Backstretch Motorsports

MARTIN TRUEX JR., NO. 1 BASS PRO SHOPS / TRACKER BOATS IMPALA SS, MAX SIEGEL, PRESIDENT OF DEI, JOHN STORY, VICE PRESIDENT OF MOTORSPORTS OPERATIONS FOR DEI met with media and discussed contract renewal, the state of DEI and plans for the future, and more.

ON RE-SIGNING WITH DEI:
TRUEX JR: “I’m excited and I’m glad to put an end to all the rumors and get rid of all the speculation and solidify my position at DEI. I’m looking forward to running the Bass Pro Shops No. 1 the rest of this year and next year. I’m looking forward to doing great things with the company and moving forward. This season has been kind of up and down for us, but I really believe in my race team. I believe in the things we’re doing at the shop that we can contend to win races and get back to the forum we had last year. I’m looking forward to starting that off this weekend here at Watkins Glen. We’ve run well here in the past. I’ve always had good success here in everything we’ve ever driven. Last year was a really good race for us here, probably one of the best I’ve ever driven at this race track. So I’m looking forward to the weekend. So hopefully we’ll start this thing off and have a good run this weekend and keep things going throughout the rest of the season and get prepared good for next year.”

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Investors, Labonte and New CEO All Part of Team’s Future

Mooresville, N.C. (June 11, 2008) – Petty Enterprises, the most successful organization in the history of American motorsports, today announced a partnership with Boston Ventures, a leading middle market private equity firm which invests in the entertainment, media, and communications sectors. This marks the first time since Lee Petty formed the organization in 1949 that an outside firm has invested in the legendary race team. In addition to introducing new CEO David Zucker and a major investment by Boston Ventures, Petty Enterprises has also extended their contract with former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Bobby Labonte and will integrate the operations of Petty Enterprises and the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

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BAM Racing withdraws No. 49 Toyota entry for Texas

One week after announcing a sponsorship program with Microsoft Small Business and qualifying seventh at Martinsville, BAM Racing’s No. 49 Toyota was withdrawn from this weekend’s Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

No details were available as to the reasons behind the decision by owner Beth Ann Morgenthau, who has operated a team in NASCAR’s premier series since 2002.

The No. 49 was 42nd in owner points following a 37th-place finish at Martinsville, having made three of six races this season. Driver Ken Schrader finished 21st at Las Vegas and 41st at Bristol earlier in 2008.

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Chad McCumbee Fast Facts

In 2007, McCumbee competed in two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races for Petty Enterprises, with a high finish of 25th coming in the “spring” race at Pocono.
McCumbee is currently 13th in the Craftsman Truck Series point standings. He has had a strong start to 2008, finishing seventh in the season opener at Daytona and securing a fifth-place finish in Atlanta.
On Wednesday, McCumbee will test the #45 Dodge at Kentucky Speedway.
This is McCumbee’s third season of Truck Series competition; in 50 races he has scored one top-5 finish and six top-10s, his average start is 21.7 and average finish is 20.2.
McCumbee, 23, won an ARCA event last June at Pocono Raceway on the same weekend that he made his Sprint Cup Series debut in the #45 Petty Enterprises Dodge.
In the Truck race at Texas Motor Speedway last fall, McCumbee started second and led four laps but finished thirteenth after an accident forced him out of the race.

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