JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 Suave Men Chevrolet / No. 7 Air Hogs Chevrolet
EVENT – Dollar General 300 (200 laps / 300 miles) TRACK – Chicagoland Speedway (1.5-mile D-shaped oval) DATE – Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011 TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begin at 3:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 3 p.m. EST)
Aric Almirola No. 88 Suave Men Chevrolet
“Chicago is a fun track. It has a lot of similarities to Kansas. So if you run well at Kansas, odds are you’re going to be good at Chicago. Our Suave Men team is fortunate to be making a second trip out there with the Nationwide Series new car. I think we know a lot more of what to expect. We definitely had a top-10 car at this race in the spring. We were able to lead some laps and our fuel scenario played out well. Typically we see a lot of green-flag runs here, which makes fuel mileage important. It seems like more often than not the fuel game comes in to play at this track, so teams have to be prepared for that.”
Jamie McMurray No. 7 Air Hogs Chevrolet
“It’s going to be a lot of fun driving this Air Hogs Chevy. I think the whole team is in agreement that we didn’t get the finish we should have in Atlanta. We were able to run up front, in the top-10 for most of the race, but we cut a tire with only a few laps to go. That took us out of contention for a good finish.
“Looking ahead to Chicago, it’s been a decent track for me. I finished ninth driving for JRM in this race last year. We want to improve on that this time around. I know that Tony Jr. and the guys have a goal of finishing out the year with a top-10 spot in the owner points. I have no doubt they’ll get there, but it would be great to go and earn those guys their first win of the season.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
McMURRAY RETURNS – Jamie McMurray will drive the No. 7 Air Hogs Chevrolet in the second of three scheduled races with JR Motorsports at Chicagoland Speedway. A veteran of the Nationwide Series, McMurray holds eight wins, 31 top-five and 65 top-10 finishes. He has led a total of 993 laps. McMurray will race again for the organization at Dover International Speedway on Oct. 1.
SECOND OF TWO FOR AIR HOGS – Air Hogs, a leader in remote and radio controlled vehicles, takes to the track for its second of two races on board the No. 7 Chevrolet with driver Jamie McMurray. The No. 7 features a paint scheme which showcases one of Air Hogs coolest products – the Sharpshooter. The brands’ first ever missle-launching helicopter, the Sharpshooter offers stabilizing technology that makes it easy to fly so the focus is on firing its dual missles. Air Hogs features dozens of innovative planes, helicopters and ground vehicles that have revolutionized the world of R/C technology and have given kids and adults the ability to control the most amazing vehicles from the palm of their hands. Check out all the Air Hogs products at http://www.airhogs.com/ www.airhogs.com.
ANOTHER TOP-10 TO ALMIROLA’S TALLY – Currently, Almirola and the No. 88 Suave Men team are riding a string of three consecutive top-10s. Over the past 11 weeks of Nationwide Series competition, Almirola has secured nine top-10 finishes. The team is averaging a finish of 8.7 during that time.
CHICAGO RECAP – JR Motorsports landed a pair of top-10 finishes with its two-car team at Chicagoland Speedway earlier this year. Almirola led the charge with a fourth-place effort in the No. 88 Chevrolet after starting the race from the pole position. Danica Patrick put down competitive lap times all night and the No. 7 team pounced on 10th position in the closing laps. Both teams have combined to score three top-five and six top-10s to date at 1.5-mile tracks in 2011.
88 TEAM UNLOADS NEW CHASSIS – The No. 88 Suave Men team will unload chassis no. 690 this weekend at Chicagoland. This chassis is the newest addition to the team’s fleet of Chevrolets.
NO. 7 SEASON STATS – The No. 7 team holds six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes in 2011. The team occupies the 12th position in owner points. They sit only one point out of 11th and 29 points out of the top-10.
ALMIROLA AT CHICAGOLAND – Almirola’s fourth-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway in June marked his best finish of the season. The No. 88 Suave Men team scored another fourth-place finish at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. In two Nationwide Series starts at Chicago, the Tampa, Fla. native earned a top-five and a top-10 finish. He also holds two top-10s in two truck starts in the Camping world Truck Series, averaging a finish of 7.0.
McMURRAY AT CHICAGOLAND – In seven starts at the 1.5-mile track, McMurray scored two top-10 finishes and has led five laps. His best finish of ninth came while driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for JRM in last year’s event.
NO. 88 SEASON STATS – The No. 88 team’s season tally now stands at six top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. They are ranked eighth in owner points
ALMIROLA AUTOGRAPH SIGNING – Aric Almirola will sign autographs at the JR Nation merchandise hauler, located in the fan concourse area, on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. local time.
DRIVEN TO GIVE RAFFLE – The Dale Jr. Foundation is raffling off tickets to its Driven to Give event scheduled for Oct. 17, 2011, in Charlotte, N.C. Hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, the event features a full dinner, a charity auction, and a performance by a special musical guest. Tickets are only $10 and only 500 are available for purchase. Two winners will be selected, with each receiving a pair of tickets to the event. Additionally, the winners will receive a photograph opportunity with Dale Jr. and other celebrity guests, along with a commemorative event souvenir. Click here https://www.thedalejrfoundation.org/driven_to_give.aspx to purchase your tickets.
JR NATION GREAT GIVEWAY – From Aug. 28 to Oct. 16, 2011, the JR Nation web site, the official fan club site for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports, is giving away a prize a day for 50 days to both new and existing fan club members. All fans must do is log on to www.jrnation.com and click on the register now banner. In addition to the 50 daily prizes, JR Nation is offering a grand prize of an $888 gift card for use in the JR Nation online store. 10 second-place winners will receive an $88 gift card also for use in the JR Nation online store. Daily prizes include autographed memorabilia from Aric Almirola, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Josh Wise.
WATCH JRM RACING.COM’s VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website http://www.jrmracing.com/ www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a multitude of videos into its video gallery. http://www.jrmracing.com/media/videos/ Click here to view race preview videos, the “JRM 360” series and more.
