CONCORD, N.C. (April 22, 2009) – Yates Racing today announced Ben Leslie, former crew chief for the No. 28 Yates Racing Ford, will serve as crew chief for Bobby Labonte and the No. 96 Hall of Fame entry for the remainder of the 2009 season. Previous crew chief Todd Parrot will assist the Yates organization as a whole.

“Ben’s experience with Ford Racing is really an asset to our organization,” said Max Jones, co-owner of Yates Racing. “The No. 96 team is fortunate enough to have a Champion driver and a group of experts in the sport. I believe Ben will bring the right changes to this team to help it accomplish some solid finishes this season and climb a few positions in the points.”

Prior to joining Yates Racing, Leslie served as a liaison between Ford Racing and NASCAR managing Ford’s development in all three series. Earlier in his career, Leslie worked with several notable drivers including Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Ricky Rudd. In 2001 Leslie led Martin to a second-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings, recorded 15 top-10 finishes and a win in the Coke 600.

Continue reading “Bobby Labonte gets Ben Leslie as new chief”

Rich Get Richer: Points Leader Gordon Restrictor Plate King

Jeff Gordon holds an 85-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson. It could grow with another patented Gordon restrictor plate win.

Gordon is the all-time leader in restrictor plate wins with 12. He broke the record in the second Talladega race in 2007, passing Dale Earnhardt’s 11.

Gordon is looking to rebound off a 25th-place finish at Phoenix, his first finish outside the top 10 since the Daytona 500 (13th).

Talladega Goes AMP Green: Earnhardt Jr. A Dega Favorite

The Sea of Green, thanks to favorite son Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s sponsor AMP Energy, will once again be well represented at Talladega Superspeedway. And more often than not, they go home happy.

Earnhardt has won five times at Talladega (including four in a row from 2001-03), and has led laps in 16 of his 18 Talladega races.

Earnhardt dropped three positions in the points standings with a 31 st place finish at Phoenix and now sits 19th.

WELCOME, N.C. (April 22, 2009) — Richard Childress Racing’s No. 07 Jack Daniel’s crew will become the No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil crew, and vice versa, immediately following this weekend’s race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Crew chief Gil Martin and his crew will move to the No. 29 team with driver Kevin Harvick while Todd Berrier and his crew will take over the No. 07 team with driver Casey Mears. In addition to the crew chiefs, the transition will include car chiefs, engineers, shock specialists, engine tuners, tire specialists, mechanics, transporter drivers and over-the-wall pit crews. Harvick and Mears, who will maintain their race spotters, are currently 16th and 22nd, respectively, in the Sprint Cup Series point standings after eight races.

Continue reading “Harvick and Mears entire crews will swap”

TORRANCE, Calif. (April 21, 2009) — When a Toyota Camry Hybrid leads the 43-car starting field to the green flag for the 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600 (Fox, 5:00 p.m., ET) at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS), it will mark the first time in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) history a hybrid vehicle will serve as the ‘official’ pace car for an entire race.

The Camry Hybrid will make its pace car debut on Sunday, May 24, at the Concord, N.C., track.

“Toyota is the leading seller of hybrids in the U.S. with more than a million on the road, so it’s appropriate the Camry Hybrid is the first to pace a NASCAR race from start to finish,” said Ed Laukes, corporate motorsports marketing manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. (TMS). “It’s a tribute to the torque and other performance characteristics of the Camry Hybrid that allows it to meet NASCAR’s requirements for pacing the longest race of the season.”

Continue reading “Toyota Camry Hybrid – Official Coke 600 Pace Car”