Rising Star Management Group

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - Aug. 30, 2010 - Josh Richards put an up and down Northeast swing with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series behind him in fine fashion - with a convincing victory on Saturday night (Aug. 28) at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial, Pa.

Driving the Ernie D's Enterprises Rocket No. 25 at the Monster Half Mile where in 2004 he made the first official feature-event start of his dirt Late Model career, Richards stormed to the checkered flag in the fourth annual Red Miley Rumble that was co-sanctioned by the UFO Race Championship Series and the Northern Tier United Late Model Series. He earned $4,371 for his triumph in the 44-lap A-Main.

"It was awesome to get a win at Pittsburgh after we had didn't have the greatest (World of Outlaws) trip," said Richards, who pushed his overall 2010 win total to 10, including three behind the wheel of Ernie Davis's machine. "I've always been comfortable at Pittsburgh so I enjoy racing there, and winning the Red Miley race definitely raised my spirits."

Richards won the event run named in memory of PPMS's late promoter for the second time in as many tries. He also captured the inaugural race in 2007.

This time Richards was dominant, moving forward from the sixth starting spot to take the lead from Davey Johnson on lap 10 and then running away from the pack. He was never seriously challenged en route to registering his and Roush Yates first win with the new 410 Ford engine.

"The car was just phenomenal," said Richards, "and the Roush Yates Ford really worked great. The Roush Yates guys worked their butts off to give us a brand-new combination (for PPMS) and it really fit my driving style."

Richards entered Saturday's action coming off a rough WoO LMS excursion to Pennsylvania, upstate New York and Canada with his father Mark's Seubert Calf Ranches team. After the swing's opener on Aug. 18 at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa., was rained out and not rescheduled, the 22-year-old from Shinnston, W.Va., registered finishes of eighth on Aug. 19 at Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, N.Y.; fourth on Aug. 23 at Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Que.; and 11th on Aug. 24 at Brewerton (N.Y.) Speedway. He also finished fourth in a heat race on Aug. 20 at Mohawk International Raceway in Akwesasne, N.Y., to qualify for the $20,000 to win Battle at Eastern Door, but the 100-lap A-Main set for Aug. 21 was postponed by rain to Wed., Sept. 1.

The subpar stretch of action cost Richards the WoO LMS points lead, which he had held for 25 straight events, to Darrell Lanigan. Two wins and a fourth place finish during the swing pushed Lanigan a scant two points ahead of Richards in the points battle.

"The trip was very bumpy," said Richards, who is now tied with Lanigan as the winningest driver on the 2010 WoO LMS with six victories. "We had to take two cars out at Rolling Wheels and start at the back of the feature (after rolling the right-front nosepiece under in time hot laps and a heat race). At Drummond we had a good enough car to finish second, but I thought I had a tire going down at the end. And at Brewerton, well, we just gambled and picked the wrong tire (compound) and I was just holding on (until pitting late in the race for a tire change).

"We're aggravated that we lost the (points) lead, but at least we still have a shot," he added, steeling himself for the dramatic championship fight to come over the final seven races of the season. "There's time left. We just have to work harder and get our car better."

Richards will attempt to regain the WoO LMS points lead in search of his second consecutive tour title this week, competing in the rescheduled event at Mohawk International Raceway on Wednesday (he's slated to start 10th) and the Oil Region Labor Day Classic - a doubleheader comprised of separate 50-lap, $10,000 to win events � on Sept. 4-5 at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pa. He also plans to run a pair of O'Reilly All-Star Late Model Series shows in the Ernie Davis No. 25 - the held-over Mark Balzano Memorial on Thursday night (Sept. 2) at West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, W.Va. (he starts fourth in the A-Main) and Friday night (Sept. 3) at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Richards Retains WoO LMS Lead after USA Nationals

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - Aug. 9, 2010 - Misfortune in Saturday night's 23rd annual USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., dampened what was shaping up as a memorable trip to the Badger State for Josh Richards.

After scoring a fourth place finish in the 50 lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series event on Wednesday night (Aug. 4) at Shawano Speedway and a bridesmaid outing in the 40 lap UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned feature on Thursday night (Aug. 5) at Cedar Lake, Richards appeared primed for a run at a $50,000 crown-jewel victory.

But Lady Luck had other ideas for the 22-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va. Rare mechanical woes struck his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1 as he ran in second place early in Cedar Lake's 100 lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series extravaganza, forcing him to retire after only 19 laps and leaving him with a disappointing 23rd place finish.

"We just threw the belts off and the engine overheated," said Richards, who started from the outside pole and was running behind early leader Don O'Neal when his machine began to fall off the pace."

Richards felt he was in position to bid for his coveted first-ever triumph in a 100 lap dirt Late Model event. Staying out of trouble was difficult on an unruly Cedar Lake surface that produced heavy attrition (only five cars would finish on the lead lap and eight were still on the track at the checkered flag), but Richards was doing his best to keep his car under him for the entire distance.

"We had a really good car," said Richards, who made his first appearance at Cedar Lake since 2005. "I don't know if we could've won, but we would've been okay. As it turned out all you had to do was finish to have a chance and I was trying stay out of trouble the best I could.

"We just didn't have luck on our side. Everybody did a great job all weekend and we gave it everything we had, but you'll have nights like this. Fortunately we haven't had many like this the last few years."

Richards showed he was capable of contending for a win at Cedar Lake with his performance in Thursday night's UMP DIRTcar tune-up. He advanced from the sixth starting spot to finish second behind winner Tim McCreadie in a 40-lap main event that had the fans buzzing. At one point Richards was part of an intense five car battle for the lead.

"We were trying hard - that was one heck of a race," said Richards. "I had a lot of fun racing with Darrell (Lanigan), Timmy (McCreadie), (Jimmy) Mars and Austin (Hubbard). The fans saw a great race, that's about as good as it gets I think."

Richards was also strong in Friday night's USA Nationals qualifying program, timing fifth fastest in the 51 car field and winning a heat race. He finished second in the five lap dash for heat winners to earn the outside pole starting slot.

The USA Nationals offered only show-up points toward the WoO LMS championship, so Richards maintained his points lead despite his bad luck. His strong effort at Shawano pumped his edge up to 36 points over Lanigan and 48 over McCreadie.

Richards' Mark Richards Racing Enterprises team will take a break from competition until the WoO LMS returns to action on Aug. 18 at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pa. - an event that kicks off a critical stretch of five races over a seven day period in the Northeast.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Josh Richards Scores Sixth WoO LMS Victory in 2010

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - Aug. 2, 2010 - Josh Richards can call the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek a success.

While the competitive 22 year old defending series champion wasn't overjoyed with his results during the busy five race swing, he certainly was satisfied with them. He qualified well every night and rang up a top five finish in each A-Main, including a resounding blow out victory in the 50 lap finale on Sunday night at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.

And Shinnston, West Virginia's Richards even extended his WoO LMS points lead during the Speedweek, pushing his edge from 18 points (over Tim McCreadie) entering the stretch of competition to 28 points (over Darrell Lanigan) after it.

"Overall it wasn't as good a trip as Darrell�s," said Richards, pointing to the red hot Lanigan�s three victories and two third place finishes that helped him shave 18 points off his deficit to Richards in the series standings. "But you can't really ask for much more. We time trialed real well (topped by fast times on July 27 at Central PA Speedway in Clearfield, Penn., and July 29 at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio), got in the (A-Main) redraw every night (he won heats at Central PA, Sharon and on July 31 at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio), finished top five consistently and we won a race.

"All the guys did a great job - my dad, Matt (Barnes), Jimmy (Fry) and Jim Thomas, who came with us for this trip. We just have to keep racing like this and keep doing what we're doing and hopefully everything will fall into place."

Winless on the WoO LMS since June 24 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., entering the Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek, Richards knocked on the door to Victory Lane with his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car in the swing's first four nights of action. He finished fifth in the Fear The Bear 40 at Central PA (after starting fourth); third at Sharon (after starting sixth and losing second place when he slid high while making a bid for the lead on lap 43 of the 50 lapper); second on July 30 at Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park (after leading laps 12 through 46 but being unable to repel Rick Eckert's come from behind charge in the 50 lap A-Main); and fifth at Muskingum County (after starting eighth).

Then came Sunday's event at Eriez, a one third mile track that was the site of Richards' first WoO LMS victory on a small bullring in 2007. The young sensation had no peer in the evening's headliner, a caution free feature he controlled after overtaking Gregg Satterlee for the lead on lap 11. Richards expertly handled lapped traffic to pull away to a final winning margin of 8.039 seconds � about a half lap � over western Pennsylvania veteran Ron Davies.

"It was an awesome night," said Richards, who recorded his series leading sixth triumph of 2010. "The car was just phenomenal."

The $10,675 score gave Richards 26 career WoO LMS wins, moving him within two checkered flags of tying Steve Francis as the national tour's winningest driver. He's also within three victories of matching Scott Bloomquist's single season WoO LMS win record established in 2004.

Richards said collecting more victories is his primary goal for the remaining 14 events on this season�s WoO LMS schedule. He's not dwelling on the tight race for the $100,000 points title that's developing between himself, Lanigan and McCreadie.

"I don't even really look at the points much," said Richards. "Our goal is to go out there and win the race. Like at Sharon (last Thursday night) - I was right behind McCreadie and could have just sat there and run second, but I slipped up out of the groove trying to go for the win and ended up third. That little stuff costs you a few points, but our goal is to go out and win races. That put us in position to win the championship last year and I think if we do that again, we'll be OK."

Next up the WoO LMS visits Shawano (Wis.) Speedway for a 50 lap, $10,000 to win event on Wed., Aug. 4, and then moves on to Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., on Aug. 5-7 for the 23rd annual USA Nationals, a $50,000 to win 100 lapper that gives Richards another opportunity to chase his first career win in a crown jewel dirt Late Model event.

Richards heads into the month of August with nine feature wins under his belt, including a triumph in a Three State Flyers Series event on July 24 at Winchester (Va.) Speedway that he earned behind the wheel of the Ernie Davis owned No. 25 during a mid-summer break from WoO LMS action.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards� No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Annett Teams with Charities for Annual Helmet Raffle

Des Moines, Iowa (July 29, 2010) - Nationwide Series driver Michael Annett will once again join with Team WillyK for the group's second annual helmet raffle during Iowa Speedway race week to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa.

The raffle originated last year when Annett wanted to help raise awareness for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training in honor of family friend, six-year-old Will Krueger, who was diagnosed with the Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia two years ago.

"When Will was diagnosed with Leukemia, it really hit close to home. I knew I wanted to help out in some way, and with the help of Indocil Art and Bell Helmets, we were again able to pull together a race related raffle to contribute to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa," said Michael. "We raised over $10,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training with last year's raffle, and we hope to top that number this time around. The Kruegers are good friends of mine, so being able to help people like them who are directly affected by the disease means a lot to me."

Will's parents, Nick and Peggy Krueger of Des Moines, are honored that Michael was willing to help them in their fundraising mission.

"The entire Krueger Family is grateful to Michael and his team for their work in honor of Will, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa, which are two organizations that have made a huge impact in our lives, and the lives of countless central Iowa families," said Nick, Will's father. "Will has 10 months left of treatment and is feeling good, but we are truly looking forward to crossing the finish line with people like Michael and others on our "crew". The money raised from this helmet raffle will continue to help find a cure for blood cancers and support families with children facing life threatening illnesses."

This weekend, Michael is reaching out to the rest of the Nationwide Series drivers for their support by autographing the helmet. Not only will the donated Bell helmet feature driver autographs, but it also features the unique artwork of Ryan Young of Indocil Art, designer of Michael's racing helmets.

Ryan donated his time and creative efforts in designing the helmet for the giveaway. Ryan's father, David Young, was diagnosed with Leukemia 15 years ago.

"Once I heard Will's story, I didn't even hesitate when I was asked to help," said Ryan. "I'm frequently asked for charitable donations of my artwork, but this particular cause is one that stood out to me. Since my dad suffers from the same disease and I'm familiar with its effects on a family, it was a project I enjoyed working on because the cause is so close to my heart."

To enter to win the commemorative helmet signed by the drivers in the U.S. Cellular 250 presented by Northland Oil and John Deere, you can purchase raffle tickets on Friday and Saturday at Iowa Speedway.

Representatives from Team WillyK, Will's fundraising team, will be on-site in red Team WillyK t-shirts throughout the Iowa Speedway property. The cost of tickets is $5 per ticket or five tickets for $20.

For more information on Will Krueger, please visit www.teamwillyk.com.

For more information on Michael Annett, please visit www.michaelannett.com and www.germainracing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

About the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest nonprofit dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and services for patients. For 60 years, LLS has contributed to major advances in the treatment of blood cancers, helping patients live better, longer lives. Because of the funds raised for cancer research, Will is ALIVE today. It is through fundraising and research that the standard Leukemia survival rate has increased to better than 90%. Proceeds from this year's helmet raffle will be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team WillyK. For more information, visit www.LLS.org.

About Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa
Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa was founded in 1985. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa's mission is to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy. Fulfilling a child's wish provides a joyful and meaningful experience that benefits both the child and the family. In Iowa, we currently have 300 volunteers and welcome other interested individuals. The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Iowa has granted more than 1,950 wishes since 1985. For more information, visit www.iowa.wish.org.

Annett Scores Best Finish of 2010 Season at Iowa

Newton, Iowa (August 2, 2010) - In his homecoming race at Iowa Speedway, hometown favorite Michael Annett scored his best finish of the 2010 season in front of a sold-out crowd of 56,000 fans. With his seventh place performance, Annett climbed three spots in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship point standings to 11th, just 101 markers outside of the top-10.

Annett started the U.S. Cellular 250 presented by Northland Oil and John Deere in 12th. The 24-year-old Des Moines, Iowa native steadily drove in the top-12 throughout the 250 lap race running consistent, fast lap times until the last of six caution flags was thrown on lap 203. Pressed with choosing two tires and track position or four new Goodyears, crew chief Ryan Fugle made the call to take two right side tires. Gaining eight positions on pit road, Germain Racing's No. 15 Northland Oil Toyota Camry restarted fourth.

Battling against cars with four sticker tires, Annett had to defend track position for the final 40 laps under green flag conditions. Hitting his marks throughout the remainder of the race, Annett drove through the checkered flag seventh to claim his best finish of the 2010 season.

Expressing his excitement for his top-10 finish, Annett said, "I couldn't be happier with this finish here in front of all the fans at my home track. My team really deserved this. They work their hearts out week in and week out and our finish tonight definitely proves it. There were hundreds of fans in the stands tonight from my primary sponsor this week, Northland Oil, and from our associate sponsors Power Lift, not to mention my family and fan base. It was great to have such a strong performance for those that make it possible for us to do this. I look to carry this momentum into the rest of the season."

Jumping to 11th in points, just slightly over 100 points outside of the top-10, Annett noted, "We've put ourselves in a really good position with this run. We entered the 2010 season with the goal of finishing in the top-10 in points, and we've almost hit that mark. With continued hard work and strong execution each week, I'm determined that we can make it where we deserve to be. Iowa Speedway was the perfect place to build our momentum."

Next, the Nationwide Series will venture to Watkins Glen International for their second attempt at road course racing this season. The Zippo 200 at the Glen is one of three road course races on the 2010 Nationwide Series schedule. For live race coverage, tune into ESPN and MRN Radio at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 7.

For more information on Michael Annett, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

About Northland Oil:
Northland Products Company, headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa, formulates, manufactures, markets and distributes premium quality engine oil, lubricants, engine coolants and associated fluids throughout North America. Since 1908, Northland's superior products and customer-driven service are provided to trucking fleets, OEM factory-fill, industrial, automotive and agriculture markets.

Northland has enjoyed continued customer growth due to a staff of experienced and talented employees, advanced lubricant technology, a customer focused service strategy and premium quality products. Uncompromising quality, professional service and superior customer support is the foundation of Northland's success. Northland Products Company is certified to the ISO 9001 and the ISO 14001 standards.

Annett Drives to a 14th Place Finish at Chicagoland

Joliet, Ill. (July 10, 2010) - In his second career start at Chicagoland Speedway's 1.5 mile oval, Germain Racing driver Michael Annett drove to a 14th place finish at Chicagoland Speedway on Friday, securing his second consecutive top-15 finish after a 12th place run last week at Daytona International Speedway.

Following his 14th place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola, the 24-year-old racer remains 12th in the Nationwide Series championship point standings, just 151 markers outside of the top-10.

Annett started the 200 lap race 36th, but gained valuable track position by driving his way into the top-20 by lap 47. Racing caution free, the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry made its first pit stop of the night under green on lap 56 for four tires and fuel before the first of four yellow flags was thrown on lap 69. Crew chief Ryan Fugle elected to stay out under caution and restarted 19th.

Although he was battling a free handling condition, Annett's lap times were comparable to the cars running in the top-10 during long green flag runs.

The No. 15 Germain Racing pit crew made their second stop of the night on lap 126, again under green. A second caution on lap 141 for debris allowed the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Camry to return to pit road to refuel and get another set of tires. Caution number three of the night was brought out on lap 185. Once again Annett opted to stay out and restart 19th when the race returned to green on lap 190.

The final caution flag waved on lap 196 bringing the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry to pit road for one last yellow flag stop. Annett restarted 18th for a green, white, checkered flag finish to the Dollar General 300 powered by Coca-Cola. Annett raced hard to gain four spots in the last three laps, bringing the Pilot Travel Centers Toyota home in 14th place.

Up next, the Nationwide Series will return to the state of Illinois for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway International Raceway. Watch live coverage of the 200 lap race on ESPN 2 at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

About Pilot Flying J:
Pilot Flying J is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and has more than 550 locations in North America. The company employs more than 20,000 people and is the largest retail operator of travel centers in North America.

Richards Still Atop Series Standings After West Swing

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - July 12, 2010 - Josh Richards wasn't happy about falling short of a victory during the four race World of Outlaws Late Model Series Wild West Tour, but one major statistic remained in his favor after the swing: he still leads the national tour�s points standings.

"It had its ups and downs," the 22 year old Richards said of the grueling stretch of racing that ended on Saturday night at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D. "We had a couple of good runs and a couple of frustrating runs - and unfortunately, no wins. Last year we won a couple times on this swing so I would've liked to duplicate that, but this is a tough sport and everything doesn't always go according to plan."

The defending WoO LMS champion from Shinnston, W.Va., had his best outings in the middle two events of the Wild West Tour, finishing third at both Superior (Wis.) Speedway on Thursday night (July 8) and River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., on Friday night (July 9). He ran a smooth, steady third for virtually the entire distance at the three eighths mile Superior oval, but he was a charging third place finisher at River Cities; when rain struck the track 21 laps into the 50-lap A-Main. WoO LMS officials ultimately had to declare the race official even though it was short of the halfway mark (the series couldn't return to complete the event due to the track's location), Richards was the driver who had been the biggest mover and had gained the most positions prior to the rain.

"I think if we would've run the whole race (at River Cities) we would've had a chance to win," said Richards, who started 10th in the rain shorted feature. "We were off a little bit in the heat race (finished third after registered the second fastest lap in time trials), but the car was good in the feature and we were coming on. I wish that rain would�ve stayed away."

Richards' two podium finishes were sandwiched by outings that left him disappointed. He finished 10th in the Gopher 50 that opened the Wild West Tour on Wednesday night (July 8) at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., and ninth in the Great Plains 50 that served as the swing's finale on Saturday night at Dakota State Fair Speedway.

The run at Deer Creek certainly frustrated Richards - it came after he set the second-fastest time in qualifying, won a heat and started fifth in the A-Main - but he was more disappointed with his performance at the four tenths mile Dakota State Fair Speedway. Looking back, he felt he should have used a higher line around turns one and two.

"We should have run better than ninth," said Richards, who won last year's WoO LMS A-Mains at River Cities and Dakota State Fair Speedway. "I should have moved all the way up (to the top groove). All my guys deserved a better finish for working so hard at it, but I didn�t come through for them."

Nevertheless, Richards headed home leading the WoO LMS points standings by 18 points over Tim McCreadie and 46 markers over Darrell Lanigan.

"There�s still a long way to go," said Richards. "Tim and Darrell have been tough, so I guess we just have to get back up on the wheel."

The WoO LMS will be idle until the five race Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek starts on July 27 at Central PA Speedway in Clearfield, Pa., but Richards will stay busy over the next two weeks. This weekend he will hit the asphalt, driving the Venturini Motorsports machine in the ARCA Racing Series event at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park. He'll return to dirt the following weekend with planning starts behind the wheel of the Ernie Davis No. 25 scheduled for July 23 at Potomac Speedway in Budds Creek, Md. (Three-State Flyers Series), July 24 at Winchester (Va.) Speedway (Three-State Flyers) and July 25 at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pa. (O'Reilly All-Star Late Model Series).

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Josh Richards Pads WoO LMS Points Lead

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - July 5, 2010 - A solid debut run at the high banked Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway on Saturday night helped Josh Richards pad his lead in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series points standings.

One night after seeing his series lead slip to just 18 points, Richards roared back with a third place finish in Tazewell's Coca Cola 50 to double his advantage over fellow former series champion Tim McCreadie. The defending WoO LMS titlist from Shinnston, W.Va., set fast time and won a heat before moving forward from the sixth starting spot to secure a podium finish at the tough, blazing fast Volunteer State track with his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1.

"I really enjoyed it," Richards said of the first competitive visit to Tazewell of his young dirt late model career. "It would definitely be hard to race (at Tazewell) all the time because it's so fast and hard on equipment, but it's a fun track. I think our success in the past at Eldora (Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio) really helped us because (Tazewell) drives really similar even though it's more of a bowl.

"Coming in blind, I'm thrilled with a third," he added. "(Shane) Clanton (the race winner) and (Steve) Francis (the runner up) had a softer left rear tire than us and I think that helped them a little. I think if we could've gone 30 or 40 laps straight we might have had something for them because I saw that Clanton's tire was pretty chopped up and ours still looked like new, but I'm happy with third."

The Tazewell run capped a steady holiday weekend in Tennessee for the 22 year old Richards, who scored a sixth place finish (after starting seventh) in Friday night's inaugural 50 lap WoO LMS A-Main at Wartburg Speedway. McCreadie won that event to shave 12 points off Richards's series lead, but McCreadie's 12th place finish at Tazewell allowed Richards to rebuild his edge to 36 points after 24 of 48 scheduled events on the 2010 schedule.

Richards kicked off his weekend running the Ernie Davis owned Rocket No. 25 on Thursday night in a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Beckley (W.Va.) Motor Speedway. He set fast time and won a heat race but fell short of sweeping the program, finishing third in the 50 lap feature.

Next up for Richards and the WoO LMS is the four race Wild West Tour. The series will first head to Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., on July 7. followed by Superior (Wis.) Speedway on July 8; River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., on July 9; and Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., on July 10. Richards won WoO LMS shows at both River Cities and Dakota State Fair Speedway in 2009.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Annett to Appear on Fisher's ATV on Outdoor Channel

Michael Annett, NASCAR Nationwide Series driver of the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota, and Germain Racing crew chief Ryan Fugle will be featured on the Outdoor Channel this week. The driver/crew chief pair recently spent time with Brian Fisher of Fisher's ATV World on the Outdoor Channel for an ATV ride at Carolina Adventure World. Not only did Fisher show Annett and Fugle how to hit the Carolina Adventure World trail, but the No. 15 Germain Racing team also gave Fisher a behind the scenes tour of their race shop in Mooresville, N.C. Annett took Fisher on a visit to a local Pilot Travel Center as well, the perfect place to gear up for a fun day at Carolina Adventure World!

To catch the excitement that these three shared, tune into the Outdoor Channel Monday, July 5 at 5:30 p.m. ET and 8:30 p.m. ET. The show will also air on Tuesday, July 6 at 12:30 a.m. ET.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on Pilot Travel Centers, please www.pilottravelcenters.com.

Successful Weekend at Lernerville for Richards

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - June 28, 2010 - Josh Richards enjoyed a successful Firecracker 100 weekend at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., sending him into the month of July with his points lead intact as he seeks a second straight World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship.

While the 22 year old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., fell short of a coveted victory in Saturday night's $30,000-to-win Firecracker 100, his steady seventh-place finish in the prestigious event capped a three-day visit to the four-tenths-mile that also saw him score a triumph (Thursday) and second-place finish (Friday) in the pair of 30-lap WoO LMS preliminary A-Mains.

Since the preliminary features offered full WoO LMS points and Saturday's 100-lapper was a show-up points race (all entrants received 60 points), Richards nearly accumulated the maximum number of points available for the weekend. He departed Lernerville Speedway leading the standings by 30 points over Tim McCreadie, more than doubling the 14-point advantage he carried into the weekend after experiencing some struggles during the 'Great Northern Tour' events in Canada that preceded the Firecracker 100.

"We had some up-and-downs in Canada," said Richards, who followed a fourth-place finish in the Great Northern Tour opener on June 15 at New York's Can-Am Motorsports Park with frustrating runs of ninth on June 17 at Ontario's Merrittville Speedway (pitted to change a tire after an incorrect compound choice) and 15th at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway (hampered by a bent nosepiece). "Those were a real disappointment. You know everything's not going to go smooth all year, but it's rough on everybody when you have nights like that.

"It feels good that we were able to come back strong at Lernerville. We got a win (Thursday), a second and had a decent run (in the Firecracker), and we got back some of the points we lost in the last few races. Hopefully we got ourselves back on track."

Richards would have loved to add a Firecracker 100 triumph to his ever-growing resume after running so well in the preliminary A-Mains, but he couldn't quite get his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car into the mix for the big money. He started and finished seventh, running in the top 10 for the entire distance.

"The last two nights the car had good balance and everything," Richards said after the 100-lapper. "Tonight we put a 30 (Hoosier compound tire) on the right-rear and it threw the whole car off balance. It worked good on 20s, but we put the 30 on and I just couldn't steer. It got to where it was stuck so hard, it got a push. When you're going that slow on a slick track you can never be where you're pushing across the track because it just kills your momentum.

"We were definitely closer than where we have been here before in this race, but we were still just a little off."

After a whirlwind month of June, Richards will spend several much-needed days away from the track working with his crew on his equipment before heading off on a three-race Independence Day weekend of competition. This year's winningest driver on the WoO LMS (five wins) has tour events scheduled for Fri., July 2, at Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway and Sat., July 3, at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway - both new tracks for him - and he also plans to enter his Ernie Davis-owned No. 25 Rocket ride in a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Thurs., July 1, at Beckley (W.Va.) Motor Speedway.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow him on Twitter at @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Richards Captures Firecracker 100 Preliminary A-Main

Sarver, Pa. (June 24, 2010) - Kicking off the fourth annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com weekend with a flourish, the national tour's defending champion led from start to finish for his series leading fifth triumph of the 2010 season.

Richards, 22, of Shinnston, W.Va., raced off the outside pole starting spot to outgun fellow former WoO LMS titlist Billy Moyer at the initial green flag. He went on to turn back a late challenge from Shane Clanton in a caution-free event that was completed in less than 10 minutes.

"That's definitely the slickest track I've ever won on," said Richards, who earned $6,000 for his 25th career WoO LMS victory. "It was definitely the slowest I've ever gone to win, but (the track is) really fun when it's like that, sometimes you have to slow down to be the fastest on the track."

The triumph guaranteed Richards a pole position starting slot in one of the qualifying heat races for the Firecracker 100 on Saturday night regardless of his finish in Friday night's second 30-lap preliminary feature. He will bid for his first ever 100-lap dirt Late Model victory in Saturday's $30,000-to-win blockbuster.

Richards, who opened last year's Firecracker 100 weekend by winning a postponed 50-lap WoO LMS A-Main felt the late race pressure from Clanton. But the young sensation didn't falter, allowing him to extend his tour points lead to 30 markers.

"I saw Clanton down off the bottom of (turn) four," said Richards, who made his first career WoO LMS start at Lernerville in 2004. "I'd push all the way to the cushion and look left, and he'd be there. I just had the momentum off the top (to stay ahead)."

Thursday night's preliminary action left Richards with a good feeling about his chances in the Firecracker 100, which he believes has the makings of a thrilling extra-distance affair.

"I think the UMP (Hoosier LM) tire rule will make it a really good race," said Richards. "The tires aren't really the right tires for the track, which made everybody slip and skate around (tonight). This was a preview of what you'll see the rest of the weekend."

Thursday night's A-Main was the second leg of the LaCrosse Extreme Tough Challenge, a unique mini-series that awards points to the top-five full time WoO LMS and Sprint Car Series drivers in 16 selected events - eight Late Model and eight Sprint Car - and will earn the champion of the combined standings a $5,000 bonus from a $15,000 points fund. Richards earned five points for being the highest-finishing WoO LMS regular.

A 57-car field was signed in for the event, which was run on a clear evening after heavy rain hit the facility less than 24 hours earlier.

The Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com continues on Fri. with another WoO LMS program topped by a 30-lap A-Main paying $6,000 to win. Drivers will use their best finish from the Thursday and Friday competition to align themselves in Saturday night's Firecracker 100 heat races.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com and follow on Twitter @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Richards Caps Busy Week with Career Best in Dream

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - June 14, 2010 - A busy week ended in satisfactory fashion for Josh Richards. Capping a stretch that saw him shuttle between dirt and asphalt racing, the 22 year old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., scored a quiet but still career-best finish in the prestigious Dirt Late Model Dream XVI at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Sunday afternoon.

Though Richards would have liked to place higher than sixth in the postponed 100 lap Dream event, it did surpass his previous top finish of seventh (in 2005) - and considering that he started the huge weekend at the 'Big E' in a significant hole, he wasn't disappointed with his performance.

"I was hoping for at least a top five, but we can't complain about finishing sixth," said Richards, who started 16th and steadily inched his way forward in a rough and tumble race that was postponed from its originally scheduled Saturday night date. "After (qualifying) on Friday night I didn't know if we'd even be able to make the show."

Indeed, Richards had to come from behind to gain a starting berth in the $100,000 to-win Dream for the fifth time in his young career. He missed his qualifying spot in the first round of Friday night's 104 car time trial session arriving late from Michigan International Speedway's rain delayed ARCA Series race where he qualified 11th but ended the race early at lap 37 with heavy damage from a blown right front tire. During the second round of qualifying for the Dream his lap of 16.731 seconds around the half mile oval was good only for 64th in the final qualifying order, he was left with an 11th place starting spot in Saturday night's fourth 15-lap heat race, a difficult position since only the top three would transfer to the A-Main.

But Richards came on strong in his preliminary, making one of the biggest charges of the evening to finish third and earn the 16th starting spot in the Dream XVI. He went on to advance 10 positions in the 100 lap race when it was run on Sunday afternoon, but he knows he could have taken his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1 higher if he had made just a few more tweaks to its setup.

"We were just too free (handling) the whole race," said Richards, who got as high as fifth before settling for a sixth place finish. "It was actually a fun racetrack if we would'e been a little bit better. It was so slick out there, so slow, nobody could get a hold of anything."

Richards arrived at Eldora on Wednesday (June 9) after driving the Ernie Davis owned No. 25 to a second place finish in the 40 lap CenturyLink Appalachian Mountain Speedweek event on June 7 at Winchester (Va.) Speedway. His first day in the Buckeye State was spent as crew chief for NASCAR star Tony Stewart, who finished 6th, in the annual Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream charity race.

With Stewart running a Rocket car prepared by Richards and his crew and Kenseth in a machine from the Ernie Davis stable, Richards dispensed his dirt Late Model knowledge to the two standouts throughout the night. Stewart went on to finish sixth and Kenseth 18th in the Prelude feature.

Richards has little time for rest with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Great Northern Tour kicking off on Tues., June 15, at Can-Am Motorsports Park in Lafargeville, N.Y. He leads the national tour's points standings entering the swing through the Northeast, which also visits Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ont., on June 17; Quebec's Autodrome Drummond on June 19; Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway on June 20 (Richards has won the two previous WoO LMS events there); and Brewerton (N.Y.) Speedway on June 22 before concluding with on June 24-26 with the Firecracker 100 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com follow on Twitter @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards' No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Promising Race at Kentucky Ended Early for Annett

Sparta, Ky. (June 14, 2010) - Michael Annett made his 50th career NASCAR Nationwide Series start this weekend at Kentucky Speedway, a track where both he and Germain Racing have a strong history. Last year Annett made a top-10 performance with his seventh place finish at Kentucky Speedway, and was en route to another top-10 finish on the 1.5 mile tri-oval on Saturday when he was collected in a crash with 44 laps to go.

From the start, Annett raced his way through the field from his 26th starting position. With fast lap times and pit strategy in the team's favor, the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team was on pace to beat their best finish of the year, ninth at Nashville Superspeedway in April.

The first caution of the race was called on lap 21, and crew chief Ryan "Rudy" Fugle made the call for fuel only on the No. 15 Germain Racing pit crew's first stop of the night. Annett restarted seventh. Able to stay at the front of the pack and battle for his position in the top-10, the second caution of the Miejer 300 was thrown on lap 73.

In the next yellow flag stop, Fugle opted for the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry to take two right side tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment. Annett then restarted the 200 lap race second.

Running in ninth on lap 156 and looking ahead to scoring a top-five or top-10 finish, Annett was collected in a wreck when the No. 38, No. 98 and No. 66 cars attempted to go three wide in front of him. With damage too severe for repair, the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers car was forced to the garage for the night, an unfortunate end to a promising race for Annett.

"It was unfortunate that our good night turned out to have a bad ending. Running our best race of the season and getting taken out with 40 laps to go was a big disappointment. We have a good history at Kentucky Speedway, and we'd been looking forward to this race all year. We knew we had the car to bring home a really respectable finish, and Rudy made some good pit calls to get us where we needed to be to battle it out at the end," said Annett.

"We ran in the top-10 throughout the majority of the race, and we were definitely on our way to our best finish so far this season," said Fugle. "We had really impressive pit stops all night and Michael was continually running fast lap times on the track. Our No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team was on the way to a strong top-10 finish. I'm sure of that. There was nothing Michael could've done to steer clear of the accident. I'm just proud that we could show our team's strength."

The Nationwide Series will now compete in their first road course race of the season at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The Bucyrus 200 presented by Menards will be the first ever NASCAR race on the 4.048, 14 turn Road America road course. The Nationwide Series Bucyrus 200 presented by Menards can be seen and heard live at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN 2 and MRN Radio.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on Pilot Travel Centers, please visit www.pilottravelcenters.com.

Annett Moves Two Spots in Nationwide Series Points Race

Lebanon, Tenn. (June 7, 2010) - In the first stand-alone NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the 2010 season, Germain Racing driver Michael Annett recorded a top-15 finish in the Federated Auto Parts 300. Annett's 14th place finish at Nashville Superspeedway boosted him two spots in the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship point standings to 13th, just 31 points outside of the top-10.

The No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry started the 225 lap race 20th.

While fighting a tight handling condition, Annett was running 15th when the call was made to pit under green on lap 59 for new tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. Just as the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry returned to the track, a caution came out on lap 61. With a loose lug nut from the previous pit stop, the No. 15 was forced to pit road again on lap 64, causing Annett to go two laps down to the lead lap cars.

Determined to fight his way back, Annett ran fast, consistent lap times waiting for his break to put him back on the lead lap. With a wave around and Lucky Dog free pass, the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota was back on the lead lap, competing for position on lap 112.

Annett worked his way into the top-15 again by lap 133, but continued to fight a tight condition until the finish. The No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Camry drove through the checkered flag in 14th.

The Nationwide Series will now compete in their second consecutive non-companion race as they travel to Kentucky Speedway for the Meijer 300. Starting fourth and finishing seventh in the 2009 Meijer 300 at Kentucky, the 1.5 mile D-shaped oval proves to be a very strong track for Annett. Watch and listen live to coverage of next Saturday's Meijer 300 on ESPN and PRN at 7:30 p.m. ET.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on Pilot Travel Centers, please visit www.pilottravelcenters.com.

Annett Brings Home 14th for St. Jude at Charlotte

Concord, N.C. (May 31, 2010) - Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway was highlighted by NASCAR's Nationwide Series Tech-Net Auto Service 300 on Saturday. Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team showcased St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® on the hood, deck lid and rear quarter panels of the No. 15 Camry at Charlotte to help raise awareness for St. Jude's lifesaving mission.

Annett qualified 17th for the 200 lap Tech-Net Auto Service 300 and despite getting caught in a spin in an early race restart, brought his No. 15 St. Jude/Pilot Travel Centers car home to a 14th place finish, his third consecutive top-15 finish this season and second consecutive top-15 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

"It was great to be able to pay tribute to our armed forces and to support St. Jude in their mission to find cures and save children," Annett noted. "We had a good car all weekend, but after being turned on the restart on lap 8 we had to work our way out of a hole to gain our 14th place finish. The afternoon race was very different from our usual night race at Charlotte. Track conditions changed a lot during a run. It was a good points day for us and we're looking forward to heading to Nashville Superpseedway next week in our No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota."

"Michael did a great job out there. It was hot, slick and there was some tough competition. We thought getting caught behind a slow car on that early restart would slow us down for the rest of the race, but this team never gives up. The guys on pit road repaired some left rear bumper damage and Michael did a heck of a job fighting his way back on the lead lap. Track position was hard to come by, but Michael stayed strong running lap times as fast as the cars in the top-10," said crew chief Ryan Fugle.

Annett still stands 15th in NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings, just 33 points from the top-10.

Next up, the No. 15 Germain Racing team will travel to Music City USA for the second NASCAR Nationwide Series race this season hosted by Nashville Superspeedway. Annett finished ninth there in April's Nashville 300 and looks to earn another respectable finish on the 1.333 mile D-shaped oval. Watch and listen live to the NASCAR Nationwide Series Federated Auto Parts 300 on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and MRN Radio.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

About Pilot Travel Centers:
Pilot Travel Centers is one of the nation's largest retail operators of travel centers, catering to the professional driver and traveling motorist in 41 states with over 300 retail interstate properties. The company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., and employs 13,000 nationwide. This year Pilot Travel Centers launched a major new initiative to promote its premium coffees and confirm Pilot coffee as "the best on the interstate," introducing the company's first official Facebook fan page and a brand new Twitter account. For more information, visit www.pilottravelcenters.com.

Annett Welcomes St. Jude to Motorsports Community

Concord, N.C. (May 26, 2010) - As Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts NASCAR's annual Memorial Day weekend of stock car racing competition, Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 Nationwide Series team will help bring awareness to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital� for Saturday's Nationwide Series Tech-Net Auto Service 300.

The No. 15 Toyota Camry will feature the St. Jude logo on the hood, deck lid and rear quarter panels in support of St. Jude, one of the world's premier pediatric cancer research centers. Loyal sponsor, Pilot Travel Centers takes pride in supporting St. Jude and their mission of finding cures and saving children.

"As a strong advocate for St. Jude, I live every day looking for more ways to introduce to others St. Jude's goals to cure childhood cancers and help children and families who are affected," said Mark Hazelwood, executive vice president of Pilot Travel Centers. "For the past two years, our partnership with Michael Annett and Germain Racing has been a great adventure into NASCAR and the Nationwide Series, and we're excited to further that by this show of support for St. Jude. We look forward to seeing the No. 15 St. Jude/Pilot Travel Centers car out on the track at Charlotte Motor Speedway this week."

"We are very appreciative of Germain Racing, Pilot Travel Centers and Michael Annett for helping to bring awareness to St. Jude this weekend," said Steele Ford, senior director of sports marketing of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. "This is a great opportunity to share the lifesaving mission of St. Jude with the racing community."

Bob Germain Jr., president of Germain Racing, is active in support of many children's charities. When he learned of Pilot Travel Centers efforts to raise awareness of St. Jude, Germain was quick to offer the hood of the No. 15 Germain Racing Camry to help the cause.

"St. Jude makes a tremendous contribution toward helping juvenile patients overcome a variety of life-threatening diseases. Catastrophic childhood disease is a very personal subject for my wife and I as my stepdaughter, Sydney, suffers from juvenile diabetes. I'm very proud to have Germain Racing join Pilot Travel Centers in promoting awareness of St. Jude. I look forward to seeing the St. Jude/Pilot Travel Centers Camry on track at Charlotte this weekend," said Germain.

Annett's charitable outlook is the same, "I've always had a special place in my heart for organizations that support children. Every day I wear a 'Will Power' bracelet to support a family friend, six-year-old Will Krueger, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2008. I'm honored to be a part of this awareness effort and to support St. Jude's goals to help children win their health back."

NASCAR Nationwide Series cars hit the banks of Charlotte Motor Speedway for practice on Thursday at 2 p.m. and final practice at 5:10 p.m. Qualifying takes place on Saturday at 9:35 a.m. and the green flag drops for the start of the Tech-Net Auto Service 300 at 2:30 p.m. Practice, final practice and qualifying can be seen live on SPEED. Watch and listen to a live broadcast of the race on ABC and PRN Radio beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday. All times are ET.

For more information on Michael Annett and Germain Racing's No. 15 NASCAR Nationwide Series team, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

About Pilot Travel Centers:
Pilot Travel Centers is one of the nation's largest retail operators of travel centers, catering to the professional driver and traveling motorist in 41 states with over 300 retail interstate properties. The company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., and employs 13,000 nationwide. This year Pilot Travel Centers launched a major new initiative to promote its premium coffees and confirm Pilot coffee as "the best on the interstate," introducing the company's first official Facebook fan page and a brand new Twitter account. For more information, visit www.pilottravelcenters.com.

Richards Finishes 11th at Iowa Speedway

In his first attempt at Iowa Speedway's .875 mile tri-oval, 22-year-old Josh Richards recorded an impressive 11th place finish for Dave Davis Motorsports in Sunday's NASCAR K&N Pro Series Goodyear Dealers of Iowa 200.

Richards started the weekend by running 16th in practice on Saturday, then 9th in final practice on Sunday. The West Virginia native qualified the No. 1 Kum & Go/HYPE Energy Chevrolet 18th for the 175 mile race. The driver had a strong top-10 finish in the makings, but his chances were cut short when a right front went down with 15 laps remaining. Fighting chatter from the front end caused by the flat tire Richards lost three spots in the final laps but was able to finish the race 11th with only two pounds of pressure left in the tire.

Sunday's race at Iowa Speedway was Richards' first K&N Pro Series start for 2010 and his fourth in the series. Richards will return for additional races with Dave Davis Motorsports this season.

Photo Credit: Meghann Bestell-Eide

Michael Annett Battles the Monster Mile

Dover, Del. (May 17, 2010) - The No. 15 Germain.com/Pilot Travel Centers team had to battle all day on Saturday at Dover International Speedway's Monster Mile, but stayed focused and resolute to leave with a decent finish. In the 11th race of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Michael Annett overcame hindrances to bring home a 15th place finish.

Starting the NASCAR Nationwide Series Heluva Good! 200 33rd, the young driver worked hard the entire race and gained valuable track position each lap of the race. The Germain Racing team showed their determination and fought to the end.

"Although we faced some hits throughout the race, we didn't let it stop us in our tracks. This No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team proved their strength and pushed to the end for our 15th place finish. Michael ran consistent fast lap times, as fast as the leaders, to race his way into the top-15 and the guys did a great job on pit road," said crew chief Ryan Fugle.

Annett reiterated his sentiment, "I'm very proud of our team for pulling off the finish we did. We showed that nothing can stop us. We'll continue to prove our ability throughout the season to push our way further into the championship point standings."

While battling his way to the front, Annett was spun when the No. 20 made contact with him on lap 33, causing slight valence and fender damage. Annett made two stops on pit road under caution where the No. 15 Germain.com/Pilot Travel Centers pit crew was able to make repairs along with putting on four new tires and filling up with fuel, sending Annett back out on the track to restart in the 29th position.

Now one lap down, Annett was battling for the Lucky Dog Free Pass. On lap 104 when the third caution of six came out, Annett was back on the lead lap as the Lucky Dog and restarted the race 19th.

Back in a rhythm, Annett was running lap times faster than cars competing in the top-10, and by lap 166 had moved his was into the top-15.

When the fifth yellow flag came out on lap 193, pit strategy came into play. Calling the shots from atop the pit box, Fugle opted to change two tires and take no fuel when the No. 15 Germain.com/Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry came to pit road. Annett restarted 15th.

When the flag dropped for a green, white, checkered finish, a nine car pileup caused a red flag delay.

In a second try at green, white, checkered finish to the Heluva Good! 200, Annett was working his way toward a top-10 finish when the No. 12 made contact with Annett's No. 15 Toyota Camry, pushing him into the turn four wall coming to the checkered. Despite the collision, Annett was determined to finish and was still able to wheel his way to a 15th place finish, his second top-15 at Dover International Speedway's Monster Mile.

The No. 15 Germain.com/Pilot Travel Centers team will now head to Daytona International Speedway to test the "New Nationwide Series Car" on Tuesday and Wednesday. The next race for the series will be on Saturday, May 29 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Watch and listen live at 2 p.m. ET on ABC and PRN Radio.

For more information on Michael Annett, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For information on sponsors of Germain Racing's No. 15 Nationwide Series team, please visit www.Germain.com and www.PilotTravelCenters.com.

Josh Richards Sweeps WoO East Coast Swing

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - May 17, 2010 - Josh Richards is on a roll in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. The 22-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va. caught fire during the national tour's east coast doubleheader last weekend sweeping the pair of 50-lap events held on May 13 at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar and May 15 at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway.

And after pushing his series-leading 2010 victory total to four, Richards vaulted from second place in the WoO LMS points standings to a healthy lead of 56 points as he pursues his second consecutive championship.

"We had an awesome weekend," said Richards, the only driver with more than one WoO LMS A-Main win after 14 A-Mains this season. "We were able to qualify well both nights, run well in the heats, start from the outside pole twice and stay up front in clean air. We couldn't ask for things to go any better."

Indeed, Richards was rock-solid steady in both events behind the wheel of the Mark Richards Racing Enterprises Rocket car. He qualified fifth-fastest at Delaware and second-quick at Hagerstown, finished second in a heat race both nights and drew the outside pole starting spot for both features. Topping off his domination of the swing, he led all but one lap of the races' 100 combined circuits � lap 18 at Hagerstown, when Steve Francis snuck by him momentarily amid lapped traffic.

But Richards didn't waltz to the 23rd and 24th wins of his WoO LMS career. He had to withstand challenges from Francis in both A-Mains and he spent the second half of Delaware's First State 50 battling to stay ahead with an engine that had lost some power.

"I don't know what happened exactly, but I felt something change in the engine just before halfway," Richards said of the problem he experienced en route to his first-ever triumph in the state of Delaware. "When it happened I thought we were done, because we were definitely down on power. But after 10 or 15 laps I was still leading and I really hadn't heard anybody, so I was like, 'I must be O.K.'

"Actually, being down on power might have helped because I could roll through the corner, run wide open and the car stuck. I could keep all my momentum up."

Richards also never had a moment to relax during Saturday night's 29th annual Conococheague 50 at Hagerstown, a half-mile oval that he's frequented throughout his young dirt Late Model career. He fought hard to find the fast route around the track.

"I had an awesome car from the start of the night," Richards said of his Hagerstown effort. "After hot laps, that was the most relaxed I've ever felt (at Hagerstown). I just had to stay calm.

"It was definitely a hard race. We were holding on - we were a little soft on the right-front tire (compound) and I kept losing the right-front tire running the top of (turns) one and two, so I moved down and slowed down but it helped me maintain the lead."

With the weekend's triumphs, Richards is already halfway to his career-high single-season win total of eight on the WoO LMS, established last year. With 48 races currently on the 2010 schedule he has plenty of time to add more checkered flags to his ledger.

"We're off to a great start this year," said Richards. "We've already won four times and I feel like we had a car capable of winning at Lincoln (Illinois on May 7) if we hadn't run into trouble with a lapped car on the final lap, so things are going real well.

"I can't thank my team enough for all the hard work and extra effort. We're all focused on being well prepared every time we unload. We're trying to enjoy this and win as many races as we can."

Richards was hoping to cap his weekend with one more victory driving the Ernie Davis-owned Rocket No. 25 car on Sunday night (May 16) in an O'Reilly All-Star Late Model Series event at West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, but Mother Nature ended those hopes. He drove the car to a heat race win, but rain arrived and forced officials to postpone the feature. A new date for the completion of the program was not immediately announced.

With the WoO LMS off until Memorial Day weekend when it visits Bedford (Pa.) Speedway on May 28 and West Virginia Motor Speedway on May 29-30, Richards has plans to go pavement racing this weekend (May 22-23). He is scheduled to drive the Dave Davis Motorsports entry in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Goodyear Dealers of Iowa 200 at Iowa Speedway.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com, follows Josh on Twitter @Josh_Richards1.

Josh Richards's No. 1 team carries support from Rocket Chassis, Cornett Racing Engines, Seubert Calf Ranches, Ernie D's Enterprises, ACE Metal Works, Petroff Towing, Tony Stewart Racing, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Integra Shocks, Slavic Custom Decals, Valvoline, AEM, AFCO, ATL Fuel Cells, Aurora Bearing Company, Autolite, Banshee Graphics, Barnes Systems, Beyea Performance, Brinn Transmissions, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Braswell Carburetion, Butlerbuilt Seat Systems, CV Products, Dohm Cycles, Dyer's Top Rods, Fram Filters, Frankland Rearends, Howe Racing, Kwik Change Product, LSI, Mason Racin', MSD Ignition, Outerwears, Performance Bodies, Performance Friction Brakes, Performance Rod & Custom, Ringers Gloves, Scott Performance Wire, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Tel Tech, TWM Racing Products, Trick Carbon Fiber Driveshafts, Jones Racing Products, TurboStart Racing Batteries, US Brake, Weld Racing Wheels, Wehr's Machine, Wilwood and Wrisco Aluminum.

Michael Annett Finishes 11th at Darlington

Darlington, S.C. (May 9, 2010) - On his second date with the "Lady in Black," 23 year old Michael Annett and the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team made a consistent performance on Darlington Raceway's challenging 1.366 mile egg-shaped oval resulting an 11th place finish.

Annett started the 147 lap NASCAR Nationwide Series Royal Purple 200 presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts in the 29th spot and was able to gain valuable track position throughout the night by passing cars from the time the green flag dropped for the start of the race. By lap 85, he had driven the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry into the top-15.

In close racing quarters all night, the chemistry built between Annett and his spotter Jason Jarrett proved to work as the young driver avoided mishap on the track with a total of nine caution flags for 42 laps under caution.

"We were consistent all night," said crew chief Ryan "Rudy" Fugle, "Bringing home this top-12 finish is exactly what we needed. Once again we showed our team's strength and that we are capable of competing in the top-10. Even though it wasn't a win, it was a small victory for our entire team. We'll take this momentum and head on to Dover next week."

"The No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team worked hard all day and it paid off with a very respectable finish. We proved ourselves finishing 11th tonight. Darlington is one of the toughest and most challenging tracks on the circuit. "Too Tough to Tame" fits it well. To come out of here with the car in one piece and with a really good finish is awesome. We're ready to continue this success and head into the summer stretch of races," noted Annett.

"Tonight was fun. Michael did a great job behind the wheel, Rudy had some really good pit strategy and the guys did some great pit stops. I think choosing to take only two right side tires in the last pit stop really made it work. That was a good call on Rudy's part," said spotter Jason Jarrett, son of former driver Dale Jarrett and grandson of racing legend Ned Jarrett.

Annett was one of only three NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars to finish in the top-12 at the track "Too Tough to Tame" amongst a field made up of several double-duty drivers. His 11th place finish boosted his position in the point standings two places from 17th to 15th, just 72 points outside of the top-10.

The No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team will now venture to Dover International Speedway for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Heluva Good! 200. At a track where he received Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors in his last race there, Annett and his team will take the energy from their top-12 finish at Darlington and look for another respectable run at Dover. Watch and listen live to the Heluva Good! 200 on ABC and MRN Radio at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday.

For more information on Michael Annett, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For information on sponsors of Germain Racing's No. 15 Nationwide Series team, please visit www.Germain.com and www.PilotTravelCenters.com.

Thrilling Victory at Fayetteville Motor Speedway

SHINNSTON, W. Va. - May 3, 2010 - Josh Richards rolled the dice last Friday night (April 30) at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway and hit the jackpot. Taking a chance by opting to use a soft tire compound on a reworked track surface, the 22-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., surged to the front from the 10th starting spot and held off Tim McCreadie in a thrilling finish to win the 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main at the four-tenths-mile oval.

The $10,600 triumph made Richards the first repeat winner in nine WoO LMS events this season and highlighted his solid weekend of racing in the Southeast. He also drove his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1 to a fourth-place finish on Saturday night (May 1) in the 50-lap Outlaw event at Swainsboro (Ga.) Raceway.

"We pulled out on the racetrack and I knew we gambled on tires," Richards said after his 22nd career WoO LMS victory, which ranks him second to Steve Francis (27) on the tour's win list since 2004. "We ran a few laps and I was like, 'I don't know if they're gonna hold up or not,' so I charged to get by Francis (for the lead on lap 16) so I could at least run where I needed to run.

"The last seven or eight laps (the car) was chattering (from worn tires) and I was holding on. I knew somebody had to be coming because I could see people giving hand signals, and I could hear (Tim McCreadie) with a couple laps to go.

"Going down into (turn) three on the last lap I rolled in kind of high because I was gonna turn and come back low, then I saw (McCreadie) so I stayed in the gas and carried it out to the little bit of cushion there was. Fortunately I was able to maintain to the checkered, but obviously, if there were a couple more laps, I was done. My tires were pretty much bald at the end."

Richards, who defeated McCreadie by just 0.131 of a second (about a half car length), has a feast-or-famine history in his three career WoO LMS starts at Fayetteville. He made a spectacular charge forward from the 18th starting spot to win the track's 2008 event, while last year he dropped from a probable second-place finish to 23rd in the final rundown when he got hooked up on the last lap with Vic Coffey, who slowed with a flat tire.

"We kinda gambled with the same tire (as '08), although the track was way different (on Friday)," said Richards. "I thought I was holding on last time (in '08), but that was nothing like this. I was doing everything I could to win, but at the same time you want to make sure you can to finish for the points. Timmy's gonna be tough all year, so we gotta do everything we can in every race."

Indeed, Richards and McCreadie are locking up in a tight early-season battle for supremacy in the WoO LMS points standings. They entered the weekend tied for the lead; Richards then went ahead by four points after Friday's win and McCreadie somersaulted back on top by four points after his first victory of 2010 on Saturday night at Swainsboro.

Richards finished a quiet fourth in his first-ever appearance at Swainsboro, inching forward from the seventh starting spot but never seriously challenging the leaders.

"We struggled with some engine or carburetor issues," said Richards. "The motor wasn't running quite right after we ran it so hard the last two nights, so I couldn't drive quite like I needed to. We were just stuck with the situation we had so I was content with fourth.

"It was a good trip," he added. "Anytime you run top five with these guys, it's great. It just takes so much luck and effort to qualify well, get up front and be there at the end of the feature."

Richards will head to the Midwest for WoO LMS action this weekend, racing on Fri., May 7, at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway and Sat., May 8, at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky. Bluegrass Speedway, incidentally, is the track where he made first-ever dirt Late Model start as a 15-year-old in the October 2003 Future Dirt Track World Championship, an event for teenage racers.

For more information on Josh Richards, visit www.joshrichards.com or follow on Twitter @Josh_Richards1.

Top-10 Finish at Nashville Superspeedway

Lebanon, Tenn. (April 5, 2010) - A successful weekend at Nashville
Superspeedway pushed NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Michael Annett into
the top-10 in driver points with the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team's
first top-10 finish of the 2010 season.

Qualifying 12th for the 225 lap Nationwide Insurance Dash 4 Cash race, Annett started the Nashville 300 on the outside of the sixth row. Once again, the No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team showed their strength by racing their way into the top-10 by lap 2 and working hard all day both on the track and on pit road to hold that valuable track position.

The No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team set goals at the beginning of the season to run in the top-10 in every race, and Nashville gave the Germain Racing team a chance to prove their talent after facing some bad luck at the start of the season.

"At the beginning of the year, one of our goals was to run in the top-10
for the whole race. We got ourselves there this weekend and now we've got the momentum to help us achieve our other goals - to finish in the top-five and win races," said Annett, "I'm real proud of the guys - best pit stops all year. I don't think there's a mark on the car. We're very happy that we can take what we learned with this car and continue to get better each race."

Annett's ninth place finish this weekend at Nashville moved him five spots in the Nationwide Series point standings from 15th to 10th.

"Awesome weekend for us all. Michael did a great job; the crew guys did a great job. I couldn't be happier," said crew chief Ryan Fugle, "We're right where we want to be now and look forward to carrying this momentum into Phoenix."

Germain Racing's No. 15 Pilot Travel Centers team now heads to Phoenix International Raceway for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Bashas' Supermarkets 200. Watch and listen live to the racing action at Phoenix International Raceway Friday, April 9 on ESPN 2 and MRN Radio at 9 p.m. ET.

For more information on Michael Annett, check out www.MichaelAnnett.com and www.GermainRacing.com. Get live updates on Twitter @MichaelAnnett.

For more information on Pilot Travel Centers, please visit
www.pilottravelcenters.com.

Josh Richards Wins with Roush Yates Power

Mooresville, NC (April 5, 2010) - Josh Richards, 2009 World of Outlaws Dirt Late Model Champion, took the win Saturday night at Hagerstown Speedway with his Roush Yates powered Ford mustang. Richards, also known as "Kid Rocket", put on a stunning performance by winning his heat race as well as the feature.

Saturday's wins marked the first outing for Richards with a Roush Yates engine. Roush Yates, a leader in power and performance on all levels of racing, is always excited to see their engines in the winner's circle.

"We are proud to be associated with champion drivers such as Josh Richards" said Roush Yates Engines CEO, Doug Yates. "His input to our Dirt Late Model program is greatly appreciated and will help us continue in our commitment to succeed in these racing series. We look forward to seeing Richards win more races this season."

Richards won the first Late Model point show of the season at Hagerstown while driving the No. 25 Ernie Davis Motorsports car. Roush Yates Engines will use Saturday's race to gain valuable feedback for their new Dirt Late Model engine package.

"The track was awesome!" said Richards. "You could race anywhere you wanted. I had fun there racing with Frankie for the lead. A win is a great way to start this new relationship with Roush Yates Engines. I had a lot of fun tonight and appreciate Jeff Clark and Mike Kasch being here with us."

The next outing for Richards with Roush Yates power will be Saturday, April 24 at Hagerstown Speedway in the Lucas Oil 29th Annual Stanley Schetrompf Classic. Stay tuned for more winning performance results from Roush Yates Engines.

About Roush Yates
Roush Yates Engines designs, engineers and crafts high performance racing engines with the power to perform and the horsepower and durability you'd expect from legendary NASCAR pioneers Jack Roush and Robert Yates. The partnership of power and precision has come from merging the knowledge and experience of two legendary engine builders, both with a passion for winning today and powering up for tomorrow.

Roush Yates CEO, Doug Yates, leads a staff of 160 engineers and technicians who design, assemble, test, and service racing engines at two separate state-of-the-art facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina. Here, the best minds and latest technology are hard at work producing nearly 1,500 racing engines each year for teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ARCA, Grand-Am, FIA GT3, Dirt Late Model, Sprint cars, and NHRA Pro Stock.

Written by Kenna Primm, Roush-Yates Engines

Michael Annett Tenth in Points in Rookie NNS

Contact: Maggie Martin, Rising Star Management Group, mmartin@risingstarmg.com

Homestead, Fla. (November 23, 2009) - The 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series season has concluded and rookie Michael Annett has claimed tenth in points in his first full season in the series. Annett clinched tenth in the point race following the season finale Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

"We couldn't have achieved this top-10 goal without our sponsors. They make it possible for us to come to the track and compete each week, and the support of Pilot Travel Centers, HYPE Energy, Germain.com, Northland Oil, Ventrilo, Lumber Liquidators, Oakley and Bell has been a big part in making this No. 15 team as strong as it is," said Annett, "I'm extremely excited about our accomplishments this season, and look forward to the 2010 season."

Annett tallied four top-10, ten top-15 and 21 top-20 finishes this season with his best finish being at Auto Club Speedway where he drove through the checkered flag in sixth to earn awards for Raybestos Rookie of the Race, Mobil 1 Performance Driver of the Race and Featherlite Most Improved Driver.

As a Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate this season, Annett ended his rookie Nationwide Series season third in Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender standings, only 44 points behind the leader. He earned Raybestos Rookie of the Race honors at five races this season including his seventh place finish at Gateway International Raceway, eighth place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway, 14th place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 13th place finish at Dover International Speedway and sixth place finish at Auto Club Speedway.

This season's Raybestos Rookie class proved to be talented with three rookies, including Annett, finishing in the top-10, an accomplishment which hasn't been done since 2005 when the trio of Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Reed Sorenson completed the task.

"To be compared to such distinguished drivers as Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Reed Sorenson is an honor. They've come a long way since their days as rookies in the Nationwide Series, and I hope that I can follow along the same path as I progress through my racing career," said Annett.

"A lot goes into making a team work well together and I've been lucky to have a dedicated, hard working group of guys behind me this season. I can�t thank the Germain family, Mike Hillman Sr., my crew chief Ryan Fugle and all my crew members enough. I've come full circle since my first Nationwide Series start with the team last year at Homestead. I'm very proud of our team and appreciate all their hard work", said Annett.

For more information on Michael Annett, please visit www.michaelannett.com and www.germainracing.com.

For more information on Pilot Travel Centers, check out www.pilottravelcenters.com.

Cameron Dodson Returns to Victory Lane in Iowa

Defending his win from 2008, Dodson qualified his No. 991 Roush Yates Engine Ford second, led the first lap and ran in the top three for 89 of 100 lap race. Leading the final laps in front of an estimated crowd of 21,000, the Greenfield, Indiana native took the checkered flag in the USAC Silver Crown Series Casey's General Stores Challenge for the second time in two years.

Makint only his third start since a near fatal accident in November, the 21 year old's future behind the wheel was doubtful, his recovery and subsequent success ehind the wheel has been remarkable. Since his return Dodson has finished third at Richmond, ninth at O'Reilly Raceway Park and first in Friday's race at Iowa Speedway. "Cameron's determination is impressive; it is what made him successful on the track and in his quick recovery following the accident," said Chris Santucci, team manager for Carl Edwards / R.E. Technologies Racing.

Dennis LeCava, Crew chief for the No. 991, said after the race, "It was a great night, Cameron and the whole team did a great job, I couldn't have asked for more from the guys or Cameron, they all worked hard and it worked out well. Cameron may be young but his ability to take care of the car and tires are traits of a vetaran with a lot of experience."

Driving the No. 991 entry fielded by Carl Edwards/R.E. Technologies, Dodson wheeled his Ford to his third win in two years. Following the race Dodson said, "It is great to be back in Victory Lane, I feel like my hard work this year has really paid off. I really appreciate the support from Carl, Chris (Santucci), Dennis (LaCava) and the whole Carl Edwards/R.E. Technologies team since my accident. Without the work of the Whole team and Dennis this wouldn't have been possible. I want to really thank Beast Chassis and LaJoie Seating also."

Dodson is currently tied for 7th and the No. 991 Roush Yates Ford Engine powered, Red Line Oil / Hemelgarn / Johnson Morotsports entry is 4th in points. Dodson and the USAC Silver Crown Series return to action on Thursday, august 6th at Oswego Speedway.

For more information about the Carl Edwards / R.E. Technologies Racing Team click www.racingeclipse.com

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Richards Scores 10th Win of 2010 Season