NOTES:
· This Week’s Chevrolet
at Talladega Superspeedway …
Stephen Leicht will pilot
Chassis No. 064 from the
Richard Childress Racing (RCR)
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)
stable. Built new for 2007,
this is the same No. 21
Chevy that Bobby Labonte
drove to a 15th-place finish
at Daytona International
Speedway in February 2008.
In 2007, Kevin Harvick
piloted this chassis to
Victory Lane during the
Orbitz 300 at Daytona in
February. Additionally,
Harvick drove this No. 21
machine to a sixth-place
finish at Talladega
Superspeedway in April and
to a second-place finish at
Daytona in July.
· Talladega Tally …
Talladega has been a bit of
a sore spot for Leicht, who
finished seventh in the NNS
point standings last season.
In two starts at the
larger-than-life 2.66-mile
oval, he owns a 17.5
starting average and a 29.5
finishing average. However,
he has completed 224 of 237
(94.5%) of laps attempted at
the famed Alabama race
track.
· Drafting with Childress
Vineyards … Leicht’s No. 21
Chevy will feature the
Childress Vineyards paint
scheme this weekend at
Talladega Superspeedway.
Founded by Richard Childress
in 2004, the winery and
tasting room have quickly
become a stand-alone
destination in the Yadkin
Valley. Recently, the Wine
Enthusiast Magazine voted
Childress Vineyards as one
of America’s Top 25 tasting
rooms. It was the only
winery selected in the state
of North Carolina. For more
information please visit
www.childressvineyards.com.
· Up on Speed of Leicht …
In three starts under the
RCR banner, Leicht has
posted two top-10 and three
top-15 finishes. Leicht’s
best finish came two weeks
ago at Phoenix International
Raceway where he started
22nd and finished seventh.
· Three to Go … RCR has
earned a Nationwide Series
victory at 23 of the 26
tracks on the 2008 schedule.
The only tracks on the
current schedule where RCR
hasn’t earned wins are
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
in Mexico City, Darlington
Raceway and Talladega
Superspeedway.
· Nine Races, Two Wins …
In nine NNS races this
season, RCR entries have
notched two wins (Clint
Bowyer – Bristol and Scott
Wimmer – Nashville), nine
top-five and 16 top-10
finishes. RCR cars have also
led 285 of the 1,548 (18.4
percent) of the total laps
run this season.
· For the Record … 2008
marks Leicht’s fourth season
in the NNS with 60 starts,
one win (Kentucky 2007),
three top-five and 10 top-10
finishes. Additionally, the
Asheville, N.C., native
finished seventh in the 2007
NNS point standings.
· RCR at Talladega … In
17 previous NNS starts at
Talladega Superspeedway, RCR
has posted two poles
(Bowyer, April 2004; and
Johnny Sauter, April 2002),
five top-five and six top-10
finishes. RCR cars have also
led 85 laps on Talladega’s
high-banks.
· Help Chevy Help Autism
… During April – Autism
Awareness Month – people who
go to the Autism Speaks
website
(www.autismspeaks.org ), can
click on the “Help Chevy
Help Autism” icon and take a
free virtual test drive of
the 2008 North American Car
of the Year – the all-new
Chevy Malibu. Chevrolet has
committed to a minimum
contribution of $500,000,
but every virtual test drive
taken gets Chevrolet closer
to its goal of donating up
to $1 million to Autism
Speaks to support its
mission of increasing
awareness of autism and
raising money to fund autism
research. Those who
participate in the virtual
test drive will be offered a
free 30-day online trial of
XM Satellite Radio.
· What’s on the 21 Slate
for 2008 … The 2008 season
will feature Leicht and
Labonte as co-pilots of
RCR’s No. 21 Chevrolet.
Leicht will run a minimum of
four Nationwide Series races
for the Shane Wilson-led
team while Labonte is
scheduled to compete in 15
events.
· Catch the Action … The
Aaron’s 312 at Talladega
Superspeedway will be
televised live on ABC on
Saturday, April 26 at 2:30
Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
The race will also broadcast
live on the Motor Racing
Network (MRN) and Sirius
Satellite Radio. Qualifying
for the 10th of 35 races on
the NNS tour will take place
on Friday, April 25th and
will broadcast live on
SPEED, MRN and Sirius
Satellite Radio beginning at
5 p.m. EDT.
CREW CHIEF SHANE WILSON
QUOTES:
How difficult is it to
prepare a car for two
different drivers?
“It is definitely a
little harder. We have two
good drivers in Bobby (Labonte)
and Stephen (Leicht).
However, going back and
forth is a little harder to
get that last adjustment,
that last bit that is going
to get you from fifth to
winning the race. That is
kind of where we have been
all year. We are used to
competing for the win and
right now we are competing
for a top-five finish. With
Bobby we have gotten a
little closer each race and
we are getting Stephen some
good finishes. However, it’s
hard because everyone is
pretty equal when we unload
and whoever tunes the car
the best in Happy Hour is
going to compete for the
win. I think eventually we
will gel and compete for
some wins.”
What are you thoughts on
Stephen Leicht?
“I think he has the
talent to compete in the
Nationwide Series. I think
he might even have gotten a
win this season if he was in
the car full time. I think
he is a talented driver that
could be a good full time
Nationwide driver.”