Atlanta Motor Speedway Advance Notes
Atlanta Motor Speedway Advance Notes Race: Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday, March 8 Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54 miles) Location: Hampton, Ga. Earnhardt Ganassi Media Contacts at Atlanta Motor Speedway: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Blair Minton No. 1 Bass Pro Shops(r)/Tracker Boats Chevrolet Jarrod England No. 8 Cub Cadet Chevrolet Amy Vadnais No. 42 Target Chevrolet NOTES Martin Truex Jr. and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops(r)/Tracker Boats Team Atlanta Stats: Truex will be making his ninth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. His best start was third, in this race last year. His best finish of eighth came in 2007. Truex has led 135 laps at the 1.5-mile track. Last Week: Truex and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats team experienced mechanical issues at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and finished 32nd. Truex is currently 26th in 2009 NSCS points. Bass Pro Shopping: Outdoor enthusiasts in the Atlanta area can get all their hunting, fishing and camping supplies at the Bass Pro Shops in Lawrenceville, Georgia at 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway. The store can be reached at 678-847-5500. Going Once: Now is your chance to get authentic memorabilia and fan experiences while supporting a worthy cause! Through the eBay Giving Works Program, you can bid on and win auctioned memorabilia and support Martin and the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation all at the same time. 100% of the money raised from the auction will go to the foundation. Items that will be in the auctions include race suits, driver racing shoes, sheetmetal, hats, die-casts, items signed by Martin, meet-and-great/fan experiences and many other autographed packages. Bidding for the first eBay auction began on March 1, 2009. Auctions will begin on the 1st and run for 10 days every month. All bids will start at $1.00. To view and bid on items please visit: http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=martintruex jrfoundation Georgia on His Mind: Larry Hart, transporter driver for the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats team, is from Chatsworth, Georgia. Aric Almirola and No. 8 Team You can find me in the "A": Almirola will be making his first NSCS start at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. While this will be his first Cup start in Atlanta, the young driver has made three career NASCAR starts here. His first two came in 2006 when he participated in both Camping World Truck Series events and his third occurred in the 2007 Nationwide Series event. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas: The No. 8 TomTom team was running in the top 15 with just over half of the Shelby 427 completed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when a spin in turn two caused extensive damage to the front suspension package. The damage was severe enough to force the No. 8 out of the race. The No. 8 team certainly hopes that the saying "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" holds true as they look forward to Atlanta. One fast Cub: Cub Cadet will come on board to partner with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing driver Aric Almirola and the No. 8 Chevrolet this weekend in Atlanta. The opportunity was presented through the strong relationship that Earnhardt Ganassi Racing has with partner BASS Pro Shops, one of Cub Cadet's largest customers. Cub Cadet is a brand of MTD Products, a manufacturer of premier outdoor power equipment. This includes utility vehicles, home owner and professional lawn & garden products, compact tractors, riding mowers, walk behind mowers and hand held power equipment. MTD was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Cub Cadet's products are sold through a network of independent dealers including BASS Pro Shops. Cub Cadet is the Official Lawn & Garden Equipment of NASCAR. For more information on Cub Cadet, please visit www.cubcadet.com Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team Atlanta History: Juan Pablo Montoya has competed in four NSCS and one NNS events at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Montoya's best start of 16th and finish of fifth both came in his first NSCS race at the 1.54-Mile Quad-Oval. In the NNS garage, Montoya's one start resulted in an eighth-place finish. On the hood: After showcasing the Energizer paint scheme last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the No. 42 Chevrolet will return to its normal paint scheme with the Target Bullseye adorning the hood. Last Weekend: Juan Pablo Montoya and the No.42 Energizer Chevrolet started 23rd and appeared to have a car that would contend for a solid finish on Sunday in the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but bad luck struck the team when hit by the No. 33 car, resulting in a 31st-place finish. In the Points: Montoya slipped to 15th in NASCAR Driver Championship Points, 133 points behind leader Jeff Gordon and 20 points out of the top 12. CHASSIS INFO No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Kevin "Bono" Manion has decided to bring chassis #070. This chassis was raced by Ron Fellows as the No. 01 in Watkins Glen last year and finished 13th. No. 8 Chevrolet (NSCS): The No. 8 team will bring chassis number #63 to the Atlanta Motor Speedway. No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Crew Chief Brian Pattie and the No. 42 team will bring chassis #904 to Atlanta Motor Speedway. 2009 STATS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish Pts. Pos./(Prev) Martin Truex Jr. 3 0 1 0 0 19.7 23.3 26/17 Aric Almirola 3 0 0 0 0 23.0 34.7 38/36 Juan Pablo Montoya 3 0 0 0 0 15.3 18.7 15/10 CAREER STATS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave Finish Martin Truex Jr. 120 1 2 12 31 18.3 19.3 Aric Almirola 21 0 0 0 1 24.5 29.0 Juan Pablo Montoya 76 1 0 5 9 22.2 23.3 TEAM ROSTERS Tony Glover - Team Manager Steve Hmiel - Director of Competition No. 1 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown Crew Chief: Kevin Manion Boylston, MA Rear Tire Changer: Coleman Dollarhide Hickory, NC Chief Mechanic: Gary Putnam Vernon, CT Rear Tire Carrier: Mark Kennerly Salisbury, NC Front Tire Changer: Mike Trower New Hampton, IA Gas Man: Preston Cordell Middleburg, FL Front Tire Carrier: Ryan Buscaglio Lake Worth, FL Catch Can: Mark Purvis Albemarle, NC Jack Man: Jeff Kerr China Grove, NC Spotter: Joey Meier Marathon, FL No. 8 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown Crew Chief: Doug Randolph Columbia, TN Rear Tire Changer: Greg Burkhart Sheridan, WY Chief Mechanic: Jefferson Hodges Williamsburg, VA Rear Tire Carrier: Troy Prince Charlotte, NC Front Tire Changer: Dennis Terry Mozbur, NC Gas Man: Benjy Grubbs Richmond,VA Front Tire Carrier: Shannon Keys Byron, GA Catch Can: Mark Schmuck Virginia Beach, VA Jack Man: T.J. Ford Charlotte, NC Spotter: Mark Green Owensboro, KY No. 42 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown Crew Chief: Brian Pattie Zephyrhills, FL Rear Tire Changer: Rich Macco N. Syracuse, NY Chief Mechanic: Heath Silver Asheville, NC Rear Tire Carrier: Chip Goode Statesville, NC Front Tire Changer: Trevor Lysne Fergus Falls, MN Gas Man: Mike Bodick Norwalk, CT Front Tire Carrier: Eric Bilyeu Waterford, MI Catch Can: Heath Silver Asheville, NC Jack Man: William Sturgill Charlotte, NC Spotter: Tab Boyd Pensacola, FL For more information log onto: www.earnhardtganassi.com