Preview: Eric McClure / No. 0 Hefty® Chevrolet
Venue: Richmond International Raceway
Circuit: NASCAR Busch Series (Race 11 of 35)
Event: Circuit City 250 presented by Funai (250 laps; 187.5 miles)
Primary Sponsor: Hefty® Brand—Lake Forrest, IL
Associate Sponsors: Racegirl®--Los Angeles, CA
Eric McClure/ No. 0 Hefty® Chevrolet/Johnny Davis Motorsports Notes of Interest
Restrictor Plate Round Up
o Eric McClure and the Hefty® Racing Team started the Aaron’s 312 in the 39th position and advanced through the field to post their best finish of the 2007season. The 18th-place finish was also a career high for McClure.
Richmond Fast Facts
o The Emory and Henry College graduate has never competed on the ¾ mile racing surface at Richmond International Raceway, thus the No. 0 Hefty® brand Chevrolet must sport the “yellow” stripe across its bumper.
o McClure must qualify on time as the No. 0 machine is not locked into the top-30 in NASCAR Owners Points.
o Johnny Davis Motorsports has only competed in one event at RIR with a start of 39th and a finish of 42nd after experiencing brake problems on lap 55.
Did You Know: Tribute
o Although an avid Virginia Cavaliers fan, the 28-year-old Virginia native will be sporting a special Virginia Tech (VT) racing helmet during the Funai 250 at Richmond International Raceway in honor of the entire VT community.
o The helmet is being generously painted by Mr. David Arrigo from Ontario Canada.
Up To Speed
o Catch all of the action live on Friday, May 4 beginning at 7:30pm on ESPN 2. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will also broadcast the event live.
Personal Appearances
o Eric McClure will be making a special appearance and signing autographs at the RIR amphitheater on Thursday, May 3 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm in honor of Victory Junction Camp.
Eric McClure, driver of the No. 0 Hefty® Chevrolet quotes:
(About the Virginia Tech tribute helmet)
“I’m really honored and proud to have been presented this opportunity by David Arrigo, Richmond Int’l Speedway, and everyone involved. I can honestly say that this event has changed my life and the way I look at VPI. I’ll always be a diehard supporter for the ‘Hoos but this goes far beyond the sports lines. It’s great to see how other institutions and organizations have rallied around Tech during this tough time. I’m a proud Virginia native and resident, and I feel very privileged to be able to show my continued support for the Virginia Tech Community.”
(On his thoughts about Richmond International Raceway)
“Richmond is the ideal racetrack, both for fans and drivers. I had the opportunity to test there when they first re-surfaced the track in 2004. We were really fast before I became the first driver to test the safer barrier they had put up. Since then, I’ve been unable to qualify in two attempts there. The Hefty® Brand Team is coming off a season best finish at Talladega, so we look forward to getting qualified and having another solid finish.”
