Saturday night’s race will consist of 90 total laps; four 20-lap segments followed by a mandatory four-tire pit stop and a 10-lap sprint to the $1 million big-money finish. If one driver wins all four 20-lap segments and bests the field in the final 10-lap shootout, he will double his winnings and take home Bruton Smith’s Big Bonus of an additional $1 million.

MARK MARTIN: “The All-Star race is one of the highlights of the season for all of us. It’s just a great event for the fans and the drivers. Charlotte is home for a lot of people in NASCAR. Friends and family get to come out and watch you race. The other thing is the All-Star race is really a break from counting points. In this race you run for a big trophy and a big check. That’s incentive enough for me. I’d love to take a big trophy and some of Bruton’s money home Saturday night.”

MOST STARTS: “Sure that is gratifying. I’ve been fortunate to work with a whole lot of great people, teams and organizations over the years. I’ve had a ton of help. It’s hard to believe this will be number 24, but I’ve enjoyed every one. It’s a great event and I’m honored just to be part of it. This race creates memories.”

NOTES

• STATS: In 23 All-Star Races, Martin owns two victories (1998 & 2005) and six top-five finishes. He’s led 66 laps and has never started on the pole. He ran in the Winston Open in 1988 &’89.

• No. 55 DRIVERS: Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races, Brian Vickers in nine races and Michael Waltrip in three races. In nine races in 2013 Martin’s highlights this season include a third-place finish at Daytona and a pole at Phoenix.

• CHASSIS: 722 finished eighth at Bristol with Brian Vickers behind wheel. Backup 720

• MARTIN AT CATWALK: Martin will attend the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s 4th Annual Catwalk for a Cause presented by Toyota on Wednesday. The sold out fundraiser is expecting over 450 people at MWR. Fans can make a donation to the foundation: click here or bid on signed NASCAR driver items: click here. All proceeds benefit the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation Special Needs Fund at Levine Children’s Hospital. Sirius Speedway will broadcast live from 3-7 p.m. from the event while fans can see photos and tweets at: www.Zoomph.com/catwalk.

• MWR FAN FEST MOVED TO FALL: Michael Waltrip Racing will host its annual Fan Fest in the fall at the height of NASCAR’s “Chase for the Sprint Cup.” The event at MWR’s headquarters in Cornelius, N.C., has traditionally been held during Charlotte Motor Speedway’s May events, but this season the race shop is undergoing some capital improvements to further enhance the visitor and employee experience. This month MWR began construction of a new 7,500-square-foot training facility. The multi-level gym will further the skills of pit crew members. The facility includes an inlaid car silhouette so crews can practice agility drills around a car, free weights, weight machines, CrossFit elements, cardio equipment as well as locker rooms and offices. Construction should conclude in June.

• TRY THE MWR SOCIAL STOP: Make Michael Waltrip Racing’s “Social Stop” your second screen on Sunday to follow all the racing and social media action when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this weekend. MWR’s “Social Stop” goes live before the race allowing fans to view information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube all on one page. Twitter feeds from MWR drivers, media members and NASCAR fans will populate the page. Visitors can also interact with fellow race fans and answer poll questions on the page. Visit http://www.michaelwaltripracing.com/social

• VOTE FOR MWR TRUCK DRIVERS: Freightliner held the second round of the Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge in Talladega. Now it’s time to vote the eliminated drivers back into the competition for the third round. MWR has three drivers needing votes:  Al Nelson, John Murphy and Stump Lewis. You can vote for each driver once daily at http://freightlinerhaulerchallenge.com/site/vote Voting ends May 20.

• DOWNLOAD MWR INSIDER PROGRAM: Michael Waltrip Racing launched its Insider Program in 2013 offering fans sponsor discounts, specials on merchandise plus fan giveaways throughout the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Fans can access the MWR Insider Program through the CardStar application available on Android and Apple devices. MWR is working on behalf of the fans to expand the offerings beyond its current sponsor line-up, aggregating industry-wide deals and discounts. Fans can text MWR to 42828 to get the card for free. Offers include free headset with rental of a FanVision unit ($19.99 value) and 25% off NASCAR Fatheads at Fathead.com.

FOLLOW NO. 55 ON TWITTER

@55markmartin

@brianlvickers

@mw55

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PIT CREW

Crew Chief – Rodney Childers

Car Chief – Steve Channing

Front Changer – Ryan Langley

Rear Changer – Shannon Myers

Front Carrier – Chris Hall

Rear Carrier – Mark Kennerly

Jackman – Tony Cardamone

Gas man – Brian Dheel

2nd Gas Man- Josh Galloway

Spotter – Jeremy Brickhouse

Engineer – Billy Scott

2nd Engineer – Scott McDougall

Tires – Kevin White

Eng.Tuner- Denny Chandler (TRD)

Shocks – Mike (Nook) McCarville

Interior/7th man- Jacen Johns

Truck Driver – Glenn Shano

2nd Truck Driver – John Murphy

Pit Coach – Greg Miller

Dir. Race Engineering—Chad Walter

Ex. VP Engineering- Nick Hughes

Ex. VP Comp.—Scott Miller

No. 55 DRIVER SCHEDULE

5/26     Charlotte         Martin

6/2       Dover               Martin

6/9       Pocono            Martin

6/16     Michigan         Martin

6/23     Sonoma           Vickers

6/29     Kentucky         Vickers

7/6       Daytona           Waltrip

7/14     Loudon            Vickers

7/28     Indy                  Martin

8/4       Pocono            Martin

8/11     The Glen         Vickers

8/18     Michigan          Martin

8/24     Bristol               Vickers

9/1       Atlanta              Martin

9/7       Richmond        Martin

9/15     Chicago            Martin

9/22     Loudon             Vickers

9/29     Dover                Martin

10/6     Kansas             Martin

10/12   Charlotte          Martin

10/20   Talladega        Waltrip

10/27   Martinsville      Vickers

11/3     Texas                Martin

11/10   Phoenix           Martin

11/17   Homestead      Martin

ALL TIME POLES

ALL TIME WINS

Click here to see the recap video!

• Started 22nd and finished 25^th.
• Reported huge over steer early in the race dropping the No. 55 two laps behind leaders.
• Race ran caution free until the lap 124 mark giving crew little chance to correct handling issues.
• Race restarted on lap 130 and ran caution-free until lap 300 of the 367-lap race.
• Finished race four laps behind leaders.

MARTIN: “That was a tough night for us. The Aaron’s Dream Machine was pretty loose so I needed whole race track to drive it. I couldn’t get near anyone on the track. Because of those long green runs we didn’t get a lot of chances to work on it. Nobody gave up and we kept fighting. Everyone gave it their all. We’ll bounce back at Charlotte next weekend.”

RACE NOTES

• Matt Kenseth won the race by 3.155 seconds over Denny Hamlin
• Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out top-five.
• Lasted 3 hours and 32 minutes
• Nine lead changes among four drivers
• Slowed by five cautions for 25 laps

RESULTS

1          Matt Kenseth

2          Denny Hamlin

3          Jeff Gordon

4          Jimmie Johnson

5          Kevin Harvick

6          Kyle Busch

7          Carl Edwards

8          Juan Pablo Montoya

9          Dale Earnhardt Jr.

10        Ryan Newman

11        Clint Bowyer

12        Martin Truex Jr.

13        Greg Biffle

14        Kurt Busch

15        Tony Stewart

16        Jamie McMurray

17        Kasey Kahne

18        Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

19        Paul Menard

20        Aric Almirola

21        Jeff Burton

22        Joey Logano

23        Travis Kvapil

24        Regan Smith

25        Mark Martin

26        Bobby Labonte

27        Dave Blaney

28        Danica Patrick

29        David Gilliland

30        Landon Cassill

31        Joe Nemechek

32        Brad Keselowski

33        Timmy Hill

34        Marcos Ambrose

35        J.J. Yeley

36        David Reutimann

37        Casey Mears

38        Josh Wise

39        David Ragan

40        David Stremme

41        Scott Speed

42        Michael McDowell

43        Mike Bliss

POINTS

1            Jimmie Johnson       423

2            Carl Edwards            379      -44

3            Matt Kenseth             364      -59

4            Dale Earnhardt, Jr.   359      -64

5            Clint Bowyer             349      -74

6            Kasey Kahne            326      -97

7            Brad Keselowski       326      -97

8            Kyle Busch                325      -98

9            Aric Almirola             317      -106

10          Paul Menard             315      -108

11          Kevin Harvick           315      -108

12          Greg Biffle                311      -112

13          Jeff Gordon              311      -112

14          Martin Truex, Jr.       301      -122

15          Jamie McMurray      295      -128

16          Ricky Stenhse, Jr.    282      -141

17          Ryan Newman          276      -147

18          Kurt Busch                262      -161

19          Joey Logano             259      -164

20          Jeff Burton                258      -165

21          Tony Stewart            253      -170

22          Juan Pablo Montoya 238      -185

23          Marcos Ambrose      235      -188

24          Mark Martin              226      -197

25          Casey Mears            210      -213

26          David Ragan             197      -226

27          Denny Hamlin           197      -226

28          Danica Patrick          196      -227

29          Bobby Labonte          195      -228

30          Dave Blaney             190      -233

31          David Gilliland           188      -235

32          J.J. Yeley                  157      -266

33          David Stremme        150      -273

34          David Reutimann      149      -274

35          Landon Cassill           130      -293

LARRY PHILLIPS & HALL OF FAME 

CORNELIUS, N.C. — No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver and future Hall of Famer Mark Martin doesn’t want to influence the 54-member voting panel that will convene May 22 to vote for the next five members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

But the 54-year-old Martin whose 40 victories is 17th on the all-time list certainly has a sentimental favorite in short track legend and five-time champion on NASCAR’s Weekly Racing Series Larry Phillips.

Phillips joined Bruton Smith, Dale Jarrett, Rex White, and Maurice Petty with 20 others on the ballot for the 2014 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Five inductees will be voted on by the panel that includes the nominating committee, media members and industry veterans, as well as a fan vote from NASCAR.com. The top five highest vote-getters will be enshrined.

Martin began his career working in Phillips’ Springfield, Mo. race shop and spent years battling with Phillips throughout the short pavement and dirt tracks in middle America.

“That is awesome that Larry was recognized and added to the list,” said Martin.

“What makes it more remarkable is he came outside the main stream. There are so many incredible people still waiting to get in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, that a guy like Larry who wasn’t on television every Sunday or racing in the high profile races would be honored.”

Make no mistake, Martin emphasizes Phillips’ 1,000 short track victories in a 40-year driving career is testimony that Phillips’ talent is equal to the sport’s greats.

“Anyone who raced against him will remember him,” recalled Martin. “He was unique. He was fast, won lots of races and beat a lot of people with slower race cars. That says a lot about him.”

Phillips hired Martin at Phillips’ Performance Parts in 1975 just after the Batesville, Ark. native’s high school graduation. Martin worked on Phillips’ race cars during the week then raced against him on Friday and Saturday nights.

Phillips who died of cancer in 2004 and was named one of the NASCAR Weekly Series All-Time Top 25 drivers in 2006. Phillips’ 24^th-place finish in the 1976 Ontario Speedway race was his only Sprint Cup appearance.

“I don’t know whether he’ll get into the Hall of Fame, but I’m proud they honored Larry like they did. It’s a great honor for Larry and for all of us who grew up racing like Larry raced.”

Voting Day for the 2014 class will be May 22. Fans can attend the announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

MARK MARTIN ON DARLINGTON

No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Mark Martin knows a thing or two about Darlington Raceway.

The future Hall of Famer started 46 races at the 1.366-mile South Carolina track including every race since 1988. He won there in 1993 and 2011 while racking up two of his 56 career poles in 1989 and 1998. Despite 31 years of Sprint Cup experience, Martin contends Darlington Raceway can bite him at any second.

DARLINGTON: “That’s probably the most challenging track we race on. It’s so easy to make a mistake there. It’s 500 miles, it’s hot and that track is so tough. No corner is the same; you are going so fast, it’s slippery. You have to be careful. These Gen-6 cars are so fast and the competition is so even it’s going to be tough to pass so you are going to fight all race long. A win at Darlington is always well deserved.”

NOTES 

• MARK MARTIN OPEN HOUSE: Martin hosted his ninth annual fan appreciation event at his Batesville, Ark. car dealership and museum on Saturday. Richard Petty joined Martin at the autograph session that drew about a thousand fans. 

• STATS: In 46 Sprint Cup starts at Darlington, Martin owns two victories (1993 & 2011) and 17 top-five finishes. He’s led 801 laps and won poles in 1989 & 1998. Martin owns 40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide and seven Camping World Truck Series victories. He’s led 12,856 laps in Sprint Cup competition. Martin has started 862 Sprint Cup races, 236 Nationwide races and 25 truck events. He also owns 13 IROC wins in 47 starts.

• POLES: Martin owns five poles in 31 races with MWR. He is seventh on the all-time pole list with 56 poles including one in 2013 at Phoenix.

• SOCIAL STOP: Make Michael Waltrip Racing’s “Social Stop” your second screen on Sunday to follow all the racing and social media action when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway in the Aaron’s 499. MWR’s “Social Stop” goes live race morning allowing fans to view information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube all on one page. Twitter feeds from MWR drivers, media members and NASCAR fans will populate the page. Visitors can also interact with fellow race fans and answer poll questions on the page. Visit www.facebook.com/michaelwaltripracing or click www.MichaelWaltripRacing.com/socialstop

• TRUCK DRIVERS: Freightliner held the second round of the Freightliner Run Smart Hauler Challenge in Talladega. Now it’s time to vote the eliminated drivers back into the competition for the third round. MWR has three drivers needing votes:  Al Nelson, John Murphy and Stump Lewis. You can vote for each driver once daily on Facebook at http://freightlinerhaulerchallenge.com/site/vote Voting ends May 20.

FOLLOW NO. 55 ON TWITTER

@55markmartin

@brianlvickers

@mw55

@rchilders55

@mwrteam

@mwrgirls

@aaronssports

@toyotaracing

PIT CREW

Crew Chief – Rodney Childers

Car Chief – Steve Channing

Front Changer – Ryan Langley

Rear Changer – Shannon Myers

Front Carrier – Chris Hall

Rear Carrier – Mark Kennerly

Jackman – Tony Cardamone

Gas man – Brian Dheel

2nd Gas Man- Josh Galloway

Spotter – Jeremy Brickhouse

Engineer – Billy Scott

2nd Engineer – Scott McDougall

Tires – Kevin White

Eng.Tuner- Denny Chandler (TRD)

Shocks – Mike (Nook) McCarville

Interior/7th man- Jacen Johns

Truck Driver – Glenn Shano

2nd Truck Driver – John Murphy

Pit Coach – Greg Miller

Dir. Race Engineering—Chad Walter

Ex. VP Engineering- Nick Hughes

Ex. VP Comp.—Scott Miller

DRIVER SCHEDULE

5/18     All-Star            Martin

5/26     Charlotte         Martin

6/2       Dover              Martin

6/9       Pocono            Martin

6/16     Michigan         Martin

6/23     Sonoma          Vickers

6/29     Kentucky         Vickers

7/6       Daytona          Waltrip

7/14     Loudon            Vickers

7/28     Indy                 Martin

8/4       Pocono            Martin

8/11     The Glen         Vickers

8/18     Michigan         Martin

8/24     Bristol              Vickers

9/1       Atlanta             Martin

9/7       Richmond       Martin

9/15     Chicago           Martin

9/22     Loudon            Vickers

9/29     Dover              Martin

10/6     Kansas            Martin

10/12   Charlotte         Martin

10/20   Talladega        Waltrip

10/27   Martinsville      Vickers

11/3     Texas              Martin

11/10   Phoenix           Martin

11/17   Homestead     Martin

ALL TIME POLES

ALL TIME WINS

Click here to see the recap video!

• Started 14th and finished fourth
• Dropped to the back to avoid any early race wrecks
• Raced to fifth before rain halted the race for more than three and a half hours
• Raced around the top-10 after the race resumed following the delay
• Avoided multi-car wreck in the closing laps and raced to fourth place on the final restart

WALTRIP: “We had a great run. Rodney (Childers, crew chief) made a great call there at the end to get those tires. I had run a long time on my left sides and that got me the track position that I needed and that was his call. And then he said, ‘I think you’re out of tires, my friend. Come in here.’ And I said, ‘Okay, you’re the boss. I’ll do just that.’  But A.J. McCarron signed our car celebrating Alabama’s 15 national championships and, of course, their one in 2012. It’s a great feeling to be able to race the Aaron’s car. We’ve been together for 14 years. We’ve been together a long time and I hope we stay together a lot longer because I love representing Aaron’s and being a part of the Toyota family. Fun day for me. I don’t get to do this very often and to be able to hop in a car and — I’m a TV guy and I got to learn what these boys are doing and you know what? They’re crazy out there.  They go all over the place.” 

Does your experience help at this track? “Well, I’ve got my days in me still. I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.”

What did you learn in today’s race? “You give those Cup guys a half of an inch and they will take it. It’s real important for me to understand how aggressive they are before I do something crazy. I’ve got it now, I understand. I had a ball. I love being at Talladega and I love racing.”

WALTRIP ON RACING AT TALLADEGA: “Every time I go to Talladega I just have a lot of confidence because of all the success I have had there before. I have been able to win there and I came pretty close to winning there last year. It’s awesome going to a track that you know you have a chance to win. For me, this weekend, it’s all about putting that No. 55 Aaron’s/Alabama National Championship Toyota into victory lane.”

ON RACING THE ALABAMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOYOTA: “It’s going to be really fun to race the Alabama National Championship car this weekend. There are a lot of passionate fan in that part of the world that love Alabama football and NASCAR. It’s a special opportunity to mix the two together. I really look forward to representing all the Alabama fans this weekend in Talladega.”

NOTES OF INTEREST

• Media: Waltrip will visit the media center 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

• A-Day Game: Aaron’s unveiled the No. 55 paint scheme in front of 78,000 fans at University of Alabama’s spring football game on April 20. Coach Nick Saban signed the hood.

• Happy Birthday: Waltrip celebrated his 50th birthday on Tuesday.

• Waltrip at Talladega: Waltrip will make his 54th career NSCS start at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. In 53 previous starts, he has one win, seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. Waltrip has led 32 races for a total of 233 laps.

• Alabama Football Power: This is the fourth consecutive Talladega spring race Aaron’s Inc. and MWR have honored a national championship football team from the state of Alabama. Aaron’s also honored Auburn University in 2010 as well as the University of Alabama in 2009 and 2011.

• Roll Tide Gear: Visit www.nascar.com/rolltide55  to purchase Waltrip/Aaron’s/Alabama merchandise. The NASCAR.com Superstore plans to launch a sweepstakes mid-week, giving away Waltrip’s race-worn firesuit.

• Autographs: Waltrip will sign autographs Saturday at the MWR merchandise trailer track at 9:30 a.m.

• Display Visit: Waltrip will visit the Aaron’s display in the sponsor midway Sunday at 9:25 a.m.

• Social Stop: Make Michael Waltrip Racing’s “Social Stop” your second screen on Sunday to follow all the racing and social media action when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway in the Aaron’s 499. MWR’s “Social Stop” goes live race morning allowing fans to view information from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube all on one page. Twitter feeds from MWR drivers, media members and NASCAR fans will populate the page. Visitors can also interact with fellow race fans and answer poll questions on the page. Visit www.facebook.com/michaelwaltripracing or click www.MichaelWaltripRacing.com/socialstop

• No. 55 drivers: Mark Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races, Brian Vickers in nine races and Michael Waltrip in three races (Daytona in July and both Talladega races.)

FOLLOW NO. 55 ON TWITTER

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@brianlvickers

@mw55

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@mwrteam

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PIT CREW

Crew Chief – Rodney Childers

Car Chief – Steve Channing

Front Changer – Ryan Langley

Rear Changer – Shannon Myers

Front Carrier – Chris Hall

Rear Carrier – Mark Kennerly

Jackman – Tony Cardamone

Gas man – Brian Dheel

2nd Gas Man- Josh Galloway

Spotter – Jeremy Brickhouse

Engineer – Billy Scott

2nd Engineer – Scott McDougall

Tires – Kevin White

Eng.Tuner- Denny Chandler (TRD)

Shocks – Mike (Nook) McCarville

Interior/7th man- Jacen Johns

Truck Driver – Glenn Shano

2nd Truck Driver – John Murphy

Pit Coach – Greg Miller

Dir. Race Engineering—Chad Walter

Ex. VP Engineering- Nick Hughes

Ex. VP Comp.—Scott Miller

DRIVER SCHEDULE

5/5       Talladega        Waltrip

5/11     Darlington        Martin

5/18     All-Star            Martin

5/26     Charlotte         Martin

6/2       Dover              Martin

6/9       Pocono            Martin

6/16     Michigan         Martin

6/23     Sonoma          Vickers

6/29     Kentucky         Vickers

7/6       Daytona          Waltrip

7/14     Loudon            Vickers

7/28     Indy                 Martin

8/4       Pocono            Martin

8/11     The Glen         Vickers

8/18     Michigan         Martin

8/24     Bristol              Vickers

9/1       Atlanta             Martin

9/7       Richmond       Martin

9/15     Chicago           Martin

9/22     Loudon            Vickers

9/29     Dover              Martin

10/6     Kansas            Martin

10/12   Charlotte         Martin

10/20   Talladega        Waltrip

10/27   Martinsville      Vickers

11/3     Texas              Martin

11/10   Phoenix           Martin

11/17   Homestead     Martin

Jones, who played for the Atlanta Braves throughout his entire 19-year career and was a fan-favorite across the country, will give the most famous command in all of motorsports to the 43-car field: “Drivers Start Your Engines!”

“I have been a huge NASCAR fan my entire life,” said Jones, who grew up in Pierson, FL, just minutes away from Daytona International Speedway. “I have met many people within the world of NASCAR as well as many dedicated, true fans of the sport. I know there are a lot of those fans who love Talladega. I’m really looking forward to getting the Aaron’s 499 started!”

Jones spent the last two decades establishing himself as one of the greatest switch-hitters in baseball history, second only to switch-hitters Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray in homeruns (468). The eight-time all-star, who retired following the 2012 season, was named the 1999 National League MVP, and helped the Braves win the World Series title that year.

“Chipper has a lot of fans all over the southeast, especially around us here at Talladega since we are just a short drive from Atlanta” said Grant Lynch, Chairman of Talladega Superspeedway. “His career stats have placed him in some is some good company with someone like Mickey Mantle. We are thrilled to have him get the engines fired for the Aaron’s 499.”

Jones, who will have his No. 10 retired by the Braves this summer, has the most career RBIs for a third baseman and stands third in career RBIs for a switch hitter. He won the National League batting title in 2008, and holds the Braves record for career on base percentage and is third on the Braves all-time career home run list.  He ended his career as a .303 hitter with 1,512 walks and 1,623 RBI in 2500 games with 8989 at bats. He is the only switch hitter in Major League Baseball history to have a .300+ career batting average and 400 or more home runs.

Chipper Jones joins other pre-race dignitaries AJ McCarron (University of Alabama quarterback) and Robin Meade (Country Music Recording Artist & CNN News Anchor), who will serve as the Honorary Pace Car Driver and National Anthem singer, respectively, prior to the Aaron’s 499.

The most competitive racing in NASCAR combined with a mix of southern hospitality returns to Talladega Superspeedway May 3-5 for the Aaron’s Dream Weekend. Experience the excitement as the superstars of NASCAR attempt to tackle the high-banks of ‘DEGA at 200 mph. Secure your tickets at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or by calling 877-Go2-DEGA. This is more than a race…This is Talladega!

• Started tenth and finished 38th
• Raced in the top 10 in the first half of the race climbing as high as sixth.
• Worked most of the race to make car turn better in corners.
• Climbed as high as fourth late in the race.
• Contact with Kasey Kahne resulted in hard crash on the backstretch causing significant damage.
• Aaron’s Toyota returned to action a few laps before the finish

MARTIN: ““We just got caught up in an accident. The effort by these guys was tremendous. We worked on this car all night, we were competitive and I think we were getting it better and better as the race went on. Would have liked to have been in the mix there at the end.”

RACE NOTES

• Kevin Harvick won the race by 0.343 seconds over Clint Bowyer.
• Joey Logano, Juan Montoya and Jeff Burton rounded out top-five.
• The race lasted three hours and 18 minutes
• The race featured 10 lead changes among seven drivers
• The race was slowed by 11 cautions for 75 laps

RESULTS

1          Kevin Harvick

2          Clint Bowyer

3          Joey Logano

4          Juan Pablo Montoya

5          Jeff Burton

6          Carl Edwards

7          Matt Kenseth

8          Aric Almirola

9          Kurt Busch

10        Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11        Jeff Gordon

12        Jimmie Johnson

13        Paul Menard

14        AJ Allmendinger

15        Ryan Newman

16        Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

17        Martin Truex Jr.

18        Tony Stewart

19        Bobby Labonte

20        David Ragan

21        Kasey Kahne

22        David Reutimann

23        Dave Blaney

24        Kyle Busch

25        Landon Cassill

26        Jamie McMurray

27        David Gilliland

28        Josh Wise

29        Danica Patrick

30        Casey Mears

31        David Stremme

32        J.J. Yeley

33        Brad Keselowski

34        Timmy Hill

35        Brian Vickers

36        Greg Biffle

37        Travis Kvapil

38        Mark Martin

39        Joe Nemechek

40        Brian Keselowski

41        Michael McDowell

42        Marcos Ambrose

43        Mike Bliss

POINTS

1            Jimmie Johnson                   343

2            Carl Edwards                        300      -43

3            Dale Earnhardt, Jr.               297      -46

4            Kasey Kahne                        297      -46

5            Clint Bowyer                         290      -53

6            Brad Keselowski                   284      -59

7            Kyle Busch                            278      -65

8            Greg Biffle                            272      -71

9            Paul Menard                         271      -72

10          Kevin Harvick                       271      -72

11          Aric Almirola                         258      -85

12          Jamie McMurray                  245      -98

13          Matt Kenseth                         241      -102

14          Jeff Gordon                          235      -108

15          Martin Truex, Jr.                   231      -112

16          Ryan Newman                      229      -114

17          Joey Logano                         228      -115

18          Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.            224      -119

19          Jeff Burton                            218      -125

20          Kurt Busch                            216      -127

21          Mark Martin                          207      -136

22          Tony Stewart                        207      -136

23          Marcos Ambrose                  195      -148

24          Casey Mears                        183      -160

25          Juan Pablo Montoya             183      -160

26          Danica Patrick                      169      -174

27          Bobby Labonte                      152      -191

28          David Ragan                         145      -198

29          Denny Hamlin                       145      -198

30          Dave Blaney                         145      -198

31          David Reutimann                  138      -205

32          J.J. Yeley                              135      -208

33          David Gilliland                       131      -212

34          A.J. Allmendinger                 122      -221

35          David Stremme                    114      -229

RICHMOND: “This is my 55th race at Richmond and I am driving the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine plus Toyota is sponsoring the race so we have all that going for us. We were fortunate enough to win the pole here last year and MWR has done really well here of late. Clint won this race in the fall and we finished third. Martin Truex has been on fire the last two weeks. So, we are pretty optimistic Saturday night is going to be a lot of fun. Richmond is one of the best places we race and it seems like it’s always a great show for the fans.”

NOTES 

• RICHMOND: In 54 Sprint Cup starts at Richmond, Martin owns one victory (1990) and 18 top-five finishes. He’s led 449 laps.

• MARK MARTIN FAN APPECIATION DAY: Martin will hold the ninth annual Mark Martin Fan Appreciation Day on May 4 at Mark Martin Ford and Museum in Batesville, Ark. Joining Martin this year is seven-time champion and NASCAR’s winningest driver Richard Petty. Martin will begin signing autographs at 9 a.m. with Petty joining at noon. Both will appear on stage for a question and answer session after the autographs. Fan Appreciation Day will also include a live Sirius broadcast, race cars and tours of the museum. For more information go to www.markmartinmuseum.com 

• CHASSIS: 714- won pole at Phoenix in 2013 and finished 21^st.

• WINS: Martin owns 40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide and seven Camping World Truck Series victories. He’s led 12,856 laps in Sprint Cup competition. Martin has started 861 Sprint Cup races, 236 Nationwide races and 25 truck events. He also owns 13 IROC wins in 47 starts.

• POLES: Martin owns five poles in 30 races with MWR. He is seventh on the all-time pole list with 56 poles including one in 2013 at Phoenix.

• No. 55 DRIVERS: Martin will drive the No. 55 in 24 races, Brian Vickers in nine races and Michael Waltrip in three races.

FOLLOW NO. 55 ON TWITTER

@55markmartin

@brianlvickers

@mw55

@rchilders55

@mwrteam

@mwrgirls

@aaronssports

@toyotaracing

PIT CREW

Crew Chief – Rodney Childers

Car Chief – Steve Channing

Front Changer – Ryan Langley

Rear Changer – Shannon Myers

Front Carrier – Chris Hall

Rear Carrier – Mark Kennerly

Jackman – Tony Cardamone

Gas man – Brian Dheel

2nd Gas Man- Josh Galloway

Spotter – Jeremy Brickhouse

Engineer – Billy Scott

2nd Engineer – Scott McDougall

Tires – Kevin White

Eng.Tuner- Denny Chandler (TRD)

Shocks – Mike (Nook) McCarville

Interior/7th man- Jacen Johns

Truck Driver – Glenn Shano

2nd Truck Driver – John Murphy

Pit Coach – Greg Miller

Dir. Race Engineering—Chad Walter

Ex. VP Engineering- Nick Hughes

Ex. VP Comp.—Scott Miller 

NO. 55 DRIVER SCHEDULE

5/5       Talladega        Waltrip

5/11     Darlington        Martin

5/18     All-Star            Martin

5/26     Charlotte         Martin

6/2       Dover              Martin

6/9       Pocono            Martin

6/16     Michigan         Martin

6/23     Sonoma          Vickers

6/29     Kentucky         Vickers

7/6       Daytona          Waltrip

7/14     Loudon            Vickers

7/28     Indy                 Martin

8/4       Pocono            Martin

8/11     The Glen         Vickers

8/18     Michigan         Martin

8/24     Bristol              Vickers

9/1       Atlanta             Martin

9/7       Richmond       Martin

9/15     Chicago           Martin

9/22     Loudon            Vickers

9/29     Dover              Martin

10/6     Kansas            Martin

10/12   Charlotte         Martin

10/20   Talladega        Waltrip

10/27   Martinsville      Vickers

11/3     Texas              Martin

11/10   Phoenix           Martin

11/17   Homestead     Martin

ALL TIME POLES

ALL TIME WINS

• Started eighth and finished ninth
• Climbed as high as second.
• Lost spots twice due to contact on restarts.
• Used pit strategy in the closing stages to position team for good finish.
• Ran its best on the final green flag run to claim ninth.

MARTIN: “Rodney (Childers, crew chief) just did a great job on the pit box, adjusting the car. We missed it pretty good but our best run of the day was the last run of the day. That’s the way you do it. I’m really proud of the guys and how hard they fought. We’ve got a little work to do to get a little better.”

RACE NOTES

• Matt Kenseth won the race by 0.150 seconds over Kasey Kahne
• Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer rounded out top-five.
• The race lasted two hours, 59 minutes
• The race featured 13 lead changes among six drivers
• The race was slowed by cautions eight times for 40 laps

RESULTS

1                Matt Kenseth

2                Kasey Kahne

3                Jimmie Johnson

4                Martin Truex, Jr.

5                Clint Bowyer

6                Brad Keselowski

7                Jamie McMurray

8                Aric Almirola

9                Mark Martin

10             Paul Menard

11             Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

12             Kevin Harvick

13             Jeff Gordon

14             Ryan Newman

15             Kurt Busch

16             Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

17             Carl Edwards

18             Jeff Burton

19             Greg Biffle

20             Marcos Ambrose

21             Tony Stewart

22             Regan Smith

23             David Gilliland

24             Bobby Labonte

25             Danica Patrick

26             Josh Wise

27             Juan Pablo Montoya

28             David Reutimann

29             Landon Cassill

30             David Ragan

31             Brian Vickers

32             David Stremme

33             Timmy Hill

34             Casey Mears

35             J.J. Yeley

36             Travis Kvapil

37             Sam Hornish, Jr.

38             Kyle Busch

39             Joey Logano

40             Elliott Sadler

41             Mike Bliss

42             Michael McDowell

43             Dave Blaney

POINTS

1                Jimmie Johnson              311

2                Kasey Kahne                    274         -37

3                Brad Keselowski             273         -38

4                Greg Biffle                        264         -47

5                Dale Earnhardt, Jr.         263         -48

6                Carl Edwards                    262         -49

7                Kyle Busch                        257         -54

8                Matt Kenseth                  252         -59

9                Clint Bowyer                    247         -64

10             Paul Menard                    240         -71

11             Jamie McMurray            227         -84

12             Kevin Harvick                   224         -87

13             Aric Almirola                     222         -89

14             Martin Truex, Jr.             204         -107

15             Jeff Gordon                      202         -109

16             Mark Martin                     201         -110

17             Ryan Newman                200         -111

18             Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.      196         -115

19             Marcos Ambrose           193         -118

20             Joey Logano                     187         -124

21             Tony Stewart                   181         -130

22             Kurt Busch                        180         -131

23             Jeff Burton                       178         -133

24             Casey Mears                    169         -142

25             Danica Patrick                  154         -157

26             Denny Hamlin                  145         -166

27             Juan Pablo Montoya     142         -169

28             Bobby Labonte               127         -184

29             Dave Blaney                     124         -187

30             J.J. Yeley                            123         -188

31             David Ragan                     121         -190

32             David Reutimann           116         -195

33             David Gilliland                  114         -197

34             David Stremme               101         -210

35             Travis Kvapil                     93           -218

Two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip will pilot the No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine that carries a special crimson-and-white paint scheme in honor of back-to-back BCS champion University of Alabama during the May 5th race. Aaron’s also honored Auburn University at Talladega with a special paint scheme for its 2010 championship season as well as Alabama’s 2009 and 2011 championship seasons.

“Aaron’s is not only celebrating 14 years as a sponsor in NASCAR, but has also enjoyed longtime sponsorships of both MWR and the University of Alabama athletic program,” said Andrea Freeman, Aaron’s Vice President of Marketing. “The events at Talladega are an exciting way to merge these partnerships and engage both racing and college football fans, many of whom are loyal Aaron’s customers.”

Waltrip, who will drive the No. 55 three times in 2013 sharing the duties with Mark Martin and Brian Vickers, said no matter which college football team you support, everyone agrees Talladega will be a 200 mph spectacle.

“Aaron’s is giving me the privilege of carrying this championship paint scheme to Talladega Superspeedway – one of my favorite places on earth,” said Waltrip who nearly won the October race at the high-banked restrictor plate track. “I know all the Alabama fans will cheer me in driver introductions for sure. I’m not as confident I’ll get as much support from the Auburn fans as we did the year I drove the Auburn car. But we’re going to have a good time hearing all of them scream ‘Roll Tide” and ‘War Eagle’ all weekend.”

“Some of NASCAR’s most exciting races happen at Talladega Superspeedway. It’s a fan favorite because you never know what to expect – the race in October is a perfect example. It looked like I might drive the No. 55 to victory lane with just one more turn to go and all of a sudden there were cars flying around and I ended up with a wrecked race car and a 25th-place finish.”

The Michael Waltrip Racing team is going all out with the Alabama theme with plans for the crew to sport No. 55 Alabama jerseys on qualifying day. Waltrip’s racing helmet will be a replica of the University’s football helmets.

The No. 55’s paint scheme will feature a logo proclaiming the University of Alabama’s back-to-back wins, as well as a memorial decal to legendary Athletic Director Mal Moore, who passed away in March. The car will make its first public appearance on Saturday during the University of Alabama A-Day spring scrimmage.