Justin Allgaier
No. 12 Verizon Dodge Charger
Phoenix International Raceway – WYPALL 200
Verizon Team News and Notes
· This Week’s Verizon Dodge … Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-017 in Saturday afternoon’s WYPALL 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. This is the same Dodge Charger that Allgaier used to record his first career Nationwide Series pole at Memphis Motorsports Park in October of 2009. It then raced at Richmond International Raceway in April, where the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year started ninth and finished 15th. The Verizon team utilized this chassis in both events at Gateway International Raceway in 2010, finishing 25th in July after being involved in a late-race incident. In its most-recent outing at GIR last month, Allgaier dominated much of the race before settling for a third-place finish.
· Allgaier at Phoenix … In four previous NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at PIR, Allgaier has recorded one top-10 finish and has completed 99.9 percent of the laps contested (803 of 804). Additionally, the 24-year-old driver has an average starting position of 20th and an average finish of 12th.
Through 33 Races … With 33 races of the 2010 season in the record books, Allgaier has accumulated two poles, one win, eight top-five and 19 top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 11.9 and an average finish of 11.6. Allgaier has led 221 laps of competition and has completed 97.6 percent of the laps contested (5,941 of 6,089) so far this season.
Five Years, Five Drivers … Crew chief Chad Walter has only been atop two pit boxes over the last five years at Phoenix, but he has worked with five drivers over that span. As a crew chief with Hendrick Motorsports, Walter worked with Adrian Fernandez, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, and Landon Cassill. Since joining Penske Racing, Walter has established a familiarity with Allgaier, having called the shots for all four of the Riverton, Ill. native’s previous starts at the desert oval.
Get to the Points … Allgaier ranks fourth in the NNS championship point standings heading into this weekend’s event at TMS. He trails current point leader and Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski by 912 points, and third-place contender Kyle Busch by 217 points.
Best in Class … Allgaier’s fourth-place position in the point standings is best among full-time, Nationwide Series-only drivers. Allgaier leads fellow Nationwide-only driver Trevor Bayne, currently ranked eighth, by 375 points.
Dash 4 Cash Winner … While Allgaier’s 13th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend wasn’t what he hoped for, it was enough to allow him to clinch the 2010 “Dash 4 Cash” bonus program. For his efforts, Allgaier was rewarded with a $75,000 bonus from the series sponsor, Nationwide Insurance.
Penske Racing at Phoenix … In nine previous Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix, Penske Racing entries have recorded two top-five and three top-10 finishes, and have been atop the leaderboard for 95 laps.
Penske Racing in 2010 … With 33 races completed in the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded seven poles, seven wins, a combined 32 top-five and 46 top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have completed 12,029 of 12,178 laps contested, and have been atop the leaderboard for 1,368 laps with drivers Allgaier and Keselowski.
Cast Your Vote … Some 30,000 fans have cast their votes since July 6, and Allgaier is currently ranked among the top-five in the NNS Most Popular Driver award voting (through Wednesday, Sept. 15). Fans can visit www.nascarnationwideseries.com to vote for their favorite NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. Voting continues through Saturday, November 13.
Meet the Driver … Allgaier will sign autographs at Wal-Mart, located at 1825 West Bell Road in Phoenix, Ariz. on Thursday, November 11 from 5 – 6 p.m. MST. On Saturday, November 13, fans can meet Allgaier at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer, located in the midway at PIR from 11:25 – 11:55 a.m.
Justin Allgaier on Phoenix International Raceway
“I really enjoy racing at Phoenix. It’s good to head to a race track where we’ve completed almost every lap that we’ve attempted. At the same time, our finishes haven’t been spectacular. I can’t seem to put my finger on what’s made Phoenix such a good track for me, but I think it has something to do with my dirt racing background. You’re always searching for different lines in the dirt, and because of the differences between the opposite ends of the track, you’re always searching for a line that will suit your car best.”
Crew chief Chad Walter on Phoenix International Raceway
“I’m really looking forward to Phoenix. We are coming off a strong short track showing at Gateway, and we’re bringing the same car we raced there. We had a top-five finish coming to us at Phoenix in the spring when a pit road accident took us out of contention. It’s one of Justin’s favorite tracks, it really seems to suit his driving style. We’re feeling good about our chances for a top-five finish this weekend.”
- Penske Racing Press Release
