NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012

Cale Gale Michigan RACE REPORT

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes

> Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team finished 20th on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway after gambling on fuel strategy. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender was running fourth with three laps to go when Gale came across the radio informing the crew that he was out of fuel and needed to come down pit road. Once re-fired, Gale rejoined the competition and crossed the finish line in the 20th position.

Due to a new surface on the two-mile oval, teams in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) were allowed extra practice time throughout the weekend to evaluate their trucks and make necessary changes. With competitors running wide open around the entire facility, the racing began to resemble what is typically seen only on superspeedways as many drivers teamed up in packs to gain speed around the track.

During the opening practice session as Gale ran in a five-truck pack, another competitor got loose causing the group to check up and take evasive action to avoid contact. With no other options, Gale opted to go high on the track. When he got out of the groove, the Rheem Chevrolet lost grip and got into the wall in turn two. With damage to the right front, Gale and the Rheem team were forced to unload their backup truck--chassis 043--which Gale competed in for the first time on Saturday afternoon.

Gale rolled off 17th for the VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway, and quickly fell into line with a pack of trucks. Running inside the top 20, Gale called into his team early in the event to report a loose Chevrolet. Crew chief Jerry Baxter made the decision to bring the Rheem Chevrolet down pit road during the opening caution on lap 14 for four tires and an air-pressure adjustment, and again during the lap 39 caution period for a wedge adjustment.

Happy with the handling of his truck, Gale's race quickly became all about fuel mileage. Typically maintaining a position around the top 15, but racing as high as 10th, Gale came down pit road on lap 58 for four tires and fuel. Knowing that they were a few laps shy of their pit window, the Rheem team topped off the fuel cell before taking the green flag and hoped that caution flags would help them save enough fuel to make it the distance. As the leaders made green-flag pit stops, Gale raced through the field and climbed up the leader board. Racing in the fourth position on lap 197, Gale called into the crew to tell them that the Rheem Chevrolet lost fuel pressure and was out of gas. The Mobile, Ala. native made it around to pit road for fuel, but had a little trouble regaining fuel pressure to fire the engine; Gale returned to the track to finish in the 20th position.

"I'm so proud of everyone on the Rheem team for all their hard work this weekend," commented Gale. "We took a gamble on fuel mileage and unfortunately it didn't work out. The guys did a great job during practice getting our backup unloaded and through tech, and again today with pit stops and making adjustments during the race. While we didn't have the finish that we hoped for, we're all really excited to get to Bristol this week. I grew up racing on short tracks like Bristol and sat on the pole in the Nationwide Series there a few years ago; the Rheem team has built me great trucks all season and I can't wait to see what we're able to do next week."

The NCWTS will take on the "World's Fastest Half Mile" at Bristol Motor Speedway on Wednesday, August 22. Live coverage of the UNOH 200 will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on SPEED, MRN Radio and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, channel 90. Fans can also visit www.teamesr.com, www.twitter.com/teamesr, or www.facebook.com/TeamESR for the latest news and updates about Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado team all week long.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012

Cale Gale Michigan QUALIFYING REPORT

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes

> NOTES:
No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Finished: 17th
No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Fast Lap: 40.025

> TV COVERAGE:
Live coverage of the VFW 200 from Michigan International Speedway will be aired on SPEED, MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 18.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012

Cale Gale Michigan FINAL PRACTICE

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes

> NOTES:
There were no incidents involving the No. 6 or 33 entry during the final practice session.

Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team utilized the final practice session to help fine-tune the handling of their Chevrolet and make a mock qualifying run around the 2.0-mile Michigan International Speedway. Prior to the session, the Rheem team changed the steering box to one that better suited Gale's driving style. While many teams tried to put a superspeedway fin on their truck, the No. 33 Rheem team opted to avoid the fin knowing that it would likely change the balance of the truck while racing in larger packs during tomorrow's race.

Cale and the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet team are 15th in order for qualifying tomorrow.

> QUOTES:
Cale Gale, No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet: "The track has changed a lot since the last time we raced here. We will all have to approach this race with a different angle than we would have in the past, and maybe even approach it like a superspeedway race. We have a strong Rheem Chevrolet, but in order to be successful tomorrow, we are going to need to keep our nose clean and stay out of trouble."

> TV COVERAGE:
Tune in to SPEED at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday morning for NCWTS qualifying from Michigan International Speedway. Live coverage of the VFW 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 18.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012

Cale Gale Michigan SECOND PRACTICE

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes

> NOTES:
There were no incidents involving the No. 6 or 33 entry during the practice session.

After rolling out their backup truck, Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team spent the first 30 minutes of the session preparing their Chevrolet to go on the track. Once they passed through tech, Gale started making solo runs while assessing the handling of his Rheem Chevrolet. The team worked on adjusting the setup of the backup to mirror their primary truck, and made changes in the cockpit to get Gale comfortable in a truck that he has never raced. Before the session ended, Gale was able to make a couple draft runs where he posted a 39.199-second lap to rank him 18th on the board.

> QUOTES:
Cale Gale, No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet: "I'm really proud of how well the Rheem team worked together to get our backup truck unloaded and on the track during this practice. We're making a few changes to fine-tune the handling and work on getting the splitter down closer to the ground. Final practice is coming up in a few hours, so we'll see what we have then."

> TV COVERAGE:
Tune in to SPEED at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon for a live broadcast of final practice from Michigan International Speedway. Qualifying from the two-mile oval will be aired at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday morning. Live coverage of the VFW 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 18.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012

Cale Gale Michigan FIRST PRACTICE

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes

> NOTES:
There were no incidents involving the No. 6 entry during the opening practice session. The No. 33 made contact with the wall in turn two during the final five minutes of practice and was forced to roll out the backup truck.

Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team were quick off the hauler holding lap times inside the top-four during the early solo practice runs. Happy with the handling, Gale held his truck wide-open around the 2.0-mile speedway and participated in a couple long draft runs where he recorded the seventh-quickest lap of the session. Near the end of the session, Gale had connected with the 13 truck and the three Red Horse trucks to run in a five-truck pack. Coming off turn two, one of the trucks in the front of the pack got loose causing everyone behind him to check up. With a quick run, Gale tried to go high, but got out of the groove and into the marbles where there was no grip. The Rheem Chevrolet made contact with the outside wall damaging the right front fender and forcing the team to unload the backup. Gale will race chassis No. 043 for the first time this season.

> QUOTES:
Cale Gale, No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet: "We had a great Rheem Chevrolet and it's unfortunate that we had to unload the backup truck for this weekend's race. I know Jerry [Baxter, crew chief] and the guys all work really hard to make sure that we have two great trucks each week. It was cool to see everyone at ESR come together to get the backup ready to go on track. I think we may be able to make it out during this next practice session and then we have final practice later this afternoon."

> TV COVERAGE:
Tune in to SPEED at 2:00 p.m. this afternoon for a live broadcast of final practice from Michigan International Speedway. Qualifying from the two-mile oval will be aired at 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday morning. Live coverage of the VFW 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 18.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200
August 18, 2012

Cale Gale Michigan International Speedway Event Preview

Cale Gale

No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado News and Notes

> Taking on the Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway... Cale Gale will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon, August 18. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender currently has two NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and two Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series starts at the two-mile oval. Most recently, Gale competed in the ARCA Racing Series event at Michigan International Speedway in July 2011. After starting from the pole, the Mobile, Ala. native led 64 laps but suffered a flat tire with four laps remaining in the 100-lap event relegating him to a 19th-place finish.

> Taking a Trip Home for ESR Crew Member... The NCWTS' annual stop at Michigan International Speedway will give Eddie Sharp Racing (ESR) team member, Jeff Keller, a chance to race near his old stomping grounds. Keller, who joined ESR in August 2011, was raised just 35 miles from Michigan International Speedway in Lyons, Ohio, and later lived in Ann Arbor, Mich. Keller is ESR's shock specialist and helps on the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet team of Gale during race weekends.

> Meet Cale Gale... The NCWTS will feature an open garage at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, August 17th. At 4:00 p.m., NASCAR fans will be invited into the garage to get a first-hand look at what goes on during a NASCAR race weekend. At the same time, the series' will host an autograph session in the garage near gate 55c. Wristbands are required to receive an autograph. Following the autograph session, Gale will join teammate Justin Lofton for a question and answer session at the Chevy Stage. Come out to meet ESR's driver lineup at 5:15 p.m. in the fan zone.

> Rheem Crew Members Goes to the Movies... Greg Powell, the front tire carrier for Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet team, made his Hollywood debut on Wednesday, August 8, in Nitro Circus The Movie 3D. Powell, a graduate of the University of Maryland, has been riding bikes and doing stunts with his cousin, Travis Pastrana, since they were young. By 2004, the Nitro Circus crew was putting on live shows across the country and on MTV. For more information about Nitro Circus The Movie 3D, or to find a theater near you, visit: http://nitrocircus.com/go/the-nitro-circus-3d-movie/.

> Battling for Points... Gale picked up two positions in the NCWTS championship points battle following the Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono Raceway earlier this month. With three top-10 finishes this season, Gale is solidly within the top 15 in drivers points, ranking 12th, and ranks 14th in the owner points standings. Currently second in the Rookie of the Year point standings, Gale is chasing down leader Ty Dillon.

> Follow Cale... Follow Cale Gale, driver of the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Silverado, on twitter @CaleGale and Facebook (facebook.com/CaleGale), and check out CaleGale.com for the latest news and updates.
Get the Inside Scoop... Follow Eddie Sharp Racing on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook to get real-time updates and behind-the-scenes information: @TeamESR or facebook.com/teamesr.

> Watch and Listen... The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will make its annual stop at Michigan International Speedway this Saturday, August 18. SPEED will broadcast final practice (2:00 p.m. ET, Friday) and qualifying (9:30 a.m. ET, Saturday) from Brooklyn, Mich. Live coverage of the VFW 200 will be aired on SPEED, MRN & SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, beginning at 12:00 p.m. ET.