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DLP HDTV Team Race Report: Michigan
Rookie Coleman Gains Valuable Experience at Michigan
Date: Aug. 17, 2008
Event: 3M Performance 400 (Round 23 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (2-mile oval)
Start/Finish: 43rd / 38th (Running, completed 197 of 200 laps)
Winner: Carl Edwards of Roush Fenway Racing (Ford)
The goal for rookie Brad Coleman was to stay out of trouble, gain valuable experience and complete as many laps as possible in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
That goal was accomplished, as Coleman brought the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry back to the garage with no damage, a 38th-place finish and a boatload of experience gained.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s easy, because it’s not,” said Coleman, who completed 197 of the 200 laps in his debut race. “Those are all world-class race car drivers out there. I’ve just got such limited time in this (Sprint Cup) car, I didn’t know what would happen when I got around other cars aerodynamically. I didn’t know on the restarts how hard I could drive it, so basically that’s what today was. I was trying to get to the finish and learn all those things, and I felt I got better and better as the race went on.”
It was continued improvement throughout the 400-mile race that was most important to Coleman and the DLP HDTV team.
“I saw his lap times improve gradually and I think by the end of the day his lap times got a lot better,” said Steve Boyer, crew chief of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota. “I saw his pit stops get better and better. So, there are a lot of little things he got better at and we’ll build on them and get better from here on out.”
For Coleman, his first Sprint Cup start showed him first-hand the difference between the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the elite NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
“The biggest thing I told him that I couldn’t prepare him for, no matter how many times we talked, was the difference between a Nationwide Series race and a Sprint Cup Series race,” Boyer said. “The biggest difference is intensity. When they drop the green in (Sprint) Cup, those guys are out for blood, where in the Nationwide Series, it isn’t that way. They don’t really run as hard as they do in Cup. In Cup, these guys – all 43 of them – run 99 percent every single lap. In Nationwide, it’s not that way, and so the intensity level is hugely different and how hard these guys push these cars. It’s what makes it the Sprint Cup Series.”
With nearly 400 miles of Sprint Cup race experience now with him, Coleman, along with Boyer and the rest of the DLP team head to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway next weekend.
“It was an honor to drive this DLP Toyota and I think I can build on this,” Coleman said. “I’ve got to learn to help the team set up the car the way I want it. I still don’t know what I want. It’s still a learning process and the rest of the year I’m going to be learning a lot.”
With the 38th-place finish, the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing entry is now 40th in the series’ owner standings with 1,482 points, 279 markers behind the 35th-place No. 66 team of Haas/CNC Racing.
Carl Edwards won the 3M Performance 400 to score his 12th career Sprint Cup victory, his fifth of the season and his second at Michigan. Finishing .947 of a second behind Edwards was Kyle Busch, while David Ragan, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Mark Martin, Brian Vickers, Kevin Harvick, Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were seven caution periods for 27 laps, with five drivers failing to finish the 200-lap race.
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Aug. 23 Sharpie 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The race begins at 8 p.m. EDT with live, high-definition coverage provided by ESPN beginning with its pre-race show at 7 p.m. The race will also be broadcast live on SIRIUS Satellite Radio Channel 128.
Houston: Brad’s Embarking on His Maiden Voyage
CORNELIUS, N.C. – Every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver had to start his first race somewhere. Jeff Gordon debuted at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte did it at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. His brother Terry started at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway was the site of Jimmie Johnson’s first Sprint Cup Series start. And Tony Stewart’s first race with the big boys came at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.
For 20-year old Brad Coleman, historic Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, the 2-mile D-shaped oval nestled in the scenic Irish Hills region, will serve as the setting for his Sprint Cup Series debut.
Coleman, who will drive the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry in Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at MIS, has built a solid resume as he’s risen through the racing ranks. In 43 Nationwide Series starts, he’s scored three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He won his first career Nationwide Series pole in April 2007 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and scored his best Nationwide Series result in June 2007, when he finished second at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
In addition to his experience in the Nationwide Series, the Houston-born Coleman also has nine starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, with two top-five finishes at MIS among his eight total top-fives, three poles and a win at Kentucky Speedway, all of which came in 2006. In 2005, Coleman competed in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series and finished fourth in the track championship at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., while earning the most points of any rookie driver that season.
At age 16, Coleman teamed with fellow 16-year-olds Colin Braun and Adrian Carrio to finish seventh in the GT class at the prestigious 24 Hours At Daytona on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course at Daytona International Speedway. The trio was the youngest ever to compete in the endurance classic.
Coleman’s racing career began when he was 12 after being discovered at a Houston-area indoor karting center by fellow Texan Price Cobb, the veteran racer who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990 with co-drivers John Nielson and Martin Brundle. While working as a crew member on Cobb’s Toyota Atlantic Series team, Coleman continued to compete in karts. He advanced through open wheel’s Fran-Am 1600 Series and the Star Mazda Championship Series before turning his attention to stock cars in 2005.
Everyone starts somewhere. For Coleman, it was a Houston-area karting center. And the latest phase is about to begin at Michigan.
BRAD COLEMAN, driver of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry:
What are your thoughts heading into the 3M Performance 400 and your NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut?
“It’s my lifetime dream coming true. I’m just really excited to do my first race for Hall of Fame Racing, DLP and Toyota. After the year of testing I’ve done, I feel prepared and I’m ready to get in the car.”
What are your emotions as you take to the track in the Sprint Cup Series against some of the best drivers in the world?
“My goal when I first got to the Nationwide Series was to gain the respect of all the other drivers – race them hard, but race them clean and give them room. I accomplished that goal. In the Sprint Cup Series, I want to do the same thing. I want to finish races without any damage and gain the respect of the Sprint Cup guys. I want to race them hard, but race them clean.”
You’ve tested the new Sprint Cup Series car, but obviously you never raced with it. What are your thoughts on the new car?
“I’ve had fun testing the new car for Hall of Fame Racing. I’ve tested at a variety of tracks – Pocono, Nashville, Kentucky and Road Atlanta – so I’ve had the chance to drive it on different types of tracks. It’s a challenging car to drive – more of a challenge than a Nationwide Series car. It’s got a lot more horsepower and it’s a lot more top-heavy and it doesn’t handle as well in the corners. You have to drive it a lot harder, but it’s fun with that rear wing because you can lay it out on the line and that rear wing will catch you a little bit.”
What are your thoughts on doing longer race distances that are 400 and 500 miles in length?
“I’ve been working out really hard for about the last year-and-a-half. The races are long races and they’re very tough. Not many people know how difficult it is to drive these stock cars on an oval. It’s very physical. I’ve been working out very hard these last couple of weeks. I’ve really stepped up my program and my hydration and I’m just stepping it up to get ready for these Sprint Cup races.”
What are your thoughts on Michigan International Speedway?
“From the past experience I’ve had at Michigan, I’ve loved it. I’ve done two ARCA races there and my worst finish was fifth. I did the Nationwide Series race there last year and finished 15th. We should have had a top-10, but we had a little struggle in the pits. It’s just a really fun race track, really wide, and you can easily go three-wide there. I’m really looking forward to getting out there.”
For 20-year old Brad Coleman, historic Michigan International Speedway (MIS) in Brooklyn, the 2-mile D-shaped oval nestled in the scenic Irish Hills region, will serve as the setting for his Sprint Cup Series debut.
Coleman, who will drive the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry in Sunday’s 3M Performance 400 at MIS, has built a solid resume as he’s risen through the racing ranks. In 43 Nationwide Series starts, he’s scored three top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He won his first career Nationwide Series pole in April 2007 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and scored his best Nationwide Series result in June 2007, when he finished second at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.
In addition to his experience in the Nationwide Series, the Houston-born Coleman also has nine starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, with two top-five finishes at MIS among his eight total top-fives, three poles and a win at Kentucky Speedway, all of which came in 2006. In 2005, Coleman competed in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series and finished fourth in the track championship at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., while earning the most points of any rookie driver that season.
At age 16, Coleman teamed with fellow 16-year-olds Colin Braun and Adrian Carrio to finish seventh in the GT class at the prestigious 24 Hours At Daytona on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course at Daytona International Speedway. The trio was the youngest ever to compete in the endurance classic.
Coleman’s racing career began when he was 12 after being discovered at a Houston-area indoor karting center by fellow Texan Price Cobb, the veteran racer who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990 with co-drivers John Nielson and Martin Brundle. While working as a crew member on Cobb’s Toyota Atlantic Series team, Coleman continued to compete in karts. He advanced through open wheel’s Fran-Am 1600 Series and the Star Mazda Championship Series before turning his attention to stock cars in 2005.
Everyone starts somewhere. For Coleman, it was a Houston-area karting center. And the latest phase is about to begin at Michigan.
BRAD COLEMAN, driver of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry:
What are your thoughts heading into the 3M Performance 400 and your NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut?
“It’s my lifetime dream coming true. I’m just really excited to do my first race for Hall of Fame Racing, DLP and Toyota. After the year of testing I’ve done, I feel prepared and I’m ready to get in the car.”
What are your emotions as you take to the track in the Sprint Cup Series against some of the best drivers in the world?
“My goal when I first got to the Nationwide Series was to gain the respect of all the other drivers – race them hard, but race them clean and give them room. I accomplished that goal. In the Sprint Cup Series, I want to do the same thing. I want to finish races without any damage and gain the respect of the Sprint Cup guys. I want to race them hard, but race them clean.”
You’ve tested the new Sprint Cup Series car, but obviously you never raced with it. What are your thoughts on the new car?
“I’ve had fun testing the new car for Hall of Fame Racing. I’ve tested at a variety of tracks – Pocono, Nashville, Kentucky and Road Atlanta – so I’ve had the chance to drive it on different types of tracks. It’s a challenging car to drive – more of a challenge than a Nationwide Series car. It’s got a lot more horsepower and it’s a lot more top-heavy and it doesn’t handle as well in the corners. You have to drive it a lot harder, but it’s fun with that rear wing because you can lay it out on the line and that rear wing will catch you a little bit.”
What are your thoughts on doing longer race distances that are 400 and 500 miles in length?
“I’ve been working out really hard for about the last year-and-a-half. The races are long races and they’re very tough. Not many people know how difficult it is to drive these stock cars on an oval. It’s very physical. I’ve been working out very hard these last couple of weeks. I’ve really stepped up my program and my hydration and I’m just stepping it up to get ready for these Sprint Cup races.”
What are your thoughts on Michigan International Speedway?
“From the past experience I’ve had at Michigan, I’ve loved it. I’ve done two ARCA races there and my worst finish was fifth. I did the Nationwide Series race there last year and finished 15th. We should have had a top-10, but we had a little struggle in the pits. It’s just a really fun race track, really wide, and you can easily go three-wide there. I’m really looking forward to getting out there.”
Hall of Fame Racing Makes Driver Change
Brad Coleman to Make NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Debut in No. 96 DLP® HDTV Toyota Next Week at Michigan
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Aug. 6, 2008) – Hall of Fame Racing officials announced Wednesday that NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Brad Coleman, who has been under contract as a test driver for Hall of Fame Racing since November 2007, will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut by piloting the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry in the Aug. 17 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.
Coleman will replace J.J. Yeley who has been released by the team.
Road racing veteran P.J. Jones will drive the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota in the Sprint Cup race this weekend at the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International road course.
“J.J. is a talented race car driver and a great person and this was a difficult decision to make,” said Tom Garfinkel, co-owner of Hall of Fame Racing. “We all share responsibility that our performance hasn’t been what it needs to be, but we concluded it was time to make a change. This is a performance-based industry and we need to perform better. We’re confident J.J. will be successful in this sport in whatever his next challenge is.”
The 20-year-old Coleman has 42 Nationwide Series starts, compiling three top-fives and five top-10 finishes in his first 15 races with Joe Gibbs Racing in 2007. In that same year he also won his first career Nationwide Series pole in April at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway and scored his best Nationwide Series result in June when he finished second at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta. Coleman currently ranks 16th in the Nationwide Series championship point standings driving full-time for Nashville, Tenn.-based Baker Curb Racing.
“I really appreciate Jeff Moorad (co-owner of Hall of Fame Racing) and Tom for giving me this opportunity,” said Coleman, a native of Houston who now resides in Charlotte. “I have really enjoyed my time testing with the people on the team and I’m looking forward to having a successful weekend at Michigan in the DLP HDTV Toyota and helping Hall of Fame Racing finish out the season as strong as possible. It is truly an honor to be a part of this organization.”
In addition to his experience in the Nationwide Series, Coleman also has nine starts in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, with eight top-five finishes, three poles and a win at Kentucky Speedway, all of which came in 2006. While running in the Grand-Am Series in 2005, Coleman’s cross-training approach to development provided him the opportunity to compete in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. He finished fourth in the track championship at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C., while earning the most points of any rookie driver that season.
At age 16, Coleman teamed with fellow 16-year-olds Colin Braun and Adrian Carrio to form Team16, where they finished seventh in the GT class at the prestigious 24 Hours At Daytona on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. In doing so, the trio set a Grand-Am record by becoming the youngest drivers ever to compete in the race.
Coleman’s racing career began when he was 12 after being discovered at a Houston-area indoor karting center by Price Cobb, the veteran racer who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990 with co-drivers John Nielson and Martin Brundle. While working as a crew member on Cobbs’ Toyota Atlantic team, Coleman began his career in karting by competing in 64 races across the country. In his first and only year of karting, he won 42 percent of his races and finished on the podium at a rate of 65 percent. His success earned him an opportunity to become the youngest American driver to receive a professional open-wheel license at age 14 and advance to such open-wheel divisions as the Fran-Am 1600 Series and the Star Mazda Championship Series before turning his attention to stock cars in 2005.
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