Earnhardt Ganassi Racing - Michigan International Speedway
Advance Notes
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Michigan International Speedway Advance Notes
Race: Carfax 400 on Sunday, Aug. 16
Track: Michigan International Speedway (2.0-mile oval)
Location: Brooklyn, Mich.
Earnhardt Ganassi Media Contacts at Michigan International Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
Jarrod England No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet
John Olguin No. 42 Target Chevrolet
NOTES
Martin Truex Jr. and No. 1 Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Team
Michigan History: Martin Truex Jr. will make his eighth Sprint Cup
Series start at Michigan International Speedway this weekend. In seven
prior starts at the track Truex has an average start of 16th and an
average finish of 17th. In 2007 Truex came home second in both of that
season's races at the track; those are his best NSCS finishes at the
track. Earlier this season Truex battled an ill-handling racecar and a
brush with the wall to finish 36th.
Michigan Success: Across all of NASCAR's national series Martin Truex
Jr. has nine starts at Michigan International Speedway. In those nine
starts Truex has racked up two poles ('04, '05 Nationwide Series), one
top-10 starting position ('07 Sprint Cup Series), and four top five
finishes ('04, '05 Nationwide Series and both '07 Sprint Cup Series
races). The No. 1 team looks to add to their impressive track stats this
weekend.
Last Weekend: Martin Truex and his No. 1 Chevrolet team were poised to
have one of their best finishes of the season at Watkins Glen when they
ran short on fuel on the final lap of the race. The team ran in the
top-10 during all practice sessions and despite a 23rd place qualifying
run looked ready to battle up front. When the flag finally dropped on
Monday the team recognized some handling issues they had to overcome.
Once the proper adjustments were made Truex quickly moved into the
top-10. He remained there all day, racing as high as sixth before he ran
out of fuel on the final lap. Truex finished in 28th.
Bass Pro Shops Auburn Hills: Just a short distance from the Michigan
International Speedway is the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Auburn Hills.
With 130,000 square feet of everything for the outdoors family, Bass Pro
Shops Outdoor World has a lot to see and enjoy. Join them on Aug. 15 for
a fishing workshop that will help with techniques and tips for catching
Walleye, a camping workshop that will show ways to cut costs and a
demonstration of hand held GPS units. Pre-registration is required for
some events, check them out at BassPro.com.
In the Points: Truex and the No. 1 Chevrolet team gained one spot in
the NSCS owner point standings to 23rd and remained 24th in driver
standings.
GM Fast Fact: GM dealers are among the best in the industry when it
comes to a quality experience for customers. Since 2004, all GM brands
have ranked above the industry average and better than many of the top
Asian brands according to J.D. Power and Associates Customer
Satisfaction Index and Sales Satisfaction Index.
Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team
MEDIA ALERT: Juan Pablo Montoya will be available in the media center
for a brief media Q&A session on Friday, August 14 at 10:45 a.m. ET.
Michigan History: Montoya has made five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts
at Michigan International Speedway. He has an average start of 21.2 and
an average finish is 27.6. Montoya's best race at the 2-mile track came
earlier this season when he qualified seventh and came home with a sixth
place finish.
Michigan Winner: Juan Pablo Montoya is no stranger to success at
Michigan International Speedway. In 1999 he competed at the 2-mile oval
in the CART Series for Target Chip Ganassi Racing (TCGR) where he
started third and led for 28 laps before scoring a podium finish of
second place. In the July 2000 CART race Montoya drove to Victory Lane
after starting from the seventh position. He led 39 laps before taking
the checkered flag.
Did You Know: In the last nine races Juan Pablo Montoya has scored
1,156 points; only Tony Stewart (1,530) and Jimmie Johnson (1,334) have
scored more points than Montoya in that time. In those nine races
Montoya has an average finishing position of 7.78.
Target House: Juan Pablo Montoya took a trip to Target House at St.
Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. on Tuesday with
his Target teammates, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti of the IndyCar
Series. Target House(r) provides nearly 100 free, fully equipped
apartments for families and patients receiving long-term treatment at
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital(r), but it's so much more than a
place to stay. Target House is a home away from home for families facing
the challenge of their lives. It's also a place where Target team
members, corporate partners and celebrities join to help build awareness
of the good things happening at Target House and St. Jude. Team members
regularly volunteer at Target House, and luminaries such as Shaun White,
Tiger Woods, Scott Hamilton and the Jonas Brothers have made appearances
at Target House and St. Jude over the years.
About Watkins Glen: Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 Target team
turned in another solid performance last weekend at Watkins Glen picking
up their 11th top-10 finish of the season. Montoya took the green flag
in 10th place and ran with the leaders most of the day. On lap 56 the
Target team made their final pit stop and came out of the green-flag
stop in 10th place. Montoya was able to climb his way up to a 6th-place
finish when the checkered flag fell.
In the Points: Montoya's sixth place finish at The Glen moved him up
one position in the NSCS standings to a career-high 7th place. He now
sits only 121 points out of fourth in the standings and has a 154 point
cushion over 13th with only four races remaining before the cutoff to
the chase at Richmond.
2009 In Numbers: Montoya and team have one pole award, one top-five, 11
top-10 and 15 top-15 finishes in the 2009 season. Montoya has led 133
laps and averages a starting position of 12.9 and a finishing position
of 13.3 this season.
Michigan Native: Front-tire carrier Eric Bilyeu is a native of
Waterford, Mich., about 80 miles from the track. He got his start in
NASCAR five years ago after reading a story in NASCAR Scene about the
Ganassi Racing pit crews. Bilyeu sent in a resume and became one of the
first members of the team's pit crew development program.
Target Teammate: Congratulations to Montoya's CGR Target teammate Scott
Dixon who became the all-time winningest driver in IndyCar Series
history this past weekend when he claimed his 20th career IndyCar
Victory at Mid-Ohio.
Chevy Fast Fact: NASCAR provides Chevy a very strong return that
translates directly into increased sales of cars and trucks.
CHASSIS INFO
No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #080. The No. 1 Bass Pro
Shops Chevrolet team will bring chassis #080 to Michigan this weekend.
This chassis has been used twice this season at Las Vegas and Michigan.
No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #819. The Target team will
bring Chassis #819 to Michigan International Speedway this weekend
marking the third race of the season for this chassis. Montoya last
raced chassis #819 at Pocono Raceway where he finished a season-high
second place. The team also used this chassis at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway where Montoya qualified on the outside pole and led 116 of the
races 160 laps.
2009 STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave
Finish Pts. Pos./(Prev)
Martin Truex Jr. 22 0 1 0 3 18.2
22.4 24/24
Juan Pablo Montoya 22 0 1 1 11 12.9
13.3 7/8
CAREER STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Ave Start Ave
Finish
Martin Truex Jr. 139 1 2 12 34 18.2
19.7
Juan Pablo Montoya 95 1 1 6 20 20.3
21.1
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: Dennis Terry Mozbur, NC Gas Man:
Preston Cordell Middleburg, FL
Front Tire Carrier: Shannon Keys Byron, GA Catch Can: Eric
Hoyle Asheville, NC
Jack Man: Jeff Kerr China Grove, NC Spotter: Joey Meier
Marathon, FL
No. 42 (NSCS) Hometown Hometown
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie Zephyrhills, FL Rear Tire
Changer: Chris McMullen Troutman, NC
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: TJ Ford Charlotte, NC Spotter: Tab Boyd
Pensacola, FL
For more information log onto:
www.earnhardtganassi.com
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