the most wins, while maintaining a points position between 11th and 20th, will become the 11th and 12th seed in the Chase line up.

Let’s send yet another HOORAH to NASCAR for implementing this wild card procedure into the Chase system. The concept has more than done its job. It has us all paying attention and excitedly talking about the various Chase scenarios.

During the victory lane interview Keselowski was referred to as a hero for winning this grueling while under a high level of pain. He quickly responded with a reference to a record high 30 U.S. servicemen who died during an attack in Afghanistan the day before. “I’m no hero,” he said adding “the heroes are the guys who died in Afghanistan this weekend and I want to spend time thinking about them.” Keselowski gets a double HOORAH for that very classy statement.

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In a Pocono storyline that we’re going to be hearing about all week long, WAZZUP with that personal moment between drivers Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch during the final moments of the race? At first it appeared to be a case of hard racing between two drivers who were trying to claim third place. However, as the moments unfolded, it quickly became apparent that this situation was getting very personal and the on again off again feud between these two drivers, that dates back to the Infineon Speedway race in 2009, has been rekindled. With the next stop on the Sprint Cup being the Watkins Glen road course can you imagine the possibilities? Now there’s a place where a driver can do the bump and run and make it look like an accident.

WAZZUP with those constant comments that claims Jimmie Johnson is vanilla? I’m not exactly sure what that even means. If it turns out that vanilla means exercising self control, especially during a live television interview, after a race then I suppose it might apply here. When Johnson was standing in Busch’s face on pit road, I didn’t notice anyone serving vanilla ice cream. It also occurs to me that if Jimmie Johnson is indeed vanilla then Kurt Busch must be extra hot Tabasco Sauce.

WAZZUP with the members of Kurt Busch’s pit crew not getting in between these two drivers? Generally, when these post race square offs occur, at least one crew member will place himself between the drivers to insure a verbal argument doesn’t turn physical. The members of the Busch team remained a few feet behind their driver during the entire confrontation. Could it be that they truly believed  the vanilla driver wasn’t actually going to throw a punch? Or perhaps it was something else.

(Cinch up your seat belts NASCAR conspiracy theorists, you’re going to love this one.) Kurt Busch is well known for taking out his on track frustrations on his team members via his in car radio system. In fact, some of those comments bring brand new levels to the term verbal abuse. Is it just possible that the Busch crew members thought we’ll give Johnson one punch before we step in because our guy deserves it? It’s one of those things that makes you say “hmmm” seconds before you yell “WAZZUP ?”

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We all know that Joey Logano’s first ever NASCAR Sprint Cup win came following a race that was called due to rain. After a strong performance during the first half of the Pocono event a red flag came out due to heavy rain with Logano in the lead. I truly believed they were going to call the race and send Logano to victory lane. I even wrote the headline “Deja Vu, The Rain Man Strikes Again.” WAZZUP with Mother Nature spreading sunshine all over the place that ended that rain delay? Logano was never a factor again during the second half of the race and finished 26th.

HOORAH to the Pocono Sprint Cup race for not turning into another fuel mileage event. Those drivers were racing hard at the end of the event and it was a pleasant change of pace from what we’ve seen lately.

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HOORAH to Ricky Stenhouse Jr for that stunning NASCAR Nationwide Series win at the Iowa Speedway. The Roush Fenway Racing Ford driver scored his second win of the season with both of them occurring in Iowa.

A combined WAZZUP/HOORAH goes to the stunning finish of the Iowa race.

WAZZUP with Stenhouse blowing an engine several yards from the checkered flag? Team mate Carl Edwards was right behind him and tried to take evasive action to avoid a hit and steal the race during the final few yards to the finish line. Unfortunately, Edwards tires got into the oil from his team mate’s car and he hit the rear of the Stenhouse car hard. Fortunately, the impact caused both cars to slide under the checkers for their fifth one-two finish of the season. The margin of victory was a mere 66-one thousandths of a second. Stenhouse had to take his victory lap in the back of a speedway emergency truck. Afterwards Stenhouse’s crew chief, Mike Kelly, walked up to Edwards and thanked him for the push.

The HOORAH part of this story is for the sheer stunning excitement of the finish to this race.

WAZZUP with the contact between Edwards and Stenhouse that clearly wasn’t just a racing deal? With 82 laps left in the race the team mates were racing hard for the lead when there was contact between their two cars. The contact continued and it became quickly apparent that this situation was getting very personal. At one point Stenhouse came over his radio and said “when I get to him he’s done.” Crew chief Mike Kelly came over the radio in an attempt to calm his young driver down. This is not the first time these two drivers have been seen beating and banging on each other. But the one comment that convinced us all this incident had become personal came from a radio sound bite, picked up by ESPN Television, between team owner Jack Roush and Carl Edwards. Roush asked “Carl, are you all right?” His driver replied “I’m good Jack, we’re even.”

WAZZUP with Nationwide Series garage rumors that states Stenhouse truly believes that Edwards doesn’t really like him?

The Iowa event was part of the Nationwide Dash 4 Cash program, a special four race promotion for series regulars that pays a $100,000 bonus to the highest finisher among the four drivers eligible for the program. HOORAH to Turner Motorsports driver Reed Sorenson for winning the bonus for the second race in a row. If Sorenson can maintain this pace, he could wind up collecting a cool one million dollar bonus from Nationwide Insurance at the conclusion of the four race competition.

HOORAH to the Iowa Speedway for again selling out all of their seats for this race. That is also proof positive that the NASCAR Nationwide Series, as well as the Camping World Truck Series, deserves more stand alone events that allows them to shine.

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In some final comments HOORAH to Kevin Harvick for winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Pocono Raceway under some lengthy circumstances. The race began on a Saturday but was postponed by rain after 17 laps. Harvick had to wait to Sunday to get the win in his self owned Chevrolet Truck. He led a race high 44 laps, of the scheduled 125, but had to fend off rival Kyle Busch in a green-white-checker finish.

HOORAH to Johnny Sauter for his fourth place finish that kept him on top of the truck series’ points standings. The post Iowa standings showed Sauter with a five point advantage over Austin Dillon.

WAZZUP with Sauter’s truck failing to pass post race inspection? The right rear of the truck was reported to be too high. The penalty that’s certain to come is going to cost him the points lead.

WAZZUP with that NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race hauler that completely wiped out the flag stand at the Pocono Raceway? While coming down the speedway’s front stretch, en route to their assigned parking space in the garage area, the hauler somehow hit the flag stand. The hauler belonged to the #66 Turn One Racing Team owned by Stacey Compton. The raceway maintenance squad had to make quick work of erecting a temporary flag stand. I bet it was fun explaining that one to the insurance company.

Sadly, our final item this week is a GOD BLESS for the family of NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick. His mother, Mary Hendrick, passed away at a Charlotte-North Carolina hospital this past Monday at the age of 88. This grand lady, fondly known as “Miss Mary”, was the registered team owner of the Hendrick Motorsports #25 Chevrolet from 2005 through 2007. In 2008, she was listed as the owner of the #5 HMS Chevrolet. She officially has seven NASCAR Sprint Cup wins as a team owner including five, in the 2009 season, by driver Mark Martin. Our sincere condolences goes out to the Hendrick family during this sad time.

Team Lowe’s Racing – Team 48 Watkins Glen International Preview

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Kevin Harvick and No. 29 Budweiser Team Watkins Glen Advance

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GORDON HAS RACE ‘GAP’ ENTERING WATKINS GLEN

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Alex Kennedy to take twists of Watkins Glen in No. 23 Primalyn Enterprises/Dream Factory Chevrolet

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Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NSCS Race Advance – Watkins Glen

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STEVE WALLACE / 5-HOUR ENERGY RACING NEWS AND NOTES: WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL

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. This Week’s 5-Hour Energy Toyota … Steve Wallace will pilot Rusty Wallace Racing chassis RWR-052 in Saturday afternoon’s Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. Built new for the 2011 season, this Toyota Camry debuted at Road America in June, where the Greensboro, N.C.-native started sixth and led four laps before being involved in an incident that eliminated him from contention after 52 of 57 laps.

. Through 22 Races … With 22 races of the 2011 season in the record books, Wallace has accumulated one top-five, four top 10 and 11 top-15 finishes, an average starting position of 13.6 and an average finish of 16.5. Wallace has completed 97.6 percent of the laps contested (4,044 of 4,143) thus far.

. Get to the Points … Wallace is currently ranked eighth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver point standings, 66 in arrears to seventh-place driver Kenny Wallace.

. Wallace at The Glen … In four previous Nationwide Series starts at Watkins Glen, Wallace has recorded one top-10 finish and has been atop the leaderboard for two circuits. Wallace’s finishes at the Glen over the last four years have been trending in the right direction. Since finishing 34th in his first appearance in August of 2007, Wallace has recorded finishes of 28th, 12th and ninth, respectively.

. Road Course Averages … In 12 previous Nationwide Series road course starts (Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Road America, and Watkins Glen International) Wallace has four top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 12.167, an average finish of 20.167, has completed 751 of 873 of the laps contested and has led six laps.

. Welcome Aboard … 5-Hour Energy Racing welcomes Country Fair and Price Chopper as partners for this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen. Country Fair branding will adorn the TV panel of Wallace’s No. 66 Toyota in Saturday afternoon’s race, while Price Chopper logos will be displayed on the lower rear quarter panels.

. Last Time at The Glen … Wallace scored a career-best ninth-place in the 2010 running of the Zippo 200 at Watkins Glen International. The finish placed him alongside road racing ace Ron Fellows and Brad Keselowski as the only drivers to score top-ten finishes at Road America and Watkins Glen last season.

. Last Time Out … A yeoman’s effort by Wallace and the No. 66 5-Hour Energy team in last Saturday night’s U.S Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway afforded the 23-year-old driver an eighth-place finish, his second top-10 showing in four tries at the Midwest oval.

. Rusty Wallace Racing at Watkins Glen … In 11 previous Nationwide Series starts at Watkins Glen, Rusty Wallace Racing entries have recorded one pole (Kenny Wallace, 6/92), one top-five and three top-10 finishes, and have been atop the leaderboard for 10 laps.

. Rusty Wallace Racing in 2011 … With 22 of 34 races completed thus far in the 2011 season, Rusty Wallace Racing’s three NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded a combined two top-five, 10 top 10 and 23 top-15 finishes. Rusty Wallace Racing Toyotas have completed 8,756 of 9,102 laps attempted, and have been atop the leaderboard for 19 laps with drivers Michael Annett, Jason Bowles, David Reutimann and Wallace.

. Welcome Home, Eddie … Eddie D’Hondt, Jr., mechanic and rear tire carrier, is the only native New Yorker on the No. 66 5-Hour Energy team. D’Hondt was born and raised in East Islip, located about 300 miles east of Watkins Glen.

. Cast Your Vote … Voting has begun for the Most Popular Driver of the Year award in the Nationwide Series. Fans are encouraged to log onto NASCAR.com to vote for their favorite driver from the series once per day until voting ends on Thursday, November 17.

“I always seem to run well every time we race at Watkins Glen, but the finishes don’t always show that. In 2008, we were running fourth with just a few laps to go, and we ran out of gas. I really enjoy the track, the area and the history of the place. I’ve gotten accustomed to it over the years, and I always look forward to coming back.” – Steve Wallace on racing at Watkins Glen International

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ABOUT RUSTY WALLACE RACING, LLC

North Carolina-based Rusty Wallace Racing (RWR) is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary racing history of its founder, Rusty Wallace. The team currently campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys-driven by Steve Wallace and Michael Annett, respectively-in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. RWR will also campaign the No. 64 Camry in select 2011 events. RWR entries have finished among the top-ten in the Nationwide Series driver or owner standings in each of the last three seasons. For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit the award-winning rustywallace.com.

ABOUT LIVING ESSENTIALS, LLC

Farmington Hills, MI-based Living Essentials, LLC, is the maker of 5-Hour Energy, the category leader in two-ounce liquid energy shots. 5-Hour Energy is available nationwide at major retailers in the Grocery, Drug Store, Mass Merchant, Warehouse and Convenience Store classes of trade. Living Essentials sells over seven million bottles of 5-Hour Energy per week. For more information, please visit 5hourenergy.com.

Reed Sorenson Watkins Glen Quick Facts

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