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TEAM REPORTS (DAYTONA, FLA.) - Eric McClure/ Hefty® brand Chevrolet Notes of Interest


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

* McClure Honors Laura Chichester During Speedweeks o Eric McClure will run a special decal on the C-post of his No. 24 Hefty® brand Chevrolet during the Camping World 300 honoring Laura Chichester, who passed away on December 20, 2007. Chichester, who was a close friend with Eric’s sister Emily, worked in the NASCAR industry as an account executive for Alltel® Racing with GMR Marketing in Charlotte, NC.

* A Weekend of Firsts: o Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and driver Eric McClure kick off their first full season together in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at the famed Daytona International Speedway. o The Camping World 300 marks FRM’s debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series; FRM has competed in the Sprint Cup Series since 2004 and will continue the effort in 2008.

* Hefty® brand Returns as McClure’s Primary Sponsor in NNS

o Hefty® brand returns as primary sponsor for driver Eric McClure in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Their first appearance together came during the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 (May 2006) at the 1.5 mile Lowe’s Motor Speedway. o McClure will pilot the No. 24 Hefty® brand Chevrolet in 32 NNS events during the 2008 season.

* McClure Hopes to Improve on Past Daytona Finishes o This weekend’s Camping World 300 will mark McClure’s fourth NNS start at the 2.5 mile tri-oval and his 42nd of his NNS career. o McClure’s first appearance at DIS came in 2005 when he drove for Phoenix Racing. McClure finished the event in the 32nd position after a late race crashed ended his chances for a top-10 finish. o In 2007 McClure’s two events at DIS warranted 35th and 36th-place finishes, respectively.

* Daytona Preparation o 29-year-old Virginia native participated in the first three days of Pre-Season Thunder testing at DIS in January. McClure posted the 31st fastest single car time (50.917 seconds) and the 26th fastest cumulative draft time (49.250 seconds).

* Up To Speed: o Catch all of the Camping World 300 action on Saturday, February 16, 2008 at 1:00pm on ESPN 2. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will also broadcast the event live.

* Personal Appearances: o Eric McClure will be making several appearances during the Camping World 300 weekend. Check out http://www.ericmcclure.com for further details.

Eric McClure, driver of the No. 24 Hefty® brand Chevrolet quotes:

On his relationship with his new team and his expectations for the 2008 NNS Season:

“Everything is progressing nicely at FRM. It’s nice to be with a team that is behind you 100% and to be able to form the relationships we need that will help us as we go through the season. Bob Jenkins has brought some key people in, including Cal (Boprey, crew chief), and I’m ready to get started.

On his Pre-Season Daytona testing:

“The car was really solid in the test. We learned quite a bit during the session. We aren’t as good by ourselves as we would like, so we won’t qualify that well, but we are really happy with the way the car drove in the draft. Hopefully it leads to a good day and good start to the season.”