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Returning to Site of One That Got Away

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 18, 2012) – Every driver has a race, or several, that in the back of their mind was one where they had a vehicle capable of winning if it wasn’t for a bad break. For Brian Scott, the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta is one of those races. The Idaho native will have another chance to visit victory lane at the 1.5-mile Tri-oval Friday night, driving the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in the Kentucky 201, his first Truck Series start at the track since the 2009 race.

Scott, who qualified second, had the dominant truck in the early stages of the race. He took the lead from pole-sitter Ron Hornaday Jr. on lap two and remained on point until lap 29. The young driver had settled into the second position until the right front tire on his Toyota blew out on lap 36 and catapulted the truck into the outside retaining wall. Despite substantial damage to the right front fender, Scott’s crew was able to make repairs and remain on the lead lap. By race’s end, he had battled back to earn a hard-fought sixth-place finish.

Dollar General Racing crew chief Eric Phillips can relate with Scott on letting one get away at the 1.5-mile Tri-oval. After starting from the rear of the field in the 2010 September race, due to an improper adjustment, Kyle Busch took the lead on lap 54 and held point until he visited pit road for his final stop on lap 127. The race would proceed caution free for the final 55 laps, allowing several competitors on different pit sequences to make it to the end of the race, relegating Busch to a seventh-place finish.

Phillips and Busch were able to redeem themselves last season, leading a race-high 61 laps en route to victory in the UNOH 225 last July. Friday night, Phillips will take aim at helping Scott make amends in the Bluegrass State.

Brian Scott, Driver of the No. 18 NCWTS Dollar General Tundra:

Do you look at the Kentucky Truck Series race in 2009 as one that got away?

“We had a really fast Tundra from the time we unloaded that weekend. (Ron) Hornaday got us by less than a tenth for the pole, but we led a bunch of laps at the beginning of the race until we blew a right front tire and hit the wall. It was one of those weekends when your confidence is running sky high and then all of the sudden everything comes crashing down -- just a gut-sinking deal. We had some pretty good damage to the right side, but just kept making repairs all race long and salvaged a top-10 finish. It was really disappointing to know that we had a truck that was very capable of winning and then to have something go wrong so early in the race.”

How confident are you going into this weekend?

“The last time I was at Kentucky in a truck we had a really strong Toyota, so I’m looking forward to going back there this weekend. Any time that you get the chance to drive the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra for KBM, you know that you’re going to have a fast truck and a chance to win. Kyle (Busch) was really strong in the last mile-and-a-half race for these guys at Atlanta, so I’m confident that we’ll be able to have another strong performance this weekend. My first two races for KBM we started midpack, so I really need to focus on making a productive mock-qualifying run in practice and being able to provide Eric with the feedback that will allows us to have a strong qualifying effort. It’s just so hard to overcome a poor starting position in a Truck Series race -- the races are shorter and all the teams are really equal, so it’s hard to pass.”

Eric Phillips, Crew Chief of the No. 18 NCWTS Dollar General Tundra:

Is the 2010 Kentucky race one that you look back upon as a race that you should’ve won?

“Yeah -- as long as I’ve done this, there are always races that you feel like they’ve gotten away. The Kentucky race in 2010, we had a dominant truck all weekend, were dominant all night in the race and we just didn’t finish it off at the end. In the Truck Series we have a limited number of tires, so that seems to play into the strategy and that’s what happened that day. We’ve see the same situation play out a lot in the Truck Series this year, including last weekend at Iowa. A lot of times you can have a really fast truck and end up getting beat by track position and strategy.”

You were able to win with Kyle at Kentucky last year, but do you still feel like that track owes you one?

“I wouldn’t say that it owes me one -- I’m probably even there. I won with Dennis Setzer in 2005 when Terry Cook was leading the race and blew a tire on the next-to-last lap. Those deals always seem to work their way out in this business -- you win some that you probably didn’t deserve and you lose some that you should’ve won.”

Brian Scott’s No. 18 Dollar General Tundra:

Chassis KBM-8: Chassis KBM-8 will make its second start of 2012 this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. Jason Leffler qualified fourth with the Tundra at Rockingham Speedway in April and had advanced into the runner-up position before his engine expired on lap 19. In five starts last season, the truck collected one win, two top-five and three top-10 finishes, including a trip to Victory Lane in its debut last May at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway with owner-driver Kyle Busch behind the wheel.

Date	Site	Driver	Start	Finish	Laps	Laps Led	Status
4/15/12	Rockingham	Leffler	4	34	19/200	0	Engine
9/2/11	Atlanta	Busch	6	3	130/130	14	Running
8/20/11	Michigan	Busch	13	25	63/102	7	Radiator
7/22/11	Nashville	Richards	12	22	146/150	0	Running
6/4/11	Kansas	Busch	11	6	167/167	0	Running
5/20/11	Charlotte	Busch	6	1	134/134	7	Running

Notes of Interest:

Brian Scott @ Kentucky Speedway:

• Started second, led 29 laps and finished sixth in the 2009 NCWTS race
• Has posted one top-15 finish in 3 NNS starts

Brian Scott Kentucky NCWTS Performance Profile:

Date	Start	Finish	Laps	Laps Led	Status
7/18/09	2	6	150/150	29	Running
7/19/08	23	32	63/150	0	Engine

Brian Scott 2012:

• Currently resides 10^th in the NNS driver point standings
• Has posted two top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 26 starts, including a season-best third-place finish at Dover (Del.) International Speedway (6/2/12)

Brian Scott NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Career:

• In 59 career starts has collected one win (Dover ’09), nine top-five and 20 top-10 finishes
• Finished seventh in the final 2009 NCWTS driver point standings after registering seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes

Brian Scott NASCAR Career:

• In 102 career NNS starts has registered one pole, five top-five and 19 top-10 finishes
• Awarded the Featherlite Most Improved Driver after finishing eighth in the final 2011 NNS driver point standings
• Captured his first career NNS pole at Chicagoland (Ill.) Speedway in September of 2011 and went on to post a NNS career-best third-place finish in the race
• 2010 NNS Rookie of the Year runner-up
• 2008 NCWTS Rookie of the Year runner-up

Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 18 Toyota Tundra:

• Tied with several teams for second most top-10 finishes this season (10)
• Drew Herring started 17^th, led 19 laps and finished seventh in the American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway in Newton last weekend (9/15/22)
• Jason Leffler qualified 18^th and finished eighth in the June race at Kentucky this season (6/28/12)
• Brian Ickler qualified fourth, led 11 laps and finished fifth in the September race at Kentucky last season (10/1/11)
• Has led double-digit laps in three of the last four races (Drew Herring 19 at Iowa Speedway on 9/15/12, Kyle Busch 75 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on 8/31/12 and Kurt Busch 57 at Michigan International Speedway on 8/18/12)
• Registered a season-best second-place finish with Kyle Busch at Atlanta Motor Speedway (8/31/12) and earned a season-best second-place qualifying effort with Jason Leffler at Kansas Speedway (4/21/12)
• After 15 races, resides ninth in the 2012 NCWTS Owner’s point standings
• In 2011, ranked first in Truck Series wins (8) and second in Owner’s points (920), Laps Led (878), Fastest Laps Run (448) and Top-Five Finishes (16)
• Three different drivers won a race in the No. 18 Tundra in 2011 - Kyle Busch (series-leading 6), Kasey Kahne (1) and Denny Hamlin (1)
• Since debuting in the Truck Series in 2010, the team has compiled 16 wins and 35 top-five finishes over 65 starts
• In 2010, became first team since the NCWTS originated in 1995 to win the Owner’s Championship in its inaugural season

Strong Finishes Equal Online Savings Monday’s at DollarGeneral.com

Dollar General is giving fans an extra reason to cheer for Brian Scott at Kentucky Speedway Friday night. If the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra brings home a top-10 finish in the Kentucky 201, everyone will receive 10% off all online products purchased at DollarGeneral.com next Monday, Sept. 24, and if he wins, the savings increase to 20% off.

The Phillips File:

Crew chief Eric Phillips has registered two wins (Kyle Busch 2011 and Dennis Setzer 2005), four top-five and six top-10 finishes in nine races calling the shots for Truck Series races at Kentucky Speedway. His drivers have combined to lead 151 laps, including 61 by Kyle Busch in last year’s UNOH 225 victory.

KBM Announces Driver Lineup for Next Two Races in the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra

David Mayhew will pilot the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra in the Smith’s 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sept. 29 and Kurt Busch will make his second Truck Series start for KBM this season in the Coca-Cola 250 at Talladega (Ala.) Motor Speedway Oct. 6.

-KBM-