Crew Chief Chatter: Eddie Pardue

Concord, N.C. (March 31, 2010) - Heading into the fifth race of the season, crew chief Eddie Pardue is anxious to get to Nashville Superspeedway for this weekend’s Nashville 300.  A Roush Fenway crew chief since 2006, Pardue has collected four wins, 28 top-fives, 64 top-10s and nine pole awards working with drivers such as Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.  This year, Pardue is at the helm of the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford Fusion with rookie driver Colin Braun.  This week, Pardue answered a few questions about the team’s season thus far as well as the race this weekend in Nashville. 

Q: You have worked with a lot of different drivers at Roush Fenway Racing, including a few Cup Series guys.  What’s it been like working with a rookie like Colin Braun this year?

A: Working with Colin has been great.  He is a very dedicated driver and works very hard at improving each and every race.  It is exciting to work with a rookie like Colin when they have moved up into a different series.  It means racing a brand new car for them, racing new people and usually at a few new tracks- all of which are a challenge.  It is a steep learning curve and Colin is ready for the task at hand. 

Q: Thinking about some of those guys you have worked with in the past, and even others, how does Colin compare in terms of driving style, personality and attitude?

A: Colin’s driving style is unique, just like all drivers have their own that is unique to them.  The best way to describe his driving style though would be a good mix between Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle.  Colin is a smart, aggressive driver that studies hard.  He is fast at all types of tracks- from intermediate to short tracks to road courses.
 
Q: You’re heading to Nashville this weekend, a place where Colin has done well in previous starts.  What will he and the team need to do in order to be successful?

A: Nashville will be good for our team.  Colin has done well in the trucks and in our Nationwide car there.  To be successful, we will need a total team effort from good pit stops, a great set-up, to flawless car preparation and a mistake free day on and off pit road.  We have been fast all year and it’s time to go prove it with a great finish.

Q: Do you have any special plans for Easter with your family?

A: We will have an Easter egg hunt at home on Sunday morning and seeing the surprise when my daughter finds her Easter basket will be priceless.  Easter and bunnies are very well liked at my house.  The rest of the afternoon will be spent relaxing followed by a nice family dinner.  

About Con-way Freight
Con-way Freight is the industry's leading less-than-truckload (LTL) freight transportation company, providing guaranteed, day-definite regional and transcontinental service with exception-free delivery, on-time service performance and faster transit times through a single, unified network of more than 300 service centers in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Con-way Freight offers LTL freight transportation across North America and through Global LTLTM delivery in the United States from around the world. Global solutions include international less-than-container (LCL) ocean shipments from Asia through its OceanGuaranteed(r) service; expedited U.S. delivery for inbound international cargoes from Europe through an exclusive alliance with TNT; direct service to more than 30 Bahamian and Caribbean ports through TropicalDirectSM; and domestic offshore transportation to  Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Based in Ann Arbor, Mich., Con-way Freight is a certified FAST highway carrier and is C-TPAT/PIP, ACE- and CSA-certified.

Con-way Freight is a subsidiary of Con-way Inc. (NYSE: CNW), a $4.3 billion diversified freight transportation and logistics services company. For more information, visit www.con-way.com/en/freight. 

About Roush Fenway Racing
Roush Fenway Racing is NASCAR’s largest team operating eight motorsports teams.  Four in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with drivers Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and David Ragan; and four in the Nationwide Series with Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Colin Braun, and Paul Menard.  For more information on any of the Roush Fenway Racing teams, log onto www.RoushFenway.com.  Become a fan of Roush Fenway Racing on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/roushfenway.  And for sponsorship inquiries please contact Robin Johnson at 704.720.4645.

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