The GPS Store - Blog

Chad McCumbee’s California Dreams Don’t Come True.

John — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 14:03:00 +0000

Chad McCumbee’s California Dreams Don’t Come True.

Chad Gears Up For California

John — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:00:00 +0000

With little time between Datona and California No. 08 theGPSstore.com / Garmin Chevrolet ready for the next race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at California Speedway with the running of the San Bernardino County 200.
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Chad McCumbee Aims For 2007 Craftsman Truck Title

John — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 18:34:00 +0000

Chad McCumbee and Green Light Racing are proud to announce their intentions for chasing the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship during the 2007 season. After a successful rookie season in the #08 Green Light Racing Chevrolet, McCumbee will once again be behind the wheel for the team that finished second in the series’ Rookie of the Year standings in 2006.

"I am really excited about next year," said McCumbee. "It is really nice to know what you are going to be doing next year and to be able to start preparing things for the next racing season even though the 2006 season just ended. I can’t thank Bobby (Dotter) and Gene (Christensen, co-team owners) enough for allowing me the opportunity to live my dream."

McCumbee finished his rookie season in the Craftsman Truck Series with three top-10 finishes and nine top-15 finishes, with a season-best seventh-place result at both Nashville Superspeedway (TN) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (GA). With Green Light Racing in 2007, the 21-year-old now looks forward to the opportunities to build on the success the team found in their first full season together.

"I think that we will be pretty successful next year, and we will definitely be up front competing for some wins. We really want to be able to finish in the top-10 in points and if we bring homes those wins, maybe have a shot at the championship. Those are some of our goals for next year. We will work really hard in the off-season to improve anything that we can and we should be really competitive next year. "

Green Light Racing Owners Bobby Dotter and Gene Christensen are also enthusiastic to have McCumbee coming back on board as the team strives to grow on the success built in the 2006season.

"For not really knowing what to expect when this year started, it was just really a pleasure to work with Chad," said Dotter. "He just performed better than most any driver ever has in our equipment and we are obviously very excited for next year.

"The entire year, Chad never wrecked any of our trucks and there were three of them that he really got to liking. So we still will have those, and we will have some new equipment and should just beable to make improvements on our successes from last year."

"We are definitely excited to have Chad back onboard with us," added Christensen. "Chad really showed his true potential last year. The more hedrives the better that he gets."

The end of the 2006 season is where the team really began to show how far along they had come. They consistently brought home solid finishes and began working toward what they would be able to do in the future.

"The majority of our team is sticking around," added McCumbee. "The success we had this past season has really kept everyone pumped up and it’s a pretty big pat on the back when you can do what we were able to do with a limited budget and all. Now I think everything is put in place for next year for us to have a chance to finish up front."

Sponsorship opportunities for the 2007 season with Chad McCumbee and the #08 Green Light Racing team are still available. For sponsorship information and for more on Chad McCumbee, contact Zach Drager at DSG by calling (704) 455-2051 and be sure to stop by the all new www.chadmccumbee.com

Chad McCumbee Wraps Up Season With a Top-15.

John — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:33:00 +0000

Chad McCumbee wrapped up his rookie season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in style. He put forth a solid qualifying effort and brought home a 13th-place finish in the 2006 Season Finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway (FL).

"It was a really good weekend for our team," said McCumbee. "Everything that we went there to accomplish, we did. We kept myself in the second position in the Rookie of the Year standings. I didn't think we had a shot at getting it, because we didn't run all of the races and of the good competition that we were up against."

McCumbee was able to finish second in the Rookie of the Year standings without even competing in the entire Craftsman Truck Season. He didn't race in the first event at Daytona, so to put up the statistics that he did and to go give the front runner a run for his money was even more impressive.

After putting up some fast times in practice, McCumbee put the #08 TheGPSstore / Garmin Machine in the 22nd starting position for Friday night's event. It didn't take too long for him to move his way up through the field, where he would go on to finish in the 13th position.

"It was a good weekend to cap off the year. It really showed how good of a team we are and how we can really do a lot with a little. I stayed in the 17th position in points, and we were able to move my car owner, Bobby Dotter, up to the top 20 in the owners' points, which is a good feeling going into next year.

"I really look forward to next year with TheGPSstore.com and being again with Green Light racing, and hopefully we can improve just a little bit next year and bring home the first win."

Just because the NASCAR Craftsman Truck race was over on Friday, it didn't mean that McCumbee's weekend of racing was over.

Immediately after the race, Chad flew back to the Charlotte area where he was going to compete in the Myrtle Beach 250 weekend at Myrtle Beach Speedway (SC). It's the place where his racing career was started and the place where he hoped to bring home his next victory. But once he arrived there, his weekend did not go as well as it had started.

He was caught up in a second-lap incident with another driver and the damage to his vehicle was too much to continue for the rest of the event, and he was scored 42nd for the race.

"It wasn't the way that I wanted to end what started out to be such a great weekend," added McCumbee. "The other driver just got in over his head and ran into me and ran me into the wall. The car was so torn up that we couldn't really continue. Hopefully we should be able to get it back together and go race for some fun next year while we go for the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship."

For more information on Chad McCumbee, contact Zach Drager at DSG by calling (704) 455-2051 and be sure to stop by the all new www.chadmccumbee.com

McCumbee Looking to Bring Home First Top-Five at Homestead.

John — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 18:31:00 +0000

Green Light Racing rookie Chad McCumbee is ready to end the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season on top, pushing for his first top-five finish at the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Despite a mediocre run at Phoenix last weekend, the driver of the No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin Chevrolet is prepared to end his season on a high note. McCumbee has had two top-fifteen finishes over the past three races, including a 7th place at Atlanta, which tied his career-best finish. Now, with one event remaining, McCumbee is looking to tap into that momentum once more.

Though this will be his first start at Homestead, McCumbee is confident he has what it takes to find success on the 1.5-mile oval. All three of McCumbee's top-ten finishes during the 2006 seasons came on intermediate tracks: Texas, Nashville, and Atlanta. But McCumbee also has sheer determination on his side. At the beginning of the season, he was on a team with no sponsor, little money, and few prospects. Now, with two sponsors and a full 2007 schedule laying ahead, McCumbee wants to prove he's a competitive racer with a bright future.

"I am looking forward to Homestead, we have run very good on the mile and a half tracks and the truck we are running this weekend is the same truck we ran at Atlanta" said McCumbee. Green Light co-owner Bobby Dotter said, "Homestead should be a track that we excel at based on what Chad and the team have done so far this season on similar size tracks, and were excited to end the season on a high note".

McCumbee is currently 17th in overall Truck series driver standings, nine points ahead of 18th place Aric Almirola.

Bud Pole Qualifying for the Ford 200 will begin at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, with the race set to start at 8:15 p.m. ET. Qualifying will be broadcast live on SPEED at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the pre-race show at 7:30 p.m. ET. More information on the Ford 200 and the Ford Championship Weekend can be found online at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com.

had McCumbee Has Good Momentum Heading To Phoenix.

John — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 15:18:00 +0000

MOORESVILLE, NC (November 7, 2006) -- As the season goes on, the accolades keep piling up for young Chad McCumbee. He headed to Texas Motor Speedway this past weekend fresh off a solid finish at Texas' sister track, Atlanta Motor Speedway. The momentum from his seventh-place finish at Atlanta carried through to Texas, and after wrapping up a 13th-place finish, McCumbee is now ready to carry on that same momentum to Phoenix International Raceway.

"It was a really good run for us," said McCumbee. "Two weeks in a row at the same type of track. We knew that we were going to have pretty strong trucks for both events and we did. We didn"t get the finish we wanted at Texas because we had a brake problem there, but we had a good outing with TheGPSStore.com/Garmin Chevrolet.

"Seventeenth was a little bit better qualifying run than we typically have. It actually had me a little bit worried, because we usually don"t qualify that well and then we run really well in the race. And this weekend we qualified well, and we raced well."

When bad luck strikes and a team can still go on to finish in the top-15, that says a lot about the organization and its team members.

"We had a really tough weekend going through practice and everything. We had a bunch of crazy issues that was really nothing but a bunch of bad luck. We turned it around, and I really felt like we had a top-five truck most of the night, and if that last caution wouldn"t have came out, we easily would have had a top-ten. And if we didn"t have those brake problems, who knows what we could have done."

Next up for McCumbee and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is Phoenix International Raceway. Next weekend"s visit will be the first for the young driver, as he will try and learn his way around the flat track for the first time when he goes there to practice.

"We have struggled at the flatter tracks this year, but I feel like we have really started to find something that I like on that style track the last couple of them that we have been to. We are really headed in the right direction, and we are going to Phoenix with what we think will start out well and finish well. We just have to test a few things the rest of this year and be ready for next year so that we can really be competitive and have a shot at winning some races.

"I have never been to either of the last two racetracks, Phoenix or Homestead," added McCumbee. "Actually, it will be my first time visiting both of these tracks, so it should be pretty interesting as the final two races wind down, and we will see how it goes. I am looking forward to it, but with all of the momentum we have had the last few weeks, I think it is going to pour into next week."

For more information on Chad McCumbee, contact Zach Drager at DSG by calling (704) 455-2051 and be sure to stop by the all new www.chadmccumbee.com

McCumbee & The GPS Store Team Ready To Navigate Martinsville

John — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 13:44:00 +0000

With only five races to go in the season for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Green Light Racing driver Chad McCumbee and the No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin team are hoping every lap counts, starting with this weekend's Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway.

The last four races have been nothing short of frustrating for McCumbee and company, plagued by tire problems and mechanical failures. After a fuel pump issue at Talladega foiled their plans for a top-15 finish, the team behind the No. 08 Chevrolet Silverado hopes that all of their bad luck is behind them in time to score Rookie-of-the-Year candidate McCumbee's first career win before season's end.

But that's not to say the Green Light team wouldn't be just as content with a top-10 finish at this half-mile paperclip. Short tracks like Martinsville are a good place to get caught up in other people's wrecks, as McCumbee found out at Bristol in August. But the experience he's gained on the short tracks over the course of the year, including battling for the lead at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, should help McCumbee find his way to the front of the pack during Saturday's event.

"I am excited about going to Martinsville this weekend", said McCumbee. "We have been doing some short track testing over the last couple weeks and I would say we are going to be much better than I was at the spring race at Martinsville". Bobby Dotter, co-owner of Green Light Racing had great success at Martinsville as a driver and hopes to assist his rookie driver towards a top 10 finish this weekend. "Martinsville has always been a great track for us in the past and I think Chad has found a good balance over the last few short track tests, so we should be in the ballpark right off the truck", said Dotter.

McCumbee remains 18th in overall driver standings, 36 points behind 17th place Aric Almirola. He also remains second in Rookie-of-the-Year standings, 41 points behind leader Erik Darnell.

Qualifying for the Kroger 200 at Martinsville is set for 5 p.m. ET on Friday, with the race scheduled for 1:15 p.m. ET on Saturday. The race broadcast will begin at 12:30 p.m. ET on SPEED. More information on the Kroger 200 race weekend can be found at www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Mechanical Failure Stalls McCumbee at Talladega

John — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 13:05:00 +0000

A late race mechanical failure turned Chad McCumbee's Saturday afternoon sour at Talladega Superspeedway.

McCumbee qualified his No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin Chevrolet in the 28th position for the inaugural NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series John Deere 250, and had high hopes for a top-ten finish after a streak of three mediocre races. Maneuvering through the draft, the Green Light Racing driver pulled up to 20th place by lap 20, and cracked the top-15 after caution flag pit stops on lap 44. McCumbee spent most of the race quietly running in the top-20, riding safely in the pack and biding his time.

Unfortunately, that time would be cut short as the No. 08 Silverado slowed and stalled on lap 83, victim of a fuel pump failure. The second mechanical failure in two races for McCumbee left him with a 30th-place finish.

"We had a top 10 truck and we were just waiting for the last 20 laps to make our move towards the front", said McCumbee. Green Light Racing Co-owner Gene Christensen was disappointed with the end result but was excited about the on track performance of the truck. "We had the truck good enough for a top 5, top 10 finish but we were bitten by the faulty fuel pump, its nothing you can do about a part going bad", said Christensen.

McCumbee remains 18th in unofficial driver standings, 36 points behind 17th place Aric Almirola.

The Craftsman Truck Series will take its final off weekend before taking the track at Martinsville Speedway on October 21 for the Kroger 200, the first race in the final five-race streak to the championship.

McCumbee Seeks Superspeedway Success at Talladega

John — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 20:14:00 +0000

After a disappointing race two weeks ago at Las Vegas, Green Light Racing driver Chad McCumbee is ready for redemption as his No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin team and the rest of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series prepare for the inaugural John Deere 250 at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend.

The past five weeks proved to be frustrating ones for McCumbee and company. A streak of three finishes below expectations, culminated with a 34th place in the Smith's Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a blown engine sending McCumbee and his The GPS Store/Garmin Chevy Silverado to the garage on lap 33. Hoping all of their bad luck is behind them, the No. 08 team plans to make the most of the final six races of the season.

Talladega seems like an unlikely choice for a McCumbee comeback, but circumstances could be in his favor. While this will be his first restrictor plate start in the Craftsman Truck Series, it will also be the first Talladega race for the Truck Series as a whole. With a level playing field among the drivers--and the added bonus of McCumbee's ARCA starts at Talladega---the 2.66-mile superspeedway may be the perfect place for McCumbee to pick up some steam for the end of the season.

"We have a good restrictor plate truck for this weekend, Bobby (Dotter) has always ran good at Daytona and with the Kevin's (Cram) experience at Talladega, I think we should have a truck that can run up front this weekend", said McCumbee.

Currently, Chad McCumbee is 18th in overall driver standings, 17 points behind 17th place Aric Almirola. McCumbee also remains second in Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year points, 39 markers behind leader Erik Darnell.

Qualifying for the John Deere 250 is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. ET on Friday. The race will be run on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. ET. The event broadcast begins with the pre-race show at 2:30 p.m. ET on SPEED. More information on the race and the rest of the weekend's events at Talladega Superspeedway can be found at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

Smoke Filled Night in Vegas For McCumbee

John — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 14:55:00 +0000

A promising evening for rookie Chad McCumbee and his No. 08 Green Light Racing team quickly went up in smoke at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

McCumbee qualified 19th for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Smith's Las Vegas 350 and, despite his starting position, remained optimistic about his chances for victory at the 1.5-mile track. By lap seven, McCumbee had pulled his The GPS Store/Garmin Chevrolet Silverado to the 16th spot. Though he found himself mired in the pack after his quick ascent, a caution on lap 26 provided the perfect opportunity for McCumbee to gain track position. A two-tire pit stop under the yellow pushed the No. 08 up to 11th place for the restart on lap 29.

For the next three laps, McCumbee was in impressive form, cruising his way to eighth place. Then, disaster struck. The No. 08 Silverado began leaking oil on lap 32 before a complete mechanical failure accrued, bringing out the caution on lap 33 and forcing McCumbee to the garage. With his night over far too early, McCumbee finished a disappointing 34th.

"We had a pretty good truck and I feel we were in a position for a solid top ten finish, this is part of racing and you just have to pick up and be that much more pre-paired for the next race," said McCumbee.

Unofficially, McCumbee falls to 18th place in driver standings, 17 points behind 17th place Aric Almirola.

The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be on a two-week hiatus before the next event, the inaugural Talladega 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 7.

McCumbee Likes His Odds in Vegas

John — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 20:19:00 +0000

Still looking for that elusive first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory, Green Light Racing driver Chad McCumbee and his No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin team roll into Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend for the Smith's Las Vegas 350.

After last weekend's challenging events at Loudon, where a pre-race transmission change and a late-race flat tire left McCumbee in 20th place as the checkered flag fell, a trip west is a much-needed change of pace. Though McCumbee has never made a start on Sin City's 1.5-mile, he'll still be in familiar territory when he and his No. 08 Chevrolet Silverado take the track on Saturday evening. This season, McCumbee has excelled on intermediate tracks similar to LVMS, and his best finishes (9th and 7th) came on two of those courses (Texas and Nashville, respectively).

"I am excited to be heading back to a hi-speed track like Vegas," said McCumbee. "Another good thing from a rookie standpoint, is when everyone unloads on Friday it's like going to a new a new track on the schedule, with the track be reconfigured."

Green Light Racing co-owner Gene Christensen is also looking forward to having a level playing field with the new Vegas configuration. "It is a good feeling going to a track with a talented rookie driver knowing that the veteran drivers don't have a distinct advantage over you by having thousands of laps on that specific track," stated Christensen.

Aside from seeking his first Truck Series win, McCumbee comes to Vegas with his eye on the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year prize, as well. He remains second in rookie standings behind leader Erik Darnell.

Qualifying for the Smith's Las Vegas 350 is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, with the green flag falling at 9:10 p.m. ET. The event broadcast begins at 9 p.m. ET on SPEED. More information on the race and the rest of the weekend's events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway can be found at www.lvms.com.

The Magic Mile Not What McCumbee & Team Hoped For

John — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:18:00 +0000

A promising Saturday at New Hampshire International Speedway turned into a race-long struggle for the No. 08 Green Light Racing team and rookie driver Chad McCumbee.

The race was off to a sour start before it even began for McCumbee, when a post-qualifying transmission change forced him to take the green flag for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series New Hampshire 200 from the back of the pack. Still, McCumbee fought his way through traffic, pulling his The GPS Store/Garmin Chevrolet Silverado to 24th by lap 40. Unfortunately, his efforts were not enough to prevent him from sliding into the clutches of the leaders, and he went a lap down to Johnny Benson and Clint Bowyer soon after.

McCumbee wouldn't be off the lead lap for long. A streak of three quick cautions culminating in a crash involving the No. 25 of Boston Reid led to McCumbee receiving the free pass on lap 83. Once on the lead lap again, McCumbee rode solidly in the top 20, running as high as 16th after yellow-flag pit stops on lap 120.

But, going with the theme of the day, the remainder of the race could not go smoothly for McCumbee. A flat left-side tire forced him to pit during a caution on lap 158, an event from which he could not recover. Though still on the lead lap, McCumbee's No. 08 was adversely affected by the flat, drifting back to 21st place with twelve laps to go before pulling into 20th for the checkered flag.

"We just got behind the eight ball from the start of the weekend and started to pick it up in the race until contact with the 20 truck cut down a tire and forced us to pit late in the race, said McCumbee.

McCumbee remains 17th in overall driver standings, 84 points behind 16th place Bobby Hamilton Jr.

The next event for the Craftsman Truck Series will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 23.

McCumbee Looks For Good Results At The Magic Mile

John — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:46:00 +0000

After a sour run at Bristol and a two-week hiatus, Green Light Racing driver Chad McCumbee and his No. 08 The GPS Store/Garmin team are geared up to find the proverbial magic at New Hampshire International Speedway during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series New Hampshire 200 this weekend.

The last Craftsman Truck Series event, the O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway, was anything but a smooth ride for McCumbee. A mishandling truck and a spin caused by contact with Dennis Setzer on lap 148 left him in 25th place at the end of the race, two laps down to race winner Mark Martin.

But every race provides a fresh start, and a visit to Loudon's mile may be just the place for this Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender to pull his No. 08 The GPS Store.com Chevrolet Silverado into Victory Lane. Though this will be McCumbee's first race at New Hampshire, the experience he's gained over the season-not to mention confidence-could be all he needs to clinch that elusive first win. "I am looking forward to Loudon this weekend", stated McCumbee. "Bobby (Dotter) has had some great runs there and after our test last week I think we should be very competitive this weekend".

Green Light Co-Owner Bobby Dotter is also looking forward to the weekend's race at the Magic Mile. "Loudon has always been a good track for us as a team and myself as a driver over the years. I feel we have made some great progress over the last week or so with our testing and setups, so I look for good things on Saturday", said Dotter.

Currently, McCumbee sits in 17th place in overall driver standings. He also remains second in rookie points, 32 points behind leader Erik Darnell.

Qualifying for the New Hampshire 200 is set for 9:30 a.m. ET on Saturday, with the race beginning at 2:15 p.m. ET. The event will be broadcast live on SPEED starting at 1:30 p.m. ET.

TheGPSStore.com Starts Engine on 'Navigate the Track' Sweepstakes

John — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 14:43:00 +0000

Ready to discover the true meaning of "life in the fast lane?" The GPS Store, sponsor of the No. 08 Green Light Racing NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Team and rookie driver Chad McCumbee, are teaming up with Fast Track Hi-Performance Driving School to give one race fan the opportunity to climb behind the wheel of a real NASCAR-style stock car.

The "Navigate the Track" sweepstakes couldn't come at a better time for those involved. McCumbee, currently second place in Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings, is a graduate of Fast Track's driving school, run by racing veteran racer, Andy Hillenburg. McCumbee then became an instructor for the TheGPSStore.com Starts Engine on 'Navigate the Track' Sweepstakesschool before being chosen to race Hillenburg's No. 11 Fast Track Chevy in the ARCA RE/MAX Series in 2005. He finished fourth in season standings before moving on to the Craftsman Truck Series. Though 2006 had a rocky start for McCumbee, he found success at Green Light Racing and began to prove himself as a solid rookie contender. With the help of The GPS Store, McCumbee works toward his goal of the Rookie-of-the-Year title and the sponsor that gave him the chance to live his dream want to make a fan's dream of speed come true, too.

Beginning Friday Sept. 8th, fans can visit www.TheGPSstore.com to register for the "Navigate the Track" sweepstakes. One grand prizewinner will receive a gift certificate redeemable for one full day of oval racing instruction at one of three Fast Track Hi-Performance Racing School locations across the country. No purchase is necessary to win the $1,295 driving school package. Sweepstakes entries must be received by the season ending race at Homestead Miami Speedway on November 19, 2006 with the winner being announced on Monday, November 20, 2006.
About the GPS Store

Founded in 1997 and based in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, The GPS Store offers the most extensive selection of GPS units, accessories, and related equipment in one location. Known as the "World's Favorite Source for GPS," The GPS Store offers thousands of products and shipping to locations around the globe. Regional consumers also have the opportunity to stop by the showroom at their North Carolina headquarters. The corporate site for The GPS Store, as well as their online catalogue, can be found at www.thegpsstore.com.
About Fast Track

Since 1989, Fast Track High Performance Driving Schools have trained thousands of racing enthusiasts and over thirty professional drivers in stock-car racing techniques. With real NASCAR Nextel Cup-style stock cars and the best in modern racing safety equipment, including IMPACT-brand helmets and HANS head-and-neck restraints, Fast Track provides an authentic and safe racing experience. As the Official Driving School of the ARCA RE/MAX Series, Fast Track also offers an ARCA-approved training course for up-and-coming professional racers. Their website can be found at www.fasttrackracing.com.

McCumbee Ready for the Madness of Thunder Valley

John — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:01:00 +0000

With the O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway looming ominously before the teams of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender Chad McCumbee isn't intimidated by the high banks, rough racing, and hot tempers of the World's Fastest Half-Mile. In fact, he's looking forward to it.

With momentum on their side, McCumbee and Green Light Racing have no reason to fear a Wednesday night at Bristol. Though circumstance foiled their pit strategy and hopes for a top-10 finish, The GPS Store/Garmin International team had a truck strong enough to battle for the lead during the last CTS short-track race, at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Then, two weeks ago at Nashville Superspeedway, McCumbee qualified his No. 08 Chevrolet Silverado on the outside pole and cruised to a career-best 7th-place finish.

"We are looking for another great run Wednesday night to improve on the rookie standings, Chad has been able to keep out of trouble all season long and I feel that is the key to having a good finish at Bristol", said team co-owner Gene Christensen.

Experience may also keep the No. 08 GPS Store/Garmin squad confident this week. Though McCumbee has never raced at Bristol, he has had plenty of experience on short tracks in the ARCA RE/MAX series and during the three prior CTS short track races this season. The double-punch of momentum and know-how could be all McCumbee needs to score his first top-five finish on Wednesday.

"I have run good at Winchester and Salem in the ARCA Series which are both high banked ½ miles and I feel with Bobby and Kevin's experience here at Bristol we should be pretty good," said McCumbee.

The O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway is set to start at 9:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, with qualifying preceding the race at 5:30 p.m. ET. The event will be broadcast on SPEED, opening with the pre-race show at 8:30 p.m. ET.