TEAM REPORTS (DAYTONA, FLA.) - RCR's Scott Wimmer Daytona Advance

NOTES:

· This Week’s Holiday Inn Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway … Scott Wimmer will pilot Chassis No. 030 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new in 2005 as the No. 21 machine, this is the same car that Wimmer raced last February at Daytona International Speedway (St. 36, Fn. 13). Since then, this Holiday Inn Chevy has received all the required 2008 updates.

· Track Stat … Wimmer has competed in eight NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) races at Daytona International Speedway, completing 98.9 percent of the laps. He has an average starting position of 18.0 and an average finishing spot of 19.9. Additionally, Wimmer has four top-15 finishes at the 2.5-mile tri-oval.

· RCR Nationwide Cars at Daytona … RCR has won two NNS races at Daytona International Speedway – one with Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002) and most recently with Kevin Harvick at the Orbitz 300 in February 2007. In 32 NNS starts at the 2.5 mile tri-oval, RCR has earned one pole (Harvick 2005), 17 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes. RCR cars have also led 274 laps at the “World Center of Racing.”

· This is a Test … Wimmer got behind the wheel of the No. 29 Holiday Inn car during preseason testing at DIS from Jan. 20-22. Teammate Jeff Burton joined Wimmer and the No. 29 team for two days of hot laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway from Jan. 30-31 to round out the preseason testing schedule.

· Carrying the Momentum … Wimmer co-piloted the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet with Burton to the 2007 NASCAR Nationwide Series owners’ championship for RCR. This season, the potent duo will attempt to defend the title.

· For the Record … 2008 marks Wimmer’s seventh season in the NNS with 146 starts, five wins, one pole, 24 top-five and 55 top-10 finishes and led for 543 laps.

· Let’s Break Things Down … The 2008 season will once again feature Wimmer and Burton as co-pilots of the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet, with Wimmer behind the wheel for 23 races and Burton the remainder of the 35-race schedule.

· Welcome Aboard Holiday Inn Express … Sponsorship of the No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet expands to include Holiday Inn Express. The move provides the opportunity to engage guests of both hotel brands who, according to research, are equally passionate about racing.

· Can’t Wait for No. 51? … Enter the Holiday Inn Racing ‘THE FEEL OF DAYTONA®’ Sweepstakes for the chance to win a trip for two (including airfare and hotel) to the 2009 DAYTONA 500®. You could also snag a NASCAR.com gift card if you are one of Holiday Inn’s weekly winners. Please visit NASCAR.com for full details.

· Up to Speed … Live coverage of the Camping World 300 presented by Chevrolet at Daytona International Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, February 16 beginning at 12:00 noon Eastern Standard Time (EST). The race will be telecast live on ESPN2 and will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the season opener will be televised live on ESPN2 on Friday, February 15 at 3 p.m. EST.

SCOTT WIMMER QUOTES:

You are coming off a great 2007 season by winning the owners’ championship for Richard Childress. What are your goals for 2008?

“We were successful last year and had a couple races that we stumbled a little but overall it was a great season for us. Jeff (Burton) and I definitely want to win the owners’ championship again so that is our number one goal. I would like to win my first race at Richard Childress Racing. I was close three or four times last year but could never seal the deal. We had five wins as a team in 2007 and won the championship so I think the Holiday Inn Racing team would like to up the wins a little bit and bring home the owners’ championship once again.”

Is there a lot of pressure to do well at Daytona?

“There is definitely a lot of pressure whenever you go to Daytona. It is the biggest race of the year for all three of the top divisions. Kevin (Harvick) won the Nationwide race in the No. 21 Chevrolet last year and Clint (Bowyer) and I ran well too, so there is a lot of pressure to be successful at Daytona and avoid the inevitable wrecks. You want to run well to build a solid foundation for the rest of the season. I want to go to Daytona and run strong in the Holiday Inn Chevrolet. We had a great test and hopefully we can put Holiday Inn and Chevrolet back in Victory Lane.”

How much of a factor does wind play at Daytona?

“Wind doesn’t play too much of a factor at Daytona during racing conditions. I think we worry more about the wind during qualifying, especially if you are a team that needs to make the race. Fortunately, all of Richard’s (Childress) cars are solid in the race based on owners’ points. If we get that strong gust of wind during qualifying, it’s not going to hurt us. During the race you can feel the wind but it’s not as big of a deal as it is during qualifying.”

What does it take to be successful in a Nationwide race at Daytona?

“In the last couple of years, the guy that can keep his car out front for the last 10 laps at Daytona seems to be the one that ultimately wins. It is a big chess match to get your car where you need it at the end of the race and that is the lead. We will go down to Daytona and try to get the Holiday Inn Chevy out front and lead as many laps as possible. If we get shuffled back in the pack then hopefully we will have enough time to get back up there. When you are out front you can hold the car wide open all day long and have the best shot at winning.”

Does having a teammate like Clint Bowyer out there help you during a race?

“We go to Daytona every year and work with our teammates to try to get each other out front. The Holiday Inn Chevy is also going to have a lot of support with the Earnhardt Childress Racing engine package. We are going to have a lot of engines that will be in the field at Daytona and I will also have my Chevrolet teammates. If I don’t win, then I always want to see one of my teammates do it. If we stick together then one of us will win at Daytona.”