(Charlotte, N.C.) The No. 83 Red Bull Toyota pit crew of Brian Vickers entered the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge as the 24th – and final – eligible team, but left on top after dominating the competition and the record book.

The team posted the quickest time in each of the five rounds and edged the No. 11 FedEx Toyota crew of Denny Hamlin in a photo finish in the Finals to take the title. The No. 83 team changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards to the finish line in 22.902 seconds, besting the No. 11 crew by 0.109 seconds.

Each of the five times put up by the No. 83 crew was under 23 seconds, with its top time of 22.572 seconds coming in the second round. The previous record was 23.35 seconds, set last year by the champion No. 12 Alltel Dodge team in the quarterfinals.

“I can’t say enough about this team,” said pit crew coach Greg Miller. “Words can’t describe this group, the effort they put in day-in and day-out. It’s all about them.”

The team was one of three in the event that has not secured a position in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Each of the 21 teams in the all-star race competed in the Pit Crew Challenge, with the three final positions going to the top available teams based on owner’s points. If the No. 83 Toyota makes the all-star race by finishing in the top two in the Sprint Showdown, it will have its choice of pit stalls.

The team includes several former collegiate athletes, a trend that has become commonplace in the sport. Catch can man Mike Metcalf played football at Appalachian State University, while front tire changer Brian Haaland and jackman Shaun Peet are former minor league hockey players. The other members of the championship crew are gas man Doug Newell, front tire carrier Aaron Schields, rear tire changer Danny Kincaid and rear tire changer Jake Brzozowski.

“As the athleticism ramps up on pit road, you’re starting to see a lot of ex-NFLers and a lot of ex-college athletes get into this thing,” said Peet, who doubles as the crew’s recruiting coordinator. “They’re going to get bigger, stronger and faster.”

Athleticism wasn’t the only deciding factor for Miller and Peet while putting together the crew.

“I built this team based on character. Actual talent was the last thing I looked at,” Miller said.

“We don’t want a kid who had the most receptions or stole the most bases,” Peet added. “We want the kid we got – the one who walked on, stayed four years and won the ‘Hard Hat’ award every year. A kid who, when push comes to shove, is going to be there because his character speaks for itself.”

Two new records were also set in the individual skills competition.

No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet gas man Caleb Hurd and catch can man Jamie Frady combined to fill the car with 18 gallons of fuel in 10.031 seconds, shattering the previous record of 14.20 seconds. Eric Wilson, jackman of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge finished with a time of 5.431 seconds, topping last year’s record of 5.94 seconds.

Other skills competition winners were No. 17 DeWalt Ford rear tire changer Dave Smith and carrier Jason Binger and No. 18 M&M’s Toyota front tire changer Nick O’Dell and carrier Brad Donaghy. O’Dell also won last year’s individual competition while with the No. 9 crew.

Sphere: Related Content

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race: Winners Only Need Apply
The 24th annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, will have 24 drivers racing for a winner’s purse in excess of $1 million.

Seventeen of those drivers are All-Stars because they’ve won NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in either 2007 or ‘08

Four are in because – even though they haven’t won a race in 2007 or ’08 – they’re past champions of the event (Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin) or of the series (Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett) within the last 10 years.

Two will get in via the NASCAR Sprint Showdown, a 40-lap preliminary race for series competitors who haven’t won in either 2007 or ’08.

One gets in via the NASCAR Sprint Fan Vote, which started April 17 and runs through 7 p.m. on Saturday night. Fans can vote a non-winner in via text messaging, by going to NASCAR.com or by voting at Sprint retail stories. The driver advancing must finish on the Showdown’s lead lap.

The 2008 NASCAR Sprint Showdown: Best All-Star Prelim Ever?
The NASCAR Sprint Showdown, the annual “last-chance” preliminary to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, is even more intriguing than usual, as it features a former Chase competitor in Elliott Sadler, a former All-Star champion in Michael Waltrip and a man who in recent years has been considered one of the series’ very best drivers, Kasey Kahne. It also will have former Indy 500 champions Sam Hornish Jr. and Dario Franchitti.

The top two finishers in the NASCAR Sprint Showdown advance to the main event.

Kahne is one of four drivers currently in the top 20 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings who most “race their way into” the All-Star event; and one of those drivers is currently inside the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup top 12 bubble — David Ragan, who moved into 12th place after his top-five finish at Darlington. The other two top 20 NASCAR Sprint Showdown entries are Brian Vickers and Travis Kvapil – former champions of the NASCAR Nationwide Series and .the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, respectively.

NASCAR Sprint Fan Vote Awards One Lucky Driver
For the fifth consecutive year, the fans will vote one driver into the Sprint NASCAR All-Star Race field. Fans can vote for their favorite driver who is not already locked in using their Sprint phones by texting “7777” and following the instructions or by voting online at NASCAR.com or sprint.com/speed.

Previous winners of the fan vote are:
2004 – Ken Schrader
2005 – Martin Truex Jr.
2006 – Kyle Petty
2007 – Kenny Wallace

Finale for Jarrett – And The Big Brown Truck
The NASCAR All-Star race will be the last race for Dale Jarrett, who is retiring. He’s in the All-Star event as a former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. He has never won the All-Star race. What a capper that would be, if he won.

Pre-race ceremonies involving Jarrett will be pretty interesting, as well. During drivers’ introductions – with drivers being introduced as they walk on stage, then get into Toyota Tundra pickup trucks for a lap around the track – Jarrett will be introduced last. He will then get into the famed UPS “Big Brown Truck” and will drive around the track. In addition, a fan, selected this week at random, will accompany Jarrett on the long-awaited ride.

History Ready To Be Made – Again
The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race is legendary for providing history-making moments, such as:
Dale Earnhardt’s “Pass in the Grass” of Bill Elliott in 1987;

Davey Allison’s win 1992 that was followed by an accident – after he took the checkered flag – that sent him to the hospital;

Michael Waltrip finishing fifth in the prelim race in 1996 – which then afforded the top five prelim finishers berths in the All-Star race – and going on to win the big event, the first prelim qualifier to do so. At the time, Waltrip had never won a regular NASCAR Sprint Cup event;

Dale Earnhardt Jr. becoming the first rookie to win the All-Star event in 2000, then being joined by his dad in victory lane.

People have come to expect some history being made, in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Busch Vying For Youngest-Ever Honor – Again
Kyle Busch, already the youngest winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history with his 2005 win at the Auto Club Speedway (20 years, 4 months, 2 days), became the youngest winner in Darlington’s history with his win last Saturday night.

Now he looks to check off another “youngest-ever” milestone – the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

The youngest driver to ever win the All-Star Race was Jeff Gordon in 1995 – at 23 years, 9 months, 18 days.

If Busch wins this Saturday night, he’ll take over that title – he would be 23 years, 15 days.

2008 NASCAR PIT CREW CHALLENGE
Pit crews participating in the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge – Thursday night (7 p.m.) at the Time-Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte – are from teams eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race as well as the 2007 winners of the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge.

Following are some storyline surrounding the event.

The No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet: Plenty Of Athletic Firepower
Gas man Caleb Hurd (Pulaski, Va.) is a former special-teams standout at Virginia Tech (as the place-holder for kicker Shayne Graham, now with the Cincinnati Bengals).
Jack man Jeff Cook (from Charlotte, N.C.) played college football at Winthrop College.
Front tire carrier Mike “Tiny” Houston (Concord, N.C.) played football at Western Carolina and later wrestled in the NWA.
Rear tire carrier Jeff Knight (Matthews, N.C.) played Royals Rookie League baseball.

TEAM CONTACT: Jon Edwards (704) 377-8727. Email: pprplus50@aol.com

The No. 12 Alltel Dodge: Defending Champions
The reigning Daytona 500 and NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge championship team has four former college athletes and three men over age 40 on its crew:
Rear-tire carrier Trent Cherry (Charlotte, N.C.) was a quarterback at Lenior-Rhyne. He’s also the team’s pit-crew coach.
Catch-can man Britt Goodrich (Gastonia, N.C.) was a linebacker at the University of North Carolina (and the jack man until last fall).
Jackman Bryan White (Knoxville, Tenn.) was a linebacker at the University of Virginia (in fact, the New York Jets had just cut him in training camp three years ago when he got the pit-crew tryout call from Cherry).
Front-tire changer Ben Brown (Charlotte, N.C.) played baseball at Davidson College.
Goodrich, gas man George Whitley (Chocowinity, N.C.) and rear-tire changer Joe Piette Jr. (Wausaw, Wisc.), all are over age 40. Whitley is 41, Goodrich is 40 and Piette is 41.
TEAM CONTACT: Wendy Belk (704) 664-8182, Email: wendy.belk@penskeracing.com

The No. 18 M&M’s/Interstate Batteries Toyota – Addington Is Shining
Thanks to new driver Kyle Busch, crew chief Steve Addington has found the spotlight.
Busch’s March 2008 win at Atlanta Motor Speedway marked Addington’s first as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief.
A quiet, behind-the-scenes type, Addington’s in his fifth season at Joe Gibbs Racing and his fourth as the No. 18 crew chief.
Prior to JGR, he spent 15 years as a NASCAR Nationwide Series crew chief – 11 with fellow Spartanburg, S. C., native Jason Keller.
TEAM CONTACT: Adam Travers (704) 632-2012. Email: atravers@elevationgrp.com

The No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet: A Behind-The-Scenes Look
Clint Bowyer’s new pit-crew coach Matt Clark (North Haven, Conn.) and team trainer Ray Wright (Charlotte Hall, Md.) are making a big difference at Richard Childress Racing. So is a new shop gym with tons – literally – of new equipment.

Bowyer’s crew has targeted Thursday night’s May 15 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge as a short-term goal; Clark and Wright’s long-term is upgrading the performance of all RCR pit crews.
Clark comes to RCR from Hendrick Motorsports.

Wright, a NASCAR newcomer, played baseball at Louisiana State University and won a College World Series. He trained pro athletes (baseball, football and basketball) in Maryland before coming to North Carolina, where he most recently worked as a strength and baseball coach at Forsythe Country Day School. Team owner Richard Childress’ grandsons were among his Forsythe pupils, helping to lead Wright to RCR.

TEAM CONTACT: Matt Klug (336) 731-3334, ext. 3786. Email: mklug@rcrracing.com
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES

Test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Starts Open Week
NASCAR Nationwide Series teams have their second open week of the season but it begins with on-track activity with a scheduled test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The majority of the teams are based in Charlotte so the trek for the two-day test will be short. More than 40 drivers representing more than 20 teams are scheduled to test at the 1.5-mile track which will serve as host for the next series race on May 24.

Bowyer’s Lead Grows Thanks To “Lady In Black”
Three laps at Darlington last Friday night was all it took for Clint Bowyer’s standings lead to grow from nine points to 112 points. Carl Edwards – who won the pole for the race – placed last for the first time in his series career after an incident on Lap 3 ended his day. Edwards entered the race nine points behind Bowyer. Kyle Busch was in third, only 11 points behind Bowyer but a mid-race accident relegated him to 31st place. Busch did move into second in the standings but Bowyer’s lead is the largest any first-place driver has enjoyed this year. Bowyer was runner-up at Darlington.

Bliss Continues To Lead Series-Only Drivers In Standings
Despite a last-lap accident that took him out of a certain top-10 finish at Darlington, Mike Bliss remained in fifth place in the point standings, the highest-ranking series-only regular. Brad Keselowski, Jason Leffler, Mike Wallace and David Stremme, also series-only regulars, hold positions 7 – 10, respectively. Steve Wallace has posted career-best top-five finishes in his last two races and is 11th, just 28 points behind Stremme, his Rusty Wallace Racing teammate.

Joe Gibbs Racing Extends Series Mark
With Tony Stewart’s win at Darlington last Friday night, Joe Gibbs Racing registered its sixth consecutive series win, building on its new series record. Denny Hamlin’s win at Richmond May 2 actually set the new record (the old mark was four straight wins by Roush Racing in 2000). Three different drivers in two different cars have put together the JGR streak. Kyle Busch leads the trio with three wins, two in the No. 18 Toyota and one in the No. 20 – the car that also leads the owner standings. Stewart has two victories in the No. 20 and Hamlin’s win also came in the No. 20.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES

Busch Is Back
Kyle Busch, the hottest driver in NASCAR, returns to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Friday’s North Carolina Lottery Education 200. Busch is the only double winner of the event, in 2005-06 and over 10 days at Lowe’s Motor Speedway expects to compete in five races comprising 1,034 laps and 1,551 miles.

Hornaday Man To Watch
Ron Hornaday Jr. holds many of the cards this week: He’s the defending winner at LMS; is the defending series champion and holds a 61-point lead over Rick Crawford in the race for the 2008 championship.

No Home Cooking At LMS, Traditionally
It’s a hometown race but only one North Carolina driver – Dennis Setzer of Newton – has been able to win a NASCAR Craftsman Truck event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. In fact, Setzer is one of just six natives of the Tar Heel State to win a series race. He’s scored 18 of the 30 wins.

Sphere: Related Content

• On-The-Roll Kyle Busch, 23 Others Make Up All-Star Field
• Premier Prelim: NASCAR Sprint Showdown
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. One Of 4 ‘Former Champion Wild Cards’
• Newman’s Team Defends Pit Crew Championship

All-Star Action: Busch Takes Hot Streak Into NASCAR Showcase

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 13, 2008) – The playing field will be somewhat leaner and definitely meaner on Saturday night, seemingly lessening the chances of another event dominated by Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s/Interstate Batteries Toyota).

Of course, that’s pure speculation going into the 24th annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Even though the 24-driver field will feature recent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners, past All-Star race winners and past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions, these days it’s always hard to pick against Busch, the current series points leader.

He has three NASCAR Sprint Cup victories this season. En route to that, there’s this: a series-high Driver Rating of 112.0. Five other NASCAR wins — in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Craftsman Truck series, have added to his aura.

Aura, though, will be a relative term come Saturday night. Auras will be everywhere, every lap. The All-Star race will have every driver who has won the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship since 1997, a group led by Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet), who also has three All-Star victories, tied with Dale Earnhardt for the all-time lead.

How tough is the field? Tough enough that a former Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Juicy Fruit Dodge) is an event rookie. Tough enough that several past Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors — plus two former NASCAR national series champions — aren’t even in the field, as they’re forced to try to “qualify” via the NASCAR Sprint Showdown, the annual All-Star preliminary.

Busch, of course, has personified toughness of late. And while he’s trying to earn his first All-Star victory, he’ll also be striving for a place in the record book. A victory Saturday would make him the youngest All-Star winner ever, at 23 years, 15 days.

Jeff Gordon holds that record, at 23 years, 9 months, 18 days.

All-Star Berths Resulting From Showdown Will Be Well-Earned

The preliminary event to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has had several incarnations and resulting format changes through the years, all the while adding to the annual evening of intrigue.

Typically, the prelim — featuring drivers who have not qualified for the All-Star race by winning — is dotted with notable names.

But has there ever been a “last chance” race like this?

Saturday night’s 40-lap/60-mile NASCAR Sprint Showdown, which advances its top two finishers to the All-Star event, has star power of its own.

Start with Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge) and Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Dodge Dealers-UAW Dodge), two former Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors amid surprising winless streaks — Kahne at 0-for-52, Sadler at 0-for-130.

Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota), the 2003 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion, has been shuttled to the Showdown, as has Travis Kvapil, (No. 28 Yates Racing Ford) the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion.

And while one former Indy 500 champion, Montoya, has made the All-Star field, two others — rookies Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge) and Dario Franchitti (No. 40 Dodge Challenger Dodge) are Showdown entrants. They, like everyone in the prelim field, will look to capitalize.

It can happen. In 1996, Michael Waltrip (No. 55 NAPA Toyota), at the time winless in 309 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts, finished fifth in the All-Star prelim. Back then, the top five finishers advanced. Waltrip incredibly went on to win the main event.

In 2002, Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge) won the second of two prelims, a 16-lap “No Bull Sprint” to advance, and he too went on to win.

24-Driver All-Star Field Headlined By 17 Different Race Winners, 4 ‘Wild Cards’

Here’s the breakdown for Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race field:

Seventeen of the 24 drivers will be race winners from either 2007 or the 2008 season to date;

Two drivers — Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard Citizen Soldier/Amp Energy Chevrolet) and Mark Martin (No. 8 U.S. Army Chevrolet) — are in, because they’re past champions of the event.

Two more — Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge) and Dale Jarrett (No. 44 UPS Toyota) are in because they’re past champions of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

These four champion “wild-card” berths cover only the 10 previous seasons.

In addition to the these 21 drivers and the top two finishers in the NASCAR Sprint Showdown, the 24th and final spot goes to the driver getting the most votes in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Fan Vote.

For the fifth consecutive year, the fans will vote one driver into the Sprint NASCAR All-Star Race field. Fans can vote for a driver who is not already locked in by using their Sprint phones to text “7777” and follow the instructions — or by voting online at NASCAR.com or sprint.com/speed.

Previous winners of the fan vote:
2004 - Ken Schrader
2005 – Martin Truex Jr.
2006 – Kyle Petty
2007 – Kenny Wallace

Note: To advance to the main event via the fan vote, a driver must finish on the lead lap of the NASCAR Sprint Showdown.

Below is a rundown of the All-Star drivers already locked in.

2008 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race Field

Driver                     Car                                                        Why He’s An All-Star                      
Greg Biffle                No. 16 Dish Network Ford                        Victory at Kansas, Sept. 2007
Clint Bowyer             No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet                 Victory at New Hampshire, Sept. 2007
Jeff Burton                No. 31 AT&T Mobility                              Victory at Texas, April 2007
Kurt Busch               No. 2  Miller Lite Dodge                           Victory at Pocono, Aug. 2007
Kyle Busch               No. 18 M&M’s/Interstate Batteries Toyota Victory at Bristol, March 2007
Dale Earnhardt Jr.      No. 88 N. Guard/Amp Energy Chevrolet    Won 2000 All-Star race
Carl Edwards             No. 99 Office Depot Ford                         Victory at Michigan, June 2007
Jeff Gordon                No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet                         Victory at Phoenix, April 2007
Denny Hamlin            No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota                   Victory at New Hampshire, July 2007
Kevin Harvick             No. 29 Pennzoil Platinum Chevrolet          Victory 2007 Daytona 500
Dale Jarrett                No. 44 UPS Toyota                                 Won 1999 series championship
Jimmie Johnson         No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet                           Victory at Las Vegas, March 2007
Matt Kenseth             No. 17 DEWALT Ford                              Victory at California, Feb. 2007
Bobby Labonte          No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge        Won 2000 series championship
Mark Martin               No. 01 U.S. Army Chevrolet                      Won 1998 All-Star race
Jamie McMurray        No. 26 Crown Royal Ford                          Victory at Daytona, July 2007
Casey Mears             No. 5  Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet      Victory at Lowe’s, May 2007
Juan Pablo Montoya  No. 42 Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit Dodge             Victory at Infineon Raceway, June 2007
Ryan Newman           No. 12 Alltel Dodge                                   Won 2008 Daytona 500
Tony Stewart             No. 20 Home Depot Toyota                        Victory at Chicago, July 2007
Martin Truex Jr.         No. 01 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet               Victory at Dover, June 2007

Plus …
Top-two finishers in the NEXTEL Open
Winner of NEXTEL Fan Vote

On The Line: Jeff Gordon Discusses All-Star Race On NASCAR Teleconference

Three-time NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race champion Jeff Gordon fielded media questions during Tuesday’s NASCAR Teleconference. Gordon is tied with Dale Earnhardt for most All-Star victories, with three.

On winning this weekend’s All-Star race and setting a record for wins: “The All-Star event is always a special event. I think it is one the drivers take a lot of pride in what type of success they have in that event. Also, the teams put in a lot of effort, and there are no points on the line so it’s just all about the win.

“To know that we have won it three times in the past really means a lot. Those have all been very special occasions and events for me to be a part of in the past, and to do anything that Dale Earnhardt’s done and to be in that same category certainly even more special. We would love to get another one. I never really look at events as stats and trying to break records. I look at it as a race that we want to win badly, and it’s the next race on the schedule.

“Hopefully we can pull it off.” 

For the complete transcript and downloadable audio of the NASCAR Teleconference, visit NASCARMedia.com.

Newman’s Crew Defending Title In NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge

While the top NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers shine in Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, pit crews will be spotlighted in Thursday’s fourth annual NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge presented by Craftsman.

Scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at Charlotte’s Time-Warner Cable Arena, the event determines seven individual position winners as well as the winning team. It begins with a seeding round, and progresses through five additional rounds. Round Five is the final round.

The reigning Daytona 500 champions – Ryan Newman’s No. 12 Alltel Dodge pit crew – also are the defending champions of Thursday’s competition. They’re one of 24 teams eligible to compete in the Challenge.

Thursday’s roster also includes last year’s runner-up – the pit crew for Bobby Labonte’s No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge – plus two other former Pit Crew Challenge champions – the pit crews for Kasey Kahne’s No. 9 Budweiser Dodge (2005) and Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet (2006).

The seven individual pit-crew positions are front-tire changer, front-tire carrier, rear-tire changer, rear-tire carrier, gas man, catch-can man and jack man.

Eligible pit crews are those whose teams are eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and/or the 2007 NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge champions — plus three “wild-card” teams, meaning the top three teams from the current series point standings who aren’t otherwise qualified.

Loop Data: Revealing Stats Favor 3 Former All-Star Champions

Jimmie Johnson has won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race twice. Jeff Gordon has won three times. Kevin Harvick is the defending champion.

The statistics suggest that one of the three might end up in Victory Lane yet again.

Of those already “locked in,” Johnson has some of the best All-Star stats since Loop Data’s inception in 2005. He owns series-highs in the yearly race in Driver Rating (113.6), Fastest Laps Run (44), and is third-best in Average Running Position (6.2) and Laps in the Top 15 (92.3%).

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Gordon, likewise, leads a couple of statistical categories – Laps in the Top 15 (99.6%) and Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15), with 83. He ranks third in Driver Rating among those locked in with a 104.4 and second in Fastest Laps Run with 25.

Harvick, last year’s champion, finished second and first the last two years. He has a  Driver Rating of 110.7 (second), an Average Running Position of 7.6 (fifth) and 11 Fastest Laps Run (seven).

Of those All-Stars looking for their first win in the coveted race, Kyle Busch likely has the best shot. Not only is the 23-year-old white-hot this season – he’s tied for the series lead with three wins – but has had success in his two previous All-Star races. Though his finishes have been poor – he’s finished 16th and 20th thanks to two accidents – Busch does have solid statistics. He has a Driver Rating 102.8, an Average Running Position of 8.8, 18 Fastest Laps Run and has spent 64.7% of the laps in the top 15.

All-Star Add-Ons

• Special Delivery: Jarrett Driving Big Brown Truck Prior To His Finale Race
• History Lesson: A Look Back At The ‘Original’ All-Star Event

Extra-special pre-race ceremonies on Saturday night will spotlight Dale Jarrett and one of the most memorable marketing campaigns in the history of professional sports.

The NASCAR All-Star race will be the last race for Jarrett, one of the most popular drivers in the history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, a man who clearly embellished the Jarrett family legacy that was started by his father, two-time series champion Ned Jarrett.

Jarrett has never won the All-Star race; he’s in the field via the past series champion provison. Jarrett won the series title in 1999.

Pre-race ceremonies involving Jarrett will be unique, to say the least. Pretty interesting, as well. During drivers’ introductions Jarrett will be introduced last. In contrast to the other drivers who will ride around the track in Toyota trucks, Jarrett will jump behind the wheel of the famed UPS “Big Brown Truck” and will drive around the track. In addition, a fan, selected this week at random, will accompany Jarrett on the long-awaited truck appearance.

   
 *  *  *  *  *

The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which debuted in 1985, has some ancestry. From 1961-63, an All-Star event was held at Daytona International Speedway in conjunction with the Speedweeks activities.

Like the current event, this original was for winners only. In 1961, the event — called the American Challenge Cup — had 11 cars and Joe Weatherly as the winner via a last-lap pass of Fireball Roberts.

Roberts came back to win the race in 1962. In 1963, the final year of the race — the name had been changed to “Race of Champions” — Fred Lorenzen  was the winner.

FAST FACTS

The Race: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

The Place: Lowe’s Motor Speedway

The Date: Saturday, May 17

The Time: 9 p.m. ET

The Track: 1.5-mile oval

The Distance: 100 laps/150 miles

TV: SPEED, 7 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SIRIUS Satellite Radio

Winner’s Purse: $1,012,975

2007 Winner: Kevin Harvick

Format: Four 25-lap segments

Eligible Drivers:
Race winners from 2007 and 2008 seasons
Past champions of NASCAR Sprint All –Star Race and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (from previous 10 seasons)
Top two finishers in NASCAR Sprint Showdown race
Top vote-getter in NASCAR Sprint Fan Vote who also finishes on lead lap of the Showdown.

Pre-Race Schedule: Friday—Practice, 1:30-2:50 p.m. Qualifying, 6:15 p.m.; Saturday—NASCAR Sprint Showdown, 7:30 p.m.

Sphere: Related Content

Setzer One Of Few Tar Heels To Win In NASCAR Craftsman Trucks
North Carolina Education Lottery 200 First Of Five For Busch At LMS
Andy Houston Trades Helmet For Place On Spotters’ Stand

Setzer Lone North Carolina Truck Winner At Lowe’s Motor Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 12, 2008) – Friday’s North Carolina Lottery Education 200 is a hometown race for all but one fulltime NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team.

History, however, shows Dennis Setzer (No 18 Dodge) as the only North Carolina-born driver to win the 201-mile race.

Setzer, from Newton, N.C., won in 2004 and is the only Tar Heel winner in NASCAR national series points competition at Lowe’s Motor Speedway since Dale Jarrett’s UAW-GM Quality 500 victory in 1997.

That’s a far cry from earlier eras when names like Petty, Baker, Parsons and Earnhardt dominated.

“In the beginning, NASCAR was a southern sport but due to corporate sponsors and bigger television packages, it has now grown into a world-wide sport,” said Setzer, one of six North Carolina-born winners of series races. Setzer owns 18 of the 30 victories.

The birth of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1995 aided the rush of non-southern and off-oval competitors into the sport. Only one champion — the late Bobby Hamilton — was born south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Series graduates include Kurt Busch (Nevada), Kevin Harvick (California) and Greg Biffle (Washington).

“As a driver, I don’t have anything against it at all,” said Setzer. “I think the growth of our sport is pretty impressive and something we should be proud of.”

Kyle Busch Is Back: Crawford Says Give Him His Due

Kyle Busch (No. 51 Miccosukee Resorts/NOS Energy Drink Toyota) forfeited his point lead last month when conflicts prevented him from competing at Kansas Speedway.

This week the two-time 2008 winner is back. The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 is the first leg of a busy 10 days at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Busch anticipates competing in every NASCAR event — five races, 1,034 laps and 1,551 miles. “Hopefully, I can go to Charlotte (and) either win a truck race or All-Star Race or both,” said Busch, who comes into Friday’s race as the track’s only double series winner. “That would be awesome.”

Rick Crawford (No. 14 Power Stroke Diesel by International Ford) has moved into the runnerup position — No. 2 for the first time since June 2003. He trails leader Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 33 Camping World Chevrolet) by 61 points.

Crawford agrees Busch, now sixth in the standings, will continue to impact the series although he’s not likely to contend for the title.

“He’s probably taken himself out of the points picture because there’s a lot of good trucks out there,” said Crawford.

Yet, having Busch in the series on a limited basis has caused everyone to elevate their game.

“Hand it to the man; it fits his style right now,” said Crawford. “He’s on top of his game.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Best Winning Percentage (25 or more starts)

                              Winning
   Driver               Percentage   Wins   Races
1. Kyle Busch           20.00            8         40
2. Greg Biffle              19.75          16         81
3. R. Hornaday Jr.       16.59          34       205
4. Kurt Busch             16.00            4         25
5. Mike Skinner          15.09            4       159

Scott Speed: We’re Not In Monte Carlo Anymore

You’ll never mistake Turn 1 at Martinsville for Monte Carlo’s Casino Square.

Scott Speed (No. 22 Red Bull Toyota), however, has proved himself in Formula One. And, in just his second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, he finished 10th at Martinsville Speedway.

Cars, trucks, fenders and no fenders; it really makes no difference to Speed, a Californian who adapted to life in Europe and has reappeared square in the heart of NASCAR racing.

“A lot has happened to me in the last nine months,” said Speed, 25, a Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate. “I lived in Europe for five years and the culture is completely different over there.

“It’s actually been an easy transition. It’s nice to be closer to my family. It’s been a cool homecoming but … I definitely miss everything about Austria. I’d love to live there again someday.”

Facing off with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso and Bill Davis Racing teammate Mike Skinner isn’t all that dissimilar.

Both are among the toughest competitors in their respective environments.

“The drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series are really tough racers and the level of competition is so high,” said Speed, who’ll get his first taste of competition at Lowe’s Motor Speedway on Friday night.

Speed, like other road racers, is having to “unlearn.”

“The biggest difficulty for me has been running around the outside of someone on the track and actually being faster,” he said.

Unlike F1, where real-time data is fed to a battery of engineers, information flows from driver to crew chief and back again.

“I do feel that I’m adapting to that change pretty well,” said Speed, winner of last month’s ARCA RE/MAX race in Kansas. “I learn something new every time I race. One of my goals this year is to just be a sponge and absorb everything I can.”

Andy Houston Trades Helmet For A Headset

This is a story of one decade and two garages.

In 1998, a furious, final-laps battle between then rookies Greg Biffle and Andy Houston ended with a bump on the backstretch and Houston in New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Victory Lane.

Both will be busy at Lowe’s Motor Speedway Friday — in different garages with different duties.

Biffle went on to win NASCAR Craftsman Truck and Nationwide Series titles and counts 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories.

Houston, who had a brief NASCAR Sprint Cup career, left the driver’s seat for jobs on the other side of the pit wall. He now works for Kevin Harvick Inc. as Jack Sprague’s spotter.

“When I’m up in the spotter’s stand there are a lot of guys just like me up there – David Green, Tim Fedewa and Rick Carelli, just to name a few,” said Houston.  “I think that by being former drivers, we know what is going through the guys’ minds sitting in the seats. You also have the distinct advantage knowing when to speak and when to shut up.”

Houston, son of NASCAR Nationwide Series legend Tommy Houston, won three times in NASCAR Craftsman Truck competition. He frequently competed alongside his brother Marty.

Houston is one of just six North Carolina-born competitors to win a series race.

“I am very proud to have grown up in the racing center of the world,” he said. “Since my dad was involved in racing, I have never known anything different. I now feel privileged to be a part of such an elite group.

“The best years that I’ve had in my entire racing career were while I was involved with the series. I feel like I played a small part in where it is today.”

Etc. and Quotable

• Hornaday Holding The Cards. … You’ll see a bounce in Ron Hornaday’s step this week heading into the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 as the defending race winner, current standings leader and defending series champion. A year ago, the 49-year-old Californian wasn’t sure he’d ever win a race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
• Five Down; Two To Go. … Todd Bodine (No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Toyota) needs two more wins for an unprecedented sweep of the seven “intermediate” tracks on the current schedule. He lacks victories at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Kentucky Speedway. Hornaday also is five-for-seven. His targets are Texas Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
• Toyota Looks For 50th Pole. … This might be a good week to reach the milestone. Mike Skinner (No. 5 Toyota Tundra Toyota) has won three consecutive poles at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Toyota has run just 105 races.

Raybestos Rookies Haven’t Fared Well At Lowe’s

Lowe’s Motor Speedway proclaims itself “The Beast of the Southeast.”

Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidates aren’t about to argue the point.

Aric Almirola’s ninth-place finish in 2006 stands as the best performance.

Here is how each season’s Raybestos Rookie of the Year fared at LMS:

Carl Edwards, 12th, 2003
David Reutimann, 36th, 2004
Todd Kluever, 20th, 2005
Erik Darnell, 10th, 2006
Willie Allen, 21st, 2007

Edwards, however, went to school on his initial brush with LMS. He finished second the following year. Darnell, conversely, finished 30th last year. Regardless, all the candidates will be on equal footing. None has competed in a series race at LMS.

After five races of the 2008 season:

1. Colin Braun       53
2. Justin Marks     48
3. Brian Scott       44
4. Phillip McGilton 38
5. Donny Lia         37
6. Andy Lally        35
7. Marc Mitchell   28

Up Next:

Competitors go from one of the series’ larger speedways to its smallest when the fifth edition of the Ohio 250 is held May 24 at the .5-mile Mansfield Motorsports Park.

Four races have produced four different winners. Jack Sprague (No. 2 American Commercial Lines Chevrolet) won the inaugural race in 2004 and has finished second in each of the past three seasons.

In The Loop:

Ron Hornaday Jr. put on a racing clinic during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last season.

It was something to behold. Hornaday, starting seventh, needed only 19 laps to grab the lead. He led a race-high 98 of 136 laps and scored a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0.

Some of his other race highlights: He had an Average Running Position of 1.7 and 49 Fastest Laps Run. He was passed during a green flag run only three times and spent all 136 laps running in the top 15.

Few challenged Hornaday. Mike Skinner was among them. Skinner, who’s had surprising difficulties at LMS, finished eighth last season. It was his only top-10 finish in four series races there.

A lot of Skinner’s poor finishes were a result of bad luck. In 2005, he led 40 laps and scored a Driver Rating of 113.9, but finished 26th because of an accident. In 2006, he led 38 laps and had a Driver Rating of 106.8, but finished 31st thanks to engine problems.

Todd Bodine has followed a similar LMS path  – strong runs but zero wins. Bodine has consecutive third-place finishes at LMS, and over the past three years has a Driver Rating of 98.4 and an Average Running Position of 12.0.

Then, as always, Kyle Busch will be a story whenever he’s running in the series. He’ll be back this weekend, and carries two wins and series-high marks at LMS in Driver Rating (122.6) and Fastest Laps Run (81) into this race.

More Etc.

• Rosenblum Recovering. … Jim Rosenblum, whose No. 28 Chevrolet will be driven at Lowe’s by Wayne Edwards, underwent a successful cardiac procedure last week at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. He expects to be with the team in Charlotte.
• Top 30 Battle Boils. … Having a truck among the top 30 in owner points is a ticket into the race regardless of qualifying speed. Sixteen points is the difference between the 27th and 31st positions.
• Special Colors For Red Horse. … Red Horse Racing will fly the colors of PIT Corporate Training on the No. 11 Toyota Tundra this week   As part of the corporate partnership with the team,  David Starr’s truck will be adorned in a special blue and black paint scheme.

Quotable

“With the tapered spacer and gear rule, momentum is going to be more important than ever. You used to want to run the (white) line down through turns three and four. Now I wouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of drivers right up next to the wall to get momentum for that long frontstretch.” - Ted Musgrave, No. 59 Team ASE/Harris Trucking Toyota, winner of the inaugural North Carolina Lottery Education 200.

2008 Manufacturers’ Championship Point Standings
Toyota     34
Chevrolet 30
Ford        24
Dodge     22

Director’s Take: Wayne’s Words

 

 

“My memories of Lowe’s — well, it was then Charlotte Motor Speedway — go back nearly four decades.

“I was 12 years old when my dad took me to my first race there. He ran the fire crew but just because he got me in didn’t mean I could go into the garage. I was too young.

“The first race I actually worked was in 1974. I was a spotter in the tower down in Turn 1. David Pearson won with only one caution and it definitely was the longest day I ever had working a race.

“Chances are good that a veteran driver will be celebrating in Victory Lane at the end of the evening.

“Lowe’s Motor Speedway seems to have way too much for a rookie driver to absorb in one night.

“Of course, that’s not always the case. Kyle Busch became the series’ youngest winner in 2005 at the age of 20.

“A driver has to finesse his way around this track and understand what it takes to both keep up but still be around at the end.

“It takes a very good crew chief to understand how the track changes and make the adjustments to keep his driver in the game.

“Bottom line: A veteran driver is best able to provide the feedback to help his crew chief make those critical adjustments.” Wayne Auton,  NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Director.

This Week’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Leaders
(Through five races of the 25-race season)

• Points leader – Ron Hornaday Jr. (775)
• Driver Rating – Kyle Busch (122.0)
• Laps led – Ron Hornaday Jr. (236)
• Victories – Kyle Busch (2)
• Keystone Light Poles – Ron Hornaday Jr. (2)
• Top-five finishes – Three drivers with three
• Top-10 finishes – Ron Hornaday Jr. (4)
• Raybestos Rookie Leader – Colin Braun
• Races led – Ron Hornaday Jr. (5)
• Weeks in Top 10 – Five drivers with five

FAST FACTS

The Race: North Carolina Education Lottery 200
The Place: Lowe’s Motor Speedway
The Date: May 16, 2008
The Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Race Distance: 201 miles / 134 laps
TV: SPEED, 7:30 p.m. ET
Track Layout: 1.5-Mile Paved Oval
2007 Winner: Ron Hornaday Jr
2007 Pole: Mike Skinner

2008 Standings:
Rank Driver              Points
1       R. Hornaday Jr. 775
2       R. Crawford       714
3       T. Bodine          704
4       D. Setzer          666
5       J. Benson         666
6       Ky. Busch        645
7       M. Crafton        639
8       C. McCumbee  633
9       J. Sprague        629
10     T. Musgrave      627

Schedule: Friday: Practice, 9-10:00 a.m. and 10:20 a.m.-11:50 a.m.; Qualifying, 3:35 p.m.

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