Olympia Racing News

Dover, DE (September 23, 2006) - NASCAR Nextel Cup driver, Scott Wimmer, once again took the controls of the No. 12 FitzBradshaw Racing Dodge this weekend in Dover and brought the Gould's Pump/ITT Dodge home in a solid 11th place. It was his third appearance in the car for FitzBradshaw in the NASCAR Busch Series.

After scoring 4th and 5th respectively in the two practices, Wimmer qualified in 13th position. This would set the stage for the race, just four hours later.

At the drop of the green, Wimmer maintained his position while allowing the car to adjust to the track.

"I'm just going to ride here for a while and let this sort out a bit. I want to play it a little safe here at the beginning", said Wimmer, who is a master at exercising patience. An early caution on Lap 19 allowed the Gould's Pump crew to make some minor adjustments on their Dodge, by moving the track-bar and changing the air pressure. Wimmer was now ready for battle when the race resumed.

As the race progressed, the car developed a loose condition causing Wimmer to fall back though the pack a bit. The team desperately needed a caution to make some more adjustments.

Wimmer had suggestions. "I think if we can tighten it up just a bit, but make it so I can still turn in the center, we'll have something for them."

Just past the halfway point in the race, the car began to come alive – allowing Wimmer to negotiate traffic and begin his quest to the front. He came from 24th to run as high as 4th. More cautions would bunch up the field and Wimmer fought off top contenders to finish in 11th position.

"We would have liked to stay in the top-ten," said Wimmer after the race, "but we'll take this finish for sure. We were able to survive some close calls and the team made great adjustments all day."

The next race for the NASCAR Busch Series is the Yellow Transportation 300 in Kansas City on September 30th, where Ted Musgrave will take the reigns of the No. 12 Supercuts Dodge. The race will be televised live on TNT at 3:00pm Eastern.

The NASCAR Busch Series gets a much needed week off before returning to action at the Monster Mile in Dover, Delaware September 23rd.

Olympia Steel Buildings is a proud co-sponsor of the No.12 Dodge owned by FitzBradshaw Racing

Richmond, VA. (September 8, 2006) - Once again behind the wheel of the No. 12 FitzBradshaw Racing entry, Mike Skinner ran in the top-10 for most of the Emerson Radio 250 Friday night at Richmond International Raceway. Caught up in a late race accident, Skinner would be forced to retire to the garage and finish a disappointing 32nd.

Skinner battled a tight handling condition in the beginning laps of the race forcing crew chief Paul Wolfe to bring the Bluegreen Resorts/Supercuts Dodge to pit road twice within 35 laps for significant chassis adjustments.

Despite track bar, wedge and air pressure changes, Skinner continued to fight a tight handling condition. "The entry's good," Skinner radioed Wolfe. "You fixed that, but I'm still tight off. I can't get back in the throttle."

"Let's take more wedge out," Wolfe replied. "That seemed to help you the most. We'll make a left rear shock adjustment as well when we stop."

A timely caution on lap 76 allowed Skinner to bring the No. 12 to pit road for service. The crew quickly went to work bolting on four fresh tires and making both shock and wedge adjustments hoping to alleviate the tight condition. Skinner would restart his Dodge in the 33rd position.

The changes were exactly what Skinner needed as he quickly worked his way up through the field breaking into the top-20 by lap 110.

"It's still a little tight in the middle but we're holding our own here," Skinner radioed Wolfe.

"You are one of the fastest cars out there," Wolfe replied. "Keep doing what you're doing."

Continuing to pick off spots one at a time, Skinner found himself back inside the top-10 by lap 134.

The caution flag would again wave on lap 145 allowing Skinner to return the No. 12 Dodge to pit road. With four fresh tires, an air pressure adjustment and a tank full of Sunoco racing fuel, Skinner restarted the race in the 25th position.

Skinner once again piloted the No. 12 Dodge up through the field returning to the top-10 by lap 179. Allow complaining of a loose condition, Skinner was able to race with the leaders, maintaining his top-15 position.

Skinner pitted one last time under caution on lap 205 for tires, fuel, wedge and air pressure adjustments. Restarting towards the rear of the field, Skinner once again began working his way up through heavy traffic, gaining spots with each lap.

Disaster would strike on lap 225, as the No. 12 Dodge would be collected in the night's biggest wreck.

"It's killed boys," Skinner radioed his crew. "I just didn't have anywhere to go, I'm sorry guys."

"Take it behind the wall," replied Wolfe. "Let's take a look."

The front-end damage to the Bluegreen Resorts/Supercuts Dodge was too severe to return to the race, forcing the team to settle with a 32nd place finish.

The NASCAR Busch Series gets a much needed week off before returning to action at the Monster Mile in Dover, Delaware September 23rd.

Olympia Steel Buildings is a proud co-sponsor of the No.12 Dodge owned by FitzBradshaw Racing

(September 8, 2006) - The 21st place finish the Family Dollar Dodge was credited with Friday night was no indication of the night Ted Musgrave had at Richmond International Raceway. The veteran piloted the No. 14 to the front more than once, and led 11 laps before front-end damage altered the handling of his racecar. This resulted in a 21st place finish in the Emerson Radio 250.

Musgrave battled a loose condition from the drop of the green flag, yet managed to work his way through the field picking off spots one at a time. With the leaders pitting early in the race, crew chief Ron Otto made the decision to keep his driver out on the racetrack gaining valuable track position. Musgrave would maintain his top-five position until yet another caution on lap 66 allowed him to bring his machine to pit road.

The Family Dollar crew quickly went to work changing four tires, adding fuel and making an air pressure adjustment before returning Musgrave to the track.

Unfortunately Musgrave was penalized for a commitment line violation and was forced to start from the tail end of the longest line.

"Sorry guys," Musgrave radioed. "We'll get it back, it's going to take me some time. I'm just going to save my tires. It'll be okay."

Although still a little free, Musgrave expertly worked his way through the field gaining positions with each lap, returning to the top-20 by lap 105.

Otto once again made the call to stay out during another caution allowing the No. 14 to restart in the 2nd position. With the crew up on the wall cheering, Musgrave took the lead in the Family Dollar Dodge on lap 119.

Musgrave would give up the lead 11 laps later but was able to remain in the top-five until called to pit road for service on lap 148.

Restarting 35th, Musgrave once again fought his way through the field breaking into the top-25 on lap 172. Not without consequences, the Family Dollar Dodge ended up with front-end damage as a result of the battle to the front.

"She's getting a little tight," Musgrave radioed. "I can't get through the corner like I want."

Yet another caution sent the leaders to pit road allowing the No. 14 to regain track position. Once again Musgrave found himself battling for position within the top-five.

The tight condition appeared to worsen as Musgrave fell from the top-10. "The front-end just won't turn anymore, it's way too tight." Musgrave radioed his crew.

Calling his driver to pit road one last time, Otto made the call for fuel, four tires and a chassis adjustment hoping to help the handling of the damaged racecar.

Restarting 26th, Musgrave was able to race his way back up to the 21st position before the checkered flag waved to end the 250-lap event.

"We had a great car tonight, definitely a top-five car for sure." Musgrave stated. This was only my second start in the car, and my first race working with Ron. I think we are making significant progress, getting better and better each time we race. We're gaining on it."

"I got some front-end damage there on one of the restarts," added Musgrave. "It made the car so tight, I just couldn't do anything with it there at the end. All and all I think it was a good night. We led some laps, ran with the leaders, I'm happy."

The NASCAR Busch Series gets a much-needed weekend off before returning to action at Dover International Speedway September 23rd.

Olympia Steel Buildings is a proud co-sponsor of the No.14 Dodge owned by FitzBradshaw Racing

• Defending Craftsman Truck Series Champion Ted Musgrave will make his second start in the No. 14 Family Dollar entry in the Emerson Radio 250 Friday night at Richmond International Raceway.
• In 26 combined starts at Richmond, Musgrave has led 336 laps, and recorded five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.
• Musgrave has one victory at Richmond in the Craftsman Truck Series in September 2004.
• Musgrave has two previous Busch Series starts at the .75-mile oval, his last coming in September 2004.
• The Family Dollar team is taking chassis #01 to Richmond. This is the same car Musgrave piloted to a 25th place finish at O'Reilly Raceway Park earlier this year.

Musgrave on Racing at Richmond

"I'm excited to be going back to Richmond in a Busch car this weekend. I really like this track; it's a great place to race. I've had some good finishes at Richmond, led some laps, and won a truck race there in 2004. It's definitely a good track for me. I'm looking forward to working with the Family Dollar team again. We had a good car at ORP, I look for us to be competitive this weekend, and hopefully give Family Dollar a good showing."

Olympia Steel Buildings is a proud co-sponsor of the No.14 Dodge owned by FitzBradshaw Racing

• Veteran Mike Skinner will pilot the No. 12 Bluegreen Resorts Dodge in the Emerson Radio 250 Friday night at Richmond International Raceway.
• In 20 combined starts at Richmond Int. Raceway Skinner boasts four top-five and five top-10 finishes, and has led 342 laps. Skinner's average start at Richmond is 15th, with an average finish of 13th.
• Skinner has visited Victory Lane twice at RIR in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His last win came in September 2005. Skinner also has two Nextel Cup Series poles at the .75-mile Raceway.
• Skinner has two previous Busch Series starts at Richmond, his last coming in May of 2001 finishing third.
• FitzBradshaw Racing will unload chassis #10 this weekend at Richmond. This is the same car Skinner raced to an 18th place finish earlier this year at O'Reilly Raceway Park.
• The Book of Fate, a Brad Meltzer novel, is set to become the first novel ever to adorn a NASCAR racecar as it shares space on the No. 12 with primary sponsor Bluegreen Resorts. The book has a strong NASCAR presence in the first chapter of the newly released novel.

Mike Skinner On Racing at Richmond

"I'm excited to be racing the Bluegreen Resorts Dodge this weekend at Richmond. This track is a whole lot of fun. I've led a bunch of laps, sat on a couple poles, and won two truck races there. It's a good track for me. I'm looking forward to working with the guys at FitzBradshaw Racing again. We've been competitive the last couple races together, I expect the same again this weekend. This is the same car we brought to ORP, it's a very good car, races well. I'm hoping it will perform just as well this weekend."

Olympia Steel Buildings is a proud co-sponsor of the No.12 Dodge owned by FitzBradshaw Racing

Fontana, CA. (September 2, 2006) - Carlos Contreras and the No. 12 Supercuts/Corriendo por la Salud team had high hopes as they made the long trip West to sunny California for the Ameriquest 300 at California Speedway. Their weekend would end in gloom as a problem with the rear-end gear would relegate Contreras to a disappointing 38th place finish.

Battling both record breaking heat and a very loose racecar, Contreras found very little grip out on the racetrack as he made his qualifying laps forcing him to start from the rear of the 43-car field.

With the sun setting and temperatures finally cooling, Contreras took the green flag with renewed confidence in his racecar knowing the change in temperature would alter the handling of his loose machine.

Contreras quickly radioed crew chief Paul Wolfe an update on the handling of the No. 12 Dodge in the beginning laps of the 150-lap race.

"Tight everywhere," commented Contreras. "Entry, middle and off."

An early caution on lap 5 allowed Contreras to pilot his machine to pit road to the attention of his crew. After a quick track bar adjustment, Contreras would return to the race in the 40 th position.

With the improved handling of his racecar, Contreras methodically made his way up through the field picking off cars one at a time.

As the laps wore on, Contreras once again began complaining of an increasingly tight condition. A caution on lap 28 was just what crew chief Wolfe was looking for. Contreras returned to pit road for fuel, four tires, and both wedge and air pressure adjustments.
Contreras retook the green in the 33rd position.

Not long into the run Contreras radioed his crew with an update. "Every lap is better and better, the changes you made really helped, but I still need more, I'm still tight middle and off."

Contreras returned to pit road twice more during subsequent cautions for chassis adjustments to improve the handling of the Supercuts/Corriendo por la Salud Dodge.

Trouble would soon find the No. 12 Dodge as Contreras radioed Wolfe on lap 56 that he might have a problem.

"There's something wrong with the car," radioed Contreras. "I have a vibration in the rear of the car. It wants to snap loose on me when I get in the gas."

"Hang in there," replied Wolfe. "Let me know if it gets worse."

The vibration would indeed worsen as Contreras and Wolfe attempted to pinpoint the source of the vibration as the race wore on. The two determined the rear gear was the source of the vibration, and accepted the fact that the goal now was to finish the 150-lap race, salvaging what they could from the night.

Despite the severe vibration, Contreras would hold on to the end, taking the checkered flag in the 38th position.

"The vibration just got worse and worse," stated Contreras. "It was so bad at the end I was just barely holding on. We had a good car tonight. I am very disappointed, this is not the finish I had hoped for."

The NASCAR Busch Series heads to Richmond International Raceway Friday night for the Emerson Radio 250. All the action will be broadcast live on TNT and MRN Radio beginning at 7:45 p.m. ET.

Olympia Steel Buildings is a proud co-sponsor of the No.12 Dodge owned by FitzBradshaw Racing