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Preseason Thunder Test is Jan. 12-13-14 at Daytona International Speedway

Final preparations for 2012 Speedweeks, in particular, the running of the 54th annual Daytona 500 – Sunday, Feb. 26

Rules package is a result of information gathered during recent tests at Talladega (October) and Daytona (November)

Rules package includes:

Smaller radiator – Maximum of 2 gallon capacity
Smaller overflow tank – Maximum capacity of ½ gallon
Radiator inlet is moved up closer into the front center bumper area
Rate reduction in the springs – softer springs
Smaller rear spoiler
Base line restrictor plate of 29/32 inch (1/64 inch larger than plate size for the 2011 Daytona 500)

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Partnership Strengthens Military-Motorsports Connection To Boost Troop Morale

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2011) –NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Dodge for Penske Racing, and Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing,brought holiday cheer, smiles and good times to troops and their families on the NASCAR-USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba during their NASCAR-USO visit Dec. 12-14.

The tour of Guantanamo Bay was part of an ongoing partnership between NASCAR and the USO to strengthen a connection between the military and motorsports in an effort to help boost the morale of U.S. troops and their families stationed around the world. The partnership also included NASCAR and the USO hosting a group of wounded warriors at the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas.

PHOTO CREDIT: NASCAR MEDIA

During the visit, Keselowski and Logano visited hundreds of sailors and coast guardsmen and their families. The pair also dined with troops, visited the U.S. Navy Hospital, signed autographs and patrolled the waters with service members.

Continue reading “Logano and Keselowski Visit Troops at Guantanamo Bay Cuba”

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HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. (December 16, 2011) – Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) announces today that Jason Ratcliff has been named crew chief for its No. 20 Sprint Cup Series team, replacing Greg Zipadelli who is leaving the organization to pursue an opportunity with Stewart-Haas Racing.

“We appreciate everything Greg has done for us here at Joe Gibbs Racing. He has been a big part of our success, but we felt the timing was right to make this transition for our race team which allows Greg the opportunity to pursue a director of competition position with Tony (Stewart),” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We also felt that the timing was right to bring Jason (Ratcliff) to our Cup operation. He is a proven leader with a tremendous track record in our Nationwide program and we think he and Joey will work well together.”

Continue reading “Jason Ratcliff new crew chief for #20 Cup Series Car at Joe Gibbs Racing”

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Greg Zipadelli Named Competition Director for Stewart-Haas Racing

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Dec. 16, 2011) – Greg Zipadelli, winner of two championships and 34 victories as a crew chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been named competition director at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). He will work with Vice President of Competition Matt Borland and oversee the Nos. 14 and 39 teams, while also building the No. 10 team for which Danica Patrick will run a 10-race Sprint Cup schedule with in 2012.

Zipadelli comes to SHR from Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) where he served as crew chief for the No. 20 team since 1999. It’s where the 44-year-old from Berlin, Conn., began a 10-year tenure with Tony Stewart, the co-owner of SHR along with Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation.

Continue reading “Zippy and Smoke Together again, Greg is new Competition Director at SHR”

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9-Danica Patrick Posts Best Finish in NASCAR by a Female Driver
All agreed that Danica Patrick’s part-time NASCAR career was on the upswing in its second season. Patrick proved that with an exclamation point on March 5 with a solid, fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The performance was record-setting: Patrick became not only the highest-finishing female driver in a NASCAR Nationwide Series race but also in any NASCAR national series event. Patrick’s feat broke a record from NASCAR’s earliest years – Sara Christian’s fifth-place finish in a NASCAR Sprint Cup (then Strictly Stock) race on Oct. 2, 1949 at Heidelberg, Pa.

Note: The Top 10 Stories of the 2011 NASCAR racing season as voted on by the media, including The Final Lap’s own Kerry Murphey