Ben Rhodes captures NASCAR K&N victory at Bowman Gray Stadium

Race: NKNPSE Bowman Gray 5/31/14

Pos	No.	Name	Laps	Diff
1	41	Ben Rhodes *	152
2	6	Daniel Suarez	152	0.614
3	22	Austin Hill *	152	1.277
4	33	Brandon Jones	152	1.581
5	4	Ronnie Bassett Jr. *	152	3.718
6	20	Gray Gaulding	152	3.885
7	2	Ryan Gifford	152	4.089
8	96	Kenzie Ruston	152	6.03
9	42	Jay Beasley *	152	13.978
10	15	Nick Drake *	152	17.808
11	31	Kaz Grala *	151	1 Lap
12	34	Scott Heckert	150	2 Laps
13	21	Mackena Bell	149	3 Laps
14	97	Jesse Little	147	5 Laps
15	24	Brennan Newberry	146	6 Laps
16	18	Sam Hunt	146	6 Laps
17	14	Trey Hutchens *	145	7 Laps
18	98	Cameron Hayley	122	30 Laps
19	46	John Holleman IV	76	76 Laps
20	4	Sergio Pena	68	84 Laps

Tony Stewart returns to sprint car at Carolina Speedway

   Three-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart made his first laps in a sprint car on Monday at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, just over nine months since a vicious accident in Iowa that sidelined him for much of the 2013 NASCAR season with two broken bones in his right leg.

   Late Monday, Stewart posted several pictures to his Twitter account of the sprint car he used in the test session.

   In his Tweets, Stewart said it was "a huge day for me." By all accounts, the test session went well. He added in another Tweet, "It felt great. Like an old pair of shoes." 

   Stewart returned to action in NASCAR in February in time for the Sprint Unlimited non-points race and the Daytona 500, both at Daytona International Speedway.

Take a look at what drivers got paid in Sunday's Indy 500

   In NASCAR, prize money for every driver is released after every race. The IndyCar Series has a different system, but it did release the payout Monday for each of the 33 positions in Sunday's Indianapolis 500. Take a look:

Verizon IndyCar Series

98th Running of the Indianapolis 500

INDIANAPOLIS - Results Sunday of the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any) and money earned:

1. (19) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $2,491,194

2. (4) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $785,194

3. (6) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $585,194

4. (7) Carlos Munoz, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $449,194

5. (10) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $441,944

6. (12) Kurt Busch, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $423,889

7. (17) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $384,194

8. (3) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $442,194

9. (31) Sage Karam, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $270,305

10. (9) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $366,194

11. (18) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $247,305

12. (5) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $374,444

13. (24) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $368,694

14. (27) Jacques Villeneuve, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $354,194

15. (32) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $349,194

16. (28) James Davison, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $341,194

17. (21) Carlos Huertas, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $339,694

18. (30) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Chevy, 200, Running, $344,444

19. (23) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $342,444

20. (13) Jack Hawksworth, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running, $346,194

21. (15) Mikhail Aleshin, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running, $340,194

22. (14) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running, $339,194

23. (29) Martin Plowman, Dallara-Honda, 196, Running, $225,805

24. (22) Pippa Mann, Dallara-Honda, 193, Running, $226,805

25. (25) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Chevy, 190, Contact, 226,805

26. (16) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Chevy, 177, Running, $343,194

27. (1) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevy, 175, Contact, $463,694

28. (2) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 175, Contact, $376,194

29. (11) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Chevy, 167, Contact, $390,694

30. (8) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Honda, 156, Contact, $344,194

31. (26) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Chevy, 149, Contact, $341,194

32. (33) Buddy Lazier, Dallara-Chevy, 87, Mechanical, $225,305

33. (20) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 44, Electrical, $341,194 

Why would Jeff Gordon need to prove his toughness to anyone?

    Jeff Gordon has won four Sprint Cup Series championships and 89 races yet after Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gordon said one of the reasons he felt he needed to complete all 600 miles even with an ailing back was to earn some more respect from his team in regards to his toughness.

   The question seems a little absurd given Gordon's accomplishments, even if he doesn't win quite as much as he did 10 years ago.

   Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus - who once worked on Gordon's team - offered a good explanation as to what Gordon was referring.

   "I was listening to that question before. I completely understand because as a crew guy sometimes you think that the drivers, they have it pretty easy. They fly around in big, fancy jets, they show up at 3 p.m., race, go home, show up again on Friday, do it Saturday, Sunday," he said.

   "I think what Jeff was trying to say is he understands what his team does, what they go through to build the race cars, how this pit crew is there at 7 every morning to practice pit stops, start working out, what they go through setting up the pits when it's 120 degrees outside and waiting five hours to start. He gets that.

   "I think that's what he was trying to say. He was trying to prove to his guys that he was going to do his just work every day."

What Jeff Gordon's crew chief says about his driver's back problems

   Alan Gustafson, crew chief for four-time Cup series champion Jeff Gordon, took questions Saturday morning about his driver's back problems, which kept the team out of Saturday's second practice.

   Q: Alan, when did you get an idea of how serious this was?

   A: Well, you know, I know he had some discomfort after Thursday night and he had been working on it, trying to get it fixed up. Really hadn’t put much thought into it, to be honest with you. Then after the first run, we talked about, it was pretty detrimental to him physically to continue to practice. Fortunately, the guys did a great job on the car, and I don’t think there was much we were going to learn anyway. We’ve been here for a long time. We’ve got a good idea on what we need to race with. Glad the car was good and made the decision pretty easy.

   Q:  Do you know what he is doing now in terms of treatment to get ready for tomorrow?

   A: No, I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the doctors that. Dr. Petty is one of the best in the country. He is going to take care of him and do everything he can to get him in the best condition he can to run tomorrow.

   Q: What do you guys do during the second practice?

   A: We’re just going to get the car ready to race.

   Q: You won’t put Regan (Smith) in there just for a few laps?

  A: No, we’re pretty confident. We’ve tested a lot with Regan and have a really good baseline. Actually, Regan drove our car here during the NASCAR test in November or December, whenever that was. We’re real confident knowing what he’ll need as far as how the card drives. Don’t have any concerns about that. We’ll just spend a little time making sure he can get in there and get comfortable.

   Q: You know Jeff, describe his ability to run through something like this tomorrow.

   A: He’s extremely tough and extremely dedicated. I know he’s very competitive and it’s difficult anytime to have to not be able to do your job based physical requirements or something that’s personal. I know that’s not easy for him, but I know tomorrow he’ll do everything he can to get in and go. These guys go through a lot physically, and he’s done it over a long period of time. His body has taken a long toll. It’s amazing he’s in as good shape as he is, and is in as good of condition as he is week in and week out. I’m sure he’ll fight through this as best he can.

   Q: He says he was feeling the pain Thursday after qualifying? Can you take us through the sequence of events?

   A: Thursday night after qualifying was when he was feeling the worst. This is something he has had before. He has some experience with. He knew Thursday night, unfortunately what is a familiar feeling for him that this is not good and he needs to do everything he can. He did all he could as far as treatment and rest, and whatever is required with hopes today (he’d) be good to go. I think he felt like he thought he was going to be, and unfortunately getting back in the car triggered some discomfort. 

   Q: Do you have any sense if the race was right, whether or not he could go a full race?

   A: I’m not focused on hypotheticals. It’s not going to do me any good.

   Q: Because he’s already in the Chase, will the new points system play a role in whether or not he will start the race tomorrow?

   A: Not for me, no. It’s going to be based on his condition.

   Q: The plan is for him to start if he feels like it?

   A: Absolutely. The plan is for him to race. Our plan is for Jeff to get in the car, start the 600 and finish it and win it. That’s what we’re going to try and do.

   Q: If his back hurts, and he has to come out of the car mid-race, is that Regan Smith?

   A: Yes, that would be Regan.

Former NASCAR exec nominated to Obama administration post

    On Thursday, President Obama nominated former NASCAR executive Marcus Jadotte as assistant secretary for industry and analysis in the department of Commerce. Jadotte's position will require Senate approval.

    Jadotte served as the vice president of public affairs and multicultural development at NASCAR from 2011 to 2014. He led the development of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Pit Crew Development programs which focus on developing the skills of promising female, Asian, Latino and African-American drivers and crew members in NASCAR. He has held several other positions at NASCAR, including managing director of public affairs from 2006 to 2011 and senior manager of public relations from 2005 to 2006.  

   Prior to joining NASCAR, Jadotte was chief of staff to U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz from 2004 to 2005. He was deputy campaign manager for the Kerry/Edwards Presidential campaign from 2003 to 2004. He was chief of staff to U.S. Representative Peter Deutsch from 2001 to 2003 and served as Florida state director on the Gore/Lieberman Presidential campaign in 2000.  

   He served at the Department of Labor in various positions, including intergovernmental officer from 1999 to 2000 and special assistant to the deputy secretary in 2000. Jadotte received a B.A. from Florida State University.

Do NASCAR drivers make good bartenders? Find out at Whiskey River

  

 
   Do NASCAR drivers make good bartenders?

   Race fans in Charlotte can find out this weekend as NASCAR drivers Brad Keselowski and Ty Dillon will serve as guest bartenders on Friday night at Whiskey River in uptown Charlotte as part of the bar's NASCAR "Fan Appreciation Night."

   Keselowski and Dillon will be mixing things up in the bar owner by NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. The evening will also feature prize giveaways, NASCAR trivia and DJ Boss Austin. 
   
   Receive no line, no cover with proof of a race ticket. The restaurant is open to all ages from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.; ages 21 and up with a valid ID after 10 p.m.

    Whisky River is located at the Epicentre, 210 E Trade Street in the heart of uptown Charlotte.

Meet the five new members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame

   Voting for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2015 was held on Wednesday. The five-member Class of 2015 includes:

   Bill Elliott, 1988 premier series champion, two-time Daytona 500 winner and 16-time Most Popular Driver.

   Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600.

   Wendell Scott, First African-American NASCAR premier series race winner, and first to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

   Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR premier series champion.

   Rex White, 1960 NASCAR premier series champion.

   Anne Bledsoe France was named the winner of the inaugural Landmark Award for outstanding contribution to NASCAR.

   She helped build the sport with husband Bill France Sr. Affectionately known as “Annie B.,” she is the first woman to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Is Jimmie Johnson: 'stumbling a bit each week' ?

    Former Sprint Cup Series crew chief and now Fox Sports analyst Larry McReynolds was asked how crucial a strong showing is this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway for six-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team. Johnson has yet to register a victory this season.

   Here is McReynolds' response:

   "We see them stumbling a bit each week. We are one race away from being one-third of the way through the season, and when you see Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team run sixth in the All-Star Race at Charlotte without any true issues, it definitely raises concern. Johnson said on the radio that he feels like he’s trying to solve a puzzle every time he’s behind the wheel.  That is so uncharacteristic of that team," he said.

   "Five Hendrick-related teams have wins this year, while he sits winless. And of the Hendrick Motorsports cars in the All-Star Race, the No. 48 team probably was the weakest. These next three tracks – Charlotte, Dover and Pocono – where 16 or 17 of his 66 wins have come – will be very important for that team. If they haven’t won by then, then I think we can say something really is up with them."

The Charlotte Knights are taking NASCAR stars out to the ballgame

    NASCAR stars Michael Waltrip and Joey Logano will each throw out a ceremonial first pitch on Wednesday night at BB&T Ballpark as the Charlotte Knights host the Norfolk Tides. Game time is 7:05 p.m. 

   Gates open at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Joey Logano Foundation racing calendar.

   Waltrip, a native of Owensboro, Ky., is a two-time winner of the Daytona 500 and is a pre-race analyst for Fox Sports. Logano, 23, is the youngest winner in two of NASCAR's three national series. The native of Middletown, Conn., is off to his career best start in the Sprint Cup Series with two wins already this season. 

   Single-game tickets for Wednesday’s game against the Tides are available by calling (704) 357-8071; or online at www.CharlotteKnights.com.

Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera joins All-Star Victory Lane celebration

   Chip Ganassi Racing and Jamie McMurray had a special guest in their Victory Lane celebration – Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera.

   Team part-owner Felix Sabates joked Rivera needed to come to more of the team’s races in the future.

   “It’s all new to me but what I thought was real interesting was to watch the teamwork they use, watching how the pit crew worked and got the car back out on the track as fast as possible and the synchronization with which they worked,” Rivera told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio in an interview in Victory Lane.

   “I was looking at it from that perspective and playing a football game. I tried to take something out of it. It was exciting and neat.”

 

   Rivera said getting the at-track experience of a NASCAR race was far better than watching on TV. 

   “You get the real flavor of the excitement,” he said. “When the team has a great pit stop, they’re excited and when they have a bad one, they’re on each other talking about ‘We need to do better.’”

The Tony Stewart tweet heard 'round the garage

   On Friday afternoon, three-time Sprint Cup series champion Tony Stewart became the latest NASCAR driver to join Twitter. 

   There has been an account reserved for Stewart (@TonyStewart) for some time but until Friday, its number of tweets remained at zero.

   Stewart posted a message at 4:27 p.m.: “Ok here it is. I’m doing my part 2 combat global warming because now that I’m officially tweeting, hell is freezing over!”

   Let the fun begin.

Hendrick Motorsports drivers are good, but did you know they may also be super heroes?

 
   Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), in conjunction with DC Entertainment, has joined forces with Hendrick Motorsports in a three-year agreement to build on- and off-track programs teaming star NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. with the most recognized characters in Super Hero lore, including Batman, Superman, The Flash and Green Lantern.

   The program will allow the team and its partners to develop consumer promotions and original content to engage youth, drive fan excitement and energize licensed merchandise initiatives.

   The first joint program will come to life around upcoming Sprint Cup Series events at Charlotte Motor Speedway (May 25) and Michigan International Speedway (June 15) where Superman, the world’s first and most recognized Super Hero, will be featured on Earnhardt’s No. 88 Chevrolet SS. 

   The Superman-themed paint scheme will pair the Army National Guard with the Superman Hall of Heroes, a new online gift-giving portal that empowers consumers to honor their personal heroes; those who have made a positive impact on their lives or the lives of others. Earnhardt's No. 88 National Guard/Superman Chevrolet SS paint scheme will be unveiled May 21.

   Future collaborations include  co-developed car paint schemes, comic books and digital content incorporating DC Comics Super Heroes and illustrated likenesses of Hendrick Motorsports drivers. 

Richard Petty statement on the death of his sister-in-law, Patricia Petty

 

   Patricia Petty, wife of NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Maurice Petty and sister-in-law to seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty, passed away Sunday, May 11.

   Richard Petty offered the following statement:

   "We all love Patricia. She was another cornerstone in the Petty family and was always there for Maurice and allowed us to do what we loved to do. She was just another special part of the family. We'll miss her and give our love and support to Maurice and his family at this time."

Danica Patrick on her career-best finish: 'We work hard for it'

   Danica Patrick finally put together a complete weekend from start-to-finish, running strong in practice, qualifying well and earning a strong finish in the race. In this case, it was a career-best seventh-place finish in Saturday night's 5-Hour Energy 400 at Kansas Speedway.

   Patrick was asked about her weekend after the race:

   "It felt good. My goal was just to stay up in that lead group. Generally average out to where I was starting, and I feel we did all that. I’m really overall proud of the team for building cars like these. This was a new car. It was so good. It shows when the runs were long, I got to show this was a quick car," she said. "I’m so happy for GoDaddy always being behind me. I know that we haven’t had the best of times, but we work hard for it. It’s days like today when this is the kind of stuff that materializes in wins. We’ve just got to keep hanging around and doing what we’re doing. I’m just proud of everyone for working really hard and believing in me."

   Patrick was asked to describe the weekend.


   "Drama free. Jay (Guarneri) said this is what we call putting a whole weekend together. We weren’t great great in practice, but we came through in qualifying. Smart about the changes, Gibson did a good job making changes for the race. It was good from the get-go, what it says even more is two things: Really good on restarts and when it wasn’t quite right. Really good on long runs. That just goes to show this is a new car, and they build a great one. We’ve got more of these coming. That’s the even better news. Overall proud for the team. Kevin (Harvick)’s been a great teammate and helping me out, he was very fast tonight. I was surprised to see he didn’t win, but congrats to Jeff and happy for GoDaddy, who’s always been a big supporter of mine no matter what, and it’s days like today that hopefully makes them smile and start to pay off a little."

NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson to receive key to City of Charlotte

   
   Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson will be presented with the "Key to the City" during the regularly scheduled Charlotte City Council meeting on Monday, which convenes at 7 p.m.

   Johnson will be recognized by Mayor Dan Clodfelter for his outstanding philanthropic contributions to the Charlotte region and other parts of the country the Jimmie Johnson Foundation.

   The Jimmie Johnson Foundation was launched in 2006 by Johnson and his wife, Chandra, and is dedicated to assisting children, families and communities in need throughout the United States. To date, more than $6.7 million has been contributed to various organizations. 

   The foundation currently focuses on funding K-12 public education and in recent years has contributed close to $1 million to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Cabarrus County school systems.

How you can get a 'Ride of a Lifetime' at Charlotte Motor Speedway

   

   Fans can bid to ride along with their favorite driver during their parade lap after driver introductions for the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 25, via the “Ride of a Lifetime” auction which benefits the Charlotte Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities .

   Drivers participating in the auction include Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., among others.

   The winning bidders will receive a pit and garage tour, get to attend the drivers' meeting and see driver introductions prior to their lap around the track in the back of a Toyota Tundra.

   To place a bid, go here. The auction closes at noon on Thursday, May 22.

   VIP Experience Auction

   This year Speedway Children’s Charities is also offering more VIP experiences, providing fans with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities during the 10 days of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

   Among the packages up for auction: a Jake Owen meet and greet, a visit to Victory Lane for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race or Coca-Cola 600, a VIP Day with a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver and more.

   The auction for NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race packages closes at noon on Thursday, May 15 and the auction for the Coca-Cola 600 packages closes at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 22.

   To place a bid, go here.

Carolina Panthers' Luke Kuechly gets NASCAR assignment

 

   Luke Kuechly, linebacker for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, will serve as honorary pace car driver for the May 17 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

   Kuechly has been the leading tackler for the last two seasons for the Panthers and was the 2013 Associated Press Defensive Player of the year.

   In his rookie season, Kuechly, the ninth overall draft pick out of Boston College, made an immediate impact by leading the NFL in tackles an earning 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.

NASCAR penalizes driver Kasey Kahne's crew chief

   Press release

   Kenny Francis, the crew chief for the No. 5 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with driver Kasey Kahne, has been penalized for rules violations committed during qualifying May 3 at Talladega Superspeedway.

 

   The infraction is a P3 level penalty and violates Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4.3(A)1-c (unapproved added weight and/or weight affixed improperly) of the 2014 rule book.

 

   As a result, Francis has been fined $25,000. The infraction was discovered in post-qualifying inspection.

 

 

Report: NASCAR driver Kyle Busch issued speeding citation

 

   Charlotte TV station WSOC-TV Channel 9 reported Sunday night that NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch was issued a speeding ticket for allegedly going 60 mph in a 45 mph zone on April 29 in Denver, N.C., located west of Charlotte.

   According to the police report, the officer who issued the ticket said Busch had "a disrespectful attitude."

   A request for comment from Busch's public relations representative was not immediately returned Sunday night.

   You can read the entire Channel 9 report here.

   In May 2011, Busch was cited for speeding and reckless driving in nearby Iredell County. You can read the story of that incident here.

Marcos Ambrose: 'I was just trying to stand up for myself'

  

 

    Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose took part in a news conference Thursday morning at Charlotte Motor Speedway in which N.C. Gov. Pat McCrory issued a proclamation signifying May as "Motorsports Month" in North Carolina. 

   Afterwards, Ambrose was asked about the fight he was involved in after last Saturday night's race at Richmond, Va., with fellow driver Casey Mears.

   “The altercation I had with Casey was quite impromptu.  As I was walking past the No. 13 car, as he’d finished the race, I was actually heading over to have a chat with David Gilliland just to say we’re all good after we got into each other a couple of times. Some words were said and I was confused about why Casey was so annoyed at me, and I think you just see a lot of the passion that the drivers have and the commitment we have to try to win these races and try to run at the front. That passion kind of got out of hand and got out of control pretty quick," Ambrose said.

   "To be honest with you, once he put his hand on me and started pushing me around I was just trying to stand up for myself and my country and my family and my reputation and I threw a punch down on him to get him out of the way and let him know that I didn’t respect him not giving me my private space. As it goes down, if I had my chance to think back about it, a wiser man would have walked away a little bit earlier and not got himself in that situation. I don’t apologize for my actions. I was just standing up for myself and my team and my family and letting people know that you can’t get in my private space like that and expect not to have any consequences.”

   Ambrose was asked if he and Mears have talked.

   "We have. We’ve spoken in-depth more than once. I honestly believe that we’ll enjoy having a beer with each other. I think we have a mutual respect for each other.  I like Casey a lot," he said. "I didn’t have any beef with him after the race, but emotions just got out of hand and we both recognized that if we had our time again it wouldn’t happen again, but now it has, you can’t take back what has happened. I’ve spoken to him and I’m not carrying anything forward. He has to decide what he wants to do moving forward, but if we get ourselves in a pub somewhere I’d buy him a beer no problem.”

   You can read about the penalties NASCAR assessed both Ambrose and Mears here.