MOORESVILLE, NC – April 11, 2012 – Coming off a career best seventh place finish two weeks ago at Martinsville, SS Green Light Racing’s Ross Chastain is ready to “Rock and Roll” this week as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to the Rockingham Speedway. The Inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 presented by Cheerwine will mark the return of NASCAR racing to the track after an eight-year absence.
Another agricultural-based organization will support the South Florida native’s efforts at “The Rock” as the Florida Watermelon Association will back the SS Green Light Racing Toyota this weekend.
The nineteen year-old Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender sits eleventh in NCWTS points after two races and is looking forward to another new challenge as he will face another unfamiliar track when the team arrives at the hi-banked one-mile Rockingham Speedway.
“I had not seen Martinsville before we went there,” Chastain said. “I’ve grown up on flat short tracks so it was a easy transition for me; I think some of the guys came up through the ranks on faster, banked tracks and that is what I need to work on. My biggest challenge is trying to carry momentum and not touch the brake before I get into the corner.”
“The guys in the shop have been working real hard. They’re also working hard on improving our pit stops,” Chastain said. “I think the biggest challenge this week will be me learning how to drive the track. I’ve watched some old videos of races and talked to some people who have run ARCA races or late models there to get an understanding of how to drive the track. I think the team will be up for it, but the big thing will be for me to get adjusted.”
“The track is pretty abrasive and it wears out tires pretty fast. Bryan (crew chief Bryan Berry) said I’ll be crying for tires just about the time I leave pit road,” Ross explained with a smile. “We’ll have to be careful in practice to be sure we don’t use up our tires.”
The Inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 is the 273rd consecutive NCWTS start for the SS Green Light Racing team and the eighth career start for Chastain in the Truck Series. He has an average starting spot of 26.0 and an average finish of 18.4 in his seven starts.
The race will be a rare three-day event for the NCWTS. Adding to the fan friendly experience, NASCAR has opened up Sunday morning’s drivers meeting so the fans can hear the instructions given to the crew chiefs and drivers prior to a major event. Ross will join other NCWTS drivers on Friday night from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm signing autographs at the Rockingham Thunderfest in Harrington Square to celebrate NASCAR’s return to the track.
There are 42 trucks on the entry list for the Inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 presented by Cheerwine. Johnny Chapman will pilot the No. 07 Toyota Tundra for SS Green Light Racing.
Practice for the Inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 presented by Cheerwine will be Friday, April 13th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 14th from 9:00 a.m. to 9:55 a.m. with final practice from 11:00 to 12:00 p.m. Qualifying will be at 3:35 p.m. and the green flag will fly for the Inaugural Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 presented by Cheerwine on Sunday, April 15th at 1:30 p.m. The race will be shown live on SPEED TV. The race will be broadcast live via on the Motor Racing Network and on SIRIUS Satellite Radio NASCAR Channel 128-XM104.
The Florida Watermelon Association is a chapter of the National Watermelon Association. The purpose of the Association is to promote the best interests of the Watermelon Industry from production to consumption. For more information visit www.flfwa.com or the National Watermelon Promotion Board at www.watermelon.org.
For more information about SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com or email pr@ssracingonline.com
