TEAM CHEVY INSIDE THE GARAGE AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (DIS) –
PAT SUHY, GM RACING NASCAR GROUP MANAGER:
“The NASCAR season kickoff is here, and we are excited to be back at the race track. Last year was a great year with Chevy drivers bringing home the driver’s championships in both Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series; and securing Chevy’s 33rd Sprint Cup Manufacturers trophy.
“The start of the 2010 season resets the point counters to zero, and Team Chevy has to earn its way to the top spots again. Our job at GM Racing, and that of our Chevy Teams, is to do everything possible to stay one step ahead of the competition. Being in the crosshairs gives everyone the motivation to do just that.
“The Chevy lineup looks very familiar with only a few changes. Given that stability, our teams have been able to focus on improvements over last year’s package rather than having to work on developing the critical driver/crew chief relationship. The teams have focused on squeezing more horsepower out of their R07 engines. Even though it’s been on the track since its debut in 2007, the engine groups at Hendrick and ECR are still able to find incremental improvements each year.
“Our teams have also been hard at work improving and refining our Impala race cars. At Daytona, while drag reductions help in qualifying, handling remains important under race conditions. It’s always interesting to see who has found the best balance between a good qualifying package and one that will race well on Sunday. Our GM Racing engineers are applying the latest analytical tools and technology available, while working side-by-side with our top teams to ensure that they have everything they need to be successful.
“This weekend will give us a preview of what the Daytona 500 might look like. Practice sessions, qualifying runs, and the Budweiser Shootout give our teams their first on-track opportunity to validate their off-season work on their superspeedway packages. With NASCAR’s new Budweiser Shootout format, there will be 11 Chevy drivers taking the green flag, four more than last year. Chevy drivers have had great success in this event, and we’re looking forward to some great racing on Saturday night.”
TEAM CHEVY ON THE TRACK: DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY - BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT FAST FACTS
· Chevrolet has won 18 of 31 Budweiser Shootouts, more than any other manufacturer
· Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Chevy Impala is the defending winner
· A total of eleven (11) Chevy Impala drivers have earned a starting spot in the ‘10 Budweiser Shootout. Starting positions are set by a draw:
o Tony Stewart No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Impala
o Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 National Guard/AMP Energy Impala
o Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Impala
o Jeff Burton, No. 31 Caterpillar Impala
o Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Shell-Pennzoil Impala
o Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont Impala
o Mark Martin, No. 5 GoDaddy.com Impala
o Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Target Impala
o Ryan Newman, No. 39 Haas Automation Impala
o Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Impala
o Bobby Labonte, No. 71 TRG Motorsports Impala
· 24 cars will start the two-segment, 75 lap race:
o Segment one will be 25 laps
o Segment two will be 50 laps
· Stewart is only one of three drivers to have consecutive Shootout victories
· Team Chevy drivers starting the ‘10 Shootout have a combined total of 10 previous event wins: § Stewart – 3 wins in 9 starts (’01, ’02, ’07)§ Gordon - 2 wins in 15 starts (‘94, 97)
§ Earnhardt, Jr. - 2 wins in 8 starts (‘03, ’08)
§ Johnson - 1 win in 6 starts (‘05)
§ Harvick – 1 win in 4 starts (‘09)
§ Martin – 1 win in 20 starts (‘99)
§ Labonte – 0 wins in 11 starts
§ McMurray – 0 wins in 4 starts
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