iPad keyboards are a nice touch

If you’re an iPad user who would rather not hunt-and-peck on a touch screen, accessory keyboards can be a great convenience. Consumer Reports tested several that are Bluetooth compatible to assess their usefulness.

•Belkin Keyboard Folio F5L090, $100. Designed for the iPad 2, it has a built-in battery and is rechargeable via USB.

Pros. The Folio is a good choice if you want an integrated case and a display stand with an adjustable angle. Its decent-sized keyboard has keys almost as large as those on a laptop or desktop computer.

Cons. At 1.3 pounds, it’s heavy. The fitted case is snug on the iPad 2, so it’s hard to put on and remove. The elaborate folding design can take some getting used to.

•Zagg ZAGGfolio, $100. This versatile keyboard has a case to protect the tablet and a handy stand. Its integrated battery recharges through a USB connection.

Pros. The keys are almost as large as those on a typical laptop or desktop. They have custom tablet controls, including Home and Lock Screen.

Cons. The case is snug for both the keyboard and iPad 2. That makes it hard to extricate them, which you must do to access the keyboard’s charging port. With the case, the ZAGGfolio is fairly heavy, at 1.2 pounds.

•RocketFish iPad 2 Keyboard, $100. The RocketFish has an integrated case and stand that can close like a laptop, plus a built-in battery that is rechargeable by the USB cable.

Pros. The keys are almost as large as those on a typical laptop or desktop keyboard, with tablet-specific buttons and shortcuts. The tablet can easily be taken out of the stand, and it has a built-in sleep mechanism when it’s closed.

Cons. At 2.3 pounds, this is the heaviest keyboard CR tested, weighing more than an iPad. The stand can be used only in a horizontal orientation, and it covers the iPad’s rear camera.

•Apple Wireless Keyboard, $70. This device can be used with iPads or Mac computers and requires two AA batteries.

Pros. The keyboard is small and light at 0.7 pounds, making it good for traveling. Its keys are full size, like those on a typical laptop or desktop keyboard. It includes shortcut buttons for brightness and media playback.

Cons. The keyboard buttons aren’t customized for iPad use, so some (such as the Launchpad and Dashboard buttons) serve no purpose. Also, it lacks useful tablet functions, such as Home and Lock buttons.
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Smartphones with big screens
CR found a trio of new smartphones that provide faster processors, bigger screens and 4G support. Prices are with a two-year contract, including rebates.

•Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, Verizon, $300. This recent Verizon exclusive is a marathon performer thanks to its battery, which enabled the Droid Razr Maxx to deliver exceptional talk time — 13.25 hours on average and up to 24 hours on a single charge — in CR’s tests.

Bottom line. With its phenomenal battery life, the Droid Razr Maxx will give you more time to enjoy its many charms at full throttle.

•Motorola Droid 4, Verizon, $200. The fourth-generation Motorola Droid 4 has significant performance upgrades yet keeps the Droid’s sliding keyboard design. Improvements and features include support for Verizon’s ultra-fast 4G LTE data network and a 4-inch high-resolution display.

Bottom line. Great if you text frequently and want the tactile feedback of a physical keyboard that’s well laid out.

•Samsung Galaxy Note, AT&T, $300. Samsung’s new Galaxy Note smartphone has the mother of all cellphone displays: a 5.3-inch high-definition touch screen. The bountiful real estate and exceptional performance in bright light make it a compelling choice for heavy Web users and e-book fans alike.

Bottom line. The size puts a damper on phone functionality, but it may be just the ticket for online addicts and bookworms who want to leave their tablet or e-book reader at home.

How to maintain laptop battery

Notebook is more and more, how to properly maintain laptop battery is also more and more people are concerned about the following to learn it!
Notebook batteries are lithium batteries for lithium batteries, the batteries run out after a long time charging is simply no effect, or even harmful. Because lithium does not exist in the so-called "cache effect", only the early nickel batteries have this feature. Therefore, we should try to avoid the battery is used up exhausted the rechargeable happening, because this will give the battery a lot of pressure, resulting in damage. More feasible approach is to charge remaining in power for about 20 to 30 percent.
Room temperature (20 ° C ~ 30 ° C) the optimum operating temperature of the battery, the temperature is too high or too low operating environment will reduce the battery usage time.
Environment can provide a stable power supply using a laptop, remove the battery for extended battery life is not correct. Because the battery in the charging circuit will automatically turn off when the battery power is full of, so it will not overcharge phenomenon.

2012 Battery Symposium: Life, Reliability And Manufacturing Will Take Place May 2-3 In Columbus

EWI and Ohio State Center for Automotive Research to Host
COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- EWI and the Ohio State Center for Automotive Research (CAR) are hosting the 2012 Battery Symposium: Life, Reliability and Manufacturing on May 2-3, 2012 in Columbus. It is the third time the organizations have joined forces to share battery technology knowledge and innovation with industry in a 2-day, convention-style format.
During the event, EWI will present the latest trends in advanced Canon LP-E6 battery assembly (manufacturing/joining), including material selection, joint design, welding, nondestructive evaluation, and design for disassembly. Results from Department of Energy-sponsored research and other recent studies will be shared. Speakers from Ohio State and CAR Technologies will discuss the links between characterization, testing, and lifetimes of batteries. Talks will range from the nanoscale materials, to total battery systems, to environmentally-safe disposal. Keynote speakers from Ford and IHS Automotive will also be featured.
Along with attending more than a dozen technology presentations, symposium attendees will have the opportunity to tour the laboratories of EWI and OSU CAR where energy storage innovation is taking place. They will also see OSU's land-speed record-setting Buckeye Bullet electric race car and EcoCar 2 firsthand. Meals and an evening reception on May 2nd are included. Pre-registration is required. Visit http://www.battery-store.co.uk/ for details and to register.
About EWI
EWI is an international thought-leader on materials joining and allied technologies. It uses manufacturing technology innovation to increase the competitiveness of over 2,700 member locations of global leaders in the advanced energy, aerospace, automotive, government/defense, heavy manufacturing, oil and gas, and consumer products industries. EWI also operates a variety of technology-based centers and consortia to further increase U.S. manufacturing innovation. To learn more, visit http://www.buy-laptop-battery.org/, email info@ewi.org, or call 614.688.5000.
SOURCE EWI
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iPad 2 Foldable Leather Case Built-in Bluetooth Keyboard + Battery

Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS..

Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS Review: Ultracompact Camera With 12X Optical Zoom
Pocket-megazoom cameras have been around for a few years now, but you probably haven't seen one as small or as simple as the Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS ($300 as of April 7, 2012). In a way, it represents a new breed of basic compact camera: Rather than cramming more megapixels into a tiny sensor, the 10-megapixel PowerShot Elph 520 HS keeps the pixel count relatively sane and jacks up the optical zoom to 12X (28mm to 336mm), an impossible-sounding level for a camera of this size.

This tiny little camera can fit comfortably in a shirt or pants pocket; at just 0.76 inch deep, it's the size of a deck of playing cards, and it's a pocket megazoom that's even smaller than many of today's 3X-optical-zoom cameras. The trade-offs for the tiny size start with the camera's manual controls for shutter and aperture--there aren't any--but this model does offer Canon's latest auto-exposure functions, scene modes, and in-camera effects.

Regrettably, this camera is a disappointing performer, at least if you're used to the generally excellent output of Canon's PowerShot line. Our review unit made everything look a bit soft, and the PowerShot Elph 520 HS will leave many owners wanting bigger buttons, better Sony NP-F550 Battery life, and more fine-tunable control. For casual shooters who just want as much optical zoom as possible in a pocket camera, it's still a good option.Performance, Image Quality, and Video Quality
Getting a razor-sharp shot with this camera may prove to be a challenge, but if you do snap one, it should look great. In PCWorld Labs subjective tests for image and video quality, the PowerShot Elph 520 HS scored very well in most categories, but image sharpness was a major weak spot that brought down its overall score.
Although we didn't see a lot of chromatic abberation or fringing in our test shots, everything looked slightly fuzzy. Unfortunately, it's easier to fix exposure and color problems during the editing process than it is to sharpen up a soft image.
As a result, our judges gave the PowerShot Elph 520 HS a sharpness score of Poor in our tests, but its ratings for exposure quality, color accuracy, and lack of distortion were among the best we've tested in the world of point-and-shoots over the past year. Held back by the disappointing sharpness scores, its overall imaging score fell at the low end of our Very Good range.
Video performance was also a bit of a letdown, given Canon's consistently high scores for video-capture quality. Still, the PowerShot Elph 520 HS netted a video-quality score of Good. Again, fuzziness was an issue, and colors in our test footage looked a bit too vibrant to seem "real," but the camera did an admirable job of brightening up video that we shot in low light.

Another issue: This model's Canon EOS 550D battery life falls well short of the 300-plus shots we look for in a point-and-shoot camera. The PowerShot Elph 520 HS is rated at just 190 shots per charge of its tiny, ChapStick-size lithium ion battery, a score that falls in our Fair range.

Shooting Modes and Features

Elph 520 HS: Wide-angleElph 520 HS: Full telephotoAs with many long-zoom cameras, the 12X-optical-zoom (28mm to 336mm) PowerShot Elph 520 HS's major drawback is its narrow maximum aperture of F3.4 at wide angle. This camera doesn't have full manual controls or aperture- and shutter-priority modes, either, although it does provide a long-shutter scene mode that lets you dial in shutter speeds from 1 second to 15 seconds.
To the left are sample shots that showcase the camera's field of view at wide-angle and full telephoto. When zooming quickly from wide-angle to full telephoto, the camera's autofocus system searches a tiny bit from midrange to full zoom, but generally locks focus on faraway subjects within a second. The camera's optical stabilization system works well in steadying shots, as long as it's dealing with a relatively normal amount of hand shakiness. You'll need to at least attempt to hold the camera steady; using a flat surface or a tripod, if possible, is always a good idea.
Elph 520 HS: Low-Light ModeThe camera can extend beyond its 12X optical zoom range to a simulated 21X digital zoom, although you will see a loss of detail and paintlike pockmarking at larger sizes in shots taken with the digital zoom enabled.
The PowerShot Elph 520 HS also has a Program mode that lets you set ISO (100 to 3200), white balance presets, and light-metering presets (evaluative, centered, and spot metering), as well as Canon's full boat of specialized shooting modes. You can preview and apply a few fun filter effects as you're shooting, such as a tilt-shift-simulating Miniature Mode, a Toy Camera filter, and a fish-eye lens effect.
lph520 HS: Color Accent ModeElph 520 HS: Color Swap ModeTo eke the most out of the PowerShot Elph 520 HS's 10-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, you can turn to a couple of low-light scene modes available in the camera's menus. Handheld Night Scene mode stacks three shots taken in rapid succession at different exposure settings to create an HDR-like photo that brings out detail in darker scenes. Low-Light mode jacks up the ISO and uses pixel binning to increase light sensitivity while reducing resolution to 2.5 megapixels.
Of those two modes, Handheld Night Scene performed much better in my hands-on tests, producing more-accurate white balance and sharper contrast in low-light scenes. That said, both modes' images suffered from noise and a decrease in detail when we viewed the results at larger sizes (you can see sample shots taken in each mode above).
Other scene-mode highlights include Canon's Color Accent and Color Swap modes, which let you bring out a single color in an otherwise black-and-white photo or swap instances of colors in a photo, respectively. You can see examples of those modes in action to the left; in Color Accent mode, red is the only color visible, and in Color Swap mode, I switched all the red objects in the frame to yellow.
Like other recent Canon cameras, the CMOS-sensored PowerShot Elph 520 HS also has a high-speed still-shooting mode (about 7 shots per second at a reduced 2.5-megapixel resolution) and a superslow-motion movie mode that records 320-by-240 footage at 240 frames per second or 640-by-480 footage at 120 fps.
The PowerShot Elph 520 HS also performs well in macro mode, with the ability to capture a clear close-up shot when you position the lens less than an inch away from the subject. All in all, despite the lack of manual exposure controls, the in-camera settings cover a wide array of photo options.

Hardware and Design

There is only one word to describe the PowerShot Elph 520 HS's physical build, and that word is boxy. It's a solid deck of cards, with sharp corners and few protrusions aside from the shutter button/zoom control on the top of the camera.
Although the camera doesn't offer a raised handgrip, it is small enough, and light enough, to hold comfortably with an index finger around the edge. The control scheme is a departure from most Canon PowerShots, which have all of their controls handled by tiny buttons on the back and top of the camera rather than the usual directional pad or scrollwheel.

A 3-inch-diagonal LCD screen and seven small buttons, each of which is about the size of a piece of confetti, dominate the back of the camera. You get a dedicated video-record button; a diamond-shaped arrangement of four buttons that let you navigate menus and supply quick access to exposure compensation, macro mode, flash, and display settings; and two buttons below that let you select a function and access the in-camera menu.

On the top of the camera are the expected shutter button/zoom control, the power button, a toggle switch for selecting between Auto mode and the camera's program and scene modes, and a playback button. Three doors cover ports on the camera, consisting of one for the Charger for Fujifilm FinePix J30 port and another for the MicroSD card slot on the bottom of the camera, plus a plasticky door on the side of the camera that covers both a Mini HDMI connection and a Mini-USB port. You get a tripod mount on the bottom of the camera as well.

If you're eyeing this camera, that MicroSD card is something to think about. It may not be a huge deal for anyone who plans to buy a camera and a storage card in one trip to the store, but anyone who owns a full-size SD/SDHC/SDXC card that they were hoping to use with this camera is out of luck. Many MicroSD cards come with a MicroSD-to-SD-Card converter, which you may need to use to offload photos and video to your computer, although connecting the camera via USB will work for that, too.

Bottom Line

It's best to think of this camera as a solid, basic point-and-shoot that happens to have a particularly long lens. If you're a fan of Canon's older, easy-to-use PowerShot SD series, the PowerShot Elph 520 HS basically adds a lot of zoom to that line.
The major issues are the less-than-sharp images, the disappointing Canon NB-5L battery life, Canon's space-saving decision to use a MicroSD card for storage, and the lack of manual controls. It's a small camera, too, which offers benefits in terms of sheer portability but also means it has tiny buttons (so it may be a challenge for larger-handed users to operate). Overall, the Canon PowerShot Elph 520 HS disappoints in photo quality and performance, but as a simple, pocketable camera that offers impressive optical reach for its size, it should do the trick for many casual photographers.
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Analysis to explore the solar cell phone lithium-ion battery charger

The emergence of the energy crisis and the worsening environmental pollution, solar energy as a clean renewable energy countries in the world attach great importance. With the development of solar technology in recent years, ultra-thin, ultra-light photovoltaic cells in portable electronic devices has also been a great development. The solar cell phone lithium battery charger to get rid of the shackles of the traditional charging power supply, energy saving and environmental protection, and has good development prospects. [1]
Output power of photovoltaic cells by light, temperature and other environmental factors, a solar charger to the AC mains charger for lithium-ion battery for safe and fast charging, but also address the following issues [1]: ① The how changes in environmental temperature, light intensity and other external conditions into the charge control method; ② charge controller topology; ③ how to maximize the photovoltaic cell output power. In response to these issues, this paper analyzed three commonly used cell phone lithium battery charger topology and control method, pointed out that there are some limitations in the use of solar energy battery-powered. And designed a BUCK converter constitutes pulse charging control, solar cell phone lithium battery charger based on microprocessor controlled through computer simulation to verify the validity of this charger.
Analysis of a cell phone lithium battery charger Business phone lithium-ion battery charger has three types: linear chargers, pulse chargers and switch mode charger [2]. Table 1, these three charger circuit topology and charge control methods for comparison.
Advantages and disadvantages of the three types of chargers, linear chargers, linear regulator for the charging current and voltage regulation, adjust the tube's power-hungry, need to take effective measures to solve the heat problem can be seen from Table 1. Switch-mode charger by changing the switch turn-off duty cycle to achieve a constant current and constant voltage, the switch in the switch state, the loss is small, but the circuit is more complex. The pulse charger both the advantages of both, but the charger itself does not regulate the current, so a limit of the flow pattern between the power adapter used in conjunction with

In Table 1 The features and structures of three The types chargers
Charger type
 Main circuit structure
 Charging process
 Charge termination method to judge
 Charging current control mode
 Advantage
 Shortcoming
 Linear type
 Linear regulator, the linear charge control circuit
 The prefilled → constant current → constant pressure
 The minimum charge current, time
 Linear adjustment tube to adjust
 Circuit is simple, small size, low cost
 Loss, low efficiency, severe fever
 Pulse
 Switch tubes, pulsed charge control circuit
 Prefilled → fast → pulse
 Ton / the Toff ratio
 Rely on external current limiting power adapter
 Circuit is simple, small size, low power consumption, high efficiency
 Be current-limited power adapter
 Switch-
 DC / DC converter, PWM charge control circuit
 The prefilled → constant current → constant pressure
 The minimum charge current, time
 Adjust the duty cycle of the DC / DC converter
 Low power consumption, high efficiency, the charge current, wide input voltage range
 Large volume, high cost of


 The following analyzes the applicability of the above three chargers when the charger to provide power from photovoltaic cells.
(1) solar charger should be a DC / DC converter topology. The output characteristics of photovoltaic cells has a strong nonlinearity, the output of the influence of ambient temperature, light intensity and load. Can be seen from Figure 1, the output power of photovoltaic cells increased with increasing light intensity, and decrease with increasing ambient temperature. When light and temperature changes, real-time adjustment of the operating voltage of the photovoltaic cell allows it to operate near the maximum power point is the maximum power point tracking (maximum power point of tracking, MPPT) [3]. Therefore, in order to improve the output power of photovoltaic cells, the charger can adjust the input voltage to adjust the operating point of the photovoltaic cells. Linear and pulse charger input voltage is determined by the external power supply and therefore can not achieve the maximum power point tracking function. Switch-mode charger input voltage can be achieved by adjusting the duty cycle D BUCK converter input and output voltage relationship: Vo = D * Vin (Vo lithium Acer Aspire 5720 Battery terminal voltage Vin is the solar cell output voltage). Lithium battery voltage change is slow, so change the switch duty cycle D can be changed Vin in order to achieve the MPPT function.

Figure 1 photovoltaic cells under different illumination (a) and temperature (b) the P-V curve
Fig.1 The PV curves of the PV module with varying irradiation (a) and temperature (b)
(2) The solar charger should be used to pulse charge termination judgment method. Linear and switching charge mode commonly used in the two control algorithms to determine if the Panasonic Nv-ds27 Battery is full, the first detection of the minimum charge current law, the second timing method. As mentioned earlier, the output of the photovoltaic cell by the external environment. In the process of charging, due to changes in the weather or changes in the environment around the charge current drops, and drop to set the termination charge current value below the detection error minimum current law terminates the charge. Long is difficult to predict, therefore, from time to time terminate the charging method can not guarantee full of battery due to charging of the battery charge of the current instability. Pulse charging curve shown in Figure 2, the pulse charging when the battery voltage is below 4.2V turn-on switch tube to charge the battery, turn off the switch to stop charging when the battery voltage exceeds 4.2V, when Ton / Toff value below the set value that the battery is full and terminates the charge. If the charge current drops due to changes in the external environment, the battery voltage corresponding decline in Ton / the Toff value increases only when the Apple Macbook 13-Inch mb061b/A Battery is full of Ton, / the Toff will be below the set value, it will not cause the miscarriage of justice.

Fig.2 The curves of The pulse mode charge
By the above analysis, the lithium battery charger is basically a prerequisite for stable power supply design, by solar power can not be well adapted to light, temperature and other environmental changes.
2 solar cell phone lithium-ion battery charger
2.1 System Architecture
This paper, the design of the solar cell phone lithium-ion Acer Aspire 6920 Battery charger system block diagram shown in Figure 3. The charger consists of three parts: photovoltaic cells, the MCU controller with a step-down DC-DC converter.

Fig.3 of The system architecture
BUCK converter's main function is to: output a small current in the pre-charge stage Imin; solar cell maximum power point tracking in the fast-charge phase, when the current reaches Imax limit the current to the constant current charging; pulse charging the battery voltage value output current or stop output. MCU functions are: the acquisition of lithium-ion Acer Aspire 5720 Battery voltage Vbatt current Ibatt, the temperature Tbatt and solar cell voltage Vpv current Ipv; charger controlled by a software program to convert between different charge states; in a different state of charge calculate the duty cycle D, output PWM drive pulse according to the control objectives.
2.2 charging control method
In this paper, the design of the solar charge controller is a multi-objective control system [4], control the duty cycle of the target is also different in different stages of charging, the charging state transitions shown in Figure 4.

Fig. 4 of The change of charge the state
Conversion conditions: 1: Vbatt <Vmin and; 2, (3): Vbatt ≥ Vmin and; ④: Ibatt ≥ Imax; ⑤ The: Ibatt <Imax; ⑥, ⑦: Vbatt ≥ Vmax of; ⑧: Ton / the Toff ≤ settings.
(1) pre-charge: When the lithium battery into the charger, the Canon mv600 battery voltage is below the set threshold Vmin and the microcontroller on the duty cycle of the control objectives is to output a very narrow PWM pulse, a small current of the converter output Imin, over-discharge of lithium-ion battery repair and charging; if the battery voltage ≥ Vmin and can skip the pre-charge stage and go straight to the fast charge stage.
(2) fast charge: When the battery current Ibatt ≥ Imax, microcontroller-controlled constant current PWM pulse width converter output; when the output power of solar cells fall in Ibatt <Imax, then transferred to the maximum power point tracking state to adjust the duty photovoltaic cells than to change the BUCK input voltage in the vicinity of the maximum power point, back and forth to the size of the charger according Ibatt conversion MPPT with constant current between the two states until Vbatt ≥ Vmax of (4.2V), transferred to pulse charging phase.
(3) Pulse Charging: at this stage converter intermittent, constant current output, from time to time ΔT to judge the battery voltage value, if Vbatt <Vmax of output constant current to charge the battery; Vbatt ≥ Vmax of, then stop charge the HP Compaq Business Notebook NX6110 Battery. The switch drive pulse diagram shown in Figure 5. Ton is the time of the output PWM drive pulse, the Toff to stop charging time. Ton during the switch duty cycle D conduction and turn-off to the constant current control, D = ton / ts. Cycle ts determined by the switching frequency and magnitude in μs. Ton and Toff is an integer multiple of ΔT, ΔT ms order of magnitude. The beginning of the pulse charging, Ton / the Toff ratio larger, longer and longer as the battery is gradually filled, Toff Ton / the Toff is less than the set value, the battery is full, the charge termination.
Fig. 5 The drive pulse of the MOSFET
When the voltage reaches Vmax pulse charger is still applied to the lithium high-current charging pulses slightly exceeds the Vmax of the battery voltage during the pulse, but this does not prevent the battery from premature aging. On the contrary, the pulse charging can reduce the impact of polarization in the process of charging, effectively increase the charge capacity, improve the charging efficiency [5].
3 simulation results
In order to verify the feasibility of the solar cell phone lithium Acer Aspire 3682wxmi Battery charging method using matlab simulink toolbox to build a system simulation model [6-8], Simulink simulation model shown in Figure 6. Shown in the PV array output power is 5W, the lithium-ion battery rated capacity of 850mAh. Precharge, the MPPT, CC, Pulse module to achieve pre-charge, the maximum power point tracking constant current pulse charging function, multi-channel switch controlled by the Control module to convert. Maximum power point tracking PV array output power results directly change the duty cycle of DC / DC converter mountaineering method [9]. By changes in light intensity of the signal module signal1 simulation. Pre-charge voltage threshold is set to 2.9V, precharge flow Imin is set to 0.1C (C is the rated capacity of the lithium battery). Constant current charging current is set to 1C, taking into account the influence of the inductor current ripple, set MPPT with constant-current conversion threshold 0.95Imax. ΔT is set to 64ms, Ton / the Toff is less than 1/256 that the battery is fully charged.
Fig. 6 the System simulation model in. Simulink
Figure 7 shows the light intensity, the simulation results shown in Figure 8 (a) as shown. Conversion in Figure 8 (c) can be seen from the charging status when the illumination changes of the 1000s and 2000s, the charger can automatically switch between the constant current with MPPT charge optimization charging current Ibatt of. Pulse charging stage, when the light shines in the 4000s at the drop, the charger continues charging until Ton / the Toff is less than the set value, the battery is full. By amplification of the current waveform in Figure 8 (b) can be seen as the charging time of growth Toff progressively larger process. Voltage Vbatt curve in line with the charging characteristics of lithium batteries, the Apple a1280 Battery is full after the voltage is maintained at 4.2V.
Figure 9 Simulation results when the charger does not have the MPPT function in the same light. Be seen from the graph the charging current when the fall of the 1000s-2000s light was significantly lower than the current 8 (a), the lithium battery voltage increases slowly, resulting in the total charging time of about 400s.
Figure 10 Figure 6 Pulse module with a constant voltage module instead of the simulation results, the minimum detectable current method (less than 0.1C) for charge termination. Into the constant voltage charging phase, the decline of the 4000s at the light charger immediately stop charging, however, the current decline is due to external factors, not the battery is fully charged, the lithium battery voltage quickly decreased.
4 Conclusion
In this paper, the design of solar cell phone lithium battery charger with DC / DC converter topology to achieve the maximum power point tracking, to maximize the efficiency of photovoltaic cells, charge termination judgment, taking into account the light intensity, ambient temperature and other factors on The lithium Canon Bp-2l12 battery charging curve, accurate charge termination judgment, so that the lithium battery rated capacity.
Fig.7 Change of the irradiation
Figure 8 (a) The pulse rechargeable lithium battery voltage, current waveform diagram (b) enlarged map (c) charge state transition diagram
Fig.8 (a) Voltage and current wave of the Li-ion battery in the pulse charge mode (b) local zoom (c) The change of charge state
Fig.9 Voltage and current wave of the Li-ion Acer Aspire 5740 Battery without the MPPT
Fig.10 Voltage and current wave of the Li-ion battery in the CC-CV charge mode

LG Nitro HD P930 Gets Extra Strong 4000mAh Extended Battery from Mugen Power

New 4000mAh battery extends the life of LG Nitro HD P930 by 2.19 times.

Hong Kong (PRWEB) April 12, 2012

Mugen laptop Batteries (http://www.battery-store.co.uk/ ) the manufacturer of high-capacity batteries for handheld devices, today announces the new HLI-P930XL Mugen Power 4000mAh Extended Battery for LG Nitro HD P930 which extends the time consumers can use this popular device. The battery is immediately available from Mugen Power Batteries with free shipping worldwide.
Designed to provide maximum mobile freedom, Mugen Power 4000mAh (milliamp hour) Lithium-Ion battery extends the life of the LG Nitro HD P930 by 2.19 times delivering more power than the stock 1830mAh battery. This impressive battery performance allows consumers, especially those who are often on the move, to use the device longer. The new battery is fully compatible with the LG Nitro HD P930 and fits well into LG Nitro HD P930.
As well as delivering longer life, the new battery is also exceptionally reliable. Like other Mugen batteries, the Mugen 4000mAh Extended Battery for LG Nitro HD P930 has undergone vigorous QA testing to ensure the highest quality and lowest return rate. The Dell Latitude D630 batteries is also in compliance with the CE requirements.
"LG Nitro HD P930 owners are often reported to complain about short battery life of the device. We worked hard on this project and managed to fit additional 2170mAh capacity into that new battery. Our solution gives customers added battery life to stay connected longer without recharges and make more with the smartphone than ever before," says Nikolai Lebedovsky, marketing manager at eTrade Asia Ltd.
Pricing and Availability
Mugen Power 4000mAh Extended Battery for LG Nitro HD P930 is available for US$98.95 direct from Mugen Power Batteries at http://www.buy-laptop-battery.org/solar-panel-charger-for-laptop-31.html
More information on the product: http://www.buy-laptop-battery.org/
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About Mugen Power Batteries
Mugen Power is the worldwide leading brand of high performance batteries for portable electronic devices. Mugen Power means Performance and Quality and delivers a full spectrum of high quality products for PDAs, smartphones, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, portable DVD players, notebooks, UMPCs and Personal Media Devices.
Mugen Power batteries have better performance (higher capacity) and reliability (longevity & safety) than other brands. The superior performance improves run time, often doubling that provided by the original brand replacement. The superior quality results in longer battery life and better protection of the powered device.
All Mugen Power batteries also undergo vigorous QA procedure, resulting in Mugen Power achieving the lowest return rate in the market. All Mugen Power batteries are CE and RoHS Certified.
NOTE FOR EDITORS: Mugen Power 4000mAh Extended hp 6930p battery for LG Nitro HD P930 is available on request to editors of computer magazines and bloggers who will to write a review of the battery.

UF tight end A.C. Leonard pleads no contest to battery

GAINESVILLE - A judge gave A.C. Leonard, a sophomore tight end on the Florida football team, six months of probation on Wednesday after he pleaded no contest to a charge of compaq presario cq60 battery against his girlfriend.

Leonard’s non-jury trial was supposed to start Wednesday on the misdemeanor count, which stemmed from his arrest in February after police said he shoved his girlfriend, knocking her to the ground and causing her head to hit a dog cage.

State Attorney’s Office spokesman Spencer Mann said Leonard changed his plea from not guilty to no contest and that the judge withheld adjudication, meaning Leonard won’t have a criminal conviction on his record if he completes his probation.

Leonard, 20, whose full name is Alcorus De Vonte Leonard, will also have to pay court fines and costs, complete anger-management counseling and stay away from the victim, Mann said.

Leonard’s attorney, Huntley Johnson, who represents many UF athletes who have been arrested, said in an interview that in making the decision to change pleas, “we took her situation and his situation into consideration,” speaking of Leonard and his girlfriend.

Johnson said the experience had a “positive impact” on his client and that Johnson had noticed a change in his attitude over the last few months.

“I think he’s gotten the message that he needs to fly straight,” Johnson said.

On Feb. 15, Leonard and his girlfriend were arguing at The Polos apartments on Southwest Williston Road. Leonard “shoved her forcibly with both hands in her chest/neck area,” according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report. “The force of the shove knocked her down to the ground, causing her head to strike a dog cage that was behind her.”

GAINESVILLE - A judge gave A.C. Leonard, a sophomore tight end on the Florida football team, six months of probation on Wednesday after he pleaded no contest to a charge of Acer aspire 5732z battery against his girlfriend.

Leonard’s non-jury trial was supposed to start Wednesday on the misdemeanor count, which stemmed from his arrest in February after police said he shoved his girlfriend, knocking her to the ground and causing her head to hit a dog cage.

State Attorney’s Office spokesman Spencer Mann said Leonard changed his plea from not guilty to no contest and that the judge withheld adjudication, meaning Leonard won’t have a criminal conviction on his record if he completes his probation.

Leonard, 20, whose full name is Alcorus De Vonte Leonard, will also have to pay court fines and costs, complete anger-management counseling and stay away from the victim, Mann said.

Leonard’s attorney, Huntley Johnson, who represents many UF athletes who have been arrested, said in an interview that in making the decision to change pleas, “we took her situation and his situation into consideration,” speaking of Leonard and his girlfriend.

Johnson said the experience had a “positive impact” on his client and that Johnson had noticed a change in his attitude over the last few months.

“I think he’s gotten the message that he needs to fly straight,” Johnson said.

On Feb. 15, Leonard and his girlfriend were arguing at The Polos apartments on Southwest Williston Road. Leonard “shoved her forcibly with both hands in her chest/neck area,” according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report. “The force of the shove knocked her down to the ground, causing her head to strike a dog cage that was behind her.”

tags: Dell inspiron 15r battery, Acer aspire 4745g battery, Dell latitude e4310 battery, Acer aspire 5720g battery

Apple: iPad 3 battery gauge works as expected

Summary: Apple didn’t want to show the iPad battery constantly fluctuating between 90 and 100 percent as the battery goes through its normal trickle charge/discharge cycle to keep it topped off.

AllThingsD’s Ina Fried published an article today indicating that the observations of unusual charing behavior with the iPad 3 aren’t so unusual after all.
Yesterday I noted that if you unplug your iPad 3 as soon as the iPad 2 Foldable Leather Case Built-in Bluetooth Keyboard + Battery indicator says “100%” you’re actually missing out on as much as 1.2 hours (10 percent) of additional run time. But Apple says that this is the expected behavior and that the iPad battery is designed to work this way.
Fried explains it this way:

Apple does, in fact, display the iPad (and iPhone and iPod Touch) as 100 percent charged just before a device reaches a completely charged state. At that point, it will continue charging to 100 percent, then discharge a bit and charge back up to 100 percent, repeating that process until the device is unplugged.

Soneira, President of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation, first discovered that the iPad 3 experienced a net loss of 1.2 hours (around 10 percent) of Folding Solar Panel Charger with 45Wh Solar battery run time if unplugged as soon as its battery indicator displayed 100%. His essential point was that if the iPad 3 is fully charged (i.e. overnight) it will run 11.6 hours, which is 1.2 hours longer than if it is only charged to 100% (10.4 hours).
Apple VP Michael Tchao tells AllThingsD that Apple decided not to keep changing the battery status “so as not to distract or confuse users,” explaining:

That circuitry is designed so you can keep your device plugged in as long as you would like, It’s a great feature that’s always been in iOS.

So there you have it. The iPad battery displays “100%” a little prematurely because Apple didn’t think that it would be wise to show the lenovo thinkpad l512 battery constantly fluctuating between 90 and 100 percent as the battery goes through its normal trickle charge/discharge cycle to keep it topped off. Makes sense to me.

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Just In

Mine works fine

ToweringShadow Updated - 2 hrs ago

When my New Ipad reaches 0% it's dead and I need to charge it. That's pretty much the bottom line for me. I'm more concerned with when they're going to put the rest of SIRI in the Ipad 3 (yes, I said... Read Whole Comment +

When my New Ipad reaches 0% it's dead and I need to charge it. That's pretty much the bottom line for me. I'm more concerned with when they're going to put the rest of SIRI in the Ipad 3 (yes, I said Ipad 3). Don't make me wait until the next IOS comes out, send a patch first. Show Less -

 

 How many articles are going to be written about this very James Quinn 1 day ago

"smallish" issue!?! Is Apple so good at what it does that ever none events that might point to a very slight problem become (what is it now) 6 articles worth on ZDNet? If so I guess that's kind of good news:)

Pagan jim

 

Pete "athynz" Athens 13 hrs ago

All that article did was rehash half of Jason's first article on the Dell XPS M1210 AC Adapter battery issue... but if you want to accept that as fact and be wrong yet again go for it.

Don't you get tired of being wrong all the time and displaying that fact every single time you make a post here?

You have a weak grasp on what the concept of "proven" means

Falkirk 13 hrs ago

"It has been proven..."-The Linux Geek

"Proven" does not mean what you think it means. For one thing, it involves "proof" not just unfounded supposition.

Falkirk 19 hrs ago

The iPad's battery works the same as every iOS dell inspiron 9400 ac adapter battery ever has. The iPad is no warmer than other comparable tablets and cooler than most notebooks. LTE eats up data on your iPad...exactly the same as it does with every other LTE device.

Talk about much ado about nothing.

 

heymatthew 18 hrs ago

You're STILL talking about the inspiron 1545 Battery. I wish one of the technology giants would release a phone or something so you'd quit your incessant babbling about the stupid iPad 3 battery issue. Which, as many of your posters on the previous stories noted, was a non-issue from the beginning based on standard battery behaviors...

Put down the stick and walk away from the horse Jason...

dhmccoy Updated - 14 hrs ago

when you consider the heat and Acer aspire 5552 battery tests run on all the other tablets. Could someone point me to the articles about the array of Android tablets so we can see what happens to those tablets after they show 100%?

I can't seem to find them.

 

 .

dhmccoy Updated - 14 hrs ago

Look at those results. Apple said up to 10hrs and 90% gets you 10.4. I mean, what bandits! They should have, instead, said up to 11 hr and show the charge and discharge cycles because when people see the hp pavilion tx1000 battery display constant fluctuate between 90% to 100% *surely* we wouldn't see stories about THAT anywhere. "Apple iPad constants charges, increase home power usage .000003%. People outraged!"

 

SiO2 12 hrs ago

have an animated icon that either replaces the charge indicator, or cycles the bars on the existing one.

That way you can tell if it is charging, or if the power connector is not plugged in correctly, or if the PSU is actually plugged into the wall.

Modern devices that use Lithium cells do indeed all have this feature, as it is extremely bad for this type of cell to be overcharged or completely discharged. Overcharging a Radio Control Lithium pack is extremely dangerous as those things can deliver double figures in Watts, and an internal short can get hot enough to cause a fire. Discharging them completely can cause these shorts as crystals grow in the Polymer layer and are repeatedly dissolved by the charging action, weakening the insulation - so the most efficient use of the cell happens above 20%, which is when the device says its empty, even though it is not.

iPad batteries dont hold enough charge to do serious damage, however their life is also shortened by that kind of abuse, hence the aspire one 10.1 battery management system.
Most people are now familiar with the fact that modern batteries need to be treated with a little consideration, and watch their charge cycles accordingly. Its just curious to me that Apple have decided to try and hide this standard behaviour because it might 'confuse' users.

This smacks of treating customers as if they were stupid...

 

 

Marcelbrown 12 hrs ago

As a professional technology consultant that has worked with all sorts of clients, it will amaze you what will confuse people. I still run into people that are confused by two button mice! (which is why Apple still sets the default to single button operation on Macs, but I digress)

From a usability standpoint, Apple did exactly the right thing. Why add a ibm thinkpad r50p battery charge indicator that may not be immediately obvious what it means? Especially when most users could care less? If the charge indicator shows 100% and you get the specified battery life, why worry about the technical details of battery management? It's nothing users can control or even need to worry about. It's these fine little details that make Apple products the most usable in the world. An engineer might have thought that a different pa3356u-1brs battery indicator would be a great idea, but most people aren't engineers. Just imagine from a technical support standpoint the number of calls that would have been generated by this subtle little change. "My battery charge indicator is freaking out!" This is just another example of Old World vs New World of Technology thinking and why Apple is the company it is today.

If it were designed well, it wouldnt generate tech support calls

SiO2 11 hrs ago

Thats the whole point of good design, its clear and simple. Hiding the process has only generated a whole lot more trouble than fixing the problem would have in any case. Its just curious, Apple pride themselves on design, and thats not the best design I've ever seen.

And I still think Apple using the excuse that the users wouldnt understand is a bit insulting, given the capabilities of the device and who it is aimed at...

Merott 11 hrs ago

Really? The battery charge fluctuates by 10%? That's more than an hour's worth of battery charge with the iPad actively in use, and way more than that if it's on standby... I see that as a design flow, they could have made the full-charge window smaller than that! The Acer Aspire 5235 Battery can't be fluctuating by 10%, simply nonsense! Apple is again trying to cover up...

I'm not an Apple hater at all... In fact I own an iMac and I like their other range of products including the iPad, but I think Apple is constantly taking advantage of the lack of knowledge in the average user... Yet, Apple is a business, and that's how you do business!

On My New iPad, The Display Does Not Work As Expected Nor As Before On Previous Models

FutureMedia Updated - 11 hrs ago

The New iPad battery level display certainly does NOT work as expected on mine. Plugged into the New iPad wall charger, when it reaches 100% the display switches to "Not Charging" next to the grey FUJIFILM FinePix Z35 Charger battery icon WITHOUT the black plug icon inside it. Very disconcerting. No way to know if the charging has stopped or not. Apple tech support has never heard of this indication before unless plugged into a computer's low power USB port. Michael Tchao needs to know about this bogus display info ASAP. It's got me wondering what's going on inside my New iPad's battery charging system.

 

ToweringShadow Updated - 2 hrs ago

When my New Ipad reaches 0% it's dead and I need to charge it. That's pretty much the bottom line for me. I'm more concerned with when they're going to put the rest of SIRI in the Ipad 3 (yes, I said Ipad 3). Don't make me wait until the next IOS comes out, send a patch first.

RCR Team Advance — Auto Club Speedway

Richard Childress Racing

Event Preview: Auto Club Speedway ytona International Speedway
Race: Auto Club 400
Location: Auto Club Speedway
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Notes:
RCR in SoCal … In 65 overall NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Auto Club Speedway, RCR Chevrolet teams have earned one win (Kevin Harvick – 2011), one pole (Mike Skinner – April 2000), nine top-five and 23 top-10 finishes. RCR boasts a 20.1 average starting position, a 16.2 average finishing position and have completed 15,757 of the 15,915 laps (99 percent) contested at the moderately-banked D-shaped race track. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization’s best finish at Fontana came last year when Kevin Harvick edged out Jimmie Johnson for the win in the final lap. Each of RCR’s four drivers (Paul Menard, Harvick, Jeff Burton and Brendan Gaughan) competing at Auto Club Speedway this weekend has led laps at the two-mile speedway in their Sprint Cup Series careers.
The Collective RCR … Over the season’s first four races, RCR’s Sprint Cup Series entries have notched two top-five and seven top-10 finishes. RCR-prepared Chevrolets have completed 5,065 out of 5,124 total laps (98.85 percent) with drivers Burton, Harvick, Menard, Elliott Sadler and Gaughan. The group has led a combined 125 laps.
Get to the Points … Following the race weekend in Bristol Motor Speedway, two of RCR’s three full-time Sprint Cup Series teams climbed the ranks in the point standings. While Harvick remained second, he gained ground and sits nine points out of the top spot. Menard moved up to 10th in the point standings, while Burton jumped four positions, to 11th.
Interactive RCR … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR Sprint Cup Series team Twitter pages – @RCR27PMenard, @RCR29KHarvick and @RCR31JeffBurton. Information about the 14-time championship organization can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/RichardChildressRacingand at RCRracing.com.
Catch the Action … FOX’s live coverage of the Auto Club 400 begins Sunday, March 25 at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SIRIUS XM Satellite Radio. Qualifying for the fifth points-paying event on the Sprint Cup Series calendar will air live on SPEED on Friday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Paul Menard
No. 27 CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 384 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet Impala is a brand new addition to the RCR fleet and will log its first laps on the track at during Friday’s practice session.
Menard in Fontana … In his nine previous starts at Auto Club Speedway, Menard has finished each of his contested races and completed 98.3 percent of his laps (2,113 of 2,150). He has a 27th-place average starting position and an average finishing position of 25.3, with his best finish of 16th coming last season. His best start at the two-mile speedway also came in March 2011 when he took the green flag in the 15th position.
Quietly Kicking Off the Season Right … With the first four points-paying events in the books, Menard sits 10th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings. In his sophomore year with Richard Childress Racing, Menard has an average starting position of 23.5 and maintains an average running position of 17th. The Eau Claire, Wis., native is tied for ninth in the NASCAR Loop Data category for Green Flag Speed, ranks second in the Closers category, improving an average of 3.8 positions in the final 10 percent of the four contested races, and is the seventh-fastest driverLate in a Run . He has spent 62.8 percent of his laps in the top-12, ranking him 11th in that category.
California Boy … The No. 27 CertainTeed/Menards team has one member from the Golden State. RCR fabricator and mechanic Clint Almquist is a native of Blythe, Calif. Almquist grew up racing in Southern California and earned Rookie of the Year honors at Blythe Speedway in 1996. The following year he was crowned Hobby Stock Champion. He made the move to North Carolina in 1999 and has since climbed the ranks as a mechanic in NASCAR.
About CertainTeed … CertainTeed Corporation is a leading North American manufacturer of building materials including roofing, vinyl and fiber cement siding, trim, fence, railing, decking, foundations, insulation, gypsum, ceilings, and pipe products. Headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, CertainTeed has approximately 7,000 employees and 70 facilities throughout the United States and Canada. CertainTeed is a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, one of the top 100 industrial companies in the world. Saint-Gobain’s North American companies operate nearly 200 manufacturing facilities in industries as diverse as industrial ceramics and containers, reinforcements and flat glass, abrasives, and building materials. For more information, please visit www.certainteed.com.
Race Rewind … In March 2011, handling issues plagued the No. 27 Chevrolet team early in the 200-lap race and Menard quickly slipped from his 15th-place starting position. The Slugger Labbe-led team made adjustments during each pit stop in order to neutralize the tight condition that Menard was battling. Buried deep in the field for the restart after the final caution of the day, Menard battled back to the 16th position, where he took the checkered flag and recorded his best finish at the two-mile speedway.
In the Rearview Mirror: Bristol … Starting from the 11th position, Menard and the No. 27 Moen/Menards team emerged unscathed from Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway to finish 10th and earn their third top 10 of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season.
PAUL MENARD QUOTES:
Last year you finished 16th, but that was still your best finish at Auto Club Speedway. You do so well at intermediate race tracks with solid top-five and top-10 finishes. Why is it that this one has been such a challenge?
“I don’t know. That’s a good question. It changes a lot with the weather, so we find ourselves chasing the weather conditions. One day it might be cold in California and the next day it might be 20 degrees warmer; that changes a lot with the car. I just haven’t quite nailed it yet.”
How would you describe Auto Club Speedway? Is it opening up? Is it more competitive?
“I know that California (Auto Club Speedway) gets knocked as a race track since it is wide open and generally caution free. Drivers tend to enjoy that, though. You have long runs and can really analyze your car and work on it during pit stops. The track is really wide. You can run top to bottom and everywhere in between. It’s relatively smooth, too, and makes for fun racing for us drivers. If a race fan wants to see crashes and cautions, that’s probably not going to happen there.”
The races at Auto Club Speedway typically turn into a fuel mileage race. With the EFI engines changing fuel mileage, do you think you’ve had enough time to get a hand on that and really understand what you have?
“Every track that we go to, Daytona (International Speedway), Bristol (Motor Speedway), California (Auto Club Speedway), it does not matter because it’s a fuel mileage race. It just matters where the cautions fall. EFI isn’t going to change any of that. You might be able to run a lap or two longer in a fuel run, but ever track that we go to will be a fuel mileage race if the cautions fall appropriately.”
Out in Fontana (Calif.) a lot of times celebrities show up – movie stars, television stars and musicians. Have you ever met anyone out there that sticks out as being someone you thought was pretty cool to meet?
“Usually there’s some celebrity at every race track, but in California there are more than normal. I’ve met two people at Auto Club Speedway over the last couple of years that I thought was pretty cool. The first was Christian Slater. That was cool because I was a big fan of his growing up in the early 90′s. The other was Chuck Lidell who is an MMA (mixed martial arts) guy. To watch those guys on TV is crazy. They’re pretty hard core. Then you meet them in person and they’re really nice guys.”
Kevin Harvick
No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Jimmy John’s Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Kevin Harvick will race chassis No. 374 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This brand new Chevrolet Impala will be put through its first paces this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
Freaky Fast in California … The black, red and white colors of Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches will adorn the No. 29 Chevrolet as the primary sponsor of Harvick and the team for the first of six races in 2012 this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
Defending Champs … Harvick drove the No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet and earned the nickname ‘The Closer’ by making a thrilling last-lap pass on Jimmie Johnson to charge for the win during last year’s race at Auto Club Speedway The victory was the first at the two-mile oval for the Bakersfield, Calif., native and the first of four wins for the No. 29 team during the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season.
Looking to Repeat the Hometown Win … The Bakersfield, Calif., native grew up just over 150 miles from where Auto Club Speedway is located in Fontana, Calif., and after reaching victory lane in last season’s Auto Club 400, Harvick is looking to score back-to-back wins in Sunday’s race in front of his hometown crowd.
Auto Club Speedway Notes … In 18 starts at the Fontana, Calif., speedway, Harvick has earned one win, three top-five and eight top-10 finishes. In addition, he’s completed 98.4 percent (4,334 of 4,405) of the laps contested and has led a total of 60 laps at Auto Club Speedway. Harvick has an average starting position of 18.7 and an average finishing position of 16.2 at the track.
In the Loop … Since the inception of NASCAR’s loop data statistics in 2006, Harvick has competed in 13 Sprint Cup Series races at Auto Club Speedway and owns impressive loop data statistics at the two-mile oval heading into this weekend’s Auto Club 400: sixth in Fastest Drivers on Restarts, seventh in Green-Flag Passes (1050), seventh in Laps Run in the Top 15 (2,252), eighth in Fastest Drivers Early in a Run, ninth in Average Finishing Position (12.7), and ninth in Green-Flag Speed.
Find a Jimmy John’s … Jimmy John’s, known for fresh, quality products and freaky fast service, has 1200 stores nationwide. view the Jimmy John’s menu, find your nearest location, order online or download the Jimmy John’s mobile application.
Walk of Fame … As the 2011 Auto Club 400 race winner, Harvick will be inducted into the Auto Club Speedway Walk of Fame on Saturday, Mar. 24 at 11:30 a.m. PT. The Bakersfield, Calif., native will receive a bronze plaque from track president Gillian Zucker, which will be placed in a cemented area along with his footprint, handprint and signature. The induction will be held in the Auto Club Speedway FanZone, located outside gate 12 and is open to the public.
King for a Day … Prior to heading to Auto Club Speedway for the Sprint Cup Series race, Harvick plans to attend the L.A. Kings game against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, Mar. 23. Harvick and his wife DeLana have been good friends with Kings center Jeff Carter, who was recently traded to the Kings from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The group originally met a number of years ago during a NASCAR media event when Carter played for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Meet the Press … Harvick will field questions from the gathered media inside the Auto Club Speedway infield media center on Friday, March 23, at 11:15 a.m. PT.
NASCAR Teleconference… Harvick will participate in NASCAR’s weekly media teleconference on Wednesday, Marc. 21 at 3 p.m. ET. Participant information is available on NASCARMedia.com.
KEVIN HARVICK QUOTES:
What was it like winning on the last lap at Auto Club Speedway last year?
“The last two years, the race has pretty much come down to us and the No. 48 team (Jimmie Johnson). The year before I ran into the wall and last year we won. That was good to come back and rebound from the mistake from 2010 and being able to race with Jimmie was a lot of fun. Especially at the California race track. That’s been a great race track for us over the last several years and looking forward to going back next week. Glad I’m not the truck driver, he has a long ways to go.”
Why are you so good at Auto Club Speedway?
“It’s one of those race tracks that the tires just wear out a lot. You can move around the race track and you have to kind of search for grip so that comes with a lot of throttle control and momentum to go along with that. It’s a race track that fits our cars and our engine package and our driving styles. As a company, we run well there. It’s a good race track for RCR.”
What do you like about Auto Club Speedway?
“I just enjoy how the track has really spread out and the groove you can run from the bottom to the top. It’s also fun to race in front of a lot of your fans and friends that get to come to the race track from close to where we used to live.”
You’re a few races into the season with crew chief Shane Wilson and the team. How are things coming together for you and the new group so far this year?
“I think they’re going really well. I think we definitely have to clean up some of the rough edges from me having a little rust on myself and get the communication exactly where we want it to be as far as the things we want to hear and don’t want to hear and things they want to hear from me. We’ve got a few things to clean up, but I think it’s gone very well so far.”
Jeff Burton
No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Caterpillar Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 393 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable this weekend. This is a brand new No. 31 Chevrolet Impala that will turn its first laps at the Fontana, Calif., track this weekend.
Going back to Cali … Sunday’s event marks Burton’s 23rd start at the Fontana Calif.-based facility and 624th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. In addition to his pole award in 1999, he has amassed six top-five and seven top-10 finishes and has led 127 laps at the two-mile oval.
Loopy in the “Golden State” … Burton has garnered some impressive NASCAR Loop Data statistics at Auto Club Speedway. He leads all competitors with 1,161 green-flag passes and 683 of those passes came while running in the top 15 (third best). Burton has also spent 1,933 laps running in the top 15.
Featured Cat Dealer … Johnson Machinery will be featured on the deck lid of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet this weekend at Auto Club Speedway.
Johnson Machinery is Caterpillar’s only Platinum-level dealer and has served Riverside and San Bernardino counties since 1940. Johnson Machinery offers the complete line of Caterpillar construction equipment products, new and used parts, service and rentals. Headquartered in Riverside, Calif., they have locations in Fontana, Indio, Victorville and Temecula.
Building a Legacy … Over his 20-year Sprint Cup Series career, the veteran RCR driver has amassed 21 wins, 131 top-five and 244 top-10 finishes in 623 starts. Burton has also tallied six pole awards and led 6,506 laps.
Rewind to Last Week … Burton and the No. 31 BB&T Chevrolet team scored their second top-10 finish of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season, placing sixth in Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. After starting 33rd, Burton gained 27 positions throughout the 500-lap event earning him NASCAR’s “Improving the Finish” award given to the driver who gains the most spots during a race.
Points Racing … With his top-10 finish in “Thunder Valley,” Burton currently sits 11th in the Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 37 points behind leader Greg Biffle.
JEFF BURTON QUOTES:
You finished 15th at Auto Club Speedway last season after qualifying seventh. Was that indicative of RCR’s speedway program last year?
“That was, without a doubt, our weakest point. One-and-a-half and two-mile tracks weren’t RCR’s strong point last season. We’ve worked really hard to be better on those tracks. You have to be competitive on these tracks. You can’t expect to go and win the championship if you can’t go to those tracks and run strong. There are just so many of them on the schedule. The interesting thing about Auto Club Speedway is that it’s big, but it races like a short track. There is very low grip. It’s amazing how sideways these cars are in the turns going this fast. Restarts are really important because if you gain a few spots on the restart, it is hard for those guys to come up and pass you under a long green-flag run. You’re going to be three and four-wide on these restarts. You must have good take off speed and good durability with the car. People don’t realize how slick Auto Club Speedway is. It looks like a big track and the cars don’t move around that much, but they are out of control.”
Historically speaking, this race has turned into a fuel-mileage race. Since the track is big and wide, drivers have the skills to stay out of trouble. How are you guys working on fuel mileage with the new EFI engine?
“Fuel mileage appears to be a little bit better with the new EFI engine. You burn less fuel when you are off the throttle with EFI than you did with the carburetor. It’s a little more efficient while you are in the throttle so you are going to get a little better fuel mileage. Of course, that means the whole field is going to get better fuel mileage. The only way that really matters is if you pit at that right time. Now more people will make it unlike before. We saw a few races last year where a lot of people ran out of fuel on the last lap. Now, all of those people would make it. It changes it a little bit, but not really because everyone’s fuel mileage is getting better. What would be great is if we were the only ones to get better fuel mileage, but that’s not the case here. Everyone is getting better fuel mileage.”
What happens if you run out of fuel at a big track like Auto Club Speedway with an EFI engine?
“With an EFI engine, fuel is constantly being pumped throughout the system. Your throttle body is taking the fuel that it needs and distributing it. When you run out of fuel with a carburetor, you have to fill that system back up. The only way to do that is through the engine. You must get the fuel pump running enough to bring that fuel up and once you’re running that doesn’t mean it is going to stay running. You see a lot of people with carburetors run out of gas, get the engine running and then it shuts off again. With EFI, once they plug in and start filling the thing up and you turn the ignition switch on, the pump starts running. You don’t have to have the motor running so the pump is running and pumping fuel. Once you feel that system and the reservoir that’s in the fuel cell, you can start that car. Once you get fuel pressure with fuel injection, you are running off a reservoir that’s inside the fuel cell, you can run and it will stay running. In theory, assuming the battery is good enough, you should have fewer problems as you run out of fuel with EFI than you did with carburetors.”
Are there any potential problems that could bite you badly if you ran out of gas at Auto Club Speedway?
“The biggest issue with an EFI engine is that has to spin to find itself to determine where it is in the spark sequence. If you have power and everything is operating correctly, once it finds its sequence of what cylinder it is supposed to be firing and you have fuel, it’s going to fire up. We have also introduced electronics into a situation where these cars are really hot and have a lot of vibrations. We also have those issues that we didn’t have before. There will be some issues; there always is. Anytime you have something new, there are going to be some issues. We’ve done everything we know how to do, but that doesn’t mean we are going to have problems.”
Brendan Gaughan
No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot Chassis No. 392 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Chevrolet Impala was built brand new for the 2012 season and will see its first competitive laps this weekend in the 200-lap event.
Statistically Speaking … Gaughan has two previous Sprint Cup Series starts Auto Club Speedway, both in 2004. He earned one top-10 finish (sixth) and his career-best starting position (fifth) in May 2004.The 36-year-old racer owns an average starting position of 13.5 coupled with a 24th-place average finishing position. Aside from Gaughan’s two Sprint Cup Series starts at the Fontana, Calif., facility, the Las Vegas native has five starts in the Nationwide Series and seven Camping World Truck Series starts at the two-mile race track, where he holds two top-five finishes and a pole award.
Race Rewind: Bristol Motor Speedway … Gaughan started his third Sprint Cup Series race of the season from the 32nd position at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday. The Las Vegas native ran in the top 15 for a majority of the first 150 laps around the half-mile bullring but slipped through the field when he reported an issue with the throttle spring. He continued to hold onto the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet throughout the remainder of the race earning a 22nd-place finishing position.
Twice the Action … Aside from his Sprint Cup Series responsibilities this weekend at Auto Club Speedway, Gaughan will also pilot the No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Nationwide Series Chevrolet for RCR. This is the Las Vegas native’s second appearance in the No. 33 racer for the Welcome, N.C.-based organization. Flag-to-flag coverage of the Royal Purple 300 will be aired on ESPN beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Four of Four … This weekend’s 400-mile event will mark Gaughan’s fourth and final scheduled Sprint Cup Series race with RCR. At the beginning of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season, RCR announced the No. 33 Chevrolet would run the first five events on the schedule. Elliott Sadler kicked off the season driving the No. 33 entry in the Daytona 500 and Gaughan has been behind the wheel for the last four races.
March Madness Update … With only one of Gaughan’s Final Four picks left in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the former Georgetown University basketball player cheers on Michigan State University as they head into the Sweet 16. Gaughan originally picked Florida State University, Duke University and Georgetown University as the Final Four teams, but they have since been defeated in the first two rounds of the tournament.
Did You Know … Gaughan is slated to run three trophy truck races for Collins Motorsports this year including the SCORE Baja 500 (May 31-Jun. 3) and Baja 1000 (Nov. 14-17). The Las Vegas native ran the Laughlin Dessert Challenge in January and his team finished in the fourth and sixth-places, respectively. Gaughan grew up racing trophy trucks for Walker Evans Racing touring mainly in southern California.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
This will be your second double header weekend. Is it more difficult to race both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series in the same weekend?
“No, it actually worked into my favor at Las Vegas (Motor Speedway) earlier this month. With all the distractions that were there, it helped me stay focused and only have to concentrate on the race cars. It helped me block everything else out.”
This is your last of four scheduled Sprint Cup races this season with RCR. What are your thought heading into this weekend at Auto Club Speedway?
“I just want to keep improving, this car is totally different than any other NASCAR race car I have raced, so I want to keep improving and end on a high note. I want to score my best finish and improve my driver rating from Bristol Motor Speedway.”
Have you learned anything racing in the Cup Series that can be translated for the rest of the Nationwide Series season?
“Just to stay focused and give the crew chief accurate and quick feedback so he can make his changes and decisions as quick as possible. I’ve had the ability to see how much engineering is available to the RCR crew chiefs, it has made me realize that I have to give them good feedback and give it to them in a timely manner.”
Race: Royal Purple 300
Location: Auto Club Speedway
Richard Childress Racing
NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Notes:
RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series History at Auto Club Speedway … RCR’s lone Nationwide Series win at Auto Club Speedway occurred in September 2007 with Jeff Burton behind the wheel. The Welcome, N.C.-based organization has four pole awards (Burton in February 2008, Clint Bowyer, September 2006, 2005 and Kevin Harvick in April 2003), 13 top-five finishes and 21 top-10 finishes in 35 starts.
Averages … RCR boasts an average starting position of 12.1 and an average finishing position of 11.9 among all Nationwide Series races the organization has contested at Auto Club Speedway. RCR drivers have completed 97.8 percent of the laps attempted at the track (5,137 of 5,254 laps) with 252 laps led.
The Season So Far … The Richard Childress-owned organization has enjoyed a strong return to Nationwide Series competition after a one-year hiatus from the series and a recent merger with Kevin Harvick Inc. Elliott Sadler notched RCR’s first Nationwide Series victory of the 2012 season at Phoenix International Raceway on March 3 and also earned the organization’s second win of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17. In addition, Sadler brought RCR its first pole award of the year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 10. The organization has eight top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes and has led 225 laps so far in 2012.
RCR in the NNS … In 777 Nationwide Series starts over the course of the last 15 years, Richard Childress Racing has earned 58 wins, 258 top-five finishes, 422 top-10 finishes and 34 pole awards, with an average starting position of 12.7 and an average finishing position of 12.9 among all races contested. RCR earned the Nationwide Series driver’s points championships in 2001 and 2006 with Harvick and in 2008 with Bowyer. The Welcome, N.C.-based team earned the owner’s title in 2003 with Johnny Sauter and Harvick and again in 2007 with Burton and Scott Wimmer.
Get to the Points … RCR’s two full-time Nationwide Series entries rank first (Sadler) and fourth (Dillon) in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings heading into this weekend’s Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway. The No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet team leads the owner’s point standings while the No. 33 Menards/South Point Hotel & Casino/Hunt Brothers/Armour Brands/Fast Fixin’/One Main Financial/Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet team driven by Harvick, Brendan Gaughan, Paul Menard and Max Papis sits third in the owner’s point standings. The No. 3 AdvoCare/American Ethanol/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team ranks sixth.
Social Media … To keep up-to-date with the latest news and information and to view exclusive content, visit RCR’s Twitter page – @RCRracing, RCR’s NASCAR Nationwide Series team Twitter pages – @RCR2ESadler, @RCR3ADillon and @RCR33NNS, RCR’s Nationwide Series driver Twitter pages – @Elliott_Sadler, @AustinDillon3 and @Brendan62, and the official Facebook fan pages – facebook.com/ElliottSadlerOfficial and facebook.com/adillon3.
Catch the Action … Flag-to-flag coverage of the Royal Purple 300 will be televised on ESPN beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, March 24 and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
Elliott Sadler
No. 2 Pierre Drive Thru Sandwiches Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s Pierre Drive Thru Sandwiches Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 Pierre Drive Thru Sandwiches team will utilize Chassis No. 89 from Richard Childress Racing’s NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. This chassis was acquired during the merger with Kevin Harvick Inc., and revamped throughout the off season.
Driving Thru California … The No. 2 Chevrolet will sport the red, yellow and white colors of Pierre Drive Thru Sandwiches this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Pierre Drive Thru Sandwiches has six varieties of sandwiches, including cheeseburgers, bacon cheeseburgers, breaded chicken, spicy chicken, mini cheeseburgers and mini chicken sandwiches.
The Golden State … Sadler returns to the site of his last NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, where he earned a win in 2004 at the Fontana, Calif.,-based track. Sadler has competed at the two-mile track seven times in the Nationwide Series, notching two top-five and three top-10 finishes. He has led 40 laps and has a 99 percent lap-completion record. Sadler also has 19 starts in the Sprint Cup Series, where he earned one win, two top-10 finishes and has led 67 laps.
Last Time By … Last season at Auto Club Speedway, Sadler climbed from a 34th-place starting position in the Nationwide Series event into the top 10 early in the race and drove to a top-five finish.
Just the Stats … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Season-to-Date statistics, Sadler leads the Nationwide Series in driver rating (117.0), average start (4.0), average finish (2.0), laps in top 15 (786), percentage of laps in the top 15 (95.9 percent) and total laps completed (820). In four events this season, Sadler has two wins (Phoenix International Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway), one pole award (Las Vegas Motor Speedway) and four top-five finishes.
Race Rewind: Bristol … Sadler outdrove the competition in the final laps at Bristol Motor Speedway to bring home the No. 2 team’s second victory of the 2012 Nationwide Series season. Sadler competed toward the front of the pack for the entirety of the race. During the final caution period of the race, crew chief Luke Lambert called for Sadler to stay out on the track, a call that moved Sadler to the lead position for the final restart. The only car of the leaders that did not pit, Sadler drove to a commanding lead and earned his seventh-career Nationwide Series victory.
To the Point … Sadler remains atop the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings for the fourth-straight week, sitting 25 points ahead of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Autism Awareness Appreciation … This weekend, Pierre Drive Thru Sandwiches will donate $10,000 to support the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Foundation’s effort to educate people about the spectrum disease which affects one in every 110 children in the United States. The No. 2 Pierre Drive Thru Sandwiches will also carry a special puzzle piece decal, the symbol of Austism Awareness, at Auto Club Speedway to show support of the cause.
About AdvancePierre Foods … AdvancePierre Foods is a leading supplier of value-added protein and handheld convenience products to the foodservice, school, retail, club, vending and convenience store channels. The company makes and distributes a full line of packaged sandwiches, fully cooked chicken and beef products, Philly-style steak, breaded beef, pork and poultry, and bakery products. Our products are produced from high quality ingredients and provide unparalleled taste, convenience and value to both operators and their patrons. Headquartered in Cincinnati, AdvancePierre employs more than 4,000 people and provides consistent product quality across our 11 different facilities including our manufacturing facilities in Oklahoma, Ohio and Iowa and our sandwich assembly facilities in North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina. The company also operates bakeries in North Carolina and Oklahoma.
ELLIOTT SADLER QUOTES:
The No. 2 team is batting .500 this season with two wins in four races. How does this affect your mentality going into Auto Club Speedway?
“This sport is built on momentum, and I think getting two quick wins here at the beginning of the season is really good for our team. Luke Lambert is a young, smart crew chief, and he is as hungry as I am to continue to improve and continue to grow stronger as the season continues. Our team is experienced. There is a lot of talent on our team, and I think that we are going to continue to remain focused each and every week on the goal of winning this Nationwide Series championship.”
What are your thoughts on Auto Club Speedway?
“I like going out to California to compete at Auto Club Speedway. It’s a neat race track, and it’s very wide and fast. I feel like I ran pretty well there last season with a top-five finish. I feel like we are a little better prepared this season, because we know what kind of setup we need to be able to get there and unload quickly. We have a lot of ECR horsepower, and they just found a little more before we head out there, which is always good news. I was able to win the first-ever night Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway back in 2004, so I always look forward to going to California.”
Austin Dillon
No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s AdvoCare Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Austin Dillon will pilot Chassis No. 105 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable in the Royal Purple 300 at Auto Club Speedway. This is a brand new Chevrolet Impala built by the RCR team and will be put through its first paces this weekend.
Dillon at Auto Club … Dillon has not previously competed at Auto Club Speedway and will make his first laps around the two-mile track during opening practice on Friday.
The Season so Far … According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Dillon has an average running position of 10.246 in the season’s first four Nationwide Series races, ranking him seventh among all drivers. He has a driver rating of 97.9, ranking him seventh. He is ranked third in the Closers category, improving an average of 3.5 spots in the last 10 percent of each race and is the seventh-fastest driver late in a run. He is ranked seventh in the Fastest Laps Run category with 48 laps so far this season, has the eighth-fastest speed in traffic and the eighth-fastest green-flag speed. Dillon has completed 92.1 percent of his laps in the top 15, ranking him fourth among all drivers and is one of three drivers who have completed 100 percent of laps on the lead lap.
Get to the Points … Dillon dropped from second to fourth in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings following a 12th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. He trails his RCR teammate and current point leader, Elliott Sadler, by 30 points and is just one marker shy of Trevor Bayne in third. He currently leads the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings over Cole Whitt.
Flashback … Dillon started ninth and finished 12th in his first career Nationwide Series appearance at Bristol Motor Speedway last Saturday after spending a majority of the 300-lap race maneuvering a loose-handling No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet around the half-mile short track.
Hometown Proud … Although they currently live in North Carolina, four members of the No. 3 AdvoCare team consider California their home state, including crew chief Danny Stockman. The 29-year-old was born in Fontana and lived there until the fifth grade when he and his family moved 35 miles north to Yucaipa, Calif. Car chief Robert Strmiska is from Manteca, Calif., mechanic Harley Rouch is from Clovis, Calif., and rear tire changer Jeremy West is from Gardena, Calif.
Meet Dillon … Dillon will join other Nationwide Series drivers in an autograph session in the Nationwide Series garage area at Auto Club Speedway on Friday, March 23 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. P.T.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTES:
Other than not getting to Victory Lane yet, your start to the season is almost as much as you can ask for as a rookie …
“It’s been a very good start to the season. The No. 3 Chevrolet has been good everywhere we have been. We’ve had to work quite a bit in practice to get there, and we’re learning every race. We’re gaining experience as a team and we’re really trying to fight that right now so that we can get to Victory Lane. Once we get comfortable getting to the track and get to the point where our setup is correct so that all we have to do is fine-tune the car during practice, we will be much better. It’s really cool to come out with three top 10s and a 12th-place finish to start the season. Coming from a multi-car operation and being able to lean on the guys with more experience is big for me. Just watching Elliott Sadler and Kevin Harvick and the experience they have driving the newer Nationwide Series cars that the Nationwide means a lot to be able to use their notes and talk to them.”
What kind of transition has it been for you to the Nationwide Series? Has it all been as easy as it looks?
“It’s been a good start. You can’t ask for better luck going into the races. Things have played out for us the right way. We’ve put ourselves in a good position to create our luck. If we can keep doing that throughout the season we will have a shot at the end at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That’s what we’re trying to do. Keep ourselves in a position where we can be there at the end of races and have a shot to win the championship.”
You’ve never race at Auto Club Speedway. Does that worry you?
“I think we’ll be good at Auto Club Speedway. The bigger tracks suit me well. It’s very similar to Michigan International Speedway and I run really well at Michigan. It’s one of my favorite tracks. I can’t wait to get to California. I’ve heard the track is a little rough, but we’ll learn how to adjust our car when we get there. We plan to adjust on the car throughout practice and lean on the teammates. I think how big the tracks are you can really move around and find speed and my dirt background plays to the advantage there. I’ve just always been good at those types of tracks.”
Brendan Gaughan
No. 33 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet Impala
Event Preview Fact Sheet
This Week’s South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet at Auto Club Speedway … Brendan Gaughan will pilot Chassis No. 103 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. This RCR prepared Chevrolet was last seen on-track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month where Gaughan started ninth and finished fifth.
No Stranger Here … Gaughan will make his second Nationwide Series start under the RCR banner this weekend in the 150-lap affair at Auto Club Speedway. After a one-year hiatus from the sophomore touring division, the Las Vegas native will make his 73rd career start in the Nationwide Series when the green flag waves for Saturday’s Royal Purple 300. He’s earned seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes in a span of four seasons in the Nationwide Series, as well as a pole award in March 2009 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Stats in the Golden State … In five previous Nationwide Series starts at the two-mile oval, Gaughan has notched two top-10 finishes with his best finish of seventh coming in February 2009. The 36-year-old driver has seven starts under his belt at the Fontana, Calif.-based race track in the Camping World Truck Series earning two top-five finishes and a pole award. His best finish of second came in 2003 when he started on the pole for the September event.
Rearview Mirror: Bristol Motor Speedway … Although Gaughan wasn’t behind the wheel for the Bristol 300 this past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. The No. 33 Armour Vienna Sausages Chevrolet driven by Kevin Harvick took the green flag from the sixth position for the 300-lap event. Harvick was running in the top-five of the running order when on the last pit stop of the day was caught with a pit road speeding penalty relegating him to a ninth-place finish.
Last Time Around … Gaughan was last behind the wheel of the No. 33 Nationwide Series car in front of his hometown crowd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this month. Starting from the ninth-place position, Gaughan battled a temperamental machine driving to his first top-five finish of the 2012 season.
Double Duty … Aside from his Nationwide Series responsibilities, Gaughan will also pilot the No. 33 South Point Casino & Hotel Chevrolet Sprint Cup Series entry for the Welcome, N.C.-based organization for the fourth time this season. Flag-to-flag coverage of the Auto Club 400 will be aired on FOX beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Owner’s Points … The No. 33 Chevrolet team is currently third in the Nationwide Series owner’s championship point standings, 26 markers outside the top spot where RCR teammate Elliott Sadler and the No. 2 OneMain Financial Chevrolet team hold the lead.
Gaughan’s Picks … Gaughan started the NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness Tournament with his favorite teams for the final four including his former college team the Georgetown Hoyas. He also picked Florida State University, Michigan State University and Duke University. As the tournament heads into the Sweet 16 on Thursday, the University of Georgetown alumnus only has one team still in the contention for the championship, Michigan State University.
BRENDAN GAUGHAN QUOTES:
You earned a top-five finish in your first Nationwide Series with RCR event this season. What are your expectations going to Auto Club Speedway?
“Every time a RCR Nationwide Series car hits the racetrack, there is an expectation of it being up front. Auto Club Speedway is a track that I have had a lot of success at and we’re bringing the Las Vegas car that I finished fifth with to California. With Ernie (Cope, crew chief) making the calls, we hope to improve on that finish.”
You’ve raced at Auto Club Speedway on previous occasions. What do you think of the track?
“I love racing there. It’s fast, wide and has plenty of room to race two-and three-wide. I can’t wait to be back in the No. 33 Nationwide Series Chevrolet for RCR.”
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