LIVERMORE, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2009) – Mark Martin (3rd) and Denny Hamlin (4th) finished in the top-5 in the Sprint Cup Series “Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500” at Phoenix International Raceway.  Martin is within reach of the Championship, which will be decided in next weekend’s “Ford 500” at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Carl Edwards wins the Nationwide Series “Able Body Labor 200” at Phoenix International Raceway.  Edwards was joined by Kevin Harvick (2nd), David Ragan (6th) and Matt Kenseth (7th) in the top-10.  Edwards win prevented Kyle Busch from clinching the Nationwide championship and maintaining his 2nd position in the point standings.

Kevin Harvick wins the Camping World Truck Series “Lucas Oil 150”.  Harvick was joined by Aric Almirola (3rd) and Ron Hornaday (4th).  Hornaday’s finish in Friday’s race clinched the Championship for him in the Camping World Truck Series for the 2009 season. 

Next weekend, all three series will again meet at the final race for the season, in Homestead-Miami.  The two remaining Championships will be claimed.

Wiley X Driver Results
“Checker O’Reilly Parts 500 Results”
Nov. 15, 2009
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, AZ    

(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 14th (6th)
Point Standing: 7th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 16th (25th)
Point Standing: 11th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 3rd (5th)
Point Standing: 8th

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 24th (31st)
Point Standing: 21st

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 18th (28th)
Point Standing: 14th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 21st (27th)
Point Standing: 19th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet
Finished: 4th (10th)
Point Standing: 2nd

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 23rd (33rd)
Point Standing: 27th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
Point Standing: 31st

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Point Standing: 46th

LIVERMORE, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2009) -- Denny Hamlin finishes 2nd in the Sprint Cup Series’ “Dickies 500” at Texas Motor Speedway.  Fellow Wiley X drivers Matt Kenseth (3rd), Mark Martin (4th), Kevin Harvick (5th) and Greg Biffle (8th) join Hamlin in the top-10.

Mark Martin (2nd) closes in on the lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup after an early race incident parks the current leader in the garage for over 100 laps.  Martin is only 73 points outside of the lead. 

Four Team Wiley X drivers round out the top-10 in the Nationwide Series’ “O’Reilly Challenge”: Matt Kenseth (4th), Kevin Harvick (6th), David Ragan (8th) and Carl Edwards (9th).
 
Ron Hornaday finishes 3rd in the Camping World Truck Series “WinStaar World Casino 350”.  Hornaday solidifies his lead in the points with only two races left in the season.  Team Wiley X Drivers Aric Almirola and Scott Wimmer also end weekend with top-20 finishes.
 

Wiley X Driver Results
“Dickies 500”
Nov. 8, 2009
Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, TX
(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 8th (8th)
Point Standing: 7th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 39th (6th)
Point Standing:11th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 2nd (25th)
Point Standing: 8th

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 5th (24th)
Point Standing: 21st

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 3rd (30th)
Point Standing: 14th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 19th (14th)
Point Standing: 19th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet
Finished: 4th (7th)
Point Standing: 2nd

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 17th (17th)
Point Standing: 27th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
Point Standing: 31st

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Point Standing: 45th

LIVERMORE, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2009) --  Team Wiley X drivers Joey Logano (3rd) and Greg Biffle (4th) claim top 5 finishes in Sprint Cup Series “AMP Energy 500” at Talladega Superspeedway.  Logano moves up one position in the Sprint Cup point standings to 19th position.  Biffle remains 7th in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, joined by Mark Martin (2nd), Carl Edwards (10th), and Denny Hamlin (11th).

Aric Almirola finishes 2nd in the “Mountain Dew 250 Fueled by Fred’s” at Talladega Superspeedway, Joined by current Nationwide point leader Ron Hornaday (17th).

All three NASCAR Series will join in Texas this weekend.

Wiley X Driver Results
“AMP Energy 500”
Nov. 1, 2009
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, AL    

(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 4th (8th)
Point Standing: 7th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 14th (10th)
Point Standing:10th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 38th (9th)
Point Standing: 11th

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 21st (21st)
Point Standing: 21st

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 24th (14th)
Point Standing: 14th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 3rd (20th)
Point Standing: 19th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet
Finished: 28th (2nd)
Point Standing: 2nd

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 17th (28th)
Point Standing: 27th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
Finished: 22nd (30th)
Point Standing: 31st

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Point Standing: 45th

Race:               Tums Fast Relief 500 – October 25, 2009
Venue:             Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
Start:               10th
Finish:             10th
Points:             21st (Maintains Position)

MARTINSVILLE, VA – Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet team turned a top-10 qualifying position into their seventh top-10 finish of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Martinsville Speedway in Sunday’s 500-lap race.

After posting the 17th quickest time in Friday’s afternoon practice session, Gil Martin and team made a few tweaks to the set up on the red and yellow Chevy for qualifying later in the day. Harvick was able to make the most of the adjustments and was clocked at 19.774 seconds, a lap fast enough to earn his top-10 starting position of 10th. 

With heavy rains rolling through the area on Saturday morning, NASCAR was forced to cancel both NSCS practice sessions for the day. But, with their strong practice and qualifying effort on Friday, the Shell-Pennzoil race team was confident and ready for the task of Sunday afternoon’s event.

When the green flag flew, the Bakersfield, Calif., native wasted little time showing the strength of the No. 29 Chevrolet Impala SS by climbing to sixth by lap 20. The first round of pit stops took place under caution on lap 47.

A slight chassis adjustment was called for to assist Harvick with the handling through the tight, flat turns. Though able to remain in the top-10 running order, Harvick was still in need of grip up off the corners, a condition that continued throughout the race, despite various adjustments in the early stages of the event.

After pitting on lap 160, with Harvick running 16th when the caution flew on lap 176, Martin called for the Shell-Pennzoil Chevy to remain on the track to gain back their earlier track position. Restarting sixth, Harvick was finally able to flex the muscles of his No. 29 machine motoring his way up to third place by lap 190.

With the strategy working well, Martin once again decided to forego pit road through the next two caution periods in favor of track position. This allowed the No. 29 Chevy to remain in the top 10 through the midway point of the Tums Fast Relief 500.

As the laps clicked off in the 263-mile event, small adjustments proved to be the way to go for the remainder of the day as Martin worked through minor chassis and air pressure changes during each of the final four stops.

The adjustments allowed the 11-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winner to race with the front pack throughout the final laps, and to claim his 10th-place finish in the Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet.

The top-10 finish helps Harvick remain 21st in points. With four races remaining in the season, the No. 29 team trails Joey Logano by 49 markers.

Virginia native Denny Hamlin captured his second victory at the narrow, paper-clip-shaped track, beating Jimmie Johnson to the checkered flag.  Juan Pablo Montoya, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top-five finishers.  

Harvick’s RCR teammates Jeff Burton, Casey Mears and Clint Bowyer finished 15th, 18th and 19th, respectively.

Next weekend, NASCAR's senior circuit heads to Talladega Superspeedway for the final restrictor-plate race of the season.

Live coverage of the AMP Energy 500 from Talladega Superspeedway begins Sunday, November 1 at 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and telecast live on ABC.  The event will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.  Qualifying for the 33rd points-paying race on the 36-race tour will be broadcast live on SPEED Saturday, Oct. 31 beginning at 12 p.m. EST and heard worldwide on MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.  

KEVIN HARVICK QUOTE:
“Good job all around today by the Shell-Pennzoil team. This is the closest we have been in a long time to putting a total weekend together. Great job to all the guys.”

Martinsville, Va. (October 26, 2009) – Driver David Stremme and the Penske Dodge team were on track for another NASCAR Cup Series top-20 finish on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway before gear problems forced an early end to the Tums Fast Relief 500 and a 33rd-place finish for the No. 12 squad.

Stremme entered Sunday’s 500-lap race facing several unknowns. The team had limited practice time during the weekend due to bad weather, but the No. 12 crew was confident they had a car that would be competitive come Sunday afternoon.

Stremme rolled off for the start of the event in the 11th position.  After 35 laps, he radioed to his team to explain that the Penske Dodge was handling tight in the center and loose coming out of the turns. Crew chief Roy McCauley and the team came up with a game plan that included some changes to the chassis for the first pit stop of the day. 

When the caution flag was displayed to the field on lap 43, the team prepared to welcome Stremme and the Penske Dodge Charger to pit lane. The No.12 arrived in the pits three laps later for service. The team changed two right side tires and filled the car with racing fuel. The crew also made both trackbar and air pressure adjustments to the machine to try and improve its handling through the corners.

The red and black No.12 car restarted the race in the 13th spot, looking to continue its march toward the front of the field. Unfortunately, the two right side tires affected the performance of the Penske Racing machine and Stremme began to fall back in the running order.  By lap 100, Stremme had dropped to the 23rd spot. Stremme told the team he needed the car to turn better in the middle of the flat corners on the track. McCauley contemplated the changes the No.12 team would make during the next round of pit stops.

Knowing he had to be smart and take care of his car to last all 500 laps, Stremme was patient with the Penske Dodge. At the halfway point of the race, the No. 12 car was positioned in 23rd place. Stremme radioed the team on lap 289 to explain that the car was still running tight in the corners, but it was producing good forward bite coming out of the turns. The tight-handling condition did not prevent the experienced Cup Series racer from ticking off the fastest laps on the track. Stremme was consistently posting quick lap times around the half-mile speedway. He took his time passing competitors, setting them up on the entry of the turns and getting by them coming off the corners as he moved inside the top-20.

Stremme made a rare green flag pit stop on lap 435. The crew filled the car with enough fuel to make it to the finish and they bolted on four fresh Goodyear tires. The team also made a trackbar adjustment as it hoped to correct the tight-handling car Stremme was fighting in the corners.

Seven laps later, the Penske Racing driver informed his team that there was something wrong with the rear end of the car. McCauley ordered the No. 12 to the garage so the team could assess the situation. After further review, the team discovered the Penske Dodge had a rear-end gear failure, which forced an early end to the race for the No. 12 squad.

Stremme was credited with a 33rd-place finish. He remained 30th in Cup Series point standings with four events remaining on the 2009 schedule.

“I hate we didn’t get to finish the race,” commented Stremme.  “We qualified well and felt like we had a car capable of running in the top-20.  We struggled early in a run, but our car really came to life after about 20 laps.  As a team, we made significant improvement from the spring race (at Martinsville). Our car was just a bit too tight in the center of the corners.  We are going to one of my favorite tracks next week and I am looking forward to a strong run in our Penske Dodge.”

Wiley X Racing Team Report

LIVERMORE, Calif. (Oct. 12, 2009) -- Wiley X Chase contenders battle for position in Fontana.  Mark Martin holds onto the 2nd position, joined by team Wiley X drivers Greg Biffle (7th), Carl Edwards (8th), and Denny Hamlin (9th).

Four Drivers finish in the top-10 in the Sprint Cup Series’ “Pepsi 500” at Auto Club Speedway.  Mark Martin (4th) was joined by Carl Edwards (6th), David Ragan (7th) and Kevin Harvick (10th).  Denny Hamlin qualified on the pole and was one of the fastest cars on the track until a late-race crash took him out of competition. 

Joey Logano wins the Nationwide Series’ “Copart 300” at Auto Club Speedway”, marking his 5th Nationwide win for the season; second in a row.  Logano was followed by fellow Wiley X drivers Carl Edwards (3rd), Kevin Harvick (4th) and David Ragan (9th).   Edwards maintains the 2nd position in the current point standings going into Charlotte in the coming weekend.

The Craftsman Truck Series is on a break until Martinsville on the 24th of October.  Ron Hornaday remains the Current Camping World Truck Series point leader.

Wiley X Driver Results

“Pepsi 500”

Oct. 11 2009

Auto Club Speedway

Fontana, KS

(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Finished: 20th (2nd)

Point Standing: 7th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Finished: 6th (11th)

Point Standing: 8th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Finished: 37th (1st)

Point Standing: 9th

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Finished: 10th (7th)

Point Standing: 21st

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Finished: 13th (17th)

Point Standing: 14th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Finished: 14th (6th)

Point Standing: 20th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet

Finished: 4th (9th)

Point Standing: 2nd

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

Finished: 7th (31st)

Point Standing: 28th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge

Finished: 16th (14th)

Point Standing: 30th

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet

Point Standing: 44th

Race/Date:                    AAA 400/September 27, 2009
Location:                      Dover (Del.) International Speedway
Start Position:              20th
Finish Position:           12th
Points Position:            21st (Gained one position)

DOVER, Del. – Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway saw Kevin Harvick and his No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team turn in a solid performance all day.

Harvick and his crew dealt with changing track conditions by making smart chassis adjustments and pulling off solid pit stops to post a 12th-place finish in the 400-lap NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at the track known as the “Monster Mile.”

The top-15 result moves Harvick up one spot, to 21st, in the NSCS point standings after the 28th of the 36 points-paying races that make up the season.

Driving a brand-new Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet, Harvick and his team weren’t sure what to expect when they showed up to the concrete high-banked oval Friday morning for first practice. When the 90-minute session ended, any apprehension the crew might have had was gone after Harvick posted the eighth-fastest time of the 44 drivers on hand.

Harvick posted the 20th-fastest time in qualifying later that day, circling the notoriously tricky track in a time of 23.285 seconds, at an average speed of 154.606 miles per hour.

Starting from the outside of the 10th-row Sunday afternoon, Harvick quickly worked his way up to 14th before NASCAR called for a competition caution on lap 25. The 33 year-old driver reported his car had a tight-handling condition all the way through the corners, which crew chief Gil Martin attempted to alleviate by calling for a tire pressure adjustment on the lap 26 pit stop.

The race restarted on lap 36 with Harvick in 15th position. The tight-handling condition persisted, which caused him to drop back as far as 18th by lap 48.

Harvick settled into a rhythm over the next 170-plus laps and kept his car solidly around the top 15, while Martin called for additional chassis and tire pressure adjustments on every pit stop to improve the handling of the No. 29 Chevy.

By lap 220, Harvick was shown in 13th position and for the first time in the event, he reported his car now had a bit of a loose-handling condition. Martin’s efforts to tighten up the handling worked a bit too well, and the tight condition returned some 60 laps later.

Still, the Bakersfield, Calif. native was able to gain track position, moving up as high as 12th by lap 350. Some 20 laps later, the caution flag flew for the final time for a spin involving the No. 77 of Sam Hornish, Jr., which gave the team another shot at positively affecting the handling on the Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet.

Martin called for more chassis and tire pressure adjustments for the final 27-lap dash to the finish. Since several teams had elected not to pit on the final stop, Harvick found himself in 15th on the restart, but worked his way up to 12th by the time the checkered flag was displayed.

The race was won by Jimmie Johnson, followed by Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kurt Busch.

All of Richard Childress Racing’s four teams posted top-20 results as Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton and Casey Mears, finished 15th, 16th and 17th, respectively.

The NSCS now moves from the one-mile Dover track to the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway, one of the newest facilities on the NASCAR circuit.

Flag-to-flag coverage of the Price Chopper 400 will take the green flag Sun., Oct. 4 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at Kansas Speedway. The race will be televised live on ABC and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 29th points-paying race on the 2009 schedule for NASCAR’s senior division will be telecast live on ESPN2 Friday, Oct. 4 beginning at 4:30 p.m. EDT.

Kevin Harvick Quote: “We had a pretty good Shell-Pennzoil Chevy today. We got pretty tight on the last few runs. Gil (Martin, crew chief) did a good job of loosening it up for the last run, but it still could have used a little more. Our pit crew showed a lot of improvement today, so that was a real positive. We’ll keep digging and hopefully get a top 10 at Kansas.”

Wiley X Racing Team Report

LIVERMORE, Calif. (Sept. 23, 2009) --  Mark Martin wins the Sprint Cup series’ “Sylvania 300” at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH.  Martin started from the 14th position and continues to lead the Chase.

Denny Hamlin finishes 2nd in the “Sylvania 300” and moves into 3rd place in the Chase.  Hamlin is joined by other Wiley X drivers Greg Biffle (9th) and Carl Edwards (11th) in the current Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Ron Hornaday and Kevin Harvick finish 1,2 for KHI in Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series “Heluva Good! 200” at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  Hornaday continues to lead the Camping World Truck series Point standings.

Wiley X Driver Results
Sylvania 300
Sept. 20, 2009
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, NH
(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 9th (22nd)
Point Standing: 9th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 17th (32nd)
Point Standing: 11th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 2nd (4th)
Point Standing: 3rd

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 32nd (12th)
Point Standing: 22nd

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 23rd (38th)
Point Standing: 14th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 21st (33rd)
Point Standing: 19th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet
Finished: 1st (14th)
Point Standing: 1st

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 33rd (42nd)
Point Standing: 30th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
Finished: 28th (6th)
Point Standing: 31st

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 40th (20th)
Point Standing: 44th

Wiley X Racing Team Report

Team Wiley X Claims 4 positions in the Chase for the Sprint Cup

LIVERMORE, Calif. (Sept. 15, 2009) -- Mark Martin Qualifies on the pole and finishes 4th in the Sprint Cup Series’ “Rock & Roll 400” at Richmond International Raceway.  Martin claims the 1st position in the Chase for the Sprint Cup post cut-off.

Other Wiley X Drivers joining Martin in the Chase are Denny Hamlin (4th), Carl Edwards (9th) and Greg Biffle (12th). 

Denny Hamlin qualified 3rd in Saturdays Sprint Cup race, led 299 of 400 laps finishing with a cruise into Victory Lane at his home track.

Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick finish 1st and 2nd Friday night in the Nationwide Series “Virginia 529 College Savings 250” at RIR.  Edwards maintains the 2nd position in the Nationwide point standings.

Aric Almirola finishes 4th in the Camping World truck Series “Copart 200” at Gateway International Raceway.  Ron Hornaday finished 17th after an incident near the races end.  Hornaday maintains the lead in the point standings.

Wiley X Driver Results
Chevy Rock & Roll 400
Sept. 12, 2009
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, Vir.    

(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 13th (24th)
Point Standing: 12th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 15th (10th)
Point Standing: 9th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 1st (3rd)
Point Standing: 4th

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 9th (19th)
Point Standing: 22nd

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 25th (28th)
Point Standing: 14th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 14th (27th)
Point Standing: 19th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet
Finished: 4th (1st)
Point Standing: 1st

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 33rd (26th)
Point Standing: 29th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
Finished: 26th (12th)
Point Standing: 31st

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Point Standing: 44th

Top of Page

Race/Date:                    Chevy Rock & Roll 400/September 12, 2009
Location:                      Richmond (Va.) International Raceway
Start Position:              19th
Finish Position:            Ninth
Points Position:            22nd (Gained one position)

RICHMOND, Va. – Following last weekend’s runner-up finish, Kevin Harvick and his No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil team posted another impressive run this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, scoring their second top-10 finish in as many races.

Harvick’s Richard Childress Racing-prepared Chevrolet Impala SS spent the majority of the event inside the top 10 in Saturday night’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 en route to a ninth-place finish.

The strong showing comes as no real surprise, considering the No. 29 crew has posted top-10 results in all but one of its last 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at the .75-mile oval.

The finish also gained Harvick another spot, to 22nd, in the NSCS point standings with 10 races remaining in the 2009 season.

Rolling off from the 19th position, Harvick quickly demonstrated his brand new Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was a force to be reckoned with.

The 33 year-old driver charged forward five positions in just the first 12 laps of the 400-lap event, and by lap 36 his yellow and red RCR machine was posted in 10th on the leader board.

As the race progressed, the team’s ascent through the field continued and Harvick cracked the top five for the first time on lap 82.

A loose handling condition on Harvick’s entry caused crew chief Gil Martin to call for minor tire pressure adjustments on the team’s first pit stop on lap 45, and Harvick retained his position inside the top 10 over the next 200-plus laps.

When he did fall back, it was never very far, as Harvick was shown no lower than 11th for the remainder in the event.

As the air temperature cooled and track conditions changed, Harvick and Martin continued making minor tire pressure and chassis adjustments on almost every pit stop to help the handling on the Shell-Pennzoil Chevy. The changes kept Harvick comfortably inside the top 10 over the race’s last 100 laps, resulting in his team’s fifth top 10 showing of 2009.

The race was won by Denny Hamlin, with Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Kyle Busch rounding out the top five.

Harvick wasn’t the only RCR entry to post a top 10 run at RIR, as Clint Bowyer and his No. 33 team finished sixth. Fellow RCR drivers Jeff Burton and Casey Mears finished 18th and 30th, respectively.

Flag-to-flag coverage of the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will take the green flag Sunday, Sept. 20 beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on ABC.  The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio.  Qualifying for the 27th points-paying race on the 2009 Cup Series calendar will be televised live on ESPN2 Friday, Sept. 18 beginning at 3 p.m. EDT and will also broadcast live on PRN and Sirius Satellite Radio.

 Kevin Harvick Quote: "I'm happy to get another top 10, but I think we had a top five car. The guys had a tough time on pit road tonight. It's frustrating. Still, it was a decent finish, so we'll take it and try to improve next week."

RICHMOND, Va. (September 12, 2009) — Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Jimmy John’s team entered Friday night’s race with momentum on their side and one mission, win at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (RIR) to earn Harvick’s fifth career Nationwide Series win at the .75-mile track. Starting the race from the 18th position, Harvick patiently made his way to the front, led 25 laps and finished a strong second to Roush Fenway’s Carl Edwards.

“The Jimmy John’s Chevrolet was really fast,” said Harvick following the race. “We had a little trouble on the first pit stop of the night, but the guys made up for it the rest of the night with solid stops. All I can ask for from these guys is to give me the chance to contend for a win and they did that tonight, we just came up a little short. I just have to thank everyone on the team and Jimmy John’s.”

With the race underway, Harvick began his move to the front, working his way into the top 15 on the first lap and into the top 10 on lap 21. Running lap times comparable to the race leaders, Harvick was scored in the eighth position on lap 40 when the team pitted under caution for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. With trouble on the left-rear tire resulting in a slow stop, Harvick restarted 13th on lap 45.

Eyeing race leader Brad Keselowski, Harvick again focused on making his way to the front. Picking cars off one by one, Harvick was again scored in the top 10 on lap 50 and moved into the fifth position on lap 80.

Running fast laps, Harvick focused on the fourth-place car of Greg Biffle and was able to take the position away on lap 120. The caution flag waved on lap 125 for debris and the team brought Harvick down pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. With a solid stop by the Jimmy John’s crew, the race restarted on lap 132 with Harvick in the fifth position behind race leader Kyle Busch, Keselowski, Edwards and Biffle. On the restart, crew chief Ernie Cope radioed Harvick that should the race continue under green-flag conditions, the Jimmy John’s car was 10 laps short on fuel and to start saving fuel when possible.  

Slipping to the sixth spot on the restart, Harvick quickly got back into his rhythm and took over fifth on lap 135. Still focused on the lead, Harvick was able to move into the second position on lap 195 and by lap 201 began to battle Virginia native Denny Hamlin for the lead. Racing side-by-side for the lead, Hamlin got loose coming off turn four and made contact with the 33 on lap 203 ,but Harvick was able to keep control of the Jimmy John’s machine to take over the number one spot.

With Harvick leading the race, the final caution waved on lap 225 for debris which eliminated the 33 team’s dilemma of being short on fuel. Harvick pitted for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Restarting the race in second behind the No. 60 car of Edwards, Harvick looked for the lead, but quickly realized the car was too tight to make the pass.

Harvick was able to hold on to the second position followed by Busch, Keselowski and David Reutimann in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 12, 2009) – Matt Kenseth and the No. 17 DEWALT Racing team finished 25th in Saturday night’s Chase cutoff race at Richmond International Speedway. The combination of poor track position and an ill-handling racecar proved too much to overcome for the team, with Kenseth being unable to crack the top 20 all night.

Kenseth, who had been inside the top 12 after each of the first 25 races of the season, lost two spots in the ‘regular season’ finale, dropping to 14th and finishing 38 points on the outside of the top-12 Chase contenders.

“Honestly, we did approach it like any other race,” said Kenseth after the race on pit road. “This is about how we ran the last four Richmond races.  We just haven’t been competitive, so, really since California this year it’s been a downhill slide for us.  We’ve slowly fallen back in the points every week, so I can’t say I’m very surprised we didn’t make it, but we’ve been working on it hard, we’re just weak in a few areas.

“I’m really disappointed we didn’t make it, but we just didn’t perform good enough.  Yeah, there were some mistakes here and there, and there were some points left on the table, but you can say that every year.
Basically, we didn’t perform good enough.  We didn’t run good enough to be in and the way we ran the last three months we didn’t really deserve to be in there.”

“We need to figure out why because none of our cars really run the way they should,” added Kenseth. “I wish we weren’t in this spot, but we did the best we could and we’ll try again next week.

Kenseth, who had made each of the first five Chases, started the season with back-to-back wins at the Daytona 500 and at California Speedway. He finished each of the first 25 races of the season inside the top 12 and entered the 26th and final race before the cutoff point 20 points in front of 13th.  It marks the first time in the existence of the 10-race Case for the Sprint Cup that Kenseth will not be a part of the 12-man field.

Kyle Busch fell short of the Chase as well, with Brian Vickers earning the 12th and final spot. Busch and Kenseth end the 26-race stretch on the outside looking in, despite combining for almost 25 percent of the series wins in 2009.

It is the first time that Kenseth has been outside the Sprint Cup top 12 in driver points since June of ’08. The 25th-place finish marked the first time the veteran has finished outside to top 14 in the past seven races and it is the team’s worst finish since March.

The team will look to regroup next weekend when the series travels to New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

###

Wiley X Racing Team Report

LIVERMORE, Calif. (Sept. 8, 2009) – Kevin Harvick finishes 2nd in the Sprint Cup series “Pep Boys Auto 500” at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday.  Joining Harvick with top-10 finishes are Mark Martin (5th), Denny Hamlin (6th) and Greg Biffle (10th). 

Team Wiley X maintains 5 drivers in the current Chase for the Sprint Cup point standings. 

No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Jimmy John’s team dominated the Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS), starting the race second, leading a race high 131 laps and winning their second race of the 2009 season, the first Nationwide Series victory for team co-owner Harvick at AMS. 

Other Wiley X Drivers with Top-10 performances in the Nationwide Series were: Joey Logano (6th), Carl Edwards (7th), Greg Biffle (8th), and David Ragan (9th).  Edwards Maintains the 2nd positions in the point standings.

In Iowa Speedway’s “Lucas Oil 200”, Aric Almirola finishes second.  Hornaday follows behind with a 4th place finish.  Hornaday maintains the current Craftsman Truck Series Point Lead.

Wiley X Driver Results
Pep Boys Auto 500
Sept. 6, 2009
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, GA    

(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 10th (26th)
Point Standing: 11th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 37th (14th)
Point Standing: 5th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 6th (10th)
Point Standing: 4th

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 2nd (18th)
Point Standing: 23rd

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 12th (15th)
Point Standing: 12th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 22nd (34th)
Point Standing: 19th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet
Finished: 5th (7th)
Point Standing: 10th

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 33rd (16th)
Point Standing: 29th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
Finished: 14th (9th)
Point Standing: 31st

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Point Standing: 44th

HAMPTON, Ga. (September 6, 2009) — With a ‘Freaky Fast’ car from the start of the day, Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Jimmy John’s team dominated the Degree V12 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS), starting the race second, leading a race high 131 laps and winning their second race of the 2009 season, the first Nationwide Series victory for team co-owner Harvick at AMS. 

“All these guys on this Jimmy John’s team kept their heads down and digging,” said Harvick after the race. “This was a brand-new car that we rebuilt to come here. Kyle (Busch) was a little better on the short runs there, but after about eight or 10 laps, this thing was just flat-out awesome. It was nice to race the 18 (Busch) head-to-head like that and have fun with him. I really thought everybody had to pit. It was a great night for the fans that came out to watch the race -- Dale Jr. on fuel strategy, Kyle was good on short runs and we were good after about 10 laps -- so you had all kinds of that good Atlanta racing."

Taking the green flag from the second position, Harvick quickly made his presence known, battling Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead and taking over the number one spot on lap six. With a ‘freaky fast’ car, Harvick began to pull away and secured a second and half lead over second place.

Continuing to run up front, the first caution of the night waved on lap 25 and Harvick reported to crew chief Ernie Cope the car was a little loose and that he needed more rear grip. The team called Harvick down pit road for fuel, four tires and an air-pressure adjustment. Harvick restarted the race on lap 30 in second behind Kyle Busch.

On lap 39, with Harvick still in second, the second caution flag of the day waved. Harvick told Cope the car was good, it just took several laps to get going. The team stayed out and restarted the race on lap 45 in second.

Battling with Busch for the lead, Harvick cleared the 18 car on lap 53 and began stretching out his lead. By lap 58, Harvick had a one second lead over the field and continued to dominate the race. On lap 86, the team made a scheduled green-flag pit stop, pitting from first with over a three second lead. The team reversed the air-pressure adjustment, made a wedge adjustment and took on four tires and fuel. Once pit stops cycled through the field, it was again Harvick at the lead.

With 95 laps in the books, Harvick lead second place Busch by two seconds and by lap 120 held a six second lead over Busch with only six cars on the lead lap.

The caution again waved on lap 123 and Harvick entered pit road to reverse the wedge adjustment and take on four fresh tires and fuel. Harvick again restarted the race behind Busch on lap 128.

Passing Busch again for the lead on lap 147, Harvick and the No. 33 team stretched the lead to almost seven seconds by lap 175. Short on fuel, the team opted to pit under green on lap 181 for four tires and one can of fuel. With fresh tires and good on fuel, Harvick passed pole sitter Earnhardt Jr. with less than two laps remaining of the 195-lap event to earn his second victory of the season and first Nationwide win at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

STATS RECAP

September 5, 2009
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Degree V12 300

Race: 26 of 35
Driver: Kevin Harvick
Started: 2nd
Finished: 1st
Owner’s Point Standings: 4th (+/- 0 spots, 542 points out of 1st)
Race length:  195 laps/300.3 miles
Banking: 24-degrees in the turns
                    5-degrees on the straight-a-ways
Track layout: 1.54 miles
Shape: Quad-Oval
Number of Laps Led: 6 Times for 131 Laps
Number of Race Cautions: 3 for 14 Laps
First Practice: 3rd (30.911 seconds; 179.354 mph)
Final Practice: 1st (31.143 seconds; 178.018 mph)
Qualifying: 2nd (31.873 seconds; 173.940 mph)

Although the Sprint Cup Series was off this weekend, Team Wiley X represented in both Camping World Truck Series and the Nationwide Series. 

In the final turns of the Nationwide Series “NAPA Auto Parts 200 Presented by Dodge”, Carl Edwards passed Marcos Ambrose for the win.  Edwards is fast approaching the Number one position in the Nationwide Series Point Standings, only 192 points behind the current leader. 

Aric Almirola finished 8th and Ron Hornaday finished 11th in the Camping World Truck Series “EnjoyIllinois.com 225” at Chicagoland Speedway.  Hornaday maintains the lead in the Point standings.

The Sprint Cup Series will resume this coming weekend in the “Pep Boys Auto 500” at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

Edwards and Ambrose to co-drive the No. 77 Ford in the Grand-Am Rolex
Sports Car Series

Concord, N.C. (August 19, 2009) - NASCAR stars Carl Edwards and Marcos
Ambrose will team up in Montreal for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car
Series presented by Crown Royal on August 29.  Edwards and Ambrose will
co-drive the No. 77 Ford DP car owned by Doran Enterprises, Inc. in the
two-hour race.  Aflac is the primary sponsor with Subway as a secondary
sponsor for Edwards and iRacing.com and Aussie wines as secondary
sponsors for Ambrose.

"This is going to be great running in the Rolex Series in Montreal with
Marcos Ambrose,” said Edwards.  “This is my first time in the series
and it should be exciting.  We tested at Virginia International Raceway
(VIR) and everyone on the team is really cool and I know it's going to
be a lot of fun.  Now we are battling over who's going to do the most
driving.”

The Montreal 200 at Circuit Gille Villeneuve will precede the
Nationwide race next week and marks the duo’s debut in the series.  In
preparation for the event, Edwards and Ambrose tested at VIR August 18
and look to be strong contenders.

Edwards has two Nationwide starts at the 2.709-mile road course and has
posted one top-10 finish.  Ambrose also has two Nationwide starts at the
track and has posted one top-five and two top-10 finishes.  It’s a
track that Edwards has always been fond of.

“I love racing at Circuit Giles Villeneuve.”  Edwards continued,
“The Montreal fans are great and to have two opportunities to race
there next weekend is just awesome.  I’m really looking forward to
next weekend."

The Montreal 200 at Circuit Gille Villeneuve will air live on SPEED
beginning at 2:00 p .m. EDT on Saturday, August 29.

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating nine
motorsports teams.  Five in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers
Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan;
three in the Nationwide Series with Kenseth, Biffle, Edwards, McMurray,
Ragan, Erik Darnell, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Colin Braun; and one in
the Camping World Truck Series with Braun.  For more information on any
of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com.  For
sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

# # #
	

Biffle on Bristol:  "Bristol is just so intense.  You can't relax at
all.  It's like walking a tightrope for 500 miles and holding your
breath the whole time.  No other track is like that.  It obviously takes
a good racecar to win at Bristol but it helps to qualify well.
Sometimes it can be hard to pass and if the field gets backed up, it
doesn't take long for the leader to start lapping cars.  If you have a
bad qualifying run or have to start in the back for some other reason,
it can be difficult even with a good car to get back through the field.
The night race has a whole different level of excitement and it should
be a great race for the fans."
Erwin on Bristol: “We are taking the same car we ran in the first
race this year.  We qualified well and ran right around the top five for
most of the race until we ran had an engine failure on lap 326. During
practice on Saturday, we’ll work on getting the car to turn through
the center of the corners.  If we can do that and qualify well, it will
just be up to Greg to stay out of the wrecks during the race.  We’re
not where we’d like to be in the points right now with only three
races left until the Chase but we just need solid finishes the next few
weeks to stay in it.”
Notes:
  Biffle is 10th in the point standings following a 20th-place finish
at Michigan.
  In the last race at Bristol, Biffle was running in the top 10 when he
reported on lap 295 that the engine was missing, he made it another 31
laps before the engine failed.
  3M Car Care is hosting a contest on 3Mcarcare.com to name the No. 16
3M pit crew.  Fans can write in with their suggestions and the winner
will win a trip to a race later in the season.

LIVERMORE, Calif.  (August 10, 2009)  In Monday’s rain delayed Heluva Good! Sour Cream dips at the Glen, Team Wiley X ends the extended weekend with 3 top 10 finishes under sunny skies.  Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Denny Hamlin all stayed towards the front of the pack for the duration.  Edwards and Hamlin both protect their top-12 positions in the point standings; Biffle will move up three spots to the 10th position.

Team Wiley X boasts a total of 5 drivers in the current Chase for the Sprint Cup point standings.  Joining the above mentioned drivers is Mark Martin (11th) and Matt Kenseth (12th).

In the Nationwide Series’ Zippo 200 at the Glen, Team Wiley X finished with 4 drivers in the top 8.  Carl Edwards (3rd), Kevin Harvick (4th), Greg Biffle (7th), and David Ragan (8th) all pulled the double duty this weekend racing both series.  Edwards will hold onto his second position in the Nationwide Series point standings.

Current Chase for the Sprint Cup Point Standings:
1.  Tony Stewart, 3383
2.  Jimmie Johnson, 3123
3.  Jeff Gordon, 3041
4.  Kurt Busch, 2902
5.  Denny Hamlin, 2847
6.  Carl Edwards, 2830
7.  Juan Montoya, 2781
8.  Kasey Kahne, 2754
9.  Ryan Newman, 2727
10.  Greg Biffle, 2718
11.  Mark Martin, 2716
12.  Matt Kenseth, 2685

Wiley X Driver Results
Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen
Aug 10, 2009
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY    

(starting position in parenthesis)

Greg Biffle, No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 5th (7th)
Point Standing: 10th

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 3rd (33rd)
Point Standing: 6th

Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 10th (3rd)
Point Standing: 5th

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Finished: 35th (21st)
Point Standing: 22nd

Matt Kenseth, No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 14th (42nd)
Point Standing: 12th

Joey Logano, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Finished: 16th (35th)
Point Standing: 19th

Mark Martin, No. 5 Hendricks Chevrolet
Finished: 23rd (28th)
Point Standing: 11th

David Ragan, No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Finished: 24th (40th)
Point Standing: 30th

David Stremme, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge
Finished: 26th (5th)
Point Standing: 31st

Aric Almirola, No. 8 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
Point Standing: 44th

Race/Date:                               Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen/August 10, 2009
Location:                                 Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
Start Position:                          21st
Finish Position:                        35th
Owners’ Points Position:          22nd  (Maintained position)

WATKINS GLEN, NY – Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet crew found themselves in a “wrong place, wrong time” scenario in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event on Monday. After suffering damage to his car in an early-race incident, Harvick was credited with a 35th-place finish, 22 laps down to the race leaders.

With the result, Harvick remains in 22nd position in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings after 22 events of the 36-race season.

The finish brought a disappointing end to the race weekend for Harvick and his Shell-Pennzoil crew at Watkins Glen International. The No. 29 Chevrolet Impala SS posted the third-fastest time in opening practice and top-20 times in the two other sessions, giving the team confidence that a top-10 finish or better was a very achievable goal.

While he did not have as good a qualifying lap as he would have liked, Harvick was still able to put his RCR-prepared car on the inside of the 11th row in 21st position.

Just minutes before the scheduled start of the race on Sunday, a severe thunderstorm caused track officials to clear fans from the grandstands and order teams to seek shelter in the garage area. Eventually, NASCAR officials were forced to postpone the start of the race until noon Eastern Daylight Time on Monday.

Sunny skies greeted the race teams Monday morning, and the race got underway at 12:24 p.m. EDT. Just 23 laps into the 90-lap event, David Stremme spun out in front of Harvick on the inner loop of the 2.45-mile road course. Harvick tried to avoid Stremme’s spinning car, but contact was made, damaging the left front of the Shell-Pennzoil machine.

Harvick drove his injured Chevrolet to the garage, where his Richard Childress Racing crew went to work. After spending 21 laps off the track for repairs, Harvick was able to return to the event.

The race was won by Tony Stewart, with Marcos Ambrose, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle rounding out the top five.

Harvick’s RCR teammates, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears and Jeff Burton, finished ninth, 15th and 38th, respectively.

The NSCS teams now return to oval-track racing, making their second visit of 2009 to the Irish Hills of Michigan and the two-mile Michigan International Speedway. In his first trip to MIS this year, Harvick finished 18th in the LifeLock 400 NSCS event.

The CARFAX 400 from MIS is scheduled to take the green flag Sunday, August 16 at 2 p.m. EDT. Pre-race coverage begins live on ESPN at 1 p.m. EDT. The race will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 23rd points-paying race on the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule is slated to air live on SPEED Friday, August 14 at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

Kevin Harvick Quote: “It looked like the No. 12 just lost it as he drove through the grass, collecting a few good cars along the way. (It’s) just the story of the year. The Shell-Pennzoil Chevrolet was good all weekend long. (We) just got caught up in somebody else’s mess.”

1. Kurt Busch, 1299
2. Jeff Gordon, 1294
3. Jimmie Johnson, 1235
4. Tony Stewart, 1232
5. Denny Hamlin, 1190
6. Kyle Busch, 1124
7. Carl Edwards, 1119
8. Clint Bowyer, 1098
9. Jeff Burton, 1092
10. Greg Biffle, 1081
11. David Reutimann, 1077
12. Matt Kenseth, 1063

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