Fantasy NASCAR Forum

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Martin Truex, Jr., 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview

CREW CHIEF CHAD JOHNSTON ON TEXAS: “Since the last time we raced at Texas, we’ve made some updates to the chassis as well as to the parts and pieces that go to it. So far this season, we’ve raced at two intermediate tracks. We’ve made some aerodynamic and downforce gains since then and we have also found more ways to tune on this car. I’m looking forward to this race. I think we can improve upon our qualifying effort. Plus, with the consistency we’ve had at the end of last year and all of this season, there is no reason why we cannot finish in the top 10. If we don’t, I’ll be disappointed. This team turned a corner at the midway point of last year. We’re not a fluke. We’ve got the results to finally back up what we’ve been saying all along.”



Mark Martin, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


CHASSIS: Primary 729 – Backup 708 – Neither has raced in 2012.

Why Mark Martin likes Texas Motor Speedway:

“Texas Motor Speedway is the site of a lot of great success for me. I think we’ve won a race and finished in the top five seven times. We blew up the first year leading the race and Jeff Burton went and got his first win. Then the next year (1998) we got the win. I’ve won three Nationwide races there. It’s an absolutely great place to race and man is it fast!”

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Kyle Busch talks about Texas:


How fast of a racetrack is Texas Motor Speedway?

“It is a fast racetrack. Texas was really hard for me at the beginning with the Cup cars for some reason. I took to it right off the bat in the Nationwide stuff. We’ve kind of correlated some of that information back and forth and, having the cars from Jason Ratcliff (former Nationwide Series crew chief and current crew chief of the No. 20 Sprint Cup team for JGR) and from Dave Rogers (Busch’s Sprint Cup crew chief) being as good as they’ve been, we’ve been really fast there. And now that Jason is on the Cup side with Joey (Logano), I’m hoping they can bring back a little of that magic that helped us win five in a row there in the Nationwide car. It’s a fun place. It’s really challenging because of the flatness of the corners, getting into the corners, and then they’re so banked through the turns and then the exits of the corners, they kind of fall off real quickly. That was always really weird for me to try to figure out because the lateral grip seems to go away so fast on the exit of the turns. You kind of want to be straight by that point. It’s an interesting facility. Texas, Charlotte and Atlanta all might look exactly the same, but they drive nothing alike. It keeps you on your toes.”

What would a Sprint Cup win at Texas mean to you?

“That’s something we want to do – I want to do – before I’m done. Hopefully, I have a long time before I get there. It would be nice to win there at Texas. It would mean a lot to see Norm’s (Miller) face in victory lane if we could pull it off. It meant a lot to get him to victory lane in the Truck Series there, but to win a Sprint Cup race there for him would be a huge deal.”

What changes will we see on a Saturday night in April that might be different than the day race in November?

“I think it will be somewhat similar to the last couple of years. You’ll still have the heat of the day going into the night and into the deeper night. It should be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to the challenge of going into the night race at Texas – something different than what we’ve done there in the past and being on a Saturday night. It should make for an interesting race. I feel like a lot of guys have been really good there in the past during the daylight because of the hot, slick racetrack having a better car setup. This time around, it’s about nighttime and getting the most speed out of your car and the most grip out of your car. We’ll see how it all goes with everybody, but we like our chances.”

You’ve had success at Texas Motor Speedway, recently. Are you getting more comfortable there each time you go back?

“It used to not be so much. I had some wild races there early on in my career and it wasn’t one of my favorite places, for whatever reason. Things have gone well, recently. Obviously, the Nationwide Series wins the last several years and getting the win in the Truck Series the last couple of years have been real confidence-boosters there. I’ve sort of learned how to drive it a little bit better and I know what I need in my racecar to make it easier. The cars that JGR has given me since I joined the team have also been a confidence-booster there. I can’t seem to get that win in Cup that’s eluded me, even though we’ve been close. So, hopefully, that’s something we can change this weekend.”



Matt Kenseth, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


Chassis: Primary: RK-810 (brand new chassis)


Kenseth on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“I really enjoy racing at Texas, and especially the added fun of it being a night race now, just adds some excitement to the weekend. It’s a place I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of great finishes at, and it’s a track where Roush Fenway as an entire team seems to perform well at. Texas gives us several lines to race on, so it’s just turned into a place where drivers can take the high line or the low line when it comes to racing for position. Texas is just a great fast track with the challenge of relatively flat straightaways and high-banked turns so it’s a place that can be challenging, but I always look forward to racing there twice a year.”

Crew chief Jimmy Fennig on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“We’ve had a lot of success at Texas over the years and had two great runs last season. Last November, our car got loose as the race went on and the track rubbered up so we’ll work on those similar situations this weekend in practice. We only have one practice Friday that will be around the same time as the race starts so we’ll spend time on race trim since track conditions should be similar to Saturday. I’m hoping that we can either get a win or a top five for our Best Buy team to start back up this next stretch of races.”

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Comments from BK Racing driver Landon Cassill heading into Texas:

“I’ve only been to Texas a few times, but each time I’ve been able to top my previous race. That definitely gives me confidence going into this weekend. I know there’s a lot to learn, but anytime you leave a track and feel like you’re you’ve built on what you accomplished the last time, it has you ready for more. I think the Burger King/Dr. Pepper team is definitely capable of keeping my Texas (Motor Speedway) streak going and getting a top-25 this weekend.

“We’ll be racing under the lights this weekend. Who doesn’t love a night race? They’re so cool. The cars take on a whole new look when the lights shine down and the fans come alive when the sun goes down. It’s definitely an electric atmosphere. All of us drivers grew up racing in Friday night short track events. The lights take us back to those days. It gives the event and ‘old school’ feel.

“We made it back into the top-35 after the race at Martinsville. That gives us a little breathing room, but it’s still really close. We know that every point counts and we’re going to do everything we can to increase the margin between us and 36th place.

“The Easter off-weekend was so important for our team. We didn’t start preparing our cars until the team opened its doors in February. We barely had any time to get everything ready for the first six races. Easter gave us a chance to have a few more days in the shop and work hard to catch up on everything. I think we’re more prepared and more equipped now than ever before.”



Comments from BK Racing Driver Travis Kvapil heading into Texas:

“Our Dr. Pepper Camry looks really cool. It’s a sharp paint scheme and it will show up really well under the lights. We’re excited to have them on board and we’re going to work hard to give them a good ride.

“This is a big step for us to have a special paint scheme. This is the first time that we’ve had some new colors on our car. We’re positioning the team for growth and success and this weekend is a nice reminder that we’re on the right track. Our team has a lot of attractive sponsorship opportunities this season and we hope that more organizations will take advantage of them.

“We’ve had a nice break in the schedule. It was nice to spend some time with the family and recharge my batteries. I’m ready to get back on the track, though. We had some good runs that we strung together before Easter. We had some momentum going. We’ve moved up in the points a few spots and we’ll look to keep it rolling at Texas. I really enjoy racing there. I’ve had some success there and think this can be a good weekend for us.

“Texas is a really fast track and will get even faster under the lights. I think there’s going to be a lot of grip and the fans are going to see some good racing. There should be lots of side by side racing. It’s going to be a good show. That’s for sure.”



Comments from ModSpace driver David Gilliland on Texas Motor Speedway:

“Texas is always a fun place to race. There’s room to pass up high if you have to since the groove has gotten wider over the years. The track really feels fast and there’s a lot of room to run around. With a good car there’s a lot of opportunity to make things happen.

“It’s great to have ModSpace on board this year. They’ve been on our car all season so far, but this is the first race where they’re primary. So, it will be cool to finally run their paint scheme. We’ve been showing it off since we first announced the partnership earlier in the season but it will be cool to finally see it on the car and under the lights at Texas Motor Speedway.

“Martinsville may not have looked like the best run, but I was really proud of the effort by our team. Pat (crew chief Pat Tryson) and the guys worked hard on the car all day and they really helped us out in a few places where we couldn’t gain any spots on track. I’m excited to get into Texas after the week off. We’ve got a great car and we’ve run well there in the past so I’m really looking forward to it.

“Last year we had a bit of bad luck there and just couldn’t get anything going, but it’s a fun track and I feel like we can run well there. I’m confident in the car we’ve got right now and the team’s been great the past few weeks so I think we’re in a good position to put a solid run together this weekend.”



Comments from Scorpion Truck Bed Liners team driver David Ragan heading to Texas:

“It’s great to have Scorpion Truck Bed Liners back on our No. 34 Ford Fusion. We had them with us down in Daytona for their very first NASCAR race and we’re excited to have them back. It’s always good to bring a new sponsor to the sport, and it’s even better when they come back and say they want to do more. They’ve got some pretty cool products in their bed liners, window films and other protective coatings, so we hope to send some new customers their way.

“That orange-and-black paint scheme will look great under the lights at Texas, too. Night racing is always fun and Texas is such a great track. It’s such a fast track and it’s one of my favorite tracks to go to. It’s a tricky racetrack, though. You’ve got to get your car coming out of the turns really well so you can just put the hammer down and let your Roush-Yates horsepower take over on the straight-aways. Texas isn’t necessarily a finesse track but you’ve kind of got to finesse coming off those turns. It’s not hard to wind up in the wall if you overdrive it. We’ve all seen that.

“It’s great to go back racing again after the week off. It was great to have some downtime and spend time with family. I got to go out to the Masters in Augusta (Ga.) one day last week and that was a great time and a great experience that I don’t normally get to do every year, even though I’m from Georgia. Some friends of ours always get tickets every year, but typically we’re always racing, coming off a race weekend and getting ready for another race the following weekend. But we had the off-weekend this year, so this was the first time I had some downtime to be able to do some of the things that normal people get to do.”



Chassis Info. for JMac and Juan Montoya:


No. 1 Bass Pro Shops®/Tracker Boats Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1104. Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats team will bring Chassis #1104 to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. This chassis made its debut in last year’s All-Star race, finishing 17th. Since that time the chassis also raced in the spring race at Charlotte (37th), both races at Michigan (19th, 23rd) and in the fall race at Dover (15th).

No. 42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1119. Crew Chief Chris Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will bring Chassis #1119 to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend. This chassis saw track-time last year at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway finishing 14th and 18th, respectively. This season, this chassis finished 17th at Fontana.



Ryan Newman talks about Texas:


“I always look forward to racing at Texas. I love the speed at Texas. It’s a fast racetrack. Texas is actually one of the fastest tracks we go to all year, so you have to be on top of your game because things can happen pretty quickly. It’s a track I’ve always liked, although it doesn’t necessarily show in my finishes. It’s a smooth, fast racetrack and there are multiple grooves, so it’s fun to race there. The asphalt has aged the track to the point it has gotten better and better each time we come back. What I mean is that the track has basically gotten wider. It’s gotten a bit more character. A little more bumpy, which is fine. I like it. I think that, in general, the track has gotten wider and racier each time we’ve come back. It’s got less grip, but that’s fine. I’d rather slide around a little bit and be in charge of my racecar than be stuck to the racetrack.”

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Paul Menard, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


This Week’s Quaker State/Menards Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 386 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet is a brand new addition to the RCR fleet and will log its first laps on the track during Thursday’s practice session.

PAUL MENARD QUOTES:

It seems that the high-speed 1.5-mile race tracks are very well-suited to you and you proved it with your fifth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway last April. What can you tell us about that race?

“Honestly, we wanted more. Most of the night, we were a top-three car. The last run was a long green-flag run and I think we had at least one green-flag pit stop. We lost a little bit at the very end and finished fifth, but I think we could have done better than that.”

What does the speed sensation at Texas Motor Speedway feel like?

“The race really slows down and opens up, but qualifying there is a real eye-opener. The fall race is usually faster than the spring race for whatever reason. You are as close to not lifting in a Sprint Cup Series car as you’ll ever get outside of Daytona (International Speedway) and Talladega (Superspeedway).”

Is Texas Motor Speedway ‘maturing’ and giving you more options now since the surface has a few years of wear and tear on it?

“It is definitely getting a lot of bumps, especially over the tunnels on both ends. It’s a wide track. During practice sessions the outer groove doesn’t come in very well, but it does during the race.”



Kevin Harvick, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


This Week’s Budweiser Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 391 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Harvick scored an 11th-place finish in this Chevrolet last month at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet team has been fairly solid so far this year. Do you feel like you guys can take it to the next level and get a top five or even have a chance to win at Texas Motor Speedway?

“Texas (Motor Speedway) was probably the worst track for us last year. We struggled with what we needed to get in the car to be able to have speed and race well. We’re going there with a different mindset this year to try to get some speed out of the car. In Las Vegas, we had a lot of speed, so our first mile-and-a-half race went really well and hopefully when we get to Texas we can have it all together.”

What are the keys to running well at Texas Motor Speedway?

“Texas (Motor Speedway) is a really fast race track, especially for qualifying. I think it’s probably the fastest race track we go to. If you’re going to qualify well or win the race, you’re going to have to have a car that’s comfortable to drive with a lot of throttle time.”

From the driver’s standpoint, can you feel the speed at Texas Motor Speedway?

“(Texas Motor Speedway) is a really fast race track and the banking is where you can really feel how fast you are going. It’s one of the few race tracks where you feel the speed in the car. The unique part about this race track is that you have that big speed for about three or four laps and as you go through the tire run the speed really drops off a tremendous amount. From a driver standpoint, you have a lot of options and the race track has a lot of bumps, which adds character. You have to make your car work good and you have to get up off Turn 2, but you can run all over the race track. Obviously we’ll run the bottom for qualifying, but when race time comes we will be moving around all over the place so it’s fun from a driver’s standpoint.”



Jeff Burton, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 385 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This is a brand new No. 31 Chevrolet that will turn its first laps this weekend.

JEFF BURTON QUOTES:

Is it frustrating to have had so much success at a track like Texas Motor Speedway and then recently have the kind of runs you have had there?

“That just shows you how hard the sport is. I know that no matter how well we ran one week, it doesn’t mean we are going to run that poorly the following week. It’s a constant test of where you and your team are and this is a very demanding sport. Honestly, none of our performances last year looked very good and it was just a continuation of what had gone on for the entire season. I think we have run better than many of our finishes indicated. Texas Motor Speedway is different anytime we run there. That is why we have seen so many different winners. That track doesn’t have a personality. Every time you go there, it is something different. I think that is why you see so many drivers run well there one race and then terrible the next. I don’t know why, but it is different every time we go there.”

Your finishes last year were 11th and 27th. Were those races the type of events where you said to yourself, “We ran better than that”?

“The 11th-place finish was about right, but we ran better than 27th in the November race last year. Again, last year it took a long time before we started finishing where we were supposed to. Even the 11th-place finish, I think we ran better than that during the race, and we had a problem late in the race which was frustrating, like much of our season. The fact of the matter is that we as a team can say we finished better than we ran or we finished worse than we ran, they give you points based on where you finish, and that’s what really matters. You have to understand what got you there because when you understand what got you there it gives you the opportunity to move forward, but you can ignore where you finished.”

You talked about Texas Motor Speedway changing. Is it changing in a certain way?

“It is definitely getting rough. The bumps are getting rougher and the track is losing some grip. When we used to go there, turn two was just horrible, You couldn’t get the car to turn off turn two and now everyone comes off of it pretty well and they have trouble off turn four. I don’t know why that is. It is part aging asphalt and part track officials changing it a few times. It is always going through the evolution of normal change. When that happens, it typically just loses grip. You go there one time and people run the bottom line, you go there the next and people run the top.
That’s hard to explain.”



RYAN NEWMAN CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis No. 39-682 - This chassis made two runs last season, which resulted in two top-20 finishes. The car debuted at Atlanta Motor Speedway in September. Although Newman qualified in the top-10, he struggled with track position for most of the day and finished a disappointing 20th. Chassis No. 39-682 returned to action for last season’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After qualifying 14th, Newman ran as high as second at Homestead. He ran in the top-10 for the most of the day but ended the race in 12th place. The chassis has been updated for the 2012 season and will make its first start this year at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.



KURT BUSCH CHASSIS CHOICE: Chassis No. 665 - Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 will be the second race of the 2012 season for this chassis. This is the same car the No. 51 Phoenix Racing team competed with at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. The car was built in 2011 and used only once that season, which was the June race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, where driver Landon Cassill scored a 12th-place finish after starting 12th.

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Kurt Busch talks about Texas:


What are your thoughts about racing at Texas?

“Texas has always been good to me and a track at which I’ve typically run well. I like it a lot. It’s the kind of track that, when it’s cool and crisp out, the place is just bad fast. If the sun comes out and the temperature is into the 80s, it gets slick. When that happens, that setup you just went 195 mph with, you can barely get 188 mph out of it. It’s a pretty temperamental place. You know it fits right along with the sister tracks like Atlanta, Charlotte and Las Vegas. They’re very temperature-sensitive tracks and Texas fits right in. I think the other thing you run into at Texas, for whatever reason, is that it’s very easy to miss the setup there. If you miss it, then it’s a struggle all weekend. On the other hand, if you hit it just right, then you are a tough car to beat.”

What is the toughest part about racing at Texas?

“I would say the exit of turn four is the toughest part to negotiate. There are times when the setup on the car is just right and you can drive right off the turn and put down good traction. Then there are other times – maybe when you miss the setup by even a little bit – that you are literally sideways and you’re basically wrecking at 180 mph.”

*Sidenote* Kurt makes his first nationwide series start for KBM this weekend in the 54 car.



Marcos Ambrose, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


Chassis History: The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 735 for this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway This Stanley Ford was run last year in both Texas events; he finished 6th and 11th and both texas races last year.

Ambrose on Racing at Texas Motor Speedway: “I love going to Texas, that 1.5-mile superspeedway has been good to me in the past and I’m hoping she’ll be kind to me again on Saturday night. Last year we had two top-10 finishes and that really gives me confidence going into this year’s 500-mile event. Todd Parrott and the crew have done a great job building on our intermediate program the past year and I can’t wait to get out on the track to see what my Stanley Ford can do this weekend.”

Crew Chief Todd Parrott’s Thoughts on Racing at Texas: “After a well-deserved off-weekend I’m ready to get back to the track and go racing again. The Stanley crew has worked really hard to put together a fast No.9 Ford Fusion for this weekend and I’m optimistic we will get our first top-10 of the season Saturday night. Marcos has to be able to get into the corners with speed. The car can get loose going into the turns and tight off of Turn 2 because the track really flattens out there. We’ve got to keep the Stanley Ford turning well off of the corner in Turn 2 and carry as much speed as we can around the track to get a good lap.”



Clint Bowyer, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


Chassis Notes: The No. 15 5-hour ENERGY team will race chassis No. 730 at Texas. Chassis No. 721 will serve as the backup. No. 730 is new and No. 721 has been on backup duty at Fontana and Vegas but never raced.

ON TEXAS: “It always seems like there are 1.5-mile racetracks that I run well at, and for some reason there are some others that I struggle at. Texas has always been one that I’m comfortable at. I’ve always been able to find speed right off the bat. And I’ve always raced well there too – I’ve always been good on a long run and that’s what it takes to be good at those 1.5 miles. It’s a fun racetrack. I enjoy going to Texas. It’s one of the ones that always sticks out on the schedule that I can’t wait to get back to – and I want to win at! You know that’s a cool place to win. There are a lot of neat things around the trophies. Everything that they have is pretty unique in our sport. Those are the things that really stand out in your mind as tracks you want to win at.”



Greg Biffle, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


Chassis: Primary: RK-809 Brand new chassis; Backup: RK-786 Last ran Homestead – finished 35th

Biffle on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“I’m jacked up going to Texas and I cannot wait. I love that race track and we have Filtrete on the car this weekend. Texas is a challenging place, coming off of turn two the track really flattens out, but getting into three and four it’s different on both ends, making for a kind of a long sweeping corner. Typically we run the bottom in three and four, and maybe run up the race track a little bit in one and two. Kind of a double dog leg down the frontstretch and it can be a little bit challenging getting to pit road for green-flag pit stops. We’ve run really really well there, I’ve had a lot of success at Texas, and I feel like it could be our first win of the season coming up.”

Crew chief Matt Puccia on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“Everyone is fresh, recharged and ready to go to Texas. Texas has always been good to us, and it’s one of the faster 1.5-mile tracks that we go to on the circuit. Traditionally, the No. 16 3M team has run really well there. We’ll start somewhat in the daylight and end at night, so you have to have your car adjustable enough so you can change with the changing conditions. We currently have the points lead and look forward to extending that lead with a good solid run at Texas.”



Jimmie Johnson talks about Texas


What is challenging about Texas Motor Speedway?

“As it ages, the bumps get bigger, the surface has less grip, which builds in a lot of challenges within it. The thing that comes to mind for me is the long green-flag runs we have there. Any small problems you would have with the balance of the car are magnified and add up. It’s hard to ever catch the leader because there is just so much green-flag running. You need to have your stuff right there because of the green-flag runs.”

Talk about the trophy at Texas Motor Speedway:

“I think it’s neat how some tracks really go out of their way to create cool trophies. Texas has done that the last six years and it’s very fitting. I have a really corny, dorky photo of me with a cowboy hat on and six shooters that I am very proud of. I hope to have that experience again.”



Carl Edwards, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


Chassis: RK-811 This is a new car

Carl Edwards on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“I love racing at Texas and it’s been one of our best race tracks. I’ve got some great memories from that place and it’s a fun place to win a race. Martinsville is behind us and we have some really good tracks coming up this month with Texas and Kansas. Those mile-and-a-half tracks have been great for us from day one.”

Crew chief Bob Osborne on racing at Texas Motor Speedway:

“I think we are all looking forward to racing at Texas this weekend. I’m glad Martinsville is behind us and we came away with a decent finish. Historically Texas has been a really good track for Roush Fenway teams, and Carl has three Cup wins there, so we’re planning on another strong run Saturday night. We’re taking a new car that should be capable of contending for the win.”



Bobby Labonte talks about Texas


“I really like the track and look forward to this weekend,” said Labonte, whose best finish is 14th this season at Daytona International Speedway. “I like the way it falls off during the race and the track gets wider. You can run up top, in the middle or on the bottom. With multiple grooves, you can easily move around and change your line. You really need a strong car at Texas that handles pretty good. Fuel mileage also plays into the race.”

“We’re bringing the car we ran at Vegas (Las Vegas Motor Speedway),” Labonte said. “It’s a good car and I feel good about racing it at Texas.” Labonte finished 26th at Las vegas earlier this season.

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Brad Keselowski, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


This Week’s Charger… The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-820 during Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). This is a new chassis to the No. 2 fleet.

Brad Keselowski on racing at Texas Motor Speedway

“Texas really is a unique racetrack and a unique layout. From above it looks like any normal 1.5-mile track, but the transitions into and off of the corners are quite a bit different than Charlotte, Las Vegas or any of the other mile-and-a-halfs. There is a lot of banking into the corners, which means you can carry a lot of speed in and to the center of the turns, but you lose that speed on exit as the track flattens out. It’s difficult because normally you can carry the same amount of grip and speed on both corner entry and corner exit. You have to adjust accordingly and sometimes that’s hard to do at 180 miles per hour. It’s easy to find yourself in trouble, especially off of Turn 2.”

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on Texas Motor Speedway

“Texas is a place with a lot of unique characteristics. The track has bumps in Turn 2 and has aged to where grip becomes a big factor late into a run. We want to set the car up to run the bottom of the track, but yet, still have the flexibility to run various lines through the corners. This is a new car for us this weekend. We’ve rolled out several new cars to start the season and have been very happy with their performance. Brad has shown that he knows how to get around these 1.5-mile tracks and I think we’ll have a solid weekend at Texas.”

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Tony is bringing the car that he won Vegas with this year and Chicagoland with last year and this car also participated in the tire testing they did here back in February; he's a definitely lock on my team.


Trevor Bayne is car the car that finished 9th back at Vegas.

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Aric Almirola, 2012 NSCS Samsung Mobile 500 Race Preview


Chassis History: The No. 43 Smithfield Ford will be chassis number 783. This is the same chassis the team ran in Las Vegas earlier this year.

Aric Almirola on the Samsung Mobile 500: “It’s just really nice to be back at the track after such a strong run at Martinsville. We got our first, of hopefully many, top-10 finishes before the break and we moved into the top-20 in points. That really made everyone feel good going into the holiday. It also makes us anxious to get to Texas and build on the momentum.

“I like that we have a new scheme on the 43 Ford this weekend. Smithfield has really been great supporter of mine and Richard Petty Motorsports so far this season. The new black and silver scheme is really showcasing Smithfield’s product branding and colors. And yes, I am still Fueled by Bacon!”

Greg Erwin Comments on Texas: “We were pretty happy with our Martinsville result and where that has us heading into Texas. The guys at the shop like having the break, but they are pretty anxious to get back to racing, too.



#5-Kasey Kahne: crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-713. This is the same car Kahne drove in March at Auto Club Speedway, where he started fifth and finished 14th.



#22-A.J. Allmendinger and his Todd Gordon-led Penske Racing #22 Team will be racing their new "PRS-821" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Texas. The "PRS-814" is the backup Dodge Charger for the "Double-Deuce" team. It was in the transporter serving as the backup at Las Vegas and at Fontana, but has never seen any track time.



#48-Jimmie Johnson: Chassis No. 714 is a new chassis and serves as the primary for Johnson at Texas. Chassis No. 669 serves as the backup and last ran at Las Vegas in March and finished 2nd.



#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-668 at Texas Motor Speedway. Earnhardt last raced this chassis to a 10th-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March.