John Wes Townley Express Notes
Kentucky Speedway, Race No. 14

Race Info:
Event: Meijer 300 presented by Ritz
Date/Time: Saturday, June 13th/8:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2, 8:00 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, 8:00 p.m. ET
Distance: 225 laps/300 miles
Track: 1.5-mile Tri-oval
2008 Winner: Joey Logano

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Team09_Jessica
Facebook: John Wes Townley (Fan Site)

Fast & Fun Facts:
• Townley’s career best finish of 5th came at Kentucky Speedway in the May 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series event.
• Pat Green will be performing an exclusive pre-race concert starting at 6:30 p.m. ET and actresses, singer-songwriter Hilary Duff will be the race’s grand marshal.
• Keeton Hanks finished fifth in John Wes’ Zaxby’s No. 09 Late Model in Saturday night’s ASA Southeast Asphalt race in Cordele, Ga.

Last Time Around-Nashville: After a 14th place qualifying effort, Townley experienced a tire go down on lap two of the 225 lap event; ultimately sending the Watkinsville, GA native up the track into the turn-4 wall.
Townley would be scored in the 42nd position 223 laps down to race winner, Kyle Busch after failing to make it back out on the track.

John Wes Townley at Kentucky: Townley will be making his fourth start at Kentucky Speedway this weekend in the Meijer 300. The 19-year-old rookie has three previous starts in 2008 at the 1.5-mile oval; including his best finish of fifth in the May 2008 ARCA RE/MAX Series, Drive Smart! Buckle Up Kentucky 150.

This Week’s No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford: Townley will pilot chassis No. 027 in the Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway. This was a new chassis built for the 2009 season that has not been raced yet this year.

Points Check: John Wes Townley currently sits 30th in the 2009 Driver point standings following the Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. Owner, Jay Robinson remains 35th in the Owner point standings with 783 points; 209 points outside the top-30.

Rookie Race: Townley remains 6th in the 2009 Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings with 71 points.

After 13: After 13 of the scheduled 35 events on the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule, Townley has three top-20 and five top-25 finishes. The 19-year-old rookie has an average starting position of 26 an average finish of 29 and has completed 69.29% of all laps attempted (1528 out of 2205).

Blessings in a Backpack: This is a unique program designed to feed children grades K-5 in Title 1 public schools that qualify for the Federal Free and Reduced Meal Program and may not have any or enough food on the weekends. Blessings in a Backpack is currently feeding over 11,500 children in Kentucky, Indiana, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, California and New York.

The organization is in need of backpacks and is reaching out to the NASCAR Nationwide Series teams for help. For the race at Kentucky this weekend they are asking teams to donate backpacks with nothing in them. All backpacks will be collected on Friday at the track. If you would like to donate please contact Jessica Caulder directly.

Townley and Two Wheels: John Wes Townley and fellow Nationwide Series drivers will serve as team captains for a bicycle relay with kindergarten-fifth grade students on pit road at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, June 13th. The drivers will coach and interact with the children and Blessings in a Backpack’s national spokeswoman, Hillary Duff will also be in attendance.

Truckin’ It: John Wes Townley will pilot the No.15 truck for Billy Ballew Motorsports in the Milwaukee 200 at The Milwaukee Mile on Friday, June 19th. Townley has one career start at Milwaukee; he started 11th and finished 18th in the Camping World Truck Series race at Milwaukee on June 20, 2008. However, this event will help give the 19-year-old rookie seat time in preparation for the Camping World RV Rental 250 on June 20th.

Quoting John Wes Townley:
When you mention Kentucky Speedway some people think of gambling and horse racing… what do you think when someone says, “Kentucky Speedway”?

“First and foremost I think “familiar”. It’s a track that I have been to and made laps around. Being a rookie in the sport I am visiting a lot of tracks on the NASCAR Nationwide Series circuit for the first time. That is not the case when it comes to Kentucky. I have made three starts; two ARCA RE/MAX Series and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start and also brought home my career best finish at Kentucky of 5th. So when I think Kentucky, I think a wide track that allows for good side by side racing, a solid qualifying effort because clean air is key and all and all a track where rookies like myself can succeed due to it being a stand-alone event.”