CGRFS NNS and NSCS Advance Notes for Las Vegas

Dario Franchitti and No. 40 Target Dodge Team (NSCS) and No. 40 Fastenal Dodge Team (NNS)

So You’re Sayin’ There’s a Chance!: According to the Sports Book at the Luxor Las Vegas where the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) team is staying this weekend, Franchitti’s odds to win the UAW-Dodge 400 are 100-1. The odds on his CGRFS teammates Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya to win are both 60-1.

Record Miles for Franchitti: Last weekend’s rain-delayed weekend resulted in two qualifying washouts and a partial double header for Franchitti, which included the finish of the NSCS event and a full NNS race [totaling 624 miles] – the most laps he’s ever driven in one day.

In a Class of His Own: In the past 11 months, Franchitti became the first driver to ever capture the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Indianapolis 500, an open wheel title and the Rolex 24 At Daytona consecutively. Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt are the only others to win the four titles, but neither did so in succession.

Reed Sorenson and No. 41 Target Dodge Team (NSCS)

Back to Normal… After running a special Energizer® e2® Lithium paint scheme last weekend in the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California, the No. 41 Target Dodge will return to it’s normal red and white paint scheme carrying the Target Bullseye on the hood. Additionally, Sorenson’s teammate Dario Franchitti will be running a reversed version of the Target Dodge for the second-consecutive race.

Fast from the Word Go: After two races in the 2008 season, Sorenson leads the Fastest Drivers Early In A Run category on NASCAR’s loop statistics. The category Ranks each driver during the first 25 percent of laps run since a pit stop.

Driving the Extra Mile: Immediately following the rain-delayed California race on Monday afternoon, Sorenson hopped into his rental car and drove to Las Vegas. He originally had plans to fly commercial on Sunday night, but instead of rescheduling decided to take some time and tour the California countryside.

Vegas Test: Sorenson turned the fifth fastest lap during the two-day NSCS test session at Las Vegas on Jan. 28 and 29 with a time of 29.180 sec/185.058 MPH.

Looking for Luck in Las Vegas: In two starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NSCS, Sorenson’s best finish is 31st (March ’07). Sorenson’s best start at the track is seventh, which also took place in last season’s event at the 1.5-mile speedway. His average start is 21.5 and average finish is 35.5. He’s completed 469 of a possible 537 laps of competition. Sorenson has two top-10 finishes at the track in NNS events.

Points Report: Sorenson a crew took a setback in the points, dropping from fifth to 17th in the overall standings after getting caught up in an early-race accident at California and finishing 37th. The team is just 41 points out of 12th place (the final transfer position for the Chase) and 123 out of first.

Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Team (NSCS)

Back in Black: Juan Pablo Montoya will pilot the red and black colors of Texaco/Havoline this weekend for the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Vegas Testing: Montoya and the Texaco/Havoline crew tested at Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the NASCAR sanctioned test in January. After testing for two days, Montoya posted the fastest lap of the test session during a mock qualifying run. His lap time of 28.914 sec./186.761 mph during the afternoon session bested the track record of 29.212 sec./184.856 mph set by Kasey Kahne in 2007.

Vegas Past: Montoya will make his second trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a NASCAR Sprint Cup race after his rookie season last year. Montoya and the No.42 Texaco/Havoline team had three unfortunate issues that relegated them to a 22nd-place finish in 2007 at the 1.5-mile track. Despite winning Rookie of the Race, Montoya was blocked in his pits during his first stop, received damage from the No.38 car and had a piece of debris push in the front grill that upset the handling of his Dodge Charger.

Golfing for Charity: Montoya and several other NASCAR drivers participated in Kyle Petty’s Victory Invitational Celebrity Golf Tournament Thursday, February 28, at Kierland Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. The tournament will benefit The Victory Junction Gang Camp and the ASU College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation.

2008 Standings: Montoya gained five positions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings following his 20th-place effort in California. Montoya finished 32nd in Daytona and now sits 27th in Cup points heading into the third race of the season.

So What Happened? For the second year in a row, spotter Tab Boyd will be posting an exclusive blog on TexacoHavoline42.com. Boyd recaps the race from atop the spotter’s stand as Montoya’s “Eye’s in the Sky.”

Kyle Krisiloff and No. 41 Energizer® e2® Lithium Dodge Team (NNS)

Krisiloff to drive No. 41: Kyle Krisiloff will pilot the No. 41 CGRFS NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Dodge this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and also a select number of races early this season. CGRFS reached an agreement that would allow Krisiloff to drive the No. 41 NNS Dodge in order to get him added track time while CGRFS continues to search for sponsorship opportunities for 18-year-old phenom Bryan Clauson. Krisiloff competed a full season in the NNS last year in the No. 14 car for Greg Pollex, grabbing one top-five and two top-10 finishes. Between 2004 and 2005, Krisiloff collected one win (Chicagoland Speedway), two poles, four top fives and five top-10 finishes in ARCA competition. He is originally from Indianapolis, Ind. He began racing quarter midget as a youngster. His first NNS start was in 2005 for Hendrick Motorsports at The Milwaukee Mile.

Happy Birthday, Kyle!: Krisiloff will have an extra reason to celebrate while he is out racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as he turns 22 on Monday, March 3. Krisiloff is the son of former Champ Car driver Steve Krisiloff. Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Energizer® e2® Lithium Dodge will Keep Going: This weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the No. 41 CGRFS Nationwide Dodge will again carry the silver and blue colors of Energizer® e2® Lithium, which is the world’s longest lasting battery in high tech devices alongside the famous Energizer Bunny®. The No. 41 NNS team debuted the same paint scheme last week at Auto Club Speedway in California.

He’s been here before: Krisiloff has one previous run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which was March 2007 in the No. 14 NNS car. He started 39th and finished 27th. This weekend’s run at Las Vegas will mark his 39th career NNS start.

Standings Update: Bryan Clauson and the No. 41 Energizer® e2® Lithium team were working their way into the top 15 Monday at Auto Club Speedway (formerly known as California Speedway) when a cut tire derailed the team’s run on lap 64. The incident sent the No. 41 CGRFS Dodge slamming into the outside wall, smashing the entire front end of the car. Fortunately, Clauson came out unscathed, but the No. 41 Dodge was damaged beyond repair and forced the CGRSF NNS team to retire from the 150-lap competition way too early. The team was scored in 34th place, and now stands 14th in the NNS owner ranks. The team is 174 points outside of first and just 41 away from the top 10.

QUOTES

Topic: What is your favorite thing to do in Las Vegas?

Reed Sorenson: “Race of course. Really, I do enjoy racing in Las Vegas for a number of reasons. I like the new configuration of the track and I think it makes for more competitive racing. Also, there is plenty to do when you’re in Vegas. I like to gamble a little. I’m a big fan of black jack and I like to play the roulette. This year I’m going to catch a few shows while I’m out there as well. It’s hard to name a favorite thing because there is so much to do. I guess my ultimate favorite thing to do would be to win on Sunday.”

CHASSIS INFO

No. 40 Target Dodge (NSCS): Chassis #819. No previous starts, not tested at Las Vegas earlier this year.

No. 41 Target Dodge (NSCS): Chassis #806. No previous starts, tested at Las Vegas.

No. 42 Texaco/Havoline (NSCS): Crew Chief Donnie Wingo is bringing chassis #802 for the UAW-Dodge 400. This is the chassis the team tested with at Las Vegas during the preseason and posted the fastest lap of the test.

No. 40 Fastenal Dodge (NNS): The No. 40 Fastenal team and Dario Franchitti are entering chassis #653 in NNS competition for the second week in a row. It is the same car the Fastenal team ran at Auto Club Speedway this past Monday, when Franchitti raced up inside the top five and maintained a top-15 run the majority of the day until a bad vibration seemed to derail his effort during the last quarter of the race (started 22nd, finished 24th). The car was entered at Texas Motor Speedway toward the end of last season when Bryan Clauson earned a 2007 season best 10th-place start and then worked to overcome two setbacks that sent him and team into an unrecoverable lap deficit to finish 28th. It is also the same chassis Juan Pablo Montoya raced in early 2007, when he collected an impressive top-10 start and finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the NNS March race (started 10th, finished eighth).

No. 41 Energizer® e2® Lithium (NNS): Krisiloff will pilot chassis #752 in Nevada this weekend. The car most recently carried CGRFS development driver Kevin Hamlin to a career-best seventh-place finish (started 13th) at Gateway International Raceway last July. Before that, in early April, David Stremme used the same car at Nashville Superspeedway to break the track qualifying record en route to his career-second NASCAR pole position. He then topped it off with a top-15 finish—11th place.