Rusty Wallace Racing on the Île Notre-Dame.

RWR AT MONTRÉAL:  In three attempts at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, RWR cars have posted two top-ten starts, including an outside pole by Italy’s “Mad” Max Papis in last year’s running of this event.  RWR’s best finish on the Île Notre-Dame is Steve Wallace’s tenth-place drive through the rain in last year’s race at Montréal.

STEVE WALLACE AT MONTRÉAL:  Quickly earning a reputation as one of the Nationwide Series’ preeminent road racers, sixth-ranked Steve Wallace heads to Québec this weekend with two top-ten and three top-12 finishes in the last four road course events. 

The young wheelman put in one of the most prolific drives of his brief career in last year’s Montréal race.  In that event, Wallace posted an impressive eighth-place qualifying effort, only to see a catastrophic driveshaft failure shred the underbody of his No. 66 during practice and force him to start the race from the rear of the field. 

Despite the setback, Wallace charged through the pack—and a driving rain—to make a race-high 52 passes and score a top-ten finish in NASCAR’s only wet race to date.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN AT MONTRÉAL:  Sunday’s race will mark Brendan Gaughan’s first start at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.  In preparation for the event, the Nationwide Series’ ninth-ranked driver will compete in Saturday’s Rolex Sports Car Series event at the track.  Gaughan will compete in a GT class No. 66 Porsche GT3, fielded by TRG; he will co-drive with former Rolex Series champion, Andy Lally.

Notes of Interest.

RWR BY THE NUMBERS AT MONTRÉAL IN 2008:  Steve Wallace’s 52 green flag passes and 12 positions gained in the eight laps of the race were both the best totals of any driver.  Wallace  ranked seventh overall in the “speed in traffic” statistical category and his 17 passes on top-15 cars placed him fifth in the “quality passes” category. 

After starting on the outside pole, Max Papis ran among the top-two for RWR until he went off course just 16 laps from the checkered flag.  Papis had six of the race’s fastest laps, the second-best mark of all drivers.  Despite his severely damaged car, Papis also ranked fourth in the “fastest drivers early in a run” category, ninth in the “closers” category, ninth in “green flag speed” and tenth in “speed in traffic.”

DRIVER APPEARANCES AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:  Steve Wallace will be available for interviews on Saturday from 1:30 PM-2:15 PM in the media lounge, located on the first floor above the garages, near the frontstretch tower.  Brendan Gaughan will participate in a separate press conference, along with other “double duty” drivers, on Friday at 4:00 PM, on the track grounds. 

STEVE WALLACE ON NASCAR NOW THIS WEEK:  Steve Wallace, driver of the No. 66 5-Hour Energy Chevrolet, will appear on ESPN2’s NASCAR Now this Wednesday, to discuss his season to date—in which he is ranked sixth in the driver standings—as well as preview this weekend’s race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.  NASCAR Now airs weekdays at 5 PM ET on ESPN2.

ENERGIZED:  Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing and Living Essentials—the makers of America’s number one energy shot, 5-Hour Energy—announced last week that beginning in 2010, 5-Hour Energy will serve as primary sponsor of the No. 66 and Steve Wallace, in the full 35-race Nationwide Series.  Fitting is the fact that last year’s Montréal event was the first race in which 5-Hour Energy served as primary sponsor of Wallace and RWR.

WELCOME ABOARD:  Rusty Wallace Racing and 5-Hour Energy are pleased to welcome Couche-Tard as a partner on Steve Wallace’s No. 66 car for this weekend’s event in Montréal.

Chassis Information.

NO. 66—STEVE WALLACE:  Wallace’s primary chassis for this weekend, RWR-016, is the elder statesman of RWR's road course fleet and was last driven by Wallace to a 12th-place finish several weeks ago at Watkins Glen.  Prior to that, it ran in the 2008 race at The Glen.  Car 016 also competed in both 2006 road course races with Jamie McMurray behind the wheel, finishing third at Watkins Glen and among the top-ten in Mexico City.  The 16 car was used as a two-seat trainer  following 2006, but was pulled from retirement when RWR expanded in 2008.  Wallace's backup is RWR-028, which he drove to top-ten finishes at Montréal and Mexico City last year.

NO. 62—BRENDAN GAUGHAN:  Brendan Gaughan’s primary chassis for this weekend is RWR-027, last year’s outside pole-winner at Montréal.  In the only start for chassis 027, “Mad” Max Papis started from the outside pole and wheeled the car amongst the top-two until lap 31, when he went off-course in turn four under wet conditions.  Gaughan’s backup chassis, RWR-023, was last driven by Papis in the 2008 race at Watkins Glen, where it scored an 11th-place finish.  Papis also wheeled the 23 car to a top-15 finish at Mexico City, where it was one of the fastest cars in the field after being caught up in a multi-car accident.

The Wheelmen on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

STEVE WALLACE (NO. 66 5-HOUR ENERGY CHEVROLET):  “I love racing in Montréal.  In terms of the city and everything surrounding the race, it’s just a lot of fun.

“When it comes to the track and the race, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is one of the more challenging road courses that this series has raced on.  There are a lot of really tight and slow corners, but yet, several long straights.  There aren’t a lot of fast corners at Montréal. 

“All of that puts a real emphasis on brakes, especially in our heavy cars.  The fast guys are going to be the ones that can keep their brakes underneath them throughout the entire race.  To be fast at Montréal, you also need a car that can change direction quickly to get through the chicanes and one that has good traction to get you off of all of the slow corners.”

BRENDAN GAUGHAN (NO. 62 USFIDELIS CHEVROLET):  “I really like road racing; I did a lot of it  earlier in my career.  I’ve never raced at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, but I’m really looking forward to it.  The track is one of the more well known from an international perspective and it’s cool to think about all of the great drivers that have raced there in the past. 

“I’m going to run the Grand-Am race this weekend, just trying to get all of the laps I can on the track in preparation for the Nationwide Series race on Sunday.  The Grand-Am race will be a lot of fun, but my real focus is on Sunday’s race and trying to get our No. 62 car as high up in the points as we possibly can.”

About Rusty Wallace Racing.

U.S.-based Rusty Wallace Racing is a professional auto racing team steeped in the legendary history of its founder and one of NASCAR’s top-ten drivers of all-time, Rusty Wallace.  In 2008, the team’s No. 64 entry was ranked among the top-ten overall in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  For 2009, the organization campaigns the No. 66 and No. 62 Chevrolet  Impala SS vehicles in the Nationwide Series.  Its No. 66 entry is piloted by third-generation wheelman, Steve Wallace and its No. 62 wheeled by former NASCAR Truck Series Rookie of the Year, Brendan Gaughan.  Both drivers are currently ranked among the top-ten in the 2009 driver standings.  For more on Rusty Wallace Racing, please visit rustywallace.com.