The Final Lap with Kerry Murphey

CORNELIUS, N.C., and IRVINE, Calif. – Boost Mobile, an industry leader in no-contract wireless service, and Samsung Mobile, the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, will sponsor Travis Pastrana when the action sports icon embarks on his NASCAR Nationwide Series career in 2011.

Pastrana will drive the No. 99 Boost Mobile Toyota for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing in seven Nationwide Series races this season, including a mid-summer debut in Indianapolis designed to bridge NASCAR with the ESPN X Games. Pastrana plans to compete in at least 20 races in 2012.

The Boost Mobile announcement came Friday night at L.A. Live – the sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles. Boost Mobile and longtime Pastrana sponsors Red Bull, DC Shoes and Nixonstaged the launch party for 500 fans and members of the media. To celebrate the partnership, Pastrana received a Samsung Mobile handset from Boost Mobile to use as his official phone for the race season.

Pastrana, who owns 11 X Games gold medals, multiple supercross and motocross championships, and four Rally America championships, entertained the crowd with a freestyle motocross show and unveiled his race car. He is also known for his Nitro Circus empire, which includes a TV show, live tours and a soon-to-be-released 3D feature film.

“To announce this partnership in November and have a sponsor this soon is really gratifying, and we certainly appreciate Boost’s support,” Pastrana said. “Having worked with Boost in the past and knowing what an innovative brand it is, I am excited to see what we can do together this year. To see this many people here tonight is quite a testament to the interest everyone has in what we plan to do in NASCAR. I’m ready to get started. We’ve tested, but nothing compares to racing and I’m really looking forward to that!”

“Boost has aligned with Travis’ previous racing endeavors on the rally circuit and we are thrilled to be working with him again as he makes his debut on the NASCAR Nationwide Series,” said Ron Faris, director of brand experience, Boost Mobile. “He brings a level of energy and fun that is a perfect match for the Boost brand. With our handset partner Samsung, we look forward to bringing the sponsorship to life and giving his fans and our customers an experience to remember this race season.”
Pastrana’s debut weekend will be a sports first. Pastrana will compete at the X Games in Los Angeles July 28 and July 29, fly to Indianapolis for his Nationwide Series debut on Saturday, then return to Los Angeles to finish his X Games competition.
“That is going to be a phenomenal weekend,” Pastrana said. “We’re going big that weekend. Our vision for this team is to expose NASCAR and action sports to each other’s world, and this is a perfect way to accomplish that. We have a lot of work to do before then, but that weekend has already been marked on my calendar.”
In addition to Indianapolis, Pastrana plans to race in the following Nationwide Series races:

Sept. 9 – Richmond, Va.
Oct. 1 – Dover, Del.
Oct. 8 – Kansas
Nov. 5 – Fort Worth, Texas
Nov. 12 – Phoenix
Nov. 19 – Homestead-Miami

In November, Michael Waltrip Racing, Gary and Blake Bechtel and Pastrana announced the creation of Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, which will field cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series beginning this year. The team will focus on creating programs that expose the action sports world’s fans and participants to NASCAR and develop youth marketing initiatives designed to create greater awareness of both sports.

“I think this shows you the power of Pastrana with both fans and sponsors,” said Blake Bechtel, who initiated conversations with Pastrana about coming to NASCAR after attending the 2010 New Year’s Eve event where Pastrana shattered the world record for the longest jump in a rally car.

“He has such an amazing following and to see him team up with a brand like Boost Mobile is really awesome. Both Boost and Travis think outside of the box and have really done some unique programs, so I think we’re going to have a lot of fun this year.”

The team also signed an associate sponsorship agreement with KMC Wheels for all of Pastrana’s races.

To prepare for the 2011 Nationwide season, Pastrana will race in Saturday’s Toyota All-Star Showdown in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.

Check out the official Travis Pastrana NASCAR announcement and several behind-the scenes videos at http://pastranawaltrip.com/. Also follow team updates and announcements at www.facebook.com/pastranawaltrip and on Twitter at @pwr99.

Drivers Pair Up In Two-Car Draft
Teams Record Near 200 mph Speeds In Final Day Of Testing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2011) — After two days of testing at a chilly and overcast Daytona International Speedway, drivers were ready to stick by each other’s sides on Saturday.
Literally.
Two-car drafting was the theme of the day as the sun finally made an appearance. Teammates took to the track to test the pull, push and grip of the newly repaved 2.5-mile speedway during the third and final day of NASCAR Preseason Thunder at Daytona – a three-day series test in preparation for the 53rd Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20.
During the morning session, Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Joey Logano (No. 20 Home Depot Toyota) and Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) swapped spots tailing each other and set the day’s top speeds with just over 197 mph.
“I feel like we’ve got a decent speed in the Home Depot Toyota,” said Logano, who had the morning’s fastest lap (197.516 mph, 45.566 seconds). “Usually in single-car runs we were probably a 15th-place car, but I feel like we’re a top-five car in single-car runs right now. That’s exciting to know.”
Numerous teams opted for two-car drafting, including Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet) and Ryan Newman (No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet), Earnardt-Ganassi Racing’s Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet) and Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Penske Racing’s Kurt Busch (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge) and Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge).
NASCAR Managing Director of Competition John Darby wasn’t surprised that teams avoided multi-car drafting, instead relying on two- and three-car combinations.
“Obviously the guys are working on the tandem deal knowing that’s faster than the draft,” Darby said. “Everybody’s working on a little different agenda, and it’s all trying to find that edge to win the Daytona 500.”
Darby says it wasn’t about what teams and NASCAR learned during this week’s test, rather more about what fans can expect on Feb. 20.
“I think this test has done more in building confidence,” Darby said. “There’s always some anxiety around what happens when a track repaves.”
Last year’s repave – only the second at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway and the first since 1978 – began after the NASCAR Sprint Cup event on July 3 and ended in early December. A Goodyear tire test on Dec. 15-16 was the first time teams drove on the repaved surface. This past week was the second time.
“All it has done is amplify the beautiful job they have done on resurfacing Daytona International Speedway,” Darby said. “The grip is at an all-time high, the drivers are comfortable – that’s why you see a lot of the stuff on the race track, because they are comfortable in the cars. Sometimes there’s a fine line between comfortable and cocky but that’s what makes the race exciting. That’s one of the things that’ll make this Daytona 500, I think, different than any one I’ve been able to watch.”
One driver already comfortable in his new No. 22 Penske Dodge was 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch.
“It’s gonna be one heck of a Daytona,” Busch said in the garage during the afternoon test.

Jimmie Johnson: “I think it’s more of an attempt to make our points system easier to understand. I don’t think that it would be a huge change from the thought that I’ve put into it so far. I don’t see it being a big thing. I know people expect me to react and think, oh, they’ve got to leave it alone, don’t change it. I don’t care what races are in the Chase, the format to win the championship; I could care less because I feel confident that my team will be able to win championships under any set of circumstances. We’ll wait until the announcement when and if it comes and kind of take it from there.”

Tony Stewart: “Honestly I’ve kind of been one of those guys it didn’t really bother me when they changed it the first time, and if they change it again, it really won’t matter to me. As long as we all start the year and we understand what the point structure is and how you get the points, then you race accordingly. But it’s still going to be on a situation where if you win races the points take care of itself, and as long as it’s not a deal where you ever get in a situation where running 30th pays more points than winning then it shouldn’t really change how you race, it’s just you know if it’s a 36 week deal that leads into a championship or a ten week deal, you know how to prepare for it. So it’s just knowing what the system is so you know how to prepare for those events.”

Carl Edwards: “I am not sure what the final decision is yet, but if it makes it similar, for instance if I am running 12th or something I don’t even know how many points that is worth and I have been doing this long enough that I should know. So if it makes it simpler for the competitors and the fans to follow along and understand, then I think it is a good move. We all race so hard for the wins so whatever points system it is, we are going to race hard.”

David Ragan: “I think that has been long overdue. I think the points system has been confusing not only for the fans but the drivers and the teams. I think that simplifying it is a good thing. I think you still need to reward the winner a few more points than the second and third place guy. If you get those points too close together, it takes a little of the fame of winning out and getting those extra bonus points. I am sure NASCAR will make the right decision. They are in the right ballpark with the figures. I think it is very understandable that 43 to 1 point meaning first to last makes sense. As long as we get bonus points for leading laps and winning the race, I think it will be a good move.”

Kevin Harvick: “For me, and this is just putting it into perspective, as you look at I got done with the season last year, and I got a text from Joe Girardi, he says, ‘Hey, man, great year, good job; I don’t understand how you can have the best year and not win. I don’t understand your points system.’ And for me, I think if you look at the new point system, I think it’s easy to understand. And those are the people that need to understand it are the people who aren’t here every week, live it, breathe it, and really understand how the sport works. It’s the casual fan that we need to recapture and make it exciting and easily understandable. So however that point system works out, I want it to be easy to understand for those types of people.”

Rain Wipes Out Morning Practice Session
NASCAR President Mike Helton Leads 2011 Competition Update Session

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2011) — Jet dryers, not stock cars, steamed across Daytona International Speedway all Friday morning, beating back moisture from overnight storms.
But NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams roared to life early in the afternoon, hitting the track for the second day of Preseason Thunder at Daytona – a three-day series test in preparation for the 53rd Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 20.
While the action heated up late on-track, plenty preceded it. Several drivers visited Daytona’s infield media center during the morning delay, followed by NASCAR President Mike Helton, Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton and Managing Director of Competition John Darby, who participated in an update session during Friday’s scheduled lunch break.
Among the topics: Helton confirmed that drivers now have the opportunity to pick the national series where they want to contend for a championship.
Expect drivers to continue to compete in all three national series, he said, but declaring a championship stake in one series means broadening opportunities for future stars.
“The hope for this is…there is a level of focus and a level of exposure offered to younger drivers who have personalities that deserve to get attention and be developed along the way [in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series],” Helton said.
Possible changes to the NASCAR points system also were a discussion topic. Helton said it’s an ongoing process, but an enjoyable one.
“The main goal is to get one that’s just easier to understand and simpler, but you have to do that with credibility around the championship,” he said. “And we’re getting a lot of great input from the drivers about the tweaks that would go along with something like that, so it’s actually been fun to work on.”
Even more fun, Helton added, is participating in all the discussions.
“This is the 53rd-annual Daytona 500,” he said, “but after 30-some years in this business, I still get excited to pull inside this tunnel, and walking through the garage area and talking to the guys in the meetings, the owners and the drivers in particular and, quite frankly, a group of drivers that represent NASCAR’s future. There’s still a high level of energy and enthusiasm to get the season started but more importantly to do it in Daytona in the Speedweeks environment.”
Others are just as eager. Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet), who finished third in the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, said he’s ready to climb two more rungs in the final standings.
“The biggest thing is it’s all about winning a championship at this point, nothing else,” he said. “Nothing else is good enough at this particular point in time. So it’s great to have a good year, and we had a good year last year, but in the end it’s all about taking home the one trophy that we don’t have, and that’s the championship trophy.”
Harvick knows how to win championships – he has two NASCAR Nationwide Series titles to his credit, as well as the 2007 Daytona 500 win. He’d gladly take another of the latter.
“It’s just our biggest race and it leads off the year and the anticipation coming into the Daytona 500 every year is bigger than any other race times ten,” Harvick said. “So from a driver’s standpoint, there’s nothing like rolling to the green flag at the Daytona 500 because you have a whole winter of anticipation, you have your shiniest, best new car, everybody has got everything brand new and it’s the best that anybody will be prepared for the whole season.”
At the other end of the spectrum is Steve Wallace, son of 1989 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace. The younger Wallace is entering his fifth season as a full-time NASCAR Nationwide Series competitor for Rusty Wallace Racing, and thanks to a points agreement between his father and Penske Racing owner Roger Penske, Steve Wallace will become the second generation of his family to participate in the Daytona 500.
He’ll make his series debut in this year’s traditional season-opener.
“This is the Daytona 500,” Steve Wallace said. “I’m a rookie at this. This is my first race. I’m not coming down here to win the race. I’m coming down here to have a strong finish, run good, get some respect, don’t crash the car. Finish the race. If we can do that, I feel like we’ll have a shot at it.”

Day 2 PM – Drafting Practice

Daytona Intl Speedway – 2.500

1/21/2011

Make

1 11 Denny Hamlin Tyt 45.716 196.868

2 14 Tony Stewart Chv 45.719 196.855

3 20 Joey Logano Tyt 45.757 196.691

4 2 Brad Keselowski Dge 45.873 196.194

5 31 Jeff Burton Chv 45.954 195.848

6 83 Brian Vickers Tyt 45.955 195.844

7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chv 46.037 195.495

8 48 Jimmie Johnson Chv 46.037 195.495

9 18 Kyle Busch Tyt 46.054 195.423

10 4 Kasey Kahne Tyt 46.170 194.932

11 77 Steve Wallace Tyt 46.468 193.682

12 33 Clint Bowyer Chv 48.583 185.250

13 1 Jamie McMurray Chv 48.946 183.876

14 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chv 48.953 183.850

15 24 Jeff Gordon Chv 49.125 183.206

16 5 Mark Martin Chv 49.230 182.815

17 39 Ryan Newman Chv 49.377 182.271

18 27 Paul Menard Chv 49.392 182.216

19 16 Greg Biffle Frd 49.409 182.153

20 99 Carl Edwards Frd 49.520 181.745

21 21 Trevor Bayne Frd 49.573 181.550

22 9 Marcos Ambros Frd 49.575 181.543

23 22 Kurt Busch Dge 49.590 181.488

24 29 Kevin Harvick Chv 49.597 181.463

25 43 AJ Allmendinger Frd 49.661 181.229

26 09 Bill Elliott Chv 49.698 181.094

27 00 David Reutimann Tyt 49.743 180.930

28 6 David Ragan Frd 49.768 180.839

29 60 Todd Bodine Tyt 49.790 180.759

30 17 Matt Kenseth Frd 49.854 180.527

31 56 Martin Truex Jr. Tyt 49.894 180.382

32 78 Regan Smith Chv 49.900 180.361

33 36 Dave Blaney Chv 49.925 180.270

34 13 Casey Mears Tyt 50.241 179.137