LIPTON TEA 250

 

Fact Sheet

 

WHAT:                               NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway.  Race 11 of the 35-race schedule.

 

WHEN:                               Friday, May 2, 2008, 7:30 p.m., EDT “Under the Lights.”

 

WHERE:                            Richmond International Raceway.

                                           

TV/RADIO:                        Live on ESPN2 and locally on MRN Radio Affiliates:  WRVA 1140 AM Richmond, WTAR 850 AM Norfolk/Portsmouth, WIQO 100.9 FM Roanoke/Lynchburg; WFLS 93.3 FM Fredericksburg/Washington, DC, WCYK 99.7 FM Charlottesville, WSVS 800 AM Crewe, Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 128.

POLE

QUALIFYING:                  Friday, May 2, 4:05 p.m.

                                           

RACE LENGTH:               250 laps (187.50 miles).

 

DEFENDING

CHAMPION:                     Clint Bowyer

 

DEFENDING                    

POLE SITTER:                 Denny Hamlin

 

QUALIFYING

RECORD:                          Kyle Busch, 129.348 mph, (20.874 seconds) 5/14/04

                                            (This is the track record for the spring and fall races).

 

RACE RECORD:              Dale Jarrett, 1 hour, 47 minutes, 13 seconds; 104.928 mph 9/8/95 (This is the     

                                            track record for the spring and fall races).

 

TICKETS:                          Renewable, reserved tickets are $45 in advance ($50 on race day) and general admission tickets are $35 in advance ($40 on race day).  Race ticket also includes practice and Wawa Pole Qualifying for the Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday, May 3. Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult in the general admission sections and all military personnel receive $5 off on general admission seats by showing a military I.D. on Friday.  To purchase tickets, visit www.rir.com or call 866-455-7223.

 

Tickets are also available for the Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday, May 3.  All seats are reserved and start at $80.  Tickets are available by calling the Richmond International Raceway ticket office at 866-455-7223 or visiting www.rir.com.

 

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PARKING:                      Free on Richmond International Raceway property.

 

TRACK PR

CONTACTS:                   Aimee Turner, Director of Public Relations, 804-228-7645 (office), 804-513-0733 (cell), aturner@rir.com,or Richie Denzler, Manager of Community & Public Relations, 804-228-7507 (office), 804-513-0585 (cell), rdenzler@rir.com, or Mark Hoskins, Manager of Communications, 804-228-7516 (office), 804-519-0437 (cell), mhoskins@rir.com or Media Center (on race weekends) 804-228-7640.

 

 

PIT NOTES :                    Cup Series Invasion:  As of April 28, 11 Cup Series drivers are scheduled to be in the field for Friday’s opening race of the NASCAR Doubleheader weekend at America’s Premier Short Track. Included in the list of Sprint Cup Series drivers scheduled to compete in the Lipton Tea 250 are defending series champion Carl Edwards, reigning Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year David Ragan and defending race champion Clint Bowyer. In total, the Sprint Cup Series regulars driving Friday night “under the lights” carry an impressive list of accolades, including two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championships, four NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year awards, two NASCAR Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year awards, one Daytona 500 victory, one Indianapolis 500 victory and three IndyCar Series championships. Additionally, the group of Sprint Cup Series drivers scheduled to run in the Lipton Tea 250 collectively own 18 career victories at Richmond International Raceway.

 

The following Sprint Cup Series regulars will attempt to make the field: Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Sam Hornish Jr., Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, David Ragan and David Reutimann. Hornish, Jr., running his first full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule in 2008, is a three-time IndyCar Series champion and has won the SunTrust Indy Challenge IndyCar Series race at Richmond International Raceway twice.

 

Point Standings Update:  With so many NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers running full schedules in the Nationwide Series, it’s no surprise to see some of the Sprint Cup Series regulars atop the Nationwide Series standings. After Saturday’s race at Talladega, four of the top five in the Nationwide Series standings are Sprint Cup Series regulars. The Lipton Tea 250 race defending champion, Clint Bowyer, who has one win this season (Bristol) and seven top-10 finishes, leads the Nationwide Series points standings (1,427) ahead of Carl Edwards (-27), Kyle Busch (-39), David Reutimann

(-129) and Mike Bliss (-145).

 

They Know the Way to Gatorade Victory Lane: The field for the Lipton Tea 250 is dotted with former winners at Richmond International Raceway. In addition to the 18 collective victories current Sprint Cup Series drivers in the field own, Kenny Wallace brings three all-time wins, all Nationwide Series races, at Richmond, while Jason Keller has been to Gatorade Victory Lane one time at America’s Premier Short Track. Among the active drivers in the Lipton Tea 250 field, Kevin Harvick leads the way with four career Nationwide Series victories at Richmond International Raceway, in addition to one Sprint Cup Series win in September 2006.

 

Testing One, Two, Three…Testing:  Under NASCAR’s testing policy, Richmond International Raceway was chosen as one of only four tracks—and the only short track—permitted to host NASCAR Nationwide Series testing this season.  The top five overall fastest during the two-day test from March 27-28 were:  Mike Wallace (21.535 seconds), David Ragan (21.570 seconds), Carl Edwards (21.600 seconds), Bobby Labonte (21.606 seconds) and Denny Hamlin (21.641 seconds).

 

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Get Your Pit Pass!:  There’s only one way for fans to see NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series practice from pit road, and that’s by purchasing the Party Zone Fan Hospitality package, which includes a pre-race pit pass for Friday’s events.  Fans must be 18 or older to take advantage of the pre-race pit pass.  Per NASCAR regulations, dress code prohibits sleeveless shirts and open-toed shoes. Long pants must be worn at all times in the infield.  Tickets for the Party Zone are $65 per person.  Fans must have a ticket to Friday night’s Lipton Tea 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race to purchase a Party Zone pass.

 

Kurt Busch, Scott Wimmer, Mike and Kenny Wallace, Doug Fritz in Party Zone:  Former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, as well as NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers Scott Wimmer and Mike and Kenny Wallace will visit the Party Zone fan hospitality on Friday, May 2, prior to the Lipton Tea 250 race. Track president Doug Fritz will also appear in the Party Zone.  Located in an outdoor, festive atmosphere, the Party Zone provides a great way for fans to enjoy their race weekend.  The package includes a pre-race pit pass (available for guests 18 years of age and older; NASCAR pit road dress code rules apply), question and answer sessions with NASCAR personalities, an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet, unlimited sodas and water, three beer tickets for fans 21 and older with identification, souvenir gifts and much more!  Tickets for the Party Zone are $65 per person.  Fans must have a ticket to Friday night’s race to purchase a Party Zone pass.

 

Movin’ On Up:  Richmond International Raceway installed an escalator system in the Commonwealth Grandstand expansion during the 2007-2008 offseason.  The escalator addition will allow the movement of fans from the ground level to the Commonwealth Mezzanine and from the Commonwealth Mezzanine to the first row of the Commonwealth Tower.

 

No Track Sealer:  Richmond International Raceway was repaved before the start of the 2004 season and no sealer had been applied since. There are no plans to seal the track.