Preview: Eric McClure/ No. 24 Del Monte® brand Ford
Venue: Watkins Glen International
Circuit: NASCAR Nationwide Series (Race 22 of 35)
Event: Zippo 200 (82 laps; 200.9 miles)
Primary Sponsor: Del Monte® brand (www.delmonte.com)
Associate Sponsors: Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriorproject.org )
Eric McClure/Del Monte® brand Notes of Interest:
US Cellular 250 Recap (Iowa Speedway):
- Eric McClure qualifies in the 39th position and finishes 20th to post his third top-20 finish of the season.
McClure and RHR Go Green at the Glen: A Pair of Debuts
- This weekend marks the first time the 30-year-old driver will compete on a road course making him a “rookie” for the first time this season.
- Furthermore, his No. 24 Ford will carry the familiar green colors of the Del Monte® brand making it the first time another sponsor has adorned the hood of McClure’s car since the Hefty® brand became primary sponsor in 2006.
- The Hefty® brand will return as primary sponsor the following weekend in Michigan.
- McClure will pilot chassis # 46 this weekend and it was last used by Bobby Hamilton, Jr. in 2008 at Watkins Glen where it scored a 16th-place finish.
School Anyone?
- In preparation for this weekend’s event, McClure went to school…road course school that is, where he piloted a sports car with instructor/driver Chris Cook at Watkins Glen International. The Virginia native spent the day not only learning the braking points of the course, but also practiced the heel/toe technique many drivers use on road courses.
Congratulations are in Order
- Shortly before driver introductions last weekend in Iowa, McClure was informed by his wife, Miranda, that they were expecting their 3rd child. McClure currently has two daughters, Mabreigh and Maryleigh, ages two and eleven months respectively.
Up To Speed
- Catch the action live on Saturday, August 8 beginning at 2:30pm (EDT) on ESPN2. MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio will also broadcast the event live.
Eric McClure, driver of No. 24 Del Monte® brand Ford quotes:
(On running a road course for the first time)
“It should be a blast. I had a great time with Chris Cook and learned a lot from him certainly. I know that it will be a work in progress for me and that I’ll be better at the end of the weekend than the start, but I’m going to have to driver one sooner or later, so why not now? This just shows the commitment to compete we have at RHR. Our sponsorship didn’t call for the two road races, and we weren’t sure how we were going to get the car to the track for the race with attempts and points being critical. We all sacrificed, Del Monte® brand came on board, and here we are. The hard part is over. We’re going to go and see what happens and maybe have some fun.”
