Mark McFarland Advance
Chassis JRM #014
Last Raced Former DEI chassis
Engine RCR
Primary Sponsor Navy
Associate Sponsors:
Chevrolet, Snap-On, Freightliner,
Champion Spark Plugs, R&B
Transport Refinishing
California
JR Motorsports will continue its freshman campaign when the NASCAR Busch
Series heads to the California Speedway for this weekend’s Stater Bros. 300.
Driver Mark McFarland is coming off a 22nd place finish in the season opener
at Daytona and will be looking to build on the team’s solid start. With no 2005
owner points to fall back on the No. 88 Navy team will once again have to
qualify for the race on time.
Mark on the car that the team is taking to California:
“We are taking our JRM #014 chassis and it is my favorite car. If it runs as well
as it did at the Las Vegas test I’ll be happy and we should get a good finish. Then
we will turn it around and get it ready to go back to Vegas in a couple of weeks.
Mark on having to qualify for the race on time:
”I am going to be more nervous about this qualifying session than the one at
Daytona because it is more in the drivers’ hands. My team gives me great Navy
Monte Carlos to drive so it will be on me to put it in the show.”
“The real downside to having no points is the fact that these are impound races.
You have to set the car up to make sure you make the race and usually, as in the
Daytona race, you start the race too tight and you have to keep freeing it up
during pit stops. But we’ll make it work.”
Mark on his preparation for California, another new track to him:
“Obviously track time will be the main thing for me because I have never even
laid eyes on the track. We get the rookie practice and that has been really
helpful so far this season in getting myself and the Navy Monte Carlos dialed in.”
“But I have started racing online with Dale Jr. (team owner) and it is amazing
how much information you can pick up by doing that. You can get all of your
points down and even pick up the bumps in the track. If you look at the guys
who use online racing, they are all front runners just about every week so I am
definitely going to use that as a tool for me this year.”
Rich Hubbs, crew chief, on his California experience:
“In the past the California races have come down to fuel mileage and I have no
reason to think they won’t this year. It is a great track for a rookie because it is
multi-grooved so you can search around for where you car works the best. It also
has a big pit road that makes it very easy to get on and off.”
Derek Jones, team engineer, on the team’s outlook for California:
“Based on the succes of our Las Vegas test we are all looking forward to this
race. Mark will have a learning curve to go through, but he has shown a
quick adaptation to these cars already.”
“Our pit crew gave us some great stops in Daytona, they picked us up several
spots on a couple of our stops. If we can keep gelling as a team we are going
to be fine.”
Fleet Honoree
The Fleet Honoree for the Stater Bros. 300 will be the USS John C. Stennis CVN 74. The USS John C. Stennis CVN 74 is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the
Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy. Named for former U.S. Senator John C. Stennis, the aircraft carrier is undergoing an equipment and technology upgrade that,
when completed, will make the USS John C. Stennis CVN 74 the most technologically advanced and tallest carrier in the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Noting the Navy
The Navy has used its association with NASCAR over the past two years to increase America’s awareness of the opportunities to serve our great country.
The Navy is very excited about further increasing its awareness through NASCAR in 2006 by an association with JR Motorsports as they exemplify the
Navy’s commitment to grow and develop quality young sailors through service in the Navy.
