NASCAR Pole Position 2015 June/July

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BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW! | NASCAR NEWS | GEAR | NASCAR SERIES DRIVERS ta il g at in g | te rminolog y | c a re e rs | l ife st y le | N A SC A R se rie s roste rs, sc he dule s & fe at ure s

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The stylized No. 33 and the RCR checkered flag logo are registered trademarks of RCR Enterprises, LLC. Ty Dillon’s name, likeness, signature and the TD stylized logo are registered trademarks of Ty Dillon. All trademarks and the likeness of the No. 33 race car are used under license from their owners. NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. May take 1 to 4 days for full effect. Use as directed. ©2015 Pfizer Inc.

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MIAMI to NASSAU & FREEPORT, BAHAMAS We’re headed out, pedal to the metal and we’re not slowing down! Join some of your favorite NASCAR drivers and pit crew members as we cruise to the Bahamas for some fun in the sun. If you’ve got a need for speed, don’t waste a second reserving your spot today!

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CONTENTS

06 GREEN FLAG: NEWS & NOTES

08 BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW!

10 Q&A: AUSTIN DILLON

11 TERMS OF RACING

News from around the world of NASCAR

Dig deep into the archives of NASCAR locations and drivers

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver

Understanding the terminology of racing

12

14

16

18

SPOTLIGHT: SYLVANIA

Still made in America

TAILGATING

Titans of the tailgate, presented

by Honda Generators

TRACK TASTY

Bubba burger®: A special bond with the military

NASCAR DEFINED

A look at NASCAR drivers while at the track NASCAR POLE POSITION RACE FAN GUIDE AN OFFICIALLY LICENSED PUBLICATION OF NASCAR

11880 28TH ST. N, SUITE 101 ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33716 PHONE: (727) 209-0792 • FAX: (727) 209-1776 WEB: POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM, AE-ENGINE.COM

27

50

DRIVER PROFILES

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver profiles, presented by GEICO

GEAR

The latest products from our advertising partners

52 WOMEN & RACING

The growing line of female drivers, presented by Samsung

54 NASCAR FUEL: CAREERS

Featuring jobs in communications

NASCAR POLE POSITION MAGAZINE PUBLISHER: CRAIG BARONCELLI VICE PRESIDENT, SALES: DAVID WATSON VICE PRESIDENT, EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTS: DAYNE MAASDORP VICE PRESIDENT, MOTORSPORTS: CHRIS VITA

SALES NATIONAL ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: DAVID POWERS, NATHAN WALKER, ARNOUT KOK, MIKE PEARSON

PRODUCTION ART DIRECTOR: JASON TEDESCHI • GRAPHIC DESIGNER: STACEY FOSTER • WEB DEVELOPER: NICOLE COOPER • COPY EDITOR: KEITH WALTZ • EDITOR: DAN GUTTENPLAN • WRITERS: JARED TURNER, KEITH WALTZ, BEN WHITE, AARON BURNS, JERRY BONKOWSKI, JOSEPH WOLKIN • PHOTOGRAPHY: CIA STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY, NASCAR/GETTY IMAGES • SPECIAL THANKS TO: MICHAEL FORDE (NASCAR), KRISTI JOYAL (NASCAR), RACHEL SMITH

55 NASCAR FUEL: LIFESTYLE

56

58

60

NASCAR FUEL: TRIVIA

NASCAR SERIES ROSTERS

Tips from the pros to get you prepared

Test your NASCAR knowledge!

2015 NSCS, NXS and NCWTS rosters

2015 NSCS, NXS and NCWTS schedules

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NXS: DAKODA ARMSTRONG

Learning the ropes in the No. 43 car

NCWTS: JOHNNY SAUTER

Wisconsin native chases a title

HOME TRACKS: BRENNAN POOLE

Short-track star finally gets a chance

NASCAR SERIES SCHEDULES

A.E. ENGINE SPECIFIES THAT POST-PRESS CHANGES MAY OCCUR TO ANY INFORMATION PRESENTED IN THIS PUBLICATION AND TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOODS OR SERVICES ADVERTISED. NASCAR® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR STOCK CAR AUTO RACING, INC. MAIL ORDER: TO RECEIVE A 2015 SUBSCRIPTION TO NASCAR POLE POSITION MAGAZINE, SEND A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR $25.00 TO: NASCAR POLE POSITION, C/O A.E. ENGINE, 11880 28TH ST. N, SUITE 101, ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33716. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR RETURN MAILING ADDRESS AND AN EMAIL ADDRESS. ONLINE ORDER: SUBSCRIPTIONS CAN BE ORDERED ONLINE AT POLEPOSITIONMAG. COM/BUY. DISTRIBUTION: IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS OR AN ORGANIZATION INTERESTED IN DISTRIBUTING COPIES OF NASCAR POLE POSITION MAGAZINE, PLEASE CONTACT CRAIG BARONCELLI AT (727) 2091750 OR CB@AE-ENGINE.COM. SALES INQUIRIES: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING IN NASCAR POLE POSITION MAGAZINE OR WOULD LIKE TO BECOME A FIELD REPRESENTATIVE, PLEASE CONTACT DAVID WATSON AT (727) 209-0789, OR DKW@AE-ENGINE.COM. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

SPOTLIGHT: COPD

The race to breathe easier POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

05

GREEN FLAG NEWS

Five Earn ‘Helmet of Hope’ Grants Representatives of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation recently unveiled the five recipients of this year’s $25,000 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope grants.

The Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope is a program that allows race fans and consumers across the country to nominate nonprofit organizations that support K-12 public education for the chance to win grant packages.

The five winners were: 9 Dots in Los Angeles; BackPack Beginnings in Greensboro, N.C.; Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland in Sioux City, Iowa; Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, N.C.; and The Be Kind People Project in Phoenix.

Approximately 2.2 million votes were cast for the 10 semifinalists. In addition to a $25,000 grant, each of the five winners will receive a Blue Bunny ice cream party and recognition on Johnson’s race helmet during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race June 7 at Pocono Raceway. To date, the Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope program has contributed more than $685,000 to 76 charities.

L

iftMaster has partnered with Kentucky Speedway to sponsor the track’s Pole Day activities on Friday, July 10.

Headquartered in Elmhurst, Ill., LiftMaster is the No. 1 brand of professionally installed residential garage door openers, as well as a major manufacturer of commercial door operators and residential and commercial gate operators.

By Dan Guttenplan

As part of an ongoing initiative to promote learning among local students at all grade levels, Michigan International Speedway awarded five $1,000 scholarships through the track’s MIS Cares program. The recipients were Matthew Brown (Blissfield), Collin Mohler (Madison), Shayne Palmer (Napoleon), Trevor Powell (Columbia Central) and Ashley Sierminski (Michigan Center). The scholarship was open to any graduating senior in Jackson or Lenawee County who was entering a STEAM-related (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) field at a college or university in Michigan.

O

fficials of Michigan International Speedway and Consumers Energy formed a joint venture with the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts to impact the entire state during the Michigan Arbor Day Celebration at Potter Park Zoo. The two companies provided 50,000 trees to the Michigan Association of Conservation Districts to be planted across the state. It is part of an effort between the track and electric company to get On Track to a Greener Michigan.

The 50,000 white pine trees were split among all 78 of the state’s conservation districts. The districts planted many of the allocated pines this spring during peak planting times in public accessible areas.

The remaining trees will be planted in the fall.

06

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

M

axwell House has joined forces with Michael Waltrip Racing and the coffee maker will sponsor one of the team’s cars in five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season and next year’s Daytona 500.

The 10-month agreement kicks off on Aug. 2.

Clint Bowyer will drive the No. 15 Maxwell House Toyota at Watkins Glen, Pocono, Martinsville and Texas this season. Team owner Michael Waltrip will carry the load at Talladega in October and in the 2016 Daytona 500.

N

ASCAR fans who own classic cars and would like to show them off in support of our country’s deeply rooted automotive heritage will have the opportunity during the Labor Day NASCAR weekend at Darlington Raceway. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Race Day Car Show is an opportunity for enthusiasts to bring their classic cars to racing’s oldest superspeedway during the Bojangles’ Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. All participants will receive tickets to the race, which returns to its traditional Labor Day weekend date on Sept. 6.

S

onoma Raceway and Humboldt Redwood Co. plan to bring shade and comfort to race fans as officials of the Windsor, Calif.-based company have signed a multiyear agreement to become the track’s Official Redwood Provider. The highlight of the sponsorship is construction of the “Real. Strong.

Humboldt Redwood Deck” overlooking Turn 2.

T

en children between the ages of 6 and 13 from across the nation reached the top 10 in the Race Car Design Contest for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, hosted by Ford Customer Service Division and its brands, Motorcraft and Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers. Those in the top 10 amassed the most donations for type 1 diabetes research in the first round of voting.

The winning design will be selected from these

10 finalists by officials of FCSD, JDRF and Wood Brothers Racing, which owns the Motorcraft/ Quick Lane Ford driven by Ryan Blaney in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Wood Brothers Racing’s No. 21 car will carry the winning design in the July 26 Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winning designer will experience the trip of a lifetime, seeing the car that he or she designed race at the famed Indiana track.

WHERE DOES

A REGULAR

SEASON WIN MEAN SO MUCH?

MEAN SO MUCH?

NOWHERE BUT NASCAR.

©NASCAR 2015

CHARLOTTE MAY 24 6 PM ET

DOVER MAY 31 1 PM ET

POCONO JUNE 7 1 PM ET

GREEN FLAG BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW!

1992

FOYT DROVE FIRST STOCK CAR AT INDY

T

Regan Smith in Unique Class While the Indianapolis 500 is known for drivers with famous surnames such as Foyt, Unser, Andretti, Mears and Franchitti, there has never been a Smith among the 735-plus drivers who have taken part in at least one “500.” ■ It’s called “The Curse of the Smiths,” according to Indianapolis Motor Speedway lore. The closest any driver with that name came to making the “500” was Mark Smith, who was bumped from the 1993 race in the final minutes of qualifying, never to return. ■ But NASCAR’s Regan Smith has unique bragging rights.

He became the first – and to date, only – Smith to compete at IMS, doing so in the 2008 Brickyard 400. Since then, he’s competed in five “400s” with a best finish of third in 2011.

WALK DOWN THE AISLE AT MIS

W

hen Michigan International Speedway officials say they have a full-service race track, they aren’t kidding. “Full service” has also come to include wedding ceremonies, of which at least two have been presided over by “Reverend Roger,” otherwise known as MIS track president and ordained minister Roger Curtis.

Curtis joined the first couple in holy matrimony in Victory Lane on June 17, 2012. Then an encore wedding for another happy couple was held a year later.

How’s this for cool? Instead of dresses, the bridesmaids wore Danica Patrick fire suits, while the groomsmen eschewed tuxedos for Dale Earnhardt Jr. fire suits. Not surprisingly, Danielle Smith and Kenneth DeLong called their special day “epic.” Smith added, “Getting married here is the most awesome thing I can think of.”

he so-called “tire test” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on June 22-23, 1992, was supposedly the first time NASCAR stock cars took to the celebrated 2.5-mile track.

The two-day test was a prelude to the first Brickyard 400, held two years later in 1994 and won by Jeff Gordon, who has gone on to win a record five in total since – including last year’s 21st running of the “400.” But A.J. Foyt holds the actual honor of driving the first NASCAR-style race car on the fabled Brickyard. According to IMS lore, Foyt took several laps in his stock car in September 1991 after shooting a TV commercial at the track. Tony George, then the IMS president, also took a few laps in Foyt’s car that day.

Ironically, Foyt didn’t run a major NASCAR race in 1991, although he did come out of retirement to compete in the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 and finish 30th.

POCONO’S UNIQUE WEEKEND

T

wo years before it hosted its first NASCAR race, Pocono Raceway became the first race track in U.S. motorsports to have back-to-back 500-mile races on consecutive days – from two different racing series and with two different types of race cars. And one of those just happened to be a stock car race.

Due to record flooding from Hurricane Agnes in June 1972, the originally scheduled Schaefer 500 USAC Champ Car (Indy car) race was pushed back more

than a month to July 29. It was won by Joe Leonard.

The next day, the USAC Stock Car series held the Pennsylvania 500. Roger McCluskey dominated the race, driving a Richard Pettylike Plymouth Superbird into Victory Lane. Legend has it that race convinced NASCAR officials to put Pocono on their premier series schedule two years later.

Ironically, Petty would win NASCAR’s first visit to the 2.5-mile triangular track, the Purolator 500, on Aug. 4, 1974.

A LITTLE ‘SHEEP-ISH’

G

ood help is often hard to find, especially when you have 1,600 acres of land to tend. It’s even harder to find someone to do the job for free. But there are perks: all the grass and weeds anyone can eat.

After years of burning out countless mowers and weed whackers, California’s Sonoma Raceway has “employed” roughly 3,000 sheep over the last seven years to keep its grounds neat and trim. They also keep the place safe as eating grass and weeds cuts down on the potential fire risk in the often dry and wind-swept hills in and around the race track property.

The track also has a number of manmade nests for owls, who have their own unique perks: all the rodents and insects they can catch.

by jerry bonkowski 08

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

GREEN FLAG DRIVER Q&A

FAST FACTS BEST ADVICE FROM YOUR GRANDFATHER ■■ A lot of things over the years as far as being loyal to your people. I think that’s one thing my grandfather’s always been is very loyal to his employees, and once he says something, he does it. He never goes back on his word. He’s a very truthful person and it’s a good quality to have.

BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES DRIVER AUSTIN DILLON Q&A WITH

A

s the oldest grandson of team owner Richard Childress, Austin Dillon has racing in his DNA. In an interview with NASCAR Pole Position’s Jared Turner, the second-year NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver discussed the importance of family, life in the No. 3 car and more.

Would you rather be liked by your peers or be successful?

Both – does that count? I really enjoy people, so for me I think being liked by my peers is very important to me. I enjoy friends, I enjoy hanging out with them and I believe if you have good friends around you, that you’re

taken care of and people enjoy being around you. Life is just easier that way. I think success is measured in different ways. I want to win races and be competitive and run well – I’m always a competitive person – but I enjoy being around people, as well.

I like to be looked at as a good person in front of my peers.

Why have you taken such interest in younger brother Ty’s success?

We’re brothers and it’s a natural bond that you’ll never break. It’s nice to have grown up in a family that has pushed family. Family’s important to us. It’s our everyday life.

Family is everything,

and when you have family, you kind of have somebody to lean on when you fall down.

How have fans reacted to you being in the No. 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car?

The cool thing is I’ve had people come up to me in random places in the middle of nowhere and introduce themselves. I was hunting in Texas and walked through a Walmart and a guy came up to me and said, “Hey, I just want to tell you that I’m really happy you brought the 3 back and I enjoyed watching you last year and keep up the hard work.” Stuff like that really goes a long way, so it’s been amazing how receptive they’ve been.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I care about people a lot and it’s a great quality. I have a big heart and I care about them, but sometimes I think I care too much about certain things.

■■ Winning at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the No. 3 car. It was out in front of a sold-out group of fans, there were 14,000 people there. I was kind of beating and banging for the win and the lead and slid off of a guy, hit him and it was kind of a rough race, and I ended up coming out with a “W.” It was probably one of the happiest moments of my career.

by jared turner 10

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

TERMS OF RACING GREEN FLAG

Understanding the Terminology

N

ASCAR competitors and hard-core fans often use words or phrases that can be confusing to casual fans. Consider the following a study guide as these definitions will help you better understand racing “lingo.”

Apron: The paved portion of a race track that separates the racing surface from the infield.

Bell Housing: A bell-shaped cover that surrounds the flywheel and clutch, and connects the engine to the transmission.

Binders: A slang term for a NASCAR race car’s brakes.

Blister: An overheating of the rubber compound that causes bubbles on the smooth surface of a racing tire.

Cam Shaft: A rotating shaft within an engine that opens and closes the intake and exhaust valves.

Drag: The resistance a car experiences when passing through the air at high speeds. A resisting force exerted on a car parallel to its airstream and opposite in direction to its motion.

Drive Shaft: A steel tube that connects the transmission of a NASCAR race car to the

rear-end housing.

Engine Block: An iron casting from the manufacturer that envelops the crank shaft, connecting rods and pistons.

Fabricator: A person who specializes in creating the sheet metal body of a stock car.

Firewall: A steel plate that separates the engine compartment from the driver’s compartment of a NASCAR race car.

Gasket: A thin

material – made of paper, metal, silicone or other synthetic materials – used as a seal between two machined metal surfaces such as cylinder heads and the engine block.

Heat Cycle: Each time a tire is raised to operating temperature is a heat cycle.

Horsepower: A measurement of mechanical or engine power. Measured in the amount of power it takes to move 33,000 pounds one foot in a minute.

Interval: The time or distance between two race cars. It is referred to roughly in car-lengths or precisely

in seconds.

Loose Stuff: Debris such as sand, pebbles or small pieces of rubber that collects on a track’s apron or near the outside wall during a race.

Oil Pump: This device pumps oil in order to lubricate all moving engine parts.

Pit Stall: The area along pit road that is designated for a particular team’s use during pit stops. Each car stops in the team’s pit stall before being serviced.

Ride Height: The distance between the car’s frame rails and the ground.

By Dan Guttenplan

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©2015 JR Motorsports, LLC. The name, likeness and signature of Regan Smith, the No. 7 Chevrolet and other related trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of JR Motorsports, LLC and JRM Licensing, LLC.

11

SPOTLIGHT SYLVANIA

THE NO. 1 AUTOMOTIVE LIGHTING COMPANY

S Sylvania Headlights: Still Made in America Sylvania Automotive Lighting traces its roots back to 1901 when a young entrepreneur, Frank Poor, became a partner in a small company in Middleton, Massachusetts, that renewed burned-out light bulbs.

The company would buy an old bulb for a few cents, cut off the glass tip, replace the filament and reseal the bulb.

Today, Sylvania Automotive Lighting provides headlights to roughly two thirds of all vehicles that traverse American highways. With locations in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, California, Indiana and Kentucky, along with Canada and Mexico, Sylvania Automotive Lighting makes more than 600,000 bulbs per day at its main manufacturing facility in Hillsborough, New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, at OSRAM Sylvania’s American headquarters in Danvers, Massachusetts, there are nine R&D labs and corporate IT facilities.

Although Sylvania Automotive Lighting was purchased in 1993 by OSRAM, its then-new parent company based in Munich, Germany, roughly 6,000 Sylvania Automotive Lighting employees today still work in the Americas, where there are a total of 11 factories.

12

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PRESENTED BY

The company’s primary products – automotive headlights of numerous varieties, mostly of the highly sophisticated sort – are mass distributed and can be found at AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, Walmart, O’Reilly Auto Parts and other Americanbased stores.

So while the parent company of Sylvania Automotive Lighting might be across the Atlantic Ocean in far-away Germany, it’s on North American soil that the now global company had its humble beginnings.

And much of that original focus on American branding remains in place today. That’s especially true at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Sylvania has been a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race sponsor since the 1990s.

“We talk about it in terms of manufacturing and not in terms of ownership. In this case, we’re owned by a German company, which gets the credibility of the BMWs and the Mercedes and the expectations of a German manufacturer,” said Brian Noble, OSRAM Sylvania’s marketing manager based in Hillsborough.

“It’s never a bad thing when it comes up in discussion, but we’re still an American manufacturing company. Our machines that have been running in New Hampshire since the 1970s are still running in New Hampshire.”

ylvania Automotive Lighting ranks as the No. 1 automotive lighting company in the United States for both the original equipment manufacturer and the secondary aftermarket.

Products made at the main manufacturing facility in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, which is located only about 40 minutes from New Hampshire Motor Speedway, include “9006” bulbs, which are the highest running headlight low-beam bulbs in the automotive market. Also originating here are “9005” bulbs, which are the highest running high-beam bulbs.

Made there, too, are the “3157” brake lights and taillights for the vast majority of cars. The same is true for the bulbs that go in vehicles such as Ford F150s that have one bulb for both low and high beam.

Bulbs designed and manufactured in Hillsborough range from incandescent, to halogens, to HID-manufactured to LED-manufactured.

Altogether, more than 20 percent of the market’s bulbs originate in Hillsborough.

“Everybody, especially the NASCAR fan, is really into ‘Made in America,’” Noble said. “When it gets down to actually opening their wallet, it doesn’t always matter if it’s made in America, but they always want to talk about it being made in America, especially with automotive and the automotive consumer.”

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GREEN FLAG TAILGATING PRESENTED BY

Titans of the Tailgate NASCAR’s most loyal race fans know how to have fun when they’re at the track.

Adam Dummer considers himself a casual race fan, but he’s one of the most social at the track.

The Denver, N.C., native knows how to tailgate.

One quote from the late Dale Earnhardt sums up 27-year-old Adam Dummer’s feelings about racing: “Do you want to race, or don’t you?” The same approach applies to Dummer’s tailgating habits. If he’s at Charlotte Motor Speedway, his home track, he’s not going to go easy on the fun. Dummer is a fan of the Earnhardts, both Dale and Dale Jr. Growing up in the Lake Norman area, Dummer says one should be a supporter of the racing family whose roots are throughout the region. He fits the bill.

Robby Revis has been a race fan for more than 30 years. The Marion, N.C., native first got into the sport as a Dale Earnhardt fan.

As far as race fans go, 47-year-old Robby Revis is a road warrior unlike few others. A list of racetracks Revis has visited includes most of the facilities in the Southeast.

He’s been to Charlotte, Bristol, Daytona, Martinsville, Richmond and even some old-school tracks like Rockingham, North Wilkesboro and Nashville. Revis’ best tailgates have come at Martinsville, where he and his work buddies grill out after the race ends. He’ll be at Bristol in August for what will be, Revis says, roughly his 40th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Kish, a Kevin Harvick fan, hails from Indian Mountain Lake, Pa. His second home, though, is Pocono Raceway – just minutes from where he grew up.

If there are any race fans who frequent Pocono and know more about tailgating than 26-year-old Michael Kish, they’re few and far between. Kish has been to every Pocono race since 1995, and he’s also an expert at tailgating. He grills Italian sausages with peppers, burgers and hot dogs, working alongside his friends and his brother, Steve. On race day, the menu features pork roll and cheese with a choice of Budweiser or Miller beer. You’ll also find macaroni salad, soda, water and plenty to do at one of Kish’s tailgates.

All it took was attending one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway for Parmelee, a Delray Beach, Fla., native, to become a race fan.

The March 29 running of the STP 500 marked 24-year-old Amanda Parmelee’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, but it probably won’t be her last. Going to school in North Carolina after living in Florida means she’s grown up in two of NASCAR’s hotbed states, so maybe it was only a matter of time before she found herself at a racetrack. One of the sport’s newest fans, though, is hooked. She’s become a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Larson, and she is looking into attending more races in the future.

Cleveland, Ga.’s Tim Wilkes has been a race fan since he was 10 years old. Dale Earnhardt was his favorite driver since his first race.

Racing is a big part of life for 40-year-old Tim Wilkes. It may not carry as much weight as his family, but the lifelong Georgia Bulldogs football fan definitely lists NASCAR pretty high on his priorities. He’s a restrictor-plate fan, having attended races at Daytona and Talladega. Wilkes is now a Kevin Harvick fan, but he’s also a major Chase Elliott supporter, since his hometown isn’t far from Dawsonville, the home of the Elliott family.

Wilkes grew up attending races with his family and he’s carried on the tradition of watching them with the new generation.

By Aaron Burns 14

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

Porta-Party.

Get the party started and keep it going strong with a Honda Generator.

You’ll enjoy quiet, fuel-efficient power, plus legendary Honda reliability.

From RVing, camping and tailgating to home backup and jobs around the house, a Honda Generator is your portable party machine.

gen.honda.com Please read the owner’s manual before operating your Honda Power Equipment and never use in an enclosed or partially enclosed area where you could be exposed to odorless, poisonous carbon monoxide. Connection of a generator to house power requires a transfer device to avoid possible injury to power company personnel. Consult a qualified electrician. ©2015 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

TRACK TASTY

BUBBA burger and the Military: A Special Bond ®

PRESENTED BY

Sold nationwide throughout the United States and Canada, BUBBA burgers are in high demand from coast to coast. The U.S. Military Commissary System is no exception. In fact, BUBBA burger counts military personnel among its most valued and loyal consumers. Rest assured the connection is no accident.

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Over the past two-and-a-half decades, the Jacksonville, Fla.-based enterprise has supplied thousands of burgers to troops stationed around the globe. Andy Stenson, the company’s marketing director, personally oversees three or four large events each year where military members and their families get to chow down on the No. 1-branded frozen burger in the United States. In addition to the big gatherings, hundreds more are held at smaller military bases throughout the country. Simply put: BUBBA burger can’t get enough of the military and the military can’t get enough of BUBBA burger.

“The service members are around the world, and they’re on the other side of the world, and they have a cookout and they have BUBBA burgers,” said Stenson, a former Navy parachute rigger who last year cooked and served BUBBA burgers to more than a thousand troops in Naples, Italy.

“It just becomes this emotional attachment to the brand knowing that we’re helping support them and that it’s sort of a touch of Americana, of home,

that they can have. … I think that’s been a lot of our success – military members experiencing BUBBA burgers while they’re serving the country and then coming back home and going, ‘Man, have you guys ever had a BUBBA burger?’”

BUBBA burger also honors the military through Facebook and Twitter posts and by providing members of the armed forces with special coupons and company-branded apparel.

“BUBBA burger’s just fun,” Stenson said. “We don’t take ourself too serious. We do a lot of fun events and people come to us and want to help and be part of our events – and with the military, it’s great. It’s very gratifying and we’re just really thankful for their service to the country.”

The company’s founder, Walter “Bubba” Eaves, served in the Marines, so the bond between BUBBA burger and the military transcends business. It’s personal.

“There’s some long history there,” Stenson said.

“That sort of brings it full circle, you know?”

UBBA burger’s affinity for the military goes beyond the cookouts and social media tributes to men and women in uniform.

BUBBA is a big distributor of the immensely popular military challenge coins collected by service members as a symbol of their unit identity and brotherhood.

Andy Stenson, a six-year veteran of the United States Navy, has been on both the giving and receiving end of official BUBBA Burger Challenge Coins, but the experience is always special.

“When you present it, it’s almost like a secret handshake that you’re thanking them very discreetly and quietly,” Stenson said. “It’s just, ‘Thank you for your service.’ Sometimes it sparks a conversation and sometimes you’ll just get a ‘thank you’ and you’ll carry on. It’s really pretty cool.”

A certain protocol is to be followed when handing out a challenge coin, however.

“When you present one, you try to start with the senior person because they’ll never ask for a challenge coin,” Stenson said. “They may come up and say, ‘You presented a coin to one of my junior officers and that was very great of you.’ And that would be your cue to say, ‘Well, thank you for your service,’ and present them with one. But they will not ask for it.”

By jaRED TURNER 16

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

“Victory Never Tasted So Good!”

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NASCAR DEFINED 1

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1 IMPRESSIVE. Casey Mears (center) and his GEICO Racing team finished sixth in the Daytona 500.

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

2 WE’RE LOVIN’ IT. Joey and Brittany Logano soak in his Daytona 500 triumph.

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3 SO COOL. Tyler Reddick basks in the glory of his first Camping World Truck Series win at Daytona.

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4 SNAPSHOT. A member of Jimmie Johnson’s crew snaps a picture after the team’s win at Texas.

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5 PICTURE-PERFECT. Phoenix provided a great weekend of NASCAR racing. (CIA Stock Photo)

6 TURN AND BURN. Joey Logano’s pit crew in action. (CIA Stock Photo)

7 MY FIRST RACE. Someone had a great – and chilly – experience during the Atlanta weekend. (CIA Stock Photo) POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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10 8 DANICA’S NEWEST FAN. Danica Patrick signs the maternity shirt of an expecting mom at Auto Club Speedway.

(CIA Stock Photo) 9 I SHALL CALL YOU … MINI-MES. Two fans go all out in support of their favorite drivers. (CIA Stock Photo) 10 READY TO ROLL. A fan’s die-cast collection on display. (CIA Stock Photo)

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11 DARK CLOUDS. Bad weather hampered the Food City 500 in Support of Steve Brynes and Stand Up to Cancer. (CIA Stock Photo) 12 THREE CHEERS FOR GORDON! Jeff Gordon reacts to the Bristol crowd. (CIA Stock Photo) 13 TOOL TIME. Keelan Harvick, son of Kevin Harvick, plays with some bigboy toys at Bristol. (CIA Stock Photo) 14 SIDE SHOT. Ryan Newman during practice at Bristol Motor Speedway.

(CIA Stock Photo) 15 BABY ON BOARD. Clint Bowyer shows off his son, Cash, at Martinsville. (CIA Stock Photo) POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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Driver Profiles

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers are a generous and altruistic population, as evidenced by their extensive involvement in numerous charities and other philanthropic causes.

by jared turner POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES

PR ES EN TED BY

88 NUMBER

Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Dale Jr. Foundation is dedicated to giving unprivileged youth the resources to improve their confidence and education, and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.

Through its 2014 fundraising campaign, TDJF brought in $933,364 – the most raised in a single year since its 2007 inception. The money is being distributed to more than 70 charities.

“I’m so proud of what we were able to accomplish [in 2014],” said Earnhardt Jr., who in December was named recipient of NASCAR’s prestigious Myers Brothers Award for his contributions to the sport of stock car racing.”

Since 2007, TDJF has contributed to charities on local, regional and national levels through donations and nonmonetary aids. Behind initiatives such as the Driven To Give event, Win Dale Jr.’s Ride raffle and the Dale Jr. Ride-Along Experience, the foundation exceeded its all-time high in fundraising monies last year by $175,800.

The fourth annual Driven To Give event took place Oct. 21 with Comedy Central comedian John Heffron entertaining the

audience at the Fillmore in Charlotte.

Proceeds from the silent auction, live auction and donations totaled $253,100 – an increase of more than $57,000 from the money raised in 2013.

The next day, W. Smith took ownership of Earnhardt Jr.’s 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe after being declared the winner of the 2014 Win Dale Jr.’s Ride promotion. Smith’s $25 raffle ticket was randomly drawn from the 8,888 tickets sold. She learned that she was the winner of Earnhardt Jr.’s Corvette just two weeks after being diagnosed with stage-4 breast cancer. Smith came to JR Motorsports on Oct. 22 to receive the keys to her new car from Earnhardt Jr. The raffle raised $222,200.

The Dale Jr. Ride-Along Experience raised an additional $124,400. Fourteen recipients and their guests visited Charlotte Motor Speedway for a ride from the Richard Petty Driving Experience with Earnhardt Jr.

INFO OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTSG SPONSORS NATIONWIDE, DIET MOUNTAIN DEW/ AMP ENERGY, KELLEY BLUE BOOK MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF GREG IVES 28

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

DRIVER PROFILES

24 NUMBER

INFO OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS DRIVE TO END HUNGER, 3M, AXALTA, PEPSI, PANASONIC MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF ALAN GUSTAFSON

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PR ES EN TED BY

Jeff Gordon One of NASCAR’s most notable philanthropists, Jeff Gordon is a staunch supporter of pediatric cancer research, treatment and patient support programs through his Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation.

What began as a small project driven by one special child has morphed into an organization that has raised more than $15 million for children’s health organizations since its establishment 16 years ago. In 2011, Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation extended its efforts globally to bring pediatric cancer care to Rwanda, Africa.

Back at home, the foundation provides support to the Concord, N.C. -based Jeff Gordon’s Children’s Hospital, which serves children in the community by providing a high level of primary and specialty care, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.

After meeting hundreds of kids through visits to children’s hospitals and granting wishes through Make-A-Wish Foundation, the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion wanted to give back to the children in his own community.

The opportunity to do that presented itself in May 2005 when officials of Carolinas Medical Center-NorthEast in Concord approached Gordon about the opportunity to give back to the local community through the establishment of a children’s hospital.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver and his foundation set out to build a facility that would provide highly specialized treatment using state-of-the-art equipment. Today, the hospital setting is a nurturing, healing environment, staffed by the most talented and caring medical professionals in the greater Charlotte area.

Construction of the hospital took a year and a half to complete, its doors finally opening to patients in December 2006. The Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital provides the highest level of primary and specialty pediatric care, including cardiology, endocrinology, oncology, neurology, pulmonology and several other specialties.

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48 NUMBER

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Jimmie Johnson Launched in 2006 by Johnson and his wife, Chandra, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation has contributed in excess of $6.7 million to various organizations.

The mission of the foundation is assisting children, families and communities in need, with a focus on supporting K-12 public education.

The foundation funds K-12 public education primarily through the Jimmie Johnson Foundation/Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Champions Grants program.

Champions Grants have been awarded to 84 schools in California, Oklahoma and North Carolina, where the Johnsons grew up and currently reside.

In addition, each year the foundation selects five charities that support K-12 public education to be featured on Johnson’s Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope.

Charities are nominated by fans nationwide and are voted on by the public. Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope charities receive national exposure on the helmet worn by the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion for a select race.

The title sponsor for the Helmet of Hope

program – which began in 2008 – is Blue Bunny Ice Cream. In addition to being featured on the helmet, each charity selected receives a grant of $25,000 and a Blue Bunny ice cream party. To date, the program has contributed more than $685,000 to 76 different charities.

Past Jimmie Johnson Foundation partnerships include working with San Diego Habitat for Humanity to construct four homes on Foundation Lane in El Cajon, Calif.; building Jimmie Johnson’s Victory Lanes, a four-lane bowling center for campers at Pattie and Kyle Petty’s Victory Junction in Randleman, N.C.; and funding construction of the Toddler Playroom at the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. The foundation also works with the Hendrick Marrow Program.

Foundation officials announced in February the launch of the 2015 Blue Bunny Helmet of Hope campaign, which awarded $125,000 to five nonprofits in April.

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DRIVER PROFILES

4

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INFO OWNER TONY STEWART, GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS BUDWEISER, JIMMY JOHN’S, OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE, DITECH MORTGAGE MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF RODNEY CHILDERS

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PR ES EN TED BY

Kevin Harvick Established in 2010 by Harvick and his wife, DeLana, the Kevin Harvick Foundation works to improve the quality of life for underprivileged youths, and help them realize their dreams.

The foundation’s expressed mission is to support programs that enrich the lives of children throughout the United States.

“There are many children who have dreams of becoming a race car driver, a policeman, a doctor or scientist, but don’t see a way to achieve those dreams,” said Harvick, the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. “DeLana and I want to provide opportunities to children who might not realize their potential.”

In the spirit of doing just this, Harvick – a native of Bakersfield, Calif. – announced in October 2010 that his foundation would fund a full academic scholarship to one California State University-Bakersfield student-athlete per year for the next 12 years. Harvick made the $151,200 award presentation during a press conference at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. The scholarship was established as a way for Harvick to support his hometown community, Kern County and higher education. To be eligible for the scholarship, a recipient must be a student-athlete at CSUB, a resident of Kern County and exhibit financial need.

“By providing this scholarship fund, DeLana and I enable students to follow their dreams to get an undergraduate degree and participate in athletics at the collegiate level,” said Harvick.

The Kevin Harvick Athletic Scholarship wasn’t Harvick’s first effort to support the education system in his hometown. In 2008, the driver assisted his alma mater, North High School in Bakersfield, in raising funds to refurbish two wrestling rooms that had fallen into a state of disrepair. With Harvick’s help, the two rooms were equipped with new lighting, new heating, new paint and new mats.

“Kevin has openly talked about how wrestling helped him to become both mentally and physically strong,” said Steve Johnson, the school’s vice principal. “He wants that for others as well, and so do we.”

42 NUMBER

Kyle Larson Despite being in just his second full NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, 22-year-old Kyle Larson is no stranger to philanthropic activities.

INFO OWNER CHIP GANASSI, FELIX SABATES TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING SPONSOR TARGET MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF CHRIS HEROY

On the same weekend that he made his Sprint Cup Series debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October 2013, Larson hosted a Make-A-Wish opportunity for a young fan suffering from a form or sarcoma. Larson worked with Make-A-Wish, which helps chronically or terminally ill children, to give the teenager from Clemmons, N.C., an enjoyable day at the track.

The two met in Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Victory Circle and posed together in front of Larson’s No. 42 Chevrolet, which was carrying special sponsorship from Nature Made’s Kids First vitamins for that weekend’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race. Target and Nature Made partnered to help Make-A-Wish dreams come true by donating a portion of the proceeds from every bottle of Kids First vitamins to the foundation.

The next month, Larson was on the philanthropy trail yet again.

This time, he was teaming with Target and The Heart of America Foundation to renovate a Phoenix-area school library, which brought 2,000 new books and a technology upgrade to Palm Lane Elementary School. Larson even read to the kids, who were able to take home books to keep. It was all part of Target’s School Library Makeover program, which anticipated donating $1 billion for education by 2015.

“Reading is important for every kid growing up,” Larson said. “With Target, who sponsors my race car, they do a lot of charity work for education and all sorts of things like that. It was a good opportunity for me to go there and experience that.”

It meant a lot to Larson to be able to serve young children.

“A lot of those kids don’t have books at home; that’s why they were given seven books to take home for themselves and their siblings,” he said. “It was pretty special, to know that those kids are probably going to go home and their parents are going to read it to them – and just helping with their futures, I guess.”

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

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DRIVER PROFILES

78 NUMBER

INFO OWNER BARNEY VISSER TEAM FURNITURE ROW RACING SPONSOR FURNITURE ROW MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF TODD BERRIER

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PR ES EN TED BY

Martin Truex Jr. Launched in 2007 by Martin Truex Jr. and longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex, the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation has three major areas of focus, all related to children: illnesses and disabilities, hunger and homelessness, and abuse and neglect.

Donations to the foundation support programs and initiatives such as the Second Harvest Food Bank Backpack Program – which feeds hungry children in local schools around North Carolina – and the Martin Truex Jr. Special Needs Fund at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte that offers financial assistance to families of children undergoing treatment for cancer.

“I feel very fortunate that Sherry and I are in the position to give back to our community through the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation,” said Truex. “I am humbled by the amount of support we have received from our friends, family and corporate partners. Each one has helped make our foundation a success that is continually growing and changing lives every day. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received from our community here in North Carolina, my hometown of Mayetta, N.J., and fans all across the country.”

Then, there’s the Martin Truex Jr. Pediatric Care Center at Southern Ocean Medical Center in the driver’s home state of New Jersey. Designed to be family friendly, the facility features six private rooms, a kid-friendly waiting area, private consultation rooms and rooms for overnight observation if necessary.

Accommodations are available so parents can spend the night with their child. In addition to providing top-quality care for pediatric emergencies, the Pediatric Care Center can also be used for children recovering from surgery or dealing with routine medical issues.

As part of Meridian Pediatric Network, the Martin Truex Jr. Pediatric Care Center provides access to more than 100 specialists at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center for complex and more serious conditions.

DRIVER PROFILES

20 NUMBER

INFO OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSORS DOLLAR GENERAL, DEWALT MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF JASON RATCLIFF

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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Matt Kenseth In addition to being a champion NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver, Matt Kenseth is also an author – a children’s author.

The 2003 NASCAR champ and two-time Daytona 500 winner teamed with his wife, Katie, last year to release a children’s book – “Matt Kenseth’s Race Against Bullying” – aimed at educating children on how to make good choices if bullied by a fellow student.

As parents to three little girls, the book carries personal meaning to Matt and Katie, who hope to shed insight on a sensitive topic that affects many children and families.

“I was kind of the kid that I wasn’t the guy doing all the sports,” Matt Kenseth said, recalling his school days in Wisconsin. “I was working on a race car, but I wasn’t really necessarily a nerd, either. It was just kind of a little school. There was the same group that picked on me pretty hard. I don’t know if I handled it the right way or not.”

In the process of working on the book, which features Matt and Katie as fictional characters in real-life schoolyard situations, Katie actually learned a few things she didn’t know about her husband.

“As we started talking about the book, he actually opened up more about the fact that he was in a sense bullied,” Katie said.

“When he was in school, ‘bullying’ wasn’t such a popular word. It was kind of like that’s just how everybody was treated, you were picked on and that’s what happened. So for me it was interesting to learn just exactly what he had been through.”

The book is available for purchase exclusively at Dollar General stores and DollarGeneral.com. It is the first of four children’s books the Kenseths plan to co-author. Katie looks forward to working with her husband on future projects.

“Everything is fun with Matt,” said Katie. “He has such a dry sense of humor. There were a lot of days when he would read the book and say, ‘I don’t know.’ And I would say, ‘Would you read it to your kids?’ It’s funny. The children’s book takes him more out of his box and it puts me more in a comfort zone.”

47 NUMBER

A.J. Allmendinger In 2011, A.J. Allmendinger helped the Davidson Library’s Pave the Way campaign exceed its fundraising goal, generating more than $211,000 in support – well above the targeted $175,000.

INFO OWNER BRAD DAUGHERTY, TAD GESCHICKTER TEAM JTG DAUGHERTY RACING SPONSORS BUSH’S BAKED BEANS, CLOROX, KINGSFORD CHARCOAL MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF BRIAN BURNS

©2015 Bush Brothers & Company. 2015 JTG Daugherty Racing™, AJ Allmendinger name and / or likeness and race team, race car and car number used by authority of JTG Racing, Inc. CHEVROLET AND ALL ASSOCIATED MARKS, EMBLEMS AND DESIGNS ARE THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF CHEVROLET MOTOR CORPORATION AND USED WITH PERMISSION.

The library, located in Davidson, N.C., is in the same town where Allmendinger’s management company (Walldinger Racing Inc.) is based. It was facing a major budget shortfall, but donors such as Allmendinger took it into their own hands to make sure the library didn’t go under.

“I’m glad that my NASCAR career has put me in a position where we could help Davidson Library reach their fundraising goal,” the driver said at the time. “My company, Walldinger Racing, is based here and some of our employees and their families call Davidson home as well. So Davidson and the community here are obviously

important to us. Not only is the library an important resource, it’s really like the heart of Davidson. I think the people here really showed that by how they rallied around the Pave the Way campaign.”

That same year, Allmendinger and fellow California native Casey Mears took part in what Sprint called the Sprint Bragging Rights Challenge at Auto Club Speedway in their home state. The driver who scored the highest-finishing position in the event received a $5,000 contribution to the charity of his choice on behalf of Sprint.

With his 14th-place finish in the Auto Club 400, Allmendinger earned the check for his

charity, the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

“The Sprint Bragging Rights Challenge was a ton of fun,” said Allmendinger. “I love having the opportunity to bring awareness to the Paralyzed Veterans of America and this was an excellent opportunity for me to do that. It’s an honor for me to be associated with them. It’s cool that Casey and I were asked to be a part of the Challenge. Sprint works really hard to activate its sponsorship and they do a fantastic job. Everything they do is fun for the drivers and for the fans.

Most importantly though, I’m glad we came out ahead in our Best Buy Ford and Sprint will donate $5,000 to the PVA.”

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DRIVER PROFILES

10 NUMBER

INFO OWNER TONY STEWART, GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS GODADDY.COM, ASPEN DENTAL, TAXACT MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF DANIEL KNOST

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PR ES EN TED BY

Danica Patrick Danica Patrick has supported charities related to children, women and animals, but one is especially close to her heart.

The philanthropic cause that has received perhaps the largest chunk of Patrick’s energy and attention in recent years has been the fight against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, better known as COPD. An under-diagnosed condition that affects millions of Americans, COPD includes two main conditions: emphysema and chronic bronchitis – or, more commonly, a combination of the two.

Making the fight against COPD particularly near to Patrick’s heart is that her grandmother died of complications related to the disease in 2001 at age 65. COPD had already stripped Patrick’s grandmother of the ability to walk and breathe on her own, before ultimately taking her life.

“In the end, she was in a wheelchair, on oxygen 24 hours a day,” Patrick told FoxNews.com back in 2012. “Her quality of life was very compromised. It was sad to see.”

When COPD goes untreated for a long period of time, decreased lung function, disability and death can result.

“My grandfather had to take care of my grandmother all the time,” Patrick said. “She wasn’t able to participate in as many things as she and my family would have wanted her to. And, she was only 65 when she died. That’s the thing about COPD; it takes a lot of lives before age 70.”

To honor the memory of her grandmother, Patrick joined forces with DRIVE4COPD, a community-centered public health initiative to educate, inform and screen millions of people who may be at risk for COPD. As the Official Health Initiative of NASCAR since 2010, DRIVE4COPD has screened almost three million NASCAR fans and previously served as the title sponsor of the XFINITY Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

As many as 24 million Americans have COPD, but approximately half don’t know it and remain undiagnosed.

“I think the warning signs of COPD tend to get written off,” Patrick said. “You’re out of breath, coughing up phlegm and things like that, which can happen as we get older and reduce exercise.”

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DRIVER PROFILES

13

NUMBER

INFO OWNER BOB GERMAIN TEAM GERMAIN RACING SPONSOR GEICO MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF ROBERT “BOOTIE” BARKER

42

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

PR ES EN TED BY

Casey Mears Casey Mears and his wife, Trish, are heavily involved with the Charlotte Rescue Mission near their home in North Carolina.

Founded in 1938, the Charlotte Rescue Mission provides Christian-based residential recovery programs that help those struggling with addiction achieve long-term sobriety, find employment and stable housing, and restore and build healthy relationships.

Casey and Trish have put a lot of time, effort and hard work, including physical labor, into the mission, which includes a 90-day residential program known as Rebound. It’s aimed at helping men move beyond cycles of homelessness and addiction to become productive citizens. Similar to Rebound, Dove’s Nest provides comprehensive addiction recovery services for women.

The mission announced in December 2013 that it was launching a $400,000 renovation of the Rebound men’s dorm, parts of which were built in the 1920s. Mears was among those who helped with the renovation, which took almost two months to complete.

“I really enjoyed getting involved in the dorm renovation because I saw how hard the people worked to get Charlotte Rescue Mission where it is today,” Mears said on the mission’s website.

“I was impressed with the high success rate of the programs, as well as [executive director] Tony Marciano and all of the staff that helped make it such an effective organization.

“My wife, Trisha, really enjoys planning/attending events for the women at Dove’s Nest and getting involved in their day-to-day lives. After taking a tour of the Rebound facility and seeing how bad the men’s dormitory was, I knew I needed to help however I could,” Mears added. “That’s when I decided it was time to roll up my sleeves and help with some much-needed renovations. Volunteering in my local community is such a gratifying activity and I often get just as much out of it as I put in. When I get a chance to chat with the men at Rebound and see them grow, it only makes me want to help even more. I’m lucky that, through NASCAR, I can reach out to help improve the lives of those often forgotten. I am grateful to have been a part of such a life-changing organization.”

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DRIVER PROFILES

PR ES EN TED BY

19 NUMBER

INFO OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSORS ARRIS, STANLEY, SUBWAY, SPORT CLIPS MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF DARIAN GRUBB

Carl Edwards In partnership with Copart Inc., a leading online vehicle auction company, Carl Edwards announced in October 2010 plans to have some of his personal racing memorabilia auctioned, with the money going to a charity that supports orphans in Monterrey, Mexico. Items for online auction included one of Edwards’ race-worn fire suits, an autographed pit crew uniform, a race car hood and a Harley-Davidson. Auction proceeds benefited the Back2Back Ministries nonprofit organization.

2

NUMBER

INFO OWNER ROGER PENSKE TEAM TEAM PENSKE SPONSORS MILLER LITE, ALLIANCE TRUCK PARTS, WURTH MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF PAUL WOLFE

44

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

Brad Keselowski Five years ago, Brad Keselowski started his Checkered Flag Foundation to assist and inspire military members and first responders who have sacrificed to serve others. Through the foundation, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has worked especially hard to provide and enhance programs for those seriously injured in combat.

Keselowski’s foundation invites military veterans to the track for a race weekend and then reserves the track the day after the race to allow veterans to ride with him.

11

NUMBER

INFO OWNER JOE GIBBS TEAM JOE GIBBS RACING SPONSORS FEDEX, SPORT CLIPS MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF DAVE ROGERS

Denny Hamlin The Denny Hamlin Foundation raises awareness and funds for the specific needs of children with cystic fibrosis.

To that end, the foundation partners with organizations that focus on cystic fibrosis research and treatment advances.

The foundation hosts two big annual fundraising events: the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown – a Late Model race held each April at a Virginia track – and the Denny and Mark’s Pro-Am Jam golf and concert event. The Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown is a fundraiser for the Denny Hamlin Cystic Fibrosis Research Lab.

22 NUMBER

INFO OWNER ROGER PENSKE TEAM PENSKE RACING SPONSORS SHELL/PENNZOIL, AAA, AUTOTRADER.COM MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF TODD GORDON

Joey Logano The mission of the Joey Logano Foundation is to inspire and assemble the NASCAR community to assist those across the nation in need of a second chance due to natural or human disaster. The foundation partners with other organizations to provide comfort and relief to those in need after such unforeseen circumstances.

After learning that his primary sponsor, Pennzoil, would make a charitable donation of $22,222 to Paralyzed Veterans of America in honor of his victory in February’s Daytona 500, Logano announced his foundation would match the donation.

POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

45

DRIVER PROFILES

PR ES EN TED BY

15 NUMBER

INFO OWNER MICHAEL WALTRIP, ROB KAUFFMAN TEAM MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING SPONSORS 5-HOUR ENERGY, PEAK, AAA MIDATLANTIC MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF BRIAN PATTIE

Clint Bowyer In a show of love for his hometown, Clint Bowyer started his own charity – the “79 Fund” – in 2007 to help the children of Emporia, Kan. The “79 Fund” has given more than $1.5 million to the Emporia Community Foundation. The funds were used to build the Clint Bowyer Community Building – a multi-purpose community center for Emporia’s 25,000 residents. Gifts have also been given in the form of school backpacks for children, shoes to the needy at Christmas and allowing children 16 and under to swim for free at the Emporia Aquatic Center.

5

NUMBER

INFO OWNER RICK HENDRICK TEAM HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS SPONSORS FARMERS INSURANCE, GREAT CLIPS, TIME WARNER CABLE, PEPSI, LIFTMASTER MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF KEITH RODDEN

46

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

Kasey Kahne After touring children’s hospitals, Kasey Kahne launched the Kasey Kahne Foundation in 2005 to help charities supporting chronically ill children and their families. But that was just the beginning.

Kahne was appointed in 2006 by President George W. Bush to the President’s Council on Service & Civic Participation. Through various fundraising events, Kahne’s foundation later pledged a large donation that provided an outdoor playground at the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte, N.C.

14 NUMBER

INFO OWNER TONY STEWART, GENE HAAS TEAM STEWART-HAAS RACING SPONSORS BASS PRO SHOPS, MOBIL 1, RUSH TRUCK CENTERS, CODE 3 ASSOCIATES MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF CHAD JOHNSTON

Tony Stewart One of NASCAR’s best-known philanthropists, Tony Stewart launched a charitable foundation in 2003. Known simply as the Tony Stewart Foundation, the organization seeks to raise funds to distribute primarily to three groups – chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and organizations dedicated to the protection of various animal species.

The foundation has awarded more than $5 million to assist charitable initiatives for more than 130 organizations throughout the United States.

31

NUMBER

INFO OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSORS CATERPILLAR, QUICKEN LOANS, WIX FILTERS MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF LUKE LAMBERT

Ryan Newman Ryan Newman and his wife, Krissie, oversee Rescue Ranch, a 177-acre property in Statesville, N.C. Since opening in October 2013, the ranch has conducted a variety of programs aimed at fulfilling its primary goal of ending pet overpopulation and associated suffering.

The ranch promotes and provides compassionate rescue of animals, low-cost spaying/neutering, responsible animal adoption and humane education to enhance the bond between animals and humans.

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47

DRIVER PROFILES

NUMBER

9

PR ES EN TED BY

INFO OWNER RICHARD PETTY, ANDY MURSTEIN TEAM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS SPONSOR TWISTED TEA MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF KEVIN MANION

aric almirola

1

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

TEAM RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS

MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF TRENT OWENS

INFO OWNER CHIP GANASSI, FELIX SABATES TEAM CHIP GANASSI RACING

CREW CHIEF MATT MCCALL

48

OWNER RICHARD PETTY, ANDY MURSTEIN

SPONSORS SMITHFIELD FOODS, FRESH FROM FLORIDA, STP

MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET

PAUL MENARD’S LONGtime charity of choice has been Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization that builds simple, decent, affordable homes for people in need.

In 2008, Menard joined fellow Menards-sponsored driver Matt Crafton in helping construct a Habitat home in Fort Wayne, Ind., where the two drivers assisted with installing insulation throughout the house.

INFO

43

SPONSORS MCDONALD’S, CESSNA

paul menard

A COMPASSIONATE PHILANTHROPIST, Sam Hornish Jr. is actively involved in giving back to motorsports and his community.

In his hometown of Defiance, Ohio, Hornish was involved in the creation of a senior center as well as the addition of a heart center at the Defiance Medical Center.

The three-time IndyCar Series champion also turned his love of bowling into a charity campaign during the fall NASCAR race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.

NUMBER

ARIC ALMIROLA HAS PARTICIpated in numerous charitable endeavors in conjunction with his primary sponsor, Eckrich, which is in its fourth year of partnership with Operation Homefront and has donated more than $750,000 to the charity since 2012.

Eckrich has made Almirola one of its primary ambassadors in presenting various awards to members of the military.

NUMBER

sam hornish jr.

NUMBER

27

jamie mcmurray THE JAMIE MCMURRAY FOUNdation promotes awareness of, and raises funding for, the research, education and support for individuals and families affected by autism.

McMurray’s charity work is near to his heart as he is impacted by autism – which affects one in 88 children – through a niece.

JMF is dedicated to earning the financial support of the NASCAR community.

INFO OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSOR MENARD’S MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF JUSTIN ALEXANDER

NUMBER

55

INFO OWNER MICHAEL WALTRIP, ROB KAUFFMAN TEAM MICHAEL WALTRIP RACING SPONSOR AARON’S MANUFACTURER TOYOTA CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT

ricky stenhouse jr.

16

OWNER JACK ROUSH, FENWAY SPORTS GROUP TEAM ROUSH FENWAY RACING SPONSORS FASTENAL, ZEST, ECOPOWER MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF NICK SANDLER

INFO OWNER JACK ROUSH, FENWAY SPORTS GROUP TEAM ROUSH FENWAY RACING

MANUFACTURER FORD CREW CHIEF MATT PUCCIA

AUSTIN DILLON IS INvolved with the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, which provides funding and research to save the lives of injured children throughout the United States and the world.

CIPT, based in WinstonSalem, N.C., was founded in July 2008 by Dillon’s maternal grandparents, Richard and Judy Childress.

INFO

17

SPONSORS ORTHO, CHEEZ-IT

austin dillon

DAVID RAGAN IS A LOYAL supporter of Shriners International and Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Since naming the Shriners pediatric health care system his official charity of choice in 2008, Ragan has sought to increase awareness and raise funds for the organization.

NUMBER

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. HAS longstanding ties to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. As recently as last summer, he participated in the FedEx St. Jude Classic golf tournament.

“It’s always good to do anything to help St. Jude,” Stenhouse said. “I went to St. Jude a long time ago when I was probably 15 or 16 racing sprint cars, and a little kid in there wanted to watch some of my races.”

NUMBER

david ragan

NUMBER

3

greg biffle THE GREG BIFFLE FOUNDATION WAS founded in 2005 by Greg Biffle and his wife, Nicole, to create awareness and advocacy for the well-being of animals.

The foundation receives financial support from individual contributions along with the sale of NASCAR Pets calendars and other various racing and sports memorabilia.

The foundation has awarded grants to more than 700 humane societies and animal shelters. The Biffles are dog owners and have also fostered several dogs.

INFO OWNER RICHARD CHILDRESS TEAM RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING SPONSORS DOW CHEMICAL, CHEERIOS, BASS PRO SHOPS, AMERICAN ETHANOL MANUFACTURER CHEVROLET CREW CHIEF GIL MARTIN POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

49

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

51

WOMEN & RACING

Ladies of Speed

PRESENTED BY

WHO’S GOT NEXT?

Danica Patrick is one woman in a growing line of female drivers.

D

anica Patrick may have already reached NASCAR’s highest level, but there are plenty of women drivers ready to follow her lead.

NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, which promotes opportunities for multicultural and female drivers, has helped fast-track several women deserving of an opportunity.

The next female to reap the benefits of NASCAR success could be named Decker, but it’s anyone’s guess as to which one will be the first among Paige, Claire and Natalie. The three Wisconsin females all have the potential to reach similar heights as Patrick.

■ Janet Guthrie, Sara Christian, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, Louise Smith, Danica Patrick with fans, Shawna Robinson, Patty Moise

W

hen most race fans think of female NASCAR drivers, the first one on their minds is the driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS. There’s a good reason. Danica Patrick is the most visible of the sport’s woman driver populace, but she’s not the first – and won’t be the last – to be in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Patrick is, in fact, far from the only lady to pilot a Sprint Cup Series car. In the recent past, Shawna Robinson raced sparingly in the series during the 1990s and 2000s, and Patty Moise competed in the 1980s.

Janet Guthrie blazed a trail for females in the sport when she made 33 starts in a career that began in 1976. As of April 14, Guthrie and Patrick were tied with the most top-10 finishes – five – among female Sprint Cup Series competitors.

There were several who came before Guthrie, though. Sara Christian and Louise Smith raced in 1949. Even the drivers who raced but didn’t make it to NASCAR’s highest level helped pave the way for the popular Patrick to become one of racing’s most recognizable faces.

NASCAR’s reach with women also extends beyond drivers and fans.

Kelley Earnhardt Miller – the daughter of seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt – joined the ranks of the sport’s top owners after hanging up her helmet. Earnhardt Miller co-owns JR Motorsports with her brother, two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Sprint Cup team owner Rick Hendrick.

Earnhardt Miller’s leadership at JRM helped the team win a NASCAR XFINITY Series title last year.

Additionally, Patrick raced for Earnhardt Miller at JRM from 2010-2012.

“Danica doesn’t really want to be pointed out as a female driver,” Earnhardt Miller said in 2014. “She’s just a racer like anybody else. She just wanted to be treated as a person who could go in there and do the job, whether she was female or male.”

The challenges of becoming a female driver, she added, are the same as they’ve always been.

“You’ve got to take advantage of everything and work really hard,” Earnhardt Miller noted. “The opportunities are becoming more abundant, but it’s still difficult.”

Paige Decker, 22, was the first of the three to make it to a national touring series when she debuted in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway in March.

Paige has the right mix of skill, experience – she won a TUNDRA Super Late Model event in 2013 – and marketability that could set her apart from others. All it takes now is getting the Eagle River, Wis., native the right chance in terms of equipment.

Paige’s younger sisters are working their way through the ranks of local tracks and development series, with an eye toward eventually reaching the national touring series as well.

The next female NASCAR star could also be someone who’s already made it. Don’t forget about Johanna Long, a former Snowball Derby winner who made waves in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in 2012 and 2013.

By Aaron Burns 52

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

NASCAR FUEL CAREERS

Larry McReynolds

ANNOUNCER, FOX NASCAR After spending 16 years as a NASCAR crew chief where he worked with some of the sport’s best drivers, Larry McReynolds didn’t aspire for a second career. He’s enjoyed a rather successful one, though.

After doing side work as a NASCAR TV announcer and pit reporter for several years, McReynolds was presented an opportunity he simply couldn’t pass up – joining the newly assembled FOX NASCAR on-air team alongside fellow announcers Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip.

McReynolds, who was a crew chief for Richard Childress Racing at the time, remembers in vivid detail the moment he received a surprising phone call in late 1999 from then-FOX Sports

chairman David Hill, who wanted to know if the longtime pit boss would be interested in trading in his wrenches full time for a microphone beginning with the 2001 Daytona 500.

“I was flabbergasted,” McReynolds said of Hill’s inquiry.

“It was the last thing I expected.”

After much agonizing, McReynolds decided to leave RCR – where he is most remembered for guiding Dale Earnhardt to victory in the 1998 Daytona 500. The man widely known as “Larry

Mac” worried that if he didn’t seize the opportunity, another one like it may never come along.

“It was the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make in my life because it was truly a huge career change,” McReynolds said.

Now in his 15th year with FOX, McReynolds has never regretted moving to the broadcast booth, where he is well-liked for his colorful brand of commentary and keen insight into the sport.

The winner of 23 races as a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series crew chief also has some sage advice to pass along to others hoping to break into his current or former field.

“If you truly want it bad enough, don’t let anybody tell you you can’t or that it’s not possible,” McReynolds said. “In 1980 as I packed up a U-Haul and left Birmingham, Ala., to go pursue a NASCAR career as a mechanic in the Carolinas, my mom and dad told me this was the craziest thing they’d ever seen

anybody do and I’d be back in six months; and I’d be broke and I’d be hungry. They wouldn’t watch me go hungry, but they were not going to bail me out of debt.

And I told them, ‘You’re probably right, but I’m going to go make this work,’ and I did.

“That’s the biggest thing is being able to make sacrifices, being very committed, being very focused and not letting closed doors get you down.”

McReynolds cautions against setting unrealistic expectations about becoming a NASCAR TV personality too quickly.

“It’s OK to set your goals high, but don’t try to skip too many rungs in the ladder,” he said. “It’s rare that you’re going to have aspirations to be in the broadcast field of NASCAR and be able to go straight to Sprint Cup. You may end up doing local short track PA announcing.

You may end up doing some webcast stuff.

Just do anything to build your portfolio or build your résumé.”

‘HE WAS SO MAD’

B

efore embarking on his new career, Larry McReynolds had to first inform team owner Richard Childress of his decision.

With two years left on a three-year contract with RCR, the crew chief wasn’t sure how the news would sit with his boss.

“He was so mad,” McReynolds said, recalling a meeting in Childress’ office just days before the 1999 Brickyard 400. “The veins were popping out the side of his neck and I went, ‘What have I done? This guy’s going to come across this desk and kill me,’ but he kind of settled back down and kind of eased back in his chair.

He sat there for a minute and he said, ‘You know what, Larry? I’m not happy about this, but I can tell you’re very sincere and you’re wanting to do it for the right reasons.’ … He said, ‘Contracts can be worked out. I’ve got a deal for you. Tradition when we go to Indy is we take both (RCR) teams out to dinner on Thursday night and we go to St. Elmo’s Steakhouse, and we’re going to do that Thursday night just like we’ve done for the last number of years.

As always, I’ll buy the dinner.

You buy the wine. And we’ll call this deal even.’

“I went, ‘You’ve got a deal, man. Let me out of here before you change your mind.’”

By Jared Turner 54

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

LIFESTYLE NASCAR FUEL

DOWNTIME WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON There is almost nothing Jimmie Johnson would rather do in his precious time outside of racing than take pictures. In fact, the six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ has become quite the photography connoisseur.

“I enjoy messing with it,” said the 39-year-old driver, who has two young daughters. “It’s funny to hear people searching for editing stuff that I do and just really all the basic stuff. I really enjoy Instagram and taking photos. It’s grown into more of a hobby, especially now that I’m a father. … I’m taking a lot more pictures.”

How did Johnson’s passion for photography develop?

“I’ve had it for a long time,” the El Cajon, Calif., native said.

“When I was a kid going to the races with my dad, I’d buy those little box cameras at the time and I was out there taking all these cool angles and photos and was really disappointed in the quality of my work after that. But I can go back to when I was 7 or 8 when I was first interested in it.

I’d say what really queued it up was a safari that I took in 2004 or ’05 and I bought all my equipment and took thousands of great photos then, and that kind of started it.”

TRAINING WITH DANICA PATRICK

L MENTAL PREP WITH KEVIN HARVICK Do you have a ritual that helps you prepare for races?

I pretty much developed a routine that I am comfortable with as far as when I eat, what I eat.

I probably get a little bit quieter.

My hearing becomes a little bit impaired on the weekends as far was what I hear from people around me. I just kind of go into my own little zone.

FUELING UP WITH RICKY STENHOUSE JR.

Breakfast lunch “My preferred breakfast is eggs and livermush. Growing up in Mississippi, livermush is a southern staple. My mom used to make it for us growing up, so it reminds me of home.”

“Lunch varies day to day depending if I am at the shop and going to lunch with the guys or not. My go-to lunch is chicken tacos. We drink a lot of water throughout the week to stay hydrated for the upcoming race weekend, but sometimes I just want a sweet tea at lunch.”

dinner

ike most of her fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers, Danica Patrick combines cardiovascular routines with weights.

“Those are the things that I think are important,” said Patrick, a former IndyCar Series driver who joined the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time in 2013. “Power steering is pretty nice in these cars, so I think the moments I need to be prepared for are when it goes out, if it goes out. These cars are really repetitive, so I feel like it’s important to take care of your body, too. Just for that repetitive motion so you don’t get any kind of, like, overuse fatigue. Really, with stock cars; Indy cars were very physical, especially on the road courses without any kind of power steering.”

Patrick also works out regularly because she believes it helps build her stamina.

“These cars are hot,” she said. “They are really hot in the summer months and I’ve just learned a lot about hydration and how important that is. I’ve always worked out as much to drive the car and have that be easy, as to feel good. And be able to do a nice job and look good for my sponsors. There are lots of reasons.”

“For dinner, you can’t go wrong with a steak seasoned with Chicago steak seasoning and cooked medium, a sweet potato with a little cinnamon and butter and a glass of sweet tea.”

snack

“Snack-wise, I usually try to eat healthy. One of the guys introduced to me spicy pistachios that we have on the hauler. Even though I eat healthy most of the time, I still have to have my candy.

My favorite candies are Caramel Creams, mini chewy Sweet Tarts and Sour Patch Kids.”

By Jared Turner POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

55

NASCAR FUEL TRIVIA

How Well Do You Know NASCAR? Score 10 points for each correct answer. Add up your points and see how you rank!

1

0-20 Rookie 30-40 Spectator 50-60 Fan 70-80 Race Chaser 90-100 Super Fan

Which driver is said to have invented drafting at Daytona International Speedway in 1960?

A. Lee Petty B. Fireball Roberts C. Marvin Panch D. Junior Johnson

2

Which U.S. President attended the July race at Daytona, becoming the first sitting President to attend a NASCAR race?

A. Jimmy Carter B. Ronald Reagan C. Bill Clinton D. George W. Bush

3

Which turn at Dover International Speedway includes a glassenclosed structure known as the Monster Bridge?

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

4 56

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

Who started the tradition of the winning driver and crew kissing the row of bricks at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s start-finish line?

A. Sterling Marlin B. Kyle Petty C. Dale Earnhardt D. Dale Jarrett

6

Who is the only driver to win four consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway?

A. David Pearson B. Dale Earnhardt C. Bill Elliott D. Rusty Wallace

7

Who was the last driver to sweep both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the same calendar year?

A. Kurt Busch B. Joey Logano C. Jimmie Johnson D. Matt Kenseth

8 10

In what year did the June race at Pocono Raceway become the first in NASCAR’s history to introduce double-file restarts?

A. 2009 B. 2008 C. 2007 D. 2006

Who was declared the winner at Sonoma Raceway in 1991 when Ricky Rudd was blackflagged three feet from the finish line?

A. Mark Martin B. Tommy Kendall C. Davey Allison D. Kyle Petty

Which driver had a 13-year span between wins at California’s Sonoma Raceway?

A. Ricky Rudd B. Ernie Irvan C. Dale Earnhardt D. Tony Stewart ANSWERS // 1. D; 2. B; 3. C; 4. D; 5. C; 6. C; 7. A; 8. A; 9. A; 10. C

5

Who is the only driver to date to score his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in the Brickyard 400?

A. Brad Keselowski B. Joey Logano C. Paul Menard D. Kyle Busch

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NASCAR SERIES ROSTERS 2015 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES ROSTER No.

Driver

Team

Sponsor/Make

Crew Chief

Driver’s Hometown

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 26 27 30 31 32 34 35 38 40 41 42 43 46 47 48 51 55 62 78 88 98

Jamie McMurray Brad Keselowski Austin Dillon Kevin Harvick Kasey Kahne Trevor Bayne Alex Bowman Sam Hornish Jr. Danica Patrick Denny Hamlin Casey Mears Tony Stewart Clint Bowyer Greg Biffle Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Erik Jones Carl Edwards Matt Kenseth Joey Logano J.J. Yeley Jeff Gordon Jeb Burton Paul Menard Ron Hornaday Jr. Ryan Newman Bobby Labonte Brett Moffitt Cole Whitt David Gilliland Landon Cassill Kurt Busch Kyle Larson Aric Almirola Michael Annett A.J. Allmendinger Jimmie Johnson Justin Allgaier David Ragan Brian Scott Martin Truex Jr. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Josh Wise

Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Team Penske Richard Childress Racing Stewart-Haas Racing Hendrick Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing Tommy Baldwin Racing Richard Petty Motorsports Stewart-Haas Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Germain Racing Stewart-Haas Racing Michael Waltrip Racing Roush Fenway Racing Roush Fenway Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Joe Gibbs Racing Team Penske BK Racing Hendrick Motorsports BK Racing Richard Childress Racing The Motorsports Group Richard Childress Racing Frank Stoddard Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports Front Row Motorsports Joe Falk Stewart-Haas Racing Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Richard Petty Motorsports HScott Motorsports JTG Daugherty Racing Hendrick Motorsports HScott Motorsports Michael Waltrip Racing Premium Motorsports Furniture Row Racing Hendrick Motorsports Phil Parsons Racing

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NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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2015 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES ROSTER No. Driver

Hometown

Team

Make

Crew Chief

0 01 1 2 3 4 6 7 8 9 14 16 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 28 33 39 42 43 44 51 52 54 55 60 62 88 90

High Point, N.C. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Emporia, Va. Boise, Idaho Welcome, N.C. Alva, Fla. Mobile, Ala. Cato, N.Y. West Palm Beach, Fla. Dawsonville, Ga. Vienna, W. Va. Bakersfield, Calif.

Bixby, Okla.

Monterey, Mexico Milwaukie, Ore. Byron, Mich.

Rochester Hills, Mich.

Chilhowie, Va. Watkinsville, Ga. Phoenix, Ariz.

Atlanta, Ga. Tucker, Ga. Elk Grove, Calif.

New Castle, Ind. Houston, Texas Spartanburg, S.C. Cedar Rapids, Iowa Chesterfield, Va. Mooresville, N.C. Prosper, Texas Las Vegas, Nev. Louisville, Ky. Napierville, Quebec

JD Motorsports JD Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing Richard Childress Racing Richard Childress Racing JD Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing JR Motorsports TriStar Motorsports JR Motorsports TriStar Motorsports Roush Fenway Racing Vision Racing Joe Gibbs Racing TriStar Motorsports Joe Gibbs Racing Penske Racing JGL Racing Athenian Motorsports JGL Racing Richard Childress Racing RSS Racing HScott Motorsports Richard Petty Motorsports TriStar Motorsports Jeremy Clements Racing Jimmy Means Racing Joe Gibbs Racing VIVA Auto Group Roush Fenway Racing Richard Childress Racing JR Motorsports King Autosport

Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Toyota Chevrolet Toyota Ford Toyota Toyota Toyota Toyota Ford Toyota Chevrolet Toyota Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet Ford Toyota Chevrolet Chevrolet Toyota Chevrolet Ford Chevrolet Chevrolet Chevrolet

Todd Myers Dave Fuge Phil Gould Mike Hillman Jr. Danny Stockman Jr. Gary Cogswell Chad Norris Jason Burdett Bruce Cook Ernie Cope Eddie Pardue Seth Barbour Adrian Berryhill Eric Phillips Paul Clapprood Mike Wheeler Greg Erwin Steve Lane Mike Ford Steve Plattenberger Nick Harrison Kevin Starland Mike Shiplett Frank Kerr Greg Conner Tony Clements Tim Brown Chris Gayle Mark Seltzer Scott Graves Shane Wilson Dave Elenz Marc Gosselin

Harrison Rhodes Landon Cassill Elliott Sadler Brian Scott Ty Dillon Ross Chastain Darrell Wallace Jr. Regan Smith Blake Koch Chase Elliott Cale Conley Ryan Reed Tanner Berryhill Daniel Suarez Mike Bliss Erik Jones Brad Keselowski Eric McClure John Wes Townley J.J. Yeley Brandon Jones Ryan Sieg Kyle Larson Dakoda Armstrong David Starr Jeremy Clements Joey Gase Denny Hamlin Jeffrey Earnhardt Chris Buescher Brendan Gaughan Ben Rhodes Martin Roy

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2015 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES ROSTER No. Driver

Hometown

Team

Make

02 05 07 1 4 6 8 10 11 13 15 17 19 23 29 31 33 50 51 54 88 94 98 99

Midland, Texas Watkinsville, Ga. Palm Coast, Fla. Brandywine, Md. Byron, Mich.

Level Green, Pa. Mooresville, N.C. Kansas City, Kan. Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona Beach, Fla. Brentwood, Tenn.

Providence, N.C. Corning, Calif.

Las Vegas, Nev. Rochester Hills, Mich.

Melbourne, Fla. Atlanta, Ga. Greensboro, N.C. Monterey, Mexico Baltimore, Md. Tulare, Calif.

Janesville, Wis. Necedah, Wis. Stuart, Fla.

Young’s Motorsports Athenian Motorsports SS Green Light Racing MAKE Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports Norm Benning Racing NEMCO Motorsports Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing Red Horse Racing ThorSport Racing Billy Boat Motorsports Red Horse Racing Brad Keselowski GMS Racing Brad Keselowski Racing NTS Motorsports GMS Racing MAKE Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports Kyle Busch Motorsports ThorSport Racing Premium Motorsports ThorSport Racing T3R2

Chevrolet Bryan Berry Chevrolet Michael Shelton Chevrolet Jason Miller Chevrolet Barry Owen Toyota Rudy Fugle Chevrolet Brian Poff Chevrolet Gere Kennon Chevrolet/RAM/Ford Steve Kuykendall Toyota Scott Zipadelli Toyota Jeff Hensley Chevrolet Dennis Connor Toyota Marcus Richmond Ford Doug Randolph Chevrolet Jeff Stankiewicz Ford Chad Kendrick Chevrolet Chris Rice Chevrolet Shane Huffman Chevrolet Randy Dean II Toyota Jerry Baxter Toyota Shannon Rursch Toyota Carl Joiner Chevrolet John Monsam Toyota Doug George Chevrolet Cal Boprey

Tyler Young John Wes Townley Ray Black Jr. Donnie Neuenberger Erik Jones Norm Benning John Hunter Nemechek Jennifer Jo Cobb Ben Kennedy Cameron Hayley Mason Mingus Timothy Peters Tyler Reddick Spencer Gallagher Brad Keselowski James Buescher Brandon Jones Cody Ware Daniel Suarez Justin Boston Matt Crafton Travis Kvapil Johnny Sauter Bryan Silas

Crew Chief

NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc.

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60

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

2015 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES Feb. 20 Feb. 28 March 28 May 8 May 15 May 29 June 5 June 13 June 19 July 9 July 22 Aug. 1 Aug. 15 Aug. 19 Aug. 30 Sept. 18 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 24 Oct. 31 Nov. 6 Nov. 13 Nov. 20

Daytona International Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Martinsville Speedway Kansas Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Gateway Motorsports Park Iowa Speedway Kentucky Speedway Eldora Speedway Pocono Raceway Michigan International Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Chicagoland Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Talladega Superspeedway Martinsville Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Homestead-Miami Speedway

2015 NASCAR XFINITY SERIES Feb. 21 Feb. 28 March 7 March 14 March 21 April 10 April 18 April 24 May 2 May 17 May 23 May 30 June 13 June 20 July 4 July 10 July 18 July 25 Aug. 1 Aug. 8 Aug. 15 Aug. 21 Aug. 29 Sept. 5 Sept. 11 Sept. 19 Sept. 26 Oct. 3 Oct. 9 Oct. 17 Nov. 7 Nov. 14 Nov. 21

Daytona International Speedway Atlanta Motor Speedway Las Vegas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Speedway Auto Club Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Bristol Motor Speedway Richmond International Raceway Talladega Superspeedway Iowa Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Dover International Speedway Michigan International Speedway Chicagoland Speedway Daytona International Speedway Kentucky Speedway New Hampshire Motor Speedway Indianapolis Motor Speedway Iowa Speedway Watkins Glen International Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Bristol Motor Speedway Road America Darlington Raceway Richmond International Raceway Chicagoland Speedway Kentucky Speedway Dover International Speedway Charlotte Motor Speedway Kansas Speedway Texas Motor Speedway Phoenix International Raceway Homestead-Miami Speedway

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Learning the Ropes Dakoda Armstrong flew under the radar during the 2014 NASCAR XFINITY Series season. He won his first pole at Daytona last July, but Armstrong wants more out of 2015. He’s prepared to get it, too.

Armstrong has the qualities team owners want most in their drivers. He’s talented, well-spoken and is a marketable face for a team. All the 23-yearold New Castle, Ind., native needs is more NASCAR success on his résumé.

He believes he’s with the right team to make it happen, too.

Richard Petty Motorsports’ namesake owner won more races – 200 – than any driver. The task of translating that success to his present teams in XFINITY competition, though, has proven difficult.

Armstrong’s first

full-time XFINITY season didn’t produce the results he’d envisioned.

There was speed in his No. 43 Ford, but it took Armstrong some time to find his comfort zone. Working with new crew chief Frank Kerr, one of the sport’s most respected minds, should help matters as Armstrong embarks on his second full season.

Armstrong said he’s already learned a ton from Kerr, who has crew chiefed 217 Sprint Cup races and been atop a pit box for more than a decade.

“He’s one of the smartest crew chiefs in the garage,” Armstrong said. “For me, it just

took some time to get up to speed last year. I love working with (Kerr) and these guys, and we’re hoping to have some more success this year.”

The Armstrong-Kerr pair kicked off their first season together with a solid showing at Daytona Int’l Speedway. Armstrong’s No. 43 WinField Ford qualified seventh, ran in the lead pack for a good chunk of the 120-lap Alert Today Florida 300 and finished 11th.

But if one could attach a theme to Armstrong’s next four races, it would be some semblance of bad luck. A crash with

31 laps to go at Las Vegas Motor Speedway left Armstrong 30th at the finish. A suspension failure at Auto Club Speedway forced him out of competition after

76 laps and relegated him to a 36th-place result.

Most drivers would have a hard time shaking the ill effects of misfortune, but Armstrong has an upbeat attitude that has helped his team members in their efforts to rebound.

He’s been on the same page with Kerr, but the numbers haven’t reflected their hard work.

His aptitude for restrictor-plate racing – as his pole at Daytona last year and impressive run this year attest – makes Armstrong a formidable opponent whenever the tour visits Daytona or Talladega, though.

Not that Armstrong is picky about where he wants to win his first race. He just wants to win one.

“I feel like we’ve got the team to do it,” he said. “It’s just a matter of making it happen.”

By Aaron Burns POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

61

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

Chasing a Title Johnny Sauter has accomplished almost everything in the NASCAR Camping World Series, but a championship has always eluded him. Continuing his longtime partnership with ThorSport Racing this year, Sauter hopes it’s his time to shine.

A quick look at Sauter’s results from the past six-plus seasons leaves one with two impressions: He’s won a lot of races – 10 – but how has he still not claimed a championship?

It’s a question that Sauter hopes to put to bed by the end of November.

He’s finished sixth or better in points in five of the last six Truck Series seasons, but Sauter still hasn’t come closer than a secondplace result in 2011.

He won twice that year, scored 11 top-fives and added 16 top-10s, but wound up six points

behind champion Austin Dillon.

Meanwhile, one of Sauter’s teammates, Matt Crafton, has won the last two Truck Series titles. It would be enough to give some pause as to whether they had what it took to be the best.

But Sauter is a confident driver, and he knows how to back it up on the track.

Working with ThorSport while seeing his teammate achieve championships could leave Sauter aggravated, but it’s just made the 36-year-old Necedah, Wis., native even more driven to succeed.

His No. 98 Toyota Tundra has consistently been one of the best trucks in the series, anyway. All he needs

now is that little bit more to push him over the hump, but Sauter believes he’s got it.

He set the bar high for 2015 after seeing what his team had in store.

“I think every year, if we don’t go in with the objective of trying to win the championship and a handful of races, it’s a disappointing year,” Sauter said. “I think we can do that.

I feel good about my team and I feel better about the guys and the people that we’ve got around us than I have in a couple of years.”

Part of the confidence comes from knowing he’s got one of the fastest trucks around and some of the sport’s best crew members. It’s also a positive to know that he’s won more than nearly any other full-time Truck Series driver in the past five seasons.

Sauter began his seventh season with ThorSport by scoring three straight top-10 finishes. He moved to fourth in points after a fourth-place result at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on March 28.

It was a classic Sauter race: Take an ill-handling truck and turn his frustration into motivation by driving to the top five. He finished higher than he’d run all day.

Sauter knows, though, that wins will be the key to a title run this season.

“I’m optimistic,” he said. “I’m hoping we can accomplish some great things.”

By Aaron Burns 62

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

NASCAR HOME TRACKS

Brennan Poole Finally Gets a Chance There’s one term to describe Brennan Poole’s tenure in racing: sponsorship-oriented. A six-time winner in the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the 24-year-old Poole has run up front and led laps in 20 of his 35 starts with the Ohio-based stock car series.

A lack of funding has limited his schedule over the past two years, yet he has still made the most of every opportunity. From running a handful of races for Venturini Motorsports, to filming video for Richard Childress Racing, to spotting for other drivers at races, Poole has done it all.

“I was only going to do the ARCA races,” Poole said in an interview prior to his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut early this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “I was just trying to stay in a race car and stay alive like I

have for the last couple of years with Venturini.

“Harry Scott was looking for another young driver with [Chip] Ganassi for this team they put together. They

were talking to Spire Management about what I had going on for the year. Spire brought it up to me that they were interested in bringing me on,” Poole

added. “One thing led to another and after several discussions to work out the logistics and things like that, it ended up going through. I’m still kind of in shock because I have been working so hard to get into a race car, and it was like nothing would ever fall in place for me.”

In his debut with HScott Motorsports with Chip Ganassi, Poole fell two laps down early in the race.

However, as he neared the finish, he caught a break during a greenflag pit cycle and was back on the lead lap.

Finishing ninth at Las Vegas, Poole showed he has what it takes to be a contender in NASCAR’s second-tier division.

“Just like any competitor, you expect that all of those other race car drivers out in the garage are expecting that I am going to try and beat them,” he said. “We have a really good team and I feel really good about all of the guys. I feel like we’re going to have really fast race cars on the track.”

As he moves forward, Poole is scheduled to run 15 races throughout the XFINITY Series season in the No. 42 Chevrolet.

Sharing the car with last year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson, Poole believes he has the potential to score a victory.

“It’s been such a long journey. I’ve been racing since I was 5 years old and this has been a dream of mine,” he said. “This is a big step of my dream coming true. My family’s worked so hard and made so many sacrifices for me.

It’s just kind of wild. I don’t know if it will ever sink in.”

By Joseph Wolkin POLEPOSITIONMAG.COM

63

SPOTLIGHT COPD

Back on the Trail

CYCLER TRAVELS ACROSS THE CONTINENT WHILE BATTLING COPD

PRESENTED BY

Mark Junge, 71, treated his COPD diagnosis somewhat like a death sentence in 2002. Doctors advised him to take supplemental oxygen, so he spent most of his days on the couch, connected to a tank.

■■ Mark Junge and his wife, Ardath

“I figured it was over basically,” Junge said.

“I had a good career, two kids, a full life. I figured that was it.”

Junge had lived an active life with his wife, Ardath, dreaming of one day cycling across the country.

However, after three open-heart surgeries in 1989, 1993 and 2002, respectively, he experienced shortness of breath that resulted

from blood clots in his lungs. Doctors gave him the COPD diagnosis after conducting a major biopsy.

COPD is a life-threatening lung disease, the fourth-leading cause of death globally, and affects more than 300 million individuals worldwide. Within the United States, COPD ranks as the third-leading cause of death, with more than 24 million

Americans affected and approximately half of that number remaining undiagnosed.

However, a simple, painless breathing test, called spirometry, can determine whether or not a person has COPD. Like many COPD patients, Junge went into a state of depression immediately following his diagnosis.

He didn’t want to leave the house with an

oxygen tank, and his physical health began to deteriorate. Junge consulted his doctor about his mental health, hoping something could be done to help him return to a more active lifestyle.

His doctor prescribed a portable oxygen tank, which changed everything for Junge.

Days later, he went to the local YMCA and tested the portable oxygen while riding a stationary bike.

“I gave it a shot, not knowing if I’d have a heart attack or what,” Junge said. “I did OK. Eventually, that helped me work my way out of a depression.”

What has also helped Junge is the achievement of his goal of cycling crosscountry. In 2004, he rode with his wife from San Francisco to New York on a Trek bicycle. The resident of Cheyenne, Wyo., has since cycled more than 8,500 miles around North America to show what’s possible for COPD patients.

He has earned the sponsorship of Philips Respironics.

FREEDOM TO MOVE

M

ark Junge has become a proponent of portable oxygen, crediting the more mobile form of supplemental oxygen for giving him a new lease on life. Junge wears the oxygen container on his hip, and refills it two or three times a day.

“Mobility means freedom,” Junge said. “I need oxygen, but now I’m mobile. Everybody wants to be free, and when you get that freedom curtailed, you look for ways to improve it.”

With that freedom, Junge and his wife will take a cycling trip up the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada, this summer – their final trip to complete a circle around North America. Mark switched to an electric bike last summer, and his wife will do the same this summer.

“My wife doesn’t mind going on these trips, but she wants to do something different,” Junge said. “She encouraged me to get an electric-assist bike last year, and it really brought the joy back to cycling. Now, I won’t stop until Mother Nature says I can’t do it anymore.”

Junge felt Mother Nature was sending that message when he received his COPD diagnosis in 2002. He’s learned a COPD diagnosis does not mean the end of an active lifestyle.

By dan guttenplan 64

NASCAR POLE POSITION 2015

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