JR MOTORSPORTS TEAM PREVIEW
No. 88 Grand Touring Vodka Chevrolet / No. 7 Schick Hydro Chevrolet
EVENT – Zippo 200 (82 laps / 200 miles)
TRACK – Watkins Glen International (2.45-mile road course)
DATE – Saturday, August 7, 2010
TV / RADIO – ESPN (coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 1:30 p.m. EST)
Ron Fellows: No. 88 Grand Touring Vodka Chevrolet
“I’m excited to get back to racing with the GT Vodka Chevrolet and all the guys on this No. 88 crew. We not only raced well at Road America last month, but we had a lot of fun in the process. It’s a pleasure to be working with Tony Eury Sr. again. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s one of those guys that have spent a lifetime in the racing world, and he always has a great setup under the car.
“This GT Vodka team certainly was up for the challenge at Road America, now we just need to do the same at the Glen this weekend. JR Motorsports preparation is top-notch and that puts you at ease when you climb behind the wheel of their equipment. We ran well in this race last year, even after we had some pit trouble. We managed to drive from the back to finish fifth, so I want to top that this time around.”
J.R. Fitzpatrick: No. 7 Schick Hydro Chevrolet
“This is another great opportunity for me to drive the No. 7 Schick Hydro Chevrolet for JR Motorsports at Watkins Glen this weekend. We had a solid run in our last race together and we’re hopeful for at least another top-10 heading into Watkins Glen. It’s a fun track that offers a lot of high-speed corners, but only a couple corners offer solid passing chances.
“It’s been an awesome season for me so far in the Canadian Tire Series, and it’s good to challenge myself in the Nationwide Series too. There’s a lot of talent in both series. It would be a thrill to drive the Schick Hydro Chevrolet into victory lane, and that’s what I’m focused on this week.”
JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –
FELLOWS AT THE GLEN – In nine starts Fellows owns three wins (1998, 2000 and 2001), five top five and six top-10 finishes with 189 laps led – the most among current drivers at the Glen. He earned two poles at the facility and has an average finish of 12.2. Fellows holds the additional distinction of being the oldest winner of the 82-lap race at 41 years, nine months and 10 days of age following his 2001 victory. In last year’s event with JRM, Fellows raced to a fifth-place finish, completing 48 total green-flag passes according to NASCAR Statistical Services.
FITZ STATS - Fitzpatrick has five starts in the Nationwide Series with a career-best finish of 7th at Road America earlier this year driving the No. 7 Schick Hydro Chevrolet for JRM. At Watkins Glen, the Canadian native owns one start with an 18th-place finish. He will return to drive the No. 7 Chevrolet in Montreal on Aug. 29.
TEAM ONTARIO – JR Motorsports will feature drivers hailing from north of the border for the second time this year at Watkins Glen. Canadians Ron Fellows and J.R. Fitzpatrick will fill the seats of the No. 88 and No. 7 Chevrolets at the 2.45-mile road course. Fellows hails from Windsor, Ontario, while Fitzpatrick’s hometown is Cambridge, Ontario.
HISTORY WITH JRM – Known for his impeccable road-course talents, Fellows owns four career starts with JRM. He earned one win (Montreal ’08), three top-five finishes and has led seven laps in those events. He has qualified in the top 10 in three of his four starts driving for JRM.
THE DOMINATOR – Fitzpatrick continues to storm through NASCAR’s Canadian Tire Series in 2010. This season he has scored two wins (Bowmanville, Edmonton), three top-five, and six top-10 finishes in six starts. With an average start of 2.8 and an average finish of 4.5, Fitzpatrick is atop the season standings by seven points over DJ Kennington.
NATIONWIDE SERIES STATS – Fellows’ Nationwide Series history goes back 13 years to 1997. In his 16 career races, he has scored four wins, eight top-five, and nine top-10 finishes. Fellows earned two poles, led 200 laps, and has an average finish of 16.1 with an average start of 7.4.
JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES - A longtime sports car and road-racing veteran, Fellows is credited with three class championships in the American Le Mans Series, two class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and 19 overall victories in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans-Am Series as a member of the Corvette Racing Team. His NASCAR credentials include six overall wins (two in the Camping World Truck Series), and two runner-up finishes in Sprint Cup competition.
From Heath White // JR Motorsports/ Public Relations
