David Stremme Leads the Monday Speed Parade As NEXTEL Cup Teams Test at Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway, Press Release

CONCORD, N.C. (May 7, 2007) - Preparations for the May 19 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 shifted into high gear Monday as 51 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams tested at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Crew chiefs, engineers and mechanics spent the six-hour session analyzing data and making suspension adjustments as "The Best of the Southeast" teased drivers who strived to top the speed chart.

David Stremme proved to be the best at taming The Beast as the driver of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge was fastest among the 82 cars with a lap at 187.0 mph.

"The tires are still really hard and there's not a lot of grip. You've got to be really careful," said Stremme. "Other than that, things are going well. We are just taking our time and working through things."

Jeremy Mayfield, who has struggled this season to make races in the No. 36 360 OTC Toyota, was second fastest at 185.134 mph and Paul Menard was third on the speed chart at 184.932 mph in the No. 15 Menard's Chevrolet.

Ward Burton and Stremme's teammate, Reed Sorenson, rounded out the top five.

"We hurt an engine and we're changing it," said defending Coca-Cola 600 winner Kasey Kahne, who was 14th fastest in the No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge. "Other than that, it's been a good test. The tire's hard, but we've had it for a year now, so we're getting used to it."

"I think this is the same tire we ran in the spring last year. The grip level was pretty far down then, and it's still pretty far down," said Jeff Burrton, driver of the No. 31 Cingular Chevrolet. "I think we expected it, so it's not that big of a deal.

"Our test is going pretty well," added Burton, who was 31st in the evening rundown. "We're trying to learn a lot, not only for this race track, but other race tracks as well. We don't get a lot of tests and, of course, the tires are limited."

The testing session marked the first time the seven Toyota teams had run on Lowe's Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile oval.

"All the teams are working hard on their test plans and seem to be gaining ground early in today's session," said Andy Graves, senior manager of Toyota Racing Development U.S.A. "Lowe's Motor Speedway is one of those race tracks that makes dramatic changes from day to night so I feel like there will be even more to learn from the later sessions. We are continuing to gain information from these test sessions that we are able to take back to TRD and analyze prior to returning for the race in just a couple weeks."

The test was also the first time the drivers have been on the track since both the inside and outside retaining walls were painted yellow in preparation for the May 19 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge.

"The yellow wall is really psychedelic. It reminds me of the '60s," said Kenny Wallace. "You get used to a look for 20 years-I've been racing here since 1989-and now it's different. But it's neat. It adds a lot of color to the place."

The only accident of the day came just before the session ended when Denny Hamlin lost control of the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet and backed hard into the outside SAFER barrier. The Chesterfield, Va., driver was evaluated and released from the Carolinas HealthCare Infield Care Center.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series testing continues Tuesday with on-track sessions from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Lowe's Motor Speedway's frontstretch grandstand will be open free of charge and fans should enter through Gate 5A, located next to the main ticket office.

The speedway's annual Royal Flush is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and race fans are asked to help officials test the track's water and sewer system.


Tickets for all May events at Lowe's Motor Speedway, including the May 19 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 27 Coca-Cola 600, are still available and can be purchased by calling 1-800-455-FANS or online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.

Practice speeds:

Afternoon Session

Showing driver, car number and speed:

1. Martin Truex Jr., 1b, 180.596; 2. David Stremme, 40a, 180.590; 3. Ryan Newman, 12a, 180.590; 4. Mark Martin, 01a, 180.511; 5. Jeremy Mayfield, 36a, 180.162; 6. Sterling Marlin 14a, 180.108; 7. Mark Martin, 01b, 180.018; 8. Jeff Green, 66b, 179.796; 9. Joe Nemechek, 13b, 179.700; 10. Tony Stewart, 20a, 179.665; 11. Sterling Marlin, 14b, 179.611; 12. Kasey Kahne, 9b, 179.450; 13. Juan Pablo Montoya, 42a, 179.390; 14. Joe Nemechek, 13a, 179.330; 15. Clint Bowyer, 07b, 179.277; 16. Carl Edwards, 99b, 179.211; 17. Greg Biffle, 16b, 179.104; 18. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 8a, 179.075; 19. David Reutimann, 00a, 179.009; 20. Martin Truex Jr., 1a, 178.986; 21. Kurt Busch, 2b, 178.986; 22. Jeff Burton, 31b, 178.814; 23. Tony Raines, 96b, 178.772; 24. Elliott Sadler, 19b, 178.725; 25. Jamie McMurray, 26b, 178.690; 26. Carl Edwards, 99a, 178, 636; 27. Dave Blaney, 22a, 178.625; 28. Reed Sorenson, 41b, 178.607; 29. Matt Kenseth, 17a, 178.607; 30. Juan Pablo Montoya, 42b, 178.583; 31. David Gilliland, 38a, 178.512; 32. Clint Bowyer, 07a, 178.465; 33. Casey Mears, 25b, 178.259; 34. J.J. Yeley; 18b, 178.253; 35. Reed Sorenson, 41a, 178.230; 36. Jeff Gordon, 24a, 178.218; 37. Kevin Harvick, 29b, 178.206; 38. David Reutimann, 00b, 178.200; 39. Scott Riggs, 10b, 178.177; 40. Robby Gordon, 7b, 178.124; 41. David Ragan, 6a, 178.124; 42. Kyle Petty, 45b, 177.965; 43. Johnny Sauter, 70b, 177.901; 44. Paul Menard, 15b, 177.889; 45. Kyle Busch, 5a, 177.860; 46. Jeff Burton, 31a, 177.795; 47. David Stremme, 40b, 177.778; 48. Kurt Busch, 2a, 177.708; 49. Tony Stewart, 20b, 177.655; 50. Ward Burton, 4b, 177.655; 51. Kenny Wallace, 78b, 177.538; 52. Denny Hamlin, 11a, 177.451; 53. A.J. Allmendinger, 84a, 177.387; 54. Matt Kenseth, 17b, 177.282; 55. Jimmie Johnson 48a, 177.247; 56. Bobby Labonte, 43a, 177.148; 57. Jamie McMurray, 26a, 177.130; 58. Dave Blaney, 22b, 177.107; 59. Dale Jarrett, 44b, 177.026; 60. Ricky Rudd, 88b, 176.985; 61. Brian Vickers, 83a, 176.956; 62. Casey Mears, 25a, 176.864; 63. Kyle Busch, 5b, 176.719; 64. Ricky Rudd, 88a, 176.667; 65. Mike Bliss, 49a, 176.499; 66. Dale Jarrett, 44a, 176.298; 67. J.J. Yeley, 18a, 176.120; 68. Paul Menard, 15a, 175.907; 69. Jon Wood, 21b, 175.798; 70. Kasey Kahne, 9a, 175.621; 71. Aric Almirola, 80a, 175.547; 72. Greg Biffle, 16a, 175.217; 73. Chad McCumbee, 47a, 175.137; 74. Brian Vickers, 83b, 174.746; 75. Michael Waltrip, 55b, 174.729; 76. Michael Waltrip, 55a, 174.729; 77. Johnny Sauter, 70a, 174.689; 78. Robby Gordon 7a, 174.582; 79. Kenny Wallace, 78a, 174.368; 80. Ward Burton 4a, 174.267; 81. Jon Wood, 21a, 173.249.
Evening Session

Showing driver, car number and speed:

1. David Stremme, 40a, 187.000; 2. Jeremy Mayfield, 36a, 185.134; 3. Paul Menard, 15b, 184.932; 4. Ward Burton, 4a, 184.767; 5. Reed Sorenson, 41a, 184.319; 6. Martin Truex Jr., 1a, 1184.187; 7. Mark Martin, 01a, 184.018; 8. Robby Gordon, 7b, 183.717; 9. Kurt Busch, 2b, 183.698; 10. Jimmie Johnson, 48a, 183.555; 11. Scott Riggs, 10b, 183.499; 12. Mark Martin, 01b, 183.436; 13. Jeff Green, 66b, 183.362; 14. Kasey Kahne, 9b, 183.318; 15. Juan Pablo Montoya, 42a, 183.318; 16. Martin Truex Jr., 1b, 183.312; 17. Sterling Marlin, 14b, 183.194; 18. Matt Kenseth, 17b, 183.169; 19. Johnny Sauter, 70b, 183.082; 20. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 8a, 183.082; 21. Ryan Newman, 12a, 183.026; 22. David Stremme, 40b, 182.896; 23. Greg Biffle, 16a, 182.859; 24. Jeff Gordon, 24a, 182.834; 25. David Reutimann, 00a, 182.778; 26. Tony Stewart, 20a, 182.735, 27. Denny Hamlin, 11a, 182.685; 28. Joe Nemechek, 13a, 182.655; 29. Ricky Rudd, 88b, 182.611; 30. Denny Hamlin, 11b, 182.611; 31. Kyle Petty, 45b, 182.550; 32. Tony Raines, 96b, 182.513; 33. J.J. Yeley, 18a, 182.476; 34. Elliott Sadler, 19a, 182.469; 35. Carl Edwards, 99a, 182.371; 36. Mike Bliss, 49a, 182.346; 37. David Gilliland, 38a, 182.334; 38. Brain Vickers, 83a, 182.328; 39. Jeff Burton, 31b, 182.297; 40. Reed Sorenson, 41b, 182.223; 41. Kyle Busch, 5a, 182.186; 42. Casey Mears, 25b, 182.156; 43. J.J. Yeley, 18b, 182.045; 44. Sterling Marlin, 14a, 181.892; 45. John Andretti, 37a, 181.818; 46. Robby Gordon, 7a, 181.751; 47. David Ragan, 6a, 181.739; 48. Johnny Sauter, 70a, 181.714; 49. Jeff Burton, 31a, 181.549; 50. A.J. Allmendinger, 84b, 181.439; 51. Dave Blaney, 22b, 181.397; 52. Dave Blaney, 22a, 181.378; 53. Jon Wood, 21b, 181.293; 54. Matt Kenseth, 17a, 181.281; 55. Kevin Harvick, 29b, 181.245; 56. Clint Bowyer, 07a, 181.220; 57. Clint Bowyer, 07b, 181.202; 58. Dale Jarrett, 44b, 181.196; 59. Greg Biffle, 16b, 181.178; 60. Paul Menard, 15a, 181.129; 61. Bobby Labonte, 43b, 181.093; 62. Tony Stewart 20b, 180.971; 63. Kevin Harvick, 29a, 180.898; 64. David Reutimann, 00b, 180.699; 65. Joe Nemechek, 13b, 180.681; 66. Kenny Wallace, 78b, 180.662; 67. Ricky Rudd, 88a, 180.626; 68. Casey Mears, 25a, 180.517; 69. Chad McCumbee, 47a, 180.415; 70. Jamie McMurray, 26a, 180.379; 71. Ward Burton, 4b, 180.210; 72. Michael Waltrip, 55b, 179.916; 73. Kyle Busch, 5b, 179.778; 74. Ryan Newman, 12b, 179.712; 75. Dale Jarrett, 44a, 179.653; 76. Michael Waltrip, 55a, 179.647; 77. Aric Almirola, 80b, 179.426; 78. Kenny Wallace, 78a, 179.081; 79. Scott Riggs, 10a, 178.915; 80. Bobby Labonte, 43a, 178.613; 81. Jeff Green, 66a, 178.047; 82. Aric Almirola, 80a, 177.830

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Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, Press Release

David Stremme and the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Team Facts:

· David Stremme ESPN Mother’s Day Feature:

Watch for David Stremme on the NASCAR Busch Series pre-race broadcast on ESPN2 (8:00pm ET) Friday night. Multiple ESPN crews have been following David and his family over the past month to produce the feature that highlights him and his mother for the upcoming Mother’s Day Weekend. David’s parents will make the trip to Darlington as well to take in their first NASCAR race of the season.

· Stremme Fastest on Monday at Lowe’s:

Preparations for the May 19 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 shifted into high gear Monday as 51 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams tested at Lowe's Motor Speedway. David Stremme proved to be the best at taming The Beast as the driver of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge was fastest among the 82 cars with a lap at 187.0 mph.

· New Site:

Check out David Stremme’s new personal website which was recently relaunched at www.davidstremme.com.

· I love this place:

Did you know Darlington Raceway is Stremme’s favorite track on the NNCS circuit? The team is committed to getting the most out of its Car of Tomorrow (CoT) program, and after running as high as seventh late in the race in Richmond in the Coors Light Dodge Avenger (CoT), you can count on Stremme being up for this weekend’s 367-lap challenge.

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Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, Press Release

David Stremme and the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Team Facts:

· David Stremme ESPN Mother’s Day Feature:

Watch for David Stremme on the NASCAR Busch Series pre-race broadcast on ESPN2 (8:00pm ET) Friday night. Multiple ESPN crews have been following David and his family over the past month to produce the feature that highlights him and his mother for the upcoming Mother’s Day Weekend. David’s parents will make the trip to Darlington as well to take in their first NASCAR race of the season.

· Stremme Fastest on Monday at Lowe’s:

Preparations for the May 19 NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge and the May 27 Coca-Cola 600 shifted into high gear Monday as 51 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams tested at Lowe's Motor Speedway. David Stremme proved to be the best at taming The Beast as the driver of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge was fastest among the 82 cars with a lap at 187.0 mph.

· New Site:

Check out David Stremme’s new personal website which was recently relaunched at www.davidstremme.com.

· I love this place:

Did you know Darlington Raceway is Stremme’s favorite track on the NNCS circuit? The team is committed to getting the most out of its Car of Tomorrow (CoT) program, and after running as high as seventh late in the race in Richmond in the Coors Light Dodge Avenger (CoT), you can count on Stremme being up for this weekend’s 367-lap challenge.

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GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO David!!!!

David Stremme and the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Team Facts:

· David and Coors Light Make Fast Money:
Log onto http://www.chipganassiracing.com/news/multimedia.cfm to play the video of Stremme’s recent appearance on CNBC’s “Fast Money”. Stremme paid the insider stock trading show a visit via webcam to get an update on his sponsor’s stock trends (TAP) and talk about Coors Light’s new Cold Activated Bottle Promotion. The appearance came on the show’s highest rated celebrity segment “Face2Face”, shot from the CGRFS shop.

· Inside the numbers:

Having completed 3521 of 3653 laps (96.4%) already this season, Stremme has completed every lap in five of 11 races. In his previous career 38 starts, Stremme had only gone the full race distance a combined 11 times (2005-2006).

· Come Play at CGRFS on Kid’s Day this May

: If you plan to be in the Charlotte, N.C., area the week leading up to the 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, be sure your kids don’t miss out on their day at CGRFS Wednesday, May 23. Kids ages 3 to 12 are invited to visit the team’s Concord race shop to get a behind-the-scenes look at the cars before they head to the track and learn more about the mechanics of racing with a special Tech Talk session. Members of the CGRFS pit crews will demonstrate their pit stop techniques, too. Kids won’t leave empty handed either, as they will get to make memories at the photo and craft station. Snacks and beverages will also be on the house! So, bring the kids to meet the mechanics and pit crew members who make the CGRFS cars go full speed ahead and to see a side of racing they have never seen before. Space is limited, so call 1-866-888-6388 today to make your reservation. The green flag will wave promptly at 3:30 p.m. to begin the activities, so don’t be late for this fun date! To learn more and keep up to pace on this event and further team updates, go to www.chipganassiracing.com.

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Good Job on the 17th place run!

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Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabates, Press Release

David Stremme and the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge Team Facts:

· Nifty at Fifty:

Both Stremme and Target Teammate Reed Sorenson made their 50th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series starts last weekend in Charlotte. Stremme made his Cup debut in 2005, starting 31st and finishing 16th at Chicagoland Speedway, while Sorenson debuted at Atlanta that same year. Both were in car #39.

· Points Update:

Stremme and the Coors Light team picked up one spot in the NNCS point standings (22nd to 21st) with their 17th place finish in Charlotte. The team will return back to its primary paint scheme after having run the Coors Light “Cold Activated Bottle” scheme for the NEXTEL Open and 600 events. Stay tuned for updates for upcoming Coors Light promotions and paint schemes later this season.

· Bloggers Beware:

Get the inside scoop directly from the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge tire specialist Rob Lopes each Monday on www.chipganassiracing.com with his weekly blog. Lopes recaps the race weekend happenings for the team and offers up some great behind the scenes info that you can’t get anywhere else. Just logon and select “Team Blogs” under the “News” dropdown.

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Chip Ganassi Racing With Felix Sabtes, Press Release

DOVER, Del. (June 4, 2007)–David Stremme had to reluctantly climb out of the No. 40 Coors Light Dodge a little more than 125 laps short of the finish line Monday after realizing he was too sick to continue racing in the Autism Speaks 400. The 29-year-old driver was immediately taken to the Dover International Speedway infield care center where he was diagnosed with the flu. He received oxygen and intravenous fluids before being released. Ginn Racing driver Regan Smith stepped in to help the No. 40 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) team finish the day in 36th place.
In addition to Stremme being under the weather this weekend, Mother Nature wasn’t shining on the Dover, Del., area either. In fact, a tropical depression rained out Sunday’s race, and forced NASCAR to reschedule for Monday.

The No. 40 CGRFS Dodge lined up in 35th place to take the green. Battling flu-like conditions, Stremme did all he could to keep the car on the track in the early running of the 400-lap competition. In addition to feeling sick, the No. 40 Dodge was keeping him busy as it was severely loose on restarts and seemed to tighten up on long runs.

Stremme threw in the towel as the fourth yellow flag of the race waved on lap 271. His crew members helped him out of the Coors Light Dodge. Then, Smith quickly climbed in to help the team finish the race. Stremme’s teammates Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya finished 27th and 31st respectively.

The No. 40 team maintained its 21st-place position in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points standings. The team is just 202 points away from the 12th position – the final transfer spot for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.


Up next for Stremme and the Coors Light team is the Pocono 500. The race will be broadcast Sunday, June 10, on TNT and MRN radio (1:00 p.m. ET).

CGRFS Driver Quoteboard

DAVID STREMME:

“I just felt horrible. I knew I needed to either get out of the car or I was going to lose it. I didn’t feel well yesterday and started feeling worse just before the race started. I probably should’ve stopped by the infield care center before we started racing today, but I thought I could shake it off. Thankfully, Regan Smith was available and willing to help us out today, so I can’t thank him enough for that. I know the guys on the Coors Light team really appreciated his help and he did a great job for us. He kept the car clean and we couldn’t ask for more than that.”

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aawwww poor David. I hope he gets better.