Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Winn-Dixie 250 - Scott Wimmer Notes

Scott Wimmer
No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet
Event Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Winn Dixie 250 – July 6, 2007
Venue: Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.

NOTES:

This Week’s Race Car at Daytona International Speedway … Scott Wimmer will pilot Chassis No. 054 from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stable. Built new in 2006 and run as the No. 21 machine, this is the same car that Jeff Burton raced last February at Daytona (St. 15, Fn. 30) and Kevin Harvick raced in April at Talladega (St. 19, Fn. 2). Since then, this Holiday Inn Chevy has received all the required 2007 updates.

Track Stat … Wimmer has competed in seven Busch Series races at Daytona International Speedway, completing 98.7 percent of the laps. He has an average starting position of 19.4 and an average finishing spot of 18.3. Additionally, Wimmer has four top-15 finishes at the 2.5-mile tri-oval.

Good Start, Better Finish … The No. 29 Holiday Inn racing team has an average start of 12.7 and an average finish of 9.2 this season.

RCR Busch Cars at DIS … RCR has won two Busch Series races at Daytona International Speedway – one with Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2002) and most recently with Kevin Harvick at the Orbitz 300 in February. In 26 NBS starts at the 2.5 mile tri-oval, RCR has earned one pole (Harvick 2005), 16 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. RCR cars have also led 240 laps at the “World Center of Racing.”

RCR Busch Brigade … In 18 Busch Series races this season, RCR has claimed six victories (Jeff Burton – 2, Clint Bowyer- 2 and Kevin Harvick –2). Additionally, all three RCR Busch teams (No. 2, No. 21 and No. 29) have a total of 20 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes while leading for a total of 891 laps.

Hey Now, You’re an All-Star … This week, the car will look equally suited for a different type of sports stadium with the addition of the Major League Baseball and All-Star Game® logos. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game paint scheme will be exclusive to Friday’s race, and represents the Holiday Inn brand’s increasing involvement with professional sports. Last year Holiday Inn hotels announced its sponsorship of Jeff Burton and Richard Childress Racing and also became the “Official Hotel of Major League Baseball.”

Design the Holiday Inn Chevy … Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, the world's most recognized hotel brand, will rev-up race fans' creativity with the launch of its second annual online "Design a Car" contest. Through July 31 consumers can log on to http://www.holidayinn.com/designacar to design a new paint scheme for Richard Childress Racing's No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS and submit their design for online voting by visitors to the site. Jeff Burton will then select the winning paint scheme from among the fans' favorites. The winning design will be featured on Burton's car during the NASCAR Busch Series finale in Homestead, Fla., on November 17. Winners of this year's "Design a Car" contest will also receive a trip for two to Homestead with V.I.P. treatment that includes a meeting with Burton.

Friday Night Lights … Live coverage of the Winn Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway will take the green flag Friday, July 6 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The race will be telecast live on ESPN2 and will also be broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the 19th stop on the 35-race Busch Series tour will be televised live on ESPN2 the same day at 1 p.m. EDT.

SCOTT WIMMER QUOTES:
How do you feel about your first-half of the season as the Busch Series heads back to Daytona?
“It has been a great first half of the season for me. I think the whole Holiday Inn team and Richard Childress Racing’s Busch teams have run real well. All of the teams have wins but, unfortunately, all of the drivers don’t. Over the past few months I have become a lot more comfortable with the team. I have worked with Pat (Smith, crew chief) for nine races and have worked with the other crew chiefs in the Busch shop and that has been a really cool experience for me. I am really looking forward to the second half of the season.”

Have there been any challenges running a part-time NASCAR Busch Series schedule?
“It is tough competing against the guys who are running a full season in the Busch or Cup Series. They have so many laps and communicate so much with their teams so they have a little more of a head start. We have done a real good job of keeping ourselves close to Carl Edwards in the owners’ championship. Our focus is getting a little bit better and catching him.”

What is different at Daytona during the July races compared to the races in February?
“The race track is a lot different and it handles a lot different. It tends to be much hotter in July so the cars don’t stick as well and the track is greasier. It always seems like the racing gets real strung out in July and there isn’t as much drafting as there is in February. It is really important to have a car that handles well. Pit stops and qualifying are also important because it is harder to pass. In February, you can draft your way to the front whereas this race it seems like track position is key.”