Brad Coleman checks out the Cottonelle display at the Brookshire's store outside of Texas Motor Speedway with the Cottonelle puppy. (Photo credit: Phil Cavali / Cottonelle)

Coleman and Darrell Waltrip, SPEED Trackside talent, share a moment with the Cottonelle puppy outside of the Texas Motor Speedway. (Photo credit: Phil Cavali / Cottonelle)

Coleman poses with the Cottonelle puppy outside of Texas Motor Speedway during the O'Reilly 300 race weekend. (Photo credit: Phil Cavali / Cottonelle)

Lone Star State Fans Stand Behind Home State Driver

(Nashville, Tenn.) April 7, 2008 – With a large fan group in the grandstands cheering him on in his home state, Brad Coleman and the No. 27 COTTONELLE Ford Fusion team did all they could do to tame the Texas Motor Speedway. Despite the loud cheers and support, a temperamental car seemed to weigh in heavily on his 22nd finish in the O’Reilly 300.

Battling a car that varied between tight and loose with every entrance and exit in the corner, Coleman held on and did what he could to keep the car running on a fast groove.

“I really gave it all I could there,” said Coleman. “I drove my backside off today dealing with the different changes the car was undergoing every time we turned another lap. Our speedway program just isn’t where it needs to be yet but I know Shawn and the team are working their tails off on it.”

Coleman smiled when asked about the Cottonelle® Lap 100 Stretch promoted by his primary sponsor.

“It was a great promotion and I think we might have started a new tradition,” said Coleman. It was fun coming around the corner on lap 100 and seeing race fans standing up to stretch. I am just afraid I wasn’t too kind to my behind today!”

A green flag pit stop on lap 55 put Coleman a lap down and the team never received a chance to recover.

“We just didn’t have the car set up quite the way we wanted to,” said John Reese, car chief. “We tried our best to get the car running more smoothly, but we ran out of time. Brad did a great job of handling the car out there. Our pit stops were excellent this weekend, all were 14 seconds or under which helped us stay competitive, but we just didn’t have enough time to get the car where we wanted it to be. Our focus now switches to Phoenix.”

Coleman and the No. 27 Scott Tissue® Ford Fusion head to Phoenix this weekend where they compete in the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200.

Race fans at Texas Motor Speedway participate in the Cottonelle brand Lap 100 Stretch during the O'Reilly 300 on April 5, 2008. Brad Coleman, driver of the No. 27 Cottonelle Ford Fusion, finished 22nd in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. The Cottonelle brand urged race fans to Be Kind to Your Behind by standing for the Cottonelle Lap 100 Stretch - creating the motorsport’s version of baseball's seventh-inning stretch. (Photo credit: Phil Cavali / Cottonelle)