#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin ‘Bono’Â Manion and the #1 McDonalds team will bring chassis #1008 to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. This chassis was used at both 2010 New Hampshire events where McMurray has a best finish of third just last month. The chassis was also used in April at Phoenix International Raceway where McMurray battled handling issues after an on track altercation forced a 24th-place finish.
#2-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington and crew will be racing their ‘PRS-715’Â Miller Lite Dodge Charger at Phoenix this weekend. This chassis debuted in winning fashion in the March 7 Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta. Busch led six times for 129 laps in his winning effort. In Penske Racing South tradition, Busch named his winning mount ‘Charger’Â as a tribute to his Dodge race car and because he was able to charge back to the front on numerous occasions during the race. It was Buschs second consecutive spring AMS victory and was a monumental win for him personally as it extended his winning streak to nine consecutive seasons. Busch, Addington and crew have raced ‘Charger’Â only one time since; in the April 19 Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas where Busch started 11th and finished a strong fourth.
#5-Mark Martin: crew chief Alan Gustafson has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-588 for Sunday’s race. This chassis finished fourth in its debut in the April Phoenix race. Since then, Martin also raced the car twice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
#6-David Ragan: Primary: RK-613 last ran New Hampshire ‘Â finished 22nd; Backup: RK-633 last ran Michigan in the fall of 2009 ‘Â finished 30th. Estrella Center (SLIC 8531) has been selected as the Maximum Center for the November 14 race at Phoenix as part of UPSs Center Recognition Program. The Estrella Center will have its number on the C-post of David Ragans UPS Ford throughout the weekend.
#11-Denny Hamlin: and the FedEx Racing team will unload Chassis JGR 276 this weekend in Phoenix. 276 last ran at Richmond in September when Hamlin led 251 laps on his way his sixth win of the season. Chassis 288 will serve in backup duty. The #11 FedEx Ground Toyota will carry the letters PLNS on the b-post this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway in recognition of the FedEx Ground Plains districts excellence in package care.
#12-Brad Keselowski: The #12 Penske Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-737 during Sundays Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). This is a brand-new chassis to the #12 team.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-535 debuted at Phoenix in April 2009. After only being tested in the wind tunnel, Chassis No. 14-535 hit the racetrack in impressive fashion, as Stewart used it to qualify sixth and lead once for 19 laps before finishing second, which at the time was the best finish for Stewart-Haas Racing. Chassis No. 14-535 returned to another flat track in June via New Hampshire, but its time on the racetrack was short after it crashed in practice. It was repaired with new front and rear clips for its return trip to New Hampshire in September. There, Chassis No. 14-535 led four times for 52 laps before a loose axle cap forced an unscheduled pit stop, which resulted in a 14th-place finish. The November trek to Phoenix marked the cars third career start, where it qualified eighth and went from a possible top-10 performance to a disappointing 25th-place result when it was caught up in a multi-car accident on lap 171 of the 312-lap race. With a new body, Chassis No. 14-535 returned to Phoenix this past April for its first start of 2010 and fourth overall. It had a quiet outing, qualifying 11th and finishing 23rd. The car was quickly turned around and tested April 26 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., but it has sat idle since.
#16-Greg Biffle: crew chief Greg Erwin on Phoenix: ‘Were taking the same car to Phoenix that we won with at Kansas so if we can just get the setup right this time, we should have a good race.’Â The #16 3M Ford will have a special Scotch Brand paint scheme for this weekends race in Phoenix.
#17-Matt Kenseth: Primary: RK-698 was last run at Kansas, this weekend at Phoenix, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Valvoline Ford.
#18-Kyle Busch: Chassis No. 286 will make its second-ever start in Sundays Kobalt Tools 500k at Phoenix. In its first start last month at Charlotte, Busch started sixth and led a race-high 217 laps before settling for a solid second-place finish.
#29-Kevin Harvick: is scheduled to pilot Chassis No. 322 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for 2010, this Chevy made its debut at New Hampshire in September, where Harvick finished fifth. Additionally, Harvick piloted this chassis at Martinsville three weeks ago, where he led six times for 97 laps and scored his career-first Martinsville top five and finished third.
#31-Jeff Burton: will race Chassis No. 319 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. Built new for 2010, this Caterpillar Chevy was put through its first paces at New Hampshire in September where the 17-year veteran was credited with a 15th-place result after running out of fuel with two laps remaining in the 300 miler and coasting to the finish.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will race Chassis No. 327 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix. Built new in 2010, this Chevy made its debut last month at Martinsville where Bowyer finished 37th after being involved in an accident on lap 194.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: Brian Pattie and the #42 Target team is bringing chassis #907 to Phoenix this weekend. The team has used this chassis four times, twice in 2010 (Loudon) and twice in 2009 (Loudon and Martinsville), qualifying in the top-five three out of the four events including two pole awards. Montoya has a best finish of third in both events last season.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: will pilot chassis No. 540 in Sunday’s Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix. He last drove that car to a fifth-place result at Martinsville Speedway in October. Back up chassis No. 520 has collected four wins in five starts ‘Â the most recent coming at Martinsville Speedway in March 2009.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Lance McGrew and the #88 engineers will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-589 for this weekend’s race at Phoenix. Earnhardt last raced this chassis to a fourth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.
#99-Carl Edwards: The #99 Aflac team will unload RK-695 at Phoenix. Edwards raced this car at Kansas in October where he finished sixth. It also raced at MIS in August and Indy in July. This car has not finished outside the top seven in its three starts.
(from team PR’s/sites if reported)(11-11-2010)
