No. 48 Lowe’s Pit Crew Wins Trip to Award Luncheon in New York City and $100,000 Cash Award from Mechanix Wear

VALENCIA, Calif. (November 29, 2007) – The No. 48 Lowe’s Team for Hendrick Motorsports has had an amazing Championship season from start to finish. They finished the season with 10 victories and 24 top-10 finishes, including four victories and eight top-10s in the final 10 races of the season in route to a second-consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Championship. Now the No. 48 team can add another important honor to their long list of accomplishments for the 2007 season – the Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew of the Year Award.

The No. 48 Lowe’s Team also won the year-end award in 2004, making them the first-ever repeat winner of the award. The No. 48 Team follows the No. 24 Dupont Team (2nd Quarter) as the second team from Hendrick Motorsports to win a Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew quarterly award in 2007.

The Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award is given quarterly throughout the NASCAR Nextel Cup Season. At the end of each quarter, the winning pit crew is determined by a vote of each team’s crew chief. The four quarterly winners are eligible for the year-end Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award and a check for $100,000 awarded at the 2007 NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon in New York City on November 29, 2007.

“The No. 48 Lowe’s Team for Hendrick Motorsports has had one of the finest seasons in recent history and the pit crew was a key component to the overall success of the team,” said Ted Abdon, Mechanix Wear director of racing. “The No. 48 team has now won back-to-back championships at the highest level of the sport. The Over-The-Wall Pit Crew of the Lowe’s team has embodied what it means to be a team all season long, and we are proud to present this award to them for their hard work and dedication throughout the Championship season.”

2007 No. 48 Lowe’s Pit Crew
Name Position
Matt Clark Pit Crew Coach
Chris Anderson Jackman
Mike Trower Front-Tire Changer
Art Simmons Front-Tire Carrier
Tim Ladyga Rear-Tire Changer
Ron Malec Rear-Tire Carrier
Rich Gutierrez Gas Man
Mike Knauer Catch Can
Chad Knaus Crew Chief

2007 Quarterly Winners
Quarter Crew Team
1st No. 29 Richard Childress Racing
2nd No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports
3rd No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing
4th No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports

Past Year-End Winners
Year Crew Team
2002 No. 40 Ganassi Racing
2003 No. 17 Roush Racing
2004 No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports
2005 No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing
2006 No. 31 Richard Childress Racing