May
10
DARLINGTON PREVIEW
EVENT: VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200
TRACK: Darlington Raceway
LENGTH: 1.366-mile oval
DATE: Friday, May 11, 2012
TV: ESPN2 (Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. EST)
RADIO: MRN (7 p.m. EST)
Cole Whitt
“I feel like our TaxSlayer team has been steadily improving as a group. Until Talladega, we just hadn’t had much luck through an entire race. It’s good to finally get a finish that our team deserved. There were a few races where I feel our finish didn’t show how well we were running.
“I’m ready for this weekend. To head to a track where I’ve raced before and sat on a pole is exciting. I led a lot of laps at Darlington in the Truck Series last year. I feel like these cars drive pretty similarly to the trucks, so that will be a benefit for me. A lot of people dread going to Darlington, it’s an intimidating race track. But I’m one of the guys that smiles when I see it on the schedule.
“We’re proud to have CURE Childhood Cancer’s Press on Fund decal on our car this weekend. What they’re trying to do is raise awareness for childhood cancer. This is important for TaxSlayer and everyone at JR Motorsports. I hope we can run up front and bring some attention their cause.”
WHITT JOINS EARNHARDT JR. FOR A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT -Cole Whitt will join team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a special announcement surrounding the JR Motorsports Nationwide Series team at 5 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 10, 2012, at Walmart in Hartsville, S.C. (1150 South 4th St.). The announcement coincides with Earnhardt Jr.’s “Race Time” appearance for Diet Mountain Dew and features show car displays and racing simulators. Following the announcement both Earnhardt Jr. and Whitt will participate in an autograph session for 150 lucky fans. The event is open to the public.LIVE TWITTER UPDATES - Follow all of Thursday’s announcement action with live updates from Whitt via his twitter account @ColeWhitt. Whitt will give followers a first-hand account of his appearance with Dale Jr. by providing live up-to-the-minute updates and photos.
PRESS ON FUND FEATURED ON 88 CHEVROLET - CURE Childhood Cancer’s Press On Fund will be featured on Whitt’s No. 88 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway as part of a collaborative effort by TaxSlayer and JR Motorsports to raise awareness in the fight against childhood cancer. The Press on Fund logo will be located on the 88 car’s TV panel. For more information on Press on Fund, please visit www.pressonfund.org.
WHITT CONTINUES TO IMPRESS - Fresh off a solid fourth-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway last weekend, where the rookie led the first laps of his Nationwide Series career, Whitt looks to continue the trend at Darlington Raceway. Whitt’s driving talents surfaced in the Camping World Truck Series at Darlington in 2011. The rookie took the pole and led 30 laps en route to an eighth-place finish in his track debut.
2012 LAPS COMPLETED - Whitt ranks fifth on the NASCAR Statistical Services laps completed list. He has completed 1,531 of 1,542 laps on the season, giving the rookie a percent completion mark of 99.29%.
RESTRICTOR-PLATE SUCCESS - In two restrictor-plate races this year — Daytona and Talladega — Whitt has scored a pair of fourth-place finishes. The success gives Whitt more points (81) than any Nationwide Series regular during those two events. The Nationwide Series will return to the superspeedways for the July 6 event at Daytona.
WIN DALE JR.’S RIDE ROUND TWO - For the second consecutive year, The Dale Jr. Foundation will be raffling off Dale Jr.’s ride. This time around it’s an inferno-orange colored 2011 Chevrolet Camaro. Raffle tickets are only $25 each and only 8,888 will be sold. The winner will be invited to JR Motorsports, where Dale Jr. will hand over the keys to their brand new car. The contest will run through Oct. 1, 2012 with all proceeds benefitting The Dale Jr. Foundation. For complete details about the car, a list of second and third-place prizes, and to purchase tickets visit www.windalejrsride.com.
