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Dodge Motorsports 2010

• Dodge has 206 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins.
• Dodge’s most recent win came at Atlanta Motor Speedway when Kurt Busch led 129 laps en route to victory in the Kobalt Tools 500.
• Dodge claimed four Sprint Cup Series victories in 2009.
• Dodge teams have posted 46 wins since the manufacturer’s return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.

DODGE HISTORICAL DATA

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm, Fla., 100 miles, .5-mile track.
• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at Bristol Motor Speedway: David Pearson, 3/19/67, 75.937 mph avg. speed.
• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at BMS: Kurt Busch, 03/26/06, Food City 500, 79.427 mph avg. speed.

DODGE AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

• Dodge has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Bristol: David Pearson, Bobby Allison (2), Richard Petty (2) and Kurt Busch.
• Kurt Busch posted his first career victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Bristol at the spring race in 2002.
• Dodge’s Sam Hornish Jr. has a career-best start of seventh at Bristol Motor Speedway for the spring race during his rookie year in 2008.
• Brad Keselowski is making his first Cup start at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. In six Nationwide Series starts at Bristol, he has one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.
• Dodge has earned eight poles at Bristol Motor Speedway (Bobby Isaac, Neil Bonnett, Ryan Newman (2), Kasey Kahne, Pearson, Petty and Busch.

NEWS NUGGETS

• All three NSCS Penske Dodge’s are participating in today’s test session at Talladega Motor Speedway in advance of next month’s Sprint Cup race. This will be the first superspeedway test session using the new NASCAR mandated spoiler.
• Since 2000, Dodge’s Kurt Busch is one of three drivers who have swept both Bristol races (Rusty Wallace and Kyle Busch).
• Penske Racing has eight wins in 73 Cup starts at BMS.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 77 Mobil1 Dodge) qualified seventh in his Bristol debut in 2008.
• Dodge is the “Official Passenger Car” of NASCAR.
• Kurt Busch has scored at least one victory in each of the last nine years (2002-2010).
• Brad Keselowski (No. 12 Penske Dodge) will be participating in Food City Race Night on Friday evening at BMS. Along with other drivers, Keselowski will participate in several on-stage activities, including a question and answer session, Wii Boxing and Family Feud.

FAST FACT OF THE WEEK: BRISTOL

• Dodge’s Kurt Busch is tied with Jeff Gordon for career wins by active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway. Each has reached victory lane at the .533-mile oval five times.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Penske Racing has earned 45 poles in the Sprint Cup Series since partnering with Dodge in 2003.
• The Food City 500 marks the 99th Sprint Cup race at the .533-mile high-banked oval.
• Kurt Busch is most recent Dodge win at BMS. He won the spring event in 2006.
• 412 different drivers have competed in Sprint Cup races at Bristol since the inaugural event on July 30, 1961.
• Kurt Busch posted his 21st career NSCS victory with his win at Atlanta.

DODGE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

“The bottom line is that our team has a really good grasp on the short‐track big‐picture importance because at the end of the day, all these races pay the exact same amount of points. As a whole, I see us gaining strength and gaining momentum. But we know we have to get through this upcoming short‐track portion of the season with the Bristol, Martinsville and Phoenix races coming up and we couldn’t have a better guy to lead our team in those races than Steve Addington.”
Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger

“I think there have been more lead changes and passing now that there is a second groove at Bristol. Obviously, there is less on-track action because you don’t have to bump someone to pass them. And if someone bumps you to get by, you can move up into that second groove and lose a spot or two instead of wrecking. Of course, the new outside wall may change the race dynamics but we’ll have to wait and see. I think the more we get used to the new cars, the better the racing at Bristol will be.”
Sam Hornish Jr. – No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger

“I’m anxious to see how the new outside barrier will affect the top groove at Bristol. When they reconfigured it and widened it a little bit, you saw drivers making more passes on the outside. With that extra room now having been taken away, you’ll really need to have the car working well on the bottom. Forward drive is always important at Bristol or any short track for that matter. If you can get underneath someone coming off the corner you can usually beat him to the next corner to make the pass.”
Brad Keselowski – No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge Charger

FROM THE CREW CHIEFS:

“I’m anxious to see how the new outside barrier will affect the top groove at Bristol. When they reconfigured it and widened it a little bit, you saw drivers making more passes on the outside. With that extra room now having been taken away, you’ll really need to have the car working well on the bottom. Forward drive is always important at Bristol, or any short track for that matter. If you can get underneath someone coming off the corner you can usually beat him to the next corner to make the pass.”
Jay Guy, Crew Chief, No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge

“Heading to the ‘World’s Fastest Half-Mile’ is something I look forward to every year. It is the most intense short track racing there is. Bristol has made some changes by adding soft walls on the straightaway, which should tighten up the racing even more. Last year, we had a strong run going and that makes me even more excited about the trip to Bristol this weekend.”
Travis Geisler, Crew Chief, No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge

- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release