Checker Auto Parts 500 - Scott Riggs Notes

RIGGS AIMING FOR STRONG FINISHES IN FINAL TWO RACES

PHOENIX (Nov. 8, 2005)—With two races remaining in the 2005 Nextel Cup schedule, Scott Riggs' aim is to end the season with a pair of successful finishes.

“We’re still hungry,” said Riggs. “No one on this team has given up despite the fact there are only two races left. If anything, it just makes us work even hard knowing time is running out. This group has what it takes to succeed, we just need everything to come together for us.”

Riggs has collected four top-10 finishes this season, including the runner-up spot at Michigan and a fourth-place result in the Daytona 500. He also has one pole and nine top-10 starts.

“We’ve had good cars and good runs, we just haven’t been able to seal the deal,” said Riggs. “There have been times we’ve had cars capable of challenging for the win but we’ve had a mechanical failure or gotten caught up in other people’s wrecks. It’s frustrating, but we have two more to go to get it right.”

The Valvoline race team will visit Phoenix International Raceway for this weekend’s Checker Auto Parts 500 and then travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway the following week for the season finale.

Doug Randolph, who served as Riggs' crew chief in 2004 and part of 2005 before being named race coordinator and driver development manager in June for MB2 Motorsports, will be back atop the pit box calling the shots for the Valvoline team for the final two events.

Riggs hopes he and Randolph will be able to improve on the team's previous Phoenix finishes of 14th (2004) and 18th (April 2005).

“Both times we’ve been to Phoenix we’ve had good cars but have struggled with the handling once the green flag dropped,” Riggs said. “This weekend I’m hoping we’ll start up front and stay up front."

“We've been through a lot of highs and lows this year," said Riggs. "We just want to finish the year on the high-side."

Sunday’s event will be broadcast on NBC beginning at 1 p.m. local time (MST), 3 p.m. EST.