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Yates Racing, Press Release

CONCORD, NC (February 6, 2008) --- The 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is set to take to the track this weekend at Daytona International Speedway for the 2008 Budweiser Shootout. David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 Yates Racing Ford Fusion, is one of the 23 drivers eligible for the race on Saturday night.

The Budweiser Shootout is an exhibition non-points race held annually at Daytona International Speedway since 1979. The format for the race consists of two segments. The first race segment is comprised of 20 laps followed by a ten-minute intermission where teams are allowed to change tires and perform any other actions that might occur during a routine pit stop. The second segment is 50 laps and the race must end under a normal green-white-checkered finish.

Twenty-three drivers are eligible for the 2008 event which is a record for the largest starting field in the Budweiser Shootout’s history. Eighteen of the drivers selected were eligible because they captured poles during the 2007 Sprint Cup Series season, while the remaining five drivers were selected since they are past winners of the Shootout.

Saturday night’s race will be the second Shootout for Gilliland. Gilliland captured a pole for the 2007 Daytona 500 which made him eligible for this year’s event.

“It’s very exciting for me to be a part of this race,” stated Gilliland. “It means a lot as far as getting an opportunity to get more experience with the new car at Daytona. I feel that earning a place to compete in the Budweiser Shootout is somewhat of an advantage since the race is a week before the Daytona 500. Not only is it helpful for the drivers, but it allows the teams to try certain things with the cars that they might not have been able to try at the Daytona 500.”

The 2008 Budweiser Shootout will also mark the first time the brand new Car of Tomorrow (COT) chassis will run on the high-banks of Daytona. The new chassis style, which competed in 16 races during the 2007 season, has only participated in testing events at the superspeedway. Teams who are participating in the Shootout on Saturday night feel that the additional track time is an advantage to learning about the handling of the new car.


“It’s incredibly important to get as much track time as we can with the COT making its debut at Daytona this year,” commented Gilliland. “The Shootout will be the first time we are able to drive the new car under race conditions at Daytona, and having the chance to have additional time with that car on the track will help us out. It really gives our team the chance to get more information about how these cars will handle at this track, as well as being able to check out tire wear and some of our set-up options. It’s a great tune-up for the start of the season and any time you have an opportunity to get extra track time, you just try to get as much information as you can to benefit from that opportunity”

The starting order for Saturday is chosen in a random draw on Thursday evening. Last year Gilliland drew the 13th starting position and finished second to race winner Tony Stewart. This year, Gilliland aims to have another strong performance, since according to NASCAR history, there have been five times in which the winner of the Shootout went on to win the Daytona 500.

Coverage of the 30th running of the Budweiser Shootout begins Saturday at 8:00pm on FOX. Radio coverage will be provided by the Motor Racing Network (MRN).

About Yates Racing

Yates Racing operates two motorsports teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formerly known as Robert Yates Racing, the team is owned by Doug Yates, who took the reins after his father, Robert Yates, retired at the end of the 2007 season, and partnered with Max Jones; a former road racer and long-time championship General Manager. The 2008 season will mark the 20th year of competition for the Ford team. During those years, the organization had a total of 57 wins, 48 poles, 269 top-five finishes, 427 top-ten finishes, and a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Yates Racing will field two Ford Fusions in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with drivers Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland. Sponsorship opportunities are available; please contact Kevin Thomas with Yates Racing at 704-706-2120.

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PCGCampbell For Ford Racing, Press Release

David Gilliland, driver of the No. 38 freecreditreport.com Ford Fusion, will race in his home state of California this weekend when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits Fontana. Gilliland says he is looking forward to the trip, and that his test earlier this year at the track went very well.

DAVID GILLILAND - No. 38 freecreditreport.com Ford Fusion -

HOW DID YOUR TEST GO AT CALIFORNIA?

"The test went very well. We were very happy with the overall performance of our Ford Fusion. I felt really comfortable. I was very happy with the speeds, and I'm looking forward to going back out there. I've always looked forward to going out there and seeing all my friends and family, and everybody who helped me get here. So, it's special to go back there, but now I really feel like we have a competitive car, too. And, with freecreditreport.com onboard it's exciting to go out there. That's kind of their home base, and the relationship we've built with them, it's important to go out and see them, too."


WILL THE NEXT TWO RACES, AT CALIFORNIA AND LAS VEGAS, BE A PRETTY GOOD INDICATION OF HOW THIS SEASON WILL SHAKE OUT FOR TEAMS? OR, WILL IT STILL BE TOO EARLY?

"Yeah, I think so. Daytona is Daytona. There's so many things that can happen out of your control that can bum you out. But, going to California and Vegas, those types of tracks are a big percentage of our season, and I really feel like, definitely, you'll see the guys that got their stuff together at those tracks are going to be definitely contenders for the Chase. So, hopefully, we're one of those teams."

DO YOU ENJOY RACING AT CALIFORNIA?

"Yes, I do. I do like it. I really liked it the last time we went there. It really seemed like the groove widened out and you could run two-wide up high and put on some great racing for the fans, I think. Before, some of the fans thought it was boring or this or that, kind of a one-groove track. But the groove really spread out and as a driver it makes you look forward to going back."

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Yates Racing, Press Release

Quoting FreeCreditReport.com Driver, David Gilliland:

How do you feel testing went earlier this month at California Speedway?

“I felt really good about our test at Fontana a few weeks ago. We had our cars driving really well in race trim and the car was very comfortable to drive and we had good speed, which I feel are two key ingredients to a solid finish at Fontana. I’m excited for this weekend because I feel our team had a great test session at both California and Las Vegas. In regards to the drive-ability, I was really happy with our car and I’m really looking forward to this weekend because of how great our car was during those test sessions.”

What is it like coming back and racing at California Speedway, which is considered your “home track?”

“I always love being able to go back to California because I’m able to see a lot of my family and friends. It’s always nice to be able to go back home and visit with the people who helped you get where you are today, and we also have a lot of fans out West so it’s a lot of fun to go to California. I always feel a little added pressure to perform well at Fontana and I think that has to do with the fact that I did start my racing career out in that area of the country. I’m really excited about this weekend and our goal is to have a solid finish so that we can showcase our team.”

Quoting FreeCreditReport.com Crew Chief, Cully Barraclough:

“We had a pretty decent test session at Fontana a few weeks ago where we ended up learning a lot about our cars. We spent the two days in California testing various set-ups and I think that we’re going back this weekend with a pretty good game plan to have a successful race car. David is from the region so I know that he’s really looking forward to this weekend since it’s always a homecoming for him. The goal of our team is to perform to the best of our abilities and we’re really looking forward to this weekend at California Speedway.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

· Gilliland has an average starting position of 24.7, and an average finish of 27.3 at Fontana
· Gilliland has completed 745 of 750 career laps at Fontana (99.3 percent)

· Gilliland’s best start at Fontana is fourteenth which he accomplished in the 2007 Sharp Aquos 500

· Gilliland attended high school at Western High School in Anaheim, California

CHASSIS #509

Chassis #509 is the chassis the #38 FreeCreditReport.com team will be running this weekend for the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway. This is the same chassis the team tested with earlier in the year during the preseason testing sessions at California Speedway January 31st and February 1st.

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Yates Racing, Press Release

Quoting FreeCreditReport.com Driver, David Gilliland:

What do you enjoy about racing at Atlanta and what are you anticipating this weekend?

“Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks for more than one reason. First off, it’s one of the fastest tracks that we go to. Secondly, there are a lot of grooves and room to race. You can run up high, down low, or in the middle. As a race car driver, that’s the kind of track that you want to go to; a place that you have options and where you have the ability to move around and find your best line. Atlanta is a place that I always look forward to going to. I think that we are going to have a great performance this weekend. We’ve spent a lot of time testing this season already and I feel that the results are paying off in the fact that our Yates Racing Fords are racing well. I really enjoy racing at Atlanta and I know our team is looking forward to this weekend.”
Quoting FreeCreditReport.com Crew Chief, Cully Barraclough:

How are you feeling heading to Atlanta this weekend?

“All of our cars this year are fairly typical to one another, with the new chassis style this year you can basically take any car to any speedway on the circuit and in theory run well. Of course there are aspects that you tweak and adjust depending on where you are racing. Our goal this weekend is to make sure that David has the car performing exactly as he wants it to so that we can get a good qualifying position to start Sunday’s race from. I really feel that our cars have been handling very well on the track and now it’s time to showcase our abilities. David enjoys racing at Atlanta because it’s a track that’s fast, yet it also gives drivers enough room to find the lines they like running in.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

· Gilliland has an average starting position of 21.7 and an average finish of 29.0 at Atlanta
· Gilliland has completed 710 of 979 career laps at Atlanta (72.5 percent)

· Gilliland’s best finish at Atlanta is 15th which he accomplished in the 2006 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500

· Gilliland’s best start at Atlanta is from 13th in the 2007 Pep Boys Auto 500

CHASSIS #451

Chassis #451 is the chassis the #38 FreeCreditReport.com team will be running this weekend for the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This is a brand new chassis for the team this weekend, and has not been tested.

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Yates Racing, Press Release

Quoting FreeCreditReport.com Driver, David Gilliland:

What are the keys to successful racing at Bristol, and why do you enjoy racing there?

“I’m excited to head back to Bristol this weekend. Half-mile short track racing is what I cut my teeth on when I first got into racing and it’s always fun to be able to go to those kinds of tracks throughout the year. Bristol is definitely the fastest half-mile track that I’ve ever had the opportunity to race on, and it is just a lot of fun to go there. Patience is one of the most important keys to racing at Bristol. The race is 500 laps and when you’re racing so close to each other, there is always a lot of give and take that needs to happen. If you can be patient at Bristol, it usually comes to reward you at the end with a good finish. Our goal for the FreeCreditReport.com team this weekend is to qualify well and then be patient and run a smart race. If we can stay out of trouble and make smart passes throughout the race, I think we can bring home a great finish this weekend for Yates Racing.”

Quoting FreeCreditReport.com Crew Chief, Cully Barraclough:

What is the strategy going into Bristol this weekend?

“Right now with the cars we have this year, the idea is that you can take this chassis and run the same car at Bristol and a larger track and still be successful without having to change much. We’ll see if that’s the case this weekend at the first short track we’ve been to this season. We’re all still learning about these cars and how they handle at the tracks each weekend. I enjoy the racing action at Bristol; it’s fast and action-packed. Every time that I’ve been there with a team we’ve had good luck, so that’s our goal for the weekend is to have a strong showing with our FreeCreditReport.com Ford Fusion.”

NOTES OF INTEREST:

· Gilliland will have media availability at the No. 38 hauler from 11:00-11:30am Friday, March 14th
· Gilliland has an average starting position of 33.3 and an average finish of 37.0 at Bristol

· Gilliland has completed 891 of 1,504 career laps at Bristol (59.2 percent)

· Gilliland’s best start at Bristol is from 27th in the 2007 Sharpie 500

CHASSIS #509

Chassis #509 is the chassis the #38 FreeCreditReport.com team will be running this weekend for the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. This is the same chassis the team ran at The Auto Club Speedway in California for the Auto Club 500 where they finished 17th.

This Press Release and any images that are used,
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