JR Motorsports Nation

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 4, 2012) - JR Motorsports' flagship team will compete for a NASCAR Nationwide Series championship with one of the sport's up-and-coming stars, as Cole Whitt has been tabbed to drive the company's flagship No. 88 Chevrolet in 2012, team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced today.

Whitt, a 20-year-old native of Alpine, Calif., will also compete for Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He comes to JR Motorsports from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he finished ninth in last year's championship standings with one pole, two top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. To date he is the youngest driver ever to win the USAC (United States Auto Club) National Midget championship, as his title-winning effort in 2008 put him alongside esteemed former USAC national champions such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne.

"Cole is the guy we wanted, and we're lucky to get him," Earnhardt Jr. said. "He's got raw, untapped talent, but we are most impressed with his ambition. I sought advice and input from people I respect in the industry, and the overwhelming consensus was that Cole has the potential to do great things in this sport."

The signing of Whitt completes the 2012 driver line-up for JR Motorsports, which will compete in Nationwide Series competition with Whitt in the No. 88 Chevrolet, Danica Patrick in the No. 7 Chevrolet, and Earnhardt Jr. in select races in the No. 5 Chevrolet. All three drivers will compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25.

"This is a big opportunity for me, and I'm happy to be a part of the JR Motorsports team," said Whitt, who was introduced to employees Wednesday morning. "I'm grateful to Dale, Kelley and everyone at JR Motorsports for giving me this chance. It's an honor to work with the Eurys, and I will do everything in my power to put this No. 88 team where it belongs in Victory Lane."

Whitt got his start racing karts and saw immediate success with eight International Karting Federation championships and two World Karting Association grand national championships. He was the Hoosier Sprint Car Rookie of the Year in 2006 and earned 34 top-10 finishes in 60 USAC starts in 2007 before winning the championship in 2008. Whitt advanced to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2010, promptly notching two poles and finishing fourth in points in his first year.

OTHER NEWS: JR Motorsports has hired Bruce Cook as crew chief for the No. 5 team, which will run primarily with Earnhardt Jr. in select races. Cook comes to JR Motorsports from Kevin Harvick, Inc., where he served as crew chief in 2011 in the Camping World Truck Series, predominately for the No. 2 KHI Chevrolet, which won the owner's championship. With Cook atop the pit box, his team scored six wins, 19 top-fives and 22 top-10s. Cook was also the winning crew chief of the Nationwide Series season-opener at Daytona in 2011 with driver Tony Stewart.

JR Motorsports began in a shed on the property of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. in 1998 with just one employee, as the marketing division of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s race team. The original intent of the business was to help Earnhardt, Jr. sell t-shirts and negotiate sponsorship deals.

It wasn't until 2002 that Earnhardt, Jr. turned the business into a race team. That's when T. J. Majors drove the first race, in the street stock division, at Concord Motorsports Park, in North Carolina.

The first win for the team came at Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, VA, in 2004.

Today, in 2010, the team operates out of a 66,000-square-foot state of the art race shop near Mooresville, North Carolina. JR Motorsports' primary series is the NASCAR Nationwide Series, where they originally fielded the #88 for several drivers. Upon Earnhardt, Jr.'s signing with Hendrick Motorsports the Hendrick and JR Nationwide Series teams were merged. The #88 Chevrolet currently is sponsored by Hellmans, Unilever Brands, with Jamie McMurray behind the wheel.

JR Motorsports will also field Danica Patrick's #7 Go Daddy Chevrolet on a part time basis.

The #5 car is inherited from the Hendrick Motorsports' Busch Series stable, competing in the series since 1984. Shortly after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. signed with Hendrick Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series, Hendrick Motorsports announced that it would merge its operations with the JR stable to field a two-car team with the #5 and the #88, starting in 2008, using Hendrick engines and chassies.

#5 Car History:

The #5 car won twice in 2008, with Mark Martin at Las Vegas and Ron Fellows in Montreal, the first NASCAR race run in wet conditions. The 5 car will run 21 races with Sponsorship from Fastenal, Go Daddy, Unilever, Degree, and Delphi. Dale Jr will drive 7 races, 2 for Go Daddy.com, 2 for Fastenal, 1 for Degree and 2 for Unilever( Daytona-Hellimans, Klondike at Lowes on may 23. Mark Martin will drive at Richmond May 1st with sponsorship from Lipton Ice Tea, Tony Stewart will drive at Lowes on October 16 with Delphi Sponsorship, Scott Wimmer will drive 6 races with Fastenal Sponsorship, the other 6 races with Fastenal sponsorship will be named at a later date.

#48 Car History:

Car #48 was driven by Jimmie Johnson at Watkin Glens in the 2008 race with Lowe's as the sponsor, driving it home 29.

#83 Car History:

Car #83 was fielded by JR Motorsports with driver and owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. behind the wheel at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 24, 2008. Earnhardt, Jr. drove the car home a 4th place finish.

#88 Car History:

The #No. 88 began the 2006 season driven by Mark McFarland, but he was replaced by Shane Huffman, with Martin Truex, Jr. and Robby Gordon filling-in for certain races. On Tuesday July 3, 2007 Dale Earnhardt Jr. released Shane Huffman from driving the #88 Navy Chevy for JR Motorsports.

Earnhardt, Jr. drove the #88 on July 6, 2007 in the Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Brad Keselowski will replace Shane Huffman for three races, with "Road Course Specialist" and SCCA driver Andy Pilgrim to be in the car for the race in Montreal, and Watkins Glen.Brad Keselowski finished the season.

Keselowski signed a two year contract with JR Motorsports with the Navy returning as sponsor in 2008. Brad won his first race at Nashville Superspeedway on June 7, 2008.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will have to find a new sponsor for the #88 in 2009 as the Navy announced it would not be returning after the conclusion of the 2008 season. GoDaddy.com and Delphi will sponsor the #88 for a total of 24 races in 2009,Unilever will be sponsoring 11 races on the #88 Car. Degree will be sponsoring the car for 4 races in 2009.

Now in 2010 Kelly Bires will drive the #88 Unilever Brands Chevrolet for the rest of the season.

Tony Eury Sr.

Dale Jr has looked to his past for help running the company. In June 2007 Tony Eury was hired away from Dale Earnhardt, Inc to become Director of Competittion at JR Motorsports.

Eury was Junior's crew chief beginning when Junior first started in the Busch series. Together the 2 won 2 Busch championships before moving on to NASCAR's Cup series.

"Tony Sr. brings wins, championships, and an immeasurable amount of knowledge to JR Motorsports," Earnhardt Jr. said. "He also brings a sense of trust that you only have in family. This company needs his expertise, and I'm glad he sees the potential at JR Motorsports to want to work here. I hope I can provide him the same amount of success here that he has achieved over the years, and I hope he enjoys working here as much as I know he enjoyed working at DEI."

Eury had been a full time employee of DEI since 1987, and had worked with Dale Earnhardt both as a part-time employee and unpaid helper since 1976.

Before joining up with Dale Jr, Eury had been a crew chief for several Busch series drivers at DEI including Neil Bonnett, Michael Waltrip, Steve Park, and Dale Earnhardt.

"I remember Dale coming up to me and asking if I could make a driver out of Dale Jr.," Eury said. "My remark to him was I don't know why we can't. Why would you want to spend money on someone else's kid when you can spend money on your own kid?"

Eury now oversees competition and technical support at JR Motorsports, working closely with crew chiefs and team engineers from all racing divisions.

Sprint Cup Series and Future of JR Motorsports:

During a press conference at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 16, 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stated that once the Nationwide Series starts using the Car of Tomorrow chassis, which is set for an August, 2009 debut at the intermediate tracks, his Nationwide teams possibly will leave the Nationwide Series, due to the costs of switching cars. When asked if he will move JR Motorsports to the Sprint Cup Series, Earnhardt Jr. said that due to the Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series almost having the same expensive costs, he might move the team to the Sprint Cup Series as early as 2009 "if the right opportunity comes along with the right sponsorship and driver.

Other racing series;

JR Motorsports fields the No. 88 Racing Clubs of America Chevrolet Monte Carlo Late model driven by Curtis Truex. The No.72 Champion Spark Plug Chevrolet driven by Richard Boswell. The 06 Champion Spark Plug Chevy driven by Davin Scites. The No. 50 Southern Pipeing Chevy driven by Jamey Cadill. And the No.73 R and B Chevy driven by Owen Kelly.

"Let's get one thing straight. It's pronounced J.R. Motorsports, not Junior Motorsports. At least that's the way Dale Earnhardt Jr pronounces it. I suppose the guys in the media can call it whatever they like, I'll go with the name the owner goes by".

"Yeah I know, but everybody calls it JR. Motorsports"
Now most recently, it's called JRM.

Contact Info:

Contact JR. Motorsports

JR. Motorsports, LLC
PO Box 330
Mooresville, NC 28115

Phone 704-799-4800

Fax 704-799-4801

email info@jrmotorsport.com

www.jrmotorsport.com

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