How do you view your strategy in the Sprint Showdown? Are you concentrated on qualifying for the Sprint All-Star Race or more worried about getting valuable information for the Coca-Cola 600?

“I think it is always big-picture racing. Obviously, we want to win the Sprint Showdown, qualify for the Sprint All-Star Race and win it too, but every practice session and qualifying run we make that weekend gives us the opportunity to learn more about our 1.5-mile program. We must go in with the mindset where we want to win the race and qualifying for the big show. If we do win the race and transfer over, it helps you out for the following week as well. Where else do we get to race the week before a points-paying event other than Daytona International Speedway? It doesn’t happen very often and gives us a great opportunity to learn something.”

If you do win the Sprint Showdown and qualify for the Sprint All-Star Race, it seems like that driver would have an advantage over the competitors already qualified for the main event. Do you agree?

“There is potential for that. One year, we actually won the Sprint Showdown in dominating fashion. I mean, we were wicked fast. A lot of the drivers in the main event that year were worried about how fast we were and I really thought we had a great chance to win the All-Star Race, but we went out there and ended up running something like 10^th the whole event. It’s tougher in that big race. The competition steps it up and when it comes time where one million dollars and no points are on the line, drivers are going to get focused and run a little harder and crazier than normal. It doesn’t hurt you being in the first race, but is better to qualify in before that weekend and prepare go into it knowing you are in the main event.”

This Week’s Caterpillar/BB&T Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway … Jeff will race chassis No. 355 from the Richard Childress Racing Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized three times last season at Darlington Raceway (start-24^th, finish-33^rd), Kansas Speedway (start-16^th, finish-25^th) and Chicagoland Speedway (start-22^nd, finish-15^th) and will make its first appearance of 2012 this weekend.

One Hot Night … Jeff has made seven appearances in the Sprint Showdown and qualified 12 times for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race over his 19-year career. He won the 2003 Sprint Showdown and finished ninth in last year’s event. His best qualifying effort of fourth-place for the two-segment, 40-lap event came in 1995.

How It Works … The Sprint Showdown consists of two 20-lap segments with the winner and second-place finishing driver qualifying for the 28^th running of the Sprint All-Star Race. The Sprint Showdown is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and live television coverage on SPEED begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Black and Silver … Burton’s No. 31 Chevrolet will sport a special edition co-branded paint scheme with Caterpillar and BB&T during the Sprint All-Star Race Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Sprint Fan Vote. Vote Now, Vote Often … Fans still have the opportunity to vote Jeff into the Sprint All-Star Race with the Sprint Fan Vote. The Sprint Fan Vote launched in 2004 as a way to bring one more deserving driver into the Sprint All-Star Race to compete for the $1 million payout. There are three ways you can vote for Jeff and votes from your Sprint, Boost and Virgin Mobile phones count double.

Mobile Handsets

• Text “VOTE” to 229466 from any mobile handset
• Use the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application on your Sprint Android device
• Voting on handsets is unlimited

Online

• NASCAR.COMhttp://www.nascar.com/allstar
• There is no voting time limit in 2012

The Sprint Experience

• Voting stations will be set up in the Sprint Experience mobile display each race weekend

Bring a Sharpie … Jeff is scheduled to participate in an autograph session at the Wal-Mart located on 7735 N. Tryon Street in Charlotte, N.C. on Thursday, May 17at 2 p.m. ET

Pit Crew Challenge … The No. 31 pit crew has qualified for the eighth annual NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge which takes place on Thursday, May 17 starting at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time at Bobcats Arena in Charlotte, N.C. Similar to other all-star skills competitions like the slam dunk contest or home run derby, the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge features the top-24 Sprint Cup Series pit crews and settles who is the best on pit road with individual and team trials. SPEED will air coverage from the event starting at 8:00 p.m. EST that evening.

Official Bank of RCR … BB&T is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $174.6 billion in assets and market capitalization of $14.9 billion, as of Dec. 31, 2011. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., the company operates approximately 1,800 financial centers in 12 states and Washington, D.C., and offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage and insurance products and services. A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Greenwich Associates and others. The RCR partnership with BB&T has enjoyed great success both on and off the track in the past five years, including the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver’s championship with Clint Bowyer and multiple trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s premiere division at Richmond International Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The relationship began at the start of the 2007 Nationwide Series season and moved up to Sprint Cup Series action in 2009.More information about BB&T and its full line of products and services is available at www.BBT.com.

One Year Ago … After starting the event in fifth, Jeff battled a tight-handling No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet and brought home a ninth-place result in the 2011 Sprint Showdown.

Race Rewind … After a solid 10^th-place qualifying effort, Jeff and the No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet team battled to find the right handling throughout the Southern 500 and finished 18^th at Darlington Raceway.

NOTES:

Four All-Star Wins for RCR … Richard Childress Racing has won four NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races, most recently in 2007 with Kevin Harvick. Dale Earnhardt won the event in 1987, which included the legendary “Pass in the Grass.” Earnhardt also went on to claim the checkered flag in 1990 and 1993.

Day of Wine and Race Cars at 2012 FAN DAY … The Richard Childress Racing Museum and Childress Vineyards will co-host a full day of activities for fans May 25 during the ’12 FAN DAY celebration at the award-winning winery and the RCR Museum. Activities at each venue will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern Time with autograph sessions, show car and partner displays, guided museum and winery tours scheduled throughout the day. The RCR Museum will have a giant tent sale, with specific racing memorabilia sales to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation. Also, fans can participate in drawings, hide-and-tweet contests and Facebook trivia for a chance to win prizes. Visit www.childressvineyards.com or www.rcrracing.com for more information on how to be a part of ’12 FAN DAY.      

Up-To-Date with Jeff on Social Media …. To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information, and to view exclusive content, visit Jeff’s Twitter page (ARCR31JeffBurton) where he gives personal updates daily (updates by the ream will be referenced with a –PR). You can also follow Jeff on his updated facebook page at (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton).

Vote Often … Fan voting for the 2012 Sprint All-Star Race lasts until 5 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday, May 19. While Jeff hopes to qualify by finishing first or second in the Sprint Showdown, he also has the opportunity to be voted in by race fans. Fans can vote by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application on their Android-powered Sprint devices or by texting “VOTE” to 229466 on any wireless carrier. Voting also is open at www.NASCAR.com/AllStar or by visiting the Sprint Experience at Sprint Cup Series races. Votes cast on a Sprint, Nextel, Boost or Virgin Mobile device count double towards a driver’s total.

Catch the Action … Live coverage of the Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race from Charlotte Motor Speedway will be televised on SPEED Saturday, May 19, beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Time and will also broadcast worldwide on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the second and final non points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series tour will take place on Friday, May 18 beginning at 5 p.m. ET but be broadcast on SPEED Saturday, May 19 at 5 p.m.

After a solid qualifying effort, the South Boston, Va. native rolled off the starting grid in the 10th position. Immediately providing feedback to crew chief Drew Blickensderfer that the No. 31 Chevrolet was very loose in all facets of the historic 1.366-mile track, Jeff settled into the top 20 for the longest green-flag run in the history of the 62-year-old facility.

While the 44-year-old driver wrestled with the loose-handling condition on the No. 31 Chevrolet, he felt that the car’s handling improved on long runs. Jeff fell one lap down to the race leader near the halfway point of the advertised 367-lap event, prompting Blickensderfer to make some major chassis adjustments on ensuing pit stops to balance the handling on the car.

As the race progressed into the night and track temperatures dropped, the Richard Childress Racing veteran driver reported the car handled the best it had all evening and Jeff worked his way into the “lucky dog” position. A perfectly-timed, caution-flag period with 59 laps to go gave the No. 31 team the opportunity to return to the lead lap, receiving the “lucky dog” award, with Jeff running in the 19th position.

The 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner raced as high as 12th with 30 laps to go powered by the strength of many fast pit stops by the No. 31 pit crew, who were solid all night. During a late-race restart, Jeff was shuffled to the 18th position where he remained until the finish of the race. With the top-20 finish, Jeff moved up one position to 17th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings..

JEFF BURTON QUOTE:

“We definitely wanted to come out of here with a better finish tonight, but I can’t say enough about the effort these No. 31 guys put out all night. Towards the latter part of the race, we were running consistent lap times with the leaders. However, we were pinned one lap down on that initial long green-flag run and seemed to play ‘catch up’ all night. I’ve never seen anything like the long green-flag runs here at Darlington (Raceway). I can’t say enough about the No. 31 pit crew too. Every pit stop tonight, we gained positions on pit road. They’ve been consistently fast all season.”

NOTES:

•   Jeff’s 10th-place qualifying effort was his second-best start of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season

•   Jeff made 57 green-flag passes during the 500-mile race

•   The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race for Jeff is the NASCAR Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 19, televised live on SPEED beginning at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.  Jeff hopes to finish first or second in this event and advance to the Sprint All-Star race, which is set to begin at approximately 9 pm.

How do you feel the No. 31 team ran at Darlington Raceway last year and what are your thoughts on the 2012 event?

“You really can’t compare Darlington Raceway to any other intermediate-sized race track. Since they repaved it, it has a lot of grip. It’s kind of an entity on its own. It’s certainly a place where we go and run well. I feel like we have a competitive advantage when we go there in a lot of areas. I also feel comfortable saying we should be competitive there this year as well.”

Why do you think you run so well at Darlington Raceway?

“Even in the years where we struggled, we always go to Darlington and run well. It’s a track that I always liked because you have to be aggressive, but you can’t cross the line and get too aggressive. It’s a really fun place to race. I’ve always embraced it and viewed it as a great opportunity to race at a historic race track. I’ve never viewed it as a place to be scared of. I viewed it as a place to respect a great deal, but a place to go out, have a good time and enjoy. Every time I go there, I just think it is fun to place to race.”

After the repave, did Darlington Raceway become even more intimidating with the higher speeds?

“For those of us who raced it before, we have to forget the “old Darlington” in some ways and be more aggressive. On the “old Darlington,” you would slide up to the wall. You would enter the corner and give yourself enough cushion and sometimes would slide up and hit the wall. Now, the speed enables you to drive so much harder that you hit the wall because you are driving too hard. Driving too hard before meant you crossed the edge and it happened real slow. You knew it was coming. Today, you drive in deep, go back in the throttle and it happens so quick. It’s just a completely different kind of race.”

Can you remember the first time you went to Darlington Raceway and what your thoughts were?

“It is so different from then to now. I think young drivers will have an easier time now than with the old surface. The grip level now makes it is a lot easier. Don’t get me wrong. It’s still the hardest track we race on, but it is easier than it used to be. You don’t have that slip factor in there that you used to have. The drivers who now win the race at Darlington Raceway attack it. Back in the day, it was more like you survived it. You waited for other people to make mistakes and you were there when the race ended to capitalize. For the last 15 years or so, it has been ‘attack the race track.’ The guys who win these races now don’t wait around. They go out and are aggressive. It is easier to do that with more grip compared to the old track with no grip.”

NOTES:

This Week’s BB&T Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway … Jeff will race chassis No. 393 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 31 Chevrolet, built new for the 2012 season, was utilized in March at Auto Club Speedway where he finished in the 22^nd position in the rain-shortened Auto Club 400.

Career Darlington Stats … The Southern 500 marks Jeff’s 30^th start at the 1.366-mile facility and 630^th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Darlington Raceway is one of Jeff’s favorite places to visit on the Sprint Cup Series schedule and he amassed two wins, eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes at the historic track, leading 817.

Getting Loopy with “The Lady in Black” … Jeff has garnered impressive NASCAR Loop Data statistics at Darlington Raceway since their inception in 2006. Of all drivers entering the 2012 500-mile event, he has the third most green flag passes (403) with 184 coming while running in the top 15 (quality passes). Jeff has also spent 1,622 laps in the top 15, which ranks him 10^th amongst his competitors. He also has an impressive 13.86 average running position and 86.4 driver rating at the track deemed “Too Tough to Tame.”

No Stranger to Victory Lane … Jeff’s six visits to Darlington Raceway’s Victory Lane across Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series competition stretch from 1997-2002. He completed a rare sweep of both Sprint Cup Series events in 1999 and both Nationwide Series events in 2002 and his first win at the egg-shaped oval took place in the Nationwide Series in 1997. The 44-year-old driver also holds trophies for winning the April 2001 race and two Nationwide Series pole awards in 1998 and 2002.

Burgundy and Gray … Jeff’s No. 31 Chevrolet will sport the burgundy and gray colors of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T this weekend. The No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet paint scheme debuted in March at Bristol Motor Speedway and made appearances this season at Martinsville Speedway and Richmond International Raceway. After this weekend, BB&T will be the primary sponsor at Dover International Speedway in June along with a special edition co-branded paint scheme with Caterpillar next weekend during NASCAR’s Sprint All-Star Race Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Official Bank of RCR … BB&T is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $174.6 billion in assets and market capitalization of $14.9 billion, as of Dec. 31, 2011. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., the company operates approximately 1,800 financial centers in 12 states and Washington, D.C., and offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage and insurance products and services. A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Greenwich Associates and others. The RCR partnership with BB&T has enjoyed great success both on and off the track in the past five years, including the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver’s championship with Clint Bowyer and multiple trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s premiere division at Richmond International Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The relationship began at the start of the 2007 Nationwide Series season and moved up to Sprint Cup Series action in 2009.More information about BB&T and its full line of products and services is available at www.BBT.com.

Team Chevy … Jeff is scheduled to participate in a question and answer session at the Team Chevy stage located in the Darlington Raceway display area on Saturday, May 12 at 3:10 p.m. ET.

Team Pocono vs. Team Dover … Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway are teaming up for a celebrity softball game featuring Jeff and Carl Edwards on Tuesday, May 15 at Campbell’s Field, home of the Camden Riversharks in Camden, N.J. The game, billed as Team Dover vs. Team Pocono, marks the first time two NASCAR tracks have joined forces to promote their respective races. Jeff will captain “The Tricky Triangle” team while Edwards will lead the “Monster Mile” squad. The teams rosters will be filled out with drivers from the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well Philadelphia-area athletes and celebrities, and members of the local media. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the game beginning at 4:30 p.m. Following the softball game, Jeff and Edwards will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 7:05 p.m. Lancaster Barnstormers vs. Camden Riversharks baseball game. Access to the Team Dover vs. Team Pocono celebrity softball game is free with a ticket to that night’s baseball game. Tickets for the Riversharks game start at just $5, and all children ages 16 and younger that wear their NASCAR gear get in free. In addition, the United Way of Camden County offers free admission for any child that wears the uniform of the little league team they play for to the game. For tickets, call 1-866-SHARKS-9 or visit www.riversharks.com.

Sprint Fan Vote. Vote Now, Vote Often … Fans have the opportunity to vote Jeff into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 19 with the Sprint Fan Vote. The Sprint Fan Vote launched in 2004 as a way to bring one more deserving driver into the Sprint All-Star Race to compete for the $1 million payout. There are three ways you can vote for Burton and votes from your Sprint, Boost and Virgin Mobile phones count double.

Mobile Handsets

• Text “VOTE” to 229466 from any mobile handset
• Use the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application on your Sprint Android device
• Voting on handsets is unlimited

Online

• NASCAR.COM http://www.nascar.com/allstar
• There is no voting time limit in 2012

The Sprint Experience

• Voting stations will be set up in the Sprint Experience mobile display each race weekend

Race Rewind … Jeff and the No. 31 Caterpillar Racing team dealt with adversity at a number of points during the Aaron’s 499, but capitalized on good fortune toward the end of the race and left Talladega Superspeedway with a 10^th-place finish.

Points Racing … Jeff has scored 249 points and sits 18th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 53 points out of the final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot. After 10 points-paying events of the 36-race Sprint Cup Series season, Jeff has one top-five and three top-10 finishes. The veteran RCR driver has spent 1,381 laps running in the top 15, made 1,140 green-flag passes and led 34 laps.

RCR at Darlington … Richard Childress is tied for third all time with Holman-Moody and the Wood Brothers for car owner victories at Darlington with eight – each with Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel. In 103 collective starts, RCR boasts 21 top-five and 35 top-10 finishes at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval with five different drivers including Clint Bowyer, Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick, Jeff and Robby Gordon. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization holds a 17.2 average starting position, an 18.2 average finishing position, has completed 31,421 of the 35,236 contested laps (89.2 percent) and has collectively led 2,597 laps.

The Collective RCR … Over the season’s first 10 races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have notched three top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. RCR teams have completed 10,548 out of 10,770 total laps (97.94 percent) with Jeff, Harvick, Paul Menard, Elliott Sadler and Brendan Gaughan. The group has led a combined 173 laps.

Day of Wine and Race Cars at 2012 FAN DAY … Richard Childress Racing and Childress Vineyards will co-host a full day of activities for fans May 25 during the ’12 FAN DAY celebration at the award-winning winery and the RCR Museum. Activities at each venue will begin at 9 a.m. Eastern Time with autograph sessions, show car and sponsor partner displays, guided museum and winery tours scheduled throughout the day. The RCR Museum will have a giant tent sale, with specific racing memorabilia sales to benefit the Armed Forces Foundation. Also, fans can participate in drawings, hide-and-tweet contests and Facebook trivia for a chance to win prizes. Visit www.childressvineyards.com or www.rcrracing.com for more information on how to be a part of ’12 FAN DAY. 

Jeff on Social Media: To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit Jeff’s Twitter page (@RCR31JeffBurton) where he gives personal updates daily (updates by the team will be referenced with a –PR). You can also follow Jeff on his updated facebook page at (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton).

Place Your Vote … Fan voting for the 2012 Sprint All-Star Race is underway and while Jeff hopes to qualify by winning a race prior to the event or finishing first or second in the Sprint Showdown, he also has the opportunity to be voted in by race fans. Fans can vote by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application on their Android-powered Sprint devices or by texting “VOTE” to 229466 on any wireless carrier. Voting also is open at www.NASCAR.com/AllStar or by visiting the Sprint Experience at Sprint Cup Series races. Votes cast on a Sprint, Nextel, Boost or Virgin Mobile device count double towards a driver’s total.

Catch the Action … FOX’s live coverage of the Southern 500 begins Saturday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the 11^th points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series schedule will air live on SPEED on Friday, May 11 at 5 p.m. ET.

Jeff qualified in the 29^th position Saturday for the second of four superspeedway events of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Morning rain pushed back the start time but, as the green flag waved just before 1 p.m. Central Time, the gap from the pole position to Jeff quickly vanished.

He was 12^th by lap three and moved into the ninth position three laps later. Rising water and oil temperatures in the engine forced Jeff to drop back from the lead pack to allow more air onto the front of the No. 31 Chevrolet at the 40-lap mark of the race scheduled for 188 laps.

Yeoman’s work by the Cat pit crew, during both caution periods and green-flag stops, kept the team in the hunt. Unfortunately, the fuel cell ran dry on lap 148, forcing Jeff to make an unscheduled green-flag pit stop while down on power. The No. 31 Chevrolet remained on the lead lap, but it was relayed to Jeff that the fuel cell wasn’t filled completely on the previous stop so they would need a caution before the checkered flag waved.

That usually isn’t a problem at Talladega, where late-race theatrics are the norm. Multiple cautions in the last 15 laps of the race eventually forced one, and then a second green-white-checkered finish. The No. 31 Chevrolet suffered damage to the right-front fender on the last caution but the Cat crew fixed the problem without losing a lap and was ready for the trophy dash to the finish.

The No. 31 Chevrolet sat 15^th in the field for the final restart and picked up five spots by the time the checkered flag finally waved on lap 194. With the top-10 finish, Jeff picked up two spots, to 18^th, in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series driver point standings.

JEFF QUOTE:

“The Cat Racing team never gave up despite some adversity and we got a well-earned top-10 finish. Not being able to race the way we want to race is frustrating. Every time we would get in the pack, our water pressure would get real high. We didn’t want to push water so we had to back out of the main pack to get some air on the front end. That wasn’t a lot of fun. But we caught a lucky break on a late caution and, fortunately, that helped us a lot.”

After running at Daytona International Speedway, what do you expect this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway?
“Last year, you went into the race with a strategy. You knew exactly what you wanted to do and who you were going to work with. We knew last year going in that (Clint) Bowyer and I were going to be together no matter what. You had that strategy with him and that was it. Now the strategy is wherever you are, go figure out how to make it work with whoever is available. You still have your teammates who you prefer to work with, but it is hard to always do that. You aren’t always in the same place. If you are running eighth and your teammate is running 16th, there isn’t enough benefit to drop back to 16th and go get him anymore. I also think we will have some cautions early and a string of them late in the race. Pack racing, although it might be fun to watch, creates a lot of big multi-car accidents. A lot of drivers like this pack racing better. I personally think that things get taken out of your hands a lot easier in this kind of racing. I think it will be a safe bet to say that there will be a lot of cautions towards the end of the race. It will get four-wide and really aggressive in the big packs. That is all a given.”

How much different will the race at Talladega Superspeedway be this year than last year with pack racing compared to the two-car tandem drafts?
“We are seeing drivers learn to use different strategies. You ask yourself, ‘what is it going to take to win this race?’ It is a different strategy to win than what it took last year. You can push a little bit, but you can’t push enough to help your teammate or the driver in front of you. With the shorter spoiler, it seems like pushing someone else doesn’t give you the benefit it used to, but it still gives you some benefits so you still want to do it. Typically, it’s easier to draft at Talladega Superspeedway rather than Daytona International Speedway. The track is wider and there are more places to go. It is an evolution for the driver to find out what it takes to win in these restrictor plate races.”

What do you have to do to put yourself in position to win at Talladega Superspeedway mentally?
“There are more hurt feelings in this kind of racing. Pack racing always leads to driver thinking their teammate or buddy hung them out to dry. Last year with tandem racing, most drivers sat down and said, ‘I’m going to run with you no matter what.’ Now drivers are going to get their feelings hurt even more because they were supposed to having a buddy on the track to go with them no matter what. This year, the guy behind you will be acting in his best interests. You will see more teammates mad at each other, more friends mad at each other and more feelings hurt than in the past. It goes back to the way it used to be where you can’t trust anybody. It’s not that they are trying to do something wrong to you, they are doing what is right for them. This is sports and that is what you are supposed to do. You have to get last year out of your head and worry about this year.”

NOTES:
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Talladega Superspeedway … Jeff will race chassis No. 343 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This chassis, built in 2011 for RCR’s No. 29 entry with driver Kevin Harvick, competed in three superspeedway events last season including the Daytona 500 where an engine failure relegated Harvick to a 42nd-place finish. Harvick also guided this machine to a top-five finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2011 (started-38th, finished-fifth) and a top-10 finish in July in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway (started-31st, finished-seventh). Jeff got behind the wheel of this Chevrolet in the 2012 Budweiser Shootout at DIS where he was involved in an early incident but battled to an 11th-place finish.

Career Talladega Stats … The Aaron’s 499 marks Jeff’s 37th start at the 2.66-mile superspeedway and 629th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. He earned five top-five and 14 top-10 finishes along with 147 laps led at the historic track.

Getting Loopy on Eastboga Blvd … Jeff has garnered impressive NASCAR Loop Data statistics at Talladega Superspeedway since the inception of NASCAR Loop Data Statistics in 2006. He leads all drivers entered for the 500-mile event with a driver rating of 91.3, has the most green passes with 5,426 (3,834 of those passes coming while running in the top 15), the seventh-best average running position (15.8) and has spent 1,596 laps in the top 15, ranking him third..

Featured Cat Dealers … Thompson Tractor Company Inc. and Puckett Machinery Company will be featured on the deck lid of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

• Thompson Tractor Company, Inc. is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala, and was founded in 1957 by Hall Thompson. Thompson Tractor Company, Inc. is comprised of four main divisions (Thompson Tractor Co., Thompson Power Systems, Thompson Lift Truck Co., and the Thompson Cat Rental Store), and has operations in Alabama, Georgia and Northwest Florida.  Thompson is the exclusive full-line Caterpillar dealer for Alabama and Northwest Florida.  For more information visit our website: www.thompsontractor.com.
• Puckett Machinery Company is the Caterpillar heavy equipment, rental services and engine dealer for central and southern Mississippi. Puckett Machinery has six full-service heavy equipment facilities conveniently located throughout the southern half of Mississippi – in Jackson, Gulfport, Natchez, Meridian, Hattiesburg, and Brookhaven. They also have five Puckett Rents Cat Rental Store facilities in Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Jackson, Madison, and Meridian, Mississippi which provide quality rental equipment, Cat Compact Construction Equipment, and a wide range of contractor supplies. There are also two Puckett Power Systems locations in Jackson and Gulfport serving the engine and generator needs of central and southern Mississippi. Puckett Machinery is fully and completely committed to providing higher quality products, more choices, greater expertise, finer support and, ultimately, better overall solutions.

Race Fever … Jeff will take part in a Q&A and autograph session at the 2012 Race Fever event held on Friday, May 4 at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. The 27th annual event, event benefits the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind and is held at the SPEED Channel Dome in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. For additional information and tickets to the event, call (256) 761-3571 or (256) 761-3369.

Walk of Fame … Jeff was nominated as a candidate for the 2012 Talladega Walk of Fame at Davey Allison Memorial Park. Located in downtown Talladega Ala., the park’s focal point is to salute NASCAR racing legends selected by the fans. The voting is by online ballot only and fans can vote at www.talladegawalk.com.

Sprint Fan Vote. Vote Now, Vote Often … Fans have the opportunity to vote Burton into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on May 19 with the Sprint Fan Vote.  The Sprint Fan Vote launched in 2004 as a way to bring one more deserving driver into the Sprint All-Star Race to compete for the $1 million payout. There are three ways you can vote for Jeff and votes and votes with your Sprint, Boost and Virgin Mobile phones count double.

• Mobile Handsets
• Text “VOTE” to 229466 using any mobile handset
• Use the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application on your Sprint Android device
• Voting on handsets is unlimited
• Online
• NASCAR.COM
• There is no voting time limit in 2012
• The Sprint Experience
• Voting stations will be set up in the Sprint Experience mobile display each race weekend

Team Pocono vs. Team Dover … Dover International Speedway and Pocono Raceway are teaming up for a celebrity softball game featuring Jeff and Carl Edwards on Tuesday, May 15 at Campbell’s Field, home of the Camden Riversharks in Camden, N.J. The game, billed as Team Dover vs. Team Pocono, marks the first time two NASCAR tracks have joined forces to promote their respective races. Jeff will captain “The Tricky Triangle” team while Edwards will lead the “Monster Mile” squad. The teams rosters will be filled out with NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series drivers, as well Philadelphia-area athletes and celebrities, and members of the local media. Gates open at 4 p.m. with the game beginning at 4:30 p.m. Following the softball game, Jeff and Edwards will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 7:05 p.m. Lancaster Barnstormers vs. Camden Riversharks baseball game. Access to the Team Dover vs. Team Pocono celebrity softball game is free with a ticket to that night’s baseball game. Tickets for the Riversharks game start at just $5, and all children ages 16 and younger that wear their NASCAR gear get in free. In addition, the United Way of Camden County offers free admission for any child that wears the uniform of the little league team they play for to the game. For tickets, call 1-866-SHARKS-9 or visit www.riversharks.com.

Career Statistics … During his 20-year Sprint Cup Series career, Jeff has earned 21 wins, 131 top-five and 244 top-10 finishes in 628 starts. The veteran RCR driver also tallied six pole awards and led 6,506 laps.

Race Rewind … An on-track incident on lap 310 knocked Jeff and the No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet team out of contention in the Capital City 400, relegating them to a 31st-place finish at Richmond International Raceway.

Points Racing … Jeff is 20th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 64 points out of the final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot.

Up-to-Date with Jeff on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit Jeff’s Twitter page (@RCR31JeffBurton) where he gives personal updates daily (updates by the team will be referenced with a •PR). You can also follow Jeff on his updated facebook page.

RCR in the NSCS … In 2,192 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts dating back to 1969, Richard Childress Racing has amassed 100 wins, 430 top-five finishes, 891 top-10 finishes and 42 pole awards, with an average starting position of 17.9 and an average finishing position of 15.8 among all races contested. RCR has earned six Sprint Cup Series championships with Dale Earnhardt (1986, ’87, ’90,’91, ’93, ’94), 14 total championships (five NASCAR Nationwide Series titles, two NASCAR Camping World Series titles and one ARCA Racing Series title) and was the first organization to win titles in NASCAR’s three national series.

RCR Leads at Talladega … Richard Childress began his driving career at the Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 and leads team owners for the most all-time victories at the storied Ala. race track with 12 wins, including three of the last four Sprint Cup Series events. Dale Earnhardt visited Victory Lane nine times while Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer swept the 2010 events at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. Bowyer added to the Welcome, N.C.-based organization’s total by claiming RCR’s 100th Sprint Cup Series win when NASCAR’s senior series last visited in October 2011. Jeff finished a close second. In 134 starts, RCR has four pole awards, 37 top-five, 57 top-10 finishes and has led 1,715 laps of competition.

Hall of Famer … Richard Childress, president CEO of RCR, will be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame on Thursday, May 3, during a gala event at the facility on the grounds of Talladega Superspeedway. Childress, the 14-time championship-winning team owner, has had racing in his bones since he was a pre-teen, selling peanuts and popcorn at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. The 2011 NASCAR Buddy Shuman Award winner and three-time The Sporting News NASCAR Owner of the Year will be inducted along with National Hot Rod Association drag racing legends Kenny Bernstein and John Force.

Isn’t it Grand … Richard Childress will serve as the grand marshal of the May 4 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. The 14-time championship-winning team owner will be inducted the night before into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Catch the Action … FOX’s live coverage of the Aaron’s 499 begins Sunday, May 6 at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the 10th points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series calendar will air live on SPEED on Saturday, May 5 at 12 p.m. ET.

Jeff started the race from the 30th position and had a fast race car from the drop of the green flag. The 21-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winner worked his way into the top 25 by lap 30 and into the top 20 before the mandatory competition caution on lap 50. By lap 100, he found himself knocking on the door of the top 15 and maintained a top 20 running position before moving into 14th-place on lap 118.

After being shuffled back to 22nd on the lap-237 restart, the 44-year-old veteran quietly picked off one car at a time during a long green-flag run and worked his way back in the top 15 right before a routine green-flag pit stop on lap 309. Returning to the race track with four fresh Goodyear tires and a full tank of Sunoco E15 Green fuel, Jeff radioed to crew chief Drew Blickensderfer that something went wrong with the No. 31 Chevrolet and he had made hard contact with the turn three outside retaining wall.

The car had significant damage from the incident, forcing the RCR veteran was to make multiple pit stops so the pit crew could apply necessary repairs. The South Boston, Va., native returned to the race track and was able to finish the remainder of the event, posting a 31st-place finish. Jeff is now 20th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings.

JEFF QUOTE:

“I still don’t know what happened to the car after that pit stop, if something broke on the car or we had a cut tire, but I’m upset that it spoiled our strong run. The green-flag run we had going before the wreck was easily the best my BB&T Chevrolet had handled all night. We had a top-15 run going and I am confident we would’ve made it into the top 10 had the incident not happened. The team worked hard to make the needed repairs and we were able to finish the race. We’ll turn our attention to Talladega Speedway now where we almost won last fall.”

The next scheduled NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, May 6, televised live on FOX beginning at 12 p.m. Eastern Standard Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 12 p.m. EST.

Piloting a brand new Chevrolet Late Model that he built out of his own shop, Jeff admittedly missed a shift on a late-race restart that saw him slip backwards from the outside front row to fifth in a matter of moments. He was able to rebound and grab a fourth-place finish in what was his first Late Model race in over two decades.

In what seemed destined to be a battle between he and eventual winner Tony Stewart, Jeff’s Caterpillar machine didn’t get up to speed on the final restart of the evening.

“It’s disappointing,” Jeff said with a smile afterwards. “I thought Tony and I were going to race side-by-side there for the win, but I missed a shift. We had problems all day shifting from second to third (gear).  Even missed a shift in practice today leaving pit road. The car owner has got to buy some better parts for the car. I want to thank CAT for coming on board and giving their support. We had a lot of fun tonight.”

After starting sixth in the 75-lap race, Jeff vaulted to second by lap 52 when a competition caution was displayed. During their pit stop, crew chief Matt McCall and the team “freed up” the car so Jeff could turn better in the corners to give Stewart a run for his money.

Finishing second and third were local racers Greg Edwards and Brandon Butler.  Joey Logano was fifth.

Now that Jeff has competed in the his first Late Model race in more than 20 years, he now will turn over the wheel to the new car to his 11-year-old son Harrison to test and learn. Harrison, who is a 2011 National Champion in USAC’s Generation Next Quarter Midget Series, is competing in three divisions in this year’s USAC GN Series. Currently, he leads all three divisions and has six wins in 12 races, along with four runner-up finishes and two thirds. That Series’ season ends in September.

Harrison plans to compete in Late Models at some point in the future, so Jeff is allowing him to take his time to prepare. For Harrison to test the car, Jeff says he will have to change the seat and insert longer (foot) pedals for Harrison, and “we shall see if he can change gears better than his Dad,” joked Jeff.

Many of the guys who assist with Harrison’s quarter midget team were on hand at the event at RIR, to lend a hand for the Late Model effort. Also there to assist were car builder Jay Hedgecock and Brandon McReynolds, son of long-time crew chief Larry McReynolds.  Thursday night’s event helped raise money for Cystic Fibrosis on behalf of the Denny Hamlin Foundation.

Jeff will be back on Richmond’s D-shaped layout Friday as practice and qualifying will be underway for the Sprint Cup Series race, set for Saturday night. Jeff will be behind the wheel of the No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet.

The season-long program is designed to encourage active family fun and the track and beyond. Jeff will actually be on the track talking to fans at 2:15 pm Saturday during the event.

The Coca-Cola Family Track Walk begins at 1:30 p.m. (near Gate 70, outside of Turn 4). The free event is open to all Saturday, April 28 race ticket holders. Ticket holders who wish to participate must show their ticket at Gate 70.

“I remember the first time I raced a Late Model here at Richmond,” said Jeff, who will be behind the wheel of his No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, which he built out of his own shop. “I was so fired up to run against the likes of Tommy Ellis and Jack Ingram. I was in awe. I actually led a lot of that race, but then got caught up in an accident that took us out late.

“We have worked hard to build this car and we know we will be racing against some really good drivers. It’s going to be fun. It is the first time I have owned my own car in a long time. We built it and we will sink or sail our way. I can’t wait to race with these guys. It would mean a lot to win here in a Late Model.”

The race will feature some of local short track racing’s best Late Model racers, plus some NASCAR stars like Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Michael Waltrip.

“I haven’t raced a Late Model in over 20 years and I wanted to race with these guys because it is what I grew up doing,” added Jeff, who has won a Sprint Cup Series race at RIR (1998) and two Nationwide Series events.  “Everyone competing in this race has worked extremely hard and I am glad to be a part of it.

On hand at the race will be Jeff’s 11-year-old son Harrison, who is proving to be a good driver himself. A 2011 champion in USAC’s “Generation Next” national quarter midget series, who has already won seven races thus far in 2012, Harrison will eventually move over to Late Models in the future.

“This has been well thought out,” added Jeff. “There is a method to my madness even though it doesn’t always look like it. He (Harrison) will eventually be behind the wheel of one of these cars and I wanted to get back into it and understand what he’s going to be dealing with.”

Practice begins today at 2:40 pm at RIR with qualifying set for 5:30 pm. The race gets the green flag at approximately 8:30 pm, following a NASCAR K&N Series race. The race is to be broadcast on SPEED Channel LIVE.

To see the race in person, general admission tickets are being offered for $25 (kids under 12 get in free). Proceeds benefit the Danny Hamlin Foundation, a 501c(3) established to raise funds for individuals and families suffering from cystic fibrosis.

How hectic does Richmond International Raceway feel? It seems to be a mix of a short track and a big track.

“The front straightaway feels a lot like Michigan International Speedway and then you get into turn one and it all goes out the window and it feels like you are back at a short track. Turn two and the backstretch are very narrow and everything else feels like a narrow short track. It really has different personalities and that’s why I like it so much. It’s a small track, but it’s big enough to have good, competitive racing. It’s not so small where it turns into a wreck-fest. That, to me, is what a short track should be.”

You have had some success at Richmond International Raceway, why does this type of track seem to fit your style?

“Richmond International Raceway is such a cool race track and it is so much fun to run there. I always look forward to racing there and it is one of my favorite tracks. We have some really good runs there and also have had some bad runs. We have won there once and should’ve won many more times. Part of our recent history is inconsistency in our overall program. This is a track where I fully expect to run well.”

Last season at Richmond International Raceway, there were a higher number of cautions in both of the races. Any particular reason for that?

“Actually, the outside groove has gone away. I don’t know why or what happened, but it has turned into a one-groove race track and those always make for more cautions. I can’t figure out why it has turned into a one-groove race track, but it has. Anytime we go to a similar track such as Martinsville Speedway or Bristol Motor Speedway, we are going to see a lot of cautions.”

Last year, we saw a 14-car accident at Richmond International Raceway. Have you ever seen anything like that?

“I’ve never seen anything like the 14-car incident last year and we also saw a 15-car accident at Phoenix International Raceway last season. Everyone is just so close in the Sprint Cup Series and it is so competitive. Most of these restarts are so aggressive and when things happen on the restarts, it causes major pileups.”

 NOTES:

This Week’s BB&T Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway … Jeff will race chassis No. 367 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 31 Chevrolet, built new for the 2012 season, was utilized in February at Phoenix International Raceway where engine issues thwarted Jeff’s top-five run and relegated him to a 33^rd-place finish.

Career Richmond Stats … Jeff grew up two hours away from Richmond in South Boston, Va. The Capital City 400 marks his 36^th start at the 0.75-mile facility and 628^th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. He has amassed one win, nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes along with one pole award at the historic track.

Getting Loopy in the “Old Dominion State” … Jeff has garnered impressive NASCAR Loop Data statistics at Richmond International Raceway since the inception of NASCAR Loop Data Statistics in 2006. Of all drivers entering the 400-mile event, he has the eighth most green flag passes (674), the 10^th most quality passes (334), the 10^th best average running position (15.2) and spent 3,489 laps in the top 15, that ranks him eighth amongst his competitors.

No Stranger to Victory Lane … Jeff has made three trips to Victory Lane at Richmond International Raceway, winning in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in September 1998 and in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in June 1998 and September 2000.

Burgundy and Gray … Jeff’s No. 31 Chevrolet will sport the burgundy and gray colors of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based BB&T this weekend. The No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet paint scheme debuted in March at Bristol Motor Speedway and made an appearance earlier this month at Martinsville Speedway. After this weekend, BB&T will be the primary sponsor in May at Darlington Raceway and Dover International Speedway in June along with a special edition co-branded paint scheme with Caterpillar at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

Official Bank of RCR … BB&T is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $174.6 billion in assets and market capitalization of $14.9 billion, as of Dec. 31, 2011. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., the company operates approximately 1,800 financial centers in 12 states and Washington, D.C., and offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage and insurance products and services. A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Greenwich Associates and others. The RCR partnership with BB&T has enjoyed great success both on and off the track in the past five years, including the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver’s championship with Clint Bowyer and multiple trips to victory lane in NASCAR’s premiere division at Richmond International Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. The relationship began at the start of the 2007 Nationwide Series season and moved up to Sprint Cup Series action in 2009.More information about BB&T and its full line of products and services is available at www.BBT.com.

Live Positively … The Coca-Cola Family Track Walk returns this Saturday at Richmond International Raceway and Jeff will participate in a Q&A session during the walk at 2:15 p.m. Eastern. The annual program, designed to encourage active family fun at the race track, gives all fans attending Saturday’s event the opportunity to walk a lap around the track on race day just hours before the green flag drops. Following each Coca-Cola Family Track Walk, fans can enjoy fun for the whole family, such as games, music, racing simulators and motivating lifestyle tips. All events are free to RIR ticket and credential holders. Away from the track, fans can visit www.nascar.com/coca-cola where they can keep up with ongoing news and stats about Burton and their favorite Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers.

Anything with Wheels … On Thursday, Jeff, piloting the No. 31 Caterpillar Late Model, and six other NASCAR drivers will face some of the Southeast’s best Late Model drivers in the Denny Hamlin Showdown at Richmond International Raceway. The fifth-annual event in benefits the Denny Hamlin Foundation, which supports victims of cystic fibrosis and donates to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond, St. Jude’s Hospital and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Additional Sprint Cup Series drivers expected to participate include Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Michael Waltrip, Joey Logano and Aric Almirola. Nationwide, Camping World Truck and K&N Pro Series drivers Jason White, Timothy Peters, Chase Elliott and Darrell Wallace Jr. also are expected, along with former Virginia short-track star Curtis Markham. This year’s race is the second to share the Thursday spotlight with the K&N Series at RIR. The event will also be televised to national audience on SPEED at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Like Father, Like Son … Jeff’s son, Harrison, has shown he is quite the race car driver. Competing in USAC’s .25 “Generation Next” National Touring Series, the younger Burton, who drives in three different divisions (Light 160, Senior Animal, & Light World Formula), has raced in 15 events so far this season, accumulating eight wins, four runner-up finishes, two third-place finishes and one fourth-place finish. The sixth race of the 12-state, 15-race is scheduled to take place this weekend in Albuquerque, NM. The 11-year-old is the 2011 National Series Champion in the Light 160 division and was runner up in the 2011 Senior Animal division. For additional information on the USAC Touring Series, please visit http://www.usacracing.com/.

Evening Out with Coach K … Jeff attended the Fred Barakat Sports Dinner as a guest of RCR partner BB&T at the Greensboro Coliseum Arena in Greensboro, N.C, on April 17. Duke University men’s basketball and USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski was the guest speaker at the event, and Burton is a lifelong fan of the Blue Devil basketball team and supporter of the Duke Children’s Hospital. The dinner benefitted the Greensboro (N.C.) Sports Council.

Building a Legacy … During his 20-year Sprint Cup Series career, Jeff has earned 21 wins, 131 top-five and 244 top-10 finishes in 627 starts. The veteran RCR driver also tallied six pole awards and led 6,506 laps.

Race Rewind … After a strong 12^th-place qualifying effort, Jeff and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team battled to find the right handling and finished 22^nd in the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway.

Points Racing … Jeff is 17th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 48 points out of the final Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot.

RCR at RIR … Richard Childress has eight Sprint Cup Series victories as a car owner at Richmond International Raceway – five with Dale Earnhardt, two with Kevin Harvick and one with Clint Bowyer. Additionally, in 129 starts at RIR, RCR drivers have claimed 33 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes at RIR. Childress, a former driver on NASCAR’s senior circuit, contributed three of those top-10 finishes from 1976-1978. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization holds a 17.1 average starting position, a 14.7 average finishing position, has completed 48,494 of the 51,504 contested laps (94.2 percent) and has collectively led 3,226 laps around the 0.75-mile race track.

Up-to-Date with Jeff on Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit Jeff’s Twitter page (@RCR31JeffBurton) where he gives personal updates daily (updates by the team will be referenced with a –PR). You can also follow Jeff on his updated facebook page at (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffBurton).

Place Your Vote … Fan voting for the 2012 Sprint All-Star Race is underway and while Burton hopes to qualify by winning a race prior to the event or finishing first or second in the Sprint Showdown, he also has the opportunity to be voted in by race fans. Fans can vote by using the NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile application on their Android-powered Sprint devices or by texting “VOTE” to 229466 on any wireless carrier. Voting also is open at www.NASCAR.com/AllStar or by visiting the Sprint Experience at Sprint Cup Series races. Votes cast on a Sprint, Nextel, Boost or Virgin Mobile device count double towards a driver’s total.

Catch the Action … FOX’s live coverage of the Richmond 400 begins Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SIRIUS XM NASCAR Radio. Qualifying for the ninth points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series calendar will air live on SPEED on Friday, April 27 at 5:30 p.m. ET.