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3/7/2010 Atlanta Motor Speedway
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Steve Addington Named WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race in Atlanta
Roswell, Ga. (March 9, 2010) – Steve Addington, crew chief for the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Kurt Busch, has been named the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Trouble ensued with just six laps remaining in the originally 325-lap race, as Carl Edwards wrecked Busch’s teammate, Brad Keslowski, bringing out the 10th caution of the day. Busch was running in first but Addington made a gutsy call to give up the lead and bring his driver in for 4 fresh tires under the yellow flag. Quick work in the pits put Busch back out on the track in fourth place behind three drivers who opted for only two tires.
The Addington call proved to be the right move. Once the green flag fell on the restart Busch vaulted to the lead by the exit of turn two. As he was nearing the finish line to take the white flag when another caution came out for an accident behind Busch, setting up a final green-white checkered flag finish. Busch then pulled away during the two-lap sprint. He led six times for 129 laps, capturing his second straight Atlanta spring race. It was the first victory for Addington as Busch’s crew chief.
“We knew we needed four fresh tires, and Steve made the call,” said Busch. “Even on those restarts at the end, I knew we had the car to beat. He has taught me how to drive cars differently. And when you want to get up on the wheel for somebody like Steve, good things happen.”
“What a dynamic pair,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative Jeff Hammond. “After only three races together, Kurt and Steve struggled in practice, but were able to get the car turned around and win the race. Steve made some great calls and overall, the team worked together flawlessly.”
WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Results
Todd Berrier, Jeff Burton and the No. 31 CAT team overcame a handful of setbacks after starting 22nd in Sunday’s race. Fighting an ill-handling machine the first half of the race, the Berrier-led team improved the car that continually got better.
Unfortunately, Burton radioed to his crew chief at about the halfway mark that he’d lost his breaks. Berrier and crew worked diligently on the No. 31 car, but were only able to score a 20th place finish.
Frank Kerr, Marcos Ambrose and the No. 47 Armor All JTG Daugherty Racing team ran well all day, starting in 12th place and running up front for most of the first half of the race. Finally falling out of the top 10 on lap 78, Kerr and the team made some adjustments, allowing Ambrose to restart 20th.
The team kept after the handling and pitted Ambrose again at lap 226 under caution. On the restart at lap 229, Ambrose reported to Kerr that his car was “plowing like a dump truck.” The Kerr-led team continued to work on the car for the remaining laps. But after dodging several accidents, Ambrose finished 11th, their second top-15 finish in a row.
WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief Team
Berrier, Kerr and Hammond, along with representatives from the WYPALL Wipers brand, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners. In addition to the $500 check, the winning crew chief will receive signage to announce the win on their pit box the following week. The crew chief with the most weekly wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $20,000 check at season’s end.
Former winners of the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge include Tony Eury, Sr. (Dale Earnhardt, Jr.), Robbie Reiser (Matt Kenseth), Doug Richert (Greg Biffle), Mike Ford (Denny Hamlin) and Chad Knaus (Jimmie Johnson).
About WYPALL Wipers
WYPALL is a brand of Kimberly-Clark Professional. Since 2004, WYPALL Wipers has been affiliated with some of racings top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provide race teams with a number of products that demonstrate strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.
The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the 2010 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com.
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