Tuesday
Brad Keselowski, 2011 NSCS Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Race Preview
Press ReleaseBrad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Goody’s Fast Relief 500
Martinsville Speedway
April 3, 2011
| Brad Keselowski at Martinsville Speedway – Cup Series | ||||||
| Date | Start | Finish | LC/TL | Status | $Won | |
| 10/24/2010 | 25 | 10 | 500/500 | Running | $110,710 | |
| 3/29/2010 | 30 | 12 | 508/508 | Running | $104,785 | |
| Starts | Poles | Wins | Top-Fives | Top-10s | LC/TL | $Won |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1,008/1,008 (100%) | $215,495 |
- This Week’s Charger… The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-740 during Sunday’s Goody’s Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway. This is a new chassis to the No. 2 team.
- No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in 2011… After five events, Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team sit 23rd in the Cup Series driver and owner point standings. The team is coming off a 26th-place finish in the Auto Club 400 last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway.
- Keselowski at Martinsville Speedway… Traditionally, Martinsville is not a place where rookies run well, but that is exactly what Keselowski did in 2010. Producing a 12th- and a 10th-place finish, respectively, in his first two starts at the paperclip-shaped oval is impressive for any driver. In addition to his two career Cup Series starts at Martinsville, Keselowski has raced in four career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) events at the track, with his best finish of 18th coming in 2005 while driving for his family-owned K-Automotive team.
- Have a Beer with that Dog… This will be the featured tag line on the bumper of the “Blue Deuce” this weekend in Martinsville. One of the most well-known traditions in NASCAR is the Martinsville Speedway hot dog. What goes better with a hot dog than a Miller Lite?
- Laverne and Bradley…On Thursday, March 31, Keselowski will tour the MillerCoors brewery located in Eden, NC. Some of the brands that come out of the Eden brewery are Miller Lite, Coors Light, Miller Genuine Draft and Miller High Life, among others.
- Follow Brad on Twitter… Fans can now follow Keselowski on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/keselowski. Followers can get a glimpse inside his everyday life while keeping up-to-date on the latest news for the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team.
- The Rest is History… Martinsville Speedway is a track where Penske Racing has enjoyed its share of success. In 84 starts, the organization has picked up six wins (all by Rusty Wallace), five poles, 19 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes. Wallace made Martinsville his personal playground in the Miller Lite car as he did not finish outside of the top-three in eight consecutive races from September of 1992 through April of 1996.
Brad Keselowski on racing at Martinsville Speedway
“Martinsville will always be a track that is hard on brakes. Yes, the braking systems have come a long way over the last 10 years or so. But if you give us more brakes or better brakes, we are going to use more brakes to the point that we will damage the sidewall of the tire. Overheating the brakes is something that is easy to do because you are going so hard every lap as passing is difficult at Martinsville. Managing your brakes is part of being a successful short-track racer. Last year we were able to keep the brakes on the car and have two good finishes. We need to progress and build on those finishes in 2011.”
Brad Keselowski on how he adapted quickly to the tricky Martinsville Speedway
“The biggest thing for me going into my first race at Martinsville was that I tried not to get too intimidated by the track. There are a lot of top-tier drivers that have horror stories about their first race there. I came from a short-track background, racing at tough bullrings like Toledo and Auto City. I told myself that those tracks had fully-prepared me for racing at Martinsville and that I just needed to trust my abilities. We had two good racecars last year too, and that certainly helps. I’m really excited to get back to Martinsville this weekend because I learned a ton in those first two races that will help me this season.”
Crew chief Paul Wolfe on his first race as a Cup Series crew chief at Martinsville Speedway
“Fortunately, I have some crew chief experience at Martinsville from the Nationwide Series race there in 2006. Even though it was only one race in another series, it has prepared me for this weekend. We’ve done all the normal things you have to do to your car when racing at Martinsville. The good thing about Martinsville is that you don’t have to worry about aerodynamics. It’s the shortest track we visit and it’s all about mechanical grip. In the short time Brad has been at Martinsville, he has shown a great ability to get around the place. Hopefully we can get qualifying in – which is never a guarantee during this weekend – so that we can get a good qualifying spot. Then, if we can maintain forward bite off the corners, I believe we can gain back the points we lost last weekend in Fontana.”
Media Contact: David Hovis at (980) 722-1117 or david.hovis@penskeracing.com
This release and additional materials are available online to registered media members at media.penskeracing.com
| Brad Keselowski NASCAR Cup Series Career Totals | ||||||||||
| Races | Wins | Top-Fives | Top-10s | Poles | Money Won | |||||
| 58 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | $6,963,535 | |||||
| Brad Keselowski 2011 Totals | ||||||||||
| Races | Wins | Top-Fives | Top-10s | Poles | Money Won | |||||
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | $713,420 | |||||
| 2011 No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Race Results | ||||||||||
| Date | Track | Start | Finish | Status | Money Won | |||||
| 2/20/2011 | Daytona International Speedway | 16 | 29 | Accident | $286,638 | |||||
| 2/27/2011 | Phoenix International Raceway | 9 | 15 | Running | $97,408 | |||||
| 3/6/2011 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | 20 | 26 | Running | $112,308 | |||||
| 3/20/2011 | Bristol Motor Speedway | 23 | 18 | Running | $112,408 | |||||
| 3/27/2011 | Auto Club Speedway | 21 | 26 | Running | $104,658 | |||||
| 4/3/2011 | Martinsville Speedway | |||||||||
| 4/9/2011 | Texas Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 4/17/2011 | Talladega Superspeedway | |||||||||
| 4/30/2011 | Richmond International Raceway | |||||||||
| 5/7/2011 | Darlington Raceway | |||||||||
| 5/15/2011 | Dover International Speedway | |||||||||
| 5/21/2011 | Charlotte Motor Speedway (All-Star Race) | |||||||||
| 5/29/2011 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 6/5/2011 | Kansas Speedway | |||||||||
| 6/12/2011 | Pocono Raceway | |||||||||
| 6/19/2011 | Michigan International Speedway | |||||||||
| 6/26/2011 | Infineon Raceway | |||||||||
| 7/2/2011 | Daytona International Speedway | |||||||||
| 7/9/2011 | Kentucky Speedway | |||||||||
| 7/17/2011 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 7/31/2011 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 8/7/2011 | Pocono Raceway | |||||||||
| 8/14/2011 | Watkins Glen International | |||||||||
| 8/21/2011 | Michigan International Speedway | |||||||||
| 8/27/2011 | Bristol Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 9/4/2011 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 9/10/2011 | Richmond International Raceway | |||||||||
| 9/18/2011 | Chicagoland Speedway | |||||||||
| 9/25/2011 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 10/2/2011 | Dover International Speedway | |||||||||
| 10/9/2011 | Kansas Speedway | |||||||||
| 10/15/2011 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 10/23/2011 | Talladega Superspeedway | |||||||||
| 10/30/2011 | Martinsville Speedway | |||||||||
| 11/6/2011 | Texas Motor Speedway | |||||||||
| 11/13/2011 | Phoenix International Raceway | |||||||||
| 11/20/2011 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | |||||||||
| Totals | 17.8 | 22.8 | $713,420 | |||||||
- Penske Racing, Press Release
Article Tags: Brad Keselowski, Dodge Charger R/T, Dodge Motorsports, Goody's Fast Relief 500, Martinsville (VA), Martinsville Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T, NSCS, Penske Racing, The Paperclip
