While the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 weekend is still eight days away, eager campers have already started to line up for campsites in the unreserved campgrounds. The speedway’s unreserved campgrounds will open on Saturday, Aug. 25 at 8:00 a.m.

The speedway’s unreserved campgrounds are available on a first-come, first-serve basis for both RV and tent camping. Unreserved camping spots are $60 per site and can be purchased at the entrance to the campgrounds. All vehicles must have either camping credentials or a tow pass to enter any campground at AMS. Unreserved camping credentials and tow passes can be purchased at the entrance of the campground, while all reserved camping credentials and tow passes must be purchased at the ticket office.

Campers are reminded that two AdvoCare 500 tickets must be presented to enter the campground. Tickets will be available for purchase at the ticket office if campers have not yet done so.

A limited number of campsites in the East Turn and First Turn campgrounds remain available, which will also feature new grass for fans to enjoy during the Labor Day weekend. East Turn camping will fit RVs 20x40’ for $150. First Turn camping for 20x40’ RVs is $150 and 25x42’ space is $175.

For those looking for a luxury camping experience for the entire race weekend, Trackside Terrace spots are in limited availability and feature several great benefits. These campsites include 10 race tickets for each of the three nights of racing, 10 pit passes for each of those days, tow passes for extra vehicles, full hook-ups and a view of the entire speedway from your camper. These are also the only remaining campsites with hookups available.

Trackside Terrace pricing is below:

Terrace*                      Luxury RV       25x50’                         Yes                  $3,500

Terrace Back Row^    Luxury RV       25x50’                         Yes                  $2,500

Turn One*                   Luxury RV       20x50’                         Yes                  $3,995

*Trackside Terrace and Trackside Turn One Luxury RV campsites include 10 race tickets for each day, 10 pit passes for each day, and tow passes for extra vehicles (one in Turn One; two in Trackside Terrace).

^Trackside Terrace Back Row Luxury RV campsites include 10 race tickets for each day, 10 pit passes for each day, two tow passes for extra vehicles and a viewing veranda located above the track’s backstretch.

Outside campgrounds open on Saturday, Aug. 25, allowing campers to enjoy the entire race week and build-up to race weekend for an affordable price. Infield and trackside camping will open on Thursday, Aug. 30 at 2:00 p.m.

AMS PR

Ryan Hess, a crew member in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, has been indefinitely suspended from NASCAR for violating the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy.

On Aug. 22, Hess was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 19 (violation of the NASCAR substance abuse policy) of the 2012 NASCAR Rule Book.

NASCAR PR

For the first time since 1997, a driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series led all of the laps en route to the victory. Wednesday night, Timothy Peters was the driver who repeated history and made it happen in dominating style in the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Starting from the outside of the front row and leading all 204 laps, including a green-white-checkered finish, Peters nabbed his second victory of the year.

Unloading for practice on Wednesday with a stout setup underneath their No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra, Peters and crew chief Butch Hylton made only minor adjustments during both sessions to help the balance. Peters followed up his practice comments by laying down the second quickest lap in qualifying to place him on the outside of the front row for the 200 lap shootout.

"I can't thank you guys enough for this Tundra. You should see the view from where I'm at out here on the front row. It's amazing," Peters radioed to the crew during the pace laps.

His comments would preface the view he would have for the duration of the night, as he jumped ahead of the pole sitter before turn three on the first lap, quickly putting the rest of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) field in his rear view. Maintaining patience through the first green flag segment of the race with help over the radio from Hylton and spotter Tony Hirschman, Peters cleanly weaved his way through slower traffic without any issues.

Under the first caution of the night on lap 82, Hylton elected to bring his driver down pit road for four tires, fuel and a very small adjustment. The Red Horse Racing pit crew went to work and clicked off a blazing fast stop, putting Peters back on top without losing the lead. Able to make it to the rest of the way on fuel, Hylton relayed to Peters that he needed to take care of his Tundra and save his tires through the second half of the race.

With a commanding restart, Peters once again resumed his reign over the field and continued to control the restarts through the next four cautions. The minor adjustment made under the night's lone pit stop was just enough to help the NCWTS points leader maintain a several truck-length lead over second place throughout the second half of the night and Peters was set to cruise to the finish.

 A late race incident with five to go shook things up and set the field up for a green-white-checkered finish, placing Peters in the hot seat with competitors drawing up to the back bumper of his Toyota Tundra. His confidence unshaken, the Red Horse Racing driver wheeled his No. 17 machine through another great restart and held off the field to take the checkers.

"It's an awesome feeling to go out there and lead every lap like that. These races are so hard to win anyway, and to do it in that fashion is just unbelievable," Peters recapped after his visit to victory lane.

"This Red Horse Racing team works so hard to give me fast Toyota Tundras like I had here tonight and I can't thank them enough. When you have a team like we do, with the work ethic and attitude that they have, it just pushes me to perform that much better. This win is a great birthday present to our owner Tom DeLoach, who gave me an awesome opportunity back in 2009 to drive for this team and the sky has been the limit ever since.

"We had great speed in our Tundra during the first practice, but a flat tire kind of got us off track a little bit during the second practice. Butch Hylton is so good about getting this team together and used his experience to calm us down and make the changes. Boy, this truck was flawless tonight."

Hylton followed up Peters' comments with compliments to the wheelman and his performance not only at Bristol, but throughout the season thus far.

"Timothy drove his guts out tonight. He was absolutely flawless on the restarts and that really sealed the deal for us. I know how hard he's worked on that and on improving on everything this year. He's really done his homework and we've really started to come into our own as an organization. I just feel blessed to have a race like that and work for a team like this," Hylton said.

The victory helped Peters extend his NCWTS championship point lead to 17 points over second place. Teammate Parker Kligerman completed the top-two sweep by finishing in the runner-up spot. Driving the third Red Horse Racing entry, Todd Bodine raced solidly inside the top-five until contact with 40 laps remaining from another competitor sent him into the outside retaining wall and relegated him to a 31st place finish. Returning to action next Friday night, the team travels to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the NCWTS Jeff Foxworthy's Grit Chips 200. Coverage begins live on SPEED at 7:30 pm EST.

Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished fourth (Joey Coulter), fifth (Brendan Gaughan) and 21st (Ty Dillon).
Dillon is third in the NASCAR Camping      World Truck Series driver championship point standings, 25 points behind      the leader, while Coulter ranks seventh in the standings.
The No. 3 Chevrolet team is third in the      Camping World Truck Series owner championship point standings, with the      No. 22 team seventh in the standings and the No. 2 team ranks eighth.
Dillon leads the Sunoco Rookie of the      Year point standings ahead of Cale Gale.
According to NASCAR's Loop Data      Statistics, Coulter earned the third-highest Driver Rating (103.6) while Gaughan      earned a rating of 99.5, ranking him fifth amongst the competitors.
Coulter was the series' fifth-Fastest      Driver Late in the Run.
Coulter earned the series' fifth-best      Average Running Position (6.485), while Gaughan and Dillon ranked ninth      (9.382) and 10th (9.527), respectively.
Gaughan and Dillon were the seventh and      eighth-Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, respectively.
Gaughan made 36 Green Flag Passes during      the UNOH 200 ranking him sixth in the category, while Dillon made 35 Green      Flag Passes ranking him eighth.
Coulter and Gaughan spent 100 percent of      the UNOH 200 running in the top 15, while Dillon spent 97.5 percent of the      race 204-lap race in the top 15.
Timothy Peters earned the win at Bristol Motor Speedway and was followed to the line by      Parker Kligerman, Ross Chastain, Coulter and Gaughan.
The next scheduled Camping World Truck      Series race is Atlanta 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, Aug. 31. The      14th race of the 2012 season is scheduled to be televised live      on SPEED beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on Motor      Racing Network beginning at 7:45 p.m.


Brendan Gaughan Brings Home a Top-Five Finish at Bristol Motor Speedway

Brendan Gaughan and the No. 2 South Point Hotel & Casino team brought home a top-five finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 Friday night under the lights of Bristol Motor Speedway. The Las Vegas native started the race from the 11th position and worked his way into the top 10 within the first 25 laps of the event. During the early portion of the 204-lap race, Gaughan informed the team that he was battling a loose-handling condition on the entrance and exit of the turns. On lap 82 crew chief Gere Kennon called Gaughan to pit road for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to correct the handling issue Gaughan was fighting on the No. 2 Silverado. The 37-year-old driver returned to the track in the ninth position and was shuffled back to 14th on lap 93 when he alerted the crew the chassis adjustment made the truck too tight in the corners. Gaughan forged on and worked his way toward the front of the field during the final laps, crossing the finish line in the fifth position.


 Start - 11            Finish - 5            Laps Led - 0          Owner Points - 8


BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTE:

"This was a great finish the for the South Point Hotel & Casino team tonight. We started out with a really loose truck and went a little too far with our adjustment, and I had to fight a tight handling truck during the second half of the race. I'm really proud of the whole RCR organization and the great equipment they bring to the track each week; it's such an honor to be part of this team."

Ty Dillon Runs Out of Fuel on the Final Restart and Finishes 21st at Bristol Motor Speedway

In their first career NASCAR Camping World Series start at Bristol Motor Speedway, Ty Dillon and the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team were positioned in the top five for the final restart of the night before running out of fuel with three laps remaining in the UNOH 200, resulting in a 21st-place finish. Dillon started the 204-lap event from the 12th spot and settled into position for the next 50 circuits around the Bristol, Tenn.-based facility. A tight-handling condition developed on the No. 3 Chevrolet over the course of the long green-flag run. The first caution flag of the night was displayed on lap 80, and Marcus Richmond called Dillon to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure and chassis adjustment. Gaining five positions on pit road, the No. 3 Chevrolet lined up 10th for the restart on lap 87.  The 20-year-old driver maintained his position within the top 10 and ran there for the next 100 laps. Breaking into the top five on lap 171, Dillon reported the handling on the black and orange Chevrolet had improved over the long green-flag run. The 2011 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion was scored in the fourth position when a caution flag slowed the field on lap 194, setting the stage for a green-white-checkered finish. As the field circled the half-mile concrete oval to take the final green flag, Dillon radioed to the Richard Childress Racing team that the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet was out of fuel, which ultimately relegated them to a 21st-place result.


Start - 12          Finish - 21       Laps Led - 0            Points - 3


TY DILLON QUOTE:

"It's really disappointing to have such a fast Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet and run out of fuel at the end of the race. I thought we could have contended for the win there at the end but when the green flag waved and I hit the gas, there wasn't anything there. I hate it for these guys. They worked really hard all day."


Coulter Earns Third Top-Five Finish of 2012 at Bristol Motor Speedway

Joey Coulter drove the Richard Childress Racing No. 22 Steak-umm Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish in the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway, after racing in the top-10 throughout the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. Qualifying his Chevrolet Silverado in the eighth position, the 22-year-old driver spent the early laps of the Wednesday evening event racing in the top-10, while attempting to avoid trouble at the concrete bullring. As the race neared the halfway point under the lights at the Bristol, Tenn.-based track, Coulter was caught behind lapped traffic but able to maintain his eighth-place running position. The one-pit stop strategy approach to the 204-lap event proved to be enough for the No. 22 Steak-umm team, as Coulter had no complaints regarding the handling of the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet throughout the race. As the laps wound down, the Miami Springs, Fla., native utilized restarts to gain track position, placing the Steak-umm Chevrolet in position for the victory on a green-white-checkered finish before ultimately crossing the line in the fourth position. 

Start - 8           Finish - 4         Laps Led - 0          Points - 7

JOEY COULTER QUOTE:  

"The guys on the No. 22 team work hard each and every weekend and I couldn't be more proud of their effort tonight with the Steak-umm Chevrolet. Its finishes like these that are going to keep us in contention for the (NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) championship."

Miguel Paludo turned what could have been a disastrous night into a top-20 finish at one of NASCAR's toughest tracks. Paludo recovered from a late-race spin and fought his way back from being a lap down to bring home a 16th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The No. 32 Turner Motorsports team made tremendous strides in the day's two practice sessions, ending the final practice with a truck that driver and crew felt could be very competitive in the 200-lap event at the half-mile track. However, the truck's performance in race trim did not translate into qualifying speed, resulting in a 29th-place starting spot.

The UNOH 200 began with an 82-lap green-flag run, the longest period without a caution in the last 15 events at Bristol. Although it meant clean racing on the track, the long run strung out the field on the short track and resulted in many trucks quickly going a lap down. It took less than 40 laps for the Duroline Brakes and Components Chevrolet to be passed by the leader, and by the time the first yellow flag waved, Paludo was scored in 24th and less than 20 trucks remained on the lead lap.

Paludo relayed to crew chief Jeff Hensley that the No. 32 was handling well in the outside groove but was much too tight to race on the bottom of the track. Hensley called his driver onto pit road for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure to loosen up the Duroline machine, and Paludo was scored in 25th when racing action resumed on lap 88. Paludo worked his way into 23rd and into position to receive the free pass by lap 111, but unfortunately, next caution flag that waved was for the Brazilian driver, who spun in turn four on lap 148.

With their tires flat-spotted but the body damage-free, the Duroline crew provided Paludo with four fresh tires and a splash of fuel before sending their Silverado back onto the track in 24th on lap 156. Ineligible to get the lucky dog because he brought out the caution, Paludo was still one lap down, but the closing 44 laps were caution-filled, and the No. 32 team was in the free pass position when the yellow waved on lap 188. Taking the green from 20th on the lead lap, Paludo was able to gain four positions in the closing laps before crossing the finish line 16th.

Miguel Paludo: "We actually had a really fast truck tonight; it was really just our track position from qualifying that we had to make up for all night. It put us behind from the start and once we went a lap down, we had a hole to dig ourselves out of. My Duroline Chevy was really good on the high line; we had so much grip up there. We could have been a top-five truck if we'd gotten onto the lead lap sooner. I can definitely say that I learned a lot tonight and had a lot of fun racing. Now we just have to turn our focus to Atlanta."

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads further south to Atlanta Motor Speedway for next Friday night's Jeff Foxworthy Grit Chips 200 on August 31st.

Turner Motorsports PR

Front Row Motorsports (FRM), which fields the Nos. 26, 34 and 38 entries in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was named to Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies in the United States. FRM earned a rank of No. 800 on the list. This marks the first time a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team has made the Inc. 5000 list.

Front Row Motorsports has welcomed 12 new primary sponsors this season: Glory Foods, ModSpace, Maximum Human Performance, Scorpion Coatings, Barrett-Jackson, House-Autry Mills, Big Machine Label Group, Classic Media (Where's Waldo), Green1 Performance, Peanut Patch, 1-800LoanMart, and U.S. Shredder and Castings Group.

Five of these 12 partnerships have turned into multi-race programs. The team's sponsorship portfolio is representative of nearly $172 billion of the U.S. economy.

"We are selling sponsorship and raising corporate dollars in a time when very few teams are," said Robin Johnson, chief marketing officer. "It's not a negative that companies are placing more scrutiny on their budgets. It just forces us to be smarter with how we go about building and executing our programs."

"Our programs are structured in a manner where a sponsor can justify the investment to determine if NASCAR is all we claim it to be" commented Mike Laheta, marketing director, who led the effort to qualify for the Inc. 5000. "We not only show companies how they can use NASCAR to accomplish their goals, we help them do so. Our team is nimble and has a lot of in-house capabilities. We do a good job at working with our partners to build successful programs. We focus not only on building those programs, but attaching the right metrics to them so that success is more easily measurable."

"All of the headlines now seem to be focused on sponsorship woes," continued Laheta "We are finding sponsorship dollars in a time when a lot of the garage area is struggling to. It takes a lot of hours on the phone and a lot of output, but we're getting more meetings and calls each week. I think that is a positive sign, not only for our team, but for the rebounding sponsorship market of our entire sport. All we ask for is the chance to have someone hear us out. Our approach and dedication to our partners is working for us. We've been able to use NASCAR to sell everything from collard greens to modular buildings to supplements and country music CD's."

"Our team is focused on constant improvement both on the racetrack and in the marketplace" said Jerry Freeze, general manager who has been with FRM since 2009. "Being named to the Inc. 5000 is certainly a victory for us off the track and shows that we are capable of winning in corporate America. We're an interesting case study to look at - we've raced at least two teams full-time in the Sprint Cup Series since 2009. We're a team that came into the sport right as the economy started to take a turn for the worse. We've weathered the storm, so to speak. Being named to the Inc. 5000 is a nice way to be recognized for our hard work and resiliency."

The team's driver lineup currently includes David Gilliland, David Ragan and Josh Wise.

FRM PR

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moves into Tennessee this weekend with plenty of drama building in the race for the final two “Wild Card” spots. Following this weekend’s event in Tennessee, there will only be one race before “The Road to Richmond” culminates atRichmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, with the Federated Auto Parts 400—“One Last Race to Make The Chase.”

Kasey Kahne (two wins) and Ryan Newman (one win) have a hold on the two “Wild Card” spots heading into the weekend. A victory for Carl Edwards would knock Newman out of the “Wild Card” spot; moreover, a win by Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Marcos Ambrose or Joey Logano could also potentially do the job. Each of those drivers have one win on the season.

Here are some “Wild Card” hopefuls with previous success at Bristol Motor Speedway to watch this weekend:

Kyle Busch                          Busch has dropped to 14th in points, but his early season win at Richmond is keeping his “Wild Card” dreams alive. Busch is always a favorite to win at Bristol with five career wins and seven top-fives. He enters this weekend with the series -best driver rating of 102.3.

Jeff Gordon                       Like Busch, Gordon is no stranger to victory lane at Bristol. Gordon comes in with five career wins, 15 top-fives, and 21 top-tens. This weekend he has the third-best driver rating of 99.8 and the series-best average running position of 9.6.

Carl Edwards                      Edwards finds himself sitting 12th in points, but his winless season has him in jeopardy of missing the cut for the 12-driver chase. He was two career wins at Bristol along with two pole awards and four top five finishes. Edwards will take his 11th-best driver rating of 88.9, and try to capture his first win of the season.

Expect these drivers to be in the thick of the “Wild Card” hunt as “The Road to Richmond” ends at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, for the Federated Auto Parts 400 “One Last Race to Make The Chase.” Once the checkered flag flies, the field will be set for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Only those in the top 10 and two “Wild Card” drivers will be eligible for the championship over the final 10 races of the season.

RIR PR

It may as well be Brad Keselowski Day in Virginia this Monday, August 27. NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski, who is currently fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings and is tied for most wins this season, is visiting Virginia in advance of the September 8, Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race atRichmond International Raceway. Keselowski is making a stop on Monday, August 27, in Hampton and Richmond.

Fans are invited to The NASCAR Sports Grille, located at 1996 Power Plant Parkway; Hampton, VA 23666, where Keselowski will participate in a Q&A session open to the public. The Richmond International Raceway Pace Car will be on display from noon to 3:00 p.m. A huge supporter of military personnel, Keselowski will also have a private meet and greet with select Langley Air Force service men and women.

Keselowski then heads to the Monroe Park Campus of Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, where he will participate in a Q&A session open to the public in the VCU Commons Theatre, located in the University Student Commons (building located between W. Main St. & Floyd Ave.) at 5:45 p.m. Following the Q&A, Keselowski and RIR President Dennis Bickmeier will team up for a corn hole match versus VCU’s Director of Athletics, Ed McLaughlin, and VCU Men’s Basketball Associate Head Coach Mike Rhoades. Come out and cheer on your favorite team! RIR will have its Pace Car in the Commons Plaza at 5:00 p.m., along with free pizza (while supplies last)!

RIR PR