Whitney Motorsports Preview: Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway
Michael McDowell, No. 46 Red Line Oil Dodge Charger
Harrisburg, N.C. (October 22, 2010) — Michael McDowell enters the Tums 500 enthused over the prospects of racing the entire 500-lap distance. The first-year Whitney Motorsports team has accomplished much throughout the season, from a bare shop less than two months before the season-opening Daytona 500 to becoming a consistent qualifier as the team has made 19 starts heading into this weekend. The next step in the evolution is competing for top-20s, which McDowell has on the radar for this weekend at the 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway.
What is the biggest challenge over 500 laps at Martinsville? "Brakes are for sure the biggest challenge. You have to manage your equipment. You can't go out and run too hard the first half of the race and not have anything left for the second half. That's not always easy because there are so many cars on the track the leaders will be in traffic really quickly, so you can't just back off and take your time. You need to be aggressive and go fast, but you can't abuse your equipment."
You have an extensive road racing background, do any of those techniques help at a place like Martinsville with sharp hairpin turns? "Road racing techniques are important in Martinsville. The turns are very similar to something you might see at a road course and you can drive them the same way. You back off early and then try to accelerate through the corner as soon as you can. You can try to outbrake someone going into the turn. The biggest difference is the fact you are bumper to bumper, two-by-two the whole race That's not something you get at a road course very often."
How hard is it to keep your composure when traffic is tight, guys are getting aggressive, and the laps are winding down? "For us this weekend we have to go for it. We only get to race a few times a year so I feel we will be aggressive with our strategy and driving. It's easy to get a little frustrated at a short track so we're going to try to check our emotions at the gate and do our talking out on the racetrack.
Red Line Oil on at Martinsville: Red Line Synthetic Oil Corp. will be the primary sponsor of the Whitney Motorsports Dodge driven Martinsville Speedway for the TUMS Fast Relief 500. This continues Red Line's relationship with McDowell, who has had Red Line sponsorship in several NASCAR Nationwide Series races this season. "Martinsville is a great race to run with our driver Michael McDowell and a smaller team like Whitney Motorsports," said Red Line Oil president Tim Kerrigan. "On a short track like this the cars spin the tires off the corner so spending big money on engines like the top teams really doesn't get you far. Dusty Whitney is a smart owner and Michael has the experience, so we're hoping for a little luck and to stay out of trouble until the end. Then, he'll stand on it!" Red Line Synthetic Oil Corp. manufactures more than 100 quality products for the automotive, racing, motorcycle, marine and industrial markets. Its complete line includes a wide variety of motor oils, gear oils, additives, and greases.
J.J Yeley, No. 81 Whitney Motorsports Dodge Charger
Yeley returns to the Whitney Motorsports team to drive its second entry, the No. 81 Dodge, this weekend at Martinsville. It has been a season of ride-hopping for Yeley, who has driven four racecars for three owners so far in 2010.
Is hopping back and forth between cars and teams difficult? Have you ever walked into the wrong transporter or driven into the wrong garage stall? "It is only difficult switching back and forth from different crew chiefs. The cars only differ slightly and both have similar set ups. Usually both cars handle well when they unload, that's when it gets interesting because the crew chiefs have different ideas on what changes will be made."
Will you be trying anything setup-wise for the 46 team this weekend? "The two Whitney motorsport cars are as close to identical as possible. Having to qualify your way into the race doesn't allow us to experiment much."
Is there any track you raced at in your USAC days even remotely similar to Martinsville? "Martinsville is a unique track. It takes more patience than you would think for a short track. It is important to have a car that allows you to hustle the middle of the corner and has plenty of forward bite so you can give it the throttle."
Martinsville On-track:
Friday October 22
- 11:30 AM — 1:00 PM NSCS Practice
- 3:10 PM NSCS Qualifying
Saturday October 23
- 10:00 — 10:45 AM NSCS Practice
- 11:15 AM — 12:15 PM NSCS Final Practice
Sunday October 24
- 1:00 PM Tums Fast Relief 500 (500 laps/263 miles; Live, ESPN/MRN Radio/Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128)