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NASCAR Will Use New Spoiler At Martinsville
posted by Jay Pennell
Wednesday March 17, 2010
During a press conference for the Sprint All-Star Race in Charlotte, N.C. today, NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton confirmed the Sprint Cup Series would officially make the transition to the rear spoiler beginning with the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 at the Martinsville Speedway. Pemberton said 83 spoilers had been sent to the teams on Monday. Teams tested the new rear spoiler on Tuesday at the Talladega Superspeedway, where the cars reached speeds well over 200mph in the draft. Throughout the test, NASCAR tried different combinations of spoiler height and restrictor plate size. Next week there is a two-day (Tuesday and Wednesday) test planned at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, where over 50 teams are scheduled to participate. Along with the return of the rear spoiler, Pemberton explained NASCAR is still working on other changes to the aero package on the Sprint Cup cars that will go into effect at all the tracks, possibly starting as soon as Texas in April.
High speeds in Talladega at first CoT spoiler test
posted by Doug Turnbull
Tuesday March 16, 2010
The highly anticipated first official spoiler test for the Car of Tomorrow may be noteworthy for other reasons. In an attempt to break up the large packs of cars, a notorious characteristic for restrictor plate tracks like Talladega, NASCAR allowed teams to try plates with larger holes – they started with a record size plate of 66/64th of an inch before shortening to 62/64ths of an inch after speeds were listed as too high. Just how high did those speeds go? Sources tell Frontstretch.com that this change, combined with the replacement of the rear wing with the traditional spoiler and the lowering of the front edge of the rear quarterpanels on both sides of the race car, allowed cars to approach straightaway speeds of up to 208 mph and average laps over the 200 mph mark. To set a mark for comparison, Juan Pablo Montoya’s April 2009 Talladega pole speed was 188.171 mph. Since speeds were in the 200 mph range, the same source says that NASCAR may consider having teams change the gear ratios on the cars, instead of decreasing the plate holes going forward, so the packs will remain broken up. Interestingly enough, the higher speeds come in light of the infamous Brad Keselowski-Carl Edwards race car flipping episode at Atlanta Motor Speedway two weeks ago, Ryan Newman’s incredible end-over-end flip at Talladega last October, and Keselowski turning Edwards airborne into the Talladega frontstretch catchfence last April. Read Wednesday’s Frontstretch.com Newsletter for more details on the Talladega spoiler test.
Edwards Placed On Probation For Three Races
posted by Jay Pennell
Tuesday March 9, 2010
NASCAR President Mike Helton addressed the media Tuesday afternoon following Sunday’s late-race incident between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Well over 100 laps down, Edwards intentionally spun Keselowski through the tri-oval while Keselowski was running sixth. The No. 12 car lifted in the air and slammed the outside wall with the driver’s side window. NASCAR parked Edwards for his actions and ordered him to the NASCAR hauler for further discussion on the matter. Tuesday, Helton explained Edwards would be placed on probation for the next three races and the drivers and their teams would meet with NASCAR about the situation. “Following that incident we asked the driver of the 99 to visit us in the hauler, and we made it very clear to him that these actions were not acceptable and did go beyond what we said back in January about putting the driving back in the hands of the drivers,” Helton said. “We believe the driver of the 99 understands our position at this point.” For NASCAR, the biggest issue emerging from Sunday’s incident was the fact the No. 12 car lifted into the air. “But the bigger topic is the 12 car getting airborne at a mile-and-a-half track which we typically don’t see,” Helton said. “It’s been years since we’ve seen that. So a lot of our effort yesterday, today and until we find resolve to it is figuring out how it happened, why it happened and what we can do to prevent it from happening in the future.”
Keyed Up and Key Motorsports split
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
If missing the first three races to date was not enough drama for the No. 90 Keyed Up Motorsports Chevy team and Casey Mears, organizational upheaval may tip the scales. A member with the team tells Frontstretch.com that Raymond Key’s Cup operation, originally formed with ties to Curtis Key’s teams in the Nationwide and Truck Series, has become its own entity. As of Monday, the team began a move into Tommy Baldwin Racing’s old shop while planning to continue trying to qualify on Cup races. However, if sponsorship for the team fails to pan out, Keyed-Up may vie for a partial schedule similar to that of the Wood Brothers and only run about 12 races the rest of the year.
Wood Brothers running FR9 for now, Roush says no big problems with new motor
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
Ford’s new FR9 motor has not made a speedy entrance to the Sprint Cup Series, mainly because the Ford teams need adequate supplies from the engine parts vendors and not because of performance problems, says team owner Jack Roush. Claiming the engine will perform well over the long-term, he still expects the new design to be “the Ford engine of the future” and fully in use by the end of 2010. While his four Ford teams are not running the revamped engine, Roush revealed that the Wood Brothers Ford team will run the FR9 this weekend at Atlanta and in April at Texas. Beyond that, either Roush nor Ford officials have announced a set schedule for full or future implementation of the power plants.
Crawford says truck team is 'close' on sponsorship
posted by Doug Turnbull
Saturday March 6, 2010
While never a standout in the Camping World Truck Series, Rick Crawford has experienced moderate success over his long career in NASCAR’s third-tier. After losing sponsorship at the end of 2009, his Circle Bar Racing team finds itself on the ropes, wondering how many races the future may hold. The veteran Crawford, though, remains optimistic a deal is imminent. “I would say we’re pretty close on signing a sponsor for the 2010 season and 2011 and beyond. [Not starting 2010 with a sponsor] was a matter of losing a sponsor late last year and [the prospective sponsor] getting its marketing efforts done. We’ve got the contracts ready; we’re waiting to get that signed.” Crawford started 2010 with a DNF at Daytona, placing 28th.
Justin Marks Wins The ARCA Race!
posted by Thomas Bowles
Saturday February 27, 2010
Justin Marks won a rain-shortened event at Palm Beach Saturday, collecting his first ever win in the series. Robb Brent, Blake Koch, Tom Hessert III, and Steve Arpin rounds out the top 5. Stay tuned to Frontstretch.com for plenty of post-race coverage on both the website and our Newsletter.
Looking For ARCA Coverage? We Got It!
posted by Thomas Bowles
Saturday February 27, 2010
While the ARCA race at Palm Beach may not be televised … we’ve got you covered. Our own Bryan Davis Keith is at Palm Beach all weekend and will be posting news, commentary, and features from the Florida road course both on the website and in our newsletter. Don’t miss out! And don’t forget, our own Tom Bowles is spending the weekend in Vegas, too … so we’ve got you covered from all angles. Just another reason why we’re the best seat at the track and the best view on the ‘net!
Carter Simo still plans 2010 Cup races
posted by Doug Turnbull
Friday February 19, 2010
One story lost in the shadow of Speedweeks in Daytona was the absence of Carter Simo Racing’s No. 08 car. Much of the team’s equipment was put up for auction Tuesday; however, a source tells Frontstretch.com the operation still plans to field a car in 2010, with a limited schedule of races TBD. CSR may also try and field a car for the Talladega ARCA race in April; until then, most of the team’s employees have been temporarily released and are working for other teams in the sport. In mid-2009, team owner John Carter bought the assets of beleaguered owner/driver Jeremy Mayfield, using the newly purchased equipment and Toyotas to field entries in five races with two-time champion driver Terry Labonte. Equipment issues kept the team from cracking the top 30 in those races. Road course ringer Boris Said also wielded No. 08 Fords last year at both road course races, scoring the team’s season-best finish of 24th at Infineon. Later on that season, Said and longtime partner Mark Simo split, creating the newly-named Carter Simo racing with Labonte behind the wheel. On Tuesday, CSR only placed the equipment purchased from Mayfield on the block, including five Toyotas, a race hauler, and other pit equipment and tools. However, the source says that the team still owns three old Yates chassis and an old Ganassi piece (all of which they converted to Dodges last year) in the shop, with plans on returning to the track midseason pending sponsorship. The move is similar to what happened with Carter Simo last year, in which they took a four-month break between Daytona and Infineon while preparing to race at specific tracks. CSR, which still splits its time between its shops in Charlotte and in Toccoa, Georgia, just has to modify the top of the noses on their cars before returning to the track, due to a minor, lightly-discussed rules change before the season. As for CSR’s 2009 drivers and whether they will return to the team, Boris Said currently is driving the No. 26 for Bill Jenkins’ Latitude 43 Motorsports, and is working on a long-term deal that should remove him as an option. Terry Labonte is also out of the running; he and former owner Bill Stavola formed Stavola Labonte Racing in 2009, but are currently sidelined due to a lack of sponsorship. According to sources, Labonte was offered but initially turned down a return to the No. 08. A John Carter-owned car did participate in the ARCA race at Daytona on February 6th. Former CSR driver James Hylton borrowed a car from Carter, then leased it to driver Jill George for the race. But George infamously crashed the No. 48 roof-first into the wall just 25 laps into the 80-lap Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, finishing 31st in the 43 car field.
Parrott In As Crew Chief For Kenseth
posted by Jay Pennell
Wednesday February 17, 2010
Less than a week into the 2010 season and Roush Fenway Racing has already made a switch at the crew chief position. News broke on Wednesday that Todd Parrott would take over atop the pit box for the No. 17 team with driver Matt Kenseth, replacing Drew Blickensderfer. The Kenseth-Blickensderfer combination won last year’s Daytona 500 and backed it up by winning the next weekend at the Auto Club Speedway. Despite their strong start out of the box, the No. 17 team failed to live up to expectations in 2009, scoring seven top-5s, 12 top-10s and failing to make, along with missing the Chase. Now after an 8th place finish in Sunday’s Daytona 500, Blickensderfer is headed to the Roush Fenway Racing R&D Department and Parrott is taking over as crew chief. |
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Home Depot Racing: Michigan Advance -- Stewart to Donate Race Winnings to Indiana Flood Victims and Team Reports
Friday June 13, 2008
TONY STEWART
Post Pocono Perspective Leads to Michigan Motivation
ATLANTA (June 12, 2008) – A late-race pit road speeding penalty last Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway took a solid top-10 effort and turned it into a disappointing 35th-place finish for Tony Stewart. It was yet another setback in a string of setbacks, dating back to Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in early May, where Stewart had a fast race car but little to show for it.
At Darlington, Stewart had perhaps the best car he’s ever had at the tricky 1.366-mile oval, but an accident on just the third lap of the 367-lap race relegated the driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota to a 21st-place finish.
A rebound seemed possible in the next point-paying race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, where Stewart led four times for 23 laps and had a five-and-a-half second lead over second-place Kasey Kahne with less than three laps remaining. But a flat right front tire sent Stewart to the pits and dropped him to 18th when the checkered flag fell.
Stewart had another strong car at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, but had nowhere to go when a spinning Elliott Sadler careened into Stewart’s path on just the 17th lap of the 400-lap race. The result: a 41st-place finish.
The most recent outcome at Pocono was, at the time, one blow too many.
But all of those heartbreaks became trivial when Stewart returned to his hometown of Columbus, Ind., late Sunday night after the race at Pocono. There, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and 1989 graduate of Columbus North High School saw his town under water. With people displaced and many homes severely damaged if not destroyed, Stewart quickly found a new perspective on true sorrow and disappointment.
On Monday, he visited the Columbus Public Works garage and thanked all those who had been working around the clock to help restore the town’s infrastructure. He also stopped by his old junior high school, which the American Red Cross had converted into a shelter for flood evacuees. There, Stewart chatted with those who had to call the gymnasium floor their temporary home, and allowed them a short distraction from the headaches and worry that came when rising flood waters significantly altered their lives.
There were so many stories of hardship, Stewart wondered where to even start. The answer: Sunday’s LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Whatever Stewart’s portion of the race winnings are in the LifeLock 400, he’ll donate them to the American Red Cross in Columbus, with the money specified for flood assistance. Those wishing to join Stewart in helping those affected by the floods throughout Indiana can call 812-379-9551 or send checks payable to The American Red Cross, 931 Repp Drive, Columbus, IN 47201. If writing a check, write “Indiana Flood & Tornado Relief” on the memo line.
Always motivated by checkered flags and trophies since Stewart first began racing go-karts as an eight-year-old at the Columbus Fairgrounds, the 10-year Sprint Cup veteran has extra motivation this weekend at Michigan to end his unlucky streak and bring home the best finish possible.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing:
Your hometown of Columbus was ravaged by flooding earlier this week. How is the town coping?
“I went down on Monday and visited the guys at the city garage who have been working long hours trying to get the streets and everything cleaned up. I just went there and told all those guys, ‘Thanks’. Most of those guys have been working 24-hour shifts getting everything cleaned up. We went by the junior high I used to go to, and that’s where the Red Cross has their shelter put up, and I went in there to try to lift everybody’s spirits up and just visit with everybody. Everybody is doing a really good job. They had 500 people in that shelter on Saturday night, and they were down to 35 people by Monday afternoon. It’s just hard. A lot of these people have lost everything, and I just wanted to let them know we were thinking about them. Just spending a couple of minutes with them made them smile, and it seemed like it made them feel better.”
How is your home in Columbus?
“My old house by the high school is good. The farm is just wet, absolutely saturated. You can’t get on it. You can’t do anything. And we’re getting baby deer now. We have four little ones, and we’ve got them on the deck in a small pen because you can’t get on the ground to put them anywhere. They’re so young, you don’t want them to get stuck.”
After your recent racing disappointments at Darlington, Charlotte, Dover and Pocono, does what happened in Columbus put your bad days at the race track in perspective, because you have neighbors who are experiencing some truly bad days?
“Absolutely. We drove through some neighborhoods Monday night after we did our SIRIUS Satellite Radio show and saw places that still didn’t have power and places where the water was still five or six feet high in their house, and that’s not counting their basement. So, it kind of gave me the same feeling that I get when I visit Victory Junction Gang Camp. You realize that even on your worst day, you still have it pretty darn good. But unlike Victory Junction, there’s no happiness at the end of the day. There are people who are sad because they’ve lost their homes. That’s the hard part. You want to do something, but it’s so widespread, you don’t know what to do. I’m going to donate my portion of the race winnings from Michigan to the American Red Cross. I figure that’s at least a start.”
Even though you haven’t had the finishes you would’ve liked of late, your World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series team with Donny Schatz has gone on a tear, winning three straight races. And Tony Stewart Racing alum, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., recently won at Pocono to collect his second career ARCA RE/MAX Series win and is currently leading the point standings, which is even more remarkable considering he’s a rookie. When those guys are successful, does a sense of pride replace the sense of disappointment regarding your own racing fortunes?
“It’s nice knowing that guys we’ve had and have in our system are doing well. Donny Schatz works hard and everybody on the 15 (Schatz) and the 20 car (Kraig Kinser) work really hard, and it’s nice to see Donny get back on his winning streak like he has been the last two years. It’s nice to know that we’ve found some things that have helped him out. Hoping we can do the same thing for Kraig and get him going.
“And Ricky is doing great too. You honestly don’t know how they’re going to do until you get ‘em in something different like a stock car. But it was pretty apparent pretty early that he was taking to it right away. He’s obviously with a great organization in Roush Fenway and he’s learning. That’s the great thing. The kid asks a lot of questions and learns. That’s what it takes and he’s doing a great job right now leading the point standings. Even though I have nothing to do with it now – he’s not in my organization anymore – there is a sense of pride for me when a friend and someone you care about has success.”
The Michigan race will run on Father’s Day, which is appropriate considering how many fathers were instrumental in their son’s racing careers. How influential was your dad, Nelson, in getting you where you are today? And what were some of the life lessons he taught you as a kid that you’ve taken with you today?
“He never let me settle for second. He didn’t like it when we ran second, and he knew that I didn’t like it when we ran second. If he saw that I wasn’t giving 100 percent, then he was on me pretty hard about it. He pushed me to be better.
“He never pressured me to be the best race car driver in the world, but he did want me to be the best race car driver that I could be. He never compared me to anybody else. He expected that what I could do was what I could do. He never said that because this guy over here could do something, that I should be able to do it, too. He pushed me hard, but he was fair about it. That’s probably why you see so much fire in me today, because he always wanted me to be the best that I could be.
“He’s my dad, so obviously he’s seen and done a lot of things that I haven’t. He’s given me some good advice over the years, but probably the best advice he ever gave me was to just remember the people who have helped me, because somewhere along the ladder that you’re climbing up, you’re eventually going to climb back down, and you’re going to meet those people again sometime.
“I’ve watched the folks that he’s dealt with in his career and in mine, and we’re still friends with all the people that we’ve raced with in the past. We never felt like we were better than anybody else. We always kept those relationships, and we always treated those people the way they treated us.”
TONY STEWART’S MICHIGAN PERFORMANCE PROFILE
YearEventStartFinishStatus/LapsLaps LedEarnings
2007Citizens Bank 400413Running, 200/2002$157,586
×3M Performance 4003510Running, 203/2030$135,411
2006*3M Performance 4001741Accident, 58/1290$122,666
GFS Marketplace 400333Running, 200/2000$159,736
2005Batman Begins 40032Running, 200/20097$174,461
GFS Marketplace 400365Running, 200/2000$135,491
2004DHL 4002724Running, 200/2000$106,543
†GFS Marketplace 40049Running, 200/2000$112,493
2003Sirius 40028Running, 200/20051$110,843
GFS Marketplace 400233Running, 200/2000$140,063
2002Sirius Satellite Radio 4001016Running, 199/2000$92,618
Pepsi 400242Running, 200/2000$136,183
2001Kmart 4003725Running, 198/2000$57,490
*Pepsi 4001027Running, 161/1620$55,890
2000*Kmart 400281Running, 194/19413$123,800
Pepsi 4001941Accident, 36/2000$41,250
1999Kmart 400289Out of Gas, 198/2000$34,450
Pepsi 400373Running, 200/2004$60,505
× Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish.
- Race cut short due to weather.
† Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.
TONY STEWART Home Depot Racing Team Report Round 15 of 36 – LifeLock 400 – MichiganCar No.: 20 – Joe Gibbs Racing Home Depot Toyota CamryTeammates: Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry and Kyle Busch in the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry Primary Team Members:Driver: Tony Stewart Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli Car Chief: Jason Shapiro Engine Builder: Mark Cronquist Engine Specialist: Jarrad Egert (pronounced “Egg-ert”) Spotter: Mark Robertson Over-The-Wall Crew Members:Gas Man: Jeff “Gooch” Patterson Front Tire Changer: Ira-Jo Hussey Catch Can: Brian “Shaggy” Larson Front Tire Carrier: Tom Dean Windshield: Scott Geerts (pronounced “Gurtz”) Rear Tire Changer: Kyle Turner Jackman: Jason Lee Rear Tire Carrier: Eric Groen (pronounced “Grow-in”) Other Crew Members:Truck Drivers: Tom “Thumper” McCrimmon and Scott “Scooter” CrowellShock Specialist: Dave Hansen Tire Specialists: Jerold Shires and Bill Byrne (pronounced “Burn”) Engineer: Adam Stevens No. 20 Team History at Michigan International Speedway: Year Event Start Finish Status/Laps Laps Led Earnings 2007 Citizens Bank 400 41 3 Running, 200/200 2 $157,586 ×3M Performance 400 35 10 Running, 203/203 0 $135,411 2006 *3M Performance 400 17 41 Accident, 58/129 0 $122,666 GFS Marketplace 400 33 3 Running, 200/200 0 $159,736 2005 Batman Begins 400 3 2 Running, 200/200 97 $174,461 GFS Marketplace 400 36 5 Running, 200/200 0 $135,491 2004 DHL 400 27 24 Running, 200/200 0 $106,543 †GFS Marketplace 400 4 9 Running, 200/200 0 $112,493 2003 Sirius 400 2 8 Running, 200/200 51 $110,843 GFS Marketplace 400 23 3 Running, 200/200 0 $140,063 2002 Sirius Satellite Radio 400 10 16 Running, 199/200 0 $92,618 Pepsi 400 24 2 Running, 200/200 0 $136,183 2001 Kmart 400 37 25 Running, 198/200 0 $57,490 *Pepsi 400 10 27 Running, 161/162 0 $55,890 2000 *Kmart 400 28 1 Running, 194/194 13 $123,800 Pepsi 400 19 41 Accident, 36/200 0 $41,250 1999 Kmart 400 28 9 Out of Gas, 198/200 0 $34,450 Pepsi 400 37 3 Running, 200/200 4 $60,505 × Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish. * Race cut short due to weather. † Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points. -Chassis No. 209:This car made its debut in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, where it started 31stand led four times for 23 laps and was set to collect its first career win.But with a five-and-a-half second lead over second-place Kasey Kahne, a flat right front tire three laps short of the finish relegated Chassis No. 209 to an undeserved 18th-place finish. Prior the series’ longest race, Chassis No. 209 was tested May 5-6 during the NASCAR test session at Charlotte. Michigan marks Chassis No. 209’s second career start. Year Event Start Finish Status/Laps Laps Led Earnings 2007 Spring Charlotte 31 18 Running, 399/400 23 $152,961 Joe Gibbs Racing Michigan Anecdotes:• Joe Gibbs Racing has four wins at Michigan: Ø 2000 June race was won by Stewart Ø 1999 August race was won by former Joe Gibbs Racing driver Bobby Labonte Ø 1995 June and August races were swept by Labonte • Joe Gibbs Racing has five poles at Michigan: Ø 2007 June race pole was won by former Joe Gibbs Racing driver J.J. Yeley Ø 2003 June and August poles were swept by Labonte Ø 2000 June pole was won by Labonte Ø 1995 August pole was won by Labonte Notes of Interest:• The LifeLock 400 will mark Stewart’s 335thcareer NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 19thcareer Sprint Cup start at Michigan. • Stewart is currently 12thin the Sprint Cup point standings with 1,614 points, 470 markers behind series leader and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch. Stewart dropped one position as a result of his 35th-place finish last Sunday at Pocono. At this point last year Stewart was sixth in the standings with 1,733 points, 516 markers behind series leader Jeff Gordon. Stewart has scored 119 fewer points this year than he did last year heading into the 15thrace of the season.• Stewart has scored four top-fives and six top-10s in the 14 Sprint Cup races run this season. He has a career total of 32 wins, 123 top-fives and 197 top-10s in 334 career Sprint Cup races.• Stewart scored his fifth career Sprint Cup win at the 2000 June Michigan race. He started 28thin that race, the farthest back any Sprint Cup driver has come to win at Michigan. He now has 32 career Sprint Cup wins to his resume, with the last one coming 28 races ago at Watkins Glen. • Stewart set a Michigan record in June 2006 for the greatest improvement from a starting position. Stewart started 41stin the 2006 Citizens Bank 400 and advanced 38 positions to finish third, besting the previous mark of 36 places earned by Jimmy Spencer (40thto fourth) in the 1996 June race. “I made sure I crossed the start/finish line at the green dead last,” said Stewart about lagging behind at the start of the race. “I made sure (A.J.) Allmendinger got by me so I could say I went from dead last to wherever we finished. From 43rdto third, that’s a pretty good day. I’m not going to complain about that at all.” • Stewart has never won a pole at Michigan, as his best starting spot is second (2003 June race). Stewart has 10 poles to his resume, with the last one coming 91 races ago at Martinsville in October 2005. • Stewart has seven top-three finishes at Michigan, with the most recent being a third-place result in last year’s June visit to the track. In all, Stewart has 12 top-10 finishes in his 18 career Sprint Cup starts at Michigan, with an average finish of 13th. Stewart has finished in the top-10 in nine of his last 11 races at Michigan. • During Stewart’s rookie year in 1999, the June Michigan race was the site of the No. 20 team’s only DNF (Did Not Finish) for the season. Stewart earned a ninth-place finish despite running out of gas and not making it across the stripe. • In the 2003 June Michigan race, then Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Bobby Labonte and Stewart qualified 1-2 to mark the first and only time two Joe Gibbs Racing cars sat on the front row for a point-paying Sprint Cup race. • In 2001, Stewart won Round III of IROC XXV at Michigan for his first career IROC win (6/9) en route to finishing second in IROC points to former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Bobby Labonte. • In addition to a Sprint Cup win and an IROC win, Stewart almost added a NASCAR Nationwide Series win to his Michigan resume. In the 2003 Nationwide Series race at Michigan, Stewart led twice for 85 laps in his Chance 2 Chevrolet and had his first Nationwide Series win in sight before his pit strategy was ruined by rain. After making his final pit stop while under green on lap 100, rain began to fall, stopping the race 15 laps short of its scheduled 125-lap distance. Kevin Harvick gambled on fuel economy and stayed out, holding the lead when the rains came. Harvick earned his 11thcareer Nationwide Series victory while all Stewart had to show for his efforts was an 11thplace finish. Stewart finally earned his first Nationwide Series win in the 2005 season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona, and successfully defended that victory by winning the 2006 Nationwide Series race at Daytona. • Home Depot store No. 2905, located in Hattiesburg, Miss., will be represented on the lower rear quarterpanel of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota during the LifeLock 400. Store No. 2905 was judged to be the outstanding store of the past week, thereby earning its place on the No. 20 car. • Stewart will donate his portion of the race winnings from the LifeLock 400 to the American Red Cross in Columbus, Ind., with the money specified for flood assistance. Those wishing to join Stewart in helping those affected by the floods throughout Indiana can call 812-379-9551 or send checks payable to The American Red Cross, 931 Repp Drive, Columbus, IN 47201. If writing a check, write “Indiana Flood & Tornado Relief” on the memo line. • “You Must Be a Local” – mechanic Bill Byrne is from Marne, Mich., and fabricator and catch can man Brian “Shaggy” Larson is from Escanaba, Mich., while just to the south is mechanic Jerry Cook from Toledo, Ohio; engine specialist Jarrad Egert from Elmore, Ohio; and engineer Adam Stevens from Portsmouth, Ohio. Ø Bill Byrne joined JGR following the 1999 season…Attended 30 races as a part-time road crew member in 2000…Became full-time road crew member in 2001…Commutes to all races from his home in Marne, Mich…Before joining JGR, worked with the No. 26 of Roush Racing and driver Johnny Benson (Sprint Cup) between 1998-1999…Spent 1996-1997 with Bahari Racing and Johnny Benson (Sprint Cup)…While working with Bahari Racing and Roush Racing, pulled double duty in the American Speed Association working as a mechanic and jackman on the car of Dave Sensiba…During the week, works as a construction foreman for the Kent County (Mich.) Road Commission (a.k.a. Grand Rapids, Mich., D.O.T.). Ø Brian “Shaggy” Larson joined JGR midway through the 1997 season…Began working as a fabricator on the No. 18 car and changing front tires on the No. 44 car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series…Has been with the No. 20 team since its inception…Has been a fabricator and tire changer for over 16 years…Before joining JGR, spent two months with the No. 42 Team SABCO operation in 1997 with driver Joe Nemechek before spending six months with American Equipment Racing in 1997 with driver David Green…Worked with Nemechek en route to the 1992 Nationwide Series title and stayed with Nemechek through the 1996 season…Worked as a mechanic and fabricator with Bobby Dotter Racing (Nationwide Series) from 1988-1991. Ø Jerry Cook joined JGR following the 2004 season…Spent 2005 season with the No. 11 team before joining the No. 20 team in December 2005…Came to JGR from ThorSport Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series where he worked with drivers Matt Crafton and Tracy Hines…Raced late model stock cars at Toledo Speedway and Flat Rock Speedway from 1985 until 2004 when he moved to the Charlotte, N.C., area… Younger brother is Craftsman Truck Series driver Terry Cook.Ø Jarrad Egert joined JGR following the 2000 season…Worked with Coy Gibbs and JGR’s Craftsman Truck Series team from 2001-2002 and moved with Coy to the Nationwide Series in 2003…Joined the No. 20 team at the beginning of the 2004 season…Prior to JGR, worked in the Craftsman Truck Series with Impact Motorsports and driver Randy Tolsma in 1999…Spent late 1997-1998 with Sandusky, Ohio’s SealMaster Racing and driver Terry Cook…Prior to tenure with SealMaster, worked with Terry Cook’s brother, Jerry, and his late model stock car team from 1995-1997…Jerry Cook now works with Egert on the No. 20 team…Graduated from Punta County (Ohio) Vocational School and earned the school’s “Outstanding Alumni Award” in May 2006. Ø Adam Stevens joined JGR at the beginning of the 2005 season and started with the No. 20 team after being at Petty Enterprises since 2002…Was hired at Petty by former JGR engineer Brandon Thomas and former Petty vice president/general manager and current NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton…Graduated from Ohio University in 2002 with a degree in mechanical engineering…While attending school, made numerous road trips to Charlotte, visiting race shops and circulating his resume…Raced dirt late models from age 16 until graduating from college…Qualified for “The Dream” at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, in 1999 – a renown dirt track now owned by Stewart…Qualified in the top-36 out of 200 cars, started on the outside pole of the third heat and led every lap to start fourth in “The Dream”…Finished 17thdue to a flat tire. – The Home Depot is NASCAR’s Home Improvement Warehouse –
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