Sterling Marlin Pocono Advance
CONTACT: Jennifer Powell, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, (704) 662-9642, jpowell@ganassi.com Sterling Marlin, No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Pocono 500 - Pocono Raceway Advance No. 40 TEAM FACTS: * Fore!: Sterling Marlin held his annual charity golf tournament this week in Franklin, Tenn. The tournament which raises money for local charities was attended by fellow NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip, FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip and Rascal Flatts guitarist Joe Don Rooney. * Double Duty: Marlin will be running the Busch Series race at his home track of Nashville Superspeedway. He will be piloting the No. 40 for FitzBradshaw Racing. * Chassis: The Coors Light team will race chassis #401 this weekend at Pocono. This is the same car that Marlin piloted to a 41st, fifth, 35th and 15th-place finish in Darlington, Texas, Las Vegas and Fontana, respectively. * CMA Music Festival: Marlin will be attending the CMA Festival in downtown Nashville on Thursday at the Prilosec exibit. Come and get your picture taken with him from 12-2 p.m. * Driving Pocono: In 38 starts at Pocono Raceway, Marlin has six top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. He has started from the pole twice (1999 and 2002) and his highest finish is third (2002). * NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points standings: Marlin is currently 23rd in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points standings after finishing 32nd at Dover. Marlin is 255 points out of the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. STERLING MARLIN QUOTES: What are your thoughts on Pocono? "It's a completely different track than we're normally used to. I've enjoyed racing there since the mid 80s when I went up there for the first time. You've got three different corners and two long straightaways, and this year is going to be a totally different feel because we're not going to be able to shift this year. It's going to be a lot different and take some getting used to again." "You got the long straightaway, and turn one is a pretty sweeping corner, and the grooves right on the bottom, which it is all three corners. Like I said it's just a totally, totally different track, turn two, a pretty tricky corner. We are really going to have to get our bearings and you can make a lot of time up,. One of the most important corners is turn three, because you come off and get on such a long straightaway. You've really got to get your car working good up off that corner and make your time up on that straightaway." Sterling Marlin Cumulative NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Stats: Starts Wins Top 5s Top 10s Poles Winnings 653 10 83 101 11 $ 32,894,847 Last Pole: September 1, 2002, at Darlington Raceway Last Win: March 3, 2002, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Last Top-Five: April 17, 2005 at Texas Motor Speedway Last Top-10: April 17, 2005 at Texas Motor Speedway Sterling Marlin 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Results: Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Poles Winnings 13 0 1 3 0 $ 1,650,154 STERLING MARLIN, NEXTEL CUP SERIES, POCONO RACEWAY STATS: DATE START FINISH DATE START FINISH 6/8/03 23 6 8/1/04 4 15 6/9/02 1 4 7/27/03 20 10 6/17/01 2 4 7/28/02 13 3 6/19/00 31 22 7/29/01 10 16 6/20/99 1 4 7/23/00 34 42 6/21/98 15 9 7/25/99 9 28 6/8/97 28 15 7/26/98 31 11 6/16/96 23 11 7/20/97 23 20 6/11/95 15 4 7/21/96 17 6 6/12/94 18 38 7/16/95 6 18 6/13/93 32 8 7/17/94 18 12 6/14/92 19 7 7/18/93 15 7 6/16/91 16 8 7/19/92 14 11 6/17/90 7 9 7/21/91 11 5 6/18/89 6 6 7/22/90 16 30 6/19/88 21 28 7/23/89 9 36 6/14/87 19 15 7/24/88 8 14 6/10/84 23 33 7/19/87 23 25 6/12/83 20 29 7/24/83 20 18 COORS LIGHT CREW: Name Crew position Race shop duty Hometown Sterling Marlin Driver Driver Columbia, Tennessee Andy Graves Team Manager Team Manager Syracuse, New York Tony Glover Team Manager Team Manager Kingsport, Tennessee Steve Boyer Crew Chief Crew Chief North Platte, Nebraska Paul Clapprood Car Chief Car Chief/Chief Mechanic Stafford Springs, Connecticut Phil Drye Front Tire Changer Mechanic Concord, North Carolina Dion Williams Front Tire Carrier Pit Practice Coordinator Atlanta, Georgia Rich Macco Rear Tire Changer Race Day Only Syracuse, New York Adam Mosher Rear Tire Carrier Race Day Only Fort Mill, South Carolina Marcus Bonicelli Jack Man Race Day Only Colorado Springs, Colorado Randy Hildreth Gas Man Race Day Only Charlotte, North Carolina Jeff Price Catch Can Man Shock Specialist Beallsville, Maryland Chuck Johnson Engine Specialist Engine Specialist Spartanburg, South Carolina Bart Creasman Spotter Race Day Only Arden, North Carolina Mike Motil Tire Specialist Tire Specialist Hazelton, Pennsylvania Anthony Berthiaume Pit Support Swing Mechanic Agawam, Massachusetts Tim Beaver Pit Support Truck Driver Mooresville, North Carolina Jeremy Crosby Scorer Race Day Only Hickory, North Carolina Bond Suss Pit Support Mechanic New Market, Minnesota Darren Wolfe Pit Support Rear Mechanic Asheville, North Carolina XXX Jennifer Powell Media Relations Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Office: (704) 662-9642 x1147 jpowell@ganassi.com