Nationwide Series - JR Motorsports Team Preview

Aric Almirola

No. 88 Suave Men Chevrolet

“It’s tough to believe we’re already half way through the year. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we’re growing as a team. The good news is we’ve made a lot of gains from where we were at the beginning of this year, and that’s what we need to be doing. If we can put some of this bad luck behind us and keep ourselves out of trouble on the racetrack, we can consistently run up front, there’s no doubt in my mind.

“Daytona is fun for me because it’s my home track. I’ll have friends and family here for the races. The Eurys are masters of putting together good restrictor-plate cars so we’re excited for the Daytona night race. Back at Talladega we had a car that could pull up and push well. If we can get hooked up with someone that pulls well, I think we’ve got a good chance.”

Danica Patrick

No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

“Looking back at the spring Daytona race, it was a huge learning experience for me. We saw a lot of different situations with our Go Daddy car. We ran in the pack for some of the day, but we also were able to get out front and see what that was like, too. I felt like I had a decent understanding of how to push the car in front of me. When I got out front that was a different story. Learning what to do when there’s a car pushing you is still something I need to work on. There is a lot going on out there and it can be difficult at times.

“I know Tony Jr. and the crew are anxious to get into victory lane after what happened with Ron [Fellows] last week. We’d like nothing more than to run a solid race and come out of Daytona with a great finish. It’s a matter of keeping ourselves out of enough trouble to be there in the closing laps.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

TAKING THE JALAPENO 250 – Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to victory in the Subway Jalapeno 250 last year with the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet. After qualifying third, Earnhardt led the final 33 laps to score his 23rd win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Earnhardt Jr.’s entry into the race was part of a tribute to his father’s 2010 induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Earnhardt Jr. drove a blue and yellow paint scheme similar to the Wrangler Jean Machine Dale Earnhardt Sr. drove in the mid-1980s.

JRM’s DAYTONA SUCCESS – Dating back to 2006, Daytona International Speedway is tied with Bristol Motor Speedway as JRM’s most successful track statistically. The organization secured one win, five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 20 starts at the 2.5-mile facility. The team’s win, along with three top-fives and six top-10 finishes, have come in night races at the track.

PATRICK AT DAYTONA – Patrick makes her fourth stock car start at the famed Daytona International Speedway this Friday. In 2010, the facility was the site of her first stock car start in ARCA competition. She earned a top-10 finish in that event and since has started two Nationwide Series races at Daytona, finishing 35th in 2010 and 14th in 2011. Patrick’s fourth-place start at Daytona this spring was also her best Nationwide Series start.

DANICA’S SEASON – This season, Patrick has competed in five races, earning one top-five (Las Vegas) and two top-10s (Las Vegas and Chicagoland). She also holds an average finish of 15.6

PATRICK’S 2011 NNS SCHEDULE – Following the Subway Jalapeno 250, Patrick will compete in six more Nationwide Series races in 2011, including Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (Aug. 20), Richmond International Raceway (Sept. 9), Kansas Speedway (Oct. 8), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 5), Phoenix International Raceway (Nov. 12), and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 19). GoDaddy.com will sponsor Patrick’s remaining races.

NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds two top-five and six top-10 finishes in 2011. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Danica Patrick and Josh Wise have shared driving duties in the No. 7 Chevrolet throughout the year, each scoring a top-10 finish. The team occupies 12th position in owner points.

ALMIROLA AT DAYTONA – With only three starts to his credit at Daytona, Almirola owns one pole and one top-five start with a best finish of 19th. His average start at the facility is 6.3. A native of Tampa, Fla., Almirola considers Daytona his home track.

NO. 88 SEASON STATS –The No. 88 team owns one top-five and seven top-10 finishes this season. Almirola is currently ranked sixth in the championship driver points (-75). The No. 88 team is 11th in owner points.