January 2010

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Goodyear Tire Test Begins Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 2010 Season

HAMPTON, Ga. (Jan. 12, 2009) – Atlanta Motor Speedway’s 2010 NASCAR season kicked off at 9:31 a.m. when Mark Martin took to the high-banked track to begin two days of tire testing by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to determine the premier tire for the Kobalt Tools 500 on March 7.

Four NASCAR veterans – Martin, Carl Edwards, Sam Hornish, Jr., and Martin Truex, Jr. – are assisting Goodyear with testing at Atlanta Motor Speedway where Martin posted the fastest lap with a time 29.938 (185.183).

Martin’s time of 29.938 seconds was faster than Truex, Jr.’s qualifying lap of 30.106 (184.149 mph) for September’s Pep Boys Auto 500. He nearly matched his pole-winning performance for last March’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway when he posted a 29.640 (187.045).

In addition to Martin’s time, Edwards posted a lap of 29.953 seconds (185.102 mph), followed by Truex, Jr. with a 30.009 (184.744) and Hornish, Jr. with a 30.560 (181.413).

“It’s fast and this is one of my favorite tracks, so it’s really fun here in the middle of winter to get to run 200 mph on a racetrack,” said Edwards, who has three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins in Atlanta. “I’m having a blast.

While most teams are focused on assisting Goodyear, the Atlanta Goodyear Test holds added importance for Truex, Jr., who is participating in his first Goodyear test with his new Michael Waltrip Racing team and with crew chief Pat Tryson.

“So far it’s good for our first time here together,” said Truex, Jr., who won the pole for September’s Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. “We’re just easing into it and feeling things out. The car is fast and it feels good.

“It’s a big deal for us to be able to get out here and get acclimated with each other and get into the swing of things,” added Truex, Jr. “We’ve got a bunch of stuff to go through and try on our car: stuff that Pat has done in the past; stuff they’ve done at MWR; and ideas I have from what I have done. We’ve got a lot of stuff to try in the next day in the half and so far it has gone well.”

All four drivers will return tomorrow for day two of the test.

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La Serena, Chile (January 11, 2010) – Stage 9 of the Dakar Rally presented another unique set of challenges for Team HUMMER on Monday as they travelled from Copiapo to La Serena. The start of today’s special was delayed due to dense fog setting in Copiapo over the last few days. Due to the delay, organizers for the Dakar Rally also shortened the route from 547 km to just a total of 354 km, with only 170 km timed. Stage 9 also marked the final day of competition in the Atacama Desert and allowed competitors one last chance to gain ground across the desert’s sand and dunes. By the time drivers reach La Serena, they will have conquered the most technically challenging portion of the rally’s course, but they will still need to complete five additional stages before returning to Buenos Aires for the successful completion of the 2010 Dakar Rally.

Yet another day of getting stuck in the sand would haunt Robby Gordon and his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER through the dunes of Copiapo. During the first few kilometers of the stage, Gordon would lose air pressure and get stuck in the dunes. Despite the issues, Gordon in his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER would survive and come in 10th place for the day. On a positive note, the duo of Gordon and Grider moved to ninth place overall.

“Today was a tough day, especially through the tricky dune sections and soft sand,” said Robby Gordon. “I got the Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER stuck twice, but we survived with another top-10 finish. One thing that we learned during this Rally is that we can’t be stopped. Our competition never stops; this race is about endurance and how quickly you recover from obstacles that are thrown at you. I think that we have done a really good job getting back up when we get knocked down.”

The driver of the Vanguard HUMMER would get stuck late in the stage. It was a long day for the driver and navigator trying to get their HUMMER out of the grip of the soft sand. The Vanguard HUMMER would end up in 45th position, but ready to tackle another day tomorrow.

Race Coverage – For fans tracking the Dakar Rally at home, please visit robbygordon.com, planetrobby.com, and Robby Gordon’s twitter page for daily updates on the team’s performance including a daily recap, photos and videos. Versus will provide coverage throughout the United States. A 30-minute daily program featuring highlights from that day’s racing will be aired on Versus daily at 3:30 p.m. with a replay airing later in the day. The show is set to air daily from January 3rd through January 18th, check your local listing for exact show times. A 60-minute recap show featuring all fourteen stages will air on Versus on Sunday, January 24th at 3:00 p.m.

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(MOORESVILLE, NC) – Mike Bliss will pilot the No. 36 Wave Energy Drink race car for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2010 and Michael McDowell will continue his marketing relationship with the sponsor.

Bliss, a 44-year old native of Portland, Oregon, has 476 combined starts in all three NASCAR series with a record of 15 wins, 89 top-fives, 181 top-10’s and 21 pole positions. Bliss also drove in the International Race of Champions (IROC) Series in 2003, garnering one win (Chicagoland Speedway), two top-fives and four top-10’s in four total starts. Bliss began his racing career in quarter midgets at the age of nine. He’s married with one nine-year old daughter and restores custom hot rods in his spare time. Among his collection is a bright yellow 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda with a Hemi Engine.

After careful consideration, Baldwin chose Mike Bliss to lead his 2010 program. “Mike brings a lot of experience to the table and next year, we’re stepping everything up,” said Baldwin. “He gives us the best chance to qualify for the Daytona 500 and get ourselves in the top-35 in points after the first five events of the 2010 season. I’m very excited to have him on board along with our sponsor, Wave Energy Drink,” he added.

Driver Michael McDowell, who closed out the 2009 season for Tommy Baldwin Racing, will still play a vital part of sponsor Wave Energy Drink’s future marketing plans. McDowell is slated to drive in several select Sprint Cup events in a Wave Energy Drink-sponsored car in 2010.

Wave Energy Drink executives are delighted with the plan of action for their 2010 NASCAR Season. “We’re thrilled with the arrangement that has been put in place for next year,” said Jason Wolter, VP of Marketing for Wave Energy Drink. “As a sponsor, we still get the best of both worlds. We have Mike Bliss to lead the competition side and we’re retaining the personal representation services of Michael McDowell. In the end, everyone is on the same page and the stage is now set for Wave Energy Drink’s most successful year ever,” he added.

With the driver lineup and sponsor representation secured for next year, Baldwin is revved up about the future of his race team and relationship with sponsor, Wave Energy Drink. “We’ve got a great deal of energy coming together at the right time,” said Baldwin. “Our plan is to keep Bliss and McDowell involved in our racing program and as brand ambassadors for Wave Energy Drink. Both of these guys are very talented both on the racetrack and off the track. Now we’ll be able to take this program to the next level with our own version of the ‘Mike and Mike Show’,” he added

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Copiapo, Chile (January 10, 2010) – After a much needed rest day on Saturday, Team HUMMER returned to face the unforgiving Atacama in Stage 8 of the Dakar Rally. The competitors covered 568 km as they traveled from Antofagasta to Copiapo. To start the day, the drivers had to navigate their way through extremely rocky terrain where the slightest mistake can cost the most experienced competitor precious minutes. As the stage progressed, the pace quickened as the drivers covered approximately 300 km of winding, fast tracks leading to the frequent dune zones above Copiapo. After conquering the dunes, competitors raced through the final 90 km, which was composed completely of sand.

Robby Gordon and the No. 302 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER started the day in 24th position, but quickly moved his way towards the front. By the half way mark of the stage, he was in the second position looking for another possible stage win. Then unfortunate circumstances would once again alter the outcome for Robby Gordon in his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER. Gordon recovered as quickly as possible to finish the stage in tenth place, 37 minutes down to the stage winner. Gordon remains tenth in the overall standings, roughly five hours behind leader Carlos Sainz.

‘”We finished the stage in tenth place, which is the disappointing part of the day. It is frustrating because we know that we have a race car that is capable of finishing good each and every stage; we raced our way from 24th to 2nd. We just need everything to go good so that we can get the finishes that we deserve. Looking at the bright side of things, we’ll be getting a better starting position tomorrow. We will be starting 10th, which is about 2 minutes a car so it should be good for us,” Robby Gordon commented about his day hoping for a better outcome during stage 9.

The driver of the Vanguard HUMMER would soon follow Robby Gordon across the finish line, coming in 13th place.

The team will regroup tonight and hope to have a strong showing tomorrow. Stage 9 will take the team from Copiapo to La Serena with the special stage starting at 8:50 am local time. Robby Gordon in his Monster Energy / Toyo Tires HUMMER will start at 9:08 am.

Race Coverage – For fans tracking the Dakar Rally at home, please visit robbygordon.com, planetrobby.com, and Robby Gordon’s twitter page for daily updates on the team’s performance including a daily recap, photos and videos. Versus will provide coverage throughout the United States. A 30-minute daily program featuring highlights from that day’s racing will be aired on Versus daily at 3:30 p.m. with a replay airing later in the day. The show is set to air daily from January 3rd through January 18th, check your local listing for exact show times. A 60-minute recap show featuring all fourteen stages will air on Versus on Sunday, January 24th at 3:00 p.m.