NextEra Energy Resources 250
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Race: NextEra Energy Resources 250
Date: February 24, 2012
No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes
Double Duty at Daytona… The NextEra Energy Resources 250 will actually be Cale Gale’s second race at Daytona International Speedway this week. Gale wheeled the No. 6 Rheem Chevrolet in the ARCA Racing Series event on Saturday afternoon where he brought home a 13th-place finish. This weekend, Gale is set to make his debut in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), where he will race all season for Eddie Sharp Racing. By the conclusion of Friday night, Gale is expected to have completed over 450 miles of racing around the 2.5-mile superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Racing for Rookie of the Year… After spending the last six seasons racing part-time schedules at teams like Phoenix Racing and Kevin Harvick Inc., NASCAR driver Cale Gale will finally take on a full-time schedule in the NCWTS with Eddie Sharp Racing. As a result, the 26-year-old Mobile, Ala., native will finally have the opportunity to make an official run at the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title. Over a period of three seasons, Gale has made a total of 10 NCWTS starts.
New Partners, New Places… Cale Gale and Atlanta-based Rheem Manufacturing Company first paired up during the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. Later that year, Gale turned heads as he captured the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway and went on to finish fourth at the grueling track in his No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet. The feat quickly caught the attention and support of Rheem executives, and the duo have worked side-by-side ever since. Gale has competed under the Rheem colors in NCWTS, ARCA, and Super Late Model series events, and will continue that relationship in 2012 at Eddie Sharp Racing.
Listen In… Cale Gale will be on Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody and Angie Skinner at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 20. He will recap the action from the ARCA Racing Series’ Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200, and preview the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ NextEra Energy Resources 250 from Daytona International Speedway. Tune in on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90, to hear what the driver of the Rheem Chevrolet has to say. Gale will also be on WBOB Radio in Jacksonville, Fla., with ESR teammates Justin Lofton and Mike Skinner from 11:50 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. on Friday, February 24. Listen online at http://www.wbobradio.com/.
Meet Cale… Fans are invited to attend the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series autograph session at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 24th from 2:30-3:15 p.m. The driver of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado will be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs for the crowd.
Watch and Listen… The NextEra Energy Resources 250 from Daytona International Speedway will be broadcast live on SPEED, MRN Radio and Sirius-XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, at 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday, February 24. Practice sessions from the 2.5-mile track will be aired on Thursday, February 23, at 12:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST. Qualifying for the 250-mile event will be broadcast on SPEED at 4:00 p.m. EST Friday afternoon.
From the Driver’s Seat:
Cale Gale Quotes
On racing at Daytona:
“Anything can happen at Daytona. I feel like our Rheem Chevrolet Silverado is pretty good. Jerry Baxter, my crew chief, and all the ESR guys have been working very hard. We’re excited to start the season off at Daytona International Speedway. We would like nothing more than a good run to start off the year.”
On working with Jerry Baxter and the team at Eddie Sharp Racing:
“I’m really excited to work with Jerry Baxter. I feel like he and I are going to have really good chemistry throughout the 2012 season. He has a lot of experience and has worked with a lot of young drivers in the past. With the guys that he has put together, Ray Holm as the truck chief and all the other guys he picked up, I feel like we have one of the strongest teams in the garage. Hopefully we’ll be able to prove it throughout the 2012 season.”
On having the support of Rheem Manufacturing Company:
“Having Rheem’s support is a dream come true for me. I’m really excited to have them on board this year. They’re an excellent company with a desire to win in the sport. It truly makes my job easier to have such amazing people to work with and support me.”
From the Pit Box:
Crew Chief Jerry Baxter Quotes
On what to expect in Daytona:
“With the new cooling package and with no testing, we really don’t know what to expect. We aren’t sure if we’ll be able to run in the tandem at all. The whole beginning of this year needs to be about getting me and Cale on the same page. We need to run every lap we can, and get better every week.”
On working with Cale Gale:
“Cale has a lot of desire. He comes to the shop every day; I love that. He’s very smart about cars, which will make it a lot easier to talk about what the truck is doing and what he needs from his racecar. He knows about racecars because he’s been driving, building and working on his own cars for years.”
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