Daniel Pope II/ No. 2 Dollar General Chevrolet Silverado Team Report

NASCAR Truck Series Race 7 of 25:
Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Speedway

Operation Big Chance: Daniel Pope II, the recipient of Dollar General’s Operation Big Chance program, has earned the opportunity to drive the No. 2 truck fielded by Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Speedway. Pope was deemed eligible to participate after Mark Day, the 2006 Fairground’s Music City Motorplex Super Truck Champion, was unable to compete due to scheduling conflicts.

Getting Up to Speed: Crew Chief Charlie Wilson and KHI driver Ron Hornaday recently spent a day with Daniel Pope at Caraway (N.C.) testing. This was Pope’s first time in a NASCAR Truck. Hornaday commented, “Daniel did really well for his first time in a truck, he posted some fast times and was really consistent. Daniel asked questions and listened to what Charlie and I had to say -- we’ll all be there to help him with whatever he needs at Mansfield.”

The 411 on Daniel Pope II: Daniel Pope II is an engineering major at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Pope began racing go-karts at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway in 1994. The next season Pope raced at tracks across the East Coast from New York to Alabama. Daniel won the National Karting Championship in the Bandit Racing Chassis Speedway Pavement Series in 2001. In 2002, he moved up to the Legends Semi-Pro Division at Nashville (Tenn.) Fairgrounds Speedway. Pope made his way to the Pro Division in 2003, winning his first Legends race and finishing the season third in the points championship. By 2004, Pope had begun the transition into Late Model Stock Cars, running the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville (Tenn.). He finished his rookie year in Late Models fifth in the points championship at the Music City Motorplex, along with finishing in the top fifty nationally in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. Pope continued to race in the Late Model Series in 2005, and finished third in 2006. Pope currently races in the UARA Series, and is hoping that his race for KHI in the Truck Series will be a prelude to even larger things.

Q&A with Charlie Wilson, Crew Chief of the No. 2 Dollar General Chevrolet:

What did you think about Daniel’s performance at Caraway?
“He did really well. Ron (Hornaday) was able to give him direction to help him drive into the corners harder and race more of a truck line. I was very happy about how he listened to Ron and was able to go back out on the track and run better.”

Is Mansfield a good racetrack for a rookie driver?
“Mansfield is one of the better tracks for a rookie. It is fairly wide and you can run two grooves.”

What are your expectations for Mansfield?
“The NASCAR Truck Series is very competitive. We expect to finish all the laps, and we hope to finish on the lead lap in the top 20. But we really want Daniel to have the best experience possible and be able to take what he has learned and use it in the future.”

Q&A with Daniel Pope II, Driver of the No. 2 Dollar General Chevrolet:

What was your experience like testing at Caraway?
“Testing went really well. Charlie was a lot of help. I actually ran some fast speeds, but I needed to run more of a truck line than a late model line.”

How was it working with Ron Hornaday?
“I have been following Ron Hornaday since he was at DEI. It was really cool to be able to learn from him. I can take all of that knowledge and use it in late models and in the future in general.”

What are your expectations for Mansfield?
“I want to go out there and run well, have a solid finish and bring the truck home in one piece. But a top-10 would be great.”

What does this opportunity mean to you?
“It means everything in the world to me, it is my opportunity. This gives me a chance to prove that I can do it -- it’s a dream come true. In racing opportunity is everything.”

About Dollar General:
Dollar General is a Fortune 500® discount retailer with more than 8,200 stores. Dollar General stores offer convenience and value to customers by offering consumable basic items that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids and cleaning supplies, as well as a selection of basic apparel, housewares and seasonal items at everyday low prices. The Company store support center is located in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Dollar General's website can be reached at www.dollargeneral.com.

About Kevin Harvick Inc.:
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) is a 70,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C. KHI is home to the No. 33 and No. 2 Camping World Truck Series teams and the No. 33 Old Spice/Bounty/ RoadLoans.com/Camping World and the No. 77 Dollar General stores Busch Series teams. KHI enters into its fourth year of full-time competition in 2007 in NASCAR’s elite divisions. Please visit www.kevinharvickinc.com.