Federated Auto Parts 300 - Jason Leffler Notes

JASON LEFFLER IS READY TO HEAR SOUNDS OF VICTORY IN THE MUSIC CITY

LEBANON, Tenn. (June 7, 2004) – Just two short months ago Jason Leffler had never driven a NASCAR Busch Series car at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway. Thanks to a strong performance by his Haas Automation team, he drove away with a ninth-place finish in the running of the Pepsi 300, the first of two Busch Series events at the 1.333-mile oval this season. Hoping to improve on his previous performance, Leffler and his No.00 Haas Automation Racing team will once again attempt to hear the music of victory in the Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway this Saturday night.

“I like Nashville,” says Leffler. “It’s a unique track. The looks of the track are deceiving. It looks a lot faster than it really is. The long front and backstretches carry you into tight corners. It’s nothing like the other concrete tracks like Dover, where you carry a lot of speed into and out of the turns with barely any straightaways. Nashville is just a fun track to race with plenty of room to pass; I think we’ll run pretty decent this time.”

Leffler has been proving that he can run up front - improving his performance week in and week out since the start of the season. Leading his first Busch Series race this year at Lowe’s (Concord, N.C.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago, and adding the 12th notch in his Top-10 finish column, proves the time is right for the checkered flag to fall first on the No.00 Haas Automation Chevrolet.

“This team has been proving its capability every week to run up front,” comments Leffler. “Since Daytona we have been able to pull together and get our cars set up right. Bootie (Barker – crew chief) knows what he is doing and we all trust that he will make the right decisions. After Lowe’s we got the added confidence that we needed to prove to the guys that we do have something. We’re out there trying to prove ourselves every weekend and one of these weekends we’ll get lucky and prove this Haas Automation racing team can win races.”

Previously, Leffler has competed on two occasions at the Nashville Superspeedway in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Taking the track in a Busch car in April, Leffler had to adjust the way he drove the track because of the different vehicle types. Leffler learned quickly, with good calls from Barker and great stops from his Haas Automation Racing team, and drove his way to a ninth-place finish.

“There really isn’t that much of a difference between the trucks and the Busch series cars,” Leffler remarks. “You carry just about the same amount of speed in both, but the room for mistakes is a lot less in the Busch car than the truck. In the truck you have a wider wheel base and it allows you to have a better chance at correcting an error, whereas in a Busch Series car one slight mistake and you are in the wall. It didn’t take me long to learn Nashville in a Busch car. I think this time I’ll know how to drive the track a little better, which should give us a good chance at a Top-10.”

Jason Leffler and his Haas Automation Racing team will travel to Lebanon, Tenn. for the Federated Auto Parts 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway on June 12, 2004. The race will be broadcast on FX television and MRN radio at 8 p.m. EST.