AdvoCare 500 Pit Notes

TRAVIS PASTRANA PRACTICE: NASCAR Nationwide Series driverTravis Pastrana got a hand from his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards during Saturday’s first practice session. Pastrana, who turned the 9th-fastest lap time of the session at  177.630 mph (31.211 seconds), said he asked Edwards to make laps in the car to compare notes with the veteran.

“I was kind of going down a different route than my teammates, so I just wanted to verify, because every time I’ve gone down a different route than my teammates, we’ve thought we were good and then we’ve gone into the race and hit walls and crashed and stuff,” Pastrana said. “So Carl got in, and he said the exact same thing that I was feeling. So I don’t know if it’s right, but at least I got someone else to verify it.”

Qualifying for Saturday night’s Great Clips/Grit Chips 300 begins at 4:05 p.m., and Pastrana was excited to see how he would do.

“It feels awesome now,” said Pastrana, who is 14th in points. “We’re not the quickest; I think we’re going to be pretty competitive today, but I’ve thought that before, so we will see.”

AJ ALLMENDINGER NAMED No. 47 DRIVER: AJ Allmendinger will have a fresh start in NASCAR for the 2014 season, as he was named the driver of the No. 47 NASCAR Sprint Cup entry during a press conference Saturday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“In a way, I never thought I’d have this opportunity again, so it’s almost like starting over, but kind of being reborn and knowing that I have a real shot,” Allmendinger said. “It’s what made it exciting for me to be a part of this race team. I feel like we can do this together.”

Allmendinger has already driven the no. 47 in three races this season, giving the team its best finish of the year – a 10th place at Watkins Glen. He also ran five IndyCar races this year.

#500 MILES FOR MARCY: Everyone at AMS this weekend is missing Marketing and Promotions Director Marcy Scott, who is undergoing cancer treatment. To let her know just how much she is missed, there will be a giant card to be signed by media, PR reps, drivers and anyone else who wants to lend support to Marcy’s fight. The card will be kept on the counter in the media center and will be in the back of both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup drivers’ meetings to be signed.

LEGENDS AND BANDOLERO WINNERS: The Legends and Bandolero Series put on an afternoon show for the fans on the quarter-mile Thunder Ring, giving them a glimpse of the future of racing.

Tina Johnson scored a big win in the over-40 Masters division, holding off seven-time Thursday Thunder summer racing champion Skip Nichols. Chandler Smith won the Bandits division race for the under-12 Bandolero drivers, while Ashton Winger picked up the win in the Outlaws division and Kason Plott won the combined Pro/Semi-Pro/Young Lions race.

Final results are listed below.

Combined Young Lions/Semi-Pro/Pro

  1. Kason Plott (Marietta, Ga.), 2. Woodrow Mullis (Hoboken, Ga.), 3. Amber Fleeman (Dacula, Ga.), 4. Hub Talbot (Smyrna, Ga.), 5. Aaron Bailey (Burlington, N.C.)

Outlaws

  1. Ashton Winger (Fayetteville, Ga.), 2. Chase Purdy (Gallion, Ala.), 3. Joshua Hicks (Senoia, Ga.), 4. Eli Bailey (Johns Creek, Ga.), 5. Miranda Meredith (Locust Grove, Ga.)

Masters

  1. Tina Johnson (Senoia, Ga.), 2. Skip Nichols (Albany, Ga.), 3. Scott Moseley (McDonough, Ga.), 4. Mark Swan (Dunwoody, Ga.), 5. Robbie Woodall (McDonough, Ga.), 6. Don Maness (Duluth, Ga.), 7. John Ponzio (Tyrone, Ga.), 8. Frank Johnston (Burritts Rapids), 9. Martin Snyder (Acworth, Ga.), Spencer Moseley (McDonough, Ga.)

Bandits

Chandler Smith (Talking Rock, Ga.), 2. Zach Leonardi (Smyrna, Ga.), 3. Conner Younginer (Stockbridge, Ga.), 4. Clay Thompson (Powersville, Ga.), 5. Will McConnell (Dallas, Ga.), 6. Nathan Jackson (McDonough, Ga.), 7. Hayden Swank (Woodstock, Ga.)

AMS PR