Track: Charlotte [N.C.] Motor Speedway
Race: N.C. Education Lottery 200
Date: May 18, 2012

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet News and Notes

Racing at Home… Cale Gale will make his second career start in NASCAR’s backyard at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway on Friday, May 18. With one NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start on his resume at the track, the driver will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut on the high-banks of the mile-and-a-half speedway in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado. Gale’s only start at Charlotte Motor Speedway came in the May 2008 NNS event. After rolling off in the 16th position, Gale raced inside the top 15 before a punctured oil tank ended his evening early and resulted in a 30th-place finish.

Staying Busy During the Off Weeks… While the NCWTS teams had a few weekends away from competition, Gale continued to focus on life in the fast lane by testing and working on race cars and trucks. The 27-year-old attended a test session at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway earlier this month where he logged over 200 laps in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet. Working on a variety of setups, the driver also benefitted from the extra time of working with crew chief Jerry Baxter and the Rheem team-a group that came together just before the start of the 2012 season.

Around Town… While NASCAR drivers and crew members enjoy racing in their own backyards’, Gale will make several appearances around the Charlotte region over the next two weeks. Gale will join other drivers from the NCWTS at an autograph session at the Statesville Camping World Store (1220 Morland Drive, Statesville, NC 28677) during the annual “Grill Fest” event on Thursday, May 17th at 12:00 p.m. Gale will also make appearances in Uptown Charlotte during the annual Food Lion Speed Street Festival. Come out to the Chevy Stage (Tryon Street & Third Street) for a brief Q&A Session with the driver of the Rheem Chevrolet on Thursday, May 24th at 3:30 p.m. Then stop by the Creative Loafing Display (Tryon Street & Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd) at 4:00 p.m. to meet Gale and get an autograph. Admission to all events is free.

From the Driver’s Seat:
Cale Gale Quotes

On racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

“The biggest obstacle this weekend will be practicing during the day and racing at night. Charlotte Motor Speedway is very heat sensitive, so the truck will change a lot from the day to the night. We need to be a little bit free in practice, and the racetrack should tighten up as it cools down. It’s an aero mile-and-a-half with good pavement since being repaved several years ago. Everybody is really excited for the race this weekend and we look to go there and have a good run since it’s our home track. This will be our first race this season on a high-banked mile-and-a-half. We’re taking the same truck that we raced in Kansas; Jerry [Baxter, crew chief] and all the guys have been working really hard to make sure that our Rheem Chevrolet is good to go.”

On meeting the fans around Charlotte:

“Racing in Charlotte is always a big deal. Countless fans come to town and it seems like there are appearances and autograph sessions everywhere you go. We’ll be at a couple appearances representing Rheem over the next few weeks too, so that should be a lot of fun. The Statesville Camping World Store is having an autograph session for all the NCWTS drivers and we’ll be there to meet the fans this Thursday afternoon. We’ll also be at Speed Street next Thursday [May 25] for a Q&A at the Chevy Stage and an autograph session. It’s my first time going to Speed Street, but I know many fans have a lot of fun going there, so it’s pretty cool to be a part of that. I always enjoy getting to meet the fans. It’s pretty special to be driving the Rheem Silverado this season and to be able to be a part of all this.”

From the Pit Box:
Jerry Baxter Quotes

On what to expect in Charlotte:

“The race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is going to be challenging in a few different ways. First of all, we practice during the day and race at night-that will be our biggest challenge. The track changes how your truck handles, and you have to guess right on the setup of your chassis. Additionally, our driver has never raced at Charlotte in a truck, which is where our Nashville test will hopefully pay off. We all felt like we learned a lot during those two days and built our confidence a ton.”

On preparing for Charlotte:

“We’re taking the same truck to Charlotte that we raced at Kansas. It’s the best downforce truck that we have. I think the most important thing that we did to prepare for the race at Charlotte was test at Nashville Superspeedway. We had at great two-day test at Nashville and were able to spend some time finding out exactly what Cale [Gale] needs in a truck. We were able to learn his responses to different changes, and were able to build his confidence during those 200-plus laps. Having that test was a huge benefit for our team.”

Cale Gale is featured in both the April 2012 issue of Speed Sport Magazine and the May 2012 issue of NASCAR Illustrated.

A recap of the Mobile ARCA 200 is included in Speed Sport Magazine which features two images of Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet.

In the annual camping and tailgating issue of NASCAR Illustrated, Cale Gale shares a memory of traveling to the races with his father. The story also includes a photo of Gale in his Rheem firesuit from earlier in this season.

Track: Kansas Speedway
Race: SFP 250
Date: April 21, 2012

Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway
In just his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) event at Kansas Speedway, Cale Gale drove the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet to an 11th-place finish on Saturday afternoon.

After rolling off in the 15th position, Gale utilized the first run of the 167-lap event to evaluate the handling of his Chevrolet and gain valuable experience around the Midwest track. Good on entry and just a little tight off the corners, crew chief Jerry Baxter called for a slight air pressure adjustment on the Rheem Silverado during the lap 37 caution period and Gale returned to the track in the 17th position.

Knowing the importance of track position on the mile-and-a-half track, Baxter made a bold decision to bring Gale back down pit road just 20 laps later during a caution period to top-off the fuel cell in the No. 33 Rheem machine. Gale restarted the race in the 17th position and utilized the next run to explore different lines around the track and determine where his truck reacted best. For Baxter’s strategy to work, the Rheem team needed a long green flag run to bring the leaders down pit road followed by a quick caution before Gale was forced to pit under green. As the race progressed, Baxter’s strategy unfolded perfectly. The leaders began coming down pit road just after lap 90 and a caution flag followed on lap 99. Gale brought the Rheem Silverado down pit road under yellow flag conditions for four fresh tires and fuel and returned to the track in the sixth position.

After learning that the Rheem Chevrolet worked best around the top groove of the track, Gale held his truck high and stayed on the gas. Running as high as the fifth position, Gale continued to log laps and gain experience on the intermediate track in Kansas City, Kan.

After pitting just outside their fuel windows, the field was forced down pit road one last time during the closing laps of the SFP 250 at Kansas Speedway. The Rheem team serviced their Chevrolet with two tires and fuel, and Gale returned to the track in the 15th position. With only 17 laps remaining, Gale quickly raced through the field to pick up four positions and score the 11th finishing position when the checkered flag waved.

“I can’t thank my team enough for all their hard work this weekend. Everyone gave 100-percent all weekend and we were able to get our Rheem Chevrolet exactly where we needed it. Jerry [Baxter, crew chief] made a great call with our pit strategy to gain the track position we needed, and Rick [Carelli, spotter] helped me a lot throughout the race to work on my line. We’ve gotten better every week, and we learned a lot this weekend. I’m really looking forward to racing in Charlotte in a few weeks with the Rheem team.”

more information coming soon…

Track: Kansas Speedway
Race: SFP 250
Date: April 21, 2012

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet News and Notes

Back to Kansas… With one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at Kansas Speedway on his resume, Cale Gale is ready to get back to the Midwest track with the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet and his Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) team. Gale raced at Kansas Speedway in April 2007 under the Kevin Harvick Inc. banner where he qualified sixth and finished 32nd after suffering brake problems. Gale also made an Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Series start at Kansas Speedway in October 2011; he qualified fourth and crossed the finish line in the fifth position.

ESR Shows Strength on Track… After purchasing the assets of two Kevin Harvick Inc. teams over the winter, Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) took off running when the green-flag fell on the 2012 season. The Denver, N.C.-based operation competes in multiple series from the NCWTS to ARCA and various late model series across the Southeast. With fast trucks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, and Rockingham (N.C) Speedway, Cale Gale has been the top ESR qualifier in each of the first three NCWTS events, while teammate Justin Lofton has been the organization’s top finisher and is currently ranked second in the series’ standings. Gale earned his first victory of the season, and his first win with ESR, at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway in the ARCA Series with the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet.

Cale & Jennifer Gale on “The Setup”… Tune in to The Setup from Kansas Speedway this weekend to see a special segment featuring Cale and Jennifer Gale. The newlyweds will compete against Matt & Ashley Crafton and James & Kris Buescher in “Just Married!”-a newlywed game show with host Rick Allen. The couples will go head-to-head to find out who knows their new spouse best.

Watch and Listen… With a short turnaround between events, the NCWTS is off to Kansas Speedway for the SFP 250 this Saturday, April 21st. Tune in to SPEED for final practice (3:00 p.m. ET, Friday, April 20) and qualifying (10:30 a.m., Saturday, April 21) from Kansas Speedway. Live coverage of the 250-mile race will be broadcast on SPEED, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 21.

From the Driver’s Seat:
Cale Gale Quotes

On racing at Kansas Speedway:

“Kansas Speedway is a really cool track. It’s a flatter track than some mile-and-a-half speedways, which enables it to provide good two-by-two racing throughout the entire field. Drivers will need a fast truck to be successful there, and teams will need to have good solid pit stops all day. The bigger challenge that teams will face will be keeping up with their truck all day and making the right adjustments on pit road.”

On visiting Kansas City:

“The track in Kansas City is a lot of fun, but I also like going there because the city atmosphere is so cool. The race fans there are great-they’re always excited to have NASCAR in town and everybody comes out to support us.”

From the Pit Box:
Jerry Baxter Quotes

On what to expect in Kansas:

“This weekend is critical because it’s our first visit to a mile-and-a-half track, which makes up the majority of the NCWTS schedule. Kansas Speedway is a place where track position is extremely important. It’s very difficult to catch up there-a driver can’t just drop to the back and easily race back through the field. It could very well come down to a fuel mileage event, so that is something that we will consider while we plan our race strategy for the Rheem team.”

On working with Cale:

“Last week was an eye opener for me and Cale. We have three races under our belt working together now. I think I learned a ton about what Cale really needs from his truck. We talked a lot since the race in Rockingham and I feel like I have a much better understanding of what he needs. As a result, we made some changes in our setup for Cale’s Kansas truck to make it run the way he likes.”

On preparing the Rheem Chevrolet for Kansas:

“The Rheem team is taking a really good Chevy Silverado to Kansas Speedway. We took our truck to the wind tunnel to get ready for the race and it got really good wind tunnel numbers. We think it will perform well on the track-definitely looking forward to this weekend.”

Track: Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway
Race: Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200
Date: April 15, 2012

Cale Gale drove the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet to a 17th-place finish on Sunday afternoon as the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) took center stage for its inaugural race at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway. Known for wearing out tires and bumps through the corners, teams expected the track commonly known as “The Rock” to be a challenge for many drivers.

Having never raced at The Rock before, the NCWTS teams were granted two hour-and-a-half practice sessions on Friday in addition to the typical two hour-long practice sessions on Saturday afternoon. Teams were forced to pace their tire use throughout the four sessions to ensure that they would have plenty of fresh Goodyear tires for the 200-lap race on Sunday afternoon. Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team spent the practice sessions working through a few spring and setup options until they found something they really liked on Saturday morning. Gale posted a 25.027-second lap during that practice session–his quickest of the weekend to that point–which made him the 11th-quickest truck overall during Saturday’s practice sessions.

Gale rolled off 13th in the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet for the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 on Sunday afternoon. He promptly picked up two positions to move in to 11th-place before the caution flag was displayed on lap five. Gale called in to his crew to say that his truck was a little snugger on takeoff than during practice, but otherwise the Rheem Chevrolet seemed to be dialed in. As the tires fell off during the next run, the Rheem Chevrolet needed more rear grip prompting crew chief Jerry Baxter to call for an air pressure adjustment during the lap 61 caution period.

As the race progressed, the handling on the Rheem Chevrolet faltered. Gale tried to run different lines around the track and found his truck was especially loose around the low line. The team also noted that Gale needed more help getting through turns three and four, and began to plan their adjustments accordingly. With a race that was mostly long green-flag runs, the No. 33 team had limited opportunities to dial in the Rheem Chevrolet. During the third caution period, Baxter called for a track bar change and spring rubber adjustment which seemed to have a positive reaction on Gale’s Silverado.

When the final caution came out on lap 175, Gale was scored in the 21st position. The 27-year-old brought his Chevrolet down pit road and the crew made one more track bar adjustment. Gale picked up four positions in the final 20 laps to be credited with a 17th-place finish at The Rock.

“Our Rheem Chevrolet was really loose at the start of the race. Jerry Baxter and all the guys continued to work hard throughout the afternoon to make our truck better. By the end of the race, our truck was the best it had been all day but unfortunately it was too late to make up much ground. I would like to thank the entire Rheem team for all their hard work this weekend. I feel like we got better at our communication as a team, and no one ever gave up. We are all really excited to go to Kansas; it’s a fun city and a track that I’ve run well at in the past. I think it will be a lot of fun.”

more information coming soon…

Track: Rockingham Speedway
Race: Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200
Date: April 15, 2012

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes

Gale Returns to The Rock… While Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway (The Rock) may be a new challenge for many drivers in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Cale Gale will actually take on The Rock for the second time in his career on Sunday, April 15, 2012. The driver of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado raced in the Championship Auto Racing Series (CARS) Pro Cup event at The Rock last fall. Gale rolled off 18th in the field of 19 cars and fought motor problems throughout the race. After 150 laps of competition at the historic oval, Gale picked up 10 positions to cross the finish line in the eighth position. Gale will also benefit from the experience of crew chief Jerry Baxter, who is familiar with Rockingham Speedway from working in the NASCAR Nationwide Series over the last 12 seasons.

ESR Shows Strength On Track… After purchasing the assets of two Kevin Harvick Inc. teams over the winter, Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) took off running when the green-flag fell on the 2012 season. The Denver, N.C.-based operation competes in multiple series from the NCWTS to the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series and late model series across the Southeast. With fast trucks at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Cale Gale has been the top ESR qualifier in each of the first two NCWTS events, while teammate Justin Lofton has been the organization’s top finisher and is tied for second in the series’ standings. Gale earned his first victory of the season at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway in the ARCA Racing Series, and was poised to record his career-best NCWTS finish at Martinsville Speedway before a flat-tire brought him down pit road during the final eight laps.

Meet Cale… Come to Rockingham Thunder Fest on Friday, April 13th to meet Cale Gale, teammate Justin Lofton, and ESR development drivers Brandon Jones and Will Gallaher. All four drivers will be participating in an hour-long autograph session on Harrington Square in downtown Rockingham at 7:00 p.m. ET. Also be on the lookout for Gale’s No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado which will be on display throughout the day. Admission to Thunder Fest is free to all ticketholders for Saturday and Sunday’s events at Rockingham Speedway. Additionally, Gale, Lofton, Jones and Gallaher, will join Richard Childress Racing drivers Ty Dillon, Joey Coulter and Tim George, Jr. in a Rheem Racing autograph session at the Rheem tent in Rockingham Speedway’s Fan Zone on Saturday, April 14th. Stop by from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. ET for your chance to meet the Rheem Racing drivers.

From the Driver’s Seat:
Cale Gale Quotes

On returning to Rockingham Speedway:

“I’m really excited to go back to Rockingham Speedway-both for the history of the track and to be a part of NASCAR making its return to The Rock. It’s unlike any other track on the circuit-it’s tough to get around and requires you to really manage your tires. The tires wear quickly and fall off quite a bit, so you need to be aware of that and manage them throughout the run. I think we’ll probably see a lot of cycles throughout the day; someone will be quick at the start of the race and as their tires fall off another driver will take over the top position. I expect there to be a lot of tough competition, but I think it will be a great, entertaining race.”

On the progression of the 2012 season:

“We’ve had really fast trucks and all the guys have done a great job. Our trucks have been capable of great finishes both weekends, but bad luck got us. I feel like we will continue to be fast all season-the guys are doing everything they can to provide great equipment for both Justin and me. I’m ready to get out and go racing; I’m looking forward to being able to get in the rhythm of racing every week or every other week. Again, I can’t thank Rheem enough for coming on board this season and giving me the opportunity to race fulltime in the NCWTS. We have the equipment and momentum that we need to be successful this year, now we just need a little luck.”

From the Pit Box:
Jerry Baxter Quotes

On what to expect in Rockingham:

“I believe this weekend’s race at Rockingham Speedway will be a race where the tires fall off a lot and tire management will be key. There are not a lot of those tracks left on the NCWTS circuit anymore, so getting back there is a good thing. The track is really rough. Getting your truck to be compliant-to go across the bumps and continue to handle well will be huge.”

On tire management at The Rock:

“Tire management is going to be extremely important throughout the entire weekend-not just during the race. As a team, we need to manage our tires during practice on Friday and Saturday. The tires fall off so much and we only have two sets to burn up during practice on Friday. We need to make sure that we’re making the most out of every set of Goodyears that we have.”

On what to expect in Rockingham:

“We took the Rheem Chevrolet to the wind tunnel and seven-post to prepare for the truck series’ return to The Rock. Everything has gone really well; we think we have a good baseline to start with when we roll our No. 33 Silverado off the hauler on Friday morning.”

Track: Martinsville Speedway
Race: Kroger 250
Date: March 31, 2012

Poised to achieve his career-best NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) finish, Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team saw their hopes dashed as a flat tire brought them down pit road inside the final ten laps of the Kroger 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and resulted in a 15th-place finish. Despite struggling with the handling of his. No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet throughout the weekend, Gale found speed around the paperclip-shaped half-mile track in southern Virginia. Posting the 12th quickest lap in opening practice, Gale picked up nearly two-tenths to achieve the seventh quickest lap in final practice. The driver of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet posted a 19.845-second lap during qualifying, his quickest of the weekend to that point, to roll off fourth in the 14th Annual Kroger 250 later that afternoon.

Shortly after taking the green flag, Gale called into crew chief Jerry Baxter and the Rheem team to report that he was struggling to drive his No. 33 Chevrolet off the corners. With a truck that was extremely tight, Gale held on the best he could and continued to race inside the top 10. By lap 14, the tires had finally built up enough pressure to allow Gale to post his quickest lap of the race and Gale started to move forward through the field. The team opted to keep Gale’s Chevrolet on track during the opening caution on lap 22, as they hoped to wait until closer to lap 100 for their first pit stop.

Showing strength on the long run, Baxter and spotter Rick Carelli coached Gale throughout the race to help him navigate the corners and made him aware of his fast lap times. As the Rheem Chevrolet dialed in on the long-run, Gale posted some of the quickest lap times of anyone on the track, including race leader Kevin Harvick.

Gale finally brought his Chevrolet down pit road for the first stop of the race during the lap 76 caution period. The Rheem team made an air-pressure adjustment to help dial in the truck on the short run and changed four tires before sending Gale back on the track. After a quick inspection of the tires that came off the Rheem machine, Baxter urged Gale to manage the new set of tires throughout the next run as his left rear tire showed extreme wear-something not out of character for the historic speedway where heavy braking and extreme tire temperatures are the norm.

Gale continued his next run in much the same fashion, coming down pit road again during the lap 159 caution for four tires and fuel. With his tires showing much better wear than the first run, Gale continued to work on rolling through the center of the corners to pick up speed around the short track. Slowly picking up positions during the closing one hundred laps, Gale moved from eighth to sixth and appeared to be poised to record his career-best NCWTS finish with ten laps remaining in the Kroger 250.

However, with just seven laps remaining, Gale called into the crew to say that something wasn’t right. Guessing he had a flat right rear tire, Gale came down pit road during the closing laps of a caution and the Rheem team replaced all four tires on Gale’s Chevrolet. Gale returned to the track in the 17th position with just enough time to take the green flag for the final restart. The driver of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet picked up two additional positions in the closing laps, and held off a hard-charging Ron Hornaday to cross the finish line in the 15th position.

Quotes from Cale:

“Despite where we finished, our Eddie Sharp Racing team had a good day with our Rheem Chevrolet, the guys did a great job all weekend. We showed speed all day and were able to adjust and improve on our truck throughout the day to where we were able to pick up positions. Unfortunately with seven to go, our Rheem Chevy had a flat right rear and we were forced to come down pit road and give up all of our track position. We didn’t run anywhere near 15th all day, but that’s where we finished. Jerry Baxter and all the guys continue to build me great trucks-everywhere we’ve gone this year I’ve had great equipment to run, now we just need a little luck. I’m really excited to race Rockingham (N.C.) in a few weeks. It’s a challenging track, but a lot of fun; I can’t want to get out there with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.”

more information coming soon…