Race 2 Win: Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

Nextel Cup Series

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Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 - Scott Wimmer Notes

Scott Wimmer No. 22 CAT Racing Event Preview

Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (1.54-mile quad-oval) in Hampton, Ga.
Race: Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 Date: 10.30.05

NASCAR Nextel Cup driver points position: 33rd (same as last week) Owner points: 33rd (same as last week)

Notes:

The No. 22 CAT AccessAccount Dodge Charger at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend is Chassis No. 65. It most recently ran at California Speedway in early September when Scott Wimmer and the No. 22 CAT Racing team put out a top-15 effort, practicing and racing inside the top 15 the majority of their time out West. Unfortunately, with less than 10 laps to go in the Sony HD 500, a late-race accident collected Wimmer and ended the night prematurely for him and his team with a 31st-place finish (started 27th). The same chassis raced twice in August. It first ran at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Wimmer and team worked to overcome two consecutive early-race setbacks and took a little gamble toward the end of the race to eventually finish the day where they started, in 26th place. After that, the chassis headed to Michigan International Speedway, where the CAT Racing team overcame more than one obstacle to post a top-25 finish (started 22nd, finished 23rd).

CAT AccessAccount on board with Wimmer … The No. 22 Caterpillar car will feature a CAT AccessAccount signature blue paint scheme at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. The special blue paint scheme highlights the recent rollout of the CAT AccessAccount, which is a new revolving charge account that enables customers to pay for parts, service and rentals at participating Caterpillar Dealers throughout the United States. Customers can now enjoy the convenience of having one account, whether they do business with a single Caterpillar Dealership or multiple Dealers. The Cat AccessAccount is currently being deployed at Caterpillar Dealers across the U. S. Customer benefits include one account to pay for parts, service and rentals at participating Cat Dealerships nationwide; quick, easy account setup through online application process; real-time credit approvals; one detailed statement for all purchases, regardless of which Cat Dealer a customer does business with; flexible payment options; and ability to view detailed purchase information and make payments online. For more information or to apply online, visit www.cataccessaccount.com.

Challenger and Benson team up with Wimmer at Atlanta … Wimmer and Johhny Benson are teaming up at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend thanks to Challenger®. The Challenger® brand, which already graces a full line of quality tractors, combines and hay tools, is making its debut as a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series primary sponsor by riding on board with Johnny Benson and the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Dodge in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500. This week’s appearance in the NASCAR garage will not be the first association between NASCAR and Challenger. The Challenger brand made its initial Nextel Cup sponsorship debut as a new associate sponsor of the No. 22 Caterpillar car this August in the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and has been along for the ride every weekend since. It will continue its associate program with the No. 22 team through 2006. Atlanta is Challenger’s home track, as its corporate headquarters—AGCO Corporation—is located in Duluth, Ga. For more information on any of Challenger’s full line of agricultural products visit www.challengerag.com. For further updates regarding Wimmer’s and Benson’s Nextel Cup runs in Atlanta, check in at www.billdavisracing.com.

First time for everything … Wimmer got his first NASCAR Cup start at Atlanta Motor Speedway in November 2000. Driving for Bill Davis Racing, he was planning to enter the ARCA race that weekend, but qualifying was rained out. Since they were not running as a full-time team, Wimmer and his BDR crew didn’t make the cut for the ARCA race. Instead of packing up and going home, Davis entered the young driver in the NASCAR Cup race that same weekend. The team made that race by qualifying 31st. Wimmer spent a good part of the race running inside the top 15, but a late-race mechanical problem relegated him outside the top 20 by the time the checkered flag waved (finished 22nd).

Back in his Busch Series days … Wimmer posted two top-five starts at Atlanta Motor Speedway during his Busch Series career, lining up fourth for both the March AMS Busch race in 2001 and for the October AMS Busch race in 2002. All three times he raced at AMS in the Busch Series, he never left without at least a top-15 finish (finishing 14th in 2001, 13th in 2002, and 14th in 2003).

Meet Wimmer not once, but twice in Atlanta …Wimmer will stop by his merchandise trailer on souvenir row just outside Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, Oct. 28, to meet fans and sign autographs from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. Then, on Saturday, Oct. 29, he will stop by the CAT Footwear display just outside Atlanta Motor Speedway to meet more fans and sign autographs from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET.

Tune in … Qualifying for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 is scheduled to start at 7:10 p.m. ET Friday, Oct. 28, and will broadcast LIVE on PRN (radio) and XM Radio Channel 144. The qualifying session will also broadcast tape-delayed on SPEED (TV) starting at 8 p.m. ET. The Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 is scheduled to start at 12:40 p.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 30, and will broadcast LIVE on NBC (TV), PRN and XM Radio Channel 144.

Scott Wimmer Quotes:
Scott, including Atlanta, we have four more races to go this season. What are your thoughts? “I am feeling a lot better about our cars lately; our qualifying has really come on strong the last couple of weeks. Our racing hasn’t been as strong, but we’re getting there. We are trying some new things we think will help with our intermediate program, so Atlanta will let us know if we are on to something or not. I also am looking forward to the other three tracks we have left to run. I enjoy racing at all of them, and we had one of our stronger runs this year at Phoenix before getting hit. We were taken out so early at Texas, as well, and we really didn’t have a chance to see what we had, so it is going to be nice just to get to go back there to see what we can do.

“As for this weekend at Atlanta, it is one of my favorite tracks we run. It is a fun place to race because the older it gets the better it is. I guess you could say the track is like a fine wine … it gets better over time. You can run right up against the wall or right along the bottom. There are different approaches and game plans teams can devise or take to get ahead there, and that makes the racing even more fun and that much more competitive.

“I did get my first NASCAR Cup start there and that makes it special to me, as well. A lot of things have changed since my first race at Atlanta. Wow, that seems like so long ago though. I’m getting old.”

How about getting a teammate at least one more time this year, and it’s not just any driver, it’s Johnny B! “Yeah, he’s great, and it was nice to get in another test. Johnny went down there and tested and didn’t have a real strong test, but they figured out some things not to do and which car not to take back there. Every time I’ve had a teammate this year it has helped, and it is just nice to have that extra person and extra resources to lean on. We just have to make sure Johnny gets in the race. Once we get him in, we won’t be able to help so much on the track, but we can help each other with tire pressures, pit stop strategy and just play off of each others’ moves.”

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