INAUGURAL KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES QUAKER STATE 400 SELLS OUT

Infield Pit Road Club and standing room only tickets are on sale now

SPARTA, Ky. – Kentucky Speedway announces it has sold out the 107,000 grandstand tickets available for the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series “Quaker State 400.”

Fans who wish to witness NASCAR history July 9 can still take advantage of the speedway’s Pit Road Club that offers an infield view of the race action from behind pit road wall or $60 standing room only tickets that will provide access to the Turn 1 and Turn 4 concourses.

Both can be purchased at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com or by phone at 888-652-7223 and 859-578-2300.

“Selling out the inaugural ‘Quaker State 400’ with more than a week before the event is a great testament to this market and our fans. Our packed stands will combine with overflowing corporate display, hospitality and camping to create an electric atmosphere as we make Kentucky sports history,” Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said.

The speedway’s sold out exterior and infield campgrounds will open on Tuesday, July 5 at noon. Fans still seeking race week campsites can visit http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com and click “Camping” in the top navigation bar for a listing of campgrounds offering good options within walking distance of the speedway and in the surrounding area.

Race week festivities begin Wednesday, July 6, when NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team haulers visit Cincinnati, Ohio, Lexington, Ky., and Louisville, Ky.

Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) haulers will visit Fourth Street Live! in downtown Louisville from 11:30 a.m., to 1:00 p.m.; Cincinnati fans can meet Mayor Mark Mallory while viewing Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing team haulers at the corner of Fifth St., and Race St., near the Millennium Hotel from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; and Lexington, Ky., will play host to 35 to 40 haulers at Hamburg Place at 2350 Grey Lag Way from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., before they depart on a 12-mile parade that will traverse the city by way of Sir Barton Way, Winchester Rd., Midland Ave., E. Main St., and Newtown Pike.

Kentucky Speedway’s first NASCAR tripleheader weekend opens Thursday, July 7 with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “UNOH 225” and additionally features the NASCAR Nationwide Series “Feed The Children 300” on Friday, July 8. Tickets for both events can be reserved through the Kentucky Speedway Web site and ticket office phone numbers.

New NASCAR-Themed ESPN “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” Spot Debuts Friday

The latest spot from ESPN’s “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” campaign celebrates the connection of NASCAR fans to the car number of their favorite drivers.

 

In the spot, Jeff Gordon fans incorporate his number 24 into their everyday lives, in decorations and license plates and even in a child’s mashed potatoes. The commercial features the theme song from the classic racing movie “Six Pack” and was created by Wieden+Kennedy New York.

 

The spot debuts on ESPN networks on Friday, July 1, and is the 13th in ESPN’s ongoing “It’s Not Crazy, It’s Sports” campaign, which launched in 2010.

 

ESPN’s live telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races of the season begin with the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 31, at 1 p.m. ET.

Visit http://www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.

 

 

 

About NASCAR on ESPN:

 

ESPN produces comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Additionally, ESPN2 is the television home of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. ESPN’s NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, SportsCenter, ESPN the Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Radio and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981 and returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007. The network’s award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN has been honored with 19 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide.

 

 

 

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TBR Makes Steps Toward Growth

Hires seven crew members; Philippe Lopez to crew chief Blaney

 

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (June 30, 2011) – Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) recently hired seven key crewmembers for both the No. 35 and 36 teams. With the addition of the second-team, owner Tommy Baldwin hired crew chief Philippe Lopez for the No. 36 Chevrolet. The new hires allowed for shifting to create two solid teams. All teams will work their first races together in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

 

“We have recently hired seven more people and put them in the areas they need to be to make our program better,” explained Baldwin. “Philippe is a well-respected crew chief, and someone I can trust to do a good job for TBR. I’m excited that now this allows me to dedicate more time toward the future of TBR from both the competition and business sides.”

 

Lopez previously worked with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) drivers Darrell Waltrip, Ward Burton, Steve Park and Blaney. Lopez and Baldwin also worked together, as they were co-crew chiefs at Bill Davis Racing. Lopez collected four top-fives, 13 top-10s and one pole throughout his 15-year NSCS career.

 

“I’m excited to be with TBR,” explained Lopez. “I have always worked with underdogs. I really enjoy the challenge. I look forward to helping the team grow to where I see it can. I have a lot of respect for Tommy. We both started programs two years ago. He started TBR, and I started with Nemco. He has weathered the storm and turned a start-and-park program into a full-time team. He’s really the only one to do that.”

 

“Tommy and I work really well together because we are such opposites,” he continued. “Together, we made good co-crew chiefs. I would settle him down, and he would rile me up. We evened each other out. I look forward to continuing that relationship.”

 

Lopez will reunite with Dave Blaney for a third time. The pair previously worked together in 2005 at Richard Childress Racing and 2001 at Bill Davis Racing. The twosome made 26 starts and collected two top-10 finishes.

 

“I’m really happy to be back with Philippe,” explained Blaney. “We worked together a couple of times, and we have a really good relationship.”

 

“It’s cool to be back with Dave. We had a lot of success right off the bat. We had three top-15 finishes in our first four starts together at Bill Davis. We just clicked. We worked together again later at RCR and almost won at Dover.”

 

In addition to the personnel changes, TBR is also making changes on the competition side by taking the first steps to developing their own chassis.

 

“I am really excited about the state of TBR right now,” explained Baldwin. “We are quickly moving forward with our progress on the competition side. We have completed our first phase of wind tunnel testing with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and now have the direction we need to further along our program in that department. We have also just purchased an RCR car that we will be racing next week in Kentucky. While all this has been going on, we have completed the drawings for our first TBR-designed chassis. We will start building it next week with the goal of debuting in the September New Hampshire race.”

 

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

Tommy Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin utilized a slumping economy to open a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team with a stringent budget. The team competed in two full seasons with multiple drivers behind the wheel of the No. 36 Chevrolet and improved in the standings each year.

 

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2011 with NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney piloting the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet. Looking to improve on-track performance, TBR found success early in the 2011 season with partners Golden Corral, Big Red and Accell Construction. TBR’s driver development program, Heinke-Baldwin Racing, will also compete in various NASCAR series in 2011.

 

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/TBR.HBR, and Twitter, twitter.com/TBR_Racing.

Avett Brothers July 9 Concert from Red Rocks to be Simulcast Live On World’s

CONCORD, N.C. (June 23, 2011) – Charlotte Motor Speedway will add

another fabulous first to its legacy on July 9 when the world’s largest HDTV

airs a live simulcast concert by American Recordings artists, the Avett

Brothers, from the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Co.

The simulcast will give local Avett Brothers fans the opportunity to

view the live show on Charlotte Motor Speedway’s massive 80-foot-by-200-foot

HDTV. The speedway will also supply concert-grade speakers for the event, to

turn the infield area in front of the HDTV into a one-of-a-kind concert

venue.

“The speedway has been a hometown landmark for us our whole lives

and we’re proud to have an opportunity for our music to echo through that

historical infield,” said Seth Avett. “For us, performing at Red Rocks and

airing live in Concord is about the most ideal situation for being in two

amazing places at once.”

The Avett Brothers front men, Scott and Seth Avett, who grew up on

their father’s farm in Concord, quickly grew their fan base throughout the

Charlotte, N.C., region with memorable energetic shows, which has become the

band’s trademark.

The Avetts’ popularity skyrocketed on the heels on their major label

debut, the 2009 album “I and Love and You.” Recently, the band has become

accustomed to performing sold-out concerts and in February they performed at

the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles alongside Bob Dylan.

“We are so fortunate to travel and play the many places we do,” said

Scott Avett. “To have an opportunity to share that with our supportive home

town in a setting where great men like Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and

David Pearson competed adds to the sense of pride that we feel to be a part

of the Charlotte community and this event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.”

“This is going to be an unbelievable event,” said Marcus Smith,

president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “This is

something that would have never been possible without the world’s largest

HDTV. But, now we’re going to simulcast a live sold-out show from one of the

most famous concert venues in the world, featuring our home-town boys, the

Avett Brothers, to their loyal fan following here in Charlotte. It’s going

to be awesome!”

Speedway gates for the live simulcast on Saturday, July 9, will open

at 8 p.m. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are scheduled to begin at 9:30

p.m. with the Avett Brothers scheduled to perform around 11 p.m.

Tickets for the July 9 simulcast on the world’s largest HDTV at

Charlotte Motor Speedway are on sale now and can be purchased at the

speedway ticket office or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Tickets are only

$10 until July 1, when they will increase to $15 until July 8. Tickets

purchased the day of the event, July 9, will cost $20.

Tickets for October races at Charlotte Motor Speedway are on sale

now and can be purchased online at http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by

calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). The Coca-Cola

Four Pack includes tickets, hot dogs and Coca-Cola drinks starting at just

$39.75 per person.

Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter at

http://www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or become a Facebook fan at

http://www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

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Tomy Drissi joins RWR as organization aligns with Max Q Motorsports

Rick Ware Racing (RWR) is proud to announce that 2009 TransAm Series Champion, and Rolex Grand Am Series and American Le Mans Series driver, Tomy Drissi has joined their organization.

Tomy Drissi’s arrival marks the beginning of the newly formed alignment with Sprint Cup Series team, Max Q Motorsports #37 for RWR at the upcoming road course events and possibly some premier oval track dates as well.

Drissi will drive the #37 RWR-Rise of the Planet of the Apes Ford at Infineon Raceway this weekend for the organization and then race in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen and Montreal later this season as well as the 50th running of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona road race that strangely he has wanted to race his entire career but never given the opportunity until now.

“Having Tomy Drissi in our camp marks exciting times for RWR,”stated Rick Ware. “I have watched Tomyrace his entire career and to have him race for us and our alignment with Max QMotorsports will provide another avenue for our marketing partners here at RWR.”

Action gets underway on Friday, June 24th at 9:00am EST with Sprint Cup Series practice. Qualifying is scheduled to begin at3:00 EST with the race on Sunday at noon EST on TNT

For more information please visit http://www.wareracing.com or follow the team on twitter @rickwareracing

Governor Perdue Signs Bill Making Stock Car Racing North Carolina’s Official

CONCORD, N.C. (June 21, 2011) – With the stroke of a pen today at

Charlotte Motor Speedway, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed

Senate Bill 322 into law, making stock car racing the official state sport

and adding to the legacy of fabulous firsts at the historic 1.5-mile

superspeedway.

Perdue was joined by a host of special guests on hand to watch the

bill signing ceremony, including Marcus Smith, president and general manager

of Charlotte Motor Speedway; NASCAR Hall of Famers Ned Jarrett and Bobby

Allison; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver David Ragan; and a group of fourth

and fifth grade students from Lake Norman Elementary School and Mt. Mourne

IB School in Iredell County, who originated the bill. In addition, 12

grassroots Legend Car and Bandolero drivers, industry leaders and

dignitaries who are members of the North Carolina Motorsports Advisory

Council and Charlotte Motor Speedway fans were in attendance.

“Sometimes it takes really bright kids to tell all of us grown-ups

what we ought to be doing. And that’s what these students are about today,”

said Perdue. “They found something that should have been right under our

noses because we all love NASCAR, we love Charlotte Motor Speedway, we get

really excited during race season. So it’s pretty cool for these students to

understand that we needed to do better.”

The students worked to get the legislation passed for more than a

year and the bill was ratified last week by the state’s General Assembly. In

proposing the legislation, the students pointed to motorsports’ $6 billion

annual economic impact to North Carolina and noted that Charlotte, N.C., and

the surrounding region is home to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Hall

of Fame and more than 90 percent of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams. More

than 200 businesses in Cabarrus County support the motorsports industry,

which employs nearly 20,000 people in the region.

“It feels really good to know that the bill has finally passed and

nobody disagreed with making stock car racing North Carolina’s state sport,

it feels really rewarding,” said Sierra Bice, a student at Lake Norman

Elementary School.

North Carolina now joins other U.S. states with an official state

sport, including Alaska (dog mushing); Colorado (snowboarding and skiing);

Massachusetts (basketball); Minnesota (hockey); and South Dakota, Texas and

Wyoming (rodeo).

“When you think about North Carolina and you think about racing, it

really has been unofficially the state sport for so long and I think today

to have the governor sign a bill that makes racing the official state sport

is really neat and special,” said Smith. “It’s an exciting time and a real

privilege for Charlotte Motor Speedway to be such a big part of the

governor’s trip today.”

To view photos from the event, visit:

http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/multimedia/photo/.

Tickets for October races at Charlotte Motor Speedway are on sale

now and can be purchased online at http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by

calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). The Coca-Cola

Four Pack includes tickets, hot dogs and Coca-Cola drinks starting at just

$39.75 per person.

Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter at

http://www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

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Edwards Wins Michigan Nationwide Race in Ford FR9

Mooresville, NC (June 20, 2011) Carl Edwards took his Roush Yates powered FR9 to Victory Lane in front of Ford country on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. With 9 laps to go, Edwards passed Ford teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to win the Alliance Truck Parts 250 and give Roush Fenway Racing three cars finishing in the top five. Edwards, Stenhouse Jr., and Bayne dominated the race, leading a combined 101 of the 125 lap event. Other Roush Yates engine drivers showcasing their power this weekend were Ryan Grubaugh and Chuck Hebing in the Sprint Car series and Josh Richards in the World of Outlaw Late Model series.

“Ricky drove his heart out — that guy is unbelievable,” Edwards said in victory lane. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to get him, but it was like his car got tightened up. Man, he did a good job. … I thought Ricky was setting sail. He’s someone I’m a little nervous about in the future.”

Stenhouse held on to second place, crossing the finish line 1.669 seconds behind Edwards, and took the lead in the series standings by two points over eighth-place finisher Elliott Sadler.

“We just got too tight there at the end,” said Stenhouse. “It was a good one-two finish for Jack and everyone at Roush Yates Engines. This track definitely needs a motor and we have it. This was a great day for Ford, we wanted a one-two-three finish, but three cars in the top-five and one-two is pretty good.”

Roush Yates experienced success on the dirt tracks as well this weekend. Ryan Grubaugh won at Cherry Raceway on Friday night in the Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt series. Grubaugh is currently second in the series points for 2011 and races a Roush Yates Sprint 360 engine. Chuck Hebing won at Lebanon Valley Speedway on Saturday night, earning his first Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints win of the season.

Josh Richards found Victory Lane in the Ernie Davis Roush Yates powered Ford at Winchester Speedway in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. This is Richards’ 29th career World of Outlaws triumph, breaking his tie with Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky. and becoming the circuit’s winningest driver since 2004.

Anyone can get the same power and performance shown by Carl Edwards and Josh Richards for their own race car by purchasing Roush Yates proven performance products. Check out their new and improved website at http://www.roushyatesparts.com or call 1-877-RYPP.

About Roush Yates Engines

Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you’d expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow. In 2009 Doug Yates purchased his father’s half of Roush Yates Engines to become a co-owner in the company. As CEO, Doug Yates leads a staff of 180 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test, and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, Dirt Late Model, Sprint cars, and NHRA Pro Stock. At Roush Yates Engines, the mission is Power Performance, which is achieved through innovation, design, precision engineering, and skillful craftsmanship. Building the best engines in racing today, providing service that’s second to none, and honoring a commitment to research and development are the heart of Roush Yates Engines.

FIESTA AND MARCUS GRONHOLM CLAIM RALLYCROSS WIN TO WRAP UP COLORADO GRCWEEKEND

Foust claims battle for second when a crash from behindpropels him across finish line

FOUNTAIN, Colo. – June18, 2011 – Friday afternoon Marcus Gronholm finished second in the SuperRally competition to Tanner Foust. The second-place podium served as an inspiration for the two-time WRC champion. The next day, Gronholm came out to dominate – , he topped qualifying and led the final race flag-to-flag to deliver Fiesta another Global RallyCross Championship victory in the AWD RallyCross, this time at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

“It was a goodfinish,” said Gronholm. “Everything is about the start here and I made it in front of Tanner and therefore I could turn in first into the corner and that was the key. “Once you are in front you can do your own driving and I knew that we were fast and I could choose my own lines. Plus we were lucky in that we didn’t hit anybody. I saw that Tanner had fallen behind, but I didn’t know thathe had crashed at the finish line.”

GRC championship leader Tanner Foust claimed second after his Rockstar Fiesta was punted across the timing line by Michael Jernberg. At first there was uncertainty if either car had finished but RallyCross Race Controlconfirmed Foust the second place finisher giving Ford and Fiesta a 1-2 finish, a result which is currently under review.

Foust’s epic battle with Jernberg in the RallyCross finalewas an embodiment of RallyCross as a sport. It appeared Foust had narrowly topped the Swedish driver, when the Fiesta won a hard-fought battle into the final turn. However Jernberg’s desperation move spun both cars off the track as Foust brushed past the finish line, knocking over the scoring pylon as he went.

In the normal post-race confusion that was enhanced by the spectacular collision at the finish line, after Global RallyCross race control confirmed Foust as the second-place finisher and the podium celebration continued. Shortly thereafter Global Rally Cross Race Control put the result under official review pending a review of available video and photographical evidence. That review is ongoing and official results are not expected until Sunday or Monday.

“That was not the ideal finish,” said Foust the defending XGames champion who narrowly missed clinching the GRC championship this weekend.“We all knew that part of the track had some danger built into it as the cars came together. “ I saw Jernberg coming I could hear Ted (Foust spotter) in the microphone screaming “push, push push.” I came through and I tried to stay inmy lane but I knew I had a nose on him at least. He caught my back tire, he said he came through ‘a little bit hot,’ and we both ended up shooting off theside of the track. Unfortunately there was a big concrete wall off the side ofthe track. I went off and saw the concrete wall and I learned some new words in Swedish from my spotter on the radio. The Fiesta bounced on the wall and kind of pirouetted and then it landed. Luckily it didn’t go over. They say the caris fixable for X Games. So I claimed second place backwards. We will take it.”

In March Gronholm swept the season-opening weekend at Irwindale and after missing Round 2 in Snoqualmie, Wash., the WRC legend returned in his Best Buy Fiesta. Gronholm’s second-place finish to Tanner Foustin the Friday SuperRally, was the first time the native of Finland had lost a heat in the GRC. He quickly regained his form on Saturday.

Gronholm came back with a vengeance and posted a qualifyinglap of 52.51 seconds as he crushed the competition in qualifying, edging his teammates Foust (52.9 sec.) and Brian Deegan (53.47 sec.) who were second andthird overall. When the AWD A Main Final started Gronholm was quickest off the line and drove away running a flawless race en route to his second RallyCrossand third win overall in the GRC.

Brian Deegan qualified third for the A Main Final and wasrunning in the top four when a mechanical issue sidelined his Metal MulishaRockstar Fiesta. He finished eighth in the final race.

The Global RallyCross Championship will return to action at XGames 17 July 28-31 in Los Angeles. Invitations to X Games are expected to beissued in the next ten days and Foust, Gronholm and Deegan are all expected to participate.

# # #

About Ford North America Motorsports

Ford North America Motorsports, based in Dearborn, Mich., is responsible for major racing operations in North America, including NASCAR (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, Camping World Trucks), Grand American sports car racing, NHRA drag racing, RallyCar and USAC midget car racing. The department also oversees the development and marketing of Ford Racing Engines and Performance Parts, the outreach programs with all Ford Clubs and Ford enthusiasts, and the marketing of the Ford Racing brand. For more information regarding Ford Racing’s activities, please visit http://www.fordracing.com.

The Race Cars of NASCAR Legend Return to the Charlotte Motor Speedway

CONCORD, N.C. (June 17, 2011) – The second annual Legends Million

returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway Aug. 1 and 2. The largest grassroots

race in history will once again offer the largest Legend Car and Bandolero

purse of the year, as drivers do battle on the speedway’s frontstretch

quarter-mile oval.

Registration for the Legends Million begins today and is scheduled

to close on July 18. The purse structure for the 2011 Legends Million will

be prorated, based on total cars registered, so competitors are encouraged

to register early.

“As the car count goes up, the purse goes up,” said Don Hawk, vice

president of business affairs, Speedway Motorsports, Inc. “We’re asking

competitors to get their registration in as early as possible so we can get

the purse locked in.”

In the inaugural Legends Million last year, Kannapolis, N.C., native

Daniel Hemric was victorious, taking home an unprecedented $250,000. More

than 300 drivers from 36 states and two foreign countries, ranging from 12

to 72 years old, registered for the one-of-a-kind Legend Car race.

“These are the race cars that launched the careers of NASCAR drivers

like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano, David Ragan, Kurt Busch and Kyle

Busch,” said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor

Speedway. “The Legends Million is a great opportunity for fans to come to

the track and see the future stars of NASCAR compete in the largest Legend

Car race in the world. It’s also an excellent opportunity for young drivers

to get noticed and hopefully take their career to the next level.”

Registration links are available online at

http://www.charlottmotorspeedway.com and at http://www.uslegendscars.com. The cost to

register is $500. Competitors who purchase a new Legend Car from U.S. Legend

Cars International will receive free entry into the Legends Million.

Competitors participating in the Legends Million are registered in

one of three divisions: Young Lions/Semi-Pro, Masters or the Legends

Million, which is open to all drivers. Each division will run heat races and

an A-Main race, with the Legends Million A-Feature serving as the grand

finale of the two-day event.

Competitors will complete time trials to determine their starting

position in the heat races. Drivers will then progress to B-Mains based on

their finishing position in the heats. The starting lineup for each A-Main

will consist of heat race winners and the first-place finishers from the

B-Mains. A total of 30 competitors will race in the Legends Million

A-Feature event, which will be 100 laps with a 15-minute break at lap 50.

Bandolero Beginner Bandit, Bandit and Outlaw drivers will also have

the opportunity to compete in a Bandolero Triple Crown event, with heat lap

and feature events spanning both days.

The Legends Million is open to all Legend Car competitors, 12 years

of age or older and is not restricted by division. All minors 17 and younger

must complete a minor waiver, which is available for download at

http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/waivers.

For additional information on the Legends Million, visit

http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or call the Charlotte Motor Speedway events

department at (704) 455-3205. For more information about U.S. Legend Cars

International and Legend Cars, visit http://www.uslegendscars.com or call U.S.

Legend Cars International’s headquarters at (704) 455-3896.

Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter at

http://www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or become a Facebook fan at

http://www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

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Helluva Good! 400

• There are 12 Fords participating in the Helluva Good! 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

• The race marks the long awaited return of Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne to the Wood Brothers No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford.

• Bayne has not raced on the Cup side since Talladega.

• As a manufacturer, Ford has posted 10 wins (8 points wins) since the June 2010 Michigan race.

• As a manufacturer, Ford has taken the checkered flag 31 times at Michigan, the most of any manufacturer.

• The most recent Ford win at MIS came in 2008 when Carl Edwards grabbed the checkered flag at the fall race.

• Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle are all two-time winners at MIS.

• A pair of Ford owners, the Wood Brothers and Jack Roush, are tied for the most owner wins at MIS with 11 apiece.

• Hall of Famer David Pearson piloted his Wood Brothers Mercury to the most wins in MIS track history with nine and the most poles with 10.

 

Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion, met with media members outside his hauler prior to the first Cup practice session Friday at Michigan International Speedway.

 

THE TRACK JUST ANNOUNCED A REPAVE COMING HERE AFTER THE AUGUST RACE. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT? “I don’t know. I think that some of the tracks, like Daytona that came apart, and Martinsville, from the driver’s seat you don’t want them repaved because you like it when it gets slick and the tires slow down and you have to manage the car and drive the car a lot more than a freshly paved race track. They know better than we do what condition the asphalt is in and how long it will stay down and that type of thing. I hate it when they repave tracks because I think you can pass really good on tracks that are wore out and it is more fun as a driver to manage old tires versus new tires and all that stuff. Obviously sometimes there is a need to repave them tough.”

 

TRACKS DO CHANGE WHEN THEY GET REPAVED THOUGH AND TEND TO BE ONE GROOVE FOR AWHILE AND THIS IS NOT A ONE GROOVE RACE TRACK. “Yeah, I don’t know if this place will really turn one groove because it is a little different. It is flatter on the bottom and the track is incredibly wide. A lot of the new pavement at tracks like Charlotte for instance, the groove was higher than before they repaved it with this particular car, depending on the tire they bring. The last race in Charlotte we were all stuck on the bottom. Depending on the tire, hopefully the track will still be wide and we will still be able to race good on it.”

 

FUEL MILEAGE IS ALWAYS TALKED ABOUT HERE AT MICHIGAN. ANY CONVERSTAIONS YOU HAVE HAD WITH YOUR TEAM ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO ONCE THE GREEN FLAG GOES OR IS IT CIRCUMSTANCIAL? “There isn’t a lot the driver can do if you get in a last run and are a couple laps short or something like that then you can try to slow down and save that. You have to have the fuel mileage to start with before you can do that. If you are getting less fuel mileage than everybody else when the race starts and everybody is running hard, when everybody slows down then you are still going to be getting worse mileage than they are if they are trying to slow down. There is not a lot you can do as a drive. I haven’t had a lot of discussion with Jimmy about that. We just try to put the fastest race car we can on the track on Sunday and hopefully circumstances come down to where we are racing for the win at the end on speed.”

 

FORD RACING NOTES AND QUOTES Helluva Good! 400(Friday Advance), Page 2

June 17, 2011 Michigan International Speedway

 

MATT KENSETH CONTINUED …

THE NEW GAS CAN, WE ARE 14 RACES IN WITH IT, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT THOSE GUYS GET ALL THE FUEL IN THE CAR? “It is really important. We have had that mistake a couple times. One time we were able to recover from it. At Charlotte we weren’t able to recover from it and took a car that was leading all day and put it in the back of the pack and finished mid-pack. It is really important and I think it is a lot harder for the gas man than it ever was. It flows slower and the pit stops are still the same speed as far as changing tires. It is more important than ever to get it plugged in cleanly and immediately so you aren’t leaking fuel. That position has become a lot more important than it used to be.”

 

KEVIN AND KYLE ARE OFF PROBATION NOW. WHEN GUYS ARE FUEDING AND YOU AREN’T INVOLVED, DO YOU LOOK AT IT AND ARE YOU AMUSED OR DO YOU HOPE YOU DON’T GET COLLECTED IN SOMETHING THEY ARE DOING? “When I am on a race track I don’t concern myself with any of that. I usually have more than my own share of problems that I have to figure out or take care of or work on to be competitive and win. That is what we worry about. After the race with that stuff, anybody that says it isn’t fun to watch is probably lying. It is always fun to watch conflicts and feuds and rivalries and different stuff going on that makes news. I hate being involved in it though.”

 

A YEAR AGO PEOPLE WERE ASKING WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE FORDS. NOW PEOPLE ARE SAYING YOU GUYS ARE FASTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE. IS IT ALL THE FR9 ENGINE? “It is the entire package. The engines certainly improved over the winter and the cars are greatly improved from last year. I think we still have some work to do but we have been very competitive this season showing up to the track and being pretty fast every week which makes it a lot more fun to come to the track.”

 

JACK IS TIED WITH THE WOOD BROTHERS FOR MOST WINS AT THIS TRACK. IS THERE EXTRA EMPHASIS FOR YOU GUYS WITH ROUSH INDUSTRIES AND FORD BEING LOCATED HERE? “There is no extra emphasis from my standpoint because we do the best we can every week no matter where we are at. You never show up and don’t want to win. This just happens to be one of the tracks where we perform better at than maybe some other track. It is one that I have always enjoyed since I first came here. I made my first Cup start with Roush here and have always enjoyed coming to Michigan. More times than not we have been fairly competitive here.”

 

YOU EVER SENSE ANYTHING DIFFERENT WITH JACK WHEN YOU COME TO THIS TRACK? “No, not really. I don’t but maybe somebody that sees him more during the weekend would, but I don’t.”

 

DO YOU LOOK FORWARD TO GOING TO A ROAD COURSE NEXT WEEK? “Nope, not really. To say road course would be saying oval. All the ovals are way different and road courses are way different. Sears Point is kind of a difficult track with the two wide restarts and how narrow it is. It has gotten to be one of the more exciting races to watch, I think, when you go back to watch it with the two wide restarts and all the crazy stuff happening. There are a lot of people two and three wide at a track that is really single groove everywhere. A lot of stuff can happen there which is exciting but I wouldn’t say it is my favorite race of the year.”

 

IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE A ROAD COURSE CUP WIN ON YOUR RESUME? “I hope not because I don’t have one and the chances probably aren’t really great. You never know, anything can happen and we try as hard as we can every year. I haven’t done the best job, especially at that track. I feel like I do a little better job at Watkins Glen. Sears Point has been a little bit of a struggle for me.”

 

FORD RACING NOTES AND QUOTES Helluva Good! 400(Friday Advance), Page 3

June 17, 2011 Michigan International Speedway

 

MATT KENSETH CONTINUED …

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THIS TRACK BETWEEN THIS RACE AND THE AUGUST RACE? “I don’t think there is a big difference from this race to August. It depends what it is like Sunday. The weather could be just like this in August if it is like this on Sunday. Not a lot changes in that little bit of time. As long as they come back with the same tires and rules it won’t be that different. Everybody in the garage is always learning. If you have something that works good this time it doesn’t necessarily mean it will work next time.”

 

YOU HAVE ALWAYS BEEN KNOWN AS A CONSISTENT DRIVER. DO YOU THINK THIS YEAR FOLLOWS THAT FOR YOU WITH NO REAL HIGHS AND NO REAL LOWS? “Not really because we have two wins and you can’t get higher than that. We have had a couple DNF’s in the plate races, so we have been on both ends of the spectrum this year. We have been consistent and our performance has been better than it usually is but maybe less consistent than we normally have been. You want both. You want performance and consistency.”