Backstretch Motorsports

A few — well, more than a few — questions after yesterday’s Indianapolis 500, dominated by Dario Franchitti:

What happened to Penske? Everything leading up to the race was the sole property of Penske cars, with everyone else relegated to Happy To Be Here status. However, the moment Jack Nicholson waved the green flag, most everyone and everything under Roger’s command transformed from kingpins to the Keystone Kops. Huge mistakes on pit road; subpar on-track performances. Why? Granted, you would have had to have been perfect to be within shouting distance of Franchitti, whose performance was flawless. But still, an odd off day. Especially on the biggest day of the year. No offense to Kurt Busch, but when he’s the star performer in your stable, something is off-kilter.

Why is there such a performance gap between Ganassi and Penske compared to all other teams? Yesterday (as far as Penske is concerned) notwithstanding, it is a rare occurrence when anyone other than a Penske or Ganassi driver isn’t atop the podium. Why? The car hasn’t changed in years. The cars are identical from team to team. There is no manufacturer advantage. Granted, Ganassi and Penske boast a stellar lineup of talent behind the wheel. But they don’t have a monopoly on this. So why the disparity? It’s not good for the IRL, which right now needs all the competition it can muster in order to get some attention on the national sports scene.

Who will Dreyer & Reinbold put in the #24 car? With Mike Conway sidelined for the year, someone needs to drive the Dad’s Root Beer float. While there are any number of qualified pilots, the best choice would be Ana Beatriz. She’s proven her mettle in both the Indy Lights series and with the big boys & girls. She’s demonstrated genuine potential to be in the upper echelon of open wheel. And there is the instant added publicity offered whenever a woman takes the wheel. C’mon D&R. Do the right thing.

Speaking of such… Yesterday heralded the continued gender integration of open wheel racing, in the same manner as NHRA has been. In the latter, whenever Ashley Force Hood or Karen Stouffer are in the staging area the thought isn’t “oh, there’s a woman.” It’s “oh, there is a top-notch driver.”

The issue facing Simona de Silvestro, as well as Beatriz and, yes, Danica, isn’t their lack of a Y chromosome or lack of ability. It’s not driving for Ganassi or Penske. Should their respective teams pick it up, the novelty will fade as the quality shines.

That said, female drivers will always have an instant edge in popularity over their male counterparts. For some reason, the media fails to grasp this fundamental, reacting in horror whenever slammed for slamming Danica or whoever. In its bleating how all drivers should be judged equally regardless of gender, it invariably overlooks multiple factors such as, oh, the quality of team for which they drive. As an example, has Sarah Fisher ever driven a car capable of winning? No. How, then, can we know what her true driving ability might be? We can’t. All we can do is wonder.

Switching over to Danica, she started at Rahal Letterman — second tier team — and from there moved to Andretti which has been struggling to be in the same ballpark as Penske and Ganassi. Consider her teammate Tony Kaanan. It’s been a long time since he has won. Has he forgotten how to drive? Is he an overrated hack? No. And neither is Danica.

It’s difficult to escape the conclusion that an alarmingly large number of writers covering auto racing do so not from the aspect of sport, but rather from the unholy trinity of entertainment, pop culture and personality. None of which can drive a car or turn a wrench worth a lick. These writers don’t know the sport itself, from either the mechanical or competitive aspects. And it shows.

Bob Dylan said it best when asked about whether he noted what critics said about his work: “You can’t listen to critics.” Listen to those who know by doing, or at the least have obtained genuine knowledge by listening to those who know by doing. Making things personal via obsessing over personality is journalism done on the cheap. Actually, it isn’t journalism at all.

Okay, off the soapbox and back to racing.

About Andretti Autosport… Considering the miserable time all members of said organization had at the cathedral of speed during practice and qualifying, the race results were very positive. Kaanan’s charge from the back was especially noteworthy. However, this alone doesn’t negate the fact that there are issues at AA needing to be addressed. IRL could use someone stepping up to challenge the Penske-Ganassi stranglehold. Who better, from the PR aspect if nothing else, than Andretti?

So what’s next for the IRL? In the immediate future, it’s Texas this Saturday night. This race needs to be a good one. Usually the host to awe-inspiring action and fantastic finishes, last year’s event was a snoozefest with zero excitement. Given how this coming Sunday finds NASCAR at poke-along Pocono, Texas is a golden opportunity for the IRL showcase itself. Here’s hoping it won’t blow it. Long term? To be discussed at a later time.

P.S. A personal note: thank you to everyone for your condolences over my mother passing away last week. Very much appreciated.

A few hopefully salient notes as we wander toward the weekend, preferably not daubed with saline from unnecessary anguished tears. But more on that in a bit.

• Denny Hamlin’s pit crew won the whatever it’s called challenge yesterday evening, thus guaranteeing it will be mentioned in every race going forward whenever the #11 is in for service. Especially whenever said crew makes a boo-boo. Of such is the fate awaiting those who seldom receive notice save when things go very right or very, very wrong.

• One can only hope this week’s adventures in legal beagle land have taught Jeremy Mayfield a couple of invaluable lessons. One, going up against NASCAR in court takes the old adage about bringing a knife to a gun fight to a whole ‘nuther level. Second, and far more important, get the eff away from drugs. Lest we forget, wasn’t that long ago when Mayfield made the Chase in consecutive seasons. Now he’s chasing the dragon. Not good.

• There has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth in Junior Nation over his dismal performance in the past couple of races. Which is how fans of any driver should react when their favorite is struggling. However, the let’s-blame-Lance-McGrew-and/or-Rick Hendrick-for-it-all meme needs to go in the round file. They’re not driving the car, and they’re not the one who since the 2008 Chase have been looking, acting and speaking like a whipped puppy.

  I like Dale Jr. A lot. But in racing, seldom if ever does the responsibility for everything that befalls a driver not doing well rest solely on their team. Or so much as primarily. The fury of the fans flew fast and thick at Bristol this past March when McGrew chided Earnhardt on the radio to not lay down on hIm when a good run turned sour due to Dale Jr. speeding on pit road. However, lately how often have we seen him drive like he did during the last lap of this year’s Daytona 500 when he tore through the field like a man possessed? Not very.

  Winning in NASCAR requires many things. Featured among them is focused anger, the will to win regardless of cost. Mumbled comments delivered with head hung low is not said focused anger’s hallmark. I don’t know what’s eating Dale Jr. It’s not my business to know. What I do know is if he wants to get back to being Dale Jr. he needs to feed it something other than himself. Quickly.

• Today’s video is brought to you courtesy of the mindset that empty sections of stands at Dover are really no big deal because there were a lot of people there anyway. Please stop pretending it’s 2005, kids.

Typing is super-painful this evening. Luckily, or not depending on how you look at it, my vocal chords are still intact. Hence a longer than usual podcast. Had a lot to talk about.

Yes, including the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski incident.

The spoken portion of the audio is unedited, so please forgive the occasional clunkers and microphone noise. I recorded it on my iPhone with earphones that have a mic attachment. Cut down on some noise, but picked up on others.

I’ll list the songs later this week.

You can listen to it here, or if you have iTunes subscribe to it here. The RSS feed is here. As always, please let me know what you think, and thanks.

A few assorted thoughts on this soggy Tuesday morning:

• The spoiler’s coming! The spoiler’s coming! Jimmie Johnson will keep on winning anyway! Because that’s what he does.
• Another crew member suspended for violating NASCAR’s substance abuse policy. Have you noticed it’s almost invariably someone on lesser teams who gets busted? Wonder why that is. The power players do a better job of screening job applicants, perhaps?
• Since what happens in Vegas stays on the Internet, about last weekend, starting with Saturday. Somehow, the media managed to insert itself into both the major stories. First, Danicaphobia.

  Over on the political side of things, one of the standard tactics used by the left whenever anyone says anything against President Obama is accusing them of being racist. Which far, far more often than not isn’t the case, as it is an ideological / political / philosophical divide creating dissent. Nevertheless, the charge of bigotry remains a favorite gambit. Using a chess reference, it’s something of a Sicilian Defense approach, one permitting an immediate switch from reaction to action should whoever made the first move falter. It also conveniently sidesteps any effort to actually defend against arguments based on ideology, politics and/or philosophy.

  That all said, ofttimes those speaking against Obama leave themselves wide open to being labeled racist. How? They are unwilling, or unable, to phrase their statements in a logical, factual manner. They use emotion and sarcasm for sarcasm’s sake as their foundation. This invites being tagged as racist regardless of whether it has any part of their argument.

  Now, switch this from racism to misogyny.

  When a male journalist — unlike Bumpdrafts, I’ll name a name, that being Jeff Gluck — endlessly harps on the performance of a driver in their third Nationwide race, obsessing over their every moment and cackling with glee when said driver is something other than instant Jimmie Johnson, it is difficult to not suspect the motivation is based in something outside a dispassionate reporting of the facts. While certainly all are entitled to express their opinion, there is a point when enough is enough. There’s a race going on. In case you haven’t noticed.

  When Danica Patrick and Michael McDowell had a close encounter of the unfortunate kind on the track, many including Gluck tripped over their own fingers in haste to label her as being the one responsible. When after the fact McDowell stated the entire incident was his fault, you never knew there were so many crickets in Las Vegas.

  Whether Gluck and others incessantly snipe at Patrick for reasons other than professional opinion of her driving ability and/or warranting her ride is something known only to those involved. Labeling them sexist is a serious charge. Nevertheless, that is how they’re coming off.

• As to Sunday, about all that can be said is come crunch time Chad Knaus will make the right call eleven times out of ten. Steve Letarte, not so much.

Finally, a personal note of thanks to everyone for your prayers and love during the past several days. It’s been rough. My aunt is now at peace, enjoying the fruits of a quiet life well lived. In a world where so many, not excluding myself in the least, forget to follow Christ’s teachings about doing what we are called to do without constantly calling attention to ourselves, her example is one I know in my heart is the right one to follow.

Team:	No. 6 UPS Ford Fusion
Crew Chief:	Donnie Wingo
Chassis:	Primary: RK-615	Last ran Texas – finished 17th
	Backup: RK-670	Ran Homestead in 2009 as the No. 26 – finished 18th

Ragan, NSCS at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Date	Event	S	F	Laps	Led	Status	Money
9-6-09	Pep Boys Auto 500	16	33	322/325	0	Running	$93,425
3-8-09	Kobalt Tools 500	39	19	327/330	0	Running	$85,650
10-26-08	Pep Boys Auto 500	13	8	325/325	0	Running	$119,625
3-9-08	Kobalt Tools 500	14	23	323/325	0	Running	$83,950
10-28-07	Pep Boys Auto 500	37	33	320/329	0	Running	$120,700
3-18-07	Kobalt Tools 500	38	33	322/325	0	Running	$104,125

	Races	Wins	Top-5s	Top-10s	Poles	Led	Money
Spring	3	0	0	0	0	0	$273,725
Fall	3	0	0	1	0	0	$333,750
Cumulative Races	6	0	0	1	0	0	$607,475

Ragan on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

“I’m pretty pumped up to be going back to my hometown track. I love going to Atlanta, it’s close to home and the track is fun to race at. It’s a fast track with multiple grooves, which lets us choose different lines around the track. We’ve had some average weeks so far, but need to step it up and get a good hometown finish. UPS is also based in Atlanta, so we really want to get a good finish for them.”

Crew chief Donnie Wingo on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

“I really like racing at Atlanta. There are multiple grooves and the tires wear out fast so it makes the driver have to work their way around the track to find different lines. It really is a challenging track because of the rate the tires wear out. So if you aren’t too fast to start with and you can be consistent on a long run, you’ll be better off in the end. Atlanta is home to David and our sponsor UPS, so we’re looking to get a good finish for everyone.”

FAST FACTS

• Hometown Boy: Atlanta Motor Speedway is David Ragan’s hometown track. Ragan is originally from Unadilla Ga., located approximately 90 miles from Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Ragan has six prior starts in the Cup Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His best finish was eighth place in the fall of 2008.
• A win this weekend would make David the first driver to win at Atlanta with primary sponsorship from Atlanta-based, UPS.
• Ragan has three Nationwide starts at Atlanta. His best finish was ninth in the fall race of 2009.
• Ragan made two Truck Series starts in 2006 at Atlanta for Roush Fenway Racing.

UPS Maximum Center Recognition— Atlanta Motor Speedway

The Pleasantdale West Center (SLIC - 3014) in the Georgia District was selected for the March 7 Kolbalt Tools 500 as part of the UPS Center Recognition Program. The Pleasantdale West Center, one of the top two centers in the district for 2009, is recognized for its exceptional service performance, which includes range of dispatch, exception scan and delivery scan frequency, and net delivered per piece and inside pieces per hour performance.

Technical Relationship with Pennzoil Helps Team Develop Winning Motor Oil Formulations

HOUSTON, March 1 - In 2010, Richard Childress Racing will run with Pennzoil’s cutting edge Hyper Cleansing Technology(TM). When Pennzoil and Shell Oil Company began a multi-year agreement in 2007 with Richard Childress Racing as the primary sponsor of the No. 29 Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick, an important technical support program between Pennzoil and RCR began as well. Pennzoil scientists worked directly with the race team to engineer their most technologically advanced motor oil available on the market, Pennzoil Ultra(TM).

Building new engines and keeping them clean and protected week in and week out is essential for race teams. Pennzoil and RCR work together throughout each race season to test motor oils in the harshest racing environments in an effort to gain insight and develop technology that can be used both on-track and in consumer vehicles on-the-road. The payoff of that relationship is evident in the new ultra-class synthetic motor oil, Pennzoil Ultra(TM), which is an advanced proprietary synthetic formula that far exceeds the most stringent car manufacturer standards(1) and already exceeds the 2010 GF-5 specification’s requirements for cleanliness and protection. Nothing keeps an engine closer to factory clean.(2)

“Our engines are built to be extremely efficient. With engine heat rising up in some cases to over 280 degrees Fahrenheit in tolerances that we measure to a thousandth of an inch, it is essential that our engines are maintained in clean, pristine condition and we look to our team at Pennzoil to provide that,” said Danny Lawrence, Engine Builder and Trackside Manager for Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines, the high performance engine production and research and development company established in 2007. “In racing, even the smallest deposits can rob performance and lead to catastrophic engine failure and Pennzoil technology helps provide exactly what we need to keep our engines running clean.”

Kevin Harvick remained atop the leader board after a second-place finish at the Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway presented by Pennzoil Ultra on Sunday, February 28. On February 6, in an invigorating start to the 2010 NASCAR season, Kevin Harvick became the fourth driver to win back-to-back Budweiser Shootout titles. The achievement marked the seventh win in the exhibition race for the RCR team, more than any other organization.

“We ran Pennzoil racing motor oil with Hyper Cleansing Technology(TM) in the car during the Budweiser Shootout and the Las Vegas race,” said Gil Martin, Crew Chief, Shell-Pennzoil No. 29 car. “Pennzoil always provides tremendous support on and off the track that allows for our cars to challenge for the head of the pack.”

The new Pennzoil Ultra(TM) ultra class synthetic motor oil is the output of a global team of scientists pursuing the goal of maintaining an engine in factory-clean condition. Pennzoil’s technical support program with RCR provides the race team with the most advanced motor oil technology along with the support of a team of industry leading scientists. Through excellent collaboration, Pennzoil’s team of scientists engineer motor oils that resist heat, shear and wear, while keeping the engine clean even during the most demanding race conditions.

While the level of performance in most street cars won’t match that of an ECR engine, the cleansing and protection of passenger car engines is still vital. Pennzoil Ultra(TM) offers Hyper Cleansing Technology(TM) that is designed to seek out and dissolve contaminants safely into the oil before harmful deposits form that can create sludge or corrode engine parts. In fact, nothing keeps your engine closer to factory clean than Pennzoil Ultra(TM). The oil not only prevents deposits, but it also gently lifts existing sludge deposits off engine surfaces and dissolves them safely into the oil. Pennzoil Ultra(TM) also cleans out more engine sludge than the brand’s next best oil, Pennzoil Platinum®. (3)

“At Pennzoil, we leverage our global technology to develop technically advanced motor oils,” said Luis Guimaraes, general manager, North American marketing, for Pennzoil. “We are very proud of our newest addition to the Pennzoil family of motor oils. Pennzoil Ultra(TM) is an advanced synthetic motor oil that keeps engines close to factory clean, and no leading synthetic motor oil provides better wear protection than Pennzoil Ultra(TM).(4)”

Richard Childress Racing uses and recommends Pennzoil Ultra(TM) technology exclusively as the formulations provide cleansing and protection even in the most rigorous racing conditions. New Pennzoil Ultra(TM) 5W-20, 5W-30 and 10W-30 viscosities can be found in major automotive retailers nationwide. Pennzoil Ultra(TM) 5W-40 and 10W-60 viscosities can be found at retailers and installers servicing mostly European cars. For additional information, please visit www.Pennzoil.com.

About Pennzoil®

Pennzoil® is the #1-selling motor oil and one of the most trusted brands in America. The Pennzoil line of quality products meets or exceeds industry specifications to offer exceptional engine protection, and includes Pennzoil Ultra(TM) motor oil with Hyper Cleansing Technology(TM), Pennzoil Platinum® Full Synthetic motor oil, Pennzoil® Advanced Protection motor oil, Pennzoil® SUV, Truck & Minivan motor oil, Pennzoil High Mileage Vehicle® motor oil, and Pennzoil Marine® engine oil. For more information about Pennzoil products, please visit www.pennzoil.com

Pennzoil is produced and marketed by Shell Lubricants. The term ‘Shell Lubricants’ collectively refers to the companies of Royal Dutch Shell that are engaged in the lubricants business. Shell Lubricants companies lead the lubricants industry, supplying 13% of global lubricants volume.(5) The companies manufacture and blend products for use in applications ranging from consumer motor oil and food processing oils to heavy industrial lubricants and commercial transport oils. The Shell Lubricants portfolio of top-quality brands includes Pennzoil®, Quaker State®, FormulaShell®, Shell TELLUS®, Shell CASSIDA®, Shell RIMULA®, Shell ROTELLA® T, Shell SPIRAX®, a portfolio of leading car care brands and Jiffy Lube® lubrication services.

About Royal Dutch Shell

Royal Dutch Shell is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. Shell companies have operations in more than 100 countries with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of Liquefied Natural Gas and Gas to Liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects including wind and solar power. For further information, visit www.shell.com

1. Based on GF-4, Ford, Chrysler, GM and Ferrari specifications
2. Based on Sequence VG sludge test using SAE 5W-30
3. Based on a severe sludge clean-up test using SAE 5W-30
4. Based on Sequence IVA wear test using SAE 5W-30
5. Kline & Company, “Competitive Intelligence for the Global Lubricants Industry, 2008 - 2018.”

“Race Matt” Promotion Allows Fans to Get Behind the Wheel to Win $17,000

After securing another top-five finish this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth will return to the Nevada track later in the year when the driver may face his stiffest competition yet. Crown Royal will run a season-long “Race Matt” promotion, where fans (where legally eligible) will be able to enter to race the former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, prior to the season-ending banquet.

In all, three fans will be selected at various intervals throughout the season to compete in the finale in Las Vegas for the chance to win $17,000. Each of the three winners will also receive a trip for two to Charlotte, N.C., where they will complete a mentorship program and tour the Roush Fenway Headquarters in an effort to prepare for their big day against Kenseth.

Crown Royal continues to identify new and exciting ways for their fans to feel like royalty throughout the race season, all while reinforcing its commitment to reminding fans to always “drink responsibly.”

Adult fans (21 and over) can enter the promotion at CrownRoyal.com throughout the season, and by entering will also automatically receive entry to a local market sweepstakes for a VIP at-track experience to a nearby track. The local program will be fulfilled at various tracks throughout the season, beginning on April 10, 2010.

(Las Vegas, NV) March 1, 2010 – Mike Bliss cut the right front tire and hit the wall on lap 44 of Sunday’s Shelby American NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ending the day in 39th position. The Tommy Baldwin Racing crew brought the Kim Kardashian Fragrance Chevrolet to the garage after the contact with the wall and replaced the entire right front assembly. The team was able to get the car back out to the track on lap 160 in order to complete the necessary laps to finish 39th.

“We cut a tire down in turn one, which was too bad because I felt like we had a pretty good race car,” said Bliss, who was unhurt in the crash. “Before we blew the tire I really believed we were in the process of a strong run and was hoping to get a nice finish for Tommy and the folks with Kim Kardashian Fragrance.”

The blown tire put a damper on an otherwise exciting weekend in Las Vegas for Tommy Baldwin Racing. The No. 36 Chevy sported a custom Kim Kardashian Fragrance paint scheme in conjunction with the launch of her first signature fragrance, Kim Kardashian, which can be found at Sephora.com. The team also hosted Kardashian Sunday, and got the chance to meet with her prior to the race.

“It was a big weekend for the team and I was excited to get the chance to meet Kim,” said Bliss. “Kim and her group were great and it was fun getting to share the NASCAR experience with them. It did not even bother me that I was wearing a pink fire suit”.

Team owner Tommy Baldwin added, “I thought the weekend went well and we were happy with all the excitement and attention brought to the team thanks to the involvement with Kim Kardashian Fragrance. I was pleased with the effort the team put forth; unfortunately we ran over something, got a flat tire and hit the wall. Although we do not have the finishes to show for it so far, I truly believe we have a top-25 caliber team, we just need to start stringing together some nice results and we will be fine.”

Bliss started the day in the 30th position and was running 32nd when the tire went down on lap 44. The team will look to rebound next Sunday March 7th at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The No. 36 Chevrolet will feature the new 2010 Wave Energy Drink paint scheme for the race airing at 1pm EST on FOX.

LAS VEGAS, Nev., (February 28, 2010) – After turning in the fastest lap in final practice on Friday, defending Sam’s Town 300 winner Greg Biffle had high expectations of bringing home back-to-back NASCAR Nationwide Series wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Biffle ran in the top 10 for the majority of the race but despite numerous adjustments to the Red Man Moist Snuff Ford Fusion was unable to find the necessary speed to challenge for the win in Saturday’s race. With a ninth-place finish, the Red Man Racing team registered top-10 finishes in both of the February west coast races and also led at least one lap in each race.

“The Red Man Moist Snuff Ford Fusion was pretty good today,” said Biffle. “It was hard to pass out there because everyone seemed to be running about the same speed. We made a lot of adjustments near the end of the race trying to find some speed. We got a little better but needed more to get to the front. I thought we would have a better finish, but we ended up with another top 10 and that’s something to build on.”

The Vancouver, WA native started the race from the ninth position and made his way into the top 5 by lap 40. Biffle communicated to crew chief Rick Viers that the Red Man Moist Snuff Ford Fusion was a little tight as he continued to run fifth in the early stages of the race. As the leaders began to make their first pit stops of the day under green-flag conditions around lap 55, Biffle remained on the track and led a lap before coming down pit road on lap 60. The Red Man Racing crew put four fresh tires on the car, filled it with fuel and returned the No. 27 Ford Fusion to the track in 12th position.

Biffle had made his way back into fifth position when a caution occurred on lap 84. He communicated that the car was still tight and needed the crew to make an adjustment to free the car. He brought the Red Man Moist Snuff Ford down pit road where the crew put on four fresh tires, filled it with fuel and took a half-round of wedge out.

As the race progressed, the defending race winner continued to communicate to his crew chief that the car was too tight. Each pit stop the Red Man Racing crew continued to make adjustments on the car as the temperatures continued to decrease and threat of rain increased.

After a caution occurred on lap 165, Biffle brought the Red Man Moist Snuff Ford down pit road where the crew made a final attempt to free the car by moving the trackbar up two rounds and taking two rounds of wedge out of the right rear.

When the race restarted on lap 170 Biffle was scored in the 16th position. Over the last 30 laps of the race the veteran managed to maneuver his way past seven cars and finished in ninth place. The top-10 finish was his eighth career in nine NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Biffle, who is eighth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings, will be back in the Red Man Moist Snuff Ford Fusion Saturday, March 20th, when the Nationwide Series takes to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Scotts Turf Builder 300 on ABC at 2:00 p.m. ET.

LAS VEGAS, Nev., (February 28, 2010) – After earning his first career top 10 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last year, Scott Lagasse Jr. entered this weekend’s race with high hopes of a repeat performance. A penalty for jumping the restart on lap 92 put the No. 43 Dr. Gadget®/everybodygets1.com Ford Fusion two laps down and made for a long Sam’s Town 300, but the team managed to get back on the lead lap late in the race and earn a respectable 17th–place finish.

“It’s very difficult to go two laps down, especially on a judgment call, but this team didn’t give up.,” said Lagasse Jr. “17th-place is not a reflection of what kind of car we had today or what this team is capable of doing. The car drove much better today and I look for this team to continue to improve as the season progresses.”

Lagasse Jr. started the Sam’s Town 300 from the 32nd position. The team took advantage of a caution on lap 12 and filled the No. 43 Dr. Gadget®/everybodygets1.com Ford Fusion with fuel and put four fresh tires on. The St. Augustine, FL native worked his way through the field advancing into the top 20 on lap 55.

As the leaders began to pit, Lagasse Jr. made his way up to the third position before having to pit on lap 65. Shortly after returning to the track he surrendered a lap to the leader as he communicated to crew chief Jeff White that the car needed to turn better from the center-off of the corners.

After pitting under caution on lap 86, the No. 43 Dr. Gadget®/everybodygets1.com Ford Fusion returned to the track scored in 22nd position. As the field came down the frontstretch for the restart, Lagasse Jr. moved to the right to avoid contact with several cars checking up in front of him. NASCAR ruled that he jumped the restart and issued a pass-through penalty.

Lagasse Jr. brought his No. 43 Ford Fusion through pit road to serve the penalty and returned to the track two laps down in 24th position. He remained two laps down until a caution occurred on lap 146. When the leaders pitted, he remained on the track to take advantage of the wave around rule and moved to just one lap down.

When the race restarted on lap 150, Lagasse Jr. was in 22nd position. He quickly made his way around the three other drivers one lap down, putting himself in a position for the lucky dog. When another caution occurred on lap 167, the No. 43 Dr. Gadget®/everybodygets1.com Ford Fusion was awarded the lucky dog and was back on the lead lap. Once on the lead lap Lagasse Jr. ran the last 30 laps in the 17th position, earning his second straight top-20 finish.

Lagasse Jr. and the Dr. Gadget®/everybodygets1.com Racing team will be back in action Saturday, March 20th, when the Nationwide Series takes to Bristol Motor Speedway for the Scotts Turf Builder 300 on ABC at 2:00 p.m. ET.