NASCAR: J.R. Fitzpatrick New Hampshire Motor Speedway Advance

J.R. Fitzpatrick
No. 4 Equipment Express Chevrolet Silverado
Team Race Preview

NASCAR Truck Series Race 19 of 25 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway

BACK TO BASICS: J.R. Fitzpatrck returns to the No. 4 Equipment Express Chevrolet this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). This will mark his first trip to NHMS.  Fitzpatrick is coming off a recent win in the NASCAR Candadian Tire Series on August 30th at the road course Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.  The last time Fitzpatrick was behind the wheel of the No. 4 was in mid-August at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway when he drove from a 27th-place starting position, to become top-finishing rookie taking the checkers in the 11th position.

“We just want to finish races,” said Fitzpatrick. “I learned a lot of patience coming out of Bristol.  I gained some confidence there and while in Montreal.  I’m ready to get back behind the wheel of the No. 4 truck and continue to improve with the races we have left this season.”

IN THE LOOP: Season-to-date, Fitzpatrick ranks third among active drivers in NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistical Category of “closers.”  Fitzpatrick has an average of 2.3 positions gained in the final 10 percent of each race.  That is a total of 18 spots gained this season in the last few laps of each event.

BEFORE THE RACE: QUOTES WITH DRIVER J.R. Fitzpatrick:

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON YOUR PROGRESS THUS FAR IN 2009?

“I think the No. 4 team and I have really been working on not being as conservative as we have been in the past for this weekend.  I think so far for the amount of races we have run together things have been going really well.  Coming out of Bristol as the top finishing rookie was really a boost and it kind of stinks that it has taken me this long to get back into the truck after such a great run. But I did get the opportunity to compete in the Nationwide Series race in Montreal for KHI.  We had a great time and an awesome run going until we got caught up into a wreck late in the race.  All in all, things are going really well, and it is all about gelling and learning right now.  Our main goal is to log laps and finish races.”

WHAT DO YOU ANTICIPATE COMING INTO LOUDON?

“We have run really well as some of the larger tracks this season, but at heart I’m a short-track guy.  I really love the tight corners.  I’ve heard that Loudon is really flat and you have to get your truck working through the corners to be fast.  Kevin (Harvick) and Ron (Hornaday) have a lot of success and experience there so I’m really looking forward to going and competing.”

QUICK NOTES

Race Info
September 19, 2009
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Heluva Good! 200
Race length: 200 Laps/ 211.6 Miles
Banking/Turns: 2-7-degrees turns; 1-degree straight-a-ways
Track layout :1.058-mile
Shape: Oval

Pre-Race Schedule
Friday:
Practice: 10:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m., EST
Final Practice: 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., EST
Saturday:
Qualifying: 10:05 a.m., EST


2009 J.R. Fitzpatrick Truck Series Schedule:
·          Oct. 31            Talladega Superspeedway
·          Nov. 6              Texas Motor Speedway
·          Nov. 20            Homestead-Miami Speedway

Jessica Stroupe| Kevin Harvick Inc. | 703 Park Lawn Court | Kernersville, NC 27284
Phone: 336.992.2998 | Mobile: 336-345-8078| Fax: 336.992.2943
www.kevinharvickinc.com