ARIC ALMIROLA
NO. 20 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION CHEVROLET
NASHVILLE QUOTES AND NOTES
Event: Pepsi 300
Date: April 7, 2007
Track: Bristol Motor Speedway
TV: ESPN2 3:30 PM EST
Laps/Miles: 225 / 300
Radio: MRN 3:00 PM EST
QUOTES
Driver Aric Almirola on running this weekend at Nashville…
“Nashville is a great track that really caters to my style of driving. The banking is similar to a flat track but with the total size of the track, it really drives like a speedway. The concrete surface gives this track a different feel, but I have always seem to run well on concrete tracks. I have only run one truck race here, but I have logged some laps testing Cup cars here. It seems to really pick up speed as the race goes on.
The Guitar Trophy is one of the most unique trophies on the circuit. At the beginning of the year, I looked at my Busch schedule and I knew I was capable of winning one of these (guitars). Nashville has also been known as a track where driver’s score their first career Busch wins, so maybe this is where I will score mine.”
Crew Chief Dave Rogers on racing at Nashville….
“Nashville is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit. Before last year, I spent some time here testing Cup cars, so I thought I had a pretty good feel for the track. I was amazed though how different this track was during a race weekend. It seemed to be much more temperamental from not only April to June but from the beginning of the race to the end. I am excited to work with Aric again this weekend. We struggled a little bit at Bristol, but had things turned around to where we should have come home in the top-ten until we got a little help packing up early. Aric has a great feel for the car and I think people are going to be impressed how well he stacks up in a Busch only field this weekend.”
NOTES
Did you know… Of the previous eleven races at Nashville Superspeedway, six of those races were won by first time winners in the NASCAR Busch Series. Greg Biffle won his inaugural Busch Race at Nashville in 2001 and then Jack Sprague and Scott Riggs won their first Busch Race at Nashville in 2002. Jason Leffler (2004), Reed Sorenson (2005) and Clint Bowyer (2005) also won their first Busch Races at “White Lightening”.
Car History… This week the #20 team is bringing car #2071. This was a brand new car built by the #20 team for intermediate tracks. This car has one appearance this season, Las Vegas, where Hamlin was able to qualify it 16th and bring it home 12th. Since then, this car has had several major aerodynamic changes for this weekend’s race.
