Roswell, Ga (October 19, 2010) – Kevin “Bono” Manion, crew chief for the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet driven by Jamie McMurray, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
As temperatures cooled drastically from the start of the race until the end, McMurray made seven quick pit stops throughout the evening, and Manion made the right adjustments during each to help him advance the No. 1 car from its 27th starting position. McMurray took the lead for the first time on lap 133 of the 334-lap event, but it was the final 22 laps that paid off.
On the last restart on lap 312, in which Bono chose not to pit under caution, McMurray kept his track position and found himself second to Kyle Busch. Once the green flag waved, McMurray inched ahead of Busch coming out of turn two in first and held on for the win, his third of the season.
“It was just our night,” said McMurray, who led three times for 65 laps. “Our car was unbelievable those last like 25 or 30 laps, it was effortless to drive and it had a lot of speed in it. It was just a really good night for us.”
“Going back to May, (where McMurray finished 2nd in the Coke 600 at CMS) Bono and the team had a great performance, and they just picked up where they left off here at CMS,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative Jeff Hammond. “His strong leadership and making the right adjustments put Jamie and the No. 1 car in the position to win.”
WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Results
Frank Kerr and his driver Marcos Ambrose came home a solid 16th in what was an up-and-down evening. Kerr had the No. 47 Camry strong all night, and Ambrose overcame a spin as well as a pit road penalty to secure their respectable finish.
Todd Berrier, Jeff Burton and the No. 31 CAT team finished in a disappointing 20th after Burton experienced a loose handling race car late in the event. He had been in the top 10 most of the race prior to the handling woes.
WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Team
Berrier, Kerr and Hammond, along with representatives from the WYPALL Wipers brand, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners. In addition to the $500 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at season’s end.
Former winners of the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge include Tony Eury, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), Robbie Reiser (Matt Kenseth), Doug Richert (Greg Biffle), Mike Ford (Denny Hamlin) and Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson).
About WYPALL Wipers
WYPALL is a brand of Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2004, WYPALL Wipers has been affiliated with some of racings top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provide race teams with a number of products that demonstrate strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.
The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the 2010 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.
