Pre-Race Atlanta: 3.15.06
Kelly Sutton, Crew Chief Gary Showalter and Team COPAXONE® are gearing up for Atlanta -- one of Sutton's favorite tracks. Sutton and Showalter have spent the past three weeks concentrating on team communications, track testing, improving pit stop skills and strategy for the next few races. Team COPAXONE® is excited about the positive changes that have occurred as it enters the third race of the season.
Team COPAXONE®’s Kelly Sutton is known for her tenacity and inspiration in overcoming adversity. Next week, her story will be told on ESPN2's "Cold Pizza,” a daily program that produces in-depth segments about athletes. The crew began filming this week at Sutton Motorsports in suburban Charlotte by interviewing Kelly, her parents and Crew Chief Gary Showalter. The segment will cover her diagnosis of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis as a teenager, as well as feature the daily rigors of being a race car driver and mother.
Pre-Race / Post Qualifiers California: 2.24.06
Kelly “Girl” Sutton starts tonight in 31st after today’s qualifying run. The truck was built in just 11 days, and despite tight conditions this morning, Team COPAXONE® was able to get ready for the qualifying run. Sutton’s crew chief Gary Showalter says Kelly “is in this race, and is looking for a good finish tonight.”
Post-Daytona / Pre-California Update: 2.23.06
Kelly “Girl” Sutton and the #02 COPAXONE® Chevrolet battled through a tense night of qualifying at Daytona last week to make the field by two-hundrendths of a second. Sutton made the most of her opportunity rallying from a 36th place start to 11th during her best lap. Team COPAXONE® turned in early due to an unfortunate engine problem on lap 88.
Today Kelly and Team COPAXONE’s new crew chief, Gary Showalter, are attacking California with a focus on capitalizing on all the ‘rights’ from Daytona as they hope to commence a stretch of top finishes. Everyone at team COPAXONE® believes this week’s truck is one of the fastest they’ll race this season and looks forward to big things at the racetickets.com 200.
Pre-Race / Post Qualifiers Daytona Update 2.17.06
Regardless of the #02 Chevrolet’s performance on the track today, team COPAXONE® will be celebrating in the pit. Driver Kelly Sutton’s daughter Ashlee celebrates her sixteenth birthday today while Sutton competes in the Craftsman Truck Race tonight. Ashlee, who has already expressed interest in racing, recently got her learners permit. She may indeed become the fourth generation racer in the Sutton racing legacy. Ashlee’s grandparents Ed and Carol Sutton, team COPAXONE® owners, will be on hand to help celebrate the sweet-sixteen milestone Daytona-style.
Pre-Daytona 250 Update 2.14.06
Kelly “Girl” Sutton and the number-two COPAXONE® Chevrolet come to Daytona with big hopes after an 8th place finish in Daytona testing–despite off-season knee surgery and a staph infection. The COPAXONE® number two truck hits the track today in the team’s first race with new crew chief, Craftsman Truck Series veteran Gary Showalter. You’ll recognize Showalter from Todd Bodine’s 2005 third-place team, his years with Joe Gibb’s racing and during Kenny Irwin’s rookie of the year season. Showalter is confident in the upcoming season with Kelly “Girl” Sutton and the #02 COPAXONE® Chevrolet truck.
