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BMW RETURNS TO ALMS WITH THE LATEST GENERATION BMW M3
BMW of North America to partner with Rahal Letterman Racing for 2009 season
February 6, 2008... BMW presented the racing version of the new BMW M3 at the Chicago Auto Show. Powered by a
485 bhp eight cylinder engine, this impressive race car has been designed to compete in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) beginning in 2009. The car is based on the fourth
generation of the BMW M3, the high-performance sports car produced by BMW M GmbH.
BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen says: "With the sporting genes of the production BMW M3 being clearly
evident, developing a racing version of the car was the next logical step. The fact that the road-going vehicle is fitted with a V8 engine as standard provided us with an ideal
base. However, the BMW M3 is more than a race car, it has achieved legendary status amongst race fans across the globe. I am convinced that this unique story of the BMW M3
racing cars will now be expanded upon by the addition of further chapters."
BMW's 2009 entry into the American Le Mans Series will be driven by a partnership between BMW of North America, LLC
and Rahal Letterman Racing, co-owned by US motorsport legend Bobby Rahal.
"We are very pleased to be returning to the American Le Mans Series with our latest generation BMW M3," states
Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO, BMW of North America. "Sports car racing has been part of BMW of North America's history practically from day one. Just two weeks after the
company was incorporated in March 1975, a BMW CSL won the Twelve Hours of Sebring. We are confident that the fourth generation M3 will continue the legacy of its two
predecessors which combined to win six manufacturer's championships over nine seasons in US sports car racing. As it has been in the past we believe the ALMS is the ideal
venue to showcase the potential of the newest BMW M3."
Echoing that sentiment Bobby Rahal adds, "BMW has an illustrious racing heritage. Rahal Letterman Racing is eagerly
anticipating, not only becoming part of that heritage, but helping to enhance it. Our dedication to this project will be without equal and we look forward to racing at the front of
the grid with BMW in the years to come."
Martin Birkmann, Motorsports Manager, BMW of North America, adds: "We are very excited to announce our return
to the American Le Mans Series with the 4th generation M3 at the same time as the road car hits the BMW showrooms. We are also excited about our partnership with Rahal
Letterman Racing. The ALMS offers racing where we can compete against the finest and most renowned automotive brands from Europe and the US. Motorsport is deeply
ingrained in the BMW DNA and we are pleased to partner with an organization which shares that same heritage. Rahal Letterman Racing is the perfect partner to be behind the
wheel of our new BMW M3 racing effort."
The BMW M3 Race Version: Sportiness personified.
In the course of developing the race version of the BMW
M3, BMW's engineers were faced with an ambitious task: to improve upon the sportiness of an already sporting car. A better base would, though, be difficult to find. In standard
form the vehicle delivers powerful dynamics and sporting aesthetics. Thanks to an eight cylinder engine producing 414 bhp, BMW's customers are provided with a unique driving experience.
Those engine blocks, cast in BMW's light alloy foundry in Landshut - the very source of BMW's Formula One castings - selected for race duty need to withstand even more
power: the BMW P65 race engine delivers 485 bhp.
In order to enable the BMW M3 to make full use of this performance on the race circuit, the experts in Munich have
not concentrated solely on the engine, but have race-tuned the chassis as well. The race version of the BMW M3 is wider and significantly lighter than its production equivalent,
enabling it to perfectly transmit the power of its V8 to the track. Widespread use of carbon-reinforced plastic (CRP) provides proof of substantial weight reduction. As with the
production version, the race car's roof is manufactured from this high-tech material.
The race version of the BMW M3 is clearly aimed at the top
echelon of motorsport. As such, it is no surprise to discover that in the course of its development, begun in mid-2007, numerous Formula One techniques were applied. These
include computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel analyses, both of which have ensured the best possible aerodynamic package for the BMW M3.
Intelligent control systems have been incorporated
throughout the BMW M3. The POWER400 control unit actuates all the accessories fitted to the car, such as lights, wipers, etc., via two bus systems. Traditional relays
and fuses are thus eliminated, ensuring considerable weight saving, improved reliability and ease of application. The functions of the BMW P65 engine are managed by an ECU
408 electronic control unit, developed in-house by BMW Motorsport. The software and applications, too, have been developed by the experts in Munich.
An intensive test program, during which the performance of the race car will be honed by BMW Motorsport, looms for the BMW M3 over the coming months. Development drivers
will be BMW works drivers Andy Priaulx (GBR), Jörg Müller (GER) and Augusto Farfus (BRA), currently racing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). The aim is, after
all, for the BMW M3 to be an immediate front-runner upon its comeback to the American Le Mans Series.
BMW Racing in North America
BMW's return to race track coincides with the fourth
generation M3's entry into North American showrooms, a pattern familiar to those eager to follow the newest chapter in BMW's storied racing history.
After the CSL's, the 70's ended with the 320 Turbo. Known affectionately as the "Flying Brick" the flame-throwing coupes delighted sports car racing fans with their signature
exhaust fire. The program also added reams of data to BMW's turbocharging technology, information that would help a BMW-powered Brabham win the 1983 Formula One World Championship.
In the late 1980's BMW of North America entered IMSA's top prototype category with the BMW GTP. The program netted only one win, but added incalculable experience to the men
and women responsible for racing here in the US. When the second generation M3 debuted in 1995, the company was ready for a major effort in production car racing that
continued through 2006 and the third generation M3.
When the checkered flag fell on the last race of the 2006 season, BMW of North America wrote the final page of the
most successful chapter to date of its 31-year motorsport story. From 1995 through 2006, BMW of North America's M3 racing program drove to 53 wins in 118 races entered,
adding 14 championship trophies to corporate display cases and a shine on the Roundel like never before.
Return to familiar territory.
BMW can look back on numerous successes and titles in the
ALMS. The BMW V12 LMR prototype won the inaugural ALMS race in 1999 at the Twelve Hours of Sebring. In 1999 and 2000 the BMW V12 LMR went on to score six victories.
For 2001 BMW switched to the GT Class, winning everything in sight with the BMW M3 GTR, which was developed specifically for the ALMS: BMW works driver Jörg Müller
claimed the drivers' championship, Team BMW Motorsport took the team title and BMW won the manufacturers' championship in the company's most important market.
BMW in the American Le Mans Series.
The American Le Mans Series is far from virgin territory for BMW. During both 1999, the series' inaugural season, and the following year, the company celebrated major
successes in North America. Under the management of the Schnitzer Team's Charly Lamm, five BMW drivers scored a total of six victories with the 580 bhp BMW V12 LMR. In
1999 the impressive BMW V12 LMR simultaneously won the very race which served as inspiration for the ALMS: the Le Mans 24 Hour Race.
In 2001 BMW deployed a new car. For the third ALMS
season a switch was made from the Prototype category to the GT class using the BMW M3 GTR, a totally new development powered by an eight cylinder engine delivering
450 bhp. Two operations, Team BMW Motorsport from Germany and the US-domiciled BMW Team PTG, entered two cars each. The Team BMW Motorsport entries were
driven by Jörg Müller/JJ Lehto and Fredrik Ekblom/Dirk Müller respectively, with Hans-Joachim Stuck and Boris Said, and Niclas Jonsson and Bill Auberlen doing driver duties in the Team BMW PTG Team-entered cars.
The debut season of the BMW M3 GTR rapidly became a success story: BMW drivers mounted the top step of the podium seven times, with six pole positions falling their way.
BMW works driver Jörg Müller captured the drivers' title, Team BMW Motorsport took team honors, and BMW the manufacturers' championship. After a development program
totalling less than six months BMW was able to lay claim to no less than three championships with the BMW M3 GTR.
Ultimately successful 2001 season does not start according to plan.
The 2001 season did not, though, start according to plan. At the opening race on 4 March in Fort Worth, Texas, the BMW M3 as raced during the previous year was deployed.
Stuck and Said gave it their all, and placed third for BMW Team PTG. Approximately two weeks later things looked up: at the Sebring 12 Hour Race in Florida the BMW M3 GTR
celebrated its track debut having undergone only cursory shakedown tests due to time pressures. However, Müller and Lehto immediately fired a shot across the bows of the
opposition: they crossed the finish line of the classic race in third place, thereby ensuring BMW's first podium place with the BMW M3 GTR. "That was the car's first test drive under
racing conditions," said team manager Charly Lamm.
Team BMW Motorsport thereafter crossed the Atlantic in order to amass more experience by taking in two European
Le Mans Series events of 2.45 hour duration each at Donington (Great Britain), and in Jarama (Spain). Although the team suffered a double retirement in England, the
Jarama race ran totally to plan: Team BMW Motorsport celebrated its first one-two via Ekblom/Dirk Müller and Lehto/Jörg Müller.
They're unleashed.
After its European sojourn, Team BMW Motorsport returned to the USA. Together with Team BMW PTG, Charly Lamm's operation fought for points and placings at California's Sears
Point Raceway. Lasting almost three hours, the race culminated in a quadruple success for BMW: Lehto/Jörg Müller won from Said/Stuck, with Ekblom/Dirk Müller and
Auberlen/Jonsson following them across the line. The next race, at Portland, Oregon, saw Said/Stuck win, with Team BMW Motorsport taking third and fourth places.
The extent of the domination of the BMW teams became clear during the final four rounds of the series: in Mosport (Canada), Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca Lehto/Jörg Müller won
from Ekblom/D Müller; the season finale, the 'Petit Le Mans' at Road Atlanta, saw Auberlen/Said/Stuck win. Dirk Müller and Jörg Müller placed second.
Thus the BMW teams ended the 2001 ALMS season with
four consecutive one-two victories. BMW drivers mounted the top step of the podium seven times, with Jörg Müller celebrating the most: he amassed 185 points to take the
drivers' title by five points from team-mate JJ Lehto. The teams' classification was won by Team BMW Motorsport (184 points), with BMW Team PTG placing third with 170.
The Manufacturers' Championship went to BMW with 198 points.
In total the BMW teams had contested ten races each. For Team BMW Motorsport in particular, participation in the
series proved a major logistical challenge: the team travelled nearly 7,000 miles within Europe and a further 28,000 miles in North America as its crew travelled from
race to race. A regular paddock and permanent workshop facilities were as sorely missed as were home town comforts.
"The technicians, the teams and the drivers performed
magnificently," said BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen after the season finale. "The late project start, combined with the logistical challenges of the North American races,
made it extremely demanding." The effort was, though, justified: the BMW M3 GTR came through its baptism of fire with flying colors.
Technical Specifications BMW M3 Race Version.
Weight: 2,535 lbs./1150 kg
Tank capacity: 29 gallons/110 Liters
Chassis/body: Unitary construction steel body with welded safety cell made of extremely rigid precision steel tubing; safety fuel tank in CRP sandwich tray; pneumatic four-stamp jack system
Aerodynamics: Front fenders, rear apron, hood, roof, trunk lid, rear wing, front wings, and flared rear wheel arches in CRP
Transmission: Carbon fiber clutch with hydraulic central slave cylinder;
6-speed sequential racing transmission with straight-cut, unsynchronized gears;
additional oil/air cooler; quick shift system with ignition cut-out controlled by shifting force; mechanical limited slip
differential with additional oil/air cooler
Front axle: Based on production version, with increased wheel caster angle, enlarged track width and enhanced
wheel camber; five-way adjustable shock absorbers; tubular stabilizer bar
Rear axle: Based on production version, with enlarged track width and enhanced wheel camber; five-way adjustable
shock absorbers, tubular stabilizer bar
Front brake system: Six-piston aluminum brake calipers, inner-vented grey-cast iron brake disks 15.0 in./380mm in diameter
Rear brake system: Four-piston aluminum brake calipers, grey-cast iron brake disk, 13.1 in./332mm in diameter
Steering: Rack and pinion steering with electro-hydraulic power
Wheels: Aluminum wheels, 18 inches
BMW P65 Engine.
Type: Eight cylinder, V-configuration
Capacity: 3999 cc
Bore x stroke: 92 x 75.2 mm/3.62 x 2.96 in.
Max. output: approx. 485 bhp
Max. torque: approx. 368 lb-ft/500 Nm
Cylinder block: Aluminum cylinder block construction with bed plate lower section
Crankshaft: Steel crankshaft
Pistons: Forged skirt pistons
Conrods: High-performance steel
Cylinder head: Aluminum DOHC (Double Over Head
Camshaft); four valves per cylinder
Valve train: Four overhead chain-driven camshafts, valve actuation via rocker arms
Intake system: Eight throttle valves, made of CRP with load-charge optimized ram tubes
Exhaust system: Headers, mufflers
Fuel system: Single cylinder multi-point injection
Lubrication: Dry sump lubrication
Cooling: Water/air cooler and oil/water heat exchanger
Electrics/Electronics.
Engine management: BMW Motorsport ECU 408 with two high-performance micro-processors; Individual cylinder injection and ignition;
BMW Motorsport Lambda Controller
Pit speed limiter, Quick Shift function;
Engine data memory system
Energy management: Electric energy management and monitoring with BMW Motorsport POWER400 control unit,
networking of all sensors and actuators through bus system
Wiring harness: Weight optimized
Ignition coil: Eight high-performance pencil coils with integrated ignition drivers
Spark plugs: High-performance spark plugs
Cockpit: Free programmable LCD Display with integrated shift indicators
Steering wheel: Quick release multi-function steering wheel
w/ integrated display unit
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2008 MINI CHALLENGE will offer an even more intense and thrilling driving experience. enthusiasts will now be able to acquire and race the new MINI Right from the start
Corvette Racing Confirms 2008 Driver Lineup - Chevrolet's Championship-Winning Team Returns for American Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans
DETROIT – Corvette Racing's roster of championship-winning drivers will return in 2008 to race the Chevrolet factory team's twin Compuware Corvette C6.R race cars in the 12-race American Le Mans Series and
the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen will drive the No. 3 Corvette C6.R, joined by Ron Fellows for three endurance races (Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans). Oliver Gavin and Olivier
Beretta will drive the No. 4 Compuware Corvette C6.R, teamed with Max Papis in long-distance events.
"Continuity and consistency are two of the cornerstones of Corvette Racing's success, and that is
reflected in our longstanding relationships with these championship-winning drivers," said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing Road Racing Group manager. "They thoroughly understand the team's
overall objectives, and they are total professionals both on and off the race track. We're very proud to have these six drivers as part of the Corvette Racing family."
Corvette Racing's six drivers have a combined total of 135 ALMS victories, 13 ALMS championships, and 17 class victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They've been successful in series that span the spectrum of
motorsports from karts to Formula 1.
Ron Fellows, the charter member of the Corvette Racing fraternity, has been part of the team since initial testing began in 1997. A four-time
winner of the ALMS Most Popular Driver award, the Canadian star will attend selected ALMS races as a consultant and Corvette ambassador when he is not racing. Fellows also intends to compete in selected
NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series road races.
"It's been very special to be a part of Corvette Racing since Day One," Fellows said. "People around the
world now recognize and respect the Corvette brand as a result of the success in top-level racing that the team has achieved over the years. It's also been very gratifying to see how the race program has been
integrated with the production Corvette, first with the sixth-generation Corvette and the Z06, and now with the Corvette ZR1."
Like every member of the Corvette Racing team, Fellows has his eyes
firmly fixed on the GT1 prize at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: "Le Mans is our Super Bowl," he said. "It's such an important race, and competing there is something I'm not ready to give up yet."
Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta are seeking their fourth consecutive GT1 drivers championship in 2008, and the teammates are aiming to win their fourth Le Mans title in five years.
"No one is complacent at Corvette Racing," Gavin said. "We all know that our jobs are highly sought after, and I begin each season with the thought that we are starting with a
clean sheet of paper and I have to prove myself again. Our teammates in the No. 3 Corvette C6.R will be racing the wheels off to beat us, and we'll be doing the same to beat them as
well as the Aston Martin. There are very sharp people in the team who are constantly analyzing every performance, making sure that everyone is at the top of their game.
"Continuity in the lineup means that you know how your teammates think and respond to situations," Gavin explained. "This familiarity allows each of us to get the job done in the
most efficient way, and that's usually what produces the best result."
Corvette Racing will make its season debut in the opening round of the 12-race ALMS series, the Mobil 1
Twelve Hours of Sebring, on March 15, 2008.
Corvette Racing Drivers
Olivier Beretta, Compuware Corvette No. 4
Birthdate: Nov. 23, 1969
Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco
Notes: Five-time ALMS GTS/GT1 champion, five class wins in 24 Hours of Le Mans, holds ALMS records for most career wins (37) and most career poles (20), two FIA championships, overall victory in
2000 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Ron Fellows, Compuware Corvette No. 3
Birthdate: Sept. 28, 1959
Residence: Mississauga, Ont., Canada
Notes: Four-time ALMS Most Popular Driver award (2004-07), three-time
ALMS champion, two 24 Hours of Le Mans class wins, 19 SCCA Trans-Am wins, five NASCAR wins (two NCTS, three NNS)
Oliver Gavin, Compuware Corvette No. 4
Birthdate: Sept. 29, 1972
Residence: Yardley Hastings, England
Notes: Three-time ALMS GT1 champion, 28 career ALMS class victories, four class wins in 24 Hours of Le Mans
Jan Magnussen, Compuware Corvette No. 3
Birthdate: July 4, 1973
Residence: Roskilde, Denmark
Notes: Three class wins in 24 Hours of Le Mans, 14 career ALMS wins, former Formula 1 driver, twice voted "Most Popular Driver" in ALMS, 2005
Danish Racing Driver of the Year
Johnny O'Connell, Compuware Corvette No. 3
Birthdate: July 24, 1962
Residence: Flowery Branch, Ga.
Notes: Two-time ALMS GT1 champion, 28 career ALMS wins, six
Sebring 12-hour class victories, holds ALMS records for most starts (84), most podium finishes (63), most top-five finishes (76) and most top-10 finishes (82)
Max Papis, Compuware Corvette No. 4
Birthdate: Oct. 3, 1969
Residence: Mooresville, N.C.
Notes: Daytona 24-hour winner, two Sebring 12-hour victories, three CART wins, 2004 Grand-Am Daytona Prototype champion
CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER FORD AIMS TO CUT LOOSE ON MEXICAN GRAVEL
After establishing a strong early season lead in the FIA World Rally
Championship on asphalt and snow, BP Ford Abu Dhabi World Rally Team journeys to North America next week for the first of seven consecutive gravel events. Loose surface roads are the dominant terrain in the
series, hosting 10 of the 15 rounds, and so Rally Mexico (28 February - 2 March) will offer the best guideline to date for the season ahead.
The Ford Focus RS World Rally Car
claimed a clean sweep of the podium positions in Sweden earlier this month with BP Ford Abu Dhabi on the top two steps. Combined with second place on the season-opener in Monte
Carlo in January, the reigning world manufacturers' champion travels to this third round with a 10-point lead. Mikko Hirvonen and Jarmo Lehtinen are six points clear in the drivers'
table with Sweden winners Jari-Matti Latvala and Miikka Anttila tied in second.
Ford is a major sponsor of the rally, which is based in León in the centre of the country. It is the first of
three consecutive rounds outside Europe and is also the highest in the championship. Most speed tests are over 2000m and the first leg climbs to more than 2700m on hillsides awash with cacti and water
crossings. The altitude takes its toll on cars as the thinner air means engines 'run out of breath' and can lose up to 30 per cent of their usual power.
The special stages are fast and
flowing and average speeds last year topped 96kph. They are mostly hard-packed gravel, although some are sandier, and organisers worked closely with local authorities to build
stages for the rally that also opened up new link roads for isolated villages.
Hirvonen, whose best finish in his three previous starts was third last year, will be first in the start order on
the opening day courtesy of being championship leader for the first time in his career.
"First on the road isn't the best place to be in Mexico because there will be
loose gravel and stones on the road surface," said the 27-year-old Finn. "It's better to be further down the order where the roads will be cleaner but I don't mind putting up with that
if it means I lead the championship. I really don't want to start first on Saturday or Sunday though, and it will be interesting to see if tactics come into play at the end of the first
day as drivers try to obtain a better start position for the rest of the weekend.
"Technically the roads are a mix. About 50 per cent is quite straightforward and the rest is more
difficult. There are also plenty of stones on the edge of the road. In the past, with puncture-resistant mousse in the tyres, that wouldn't have been a problem but now it's
something I have to think about more carefully. The altitude is the most difficult aspect because the higher the stages, the less power there is and sometimes when you need the
power it isn't there. I will attack as hard as I can from the start. We had a good test last week and I was pleased with Pirelli's gravel tyre. I'm not concerned about punctures or
tyre wear," added Hirvonen.
Latvala became the youngest driver in history to win a WRC round in Sweden last month on only his second outing with the BP Ford Abu Dhabi team. The 22-year-old Finn
acknowledges that victory imposed demands on him that he had not experienced before. "It was a surprise because I didn't expect so much media interest and I was very busy handling interviews for a few
days after the rally," he said.
"I don't have as much experience in Mexico compared to some other rounds and I need to be a bit calmer than in Sweden. Another win isn't a
realistic aim and I would be happy with a top three position. I was very satisfied with last week's test. Pirelli's tyres felt strong. I had a couple of impacts with stones but no
punctures so I have no concerns.
Latvala was seventh last year, his best result from just two starts, and has learned to be cautious of the water crossings. "In the recce the
roads are in good condition but it's surprising how many big impacts the cars can take during the rally itself. Where the water flows down from the mountains and crosses the roads,
the concrete crossings can be deep and after a fast section the car can take quite a hard impact there," he explained.
Team News
* The team prepared for the rally with a four-day test at Chateau
Lastours in France following the Swedish Rally. It was the first opportunity for both Hirvonen and Latvala to test Pirelli's new gravel tyre. Each drove for two days, concentrating on tyre work and
completing about 400km each with no punctures. They also tested some new development parts for the Focus RS.
* As part of the sport's new regulations, BP Ford Abu Dhabi will
have just one tyre pattern from new partner, Pirelli. The Scorpion gravel tyre, which will make its competitive debut in Mexico, will be available in hard compound only. Because
anti-deflation mousse is also outlawed this year, the Scorpion includes reinforced sidewalls to offer increased protection against punctures Teams are not allowed to hand-carve additional cuts into the
rubber and each car can carry two spares.
* Four other Focus RS cars will start the rally. Gigi Galli / Giovanni Bernacchini and Matthew Wilson / Scott Martin will be nominated for
points by the Stobart VK M-Sport team. The Munchi's Ford World Rally Team will make its season debut with Henning Solberg / Cato Menkerud and Federico Villagra / Jorge Pérez
Companc nominated to score. Rally Mexico is not part of the programme for Abu Dhabi's Khalid Al Qassimi / Michael Orr.
Rally Route
Mexico was a late inclusion in the
calendar following the withdrawal of Rally Australia. The route is virtually identical to 2007 with just a few small variations to some stages. It has the shortest route ever for a
WRC event, covering just 830.83km with a remarkable 43 per cent of that being competitive. It is based in León, 400km north of Mexico City, with stages to the north and east.
It is the highest round in the series, with the opening day's Ortega test climbing through cacti-filled mountains to a breathtaking 2737m. It begins on Thursday evening with a spectacular ceremonial start in
Guanajuato, which last year was packed with more than 60,000 fans. The town is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site, famed for its beauty and underground road network. The opening two days
comprise two identical loops of three stages before two passes over a super special stage at León's race circuit. The track also hosts a double run on Sunday morning to bring the rally to a close. Drivers
tackle 20 stages covering 353.75km.
RALLY MEXICO - ROUND 3 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP. 28 February - 2 March 2008
COLIN BRAUN POSTS SIXTH FASTEST TIME IN THURSDAY'S NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES PRACTICE
COLIN BRAUN – No. 6 Con-way Freight Ford F-150 – ON TODAY'S
PRACTICE SESSIONS. "I think for me being a rookie, we put that first set of tires on when we go to a new race track and the first 10 or 15 laps are really good on the new tires. We
used a set of tires learning my way around the race track and learning where to drive. By the time I got comfortable on the race track, we're 20 laps into our tire run and we can't
post as fast a lap. That's why when we put the second set on, we really start to see what we have for a truck and what we have for speed, in terms of where we are on the board.
We certainly for us, we are looking at race pace and race speeds when the other trucks were out there. When we were out the in the first practice, we were pretty competitive then and
it just showed up on the board this afternoon."
THERE WASN'T A ROOKIE PRACTICE TODAY, DOES THAT HURT YOU AND YOUR LEARNING TIME ON THE TRACK? "I think since NASCAR gave
everybody more time today in the first practice, it doesn't really hurt us. I think it may help the veterans a little more than last year because they get the extra track time. It
would be great to have our own separate session. At least we were given extra tires so we could go out there and run 40 laps like we did in the first session. We can learn a lot
and get me comfortable with the race track. We were still working on the truck and getting down to business in the last half of that first session and obviously final practice."
WHAT IS THE TIRE WEAR LIKE HERE? "So far, it's been good for us. We've been pretty quick on old tires and that is something we've been working hard on. My crew chief, Mike Beam
has done a really good job getting our truck set-up. I think it should be really strong during the race. We were really strong on old tires, we were really strong underneath people
and we can pretty much run anywhere we want on the track. We should have a good and competitive Con-way Freight Ford F-150 in the race on Saturday."
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