In spite of taking the green flag from the 43^rd position, the Hefty® Odor Block® Ford quickly advanced to the 34^th position and was running in the 32^nd position, one lap down to the race leader, when the first caution flag waved on lap 44.  Struggling with the car’s handling, McClure brought his Fusion to pit road to receive four “scuff” tires with an air-pressure adjustment, fuel, and wedge and track-bar adjustments.  After the pit stop was complete, Team Rensi Motorsports was scored in the 30^th position when the field took the green on the lap 51 restart.

As the race progressed under green conditions, the Virginia driver continued to lose valuable time to the race leader as he battled the car’s handling as its characteristics changed from “tight on entry” to “loose throughout the turns.”   While running in the 27^th position, the Hefty® Ford came to pit road on lap 125, under green conditions, to receive wedge and track-bar adjustments, four “scuffed” tires and fuel.  Returning to the track two laps later in the 30^th position, McClure maintained his spot although the car’s handling never improved.  Following the event’s third caution on lap 142, McClure began to feel the effects of the heat as he became extremely dehydrated.  Receiving water and ice packs on several occasions in the closing 50 laps, he was able to finish the 200-lap event in the 26^th position.  As a result, TRM advanced one position to 31^st in NASCAR Owner Standings.

Up next for the Hefty® Racing™ team is the Kroger 200 under the lights at O’Reilly Raceway Park on July 24, 2010.  Eric McClure will be featured as the Nationwide Insurance Driver of the Week.

“We really struggled with the car’s handling tonight, but we are thankful we made the race which is huge for our team.  We just ran some two-lap runs in practice so the car went away pretty quick in race conditions.  I am not sure what happened to me there at the end; I guess I was dehydrated and I’m not sure I did us any favors during that time.  Having our third daughter early Sunday morning last week made my week heading in to this race extremely busy so I probably didn’t hydrate myself well enough and now I am feeling the effects but we finished.  Chris Wright, our crew chief, lost his father-in-law today and we know that family’s hurting right now so it’s safe to say our hearts were elsewhere tonight.”

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

• Arriving to the area early, McClure, as a guest of the Crowne Plaza Downtown St. Louis, will take in a St. Louis Cardinals game on Thursday.

Crowne Plaza Downtown St. Louis Returns to No. 24 Ford

• For the second consecutive year, the Crowne Plaza Downtown St. Louis returns to Team Rensi Motorsports as an associate sponsor for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250.  The hotel logo will appear on the lower quarter-panels of the No. 24 Ford Fusion.

Eric McClure quotes:

“Regardless of what happens at the track this has already been such a special and blessed week.  Miranda and I have always been a family-first family and there’s truly no words to describe the experience of seeing your children come into the world.  It puts everything else into perspective.”

“Gateway usually has a lot of cars on the entry list so it’s going to be tough to qualify on time.  I have struggled with qualifying here in the past so I am hopeful we can get our Hefty® brand Ford in the show.  We have had decent finishes the past two years so hopefully we can do it again this year. ”

• Eric McClure will compete in his 122^nd career Nationwide Series start and his fifth at the 1.5-mile tri-oval this weekend.
• TRM will utilize chassis No. 44.  It was last used at Charlotte Motor Speedway where it ran as high as 14^th before finishing in the 29^th position.
• The team’s most recent visit to Kentucky Speedway (2009) warranted a 30^th-place finish after spending time in the garage area for engine issues.
• New Hotel Partnership for NNS Race at Kentucky SpeedwayWe are pleased to announce that Homewood Suites Airport South Florence has joined the list of Team Rensi Motorsports hotel partners for the 2010 season.  The property logo will appear on the lower quarter panels of the No. 24 Ford Fusion.

Personal Appearances for McClure

• Following a visit to Dollar General’s headquarters in Goodlettsville, TN, the Virginia driver and the Hefty® Odor Block® show car will be at Meijer #151 in Florence, KY from 5pm – 7pm on Thursday, June 10.

Fun Times in “Bluegrass State”

• Arriving a day early in Kentucky, McClure will relax and take in a MLB game Wednesday night at the Great American Ball Park watching the Reds vs. Giants.

Eric McClure quotes:

We are looking forward to getting back to Kentucky.  It’s a critical time in the season for us and historically Kentucky hasn’t been very good to me, but we are hopeful to see an improvement this time around.  Although our results don’t reflect it, three out of the last four events has been some of our best on-track runs since Las Vegas and we are hopeful it will continue here in Kentucky.

Lebanon, TN (June 6, 2010)—Returning to Nashville Superspeedway for the second time this season Eric McClure and the Hefty® Racing™ team had two goals in mind; improve on their 29^th-place finish from April and leave with a guaranteed starting position for the next event.  Although the handling of the Hefty® Odor Block® Ford wasn’t to the liking of the driver for the majority of the 225-lap race, McClure was able to overcome his 39^th-place starting position to finish the Federated Auto Parts 300 on the lead lap in the 26^th position.  As a result Team Rensi Motorsports (TRM) accomplished both of the goals set prior to the event and will be “locked in” at Kentucky Speedway.

“We had some ups and downs during the race, but overall, I am ok with our finish.  We ran hard tonight, as hard as we could, and were able to remain on the lead lap, which is a huge deal for us.  The past two weeks have been morale boosters for our team.  We weren’t as good as we were in practice but we were better tonight than we were in the spring.  Kentucky has been another tough place for us so we’re hoping to improve at that place as well.  We will keep digging and improving each week and will get back to where we were at the beginning of the year.”

Starting the race from the 39^th position, the Hefty® Ford had advanced to the 31^st position by lap 3.  Restarting the event in the 27^th position McClure slide back to the 32^nd position by lap 13 as the car became “loose on entry and tight on exit” of the turns.  While running in the 30^th position, one lap down to the race leader, the second caution flag waved on lap 61.  After visiting pit road for tires with an air-pressure adjustment to the right rear tire, fuel, and track-bar and wedge adjustments, McClure restarted the 300-mile race on lap 67 in the 27^th position.

It didn’t take long for the Virginia native to realize the adjustments made were in the wrong direction, causing the team to lose two positions prior to the third caution flag waving on lap 83.  The decision was made to stay on track and receive the “wave around,” placing the No. 24 Ford back on the leap lap and allowing the team to restart the event on lap 88 in the 23^rd position.  On lap 106 the event’s fourth caution flag waved, allowing McClure to visit pit road for tires, fuel, and to undo the track-bar and wedge adjustments made on the prior stop.  When the race resumed on lap 112, TRM was scored in the 19^th position.

Now battling a car that was tight though the center and “loose turning off of the wall,” McClure fell seven positions by lap 157 and went a lap down to the race leader on lap 159.  Six laps later the caution flag waved for debris, allowing McClure to take advantage of the “wave around” once again, placing the team back on the lead lap in the 26^th position until the event’s final caution flag waved on lap 197.  While coming to pit road for service, the No. 62 was exiting his pit stall and made contact with the Hefty® Odor Block™ Ford, causing minor left side damage.  Once in the stall the TRM Ford received four “scuffed” tires and fuel, and was able to restart the event on lap 200 in the 22^nd position.

With 25 laps remaining the handling of the car became extremely loose forcing the driver to back up his entry and remain off the throttle longer than needed.  As a result, the team dropped four positions in the closing laps to finish the Federated Auto Parts in the 26^th position.  With this finish the team was able to maintain their “locked in” position for the next event at Kentucky Speedway.

The Hefty® Racing™ team returns to the track on June 12, 2010 at Kentucky Speedway for the Meijer 300.

“We had some ups and downs during the race, but overall, I am ok with our finish.  We ran hard tonight, as hard as we could, and were able to remain on the lead lap, which is a huge deal for us.  The past two weeks have been morale boosters for our team.  We weren’t as good as we were in practice but we were better tonight than we were in the spring.  Kentucky has been another tough place for us so we’re hoping to improve at that place as well.  We will keep digging and improving each week and will get back to where we were at the beginning of the year.”

Starting the race from the 39^th position, the Hefty® Ford had advanced to the 31^st position by lap 3.  Restarting the event in the 27^th position McClure slide back to the 32^nd position by lap 13 as the car became “loose on entry and tight on exit” of the turns.  While running in the 30^th position, one lap down to the race leader, the second caution flag waved on lap 61.  After visiting pit road for tires with an air-pressure adjustment to the right rear tire, fuel, and track-bar and wedge adjustments, McClure restarted the 300-mile race on lap 67 in the 27^th position.

It didn’t take long for the Virginia native to realize the adjustments made were in the wrong direction, causing the team to lose two positions prior to the third caution flag waving on lap 83.  The decision was made to stay on track and receive the “wave around,” placing the No. 24 Ford back on the leap lap and allowing the team to restart the event on lap 88 in the 23^rd position.  On lap 106 the event’s fourth caution flag waved, allowing McClure to visit pit road for tires, fuel, and to undo the track-bar and wedge adjustments made on the prior stop.  When the race resumed on lap 112, TRM was scored in the 19^th position.

Now battling a car that was tight though the center and “loose turning off of the wall,” McClure fell seven positions by lap 157 and went a lap down to the race leader on lap 159.  Six laps later the caution flag waved for debris, allowing McClure to take advantage of the “wave around” once again, placing the team back on the lead lap in the 26^th position until the event’s final caution flag waved on lap 197.  While coming to pit road for service, the No. 62 was exiting his pit stall and made contact with the Hefty® Odor Block™ Ford, causing minor left side damage.  Once in the stall the TRM Ford received four “scuffed” tires and fuel, and was able to restart the event on lap 200 in the 22^nd position.

With 25 laps remaining the handling of the car became extremely loose forcing the driver to back up his entry and remain off the throttle longer than needed.  As a result, the team dropped four positions in the closing laps to finish the Federated Auto Parts in the 26^th position.  With this finish the team was able to maintain their “locked in” position for the next event at Kentucky Speedway.

The Hefty® Racing™ team returns to the track on June 12, 2010 at Kentucky Speedway for the Meijer 300.

• Through a partnership with Hefty® brand, Kroger® will return to the Hefty® Odor Block® Ford Fusion for the second time this season and fourth time overall.

• Eric McClure will compete in his 121st career Nationwide Series start and his tenth at the 1.33-mile D-shaped oval this weekend.

• The Virginia driver currently sits 22nd in NASCAR driver standings with TRM sitting in the 31st position in owner standings.

• The team’s most recent visit to Nashville Superspeedway (April) warranted a 29th-place finish after qualifying in the 40th position.

“Race Fest for Food Relief” Driver Autograph Session

• McClure, along with other Nationwide Series drivers, will participate in the “Race Fest for Food Relief” autograph session at the Nationwide Insurance display on Saturday, June 5 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. (CT).
• Fans are asked to bring a canned food item or monetary donation with proceeds going to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

Charlotte Recap

• Team Rensi Motorsports started the 200-lap event in the 34th position, suffered left front fender damage early in the race, but was able to finish in the 29th position.

Eric McClure quotes:

“Although we didn’t get the finish we deserved last weekend, I liked the progress our team made and am excited to get back to Nashville. This time last year we had a string of poor performance races so hopefully we can change that this year and rebound from the points lost last weekend and get back in the top-30. We need to be competitive and race smart.”

Although the team posted their best qualifying effort in ten weeks (34th) and ran competitively throughout the day, running as high as 14th, early damage led to a tight-handling car and a pair of untimely cautions and a pit road mishap relegated them to a 29th-place finish. As a result, Team Rensi Motorsports (TRM) fell one position in owner standings and will be considered a “Go or Go Home” car in next weekend’s event at Nashville Superspeedway.

“Well, we did all we could today. I drove hard and the car was good but the results don’t reflect how we ran. Unfortunately, we didn’t beat the cars we needed to and we fell out of the top-30. We had some fairly significant damage on the left front in the first 10 laps and we stayed out to do a wave around and it backfired on us, which cost us a lap to the guys we were faster than. But, this is probably the best we’ve run since Vegas, maybe all year outside of the superspeedways, so hopefully we are making a few strides in getting back to where we were at the beginning of the year. We are going to keep fighting.”

Losing five positions at the start of the race because cars were “checking up” in front of the Hefty® Odor Block® Ford, the team was scored in the 39th position when the first caution flag waved on lap two. McClure reported that the car was “tight in the center of the turn” so the call was made to visit pit road for a small wedge adjustment and fuel. Restarting in the 30th position on lap seven McClure was in the process of advancing his position in the high lane when a pair of cars collided in front of him, forcing the competitor on his inside into his left front fender causing damage. The No. 24 Ford visited pit road two times under the second caution period to receive tires, fuel, a track-bar adjustment, and to repair the fender damage. When the race resumed on lap 12, TRM remained in the 30th position.

As the race progressed so did McClure’s position, although the car was still tight in the center of the turns. Running in the 28th position when green flag pit stops began on lap 54, McClure was able to stay on track longer, advancing his position further while hoping for a caution. Unfortunately, the needed caution didn’t occur forcing the Hefty® Ford to give up the 15th position to visit pit road on lap 79 for tires with an air-pressure adjustment and fuel. Losing two additional laps to the leader on pit road because a crew member fell during the pit-stop, the team was scored in the 30th position, three laps down to the race leader, where they remained through the halfway point of the 200-lap event.

Just after the halfway mark (lap 102,) the event’s third caution flag was displayed. Rather than visiting pit road, the call was made to stay out and receive the “wave around” which allowed the team to gain one lap lost to the race leader. Restarting in the 29th position on lap 108, McClure was able to advance two positions by lap 179, only to finish the 200-lap event in the 29th position following a green-white-checkered finish. As a result TRM fell one position in owner standings and must qualify on-time during next weekend’s event at Nashville Superspeedway.

The Hefty® Racing™ team returns to action on Saturday, June 5 at Nashville Superspeedway.

In four NNS starts McClure has completed 98.3% of the laps and has an average finish of 22nd. His best start and finish at the track came in 2009 where he started 29th and finished in the 18th position.

The team will use chassis No.44 during the Tech-Net Auto Service 300; it was last used at Texas Motor Speedway where the team posted a 28th-place finish.

“All I can say is God showed up in a mighty way; no other way to explain us staying in the last couple of weeks.  But I’m thankful. We were very respectable here last spring, qualified well and everything, but we struggled all weekend here.  We put on tires once during the event but they were ‘scuffed’ tires so it cost us quite a bit on restarts.  With 10 laps to go we were going to be out of the top 30, but with the last caution we were able to advance five positions which kept us in the points.  We are thankful each week to have the opportunity to compete and we know what we are fighting against, but we have got to figure this deal out; get back to where we were.”

Starting the race from the 42nd position McClure immediately reported that his car was “on top of the race track” and “laying over on the front on entry”.  Running in the 37th position one lap down to the race leader the first caution flag waved on lap 34.  Since the team was racing for points’ position, the call was made for the No. 24 Ford Fusion to remain on track to receive the “wave around” placing it back on the lead lap and in the 23rd position when the 200-lap event resumed on lap 38.

As the race progressed, McClure was able to maintain the 23rd position, although the car’s handling continued to deteriorate, resulting in two laps lost to the race leader under the ensuing 37-lap green-flag run. When the second caution flag waved on lap 80 McClure brought his Hefty® Odor Block® Ford to pit road to receive four “scuffed” tires with an air-pressure adjustment, fuel, and a track-bar adjustment placing him in the 33rd position on the restart where he remained at the halfway point of the 200-lap event.

The second half of the event saw four additional cautions one of which brought out the red flag that halted race conditions with two laps remaining.  The team was able to avoid trouble and advance five positions as a result of the green-white-checkered finish to finish the Heluva Good! 200 in the 24th position.  As a result TRM remained in the 30th position in NASCAR Owner Standings and will be guaranteed a starting position at the next Nationwide Series event in two weeks at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

- Eric McClure heads into Dover 22nd in NASCAR’s driver points, but the TRM team sits 30th in NASCAR Owner Standings.
McClure will compete in his seventh Nationwide Series race at the one-mile speedway.

-In six NNS starts McClure has completed 94.4% of the laps and has an average finish of 25.2. His best start and finish at the track came in 2009 where he started 18th and finished in the 23rd position.

-The team will compete with the same chassis (No. 35) used at Darlington Raceway where it recorded a finish in the 27th position.