STATESVILLE, North Carolina – David Gilliland and the No. 84 Goody’s team from Clay Andrews Racing head to the Martinsville Speedway this weekend with a new sponsor and new car. Goody’s Headache Powders, also the title sponsor of this weekend’s 250 lap NASCAR Busch Series event, will adorn the blue Chevrolet Monte Carlo for the first time this season. This will mark the eighth start of the season for Gilliland, but the first with a new chassis and the first with Goody’s as a sponsor.
“I am really excited to represent Goody’s,” sounded Gilliland. “They have a long and storied tradition in stock car racing and I hope to continue it on Saturday. They have been awesome to work with in putting this deal together and I can’t thank them enough for believing in our team.”
Goody’s has a long, colorful history with NASCAR and Martinsville Speedway. Goody’s entered the sport in 1977 as the “Official Pain Reliever of NASCAR”. In its nearly 30 years as the Official Pain Reliever of NASCAR. Goody’s has sponsored races at Daytona International Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway. From 1983 – 1999, Goody’s sponsored the Goody’s 500, the NASCAR Cup race at Martinsville.
“We are proud to have a premier NASCAR Busch Series driver such as David represent Goody’s in the Goody’s 250 at Martinsville,” said Darren Singer, Vice President, Goody’s Marketing. “With his win at Kentucky earlier this season, David has been one of this year’s biggest stories in the Busch Series and we look forward to his continued success in the #84 Goody’s Chevrolet.”
Gilliland has never before been to the Martinsville Speedway, but he is not far removed from the short track racing of the NASCAR AutoZone Elite, Southwest Series or the NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series. While his win at the Kentucky Speedway proves his mettle on intermediate tracks, Gilliland would first and foremost call himself a short track racer.
“I am no different than any other driver in the fact that I grew up on the short tracks,” said Gilliland. “It is a form of racing that I truly enjoy and feel like I can be successful doing at this level.”
“I am excited about our new car,” continued Gilliland. “It is a car that Billy (Wilburn, crew chief) and I built how we wanted and we are really looking forward to seeing what it can do.”
Gilliland has, in Billy Wilburn, a crew chief with arguably the most winning experience of any Busch Series crew chief at the .526 mile oval tucked in the Virginia foothills. Wilburn worked closely with Darrel Waltrip and Rusty Wallace, two drivers that have 18 Martinsville wins between them. He too is confident about the upcoming weekend.
“The open test on Thursday is huge for our team and I think it, along with the fact that the series has not been here in 12 years, will really level the playing field out,” sounded Wilburn. “David has driven some tracks similar to Martinsville out west and I think we are going to have more than enough time to get him comfortable in the car.”
About Clay Andrews Racing
Clay Andrews Racing is looking to build a reputation as one of the fastest-growing teams in the Busch Series. They have acquired a 28,000 state-of-the-art race shop in Statesville, N.C., and owner, Clay Andrews, has already appointed winning personnel. Veteran crew chief Billy Wilburn will lead Gilliland in 2006. Steve Dietrich, car chief, and Cully Barraclough, shop foreman, round out a very talented cast. The team plans to run a partial schedule in 2006.
About Goody’s Goody’s® Headache Powder has been providing fast relief since 1932 when it was formulated by Winston-Salem, NC pharmacist Martin “Goody” Goodman. Today, it is one of the most popular analgesics in the southeastern United States providing fast and effective temporary relief from minor aches and pains due to headaches, arthritis, colds or flu, muscle strain, backache and menstrual discomfort.
About GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare is one of the world’s largest over-the-counter healthcare products companies and ranks second globally in sales of oral care products. Its more than 30 well-known products include such medicine cabinet staples as Abreva®, Aquafresh® toothpastes and toothbrushes, Goody’s® Headache Powder, Nicorette®, NicoDerm ® CQ, Oxy®, Sensodyne® and Tums®.
About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline -- one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies -- is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
