Catchfence

Brad Keselowski (Photo Credit: Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger

Brickyard 400 presented by BigMachineRecords.com

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

July 31, 2011

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger News and Notes

• · This Week’s Charger… The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-748 during Sunday’s Brickyard 400 presented by Big Machine Records.com at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). Keselowski drove this chassis to a second-place finish in the All-Star Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. The finish propelled him into the All-Star race, where he posted an 18^th-place result.
• · No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in 2011… After 19 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked 23^rd in the NASCAR Cup Series (NSCS) driver and owner point standings. The team is coming off a 35^th-place finish in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway two weeks ago. Keselowski sits 25 points outside of the top 20 and a possible spot in the Chase for the Championship,
• · Head2Head Knockout… Keselowski is one of 32 drivers competing in the DIRECTV Head2Head Knockout on ESPN.com beginning next weekend at Pocono Raceway. This “March Madness” style bracket challenge will raise money for each driver’s favorite charity. Keselowski will participate on behalf of the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
• · Midwest Homecoming… Keselowski places special emphasis on running well when the series visits the Midwestern part of the country. A native of Rochester Hills, Mich., Keselowski – along with his father, uncle and brother – has won numerous short track races throughout the mid-section of the United States over the years.
• · This One’s For The Captain… The featured tag line on the rear bumper of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend in Indianapolis will be “This One’s For The Captain.” This is in honor of the nickname of team owner, Roger Penske, whose IndyCar teams have captured a record 15 Indianapolis 500 race victories at IMS over the years.
• · The Rest is History… In the first Brickyard 400 in 1994, Rusty Wallace qualified 12^th and finished fourth in the No. 2 car as the only Penske Racing entry in that first Cup Series event at IMS. In 35 combined starts, Penske Racing drivers have accumulated six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes at the Brickyard 400, with an average finish of 17.1. They have completed 4,656 of 4,962 laps (93.8%) with 162 laps led at The Speedway.

Brad Keselowski on racing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

“You can’t go to the Brickyard without thinking about what the track means not only to NASCAR, but to auto racing in general. Being from the Midwestern section of the country myself, I always looked to the spectacle of the Indianapolis 500 and wondered what it would be like to compete there. Now we have the Brickyard 400 for stock cars and it has become one of the most prestigious races in the country as well. Hopefully we can get a good, solid run in this weekend and make a move back toward the top 20 in points. We’ve always been able to qualify up front on flat tracks. Now we just need to continue to finish up there too.”

Brad Keselowski on racing at Indianapolis for team owner Roger Penske

“It definitely gives you a sense of pride when you go to Indy as a member of Penske Racing. You look at everything Mr. Penske has been able to accomplish there in open-wheel racing. It would be one of the coolest things I could ever do in a racecar if I could get him his first win in the Brickyard 400. We’re going to give it our best shot this weekend. We’ve obviously been able to improve our program over the last couple of months so I feel good about us going there and challenging for the win.”

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on his inaugural race as a crew chief at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

“Going to Indy for the first time as a crew chief will be a high-water mark in my career. To do it as a member of Penske Racing, with all Mr. Penske has done at that track, just makes it even more special. I won’t let myself get caught up in all the pageantry that surrounds racing at Indy. We’re going up there focused and ready to win a race. Corner exit is very important at Indianapolis because you have to make sure you get down the long straightaways. Each turn is tight – basically 90 degrees – so you need to make sure that your car is turning well enough that the driver can get back to the power as early as possible. Mechanical grip and aerodynamic grip all play a part in making that happen.”

This release and additional materials are available online to registered media members at media.penskeracing.com

- Penske Racing, Press Release