DuPont Unveils No. 24 Chevrolet 20th Anniversary Paint Scheme

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon helped DuPont unveil a new 20th Anniversary paint scheme on his No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet this morning at the headquarters of DuPont Performance Coatings during the 2012 DuPont NASCAR Day celebration. Gordon, a NASCAR legend, will drive the new Hot Hues™ Cosmic Dust Silver Metallic No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet in the season finale at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida this November marking his famous long-standing partnership with DuPont. 

Gordon’s historic NASCAR Cup Series career started 20 years ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the young driver burst onto scene in the rainbow-colored Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. The following season, Gordon started to take the motorsports world by storm. Now, 20 years later with four championships and 85 career victories under his belt, Gordon will race the commemorative No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet only one time at the last race of the 2012 season. Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports and DuPont are celebrating their 20th full season together - the longest current running driver,owner, sponsor partnership in NASCAR. 

Gordon’s historic NASCAR Cup Series career started 20 years ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway as the young driver burst onto scene in the rainbow-colored Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. The following season, Gordon started to take the motorsports world by storm. Now, 20 years later with four championships and 85 career victories under his belt, Gordon will race the commemorative No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet only one time at the last race of the 2012 season. Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports and DuPont are celebrating their 20th full season together - the longest current running driver/owner/sponsor partnership in NASCAR. 

“I’m very fortunate to have an incredible sponsor like DuPont that has invested so much in me and this No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team. To stick with one driver and one team and to still be here with us today celebrating our 20th full season, is really incredible,” said Gordon.

DuPont Performance Coatings products have been a constant during the storied career of Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports. The new paint scheme uses the popular DuPont™ ChromaPremier® Pro high performance paint finishes and was designed by NASCAR’s first officially licensed artist Sam Bass.

“We are proud to have our DuPont™ ChromaPremier® Pro paint on the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet with one of NASCAR’s all-time greats,” said John McCool, president of DuPont Performance Coatings. “Twenty years is a unique relationship in NASCAR and it shows that the business of racing has been good business for DuPont and our customers.”

DuPont, a global Fortune 500 company best known for brands such as DuPont™ Kevlar®, Nomex®, Teflon® and Tyvek®, took a chance on a young, unproven rookie driver to showcase its automotive finishes in brilliant fashion. Over 20 years of sponsorship, Gordon has been recognized by DuPont as a valuable corporate asset and spokesman.

“Jeff Gordon has been the ideal ambassador for the DuPont brand for nearly two decades,” said Scott Coleman, chief marketing and sales officer for DuPont. “He is a consummate professional and a true champion both on and off the track.”

Gordon has his sights set on one thing when racing the 20th Anniversary paint scheme on the No. 24 Chevrolet later this year – winning. 

“I’m looking forward to hopefully taking this special DuPont 20 Years paint scheme to Victory Lane in November to thank all of the amazing DuPont employees and customers who I’ve come to know like family and who have supported me loyally over the past two decades", said Gordon.


- DuPont Press Release

Dover Chassis Selections

Not all teams announce their weekly race chassis'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the chassis in the teams race preview:


#1- Jamie McMurray - Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops®/Allstate team will bring Chassis #1104 to Dover International Speedway this weekend. This chassis made its debut last spring at Charlotte Motor Speedway finishing 17th in the All-Star Race and 37th in the Coca-Cola 600. This chassis also raced in both Michigan races last season (19th, 23rd) the fall race at Dover International Speedway (15th) and this season at Texas Motor Speedway (14th).


#2- Brad Keselowski - The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-816 during Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway (DIS). Brad Keselowski last drove this chassis to an 18th-place finish at Auto Club Speedway in March.


#5- Kasey Kahne - Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-717 for Sunday’s race at Dover.  Kahne started ninth and finished eighth in this car at Kansas Speedway in April.


#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 754 for this weekend's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Dover International Speedway. This Stanley Ford was run previously this season at Martinsville.


#10- David Reutimann - CHASSIS NO. 356 – TBR bought Chassis No. 356 in the off-season from Richard Childress Racing. Reutimann drove the chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway this season. He had his best showing in the chassis at Texas Motor Speedway when he drove from the 31ststarting spot to finish in 26th place. His best qualifying effort was at Kansas Speedway where he qualified in the 16th spot.


#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-708: This car debuted three weeks ago in the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C) Raceway where Stewart rallied Chassis No. 14-708 from its 17th-place starting spot to finish third. Prior to Darlington, the car spent numerous hours in the wind tunnel.


#15- Clint Bowyer - Primary Chassis No. 724 started 16th and finished fourth at Bristol Motor Speedway. Chassis No. 718 is the backup and previously served backup duty at Phoenix, Bristol and Richmond but never raced.


#16- Greg Biffle - Primary: RK-807 Last ran Martinsville – finished 13th; Backup: RK-759 Last ran Phoenix in the Fall of ’11 as the No. 6 – finished 33rd.


#17- Matt Kenseth - Primary: RK-802 (Last run at Richmond)


#22- A J Allmendinger - Allmendinger and crew will be racing their "PRS-817" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend's FedEx 400. This chassis has been raced only once; in the March 25 Auto Club 400 at Fontana, Calif. Dinger started 25th and finished 15th in the rain-shortened race. The "PRS-807" will serve as the backup Dodge Charger.


#24- Jeff Gordon - Jeff Gordons team will bring HMS chassis #24-712 to Dover. The car finished 26th at Fontana, fourth at Texas and 35th at Darlington in 2012.


#27- Paul Menard - Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 386 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet was built new for 2012 competition and was last seen on track at Texas Motor Speedway in April where Menard finished 19th after starting from the 11th position. 


#29- Kevin Harvick - Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 383 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for competition during the 2012 season, Harvick raced this chassis at Phoenix International Raceway where he earned a second place finish in March.


#31- Jeff Burton - Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 393 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This is a brand new No. 31 Chevrolet that will turn its first laps at the “Monster Mile” this weekend. 


#39- Ryan Newman - Chassis No. 39-655: Chassis No. 39-655 has just two starts to its credit – last season’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Food City 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway earlier this season. At Charlotte last spring, Newman was making a run for the top-10 when he got tangled in a multi-car melee on lap 303. The accident forced Newman to take his No. 39 to the garage for extensive repairs. He returned to the track more than 40 laps down and finished the race 31st. After the incident at Charlotte, the car underwent extensive work and updates in the shop before making its 2012 debut at Bristol, which resulted in a 12th-place finish.


#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Crew Chief Chris “Shine” Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will bring Chassis #1111 to Dover International Speedway this weekend. This chassis made its debut in last season’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, leading two laps and finishing 31st after an accident put the No. 42 four laps down. This season, this chassis has seen track time at Bristol Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway finishing eighth and 27th, respectively.


#43- Aric Almirola - The #43 team has prepared chassis No. 710 for the Dover race.  Almirola drove this car to a 19th-place finish earlier this season at Bristol.


#48- Jimmie Johnson - Chassis No. 728 is a new chassis and serves as the primary for Johnson at Dover. Chassis No. 669 serves as the backup. No. 669 last ran at Las Vegas where it started 6th and finished 2nd with Johnson.


#51- Kurt Busch - Chassis No. 557: This weekend’s FedEx 400 will be the second race of the 2012 season for this chassis. It raced three weeks ago at Darlington, where Busch competed in the top-10 during the majority of the event before settling for a 21st-place finish due to a late-race spin. Additionally, the team used this particular chassis during the mid-April tire test at Dover International Speedway. Prior to the 2012 season, the car was used as a road-course car. Hendrick Motorsports built this chassis with a universal clip, which allows for greater adjustments with the geometric points on the chassis. As such, the team converted the car from a road-course car to an intermediate-track car for this season. 

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - Crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-617 this weekend at Dover. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a 19th-place finish at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in October 2011.

#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 Subway team will be unloading chassis RK-814 this weekend. This car was new at Kansas where Edwards finished ninth.


- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

Dover Driver Statistics

Not all teams announce their weekly race previews'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the information in the teams race preview: 

#1- Jamie McMurray - McMurray looks to make his 19th start at Dover International Speedway this weekend. In his previous 18 starts at the Monster Mile, McMurray has accumulated one top-five, five top-10s and led 131 laps. The driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet has an average start of 16.2 and an average finish of 17.6. His best start was fifth in 2008 and his best finish was second in 2006. McMurray has zero DNFs (did not finish) and has completed 7,101 of 7,204 laps (98.6%) at Dover.


#2- Brad Keselowski - Keselowski will make his 5th Cup start at Dover. Keselowski ranks at or near the top in several loop data statistics following Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. He easily leads the series in Quality Passes (passing a car inside the top 15) with 1,001 passes. He also ranks in the top five in Fastest Speed in Traffic (speed when there is a car within one car length). After 12 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked 11th in the 2012 driver and owner point rankings. The team is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday night.


#5- Kasey Kahne - Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, has one top-five finish, four top-10s and has led 88 laps in 16 Cup starts at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.  He earned his best finish of fourth at the track last October after starting ninth.  Kahne has seven starts inside the top 10 at the one-mile concrete oval and lined up fourth in this race last May. 


#9- Marcos Ambrose - The Australian native has one top-five, two top-10 and three top-15 finishes at Dover. His best finish (third) came in last year's spring event and his best start (12th) came in last year's fall race. He has completed 2,616 of 2,800 laps attempted at the one-mile speedway. Ambrose enters this weekend's 400-mile race in 20th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings.


#10- David Reutimann - Reutimann made nine starts at the Delaware speedway since his debut in 2007. He tallied one top-five, three top-15s and a pole. He started from the pole in the summer event in 2009 and secured his best finish of fifth in the summer race in 2010. He is ranked as the fourth best closer at the one-mile track.


#14-Tony Stewart - Stewart has two wins, three second-place finishes, 10 top-fives, 15 top-10s and has led a total of 1,072 laps in his 26 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover. His average start is 20th, his average finish is 13th and he has a lap completion rate of 96.3 percent.


#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer will make his 13th NSCS start at Dover International Speedway on Sunday. In his previous 12 starts Bowyer has five top-10 finishes. He finished sixth last May and led 29 laps. Bowyer has led a total of 33 laps in his 12 starts, averages a 20th place starting position and finish of 14th. 


#16- Greg Biffle - At Dover Biffle has two wins, six top fives, 10 top 10s; one pole,an average finish of 12.3, average Running Position of 9.4, third-best and a Driver Rating of 105.4, fourth-best.


#17- Matt Kenseth - Kenseth has an average starting position of 16.7 and an average finishing position of 12.2 at Dover, and has achieved two poles, two wins, 12 top-five’s and 17 top-10’s at Dover in the Cup series.


#18- Kyle Busch - The FedEx 400 will mark Kyle Busch’s 270th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 15th Sprint Cup start at Dover. Busch has two wins, seven top-five finishes, nine top-10s and has led a total of 448 laps in 14 career Sprint Cup starts at 
Dover. His average Dover finish is 13.3.


#22- A J Allmendinger - In 10 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover, Allmendinger is still looking for his first career win and top-five finish there, but he does have three top-10 finishes to date. He was running at the finish in eight of the races and finished on the lead lap four times. He has completed 83.1 percent of possible laps (3,324 of 4,000). He has led 152 laps at Dover, the most he has led at any track. Overall, Dinger has a 13.7 average start and 23.3 average finish at Dover.


#24- Jeff Gordon - In 38 starts in Sprint Cup at Dover Gordon has scored four wins, 14 top fives, 21 top 10s; four poles, an average finish of 12.2 and an average Running Position of 13.8, 10th-best.


#27- Paul Menard - In his nine previous starts at Dover International Speedway, Menard has finished each contested race and has completed 98.5 percent of his laps (3,547 of 3,600). He has an average starting position of 20.7 and an average finishing position of 20.3. Menard made his best start of third during his last visit to the one-mile race track (October 2011) and claimed his best finish of seventh at the September 2010 event. 


#29- Kevin Harvick - Harvick has made 22 Sprint Cup Series starts at the one-mile track throughout the past 11 seasons, collecting two top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Harvick holds a 21.2 average starting position and a 16.6 average finishing position at the Monster Mile with a best starting and finishing position of third in the fall of 2003 and in the spring of 2006, respectively. Harvick has led 144 of the 8,804 laps he has completed.


#31- Jeff Burton - This weekend’s 400-mile event marks Burton’s 37th start at the one-mile facility and 632nd-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Burton garnered one win, eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the track, leading 136 laps.


#39- Ryan Newman - The FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks will mark Newman’s 381st NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 21st Sprint Cup start at Dover International Speedway. Newman has three wins, four poles, six top-five finishes and 11 top-10s in 20 starts at Dover.


#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Montoya will make his 11th start at Dover International Speedway this weekend. In 10 starts at the Monster Mile the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet has earned one top-five, two top-10s and led five laps. His average start is 16.9, while his average finish is 22.9. Montoya’s highest starting position is second (2007, 2009) and his best finish is fourth in 2009.


#43- Aric Almirola - Almirola went to Victory Lane at Dover in the 2010 Camping World Truck Series in just his second start at the one-mile oval.  He also has three Nationwide starts at Dover - all top-15 finishes.


#48- Jimmie Johnson - At Dover, Johnson has six wins in 20 starts (season sweeps in 2002, 2009; September 2005 and 2006).  Three poles (September 2007, 2009 and 2010). Nine top-five finishes (45 percent) and 14 top-10s (70 percent). Average finish of 9.2. Sprint Cup’s best average running position (6.8).


#51- Kurt Busch - Busch has one win, six top-five finishes and eight top-10s and has 418 laps led in 23 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover. Busch scored his lone win at Dover during the most recent Sprint Cup Series race at the mile oval – the fall of 2011. Busch qualified second and led 90 laps en route to the victory. Busch’s average Dover finish is 17.9.

#55- Mark Martin - In 51 Sprint Cup starts at Dover, Martin owns four victories and four poles. He’s led 1,726 laps and posted 23 top-five finishes as well as 31 top 10's.


#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr -  In 24 Cup starts at Dover International Speedway, Earnhardt has one win, four top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He has led 367 laps and completed 99 percent of all laps he's attempted (9,507 of 9,604 total) at the Monster Mile.  Earnhardt's Sprint Cup win at Dover happened Sept. 23, 2001. The victory, which came in the first Cup race following Sept. 11, was the second of his sophomore season. Earnhardt displayed the American flag during his victory lap to pay tribute to the victims. In that race he started third and led 193 laps.


#99- Carl Edwards - In 15 starts at the one-mile track, Edwards has one win, seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. Edwards scored his only Cup win there in Sept. ’07.  He has an average start of 14.7 and an average finish of 7.3.



- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Dover

Press Conference Schedule, Dover International Speedway

NASCAR schedules driver press conferences at every race weekend event. These normally include the Top 12 drivers in championship points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, along with other drivers of note. The press conferences will last approximately 15 minutes each and may be viewed at NASCAR.com.

June 1:

9:15 a.m. – Ty Dillon (making NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet) – Media Center

9:30 a.m. – Ryan Truex (No. 20 Grime Boss Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) – Media Center

9:45 a.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Madagascar Chevrolet) – Media Center

10 a.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 BEST BUY Ford) – Media Center

10:15 a.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevrolet) – Media Center

12:25 p.m. – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet) - #14 hauler

12:35 p.m. – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Subway Ford) - Media Center

12:45 p.m. – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota) – Media Center

1 p.m. – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Autism Speaks Toyota) – Media Center

1:15 p.m. – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Heiland/EMD Ford) – Media Center

1:30 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) – Media Center

2 p.m. – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet) – Media Center

3:30 p.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) – Media Center

- NASCAR 

THE NUMBERS for the FedEx 400

Dover International Speedway (all 84 Sprint Cup races)

0 – fewest cautions (6/6/71)

1 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (11 times, most recent 9/15/91)

3 – fewest leaders (five times, most recent 5/16/82)

3 – fewest lead changes (10/17/71)

4 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend

6 – fewest laps led by race winner (Jeff Burton, 9/24/06)

6 – most poles (David Pearson)

7 – most wins (Bobby Allison and Richard Petty)

13 – fewest cars running at finish (5/17/81)

13 – most leaders (three times, most recent 9/24/00)

13 – wins from the pole in 84 races

16 – most cautions (9/19/93)

18 – races won from a starting position outside the top 10

21 – most cars on lead lap at finish (6/4/06)

29 – most lead changes (twice, most recent 5/18/86)

31 – fewest cars to start a Sprint Cup race (5/20/79, 500-mile race)

33 – different race winners

35 – different pole winners

40 – most running at finish (9/21/08)

51 – wins from a top-five starting position

90 minutes – approximate amount of time it takes to dry the one-mile, all-concrete track after a significant rainfall

103 – most caution laps (9/19/93)

491 – most laps led by race winner (Richard Petty, Dodge, 9/15/74)

2012 Caution Update

1 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana)

4 – races extended beyond scheduled distance (Daytona, Martinsville, Talladega and Darlington)

10 – most cautions this season (Daytona)

66 – cautions in the first 12 races of 2012; includes 27 for accidents, 21 for debris and eight for spins

366 of 3,888 – laps under caution in 2012

472.571 of 4,833.118 – miles under caution in the first 12 races

- Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports Press Release

NASCAR Twitter Inanimate Objects Preview- Dover

@CarlEdwrdsteeth doesnt have much going on for Dover, but did ya ever watch the video of Carl on Live with Regis and Kelly. Poor Carl needed physical therapy cause his jaw dropped so many times while Teeth was tryin to look up Ripa's dress,, seriously. I would too Teeth. Finally, Kelly put her hand across her lap and Regis threatened to whack Teeth with Kelly's little blue flash light, or whatever that toy is.

@TheNascarGarage is all excited this week because he'll have two of those Dillon boys around for the Nationwide race. Garage says with RC's grand sons around, all the pretty ladies in their fancy dresses and hats hang out a lot more and sip on those fancy drinks. Well, sorry Gar but this aint the Derby, so dont go changin your name to Paddock any time soon OK. Besides, those "ladies" are just lookin for a sponsor as they say!

@TheCatchFence said things have been quiet in his link of the woods, but get ready to watch another round of the Hatfields & McCoys here at Dover this week. Nascar may be one big family but this feud is about to boil over on to the race track. Fence told History Channel to come down and film the race it's going to be so crazy!

@The_GreenFlag says he doesnt mind all the long runs lately in NASCAR, says it gives him more time to tweet. No kidding, have you seen GF's time line, he never stops. Well, get ready for Dover GF, things are gonna be heatin up this weekend, some drivers gotta get goin, and the restarts after caution are about to pick up. Hey, down load that Instagram app tho, and tweet a few restarts, will ya?

@NASCAR_EFI is very disoriented after 600 miles and a late night at Charlotte. Effy tweeted, he was going to bed, his ears were ringing and he had too many beers after Charlotte. Poor Effy, I think he was just sad that carburetor expert Leonard Wood is going to the Hall of Fame and certainly wont mention Effy in his HOF speech.

Apparenty @acheckeredflag was coerced in to waving at the end of the Coke 600 even though Dale Jr wasnt the winner. Well, all the gals were happy though because it was the next best thing. All the ladies were swooning over Chex for waving at Kasey Kahne as he drove by the flag stand. Chex told us this week, "I still wanna wave and then get a ride in that ol' 88 car,ya know". Lots of fans are with ya there Chex.

 @TheOrangeCone will have a relative filling in for him this week at Dover. Coney will be at his best friend's next door neighbor's aunt's college roommate's mother in law's wedding anniversary. Please RT this information!


@48Horseshoe says he's all polished up and ready to go at Dover and is expecting to get win #7 here to tie Petty and Allison on the all the all time win list at Dover. Hey, Shoe, you been around a while, did you fall outta one of those great drivers butt when they retired to jump on the Double J band wagon,, I'm just sayin'...

@TheMini_Jimmie is still pouting about not getting to meet Tim McGraw with Maxi Jimmie during the pre-race ceremonies. Mini is cool with every thing now though, because JJ gave him the white sun glasses he had to wear this week at Dover. Poor Mini, he doesnt know it's going to be overcast most of the weekend and was just trying to impress Brooklyn Decker. Sorry, Mini, but smokin hot Brook was at the race last weekend.

@TheNASCARHauler said this week if he has to take one more illegal front bumper cover in to his confines before, or after a race, he's gonna get a giant nose, similiar to those Christmas Rudolph noses, and put it on his front end and parade around the track to remind all the teams to quit gettin their noses bent outta shape,, or something like that! Hey Haulie, the Cope twins are racin this week, maybe they'll get in a lil cat fight and come over to see ya!

@The_RollBack thought it would be cute to tweet me in Latin with "Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero" or, seize the day, trusting. Well, Roller, I am fluent in several languages myself, so, "Capere paucis concutiat, etiam si faciat unum te",  simply put, Seize a few wrecks, even if you have to cause one yourself.  By the way what is with the lack of hard racing boys! 

@FlagofCaution may look a little larger than normal this week at Dover. Flag was hangin with a family member, @YellowSoloCup and the gang was chowin down on fried catfish, fried potatoes and fried green tomatoes! Now, y'all know fried food isnt good for ya, but green food is the worst, what were ya thinkin'?  Oh, OK, just tryin to keep up with the Green Initiative in NASCAR.

- Compiled from Twitter

Ty Dillon to Make Nationwide Debut at Dover

Ty Dillon, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series regular and 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion, will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with Richard Childress Racing in the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet in the June 2 Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway.

“Ty has shown a lot of progress so far this season in the Camping World Truck Series and he’s definitely earned the opportunity to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut. He’ll be in very good hands with Ernie Cope (crew chief) and the No. 33 Chevrolet team,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “South Point Hotel & Casino has quickly become a great partner with RCR and we appreciate their decision to expand their overall program with backing Ty in this once-in-a-career opportunity.”

Dillon, 20, is currently in his first full season of Camping World Truck Series competition for RCR. Contending for the honor of 2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year title, Dillon has earned one top-five, five top-10 finishes and one pole award in five Truck Series starts this season. Prior to joining in Camping World Truck Series, Dillon was crowned the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion, the first rookie and youngest driver to do so in the series’ 59-year history. En route to the championship, Dillon acquired seven wins, seven pole awards, 13 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.

“I’m very excited to get my first start in the Nationwide Series at Dover in the South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet,” said Ty Dillon. “It’s going to be a lot of fun running with my brother Austin (Dillon) and Elliott (Sadler). The RCR Nationwide Series teams have done a great job so far this season, and I know I’ll learn a lot from them. The No. 33 team and Ernie Cope (crew chief) have built a great team, and I’m honored to be able to work with them this weekend.”

Located in the heart of the premiere southwest Las Vegas valley, minutes away from the famous Las Vegas Strip, South Point Hotel & Casino amenities include a 16-screen century theatre movie complex, 64-lane bowling center and a handful of restaurants that cater to all appetites and tastes. The distinctive hotel features spacious rooms and suites with 42-inch LED televisions, Point Plush mattresses and wireless internet access throughout. A unique feature to this property is its Equestrian Center, which is the finest horse facility in the country. South Point also has a fabulous 400-seat showroom that features headliner entertainment and dancing to live bands on weekends.

South Point Hotel & Casino announced their partnership with RCR at the end of the 2011 season. The resort serves as the primary sponsor of the No. 2 Camping World Truck Series entry driven by Brendan Gaughan and shares a primary sponsorship role on the No. 33 Nationwide Series entry with drivers Gaughan, Kevin Harvick, Paul Menard and Max Papis.

- Richard Childress Racing Press Release

Two NASCAR Nationwide Series Teams Penalized

 NASCAR has penalized two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams for rules infractions that were committed last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The No. 41 car was found to be in violation of Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20A-12.8.1(B) (body height requirements – car failed to meet the minimum front car heights) of the 2012 NASCAR rule book.

As a result, crew chief George Church has been fined $10,000 while owner Rick Ware and driver Timmy Hill have been penalized with the loss of six championship owner and six championship driver points, respectively. The violation was discovered during post-race inspection May 26.

Philippe Lopez, crew chief for the No. 43 car, and Michael Wright, car chief for the No. 43 car, have been penalized for rules infractions discovered during opening day inspection May 24. Lopez has been fined $10,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Wright has also been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.

The No. 43 car rules violations referred to Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules detailed in Section 20-A of the rule book); 20A-2.1E (streamlining of the contours of the car, beyond what is approved by the series director will not be permitted. Installation of air directional devices, underpans, baffles, shields or the like beneath the car or the car’s hood and fender area, front firewall, floor, rear firewall area, rear deck and quarter panel will not be permitted. If, in the judgment of NASCAR officials, any part or component of the car not previously approved by NASCAR has been installed or modified to enhance aerodynamic performance, will not be permitted. All cars must remain standard in appearance); 20A-3.10A (front upper bumper cover must be from the respective OEM manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR. The front lower bumper cover and rear bumper cover must be from an approved manufacturer and must be approved by NASCAR. Once approved, the front lower bumper covers may be used on all approved models. NASCAR officials may use bumper covers provided by the respective manufacturer as a guide in determining whether a competitor’s bumper cover conforms to the specifications of the NASCAR rule book. Unless otherwise authorized by the series director, cutting and reshaping of bumper covers will not be permitted.)

- NASCAR PR

Dover Speedway History and Notes

History

· The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969.

· The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.

· The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.

· The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.

· The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.

Notebook
· There have been 84 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover International Speedway since the track opened in 1969.

· There was one race in 1969 and 1970. There has been two-a-year since 1971.

· Richard Petty won the track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.

· There have been 35 different pole winners, led by David Pearson (six).

· David Pearson won the first pole in July 1969.

· Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman lead all active drivers, each with four poles.

· 33 different drivers have posted victories led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty, each with seven.

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers, with six victories.

· Hendrick Motorsports has a series-high 13 wins.

· 51 races at Dover have been won from a top-five starting position; 18 races have been won from a starting position outside the top 10.

· 13 drivers have won from the pole. The last to do so was Jimmie Johnson, in the 2010 September race.

· The furthest back in the field a race winner started was 37th, by Kyle Petty in 1995.

· Several active drivers had their first start at Dover: David Ragan (finished 42nd in 2006), Kurt Busch (18th in 2000), Matt Kenseth (sixth in 1998) and Bobby Labonte(34th in 1991).

· In addition, Matt Kenseth (2002) and Michael Waltrip (1991) earned their first pole at Dover. Martin Truex Jr. won his first race there (2007).

· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dover International Speedway winner: Kyle Busch (06/01/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 30 days).

· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Dover International Speedway winner: Harry Gant (05/31/1992 – 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).

Dover International Speedway Data
Race #: 13 of 36 (06-03-12)
Track Size: 1 mile
Race Length: 400 miles
· Banking/Turns: 24 degrees
· Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
· Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
· Frontstretch: 1,076 feet
· Backstretch: 1,076 feet


-NASCAR STATISTICS

NASCAR teams in all three series join together to support Autism Speaks

In what has become tradition at Dover International Speedway in the six years the track has partnered with Autism Speaks, drivers will again help create autism awareness during the June 1-3, 2012 race weekend by showing their support with a decal on their respective cars.


Drivers across all three series have stepped up to raise awareness for the cause during the Dover race weekend by featuring a decal of the Autism Speaks puzzle piece logo on their cars in all three of the June 1 “Lucas Oil 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, the June 2 “5-hour ENERGY 200” NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the June 3 “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.


In addition, Denny Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota, will feature a special Autism Speaks paint scheme on his car, another part of the strong support FedEx is again showing for Autism Speaks on race weekend.


David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, will also have a special Autism Speaks paint scheme on his car to show his support for the cause during Sunday’s race.


Altogether, 15 drivers from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, 16 from the NASCAR Nationwide Series and 13 from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series are participating. They include:


NASCAR Sprint Cup Series


Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Dewalt Ford
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Toyota
Tony Stewart, No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet
Greg Biffle, No. 16 3M Ford
A.J. Allmendinger, No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Dodge
Paul Menard, No. 27 Paints/Menards Chevrolet
Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet
Jeff Burton, No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet
David Ragan, No. 34 8-Hour Alert/MHP Ford Ford
David Gilliland, No. 38 Autism Speaks/Front Row Motorsports Ford
Ryan Newman, No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet
Aric Almirola, No. 43 Jani-King/Smithfield Ford
Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
Regan Smith, No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet
Carl Edwards, No. 99 Subway Ford


NASCAR Nationwide Series


Elliott Sadler, No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet
Austin Dillon, No. 3 American Ethanol Chevrolet
Danica Patrick, No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet
Jeff Green, No. 10 TriStar Motorsports Toyota
Eric McClure, No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Toyota
Tayler Malsam, No. 19 G-oil Toyota
Parker Kligerman, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge
Josh Wise, No. 26 Morristown Drivers Service Chevy
James Buescher, No. 30 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet
Justin Allgaier, No. 31 Brandt Chevy
Brendan Gaughan, No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet
Brad Sweet, No. 38 Great Clips Chevy
Mike Bliss, No. 44 TriStar Motorsports Toyota
Jeremy Clements, No. 51 Clements Race Engine Chevy
Jason Bowles, No. 81 MacDonald Motorsports Toyota
Cole Whitt, No. 88 Clean Coal Chevrolet


NASCAR Camping World Truck Series


Kevin Harvick, No. 2 Kroger/Tide Chevrolet
Ty Dillon, No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
Paulie Harraka, No. 5 Wauters Motorsports Ford
Ross Chastain, No. 08 SS Green Light Racing Toyota
Ron Hornaday, No. 9 Anderson’s Maple Syrup Chevrolet
Joey Coulter, No. 22 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Max Gresham, No. 24 Made In USA Brand Chevrolet
Jeb Burton, No. 27 Hillman Racing Chevrolet
Parker Kligerman, No. 29 Cooper Standard Dodge
Nelson Piquet Jr., No. 30 QualComm Autotrack Chevrolet
James Buescher, No. 31 Koike.com Chevrolet
Miguel Paludo, No. 32 Duroline Brakes and Components Chevrolet
Cale Gale, No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet


- Dover Speedway PR

Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR HotPass Lineup

Ride Along with Stewart, Biffle, Johnson and Earnhardt at Charlotte on DIRECTV 

Event:          Coca-Cola 600

Previous Winner:   Kevin Harvick (beat David Ragan by .703 of a second on May 29, 2011) 

Track:     Charlotte (N.C.) Raceway 

Date / Time:    Sunday, May 27, at 6 p.m. EDT 

Track:     Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway 

Configuration:    1.5-mile oval (400 laps = 600 miles) 

Banking in Turns:   24 degrees 

Banking on Frontstretch:   5 degrees 

Banking on Backstretch:   5 degrees 

Frontstretch:    1,980 feet 

Backstretch:    1,500 feet 

First Sprint Cup Series Race:  June 19, 1960 – World 600 (Winner – Joe Lee Johnson) 

Grandstand Seating Capacity:  140,000 

NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV is back, and it’s FREE to all DIRECTV customers. Four dedicated driver channels offering viewers multiple camera angles, real-time statistics and audio of the network broadcast augmented by live communication between the drivers and their pit crews are available for all 36 points-paying races during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. 


The NASCAR HOTPASS lineup for the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway is as follows:   

DIRECTV Channel 795:  Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet team of Stewart-Haas Racing.

DIRECTV Channel 796:  Greg Biffle and the No. 16 Fastenal Ford team of Roush Fenway Racing.

DIRECTV Channel 797: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports. 

DIRECTV Channel 798: Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the No. 88 National Guard An American Salute / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports.

About NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV: 
NASCAR HOTPASS is available free to all DIRECTV customers. More information is available at www.directv.com/hotpass.  


- TrueSpeed Communications Press Release

Nascar Driver Press Conference Schedule - Charlotte

Press Conference Schedule, Charlotte Motor Speedway, May 24-27

NASCAR schedules driver press conferences at every race weekend event. These normally include the Top 12 drivers in championship points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, along with other drivers of note. The press conferences will last approximately 15 minutes each and may be viewed at NASCAR.com.

May 24:

12:10 p.m. – Travis Pastrana (NASCAR Nationwide Series) – Media Center Deadline

12:25 p.m. – Austin Dillon/Joey Coulter (NASCAR Nationwide Series) – Media Center Deadline

12:45 p.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet) – Media Center Theater

1:20 p.m. – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) – Media Center Deadline

1:30 p.m. – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota) - #18 Nationwide Series hauler

1:35 p.m. – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Quaker State Chevrolet) - Media Center Deadline

1:45 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet) – #24 hauler

2 p.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Fastenal Ford) – Media Center Deadline

2:15 p.m. – Greg Biffle (No. 17 Fastenal Ford) – Media Center Deadline

2:30 p.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet) – Media Center Deadline

2:45 p.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard-An American Salute/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet) – Media Center Deadline

3 p.m. – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet) - #14 hauler

5:10 p.m. – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fastenal Ford) – Media Center Deadline

5:30 p.m. – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota) – Media Center Deadline

6:05 p.m. – Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet) – Media Center Deadline

- NASCAR