Reese Towpower Logo

NASCAR SEASON FOR REESE TOWPOWER KICKS OFF AT DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY WITH BRAD KESELOWSKI TWITTER TRUCK NATIONAL PROMOTION AND BIG PLANS FOR THE APRIL KANSAS RACE AS MAIN SPONSORS IN THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES WITH LABONTE  AND IN THE CAMPING  WORLD TRUCK SERIES WITH KLIGERMAN  

(SOLON, OH-) Second year NASCAR team sponsors, Cequent Consumer Products (CCP) and its leading brand Reese Towpower® will kick off the 2012 NASCAR season February 24th, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway as part of Brad Keselowski’s Twitter truck at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Keselowski held a Twitter promotion in which fans had to Tweet the answer to a question and follow sponsors @ReeseTowpower @CooperStandard and @Keselowski for a chance to be featured on the Keselowski’s #19 RAM truck. The promotion gained massive appeal through Twitter with NASCAR fans and the media.

After Daytona, Reese Towpower will then have a huge weekend at the Kansas Speedway April 21 and 22 with sponsored teams at both the SFP 250 and the STP 400 races.  Reese Towpower®, the leader in towing products and Highland®, the leader in cargo management and cargo securing products will return for a second year to sponsor 2000 NASCAR Champion driver, Bobby Labonte of JTG Daugherty Racing in the Sprint Cup Series. Labonte will drive the No. 47 Toyota Camry Reese Towpower car on April 22 at the Kansas Speedway.

“We’re looking forward to having Cequent Consumer Products brands Reese Towpower® and Highland® return to the No. 47 Toyota Camry at Kansas Speedway in April,” Labonte said. “CCP is a great partner of JTG Daugherty Racing and they have selected a fan-friendly track with multiple grooves and good racing to spotlight their brands with our NASCAR fans.”

The Kansas City race is also when Reese Towpower will debut as the primary sponsor of the No. 29 Reese Towpower RAM in the Camping World Truck Series with up and coming driver, Parker Kligerman of Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR). Additional dates for the Reese Towpower Ram driven by Kligerman include:

April 21st – Kansas Speedway
June 8th – Texas Motor Speedway
July 14th – Iowa Speedway
July 21st – Chicagoland Speedway
September 29 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

CCP is also proud to bring an industry partner on board as part of the 2012 NASCAR team sponsorship. Partner, National Retail Hardware Association (NRHA), will promote their consumer website PlanitDIY.com on the No. 29 Ram Truck as an Associate Sponsor for the July 21st Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Reese Towpower is also pleased to announce Brad Keselowski will be the driver of the Reese Towpower No.19
RAM on August 22nd at Bristol Motor Speedway– Bristol, TN.

“Everyone at BKR is excited to debut the Cequent Consumer Products No. 29 Reese Towpower Ram at Kansas Speedway in April,” Kligerman said. “CCP is a great addition to our truck program and I am thrilled to able to represent all of CCP’s brands and products on and off the race track.”

“We are thrilled to open our season as dual sponsors of both team JTG Daugherty Racing and Brad Keselowski Racing,” said Francis Bernart, VP Marketing, Cequent Consumer Products. “This will be a big weekend of racing for us and being in both the Sprint Cup and the World Camping Series will provide maximum exposure for our leading brands Reese Towpower® and Highland®.”

Cequent Consumer Products began sponsoring the sport of NASCAR with JTG Daugherty Racing and Bobby Labonte in 2011.  In October, CCP announced a new mutil-race sponsorship with Brad Keselowski Racing to be split among CCP, its sister company, Cequent Performance Products and Cooper Standard, a returning sponsor for BKR. Cequent Consumer and Cequent Performance Products are divisions of the Cequent Group owned by TriMas Corporation of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

ABOUT CEQUENT CONSUMER PRODUCTS:
Cequent Consumer Products, Inc. is the industry’s leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative consumer products for the automotive aftermarket industry. For more than 85 years, Cequent Consumer Products has produced some of the most dependable products in today’s market including superior-quality towing and hitch systems, trailer components and accessories, as well as electrical, brake, cargo carrying and rack systems for cars and trucks. Our established brands are sold through leading automotive retailers nationwide. Our brands are leaders in the industry and include: Reese Towpower, Highland, Rola, Fulton, and Bulldog. Cequent Consumer Products is part of the Recreational Accessories business segment of TriMas Corporation headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.  Visit http://www.CequentConsumerProducts.com
Follow us:
www.Facebook.com/ReeseTowpower    www.Twitter.com./ReeseTowpower
www.Facebook.com/HighlandProduct    www.Twitter.com/HighlandProduct

ABOUT BRAD KESELOWSKI RACING:
Based in Mooresville, North Carolina and led by NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski, Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) fields the No. 29 RAM in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. BKR, with the aim to provide young talented drivers the opportunity to improve their skills with a professional, competitive team, has also fielded entries in the ARCA Series and other developmental motorsport series. For more information, please visit www.bradracing.com.

ABOUT JTG DAUGHERTY RACING:
JTG Daugherty Racing is a thriving NASCAR Sprint Cup Series operation owned by husband and wife team Jodi and Tad Geschickter along with five-time NBA All-Star and ESPN television analyst Brad Daugherty. JTG Daugherty Racing entered full-time NASCAR Sprint Series competition during the 2009 season after competing 14 years in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and winning races. Based in Harrisburg, N.C., the team returns to the pinnacle of the sport for their fourth year. 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte returns at the wheel for his second season with the team looking to add to his 21 victories, 115 top-five and 201 top-10 finishes. For more information, please visit www.jtgdaughertyracing.com.

ABOUT NATIONAL RETAIL HARDWARE ASSOCIATION (NRHA)
The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) is a not-for-profit trade association representing 36,000 independent hardware stores, home centers and lumberyards across the U.S. and Canada. NRHA provides information, communication, training programs and networking opportunities to help these retailers become better merchants and compete more effectively. In 2011, NRHA launched PlanItDIY, a consumer-awareness and marketing campaign promoting the benefits of shopping at local, independent home improvement stores. The primary component of this initiative is PlanItDIY.com, a website where consumers can watch how-to videos and find project information for the most popular do-it-yourself home improvement projects. It also features the nation’s most complete store locator of independent home improvement retailers. For more information visit www.nrha.org orwww.PlanItDIY.com.
Here’s a recap:
Sprint Cup Series
Driver Bobby Labonte of (JTG) – No. 47 Toyota Camry Reese Towpower car – April 22 – Kansas Speedway

Camping World Truck Series
Driver Brad Keselowski of (BKR) – Reese Towpower featured on the No. 19 Twitter Truck – February 24 - Daytona International  Speedway
Reese Towpower No.19 RAM on August 22nd at Bristol Motor Speedway

Driver Parker Kligerman of (BKR)- No. 29 Reese Towpower RAM:
April 21st – Kansas Speedway
June 8th – Texas Motor Speedway
July 14th – Iowa Speedway
July 21st – Chicagoland Speedway
September 29th – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Source: Cequent Consumer Products, Inc./REESE Towpower Press Release

Snap-on Tools Racing

Snap-on’s colors and branding will adorn the No. 22 car driven this season by both former Nationwide Series champion Brad Keselowski and rising star Parker Kligerman in races at Darlington Raceway (May 11), Dover International Speedway (June 2), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 14) and Richmond International Raceway (September 7).

“We are excited to grow and develop our long-standing partnership with Snap-on as they expand our relationship to become a primary sponsor on the No. 22 Dodge for several Nationwide Series races this season,” said Roger Penske. “Snap-on has been a terrific partner with our organization now for 30 years and we look forward to celebrating this milestone with a great season together in 2012.”

Snap-on will continue to be an associate sponsor on all Penske Racing cars competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series this season as well as its IndyCar Series teams. Building on a strong and productive relationship that enters its third decade, Penske Automotive Group and Penske Truck Rental also continue to use Snap-on products across all levels of their respective businesses.

“Snap-on is honored to be one of Penske Racing’s longest-tenured sponsors and is thrilled to be expanding the relationship,” said Yvette Morrison, vice president of marketing for Snap-on Tools. “Penske is a first-class organization and our partnership continues to be of great benefit to our company and our franchisees. We are excited to have one of the winningest teams in motorsports carry the Snap-on brand.”

About Snap-on

Snap-on Incorporated is a leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of tools, equipment, diagnostics, repair information and systems solutions for professional users performing critical tasks. Products and services include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions for vehicle dealerships and repair centers, as well as customers in industry, government, agriculture, aviation and natural resources. Products and services are sold through the company’s franchisee, company-direct, distributor and Internet channels. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $2.6 billion, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

About Penske Racing

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 350 major race wins, 412 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

- Penske Racing Press Release

Brad Keselowski Racing Logo Thumbnail

Jeff Stankiewicz will serve as Keselowski’s crew chief. Doug Randolph will serve as crew chief for Parker Kligerman, who drives BKM’s No. 29 Dodge in the Truck Series.

“It’s starting to come together,” Keselowski said Saturday afternoon after his Preseason Thunder test ended at Daytona International Speedway. “I’m roughly planning to do six races, but I’d prefer not to drive it, to be quite honest.

“But for Parker’s sake, I think it’s important to get a good evaluation because this is a make or break year for Parker. We need a good evaluation of where our equipment’s at throughout different periods of the year so we can understand whether or not he’s making the most of our opportunity.

“Before you can say what the most of an opportunity is you have to define what the opportunity is. Are we giving him a good opportunity? Are we giving him an average opportunity? I don’t have an answer to that and I think we’ll have a much better indicator if we’re able to achieve that.”

To do that, Keselowski was compelled to shuffle his deck slightly, particularly when Randolph became available.

- SunHerald.com

- and –

NASCAR.com

Penske Racing

“We are pleased to welcome Jeremy to the Penske Racing team,” said Roger Penske. “His experience and engineering background will allow him to integrate well with our approach to preparing our race cars and executing at the track. We are excited for Jeremy to lead the No. 22 team and to continue with the winning tradition that has been established over the last two seasons.”

Bullins will join a team that has quickly become one of the most successful in NNS competition. Over the course of the 2010 and 2011 seasons, the No. 22 Dodge has scored 12 wins with Brad Keselowski as its primary pilot. In its first season of existence, Keselowski led the No. 22 team to the 2010 NNS title, the first-ever NASCAR championship for Penske Racing. Bullins will take over for Todd Gordon, who last week was promoted to crew chief of the Penske Racing No. 22 Shell / Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Cup Series.

“It is an honor to have the opportunity to join Penske Racing and lead this successful program,” said Bullins, who was race engineer for seven Cup Series point-paying wins on the No. 29 car over the last two years. “The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team is one of the premier teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Not many people get the opportunity to work with a driver of Brad’s caliber in their first crew chief position. I am excited to get to work and get ready for the 2012 season.”

Keselowski will share the driving duties with Penske Racing development driver Parker Kligerman in the No. 22 car during the 2012 campaign. Keselowski, the former series champion, is looking to continue his rise up the NNS all-time wins ladder. With five more victories, Keselowski will enter the top 10 in career wins.

“I am very proud of what we have been able to build over the last two seasons with the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team,” said Keselowski. “I am confident Jeremy can continue to build on that. He brings an impressive resume from a solid organization. It is also good that we were able to move quickly to bring Jeremy aboard Penske Racing so we can all start working together to prepare for 2012.”

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 350 major race wins, 412 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

- Penske Racing Press Release

Brad Keselowski Racing Logo Thumbnail

“This is a historic day for Brad Keselowski Racing and I have a great deal of personal pride in making this announcement,” said team owner Brad Keselowski. “To have both Cequent and Cooper Standard join our program in such a significant way provides us with the platform to compete for the championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Both companies have very specific business and marketing objectives for the program and everyone at BKR will work to exceed Cequent’s and Cooper Standard’s expectations at the race track and in the marketplace.”

Cequent’s sponsorship of Keselowski and BKR, which also includes primary sponsorship for 15 Truck Series races in 2013 and 18 Truck Series races in 2014, is designed to drive exposure for its brands such as Draw-Tite and Reese Towpower, strengthen relationships with retail partners, and generate new business opportunities.

“We see Brad Keselowski and his team as terrific marketing fits for our company, its brands, and products,” stated Tom Benson, President of Cequent Performance Products. “The NASCAR Truck Series audience is undoubtedly our target market and Brad extends Cequent’s reach to the NASCAR Cup and Nationwide audiences. This program also presents some meaningful business opportunities for both our Performance Products and Consumer Products divisions. The partnership has all the elements to be a complete success for Cequent and for Brad’s team. We very much look forward to seeing the No. 29 Truck take the track in 2012.”

Cooper Standard’s expanded relationship with Brad Keselowski’s No. 29 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry in 2012 mirrors its broader commitment to the automotive aftermarket as the company looks to widen its offering of innovative products to the aftermarket. The company first worked with BKR in 2011 for three races.

“Brad and his team continually seek innovative solutions to perform at the highest level,” said Jim McElya, chairman and CEO, Cooper Standard. “We feel that this commitment to innovation, combined with his Michigan heritage and dedication to helping the local community, make Brad and his team ideal partners to help Cooper Standard further expand in the aftermarket and specialty vehicle markets.”

For more information, please visit www.bradracing.com, www.cequentgroup.com, www.cequentconsumerproducts.com, and www.cooperstandard.com.

For an electronic media kit, please visit http://tiny.cc/tdazu

About Cequent

Cequent, a TriMas company, based out of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan is an operating group that is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of accessories for light trucks, sport utility vehicles, recreation vehicles, passenger cars and trailers of all types. Products include towing and hitch systems, trailer components and accessories, and electrical, brake, cargo carrying and rack systems. The group consists of 3 business units: Cequent Performance Products, Cequent Consumer Products and Cequent Australia. Cequent draws upon a 100-year old heritage of superior towing and trailer brands (Draw-Tite, Reese, Fulton, Wesbar, Bulldog, Highland, Hidden Hitch, Bargman, ROLA and Tekonsha). Cequent employs approximately 2,070 associates. For further information, contact Mark Gage mgage@cequentgroup.com or visit Cequent at www.cequentgroup.com and www.cequentconsumerproducts.com.

About Cooper Standard

Cooper Standard, headquartered in Novi, Mich., is a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry. Products include body sealing systems, fluid handling systems and anti-vibration systems. Cooper Standard employs more than 21,000 people globally and operates in 19 countries around the world. For further information, contact Sharon Wenzl sswenzl@cooperstandard.com or visit Cooper Standard at www.cooperstandard.com.

About Brad Keselowski Racing

Based in Mooresville, North Carolina and led by NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski, Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) fields the No. 29 RAM in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. BKR, with the aim to provide young talented drivers the opportunity to improve their skills with a professional, competitive team, has also fielded entries in the ARCA Series and other developmental motorsport series. For more information, please visit www.bradracing.com.

- Brad Keselowski Racing Press Release

SS Green Light Racing Thumbnail

The .536-mile paper clip shaped racetrack is known for it’s rough and rugged racing, contact and beating & banging. Saturday afternoon was another prime example with nine cautions slowing the race for 50 of the 200 laps.

From his 22nd starting position, David picked up a few spots before the races first caution on lap 39 and several crew chiefs chose different strategies for fuel and tires right away. SS Green Light Racing’s Jason Miller brought Starr to the pit under the first caution for tires, fuel and adjustments to help Starr navigate through the heavy traffic ahead of him. David was nearly collected when Nelson Piquet and Cole Whitt got together on lap 50.

Several of the leaders began coming to pit road during the second and third cautions allowing Starr to gain back valuable track position all the way up to the seventh spot which he gave up when he brought the Build Your Future Campaign/Zachry Toyota to the attention of the SS Green Light crew for service under the fourth caution on lap 105. David restarted 19th with plans to run all the way to the end of the 200-lap event.

Once again David narrowly avoided disaster by missing a spinning Max Gresham as the caution flew for the fifth time. He stayed on the track under the sixth caution following a spin by Max Papis on lap 132 and as more leaders came to pit road, Starr was able to move into the top-ten.

Things were heating up on the track as the race was progressing and David was able to maneuver the Build Your Future Campaign/Zachry Toyota to seventh place and then up to fifth at the races three quarter mark. The No. 81 Toyota looked strong especially following the restart on lap 147 where he used the inside line to move to fourth and then muscled his way to third around Cale Gale on lap 155.

David Starr - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

With fresher tires, Johnny Sauter and Ron Hornaday caught David with 30 laps to go and rooted Starr back to fifth and eventual race winner Denny Hamlin slid by a few laps later dropping David to sixth which was a key position as the caution would come out a few laps later. With the side-by-side restarts in the NCWTS this would put Starr in the outside line for the restart following the eighth caution on lap 178.

David had a rough restart in the outside lane and lost two more positions to trucks in the preferred inside grove but it still looked like David could bring his Tundra home in the top-ten. The races last caution on lap 181 proved to be a nightmare for the SS Green Light team as David once again had to start in the outside lane and once again he had trouble holding position in the outside line and then several trucks made contact with David and moving him all the way up into the marbles near the outside wall while being freight-trained by trucks on the inside loosing nearly ten positions on the track.

“If you’re an even number you have to start on the outside and every time I would start on the outside I would go into turn one and my Toyota would just not turn and I would slide all the way up to the third grove. You just can’t open the door like that.”

“I think we were running sixth and I was cleaning the tires off; left, right, cleaning them really hard and I would go down into turn one and it would just not turn,” he continued. “I told my guys I thought I had a flat because for it not to turn that bad. I thought we had a flat. We didn’t end up having a flat but I just could not make that outside work especially on the restarts. Man, I did everything I could to clean the tires up.”

“To have such a great truck and to bring it home 22nd is really disappointing but you can‘t open the door down there on the last restart. I mean I slid up three lanes and I think we were three or four wide and somebody got into the side of me and we were really in the marbles.”

With four laps to go, running in heavy traffic, David spun dropping the No. 81 all the way back to 22nd where he would finish as the last truck on the lead-lap.

“To have such a great truck and not get the finish I think our team deserved is disappointing.”

Starr remained thirteenth in the NCWTS driver’s standings behind leader Austin Dillon. With just two races remaining in 2011, David is now 33 points behind Parker Klingerman for the tenth spot.

The NCWTS teams head to David’s Home state of Texas for the WinStar World Casino 350k at the Texas Motor Speedway on November 4th. As part of Careers in Construction week David will make an appearance at the Build Your Future construction career day in Dallas on November 2nd.

For more information on SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com.

- SS Green Light Racing Press Release

Mark Gibson Racing

Since trading in the steering wheel for a radio, Gibson has bred a variety of drivers as they attempt to climb their way to success. In 2011, Gibson’s team Mark Gibson Racing (MGR) brought Buster Graham to the stables. Graham, a Louisiana native entered the world of stock car racing after a healthy career as a hydroplane racer.

With Gibson’s loyalty, commitment and dedication the duo was able to compete in four ARCA Racing Series events finishing in the top-20 three times. As plans begin to fall into rotation for the upcoming season, Gibson is making it clear; his company is open for business and ready for success.

Before Graham’s endeavor in the ARCA Racing Series, Gibson most notably made a tone in the series in 2009 where he led the Cunningham Motorsports organization driven by now NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) rookie Parker Kligerman to nine wins, 14 top-fives and 18-top 10 finishes. Despite their dominance, the group lost the championship by a mere five markers to Justin Lofton. Still, the year which rewarded Kligerman with Rookie of the Year honors nearly exemplified a season of perfection.

“I want to be in ARCA, this is my home,” said Gibson, a four-time winner in competition. “It’s been a place I’ve been for nearly half of my life and while the economy is still tough, there are things materializing out there and we’re ready to take any opportunity or challenge that comes our way.”
He added, “I have a fleet of race cars,” he said. “We’re trying to be as cost efficient as possible but still get the job done. Even though I have a limited crew, we’re still prepping our speedway car and getting it ready for the Daytona test in December should something fuse between now and then.”
Even if nothing solidifies in time for the three-day test in December, Gibson refuses to utilize the word “give up” and is determined to field an entry in ARCA’s version of the Super Bowl.

“We can do a full schedule, partial schedule, five races or one race,” Gibson added. “We’re flexible. We’re here trying to build quality racecars and get them to the track safely and be competitive once they hit the pavement.”

During its ARCA tenure, Mark Gibson Racing (MGR) has notched 10 ARCA Racing Series victories dating back to Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway in 2003 with Gibson at the wheel.

Interested parties are urged to contact Mark Gibson at 770.725.6711 or through email at markgibsonracing@live.com.

Connect with Mark Gibson and Mark Gibson Racing through Facebook by clicking here.

Tweet with Mark Gibson and Mark Gibson Racing through Twitter at @MarkGibsonRacin.

- Mark Gibson Racing Press Release

Brad Keselowski Racing Logo Thumbnail

“I’m pleased to have Cooper Standard back on the Truck for Texas and Homestead,” said team owner Brad Keselowski. “They’ve been a great new partner since Michigan earlier this year and I know Parker and the BKR team will do all that we can to get Cooper Standard to victory lane in these last two races of the season.” Cooper Standard’s affiliation with Keselowski and Brad Keselowski Racing originated earlier in the season around the Michigan International Speedway NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. Based in Novi, Michigan, Cooper Standard utilized the Michigan venue as a sponsorship test market.

“Cooper Standard’s involvement with Brad Keselowski Racing, Parker Kligerman and Penske Racing proved to be a success on several fronts for our organization,” said Jim McElya, chairman and CEO, Cooper Standard. “From brand exposure through incorporating our products onto the RAM Truck to customer entertainment and employee relations, we are proud to partner with Brad and his team for the last two races of 2011. We very much look forward to participating in the Texas and Homestead-Miami events.”

For more information, please visit www.bradracing.com or www.cooperstandard.com.

About Cooper Standard

Cooper-Standard, headquartered in Novi, Mich., is a leading global supplier of systems and components for the automotive industry. Products include body sealing systems, fluid handling systems and anti-vibration systems. Cooper-Standard employs more than 21,000 people globally and operates in 19 countries around the world. For further information, contact Sharon Wenzl sswenzl@cooperstandard.com or visit Cooper-Standard at www.cooperstandard.com.

About Brad Keselowski Racing

Based in Mooresville, North Carolina and led by NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series driver Brad Keselowski, Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) fields the No. 29 RAM in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. BKR, with the aim to provide young talented drivers the opportunity to improve their skills with a professional, competitive team, has also fielded entries in the ARCA Series and other developmental motorsport series. For more information, please visit www.bradracing.com.

- Brad Keselowski Racing Press Release

Date: Oct. 15, 2011

Event: Smith’s 350 (Race 21 of 25)

Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Location: Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile D-shaped oval)

Start / Finish: 8th / 28th (Accident, completed 29 of 146 laps)

Winner: Ron Hornaday Jr. of Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) (Chevrolet)

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM)

The San Diego native was slowly moving his way back through the field until his day came to an abrupt end after being collected in a hard crash on lap 29. Ickler was relegated to a disappointing 28th-place finish in his final scheduled start of 2011.

“Today was just a case of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time,” said Ickler, who registered two top-five finishes in four starts this season. “The Toyota Tundra drove great during practice but it was a little hotter today. The track was pretty slick and we were really loose in traffic. I made contact with the wall early and we were forced to pit to repair the fender. With all the slipping and sliding going on, being in the middle of the field wasn’t the best place to be and it ended up costing us. It was a disappointing day and a tough one in the owners’ point standings for this team.”

Brian Ickler - Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey / Getty Images for NASCAR

Debris on the track slowed the field and allowed Ickler to bring his No. 18 to pit road under caution. The KBM over-the-wall crew was able to pull out the fender, put on right side tires and return their driver to the track without losing a lap.

The race restarted on lap 16, with the No. 18 Tundra scored in the 27th position. By the time the next caution occurred on lap 22, Ickler had made his way back into the top 20, but communicated that his Tundra was still ill-handling. When pit road opened, he down pit road for a chassis adjustment, a full tank of fuel and returned to the track scored in the 13th position.

Shortly after the restart on lap 29, David Starr and Ricky Carmichael got together battling for fourth. The contact sent Ricky Carmichael’s truck to the apron entering Turn 1 and once the truck hit the apron, Carmichael came back across the track in the middle of Turn 1 into Ickler’s path along the high line of the track. The front end of the No. 18 Tundra slammed into the back of Carmichael’s truck while the rear end was plowed into by Miguel Paludo, who was tucked behind Ickler and had nowhere to go.

Ickler was observed and released from the infield care center with no injuries, but the No. 18 Tundra was severely damaged and unable to return to the race.

Ron Hornaday Jr., the winningest driver in Truck Series history, picked up his 51st -career win. Matt Crafton finished second, .629-seconds behind Hornaday Jr. Timothy Peters finished third, Johnny Sauter came home fourth and Todd Bodine fifth. Nelson Piquet Jr., David Mayhew, Cole Whitt, Brendan Gaughan and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-10 finishers.

There were 10 caution periods for 44 laps, with 14 drivers failing to finish the 146-lap race.

The No. 18 Tundra remains second in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owners’ point standings, but now trails KHI’s No. 2 team by 73 points with four races remaining on the 2011 schedule.

The next event on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule is the Oct. 22 Coca-Cola 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. The race starts at 4:00 p.m. ET with live coverage beginning with the NCWTS Setup show at 3:30 p.m. ET on SPEED. Kyle Busch will be behind the wheel of the No. 18 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra, making his 100th career Truck Series start.

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

Dodge Motorsports

Post-Race Quotes

http://twitter.com/teamdodge

www.media.chrysler.com

No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T

“The car was just phenomenal, absolutely a phenomenal race car. It was just one of those races that you’re trying to figure out what to do not to lose it which, it’s certainly a blessing to have one of those days. It can be one of the tougher days in the car because the heat is on you as a driver. So I was trying not to screw it up. I about did. I got behind Carl there with 20-some to go and for a minute there, I wasn’t sure if I could get back by. I just kept working it, working it, working it trying to get by him. The strength of our Dodge showed up. A great day for us. I thought there was a lot of great racing through the field. Certainly, we had the best car. There have been weeks when we haven’t had the best car. That’s the thing about this sport, it cycles back and forth. Today was our day with the best car. As a race car driver, the expectations that I have for myself, when you have one of those cars, is to make the most of it. I’m very proud of our whole team that we were able to do that.”

THIS IS YOUR SECOND STRAIGHT WIN AT KANSAS. WHY HAVE YOU BEEN DOMINATE HERE LATELY?

“There are a couple different things. Obviously, the win in the spring was good, but I continue to learn different things about the track to be fast around here. The track has aged, which is a good thing, to where you can run multiple lanes. I’ve picked up on that very well and which lanes serve my car. I think as a driver, when you go to different race tracks, and I talk about this a lot with my team and with my crew chiefs, when you go to different race tracks, sometimes you rely on your team to give you good car and once you have that good car, when you come back time after time after time, you know what you’re looking for. I felt like Kansas was one of those places where I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking for in the first few years of my career.

After having some success in 2010, this is a track that I needed to run well at and have been able to use that approach. It’s served us well from a driver’s perspective and the team well from a setup perspective. There’s just certain tracks that you pick up on and then there’s certain track that you go to, and I’ll be the first one to tell you that California and Texas, I go there and I don’t feel like I’ve ever had a great race car and never picked up on the feel that I needed to have. As a driver, with the testing ban, experience is so important and so vital because that’s where you pick up that feel and improve.”

WAS THERE EVER A POINT THAT YOU WERE RELAXED AND CONFIDENT IN THE CAR TODAY?

“We had a pretty goo lead and you have to fight that because that’s when you make mistakes, big mistakes; spin out on you own. When you leave the zone, because you’re so comfortable where you’re at, that can be when it’s most dangerous. There’s this famous video that I was watching the other day, (Ayrton) Senna when he was running F1, he had like a 20-second lead at Monaco and they told him to slow down. When he slowed down, he hit the wall because you get out of your rhythm when you either you lose focus or change your pace. The approach that I have is to just keep pushing because sometimes when you don’t do that, that’s when you get yourself in more trouble.”

GIVING THE FACT THAT YOU CAME FROM 14TH TO THE LEAD IN LESS THAN SIX LAPS ON THAT ONE RESTART, WAS THERE ANY DOUBT IN YOUR MIND THAT YOU WERE GOING TO GET BY EDWARDS ON THE RESTART?

“Yeah, there was to me. The first few laps, when I was behind him, I was pushing so bad in his air that I had some serious doubts. Like last week in Dover in the Cup car, where on the last segment we restarted 21st or something and drove through all the lapped cars. I ran down the lead pack from a straightaway behind in about four laps, three or four-tenths a lap faster and caught the back-half of the field and then slowed down three or four-tenths of a second in the dirty air. I was thinking about that the whole time I was behind Carl there like, ‘Oh my God, this is going to be one of those days.’ I was able to move my line around, which is a credit to this track and where it is right now; it’s a great race track. I was able to move my line around and find clean air. That’s why, when you hear all these people talk about why older race tracks are so good, it’s because you can move around without losing speed and find air and if you are a faster car, you can pass. That’s why Kansas is such a great race track as it sits right now.”

AND NEXT YEAR IT WILL GET REPAVED:

“It’s really unfortunate, if that’s the case, because it’s in optimal condition right now.”

WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH YOU AND CARL ON THAT LAST TRIP DOWN PIT ROAD?

“I’m not really sure. Carl was asking me about that. I was just pulling into my pit stall and he was kind of pushing me; I was already at my speed limit. I was over my speed when he was pushing me. He ran into the back of me and kind of had me turned sideways. I’m not sure what was going on with his end, but I know on my end, I wasn’t going to speed with the fastest car going down pit road.”

IN WHAT WAYS DOES RUNNING BOTH SERIES HELP YOU AND HELP FANS IN THE GRANDSTAND AND WATCHING ON TV GIVE HOPE TO THIS SERIES?

“A lot of people give me s— about driving in the Nationwide Series. You should let Parker (Kligerman) driver the car or you should not run it so a Ricky Stenhouse can win the race. Kind of the stealing candy argument. And it’s very frustrating for me. There’s a much larger picture to this series and my involvement in it than that. I guess I was trying to clarify that. It’s hard to do sometimes because people see what they want to see. Take a guy like Todd (Gordon) who worked at Michael Waltrip Racing. Todd’s a great guy and built a hell of a race car today. Look at Michael Waltrip’s Nationwide program, its shut down.

So a guy like Todd, without this program, is looking for a job and that’s not fair. It’s tough, because you sound arrogant, but without me driving this car, there’s no sponsor. With no sponsor, there’s no team. Without a team, there’s no Todd. Without Todd having a team, there’s Todd on unemployment. A guy like Todd is going to find a job somewhere, but when he does, he’s going to push another guy out. It’s tough and everybody wants to look at it and say, ‘You’re running the races just to make the money or get them fame.’ I love winning. I’m not going to try and tell you that I don’t like winning, but there’s a bigger picture than just that.”

“There’s a much larger cause to the Nationwide effort at Penske Racing. It’s about giving opportunities to people and showing depth and doing some things that I take a lot of pride in. I’m just trying to share that accordingly.”

TODD GORDON (crew chief, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T)

“Yeah, I think the team has done a great job. Brad challenges us to make better race cars. I think yesterday we thought that we had speed, but we weren’t happy with the balance. We chased ourselves, but put our heads together to try and make the car a little better. It fired off well. It came back through traffic well. I was kind of anxious there when we stalled on pit road with some miscommunication between Brad and I. We drove back through to the front and it seemed like the race track opened up with multiple grooves today. It opened up where you could race a little bit. I’m just proud of the guys. To Brad’s point, we don’t make a mistake in the pits and cost ourselves and jeopardizes track position from where we were.”

HOW MUCH ADJUSTMENT WAS THER ON THE CAR AND HOW MUCH PRESSURE WAS THERE ON YOU WITH SUCH A DOMINANT CAR?

“A lot. These races are almost worse on the box than a race when you’re trying to catch up because you have time, you know where you’re at, and you want to make sure that you’re making correct adjustments. You’re good enough; you don’t want to mess it up. To the focus part, you’re trying to make sure that you’re prepared for ‘what should we do at this point.’

Thinking 10 laps ahead if the caution comes out and what we’ll do and what the rest of the field does because you’re in a position where a lot of people, like we showed at Lap 60, the field will play the opposite from you when you’re in this position. Trying to figure where your counter is, where they are and make sure that you don’t’ give up an opportunity like this because they’re rare, very rare. You want to make sure that you’re prepared for everything that comes.”

Brad Keselowski Driver of the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T - Photo Credit: Brad Keselowski Racing

WHAT DOES IT DO FOR A DRIVER TO HAVE A CAR THIS GOOD ON A DAY LIKE THIS?

“Well, it’s amazing. This Dodge Challenger, it just hauled all day. I knew it was pretty good in practice, but I didn’t know it was going to be this good. I’m proud of these guys and I’ll tell you what, Todd Gordon back there, you know I get a lot of questions of why I run this Nationwide deal and days like today, I know I’m going to get people on my Twitter account you know asking me ‘Why do you do this? Why don’t you just focus on the Sunday deal?’ But the reason I do this is guys like this. You know there are pit crew guys out here that are getting their first opportunity to pit cars, a whole bunch of different opportunities. Todd, without this program, would be laid off on unemployment and because of Roger Penske, because of Discount Tire, and all of us putting this program together, these guys are all out there working in tough times right now. And not just the whole world, but NASCAR, everything and it makes me very proud to be a part of this program, very thankful for that and everybody on this Discount Tire team. It’s very special and that’s my way of giving back to everybody and being a part of this program.”

WHAT DID YOU GLEAM TODAY THAT COULD HELP YOU POSSIBLY IN THE CHASE FOR THE SPRINT CUP RACE HERE TOMORROW?

“Well, I wish I could take this car tomorrow and what I learned, but my Cup car is really good, the Miller Lite Dodge. These Nationwide cars have been so good, I’m always learning and I’ve got to thank everybody on this team once more. It’s just an unbelievable car and unbelievable day. To Nationwide and all the fans, thank you so much. It’s a privilege to get to do this.”

COMMENT ON HOW STRONG YOUR CAR WAS TODAY.

“You couldn’t ask for more, that’s for sure. This car was just hauling the mail. We had a fast car, good pit stops, and all the things. It was just an awesome day, very special. I wish I could have cars like this all the time, but very, very thankful to have a car this fast. Ready to go race ‘em on Sunday now, I can tell you that. This Discount Tire Dodge Challenger, awesome.”

IT SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK YOU A LITTLE LONGER TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THAT LAST RUN. “Carl [Edwards] was just good. Carl had a great car. It was tough to get by him and just slowly broke him down until I got the mistake I needed and was able to get by him.”

ARE THERE CERTAIN ASPECTS THAT YOU LEARNED TODAY THAT YOU CAN TRANSLATE TO TOMORROW?

“Well, in this sport, you’re always learning. No matter how long you’ve been doing it, things change: tires change, tracks change, cars change and you’ve got to keep learning if you’re going to keep on top. I certainly learned some stuff today and very appreciative of the opportunity, and I think I’ll be a better driver come tomorrow, that’s for sure.”

TODD GORDON (Crew Chief, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger) WHAT IS THE KEY TO THIS KIND OF DOMINATING PERFORMANCE TODAY?

“Brad Keselowski does a lot for this Discount Tire Dodge. You know, the guys keep working, we keep building new race cars. This is a brand new car. We keep pushing. The shop is doing an awesome job pushing forward, building us a little better parts, a little better pieces and obviously having that guy behind the wheel puts the whole program together, Discount Tire giving us great support, Dodge for all their support. They really help us.”

TRAVIS GEISLER (Director of Competition, Penske Racing)

“What a great day for the Discount Tire Dodge team. It was one of those days that you work your whole career for. It’s pretty awesome what these guys have been able to accomplish on Nationwide side this year. It’s a testament to that Dodge Challenger. It’s great to see these guys in victory lane.”

- Darnell Communications Press Release

No. 9 GEICO Toyota Tundra (Max Papis) - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

“It’s a real big disappointment,” said Papis. “This GEICO team does not give up though and we will regroup in this off-week to head to Las Vegas stronger than ever. We only have a few races left in the Truck Series season and I really want to get back up front with this team. Hopefully the bad luck will turn around soon.”

After two successful practice sessions on Friday night, Papis took to the track Saturday afternoon for his qualifying attempt. The GEICO Toyota clocked a solid lap to place Papis in the 22nd starting position. Shortly after 8 p.m. ET under chilly conditions, the green flag waved to start the 150-lap race.

Papis gained five positions and moved into 17th-place by lap five, when the first caution slowed the pace of the field for an accident in turn two. The Como, Italy native reported to crew chief Randy Goss that the GEICO Tundra was “hitting the splitter in turn one and a little loose in turn three.” After a lengthy caution for clean up, Papis restarted from the 16th position on lap 13.

The second yellow flag came on lap 22 for a single-truck wreck in turn three. Papis’ Toyota had developed a tight handling condition entering the corner. Goss called his driver to the attention of the GEICO team for four tires, fuel, and adjustments. With varying strategies up and down pit road, Papis took off from 20th-place on lap 26.

While the adjustments helped Papis, the GEICO Toyota began to hit the splitter on the entrance into turn one and turn three, hindering the driver from gaining positions. When the third caution was displayed on lap 42 for a single-truck spin in turn two, Papis returned to pit road for fuel and adjustments only. The different strategies continued as most of the leaders took tires, which placed Papis in the 12th position on the lap 47 restart.

Max Papis - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

With the unfortunate early ending, Papis now sits in the 18th position in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship point standings. He rests just two points behind 17th-place Jason White.

The GEICO team will take a one-week break before returning to racing action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 15th. Watch all the action live on SPEED Channel beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, visit: www.geicogarage.com.

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing.

- Player Management International, Inc. Press Release

SS Green Light Racing Thumbnail

In the afternoon qualifying session, David qualified the No. 81 fourteenth on the mile and one half tri-oval track posting a lap of 30.61 seconds at 176.37 mph, putting the Allegro Marinade Toyota on the outside of the seventh row at the start of the 150-lap race.

The weather was chilly, but David looked strong at the start of the 225-mile race and it did not take long for the action to get started for Starr as he was racing side-by-side with Josh Richards for tenth place on lap four when Richard’s Toyota got loose and he spun hard into the outside wall causing the first of seven caution flags.

The second caution flew on lap 22 all of the leaders came to pit road including Starr, but the crew chiefs began varying strategies of gas only, two or four tires, shuffling positions at each stop. David would restart from twenty-second position following the early stop.

Track position would shift for all the lead lap trucks at each of the next five cautions that flew before the races halfway point. David would run as high as seventh on lap sixty and the black and yellow Allegro Marinade Toyota looked strong.

The races final caution flew on lap 87 and David was solidly in the top ten following the restart racing hard on the rough Kentucky Speedway surface. Though the teams would not know it at the time, the race would go green all the way to the checkers. Through the long green flag run David would run as high as eighth and as low as eighteenth as the trucks would come to pit road for service.

David Starr - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

When the dust settled and all the drivers had cycled through their final stops under green David emerged just outside of the top-ten one lap down to leader Hornaday. Having taken four tires on the last stop paid-off as David was able to make up two positions over the last ten laps to earn his eighth top-ten of 2011. There were only six trucks on the lead lap at the finish.

“I want to thank John Fuqua and everyone at Allegro Marinade for coming on board with us again this week,” said Starr. “We enjoy having them at the track and appreciate their support.”

Despite the top-ten finish, Starr dropped to twelfth in the NCWTS driver’s standings behind leader Austin Dillon. With five races remaining on the 2011 schedule, he is now 26 points behind Parker Klingerman for the tenth spot.

The NCWTS teams have a week off prior to heading to Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 15th for the Smiths 350.

For more information on SS Green Light Racing visit www.SSRacingonline.com.

- SS Green Light Racing Press Release

Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM)

Event: Fast Five 225 (Race 18 of 25)

Series: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Location: Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. (1.5-mile D-shaped oval)

Start / Finish: 14th / 5th (Running, completed 150 of 150 laps)

Winner: Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) (Chevrolet)

Kyle Busch entered Friday night’s Fast Five 225 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. looking to three-peat as the race winner and maintain his bragging rights as the only victor in the series at the 1.5-mile D-Shaped oval.

No. 18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra

The only problem was eventual race winner Austin Dillon, who was running third before the final pit stops, also elected to make a two-tire stop and managed to come out ahead of Busch on the track. Johnny Sauter, who had yet to make his final pit stop, stood in the No. 18 Dollar General Tundra’s path to Dillon. Sauter fought hard to keep the second spot away from Busch for several laps until he was forced to come down pit road for his final stop of the night. As the two battled for second, Dillon was able to stretch his lead on the field. The second-year driver went on to cross the stripe 4.950 seconds ahead of Harvick, earning his second victory of the season and fourth of his career.

Kyle Busch

“The Dollar General Tundra was pretty good all night, but we didn’t have a truck that could stay out front and hold those guys off,” said Busch, who led twice for a total of 10 laps. “Eric made the right call to take two tires — we are here to win races and that was our best shot to win tonight.”

Nelson Piquet Jr. finished third and Parker Kligerman came home fourth. Sauter, Matt Crafton, Miguel Paludo, Cole Whitt and Ron Hornaday Jr. completed the top 10.

There were three caution periods for 15 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish the 150-lap race.

KBM’s No. 18 Tundra remains in second place in the NCWTS owners’ point standings, 40 points behind KHI’s No. 2 truck, with seven races remaining.

The next event on the NCWTS schedule is the Sept. 24 F.W. Webb 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon. The race starts at 3 p.m. ET with live coverage on SPEED beginning with the NCWTS Setup show at 2:30 p.m.

- Kyle Busch Motorsports Press Release

Parker Kligerman - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

Second fastest was Steve Arpin with a lap speed of 175.387 mph, followed by James Buescher (175.092) who was third fastest, Sunoco Rookie contender, Miguel Paludo (174.210) fourth fastest and Ricky Carmichael (174.188) was fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest during “Happy Hour” were Sunoco Rookie contender, Cole Whitt (174.098) who was sixth fastest, Austin Dillon (174.087) seventh, Johnny Sauter (173.863) eighth, Sunoco Rookie contender, Joey Coulter (173.784) ninth and Matt Crafton (173.728) posting the tenth fastest lap speed.

Qualifying for tonight’s Fast Five 225 (which is scheduled to get underway approximately around 8:20 PM – EDT) is at 3:40 PM (EDT) this afternoon.

2011 NCWTS Fast Five 225 Final Practice Session Speeds

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie
* Required to Qualify on Time

No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T

· This Week’s Challenger… Brad Keselowski and the Penske Racing Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team will use chassis PRS-214 during Saturday’s Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). Keselowski drove this chassis to a 27th-place finish at Darlington Raceway in May.

· The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger in 2011… After 24 events, Keselowski and the reigning NNS champion No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team are ranked seventh in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) owner point standings. The team is coming off a ninth-place finish in the Food City 250 last weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway as Parker Kligerman filled in for Keselowski behind the wheel.

· The Champ is Back… Keselowski will return to the seat of the Discount Tire Dodge this weekend at AMS for the first time since suffering back and ankle injuries in a testing accident at Road Atlanta on Wednesday, August 3. During Keselowski’s recovery, Penske Racing has shown incredible depth with drivers Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Jacques Villeneuve and Parker Kligerman combining for one win, two pole positions and two top-10 finishes in the No. 22 machine.

· Keselowski Speedway Stats… In 93 speedway starts in the Nationwide Series, Keselowski has accumulated six wins, 39 top-five finishes, 56 top-10 results and five pole awards. In addition, he has led the field for 1,117 laps at tracks between one and two miles in length..

· Follow Brad on Twitter… Fans can 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 Cup Series and Nationwide Series news for the Penske Racing driver.

Meet Brad… Keselowski will be making an appearance at the Discount Tire store located at 11345 Tara Blvd. in Hampton, Ga. on Friday, September 2 beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Brad Keselowski - Photo Credit: John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR

“Atlanta is a place I knew I would like after my first lap on the track. The sensation of speed you get through the corner in a Nationwide Series car is pretty unbelievable. That’s one thing that amazes people every time I tell them that a Nationwide Series car – through the corners – is faster than a Cup Series car. Whether you are running the top, the bottom or the middle, Atlanta is all about speed.”

Brad Keselowski on returning to the Nationwide Series after his injury

“It was really important for me to return to the Nationwide Series this season. I know there are a lot of people who think it may be a bad idea, but I am a man of my word. I made a promise to everyone on my team that I would be behind the wheel of the Discount Tire Dodge. We’re in a pretty good spot as far as the Chase is concerned so this is a good time to go back to the Nationwide Series. My injuries are feeling better every day and the extra seat time should benefit both teams.”

Crew chief Todd Gordon on getting Brad Keselowski back behind the wheel

“These last four weeks have very interesting for me. On one hand, my driver was on the sidelines with an injury and my thoughts were with him, as much as they could be. On the other hand, I had the opportunity to work with four outstanding racecar drivers. I feel that’s made me a better, more well-rounded crew chief. I appreciate Kurt (Busch), Sam (Hornish), Jacques (Villeneuve) and Parker (Kligerman) filling in. We had some strong runs with those guys and I think Brad can come back this weekend and put the Discount Tire machine in Victory Lane.”

- Penske Racing Press Release