Martinsville Speedway Advance Notes
Race: Goody’s Fast Relief 500 on Sunday, April 1
Track: Martinsville Speedway (0.526 Mile Oval)
Location: Martinsville, Va.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Media Contacts at Martinsville Speedway:
Jeff Dowling No.1 Belkin Chevrolet
Shayna Keller No.42 Target Chevrolet
NOTES
Follow EGR on Twitter: Continue to follow Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) on their official team Twitter page. Find in-race updates and weekly news on the No.1 and No.42 teams throughout the 2012 season by following “@EGRTeams”.
There’s an App for that: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) and SapientNitro SM recently launched one of the first mobile applications for the high-velocity world of racing. This new application brings fans updated driver and event information, and exclusive content in one centralized and expansive mobile experience, bringing to life the rich heritage and legendary success of CGRT. The unique mobile application conveys the high-octane rush of the racing experience for a team that competes at the highest levels in three series – the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), IZOD IndyCar Series and GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.
Most Popular Driver: Voting for the 2012 NSCS National Motorsports Press Association’s (NMPA) Most Popular Driver Award has started. Fans can visit www.mostpopulardriver.com once a day to vote for EGR drivers Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya until 11:59 pm (EST) September 8th following the race at Richmond International Raceway. At that point the 10 drivers with the most votes will be announced as finalists and the vote count will be reset to zero. Fans will then have 10 race weeks to cast their vote once a day to determine the 2012 NMPA Most Popular Driver from the final field of 10 drivers. Voting will conclude November 18th at 11:59 pm (EST). The winner will be announced at the NASCAR Myers Brothers Luncheon in December.
Sprint Fan Vote: Voting for the 2012 Sprint Fan Vote is under way. EGR fans have the opportunity to vote Montoya or McMurray into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which will be televised live on SPEED on May 19th. Fans can cast unlimited votes at the following locations: Mobile Handsets by texting “VOTE” to 229466 or by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile Application; Online at http://www.nascar.com/allstar; At-Track at the Sprint Experience. The Sprint Fan Vote closes at 5:00 pm (EDT) May 19th.
EGR at Martinsville: Dating back to 2001, EGR drivers have accumulated five top-five, 15 top-10 and 23 top-15 finishes at Martinsville Speedway. EGR drivers have also led 219 laps at the half-mile oval.
Bowtie Dominance: Of the 126 NSCS races held at Martinsville Speedway, Chevrolet has amassed 48 total victories, which is 22 more wins than the next closest manufacturer.
Jamie McMurray and No.1 Belkin Team
Fontana Recap: The Auto Club 400 got started under cloudy skies and McMurray began by driving the No.1 Chevrolet toward the top-10. On the second green-flag stop, the No.1 team was forced to serve a penalty for a missing lug nut and come back down pit road, losing a lap in the process. Just a few laps later, McMurray reported that he had a loose wheel and would have to stop for a second unscheduled pit stop, losing another lap in the process. The race went caution-free until lap 125 when rain moved into the area. After four laps of caution, the red flag was displayed to the field and the race was called “official” within 30 minutes, leaving the No.1 Chevrolet in 32nd-position.
Green with Envy: The No.1 Chevrolet will sport a new look this weekend at Martinsville Speedway with Belkin as the primary sponsor. McMurray will don green and white as Belkin makes its debut as a primary sponsor with EGR. Belkin, a recognized global leader in connectivity solutions, offers an extensive range of innovations designed to give computer and consumer electronics users seamless integration in their homes, cars and on the go. To learn more, visit www.belkin.com.
McMurray at Martinsville: McMurray will make his 19th start this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. McMurray has accumulated 10-top-10 finishes, which is nearly 56% of the races he has run at the track. He has an average starting position of 14.6 and an average finishing position of 16.8. McMurray’s best finish at the track came in the fall race of 2004, when he came to the checkered in second.
Off to a Good Start: In 18 trips to Martinsville Speedway, McMurray has started in the top-10 eight times. He has three second-place starts and a best start of first, coming in last year’s spring race.
Closing In: McMurray ranks third in the ‘closers’ category, which measures the number of positions improved in the last 10% of laps in each of the last 14 races at Martinsville. McMurray has gained 31 positions to close out the last 14 events at the half-mile oval.
Short Track Stats: In his 89 NSCS short-track appearances, McMurray has accumulated one pole, six top-five finishes, 28 top-10 finishes and has led 316 laps. He has an average starting position of 17.32 and an average finishing position of 20.06. McMurray has completed 95% of all laps run on short-tracks.
Juan Pablo Montoya and No. 42 Target Team
Fontana Recap: Montoya looked to defend last year’s pole award and better his 10th-place finish at Fontana. The Target team worked on handling throughout the three practice sessions and qualified the No.42 Chevrolet in 23rd. Come race time, Montoya radioed in that the car was not handling properly. The team made a total of three pit stops and by the halfway point the car was running lap times consistent with the top-five. With 77 laps remaining, rain moved into the area. The Target Chevrolet stayed out until the red flag was displayed. NASCAR made the call shortly after to end the race early and the No.42 was credited with a 17th-place finish.
Montoya at Martinsville: Montoya will make his 11th start this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. In his NSCS career Montoya has earned two top-five finishes, three top-10 finishes and has led 46 laps at the track. Montoya has zero DNF’s (did not finish) and has completed 4,906 of 5,019 laps (97.7%). Montoya’s highest starting position is fifth in the 2010 fall race and his highest finish is third in the 2009 fall race.
Making Moves: In the 10 races Montoya has completed at Martinsville, he ranks sixth in the number of green flag passes with 692. He ranks fifth in the average number of quality passes per race, with 322 quality passes in 10 races at Martinsville. A quality pass is a pass that is made in the top-15 under green.
Closing the Deal: Montoya ranks fourth in the ‘closers’ category, having improved 12 positions in the last 10% of the races so far this season.
Short Track Stats: In his NSCS career, Montoya has competed in 50 short-track races. In those events, he has accumulated one pole, four top-five finishes, 13 top-10 finishes and has led 212 laps. Montoya has completed 98% of all laps run on short-tracks. He has an average starting position of 18.36 and an average finishing position of 18.78.
Hit the Bullseye: On the way to Martinsville this weekend, stop by Target for all of your race-day essentials. Target is located at 155 Holt Garrison Parkway, Danville, VA 24540. Call ahead and make sure they have what you need at 434-799-9950.
CHASSIS INFO
No.1 Belkin Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1210. Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No.1 Belkin team will bring Chassis #1210 to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.
No.42 Target Chevrolet (NSCS): Chassis #1207. Crew Chief Chris Heroy and the No.42 Target team will bring Chassis #1207 to Martinsville Speedway this weekend. This is a brand new chassis.
2012 STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts
Wins
Poles
Top 5s
Top 10s
Ave Start
Ave Finish
Pts. Pos.
Jamie McMurray
5
0
0
0
2
18.4
23.0
22
Juan Pablo Montoya
5
0
0
0
1
24.6
19.4
18
CAREER STATS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Starts
Wins
Poles
Top 5s
Top 10s
Ave Start
Ave Finish
Jamie McMurray
335
6
8
41
98
19.3
19.4
Juan Pablo Montoya
186
2
7
20
50
17.7
19.5
TEAM ROSTERS
Max Jones – Team Manager
John Probst – Technical Director
No. 1 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Kevin Manion
Boylston, MA
Rear Tire Changer: Brian Eastland
New Bern, NC
Chief Mechanic: Randy Cox
Trinity, NC
Rear Tire Carrier: Doug Riepe
Danbury , CT
Front Tire Changer: Bryan Jacobsen
Honesdale, PA
Gas Man: Benjy Grubbs
Richmond, VA
Front Tire Carrier: Brett Morrell
Windham, ME
Jack Man: Mitch Lash
Salisbury, NC
No. 42 (NSCS)
Hometown
Hometown
Crew Chief: Chris Heroy
Angola, IN
Rear Tire Changer: Chris McMullen
Canton, MI
Chief Mechanic: David Bryant
Concord, NC
Rear Tire Carrier: Chip Goode
Statesville, NC
Front Tire Changer: Pedro Martinez
San Antonio, TX
Gas Man: Ed Watkins
Richmond, VA
Front Tire Carrier: Eric Bilyeu
Waterford, MI
Jack Man: Mark Jacobs
Fort Walton Beach, FL
About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc.
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 14 championships and 145 victories, including three Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.
For more information log onto: www.earnhardtganassi.com
