Camping World 300 - Kelly Bires Notes

KELLY BIRES AND CLOROX TEAM TAKING NEW APPROACH TO CALIFORNIA

BIRES CHANGES DIRECTION IN No. 47 CLOROX FORD AT CALIFORNIA

To most fans, the California and Michigan International speedways look identical. To a racer, though, they are dramatically different. That’s why Kelly Bires and the No. 47 Clorox Ford team will take a different race car to Saturday night’s Camping World 300.

While the tracks appear to be similar, Bires said there is a considerably smaller racing grove at California. He also said the way you approach the corners and race onto the straightaways is different. At the same time, the team knows if something doesn’t work at Michigan, it probably won’t work at California.

Wood Brothers/JTG Racing will bring a different car to California. Bires has never driven the car, but said teammate Jon Wood has used it a couple times earlier this season. The car, however, has been completely re-built as crew chief Scott Zipadelli continues to revamp the team’s entire fleet of cars.

Temperatures are expected to top the 100-degree mark at the California Speedway, and that should make the two-mile raceway slick. Bires said he welcomes the difficult conditions because he likes the heat and his Clorox team responds well to difficult situations.

WHAT THE TEAM HAS TO SAY
Kelly Bires, Driver of the No. 47 Clorox Ford Fusion:
“We learned enough at Michigan two weeks ago to bring a different car to California,” Bires said. “We liked our car at Michigan; we just think we have a better car for California. Jon raced the car a couple times earlier this year, but we’ve put a new body on it and made a bunch of changes. Essentially, it’s a new car.

“You have to approach California in a different way. First, it’s going to be really hot there. That’s fine with me. I love the heat. Our car is set up for slick conditions. We’ve worked real hard on our balance, especially in the middle of the corners. That’s where you find your speed. We’ve got a package that should off-set the problems associated with the heat.”

Scott Zipadelli, Crew Chief of the No. 47 Clorox Ford Fusion:
“We’ve been working on making a lot of changes to all of our cars,” he said. “We don’t have a single car in the shop with the same body or the same setup from the start of the season. Racing is all about progress. You can’t stand pat. You have to keep pushing forward. We’ve been working on a new approach for a couple races and this is the byproduct of that work. A month from now, this car will have a new body and probably a different setup in it again. You never stop trying to get better.”

FAST & FUN FACTS:
- Kelly Bires was a two-time Wisconsin State wrestling champion in high school.
- The Camping World 300 will be Bires’ 11th career start in the NASCAR Busch Series.
- Bires won the 2006 American Speed Association national championship. He won eight races and was that league’s top rookie. He quickly was signed by Wood Brothers/JTG Racing to a driver development deal.

RACE INFORMATION:
What – Camping World 300 NASCAR Busch Series race
When – Saturday, Sept. 1, 10 p.m. ET
Where – California Speedway
Networks – ESPN2, Sirius Satellite Channel 128