Catchfence

Dodge Motorsports

• Dodge has 33 Nationwide wins, six of which have come this season, its first full-time season in NNS.
• If Brad Keselowski finishes 26th or higher in the final four races, he wins the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series driver’s championship.
• Keselowski’s seeks Penske Racing’s first NASCAR championship and Dodge’s first in the NNS.

JUSTIN ALLGAIER – No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge
Highlights:

• Has earned four-consecutive top-10 finishes in his last four Nationwide Series starts.
• Earned his first NASCAR Nationwide victory earlier this year at Bristol Motor Speedway, leading a 1-2 finish for Penske Racing and Dodge.
• Has one win along with seven top-five and 18 top-10 finishes in 31 Nationwide races in 2010.
• Gateway Stats: Best start – 13th (July 2009).  Best finish – 11th (July 2010);
• Currently fourth in the season point standings, best among full-time Nationwide Series-only drivers.
• Has earned one pole, most recently at Nashville in June.
• Has finished in the top 15 in eight of the last nine races.
• In the top five in points all season.
• Was the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year.

BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger
Highlights:

• Currently leads the Nationwide Series standings by 450 points over Carl Edwards – his largest lead of the season.  He has led the point standings the last 24.  His slimmest margin was one margin was one point (Charlotte – Race 12).
• Earned back-to-back wins at Talladega and Richmond and has four wins in 2010.
• Keselowski has a NASCAR record 98 consecutive Nationwide Series races without a DNF (Did Not Finish).
• His 2010 Nationwide Series totals, in addition to five wins, include 22 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes.
• Gateway Stats: Best start – 5th (July 2009);  Best finish – 1st (July 2008)

DID YOU KNOW

Penske Racing development driver Parker Kligerman, who has one pole and two top-10 finishes in 12 career Nationwide Series starts, will practice and qualify the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger this weekend at Gateway International Raceway.  Keselowski will be at Martinsville Speedway preparing for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race – TUMS Fast Relief 500 – and will travel to St. Louis after practice Saturday.

DODGE NATIONWIDE SERIES QUOTES

“There’s always a compromise at Gateway, and I’ve always been a believer in making the car better at one end (of the track) or the other.  You know when the car unloads off the truck which corner you’re going to be better at.  Turns 3 and 4 always seem to be where I hit it.  It’s wider than the other end of the track, which lets you build a lot of speed to carry down the frontstretch.  That being said, the last time we raced at Gateway, it seemed the cars that were able to get off Turn 2 better were at an advantage.”
Justin Allgaier, No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger

“Gateway is an unique facility and it’s a shame that we will lose that uniqueness from the schedule next year.  It took me a few years to get used to that place, but it turned into one of my favorite stops of the year.  So now we are going to turn our attention to being the last Nationwide Series winner at Gateway.  I was fortunate enough to be the last winner at Memphis (Motorsport Park).  That is still one of my favorite wins.  We obviously had a great car at Gateway in the spring, a car that should have won the race.  Even though we don’t have that car anymore, I believe our stable of cars have gotten better since then anyway.  We’ll have to come from the back, since I won’t make qualifying, but I’m confident in this No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team that we can make that work.”
Brad Keselowski, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger

- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release