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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
NEMECHEK: Last-Minute Lift
The No. 87 Nemco Motorsports Toyota team was very fortunate to have two sponsors step on board at the last minute last week at PIR...
Joe Nemechek  | http://www.FrontRowJoe.com  |  Posted April 14, 2010   Charlotte, NC
The 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season marks the 17th year of competition for veteran driver and team owner Joe Nemechek. (Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images for NASCAR)
It’s amazing what a little sponsorship can do for a race team…

The No. 87 Nemco Motorsports Toyota team was very fortunate to have two sponsors step on board at the last minute last week at Phoenix International Raceway – PetSmart and 21st Century – both of which are based in the Phoenix area.

We weren’t really expecting that deal but my marketing partner works with them and was able to bring us all together at the 11th hour to sign a one-race sponsorship for both my NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series cars out there in the desert.

Their support was crucial for a couple of different reasons. First of all, the trip to Phoenix is a very expensive one because we haul everything and everyone across the country. Secondly, having those two sponsors on our cars enabled us to run much more of the Cup race than we normally do. Our car was pretty good but we wanted to learn more about how certain changes would affect tire wear, so we used the race as a bit of a test session in race trim. We don’t often get a lot of race practice, so this was a great opportunity for Nemco Motorsports.

We went in and out of the garage on two or three occasions throughout the race, taking the time each trip to get our car dialed in better. We’d make a slew of changes, bolt on a new set of tires, go back out and see what we had. Our team worked on shocks, camber and a variety of chassis adjustments under actual race conditions to see how the car would respond. Fortunately, we learned a great deal that we can apply to future races, and with a little luck, we’ll sign a sponsor for more than one race and be able to show what we stumbled upon at Phoenix.

This week’s stop is Texas Motor Speedway and it will provide the first true test of the new rear spoiler that replaced the rear wing. The Sprint Cup Series teams tested the spoiler at Charlotte Motor Speedway a few weeks ago but the Nemco Motorsports team sat that one out because it wasn’t in our budget.

However, I do not think we will be at any disadvantage this weekend for not having tested the spoiler. The NASCAR garage is a very small place and I have a lot of friends across different teams. If you ask the right questions of the other teams regarding what they learned and how their cars drove with the new spoiler, you’ll usually get enough information to go on. As long as you think you’re getting a straight answer, and I believe I am, you should have a pretty good idea of what the car will do.

From what I’ve heard from a variety of teams, the spoiler didn’t change the race car’s handling all that much. The wicker that goes down the decklid added a significant amount of sideforce to the car that closely matches the sideforce made with the rear wing. Sure, the race will show us exactly what’s going on but I think we’ve got a really good starting point with the spoiler heading into Texas.

And we’ve got another one-race sponsor this weekend. Crosby Roofing, a local company in the Dallas area, has joined us on the Cup car. Hopefully, we’ll qualify near the front and race well and show other potential sponsors what us little guys can do on the big stage.

Joe Nemechek, driver of the No. 87 Nemco Motorsports Toyota, celebrates his 17th season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2010. In 2009, he climbed behind the wheel of his own Cup car for the first time since 1996, making him one of a small number of current independent owner/drivers in NASCAR’s top division. Since his 1989 debut in the sport, the 1992 Nationwide Series champion has claimed four Sprint Cup and 16 NASCAR Nationwide Series victories. His uncanny knack for snagging pole positions earned him the nickname “Front Row Joe” years ago, and he has proven its validity by collecting 10 Sprint Cup and 18 Nationwide Series pole positions. Nemechek, 1990 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, was voted Most Popular Driver in ’92 and ’93. The Florida native cut his racing teeth in motocross at age 13, claiming more than 300 wins in six years, and since has gone on to post victories in every series in which he has competed. For more information on Nemechek, please visit www.frontrowjoe.com.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Grand Opening is set for May 11, 2010. Outdoor Opening Ceremonies are May 11th from 9 to 10 am ET free of charge, open to the public. Outdoor festivities including driver appearances and concerts May 11th from 10 am until 8 pm ET open to the public, free of charge. Tickets to enter the NASCAR Hall of Fame are on sale now at www.NASCARHall.com or by calling 877-231-2010. The countdown to the NASCAR Hall of Fame is on! Visit www.NASCARHall.com/50days for daily updates about the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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Joe Nemechek

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