NO REST FOR THE WEARY…CALIFORNIA BECKONS THE WOOD BROTHERS/JTG TEAM

Despite a quick turnaround, the Wood Brothers/JTG team is packing up and ready to head cross country to California Speedway for Sunday evenings’ Sharp AQUOS 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event. Last week’s Bristol Motor Speedway event really tightened up the points for the top-35 owner cut off slot. The No. 21 Motorcraft Ford will head to this weekend’s event just 37 points from the coveted 35th spot. However, by virtue of their 25th place finish in last weekend’s Sharpie 500, Wood Brothers/JTG driver Bill Elliott made up ground on two of their other closest competitors. The team is now only 58 points out of 34th place and 64 points from the relatively safe harbor of 33rd place. As the race for the Chase heats up, there will also be another “chase” to the finish…for the final remaining guaranteed starting slot heading into the 2008 season. The No. 21 Wood Brothers/JTG team is solely focused on making this a reality for themselves and their sponsors as the races wind down in 2007.

The No. 21 car will be sponsored by Motorcraft this weekend at California Speedway. This will mark the seventh Motorcraft event out of nine slated for the 2007 season. The car will also carry the black and red Motorcraft scheme in upcoming events at Talladega and the season-finale event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Crew chief Michael McSwain has decided once again to turn to Chassis 75 to show the way at the 2-mile California Speedway. The car has been the best performing Ford in the fleet this year at Wood Brothers/JTG Racing.

Driver Bill Elliott has a respectable record at the California Speedway. With 11 total starts, he counts two top-fives and two top-10 finishes among his best efforts. He also has two top-five starting positions in the past, including the outside pole during the 2003 Labor Day event. He’s led a total of 16 laps at the Fontana locale throughout his 11 starts.

There’s something to be said about even the slightest bit of momentum. For the Wood Brothers/JTG team, it was watching a 51-year old Bill Elliott run the 500-miler at Bristol and outpacing his closest competition along the way. The progress is there, inch by agonizing inch. Let’s all hope it continues into the home stretch.

WHAT THE TEAM HAS TO SAY:
Bill Elliott, Driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford:
“You know, the Bristol race was a tough one to drive all night and at the end, I was pretty well spent. But I told the guys over the radio the truth—I wouldn’t be doing this for just anybody. This is a good team with good people on board and they work as hard as anybody in the garage. We made up some ground last weekend and we just have to keep outrunning those just ahead of us in the points. If we can do that this weekend and the next, we’ll be alright as the season goes forward.”

Michael McSwain, Crew Chief of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford:
“If California is as close to Michigan as everybody likes to say, I like our chances with [Chassis] 75. It’s our performer and we’re bringing it back this weekend for Fontana. We fought really hard at Bristol and Bill once again came through for us. We certainly appreciate his efforts as we work to climb back up to the safe territory. We’re getting really close and it’s bringing back that optimism that we need right now.”

FAST & FUN FACTS:
-Bill Elliott will drive the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford in the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway on Sunday night under the lights.
-Elliott holds a steady record at the 2-mile California Speedway, with two top-fives and two top-10 finishes. He’s garnered one Outside Pole Award and has lead 16 laps of competition.

NEXT RACE INFORMATION:
What – Sharp AQUOS 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Event
When – Sunday, September 2nd, 2007; 8:00 p.m. EDT
Where – California Speedway; 250 laps; 500 miles
Network – ESPN Television Network; MRN Radio Network