Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Sam’s Town 300 - Bobby Labonte Notes

Bobby Labonte
No. 77 Dollar General Stores Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Team Report
NASCAR Busch Series Race 4 of 35—Las Vegas Motor Speedway

AUTODROMO HERMANOS RODRIGUEZ RACE RECAP:
Kertus Davis made his road course debut in the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (Mexico City, Mexico) for race three of a 35-race season. Davis took to the eight-turn road course Sunday afternoon, after qualifying in the 19th row on the starting grid. Keeping the Dollar General stores Chevrolet clean and out of trouble, Davis crossed the stripe in 31st position.

LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY FACTS & STATS:

Bobby Labonte will make his third NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Labonte’s first NBS start came in 1997, the inaugural Busch Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, when he started 25th and finished 12th. Labonte made his second start at the speedway in 1999, when he started 35th and finished 16th.

NASCAR announced on February 11, 2007 that when NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) teams return to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fourth race of the season the teams will be required to use a 13-gallon fuel cell. Teams usually use a 22-gallon fuel cell. This change will affect pit strategy.

CREW CHIEF CORNER WITH WALLY ROGERS:
STOKED ABOUT THE DRIVER: “I’m really stoked about Bobby [Labonte] driving the Dollar General stores car at Las Vegas Motor Speedway,” said Wally Rogers. “When Bobby [Labonte] and Kevin [Harvick] drive the car it only helps our whole program at Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) for building and getting stronger as a company.”

LUCKY NUMBER 027: “We are taking my favorite Dollar General stores car to Las Vegas, and it’s my favorite number,” said Wally Rogers. “Chassis number 027 runs well and has responded really well to all the changes we’ve made.”

FUEL CELL: “With NASCAR mandating the 13-gallon fuel cell it will change pit strategy a little from a crew chief’s perspective,” said Wally Rogers. “With the big fuel cells the cars had to be so loose handling at the beginning of a run for the car to be good at the end. With the cars running the smaller fuel cell, it closes that window, so the car will be more forgiving for the drivers. It will change pit strategy. When crew chiefs would normally call for four tires, they will call for fuel only.”

TESTING: “I really think having Bobby [Labonte] test in the Dollar General stores Chevrolet at Las Vegas helped both he and I progress together so that I know what he wants to feel,” said Wally Rogers. “When he fired off on the first test day, the car was pretty good to start with, so it allowed us to progress at a rapid rate.”

SEASONED GROOVES: “Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be a better track after it seasons,” said Wally Rogers. “Rarely are tracks perfect at first. With time the grooves widen up and allow for more side-by-side racing. When we were there testing, there was probably a groove and a half. It may have seasoned enough since we were there to make it two grooves. The corners remind me of a cross between Texas [Motor Speedway] and Homestead [Miami (Fla.) Speedway].”

‘ROLDICE’: Wally Rogers, crew chief of the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet, owns a Harley Davidson motorcycle and what does his license plate read?

“‘ROLDICE’ is the tag on my Harley,” said Wally Rogers. “I grew up near Atlantic City (N.J.), so I like to gamble,” smiled Rogers. “I like going to the New York New York hotel and casino while in Las Vegas because the scenery reminds me of home. You can usually find me at either the craps table or playing blackjack. I like craps a lot because it’s fast paced with five different games going on at one time. I’ll go play blackjack if I just want to mellow out.”

LAS VEGAS TEST SESSION: The No. 77 Dollar General stores tested for two days at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early February. On the first day of the test session, Bobby Labonte was behind the wheel. At the end of the first day, the No. 77 was within the top-10 on the speed charts. For the second day at the track, Kertus Davis was able to climb behind the wheel of the second Dollar General stores car and gain some seat time and relay valuable feedback to the Dollar General stores crew. Davis ended the second day of testing within the top-20 on the speed charts.