NASCAR Nationwide Series Starter Bros. 300 Auto Club Speedway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (February 16, 2010) --

BRAUN AT CALIFORNIA - Colin Braun will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series California debut in the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Fusion this weekend in the Stater Bros. 300. Even though this is his first series start at California, Braun has visited the two-mile track twice in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series notching a top-10 finish in his very first start in 2008. Braun also qualified well in those two events, taking the green flag in the sixth spot in both.

SHOWING STRENGTH AT TWO-MILE TRACKS - Braun has made two starts in the NCWTS at each of the two-mile tracks (California and Michigan), scoring one win, one top-five and three top-10s in four starts. His truck series win came at Michigan International Speedway in August 2009 after starting sixth.

ROUSH FENWAY RACING AT CALIFORNIA - Roush Fenway Racing has notched impressive stats at the two-mile track. In 45 Nationwide Series starts, RFR has amassed six wins, 18 top-fives, 29 top-10s and two pole awards. The most recent RFR win came last spring with Carl Edwards in the No. 60. The No 16 team went to victory lane in California with Greg Biffle in 2006.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR POINT STANDINGS - After his 34th place finish at Daytona, Braun is ranked third in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings behind leader James Buescher and second place Brian Scott.

COMING HOME - California is home to one member of the No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing team. Back-up hauler driver and member of the pit support team, Greg Hinkfus hails from Thousand Oaks, Calif., which is located about 85 miles from California Speedway.

CHASSIS SELECTION - Crew chief Eddie Pardue has selected RK-354 this weekend for the Stater Bros. 300 at California Speedway. This car was previously raced by Greg Biffle at California last October. In that race, Biffle started 14th and finished 14th.

QUOTES

Braun, on racing at California Speedway:
"The finish at Daytona was obviously not what we were hoping for, but it certainly was not for lack of effort. My guys worked so hard through out that entire race. Knowing how much effort they put into what they do gives me that much more confidence as a driver that we can get the job done with a good finish. I think we can do that this weekend at California. I love the fact that you can race all over the track there because of the multiple grooves. If your car doesn't work one place, it might work better somewhere else. It's also a track where Roush Fenway has success in all three series' and I think this No. 16 team can continue that trend this weekend."

Crew chief Eddie Pardue, on the secret to success at California Speedway:
"California is a racetrack where good handling, great aerodynamics, and a strong engine are all needed to have a fast car. It's also a place where you have to keep up with the racetrack by making smart adjustments throughout the course of the afternoon to maintain the car's balance. And as always, you need to have quick, mistake free pit stops because just hundreths of a second on a stop can mean the difference between first and second place. I believe we have all the pieces and I'm hopeful we can put them together for a solid finish this weekend."

Colin Braun and the crew of the No. 16 2010 Roush Fenway Con-way Freight Ford during a pit stop at the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2010

Team: No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford Fusion
Crew Chief: Eddie Pardue
Chassis: RK-354

Race length: 150 laps
Track layout: 2 miles
Miles: 300 miles
Shape: D-shaped oval

SCHEDULE:
(Events in Pacific time zone (PST) unless otherwise noted)

Friday, February 19, 2010
Practice: 11-11:50 AM (2-2:50 PM EST)
TV: 11 AM -12 PM (2-3 PM EST) SPEEDTV

Final Practice: 1:40-3 PM (4:40-6 PM EST)
TV: 1:30-3 PM (4:30-6 PM EST) SPEEDTV

Saturday, February 20, 2010
Qualifying: 9:35 AM-11 AM (12:35-2 PM EST)
TV: 9:30-11 AM (12:30-2 PM EST) SPEEDTV

Race Start: 2:30 PM (5:30 PM EST)
TV: 2 PM (5 PM EST) ESPN2