Rusty Wallace Racing to Put the No. 66 Back on Track

Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing, LLC announced today that the organization will make a return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, campaigning the No. 66 Ford Mustang in a limited 2013 campaign.

At the helm of the No. 66 car will be 25 year-old Steve Wallace. Wallace, a perennial top-ten competitor in NNS competition, scored his third-straight top-ten finish in NNS points in 2011. The same year, Wallace made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut, capturing a lead-lap top-20 finish in the Daytona 500.

Backing a portion of the effort will be Charlotte, NC-based mortgage and real estate firm, Richard Tocado Companies. Tocado will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 66 Ford Mustang beginning with the May 2013 NNS event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, with additional events to be named later.

Founded in 1999, Richard Tocado Companies has a nationwide network of Realtors and loan officers dedicated not only to helping race fans save money, but also to providing them with a great mortgage and real estate experience. Fans will soon be able to take advantage of a special Rusty Wallace Racing Incentive Program, by visiting the Richard Tocado website at home with richard The site will also include exclusive video content and giveaways featuring Rusty and Steve Wallace.

Noted team owner, Rusty Wallace, “We’re really excited to have the Richard Tocado Companies on board with our team. In this economy, everyone is looking for ways to save money and Richard Tocado has done just that for a lot of folks. We’re looking forward to helping race fans have a great mortgage and real estate experience.

“We’re also excited about getting back to a little bit of racing. I think we all learned a lot over the last year or two and we’re looking forward to having the opportunity to show it. Our goal for 2013 is to compete in 10-15 events. We’re looking forward to growing our relationship with the Richard Tocado Companies and are very positive about what the future holds.”

- Rusty Wallace Racing Press Release

Some Rules Changes in 2013

NASCAR is going back in time with a series of changes related to qualifying and testing. Series officials met with Sprint Cup drivers and crew chiefs Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway to detail next year's changes.

• The top 35 rule, in existence since 2005, will be eliminated. This rule was in place to ensure teams in the top 35 in car owner points (and their sponsors) would be in the race in an era when 50 or more cars were attempting to qualify for races.
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• The top 36 positions will be set by qualifying speed with the remaining spots set by provisionals, including a champion's provisional. Provisionals are based on car owner points rankings.
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• A random draw will set the qualifying order. The past two seasons, the order was determined by speeds in the first practice session.
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• Provisionals for the first three races next year will be based on the final car owner points standings this year instead of the first five races as in previous years.
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• Each organization can test at four tracks of its choosing next season where NASCAR competes, the first time teams can do so since 2008. The series' sanctioning body banned testing in 2009, and since then teams could not test at tracks where NASCAR held races, but they could test on other tracks.

ZBB to Perform at NASCAR's Daytona 500

From: Zac Brown Band.

Zac Brown Band will perform at the the Daytona 500 Budweiser Pre-Race Show leading up to the start of “The Great American Race” at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 24 (FOX, MRN Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio).

ZBB will perform several songs prior to the start of the 55th annual Daytona 500 and as an extra bonus; Clay Cook will sing the National Anthem!

We have designed a special ticket package for ZBB fans that includes a Daytona 500 grandstand ticket, Pre-Race/Sprint FANZONE access and VIP area access to Zac Brown Band’s performance.  Packages start at $164

Already planning to go to the race? Fans that already have race tickets can add Pre-Race/Sprint FANZONE access along with VIP area access for $99 by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

ZBB fans have exclusive pre-sale access to purchase by clicking here and tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, January 29 at 12pm ET.

For more information on tickets for the 55th annual Daytona 500 and Sprint FANZONE/Pre-Race access, go to Daytona International Speedway or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

Preseason Thunder at Daytona Entry List

Car #     Team     Driver

1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing - Jamie McMurray

2 Penske Racing - Brad Keselowski

5 Hendrick Motorsports - Kasey Kahne

9 Richard Petty Motorsports - Marcos Ambrose

10 Stewart Haas Racing - Danica Patrick

11 Joe Gibbs Racing - Denny Hamlin

13 Germain Racing - Casey Mears

14 Stewart Haas Racing - Tony Stewart

15 Michael Waltrip Racing - Clint Bowyer

16 Roush Fenway Racing - Greg Biffle

17 Roush Fenway Racing - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

18 Joe Gibbs Racing - Kyle Busch

20 Joe Gibbs Racing - Matt Kenseth

21 Wood Bros Racing - Trevor Bayne

22 Penske Racing - Joey Logano

24 Hendrick Motorsports - Jeff Gordon

27 Richard Childress Racing - Paul Menard

29 Richard Childress Racing - Kevin Harvick

31 Richard Childress Racing - Jeff Burton

33 Richard Childress Racing - Austin Dillon

36 Tommy Baldwin Racing - Dave Blaney

38 Front Row Motorsports - Josh Wise

39 Stewart Haas Racing - Ryan Newman

42 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing  - Juan Pablo Montoya

43 Richard Petty Motorsports - Aric Almirola

47 JTG-Daugherty Racing - Bobby Labonte

48 Hendrick Motorsports - Jimmie Johnson

51 Phoenix Racing - Regan Smith

55 Michael Waltrip Racing - Mark Martin

56 Michael Waltrip Racing - Martin Truex

78 Furniture Row Racing - Kurt Busch

83 BK Racing - Travis Kvapil/David Reutimann

88 Hendrick Motorsports - Dale Earnhardt Jr.

95 Leavine Family Racing - Scott Speed

99 Roush Fenway Racing - Carl Edwards

The field for The Sprint Unlimited

The field for The Sprint Unlimited is currently at 22 drivers and features a who’s who of NASCAR stars.

2012 Pole Winners:
Greg Biffle
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Carl Edwards
Denny Hamlin
Kasey Kahne
Mark Martin
Jeff Gordon
Martin Truex Jr.
Tony Stewart
AJ Allmendinger
Aric Almirola
Joey Logano
Marcos Ambrose
Jimmie Johnson
Matt Kenseth
Kyle Busch
Juan Pablo Montoya

Past champions of The Sprint Unlimited:
Kurt Busch
Kevin Harvick
Bill Elliott
Terry Labonte
Ken Schrader

NASCAR Daytona Preseason Thunder Testing Schedule

This is the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for January for 10-12 at the Daytona International Speedway.

This schedule is same for all three days.

7:30 a.m. – Garage opens

8:30 a.m. – Media Center opens

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Testing

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Testing

6:00 p.m. – Garage closes

Travis Pastrana gets full time ride in 2013 Nationwide series

Travis Pastrana is scheduled to run the full NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule in 2013 with Roush Fenway Racing, it was formally announced Thursday.

Pastrana will drive the No. 60 Ford Mustangs in all 33 events on the schedule, which opens at Daytona international Speedway next month.

In previous events, Pastrana was with the Toyota team of Michael Waltrip Racing.


Trevor Bayne, will be in the No. 6 Ford Mustang.

“I am extremely excited about making the move into full-time NASCAR competition in 2013 and equally thrilled to have the opportunity to make that move with Jack Roush and the team at Roush Fenway Racing,” said Pastrana, a four-time rally champion, motocross champion and multiple X Games gold medal winner.