Press Release - Results from #1880

Richmond International Raceway is the final race before the 10-race Chase to the Championship. The 400-lap event was delayed by rain and then red flagged for rain. Biffle qualified 23rd, but during the race managed his tires and at times was the fastest car on the track. Biffle held out on making his last stop as long as he could hoping for a caution on the track, but one never came. Others who received new tires sooner made up some ground on Biffle, but once he had his fresh Goodyears on he drove his way to a ninth-place finish. Having been the point leader with two regular season wins, seeds Biffle fifth in the Chase lineup for the final 10 races.

Biffle had his work cut out for him starting from the 23rd position, but methodically began to work his way through the field. By lap 40 he cracked the top 15 and told his team he had a ton of rear grip. Due to the race being delayed by rain, NASCAR called for a competition caution on lap 45. Biffle pitted under caution for four tires, fuel and a left-rear wedge adjustment. The 3M Pit Bulls helped him gain three spots on pit road, setting him up 10th for the restart.

Over the next run the tires wore out and Biffle held on the best he could. On lap 138 NASCAR brought out the caution for rain. Knowing the race was well short of halfway crew chief Matt Puccia called Biffle down pit road for four tires, fuel and another wedge adjustment. The rains continued and the race had to be red flagged. The red flag gave Biffle a chance to chat with Puccia and the engineers to discuss the handling on the 3M / Owens & Minor Ford.

Once the field was back to green-flag action, Biffle found himself once again just trying to manage his tires. Sure enough as other drivers’ tires faded, Biffle was able to make the pass and gain the position. Knowing they were short on fuel Puccia kept Biffle on the track as long as he could toward the end hoping for a caution to fall on the track. As other teams pitted for fresh tires, Biffle could not match their lap times on his older tires. He was one of the last cars to pit under green, but had 33 laps to get back towards the front. He charged forward and crossed the finish line ninth, while Clint Bowyer won the Federated Auto Parts 400.

“We actually ran really well here tonight,” said Biffle. “We haven’t been that great in the past. To finish ninth and we really stayed out way too long on that one run trying to catch a caution so we were just experimenting and gambling. We would have been in the top five. We are excited about that. We learned a bit I think and it should help us at Loudon.”

Roush Fenway PR

Joe Denette Motorsports (JDM) is pleased to announce the addition of Smokey Mountain Snuff, America's original and best-selling tobacco-free smokeless brand, to the Ron Hornaday-driven No. 9 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) entry as both a primary and associate sponsor in selected events throughout the remainder of the 2012 NCWTS season.

Smokey Mountain Snuff will debut as the primary sponsor on Hornaday's Chevrolet Silverado in this weekend's American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway on September 15. They will rejoin the No. 9 entry as primary sponsor for the Smith's 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on September 29 and the Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 16.

Smokey Mountain Snuff will join the lineup as an associate sponsor on Hornaday's No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado for the WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 2.

"Smokey Mountain is excited to be a part of NASCAR, and the Joe Denette Motorsports Team," said Dave Savoca, President of Smokey Mountain Chew, Inc. "We believe that the No. 9 truck and Ron Hornaday, Jr. in particular, are a perfect fit for the Smokey Mountain brand. Ron is a proven winner, and more importantly, the type of person that we want representing us on and off the track."

Smokey Mountain Chew, Inc. is the World's largest non-tobacco smokeless company, and the category innovator. Smokey Mountain invented tobacco-free snuff as a nicotine-free chewing tobacco option for adult consumers as well as an aid to help people quit chewing tobacco. Smokey Mountain is dedicated to providing the best tobacco-free smokeless alternatives on the market, in the flavors that adult consumers demand.

"We are looking forward to a new partnership with Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff," said Ron Hornaday, "they are a small but growing company and we are happy to show them how a NASCAR partnership with Joe Denette Motorsports can help build their brand. Smokey Mountain is not only a great fit with our team, but a great fit for our sport and our series. We are happy to introduce our fans to this great industry-leading product."

JDM PR

Ryan Newman staged a valiant effort in the final race before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but a good night at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway just wasn’t good enough for Newman and the No. 39 Quicken Loans team in the Federated Auto Parts 400.

Coming into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ regular-season finale Saturday night, Newman and his Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team knew they could only make the 12-driver, 10-race Chase one way – by winning. And for a while during the 400-lap race around the .75-mile oval, it looked as if Newman and his No. 39 Quicken Loans team would engineer an amazing rally to take the second of two wild-card spots and advance into the Chase.

Despite driving from his 14^th-place starting spot to take the lead on lap 300 and stay out front for 13 laps, Newman wound up eighth when the checkered flag dropped.

“It’s just disappointing,” said Newman, who earned his ninth top-10 finish of the season despite missing the Chase. “I really don’t know what to say. We really gave it all we had out there with our Quicken Loans Chevrolet. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t our year to make the Chase. Now we have to go out there and do what we have to do to be the best of the rest these next 10 races.”

Newman and his team knew that earning a wild-card spot in the Chase was a tall order. It was “Win, and you’re in” for the No. 39 team.

Making the job even harder was a racecar that from the drop of the green flag was tight in the center of the track’s corners and loose on exit. The car’s inability to roll through the center thwarted Newman’s efforts to move toward the front.

Nonetheless, crew chief Tony Gibson and the Quicken Loans crew tuned the chassis with each opportunity, making a series of air pressure, wedge and track bar adjustments during each scheduled pit stop. The adjustments helped incrementally, but Newman still had to manhandle his car throughout the 400-lap race.

He went a lap down early as the leaders set a torrid pace, but Newman tenaciously kept those he was racing against at bay and remained the first car one lap down when the caution flag waved on lap 139. Newman was awarded the Lucky Dog and returned to the lead lap.

Later in the race, Newman was assessed a pit road penalty when an errant tire escaped from the grasp of his crew during a green-flag pit stop on lap 232. Then Newman – who had been running in seventh place before the pit stop – had to go to the tail end of the longest line on lap 239 and restart the race in 15^th place.

When the caution flag waved on lap 277 for rain, Newman was 14^th. He pitted for four tires, fuel and wedge and track bar adjustments. With a quick stop by his Quicken Loans crew, Newman restarted in ninth.

Thanks to fresh tires, better track position and a much-improved racecar, Newman moved into the top-five shortly after the lap-283 restart. And when he took the lead on lap 300, it marked the first time he had led a race since his victory April 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

Unfortunately, Newman couldn’t hold on to the lead. The faster cars he had beaten with pit strategy finally caught him on the track, and he drifted back to eighth. While still a strong finish, it wasn’t the win Newman and Co. needed to earn a coveted wild-card spot in the Chase.

Newman’s SHR teammate, Tony Stewart, finished fourth in the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet. Stewart claimed a Chase berth prior to Richmond, as his three wins already this season guaranteed him at least a wild-card spot. Three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Stewart stayed among the top-10 in points to grab the third seed in this year’s Chase.

Richmond marked the seventh time this season the SHR duo has finished in the top-10 together. Prior to Richmond, Newman and Stewart finished among the top-10 March 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 25 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., April 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, July 7 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, July 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Aug. 5 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

Clint Bowyer won the Federated Auto Parts 400 to score his seventh career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his second at Richmond.

Jeff Gordon finished 1.198 seconds behind Bowyer in the runner-up spot, while Mark Martin, Stewart and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Jeff Burton, Brad Keselowski, Newman, Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were six caution periods for 41 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the 400-lap race, which was twice delayed by rain.

The top-10 drivers in points are eligible to compete in the Chase, along with two wild-card drivers – Kasey Kahne and Gordon – who were admitted to the Chase field by having the most wins among the drivers who were between 11^th and 20^th in the standings. NASCAR recalibrated the points for the 12 drivers as soon as the Richmond race was over, with each driver getting 2,000 points. With the exception of wild-card entrants Kahne and Gordon, drivers also received three bonus points for each of their respective wins during the 26-race regular season. For drivers starting the Chase with identical point totals, their seed was determined by the traditional tiebreaker of best finishes beyond race victories.

TSC PR

Tony Stewart needed a strong run and he got it Saturday night at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) rallied from his 28^th-place starting spot in the Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race to lead 15 laps before finishing fourth. It was Stewart’s 10^th top-five finish of 2012 – but first since finishing fifth five races ago at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway – and his 19^th top-10 in 28 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. Stewart also led 15 laps to bring his laps-led total at the .75-mile oval to 950.

“To start from 28^th and have to work our way up, it makes for a long night,” said Stewart, who won at Richmond in September 1999, May 2001 and May 2002. “Really proud of Steve Addington (crew chief) and all of our guys at Stewart-Haas Racing. That is what you have to do to win a championship. After last year, you can’t count anybody out. All 12 guys have a good shot right now.”

The effort secured Stewart’s position among the top-10 in points, putting him in the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the eighth time in his career. Stewart is seeded third, as his three regular-season wins give him nine bonus points (three points per win) to start the 10-race Chase, which begins Sept. 16 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

Stewart won the Chase in 2005 and 2011 to collect his second and third Sprint Cup championships, respectively. (Stewart’s first championship came in 2002 under the old NASCAR Winston Cup Series format.)

“Knowing that it came down to one point at the end of last year, those nine points are huge right now,” said Stewart, alluding to the most resent Sprint Cup championship he won over Carl Edwards, which was decided on a tiebreaker, as each driver ended the season with the same amount of points, but Stewart earned the title by virtue of his five wins trumping Edwards’ lone victory. “It’s proof. Nine points doesn’t sound like a lot. Three points doesn’t sound like a lot. But when it came down to the last night, one point was the biggest number you’ve ever seen in your life. These nine points – it was a big deal for us tonight to make sure we stayed in the top-10, and make sure we got those bonus points and didn’t lose them.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet for SHR, finished eighth to notch his ninth top-10 finish of 2012 and his 13^th top-10 in 22 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. Newman had to win at Richmond in order to earn one of the two wild-card spots for the Chase, and while a valiant effort was made as Newman led laps 300-312, he missed out on making the Chase.

However, Newman’s top-10 run marked the seventh time this season the SHR duo finished in the top-10 together. Prior to Richmond, Stewart and Newman finished among the top-10 March 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, March 25 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., April 1 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, July 7 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, July 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Aug. 5 at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

Clint Bowyer won the Federated Auto Parts 400 to score his seventh career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his second at Richmond.

Jeff Gordon finished 1.198 seconds behind Bowyer in the runner-up spot, while Mark Martin, Stewart and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Jeff Burton, Brad Keselowski, Newman, Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were six caution periods for 41 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the 400-lap race, which was twice delayed by rain.

The top-10 drivers in points are eligible to compete in the Chase, along with two wild-card drivers – Kasey Kahne and Gordon – who were admitted to the Chase field by having the most wins among the drivers who were between 11^th and 20^th in the standings. NASCAR recalibrated the points for the 12 drivers as soon as the Richmond race was over, with each driver getting 2,000 points. With the exception of wild-card entrants Kahne and Gordon, drivers also received three bonus points for each of their respective wins during the 26-race regular season. For drivers starting the Chase with identical point totals, their seed was determined by the traditional tiebreaker of best finishes beyond race victories.

TSC PR

Earlier today, officials from Hickory, North Carolina-based ZLOOP™ announced their plans surrounding their extended involvement with Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway for the 2013 Motorsports season.

In addition to renewing their partnership as an official track sponsor of the 0.363-mile oval, officials from ZLOOP™ also announced the setup of the Big “10” ZLOOP™ Challenge, a championship within a championship for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) division. Ten (10) races, combined with 100 laps of competition each and an increased racing purse, will fuel the fire towards the champion being crowned the inaugural winner of the ZLOOP™ Challenge. The championship trophy will be crafted out of recycled eWaste.

Additionally, points accumulated during the ZLOOP™Challenge will be tallied against the competitor’s standings in the overall Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway track championship in the NASCAR Whelen-All American Series, encouraging teams to partake in the newly-established “Challenge.”

ZLOOP™ Computer and Electronics Recycling Centers (ZLOOP) makes eWaste recycling easy. Encouraging the public to recycle old computers, cell phones, printers, electronic devices and phone systems, ZLOOP™ is the only national eWaste franchise that guarantees disposal of eWaste safely and securely.

“The addition of the ZLOOP™ Challenge is a way of signifying our devotion, presence and support to our local track and its competitors,” said Chris Knight, Director of Sports Marketing for ZLOOP™. “We wanted to bring some extra incentives to the track for not only the fans but the drivers and teams as well. We feel that the ZLOOP™ Challenge fits that mark perfectly. We look forward to its success next season and beyond.”

Hickory Motor Speedway General Manager Kevin Piercy stated, “We are excited to partner up with ZLOOP™; their commitment to recycle these products will be a great step for the environment, and this Big "10" ZLOOP™ Challenge will provide much-needed resources for our competitors to be able to race each event.  Also, the Challenge will create excitement for competitors and fans alike each and every week.

The first race of the ZLOOP™ Challenge is tentatively set to kick-off in March 2013 with the championship set to be decided in September with a guaranteed gigantic celebration that includes a spectacular fireworks show.

ZLOOP™ anticipates the opening of more than 100 franchises nationwide within the coming year and more than 455 by 2015. Each franchise will be owned and operated locally, hiring approximately 10 to 25 employees per franchise territory. For more information about franchise opportunities, call 1-855-949-3279 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

For more information on ZLOOP™ and its mission, please visit ZLOOPRacing.com.

Follow ZLOOP™ Racing on Twitter @ZLOOPRacing.

• Ford NASCAR drivers Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne and Matt Kenseth "race" each other in the EcoBoost^®-powered 2013 Fusion with Auto Start-Stop to see who can achieve the best miles per gallon
• Race fans can visit Ford's Fusion Facebook page at facebook.com/fordfusion to view a teaser video, see who bends the rules, and guess who they think won – the champion will be revealed Sept. 14
• New 2013 Fusion with 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine and Auto Start-Stop fuel-saving technology is designed to achieve 37 mpg on the highway

What happens when NASCAR's Sprint Cup points leader takes on his Ford teammates in a miles per gallon challenge in the new EcoBoost^®-powered 2013 Ford Fusion? 

Sprint Cup points leader Greg Biffle took on Carl Edwards, Trevor Bayne and Matt Kenseth, driving a Fusion equipped with a 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine that offers aerodynamics and power similar to their NASCAR Fusion race cars.

The advanced 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine offers Ford drivers both power and efficiency. EcoBoost is a suite of technologies that combines turbocharging with direct injection, variable valve timing and precise engine controls to increase the power output and efficiency of the gasoline internal combustion engine – with no loss of performance.

"The new Fusion is a fuel-efficiency leader, so we thought it would be great for NASCAR's leading drivers to put it to the test," said Jamie Allison, director, Ford Racing.

Fans can view a teaser video today at Ford's Fusion Facebook page at facebook.com/fordfusion, and try to guess which racer came out on top. They can check back Sept. 14 to see a full video and find out which racer is the first-ever Fusion Miles Per Gallon Challenge champion.

The challenge 
The drivers gathered on a hot day in August at Ford's Dearborn Development Center to see who could achieve the best fuel efficiency. They hoped to beat each other and the Fusion's 37 mpg projected highway rating.

The rules were decided by on-hand engineers and experts in lab coats – who at least looked official. They would ride along with the drivers whose task was to go around the 2.5-mile high-speed test track three times within 15 minutes and let the in-car miles per gallon calculator record the winner.

Each driver had his own strategy, but a few things were consistent across the board: All were impressed by the design of the all-new 1.6-liter EcoBoost Fusion, all thought their teammates might forget the challenge and over-accelerate when the green flag flew, and all knew that air conditioning or open windows has a negative impact on fuel efficiency.

Fusion advanced technology  
The drivers were asked to use the advanced technology the new Fusion offers and follow the real-time display that tracks the earned miles per gallon. The vehicle information, which displays driver assist settings, gauge functions, and units of temperature and measurement, is presented in full-color LCD to the left of the centrally mounted speedometer.

The enhancements continue on the exterior of the car. To improve fuel efficiency, the new Fusion features impressive aerodynamics refined by the technology used in designing the race car Fusion for NASCAR. Click here to see a brief video discussing how an aerodynamic body shape enhances fuel efficiency and reduces wind noise.

Fusion fun for fuel economy 
Matt Kenseth started with a plan and stuck to it. He explained to the gentleman in the lab coat riding along that steady acceleration was key to getting off to a good start. That, and letting the air out of the tires after his session.

Steady Kenseth was quick to note that though it was hot in the car, NASCAR Sprint Cup cars are considerably hotter. So, while the engineer, camera man and gentleman in lab coat who were along for the ride were sitting in a visibly uncomfortable sweat, Kenseth would not be cracking the windows or turning on the air conditioning system.

He concluded the day having posted an impressive start and a high benchmark to get things going.

Greg Biffle, NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader, had to ward off his teammate before even starting the competition.

After running to try to stop Kenseth from letting the air out of the tires, Biffle then hopped in the car, and noted his appreciation for the gauge and how user-friendly it was for determining miles per gallon.

At the end of his run, Biffle joked, "Matt Kenseth let the air out of the tires before I started, so he should be disqualified.

"That said," he continued, "I'm impressed with how well the car handled. It's sporty in design, drives smooth, and gets great gas mileage. The Fusion really has something for everyone; it could be a family car or a car for a guy who just likes to cruise."

Then it was Carl Edwards' turn. The man known for doing backflips off the hood of his car after winning a race was full of confidence. Very impressed with the EcoBoost engine, and having observed the fatigue of the in-car crew, Edwards decided a different strategy might help him get on the judges' good side. To the relief of everyone in the car, the kind driver turned on the air conditioning.

While the judges appreciated the gesture, they had no way to control the outcome of the challenge. About a lap and a half into his attempt, Edwards realized he was on track to lose with his strategy.

He cut the air conditioning, finishing the race saying he could handle the heat, that, in fact, the driver who would experience the most trouble with the temperatures was Trevor Bayne.

As underdog Bayne took to the wheel, he explained that in the past week his own Ford truck had six miles of gas left in the tank, and using the SYNC^® system, he figured out that the nearest gas station was 10 miles away. Using drafting techniques, the skillful race car driver made it to the pump.

Applying the same tactics to this challenge, the sweaty Bayne made his way around the track at a speed that allowed him to take note of some of the new Fusion's advanced technologies.

"I really love the SYNC technology; it's like having a spotter in your car when you need to find a gas station or other location," Bayne said.

"I listen to a lot of music when I drive," he added. "My phone is full of different bands and I like to constantly change between artists. With the SYNC system, it's fun, and I can keep my hands on the wheel, which is, after all, one of my favorite things to do."

Going into the final stretch, Bayne put the car in neutral long before he could see the finish line. More confident than his in-car crew that the Fusion would coast to the end, he used the slope of the track to gain enough momentum to roll to the line.

The 1.6-liter EcoBoost Ford Fusion is designed to get an estimated 23 mpg city, 37 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined.

Ford Motor Co. PR

Race Highlights:

• Richard Childress Racing teammates finished first (Kevin Harvick), sixth (Austin Dillon), seventh (Ty Dillon) and 12th (Elliott Sadler).
• Sadler leads the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship point standings by one point over Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Dillon ranks third in the standings, trailing his RCR teammate by 30 points.
• The No. 2 Chevrolet team is second in the Nationwide Series owner championship point standings, 13 points shy of the No. 18 team's lead, with the No. 3 team fourth in the standings and the No. 33 team sixth.
• Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
• According to NASCAR's Loop Data Statistics, Harvick led the field in Average Running Position (1.624), Driver Rating (148.5), Fastest Drivers Early in a Run (119.316 mph), Fastest Drivers Late in a Run (114.326 mph), Fastest Laps Run (74), Fastest on Restarts (118.120 mph), Green Flag Speed (116.328 mph) and Laps Led (141).
• Harvick, A. Dillon and T. Dillon were among the five drivers in the 43-car field that spent 100 percent of the race running in the top 15.
• A. Dillon maintained the third-best Average Running Position (3.955) and ranked third in Green Flag Speed (115.901 mph).
• T. Dillon led the field in Quality Passes with 35 and ranked second in Green Flag Passes with 37.
• Sadler led the Closers category, advancing 11 positions in the final 10 percent of the race, while T. Dillon ranked second by advancing four spots.
• Combined, the RCR entries posted the Fastest Lap for 123 out of 250 circuits with Harvick (74 fastest laps), A. Dillon (25), Sadler (23) and T. Dillon (1).
• Harvick earned his first Nationwide Series victory of the season and was followed to the finish line by Stenhouse, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Michael Annett.
• The next scheduled Nationwide Series race is the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 15. The 26th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live on ESPN2 beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.  

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet Team Earn a Sixth-Place Finish at Richmond International Raceway

Austin Dillon was a strong contender in Friday night's NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway, leading laps in Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet early in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 before posting a sixth-place finish. Dillon started the 250-lap event from the second position and drove to a commanding lead in the opening laps of the race. Approximately 15 laps into his initial green-flag run, Dillon dropped to third in the running order, reporting to crew chief Danny Stockman that the black No. 3 machine developed a tight-handling condition in the center of the corners, a condition that persisted for the duration of the event. Routine pit stops throughout the race afforded the AdvoCare team opportunities to try to provide relief from the handling issues the young driver was facing through air pressure and chassis adjustments. Quick work on pit road gained Dillon several positions on the race track with every pit stop and the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender never fell below eighth in the running order. He was scored in the sixth position for the final restart of the race on lap 233 and briefly fell to seventh in the running order before climbing up to sixth for the finish. With his top-10 finish at RIR, Dillon moved up one position, to third, in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings.

Start - 2          Finish - 6          Laps Led - 14          Points - 3

AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:  

"We started off really strong at the beginning of the race but faded as the night went on. I think we used up a little bit more of the brakes than we wanted to. When we come back we will have to figure out how to change that up or how to roll the center of the corners better, because that was something we struggled with all night. We had forward drive, but we just couldn't roll through the center of the corners. I'm pretty happy with our finishing position. I just wish we could have finished a little bit further up.  I do have to say the AdvoCare pit crew was awesome tonight and did a great job of gaining us track position on every single pit stop. I'm proud of those guys for all of their hard work."

Kevin Harvick and the Armour Vienna Sausages Team Taste Victory in the

NASCAR Nationwide Series at Richmond International Raceway

Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Armour Vienna Sausages team captured their first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory of the 2012 season after leading the most laps while battling a loose-handling condition in the Virginia 259 College Savings 250 under the lights at Richmond International Raceway. The Bakersfield, Calif., native started the race from the third position and quickly reported to crew chief Ernie Cope that he was battling a loose-handling condition on the No. 33 Chevrolet as he traveled around the 0.75-mile race track. Cope called Harvick to pit road during a caution period on lap 40 for four fresh tires, fuel and chassis adjustments, sending Harvick back on track in the third position for the lap-44 restart. As green-flag racing resumed, the two-time Nationwide Series champion moved into the lead by lap 71 and remained out front until the team's final pit stop on lap 187 when the No. 33 pit crew changed four tires, added fuel and made another round of chassis adjustments to combat the loose-handling condition Harvick was facing. The No. 33 Richard Childress Racing team was scored in the second position for the ensuing restart and was shuffled back to the third position as the field returned to full speed. As the final laps ticked away, Harvick powered on to regain the lead with 22 laps remaining in the 250-lap affair and was able to hold onto the top position, grabbing the checkered flag to earn his first victory of the 2012 season.

Ty Dillon Finishes Seventh in NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Richmond International Raceway

Sporting the blue and white colors of WESCO for his third career NASCAR Nationwide Series start, Ty Dillon and the No. 51 Richard Childress Racing team earned a seventh-place result at Richmond International Raceway on Friday night. Dillon started the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 from the 11th position and reported a tight-handling condition on the No. 51 Chevrolet. Throughout the early stages of the event, crew chief Marcus Richmond utilized scheduled pit stops to add four tires, fuel and chassis adjustments to combat the handling issues. During a long green-flag run, the tight-handling issue subsided on the blue and white machine, and Dillon climbed into the top 10 of the running order. A caution flag slowed the field on lap 185 with the 20-year-old positioned in sixth. A fast pit stop by the WESCO pit crew that included four tires and fuel returned Dillon to the sixth spot for the ensuing restart. As green-flag racing resumed, the Welcome N.C., native battled three-wide for position. Dillon was shuffled back to the 10th position and fell as far as 13th with less than 50 laps to go in the race. Dillon battled his way back into the top 10 by lap 234 and passed three additional cars in the closing laps of the 250-lap event to bring the WESCO Chevrolet home in the seventh position. Dillon's seventh-place result marks his third top-10 finish in his third Nationwide Series start.

Start - 11          Finish - 7          Laps - 0          Points - N/A

TY DILLON QUOTE:

"I can't thank everyone at WESCO enough for giving me the opportunity to drive this No. 51 Chevrolet again in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. We had a fast car but couldn't get the track position we needed there at the end. It was a lot of fun, and I hope to race in more Nationwide Series events in the future."

RCR PR

Mike Wallace and the No. 01 SB Ballard Construction Chevrolet team of JD Motorsports w/Gary Keller completed all 250 laps in Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway. They even led two of them.

However, they would have liked to have a better showing for their lead lap finish when the checkered flag waved over the 43-car field.

After being 28^th in the only practice session at the .75-mile oval, Wallace qualified 31^st for the race. Once the initial green flag flew, he methodically moved his way up the scoring pylon taking over positions to run 26^th by lap 20.

Through the next 50 laps, the St. Louis native would keep to the game plan laid out by crew chief Newt Moore and team. In doing so, they kept moving using a lap 117 caution to make another pit stop for tires, fuel and adjustments.

Restarting 23^rd, Wallace kept his trek forward on track with an eye on more positions to gain. As the laps ticked down, the team did go down one to the leaders past the halfway point while running in the top-25 positions.

A multi-car incident in turn 2 on lap 156 brought out the red flag for 4:06 minutes for all the competitors. When the debris was cleaned up, Wallace was rewarded the Lucky Dog to return to lead-lap action.

He capitalized on that and was soon running in the top 20 making his way to 18^th on lap 177. After another caution on lap 187, the team elected to stay out and led two circuits around the track.

After pitting, they would restart 17^th on lap 193 when the green flag waved. More cautions brought the field together and moved Wallace up the scoring pylon to 15^th place.

A late-race caution brought forth one more opportunity to pit. Wallace radioed to his crew he wanted four fresh tires for the end to keep the forward momentum going and gain even more positions.

However, the tires didn’t agree with the car or the track and he ended up losing what he was hoping to gain from the stop. Thus, the team came under the checkered flags in 21^st place.

The finish did help them in the points as Wallace remains in 12^th, but is now only 15 markers from 11^th place. This weekend, the NASCAR Nationwide Series heads to Chicagoland Speedway.

Mike Wallace Quotes: “We started out being pretty average, but we weren’t going backwards, either. We managed to get down a lap, get back on the lead lap, lead a lap and finish on the lead lap.

“The car started to get much better towards the end I just wanted to finish the race on fresh tires to pass as many cars as possible. I wanted the good finish, but the tire deal didn’t work out the way we wanted and it cost us at the end.

“We had a four-star general holding our pit board tonight in Gen. Richard Meyer, former Joint Chief of Staff for the United States; which was pretty cool. I’d like to thank the folks from SB Ballard Construction for coming on board and being with us at the race, as well.

“We had a great car at the end, but not the results we deserved when it was over. We’ll go to Chicago next weekend and look for a good run for our team.”

JD Motorsports PR