The Rick Santorum for President campaign will return to a Front Row Motorsports Ford for a second consecutive week at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway this weekend, this time on the No. 38 Ford of driver David Gilliland. The Republican candidate will continue to appeal to racing fans after a successful campaign aboard the team’s No. 26 Ford for the Daytona 500.
The candidate’s campaign messaging will be on the hood and quarter panels of Gilliland’s Ford Fusion during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ second race of the 2012 season, the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at the one-mile oval in Avondale, Ariz.
Gilliland has 11 Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix, which the Southern California native considers a home track. His top finish at the desert raceway is 15th (2008). He earned a 23rd-place finish at the rain-delayed, season-opening Daytona 500 on Monday after being collected in a multi-car accident in the closing laps of the race. His No. 38 Ford ran strong all evening and he was charging toward the front when he was caught up in the final wreck of the night.
Sunday’s race airs on FOX with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. (ET) and on the Motor Racing Network beginning at 2 p.m. (ET).
Comments from Santorum for President team driver David Gilliland going to Phoenix:
“It’s great that the Santorum campaign got such a great boost out of being on one of our cars last week at Daytona. Those of us who are in the sport know that NASCAR is a great way to reach millions of people, and it’s good to see that they saw that benefit. It’s actually pretty cool to know that our sport is playing a role in something as important as a presidential election. It sounds kind of cliché but it’s true – you don’t get much more American than the sport of NASCAR. It’s cool to have them with us.
“We had a really strong car at Daytona. Even though we got into a wreck in the qualifying race, our backup car for the 500 was really strong – fastest in final practice and everything. So, we knew we had a shot at something in the race Monday. Unfortunately, like so many other people, we got caught up in a wreck right at the very end.
“Phoenix is like a home track to me because it’s so close to my hometown of Riverside, Calif., and I did a lot of racing there early in my career in the West Series, so it’s ‘old stomping grounds’ for me. We always have lots of friends and family to see when we go out to Phoenix.
“Front Row Motorsports as a team is really looking to make some strides in our intermediate-track program this season. We know we’re strong on the restrictor-plate tracks, the road courses and short tracks, but we have some work to do on the mile- and mile-and-a-half tracks. But (crew chief) Pat Tryson and the guys have been working hard on our Phoenix car, so we feel like we’re as prepared as we can be for this first test. We’re feeling pretty good that this will be a good start for us.”
FRM PR
- Talladega Superspeedway Weekend Schedule - April 14, 2024
- Odd Tony Stewart Talladega Post Race Q&A - May 7, 2012
- Team Chevy Post Talladega Race Rundown - May 7, 2012