Key Motorsports Rallies To Top Twenty Finish In Ford 300

Key Motorsports with driver Scott Wimmer rallied from a 35th place starting position to finish 19th in the Ford 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series season finale Saturday night at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Key Motorsports team started the weekend by recording a top-10 on the speed chart in the first practice session Friday afternoon. After qualifying 35th, the Key Motorsports crew, led by crew chief Gary Showalter, sprang into action and made several adjustments to the #40 Chevrolet.

Wimmer wasted no time moving the Key Motorsports Chevrolet through the field at the drop of the green flag, passing 12 cars and running in the 23rd position by lap two of the 200 lap event. Wimmer continued his march to the front and occupied the third position in the later stages of the race.

"This Key Motorsports team never gives up," said Wimmer. "We didn't qualify as good as we would have liked but the crew kept making changes and the car got a lot better during the race. We were a little loose on the long runs, the crew did a good job today making the changes and getting me on and off pit road."

Veteran crew chief Gary Showalter was equally as complimentary of the performance of the Key Motorsports pit crew and said Homestead was a learning experience for the whole team. 

"The guys did a great job today," said Showalter. "They didn't get down after qualifying, they just kept wrenching on it. We have not run Homestead at night until now so we learned a lot this weekend that will help us the next time we come down here."

Team owner Curtis Key has led the Key Motorsports organization to make great strides in 2009, with the team starting the season without any points or sponsorship. Key Motorsports competed in 32 Nationwide Series events this season and ended the year 21st in NASCAR owner points.

"I am pleased with the performance of our team this year," Key said. "We basically started this year from scratch and due to the efforts of our sponsors and employees we were able to finish 21st in owner points. I want to thank them for their dedication to Key Motorsports and we look forward to working together again in 2010."