McFarland and Navy Team Ready for Phoenix International Raceway
Chassis: JRM No. 016
Chassis Info: New chassis
Engine: RCR
Primary Sponsor: U.S. Navy
Associate Sponsors:
Champion, Wrangler, Safety-Kleen, Moog, Mechanix Wear, R&B, Mitel Puma
Phoenix Notes
Friday’s race will be Mark McFarland and the JR Motorsports No. 88 Navy Racing team’s first trip to Phoenix International Raceway.
McFarland and his JR Motorsports teammate Shane Huffman, driver of the No. 88 Champion Chevrolet in the USAR Pro Cup Series will head out west a few days early this week to visit Naval installations in California before traveling to Phoenix for the race. On Tuesday, the guys will visit Naval Base Ventura County—Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme to learn more about the Naval Construction Force referred to as the Seabees. On Wednesday, McFarland and Huffman will visit the Naval Amphibious Base in Coronado, California, to see what it takes to become an elite member of the Navy SEALs Team.
This weekend at Phoenix the team will run chassis No. 016, the same chassis they tested last month at Richmond International Raceway.
Eight races into the 2006 season, rookie driver McFarland and his Navy Racing team have posted two top-15 finishes. The team earned their best qualifying effort of the season (20th) last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
Mark McFarland, Driver of No. 88 Navy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
“We’ve got a busy week planned before we get to Phoenix on Wednesday. We’ll spend Monday getting everything turned around for Phoenix and then I fly out that night to go to California for a couple Navy appearances.
“Unlike a lot of other sponsors where you just go and sign autographs, the Navy deal is pretty special. They arrange for us to visit different bases and actually experience what the sailors go through in training exercises and learn about the different units of the Navy’s forces. It’s always neat to see how much effort and teamwork goes into everything they do, just like the guys back at the shop working on our team.
“This week we’re going to visit the Seabees and the SEALs. It’s really cool to have the opportunity to experience a lot of stuff that most civilians never get to see.
“Then we head over to Phoenix on Wednesday. We’re taking the same car we tested at Richmond in March and it ran really well there. It’s the first short-track car we’ve put together this year, and it tested well right off the bat. I’ve never run at Phoenix before, but it’s my favorite type of track, so I’m sure we’ll have a great weekend.”
Rich Hubbs, Crew Chief of No. 88 Navy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
“Mark likes this length of track, and we’re bringing a great car with us this weekend. I’d love to see us leave Phoenix with a top-10 finish. We need to qualify in the top 20 to have decent track position at the start of the race and just go from there. This is the same car we’re taking to Richmond in a couple weeks, so we definitely need to bring the car home in one piece.”
Navy Notables
The fleet honoree for Friday’s race at Phoenix International Raceway is the Deep Submergence Unit.
Race Info
Bashas’ Supermarkets 200
4/21/06
Phoenix Int’l Raceway
Avondale, Arizona
One-mile Oval
TV — FX 8:30 p.m. EST
Radio — MRN 8:30 p.m. EST
