Wimmer overcomes tight Yard-Man/Duraflame Ford for top-15 at Homestead

No. 66 team finishes season 13th in Owners Points

Homestead, FL (November 20, 2006) – The last race of the season proved to be a test of persistence and perseverance for Scott Wimmer and Brewco Motorsports’ Yard-Man/Duraflame team.  After struggling throughout most of practice, Wimmer came back to qualify 20th.  “Tight” was the word of the night during the Ford 300 but when the checkered flag fell, Wimmer was 15th, the 18th top-15 for the No. 66 team this season.

Wimmer was “tight center” for most of the evening Saturday.  Finding the Yard-Man/Duraflame Ford Fusion was “too tight to run the low side,” Wimmer struggled to find a line he could work with.  Wimmer was running 22nd when the caution flew on lap 44 and he came down pit road for the first time.  Crew Chief Newt Moore called for significant adjustments, after which Wimmer said the car “felt good.”

Wimmer was up to 16th when he came in for his next pit stop after a lap 66 caution.  “We need to get her freed up,” he told the crew.  Moore called for four tires and a track bar adjustment and Wimmer restarted 20th.  The adjustment hurt Wimmer in the end and the crew went back on those changes under the next stop.  During a long green flag run, Wimmer cycled through to the lead on lap 145.  He pitted on lap 135.  Wimmer was quiet until the next caution flew when he told the team “that track bar change helped a ton.”  The last stop came on lap 168.  Wimmer restarted 16th and would go on to finish 15th. 

The No. 66 team ended the 2006 NASCAR Busch Series season 13th in Owners Points.  The team racked up one top-5, eight top-10s, 18 top-15s and 19 top-20s this season.  Twice, the No. 66 pit crew captured the Checkers/Rally’s “Double Drive-Thru Challenge” for spending the least amount of time on pit road during a race. 

“Well that wasn’t the night we were hoping for,” said Wimmer.  “The car wasn’t great during first practice but it felt a ton better towards the end of happy hour and during qualifying.  It was real tight there for most of the night but started to come around a lot at the end.  We had really good pit stops.  Newt made the right calls.  The guys didn’t give up – we adjusted on the Yard-Man/Duraflame Ford all night.  At the end we just ran out of laps.  It was a good year, though.  I’ve had a lot of fun with these Brewco Motorsports guys.  I have to thank Clarence Brewer, Newt Moore and all of our sponsors for giving me the opportunity to drive this No. 66 car.  We had a lot of fun this season and I know this team is going to be back even stronger in 2007.”