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

MillerCoors Logo

Coors Light Renews As Official Beer Of NASCAR;

Miller Lite Extends Partnership With Penske Racing, Keselowski

Daytona beach, fla. (January 26, 2012) – NASCAR, MillerCoors and Penske Racing today jointly announced multi-year partnership extensions for the brewer’s two biggest brands. For MillerCoors, the deals with the sanctioning body and one of the sport’s most respected teams solidify its status among the most committed sponsors in NASCAR. In addition, MillerCoors has alliances with seven tracks that host NASCAR races.

Coors Light, the World’s Most Refreshing Beer, is extending its sponsorship as the Official Beer of NASCAR. Coors Light started its official sponsorship with NASCAR in 2008, after a 14-year run as the primary sponsor of the No. 40 car.

Additionally, the millions of fans of the famed Blue Deuce and its popular driver Brad Keselowski can rest easy because Miller Lite, the original light beer with the never watered down taste, has renewed its partnership with Penske Racing. Miller Lite will continue as the season-long primary sponsor of Penske’s No. 2 Dodge driven by Keselowski, building upon an alliance that began in 1991. Miller Lite continues as one of the highest profile season-long primary sponsors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

MillerCoors Chief Marketing Officer Andy England said the renewals point to the value of NASCAR as a powerful way to connect with legal-drinking-age consumers.

“We don’t make investment decisions like this without having a great sense of exactly what the alliance will deliver for our brands,” England said. “That’s why I’m so excited about our continued partnerships with NASCAR and with Penske Racing. NASCAR fans are among the most passionate and loyal fans in all of sports, and they love nothing more than getting together with friends to watch the race while enjoying a cold, refreshing Coors Light or a great tasting, never watered down Miller Lite. Our distributors and retailers know that, which is why they’re so supportive of our leadership in the sport.”

The Coors Light partnership with NASCAR includes the Coors Light Pole Award for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, which rewards the driver with the fastest qualifying time each week. It also includes the exclusive right to use NASCAR marks on retail point-of-sale and merchandising materials, in advertising and digital marketing, and through other marketing tools.

Coors Light brings special insight to race fans through its Miss Coors Light program, which began at the start of the 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and continued throughout the 2011 season. Miss Coors Light, who will be back in 2012, presents the Coors Light Pole Award to the winning driver, makes appearances during race week at local bars and provides her perspective on NASCAR activities via the Miss Coors Light Facebook page.

“The return of MillerCoors to NASCAR not only ensures that the company will bring back compelling activation that continues to engage and excite our fans, but it also benefits our ecosystem as a whole, which is comprised of tracks, drivers and teams,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR chief marketing officer. “As a sanctioning body, NASCAR is proud to have Coors Light as part of our stable of Official Partners for whom we create exclusive assets and platforms to drive their respective businesses. NASCAR is the sport that works for business, and we’re pleased to see it working so well for MillerCoors.”

For Miller Lite, its sponsorship extension with Penske and Keselowski comes after an amazing 2011 season, Keselowski’s second full year on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. Keselowski and his Miller Lite team surged from deep in the driver standings as late as mid-July to win three races, qualify for the Chase and finish fifth in the championship standings.

Keselowski and the Blue Deuce are featured throughout the year in Miller Lite-branded point-of-sale materials displayed in on- and off-premise retail accounts across the country, as well as in advertising and digital marketing. Keselowski and members of his crew also make special appearances at retail accounts to visit Miller Lite customers throughout the season.

“The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge is coming off a very successful season on the racetrack – one where we reached Victory Lane for a sixth-consecutive season while qualifying for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,” said Roger Penske. “The continued support of MillerCoors will ensure that this long-standing partnership will remain one of the strongest bonds in professional motorsports. With Miller Lite, we are proud to have one of the few full-season sponsors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. That continuity is one of the many reasons Brad and the team are primed for another great season.”

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for one of North America’s premier sports. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in 20 languages. In the U.S., races are broadcast on FOX, TNT, ABC/ESPN/ESPN2, SPEED and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. NASCAR fans are among the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than any other sport. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. Also part of NASCAR is GRAND-AM Road Racing, known for its competition on road courses with multiple classes of cars. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada and Mexico. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., NASCAR has offices in eight cities across North America. The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the 54^th annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway, will air Feb. 26^th on FOX at 1:00 p.m. ET. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.nascar.com. Follow NASCAR on www.facebook.com/NASCAR or on Twitter: @NASCAR.

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 over 340 major race wins – including a record 15 Indianapolis 500 victories, more than 410 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

About MillerCoors

MillerCoors brews, markets and sells the MillerCoors portfolio of brands in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Built on a foundation of great beer brands and nearly 300 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second-largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great-tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MillerCoors brews premium beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft, and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also offers innovative products such as Miller64 and Sparks. The new MillerCoors craft and import company, Tenth and Blake, imports Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and Molson Canadian and features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel’s craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and two microbreweries, the 10^th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. The MillerCoors vision is to create the best beer company in America by driving profitable industry growth. MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.

 Source: NASCAR, Press Release

Penske Racing

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (January 26, 2012) -

A leading supplier of high-quality automotive and industrial parts, cabinet supplies and fasteners, WURTH has more than 40,000 customers across the nation.

“The WURTH GROUP is a world-wide leader in the automotive and industrial supply business and we are pleased to have them join our team,” said Roger Penske. “Having WURTH as a partner brings value to every aspect of our company and their involvement will enhance our ability to compete for wins and hopefully the Nationwide Series title this season.”

With WURTH on board as a sponsor for 2012, Hornish and the No. 12 team will compete for the full Nationwide Series season, racing with Alliance Truck Parts as a partner as well.

“We are really excited to bring WURTH into the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I am grateful that they have joined our team because it is their support that makes it possible for us to run for the championship this year,” said Hornish. “We know that they will be a great partner to Penske Racing and we will do our best to get the No. 12 WURTH Dodge into Victory Circle.”

While this season marks its entry into North American motorsports, WURTH has been actively involved in European racing for over 30 years supporting teams in various disciplines including the Formula One and DTM Series.

“Roger and his companies are the epitome of excellence and integrity,” said Robert Stolz, CEO of the Wurth Group, North America.“Their commitment to the highest quality and customer service mirrors our own corporate culture. While we have one of the most recognized brands in industrial distribution in Europe and Asia, we are just beginning to roll it out in America. Our partnership with Penske Racing will be of great value to us as we look to expand further into this market.”

WURTH offers an extensive catalog of hardware, chemicals, fasteners and more, providing customers with everything they need to succeed. Small body shops and nationwide fleet maintenance companies alike can benefit from the unparalleled selection and unbeatable service that is synonymous with the WURTH brand.

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 – including a record 15 Indianapolis 500 victories, more than 410 pole positions and 23 National Championships. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.

Source: Penske Racing, Press Release

Dodge Motorsports Logo

TRAVIS GEISLER (Competition Director, Penske Racing)

DO YOU HAVE A COMFORTABLE BASELINE WITH THE ENGINE COOLING PACKAGE HEADING INTO THE DAYTONA 500?  “I’d say in general that we have a comfortable baseline, but we’ve changed our pressure settings and grill tape opening three or four times now.  It’s hard to really say what we have or comfortable with because we don’t know exactly what it’s going to be.  We’re comfortable with how the changes affect our performance and what we need to do to adapt.  When we come back here next month, there will probably be a little different package again and we’ll have to adapt from what we’ve learned the last three days of testing.  I think we’ll be in good shape.”

HOW WILL THE RULES PACKAGE AFFECT THE RACING THAT MUCH?  “I think that we’ll see a considerable difference from what we had at Daytona last year when the guys got the two-car tandem really refined.  We’re drastically limited on how long you can push.  You’ll still see two-car tandem racing.  I’d be surprised if you don’t see at some point in the race that drivers will hook-up for a lap or so and try to gain some speed.  It won’t be the story that dominates the race like it has in the past.”

HOW MANY LAPS CAN YOU RUN IN A TWO-CAR DRAFT WITH THE NEW RULES PACKAGE? “It all depends on which package we’re talking about.  We’ve run so many different packages here that (its) varied from one lap to four laps.  How that all goes and what we come back to the 500 with, I’d say we’ll be closer to one or less laps given what NASCAR decides to go with.”

WERE THERE ANY ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRONIC FUEL INJECTION (EFI) DURING THE TEST?  “I’d say we’re in pretty good shape.  Just like anything, you have your learning curve and we’re working through it.  We’ve learned a bunch of things about EFI.  Overall evaluation of the performance is difficult down here because everybody is on different agendas.  Until we show up and race and everyone brings their “A” game to the table, it’s hard to say.  I think we’re OK where we are with EFI.  We’re working on it.  Anytime there is a big rule change, the biggest margins for gains are right at the beginning.  Once you get past a rule change, everybody has refined it so far that the gains become small.  We know that there are big steps in understanding EFI.  Dodge has helped us out a ton with their engineering resources.  It’s a learning process for sure.”

Source: Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Relese

Dodge Motorsports

Howard Comstock (Dodge Motorsports Engineering)

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST ENGINEERING CHALLENGE YOU FACE WTH THE NEW RULES PACKAGE FOR THE DAYTONA 500?   “Without a doubt the cooling system.  Maintaining a safe engine temperature for 500 miles is going to be a big job.  When you run by yourself you can get plenty air to the radiator and you’ll be OK.  If you want to go fast in the two-car tandem it’s going to be a challenge.  Drivers have to really watch what their engines are doing for 500 miles or you’re going to risk a major engine failure.”

Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T)
HOW WAS THE FIRST DAY OF TESTING?  “We certainly didn’t have the overall speed in our Miller Lite Dodge Charger by ourselves in single-car runs.  Once we got racing as a tandem with the 22 team we were really, really fast.  Our race package seems to be very fast and reliable.  AJ (Allmendinger) and I worked really well together and it’s cool to see us near the top of the leader board.”

HOW DID YOUR CAR REACT TO THE NEW RULES PACKAGE FOR THE DAYTONA 500?  “There’s a subtle difference but it’s hard to tell right now.  The car seems to feel lighter.  We haven’t run in a pack of cars yet, so it’s tough to say.  I know one thing, our Miller Lite Dodge is fast in tandem racing.”

HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH AJ FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY?  “I thought that we worked really well together.  I enjoyed the positive attitude that he brings to the team and that makes me feel good heading into the season.”

AJ Allmendinger (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T)
HOW WAS THE FIRST DAY OF TESTING FOR THE SHELL/PENNZOIL DODGE TEAM?  “I thought that it was great.  I think just to get fit in the car and figure out how to be comfortable and get a relationship with the team was important.  Our Dodges are fast in race trim.  The big deal is drafting with Brad (Keselowski) and building chemistry with him and trusting each other.  We have a good relationship as teammates.  It was a fun day.  It was solid.  It was fun being back at the track and in the Shell/Pennzoil Dodge”

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST NOTICEABLE CHANGE IN THE CAR FOR YOU WITH THE NEW RULES PACKAGE?  “It’s fast.  You can really feel the speed of the car.  It’s a lot faster.  The cars heat up quicker.  All these smart engineers are going to go back and figure out how to keep them cooler before we head back for the (Daytona) 500.   There’s nothing major that stands out, but you can definitely feel the speed when you’re closing in on cars in front of you.  You get light and get loose and that’s where you need a good relationship with your teammate.”

Source: Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR)

Lucas, who has spent the past two seasons as the race engineer for the No. 18 team, replaces Jason Ratcliff, who was named crew chief for JGR’s No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team last month. Lucas’ background in racing is deep with extensive experience as an engineer and mechanic in NASCAR as well as CART and IndyCar racing.

“Matt has done a great job for us the past two years and he will provide the team continuity going into next season,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing. “He has a close relationship with Jason (Ratcliff) that will also be beneficial as he fills that role. We are fortunate to have people here at JGR like Matt that allow us the opportunity to promote from within. That team has been one of the best in the Nationwide Series over the past several years and we look forward to Matt continuing to build upon that success.”

Prior to joining Joe Gibbs Racing at the start of the 2010 season as race engineer for the No. 18 Nationwide Series team, Lucas spent four seasons with Roush Fenway Racing as a Nationwide Series engineer. As a member of the No. 60 team from 2006-2008, he would help lead Carl Edwards to the 2007 Nationwide Series Championship. In 2009 he worked with the No. 98 car driven by Paul Menard.

“I am excited about the opportunity to lead our No. 18 team going into next season,” said Lucas. “We have a tremendous group of guys on this team and throughout our Nationwide shop and we plan to continue to deliver the type of success our sponsors expect and deserve.”

Lucas spent five seasons as a race engineer with Penske Racing prior to joining Roush Fenway. In addition, he has extensive experience in racing as a mechanic having worked with A.J. Foyt Racing in IndyCar and Dan Gurney’s All-American Racers in CART.

He is a graduate of Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio and currently lives in Mooresville, N.C.

About Joe Gibbs Racing:

Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, three NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Its driver lineup consists of Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano in the Sprint Cup Series, while Brian Scott joins those three in the Nationwide Series along with Michael McDowell and Mark Martin. JGR also boasts Darrell Wallace, Jr. in its driver development program and he will compete in the 2012 K&N Pro Series East and the Nationwide Series. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl winner as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships, and three Nationwide Series owner’s championship along with more than 150 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

David Ragan

It seemed that Ragan had been in the hunt for a job with Penske Racing after the mutual seperation with the organization and Kurt Busch earlier in December. Though David Ragan, David Reutimann, and Brian Vickers were considered the top drivers still without rides for the 2012 season, Penske Racing decided to hire A.J. ALlmendinger. Allmendinger had been with Richard Petty Motorsports, but there was no sponsor for his No. 43 after Best Buy moved over to Roush-Fenway Racing. With no sponsor on the hood, Allmendinger looked elsewhere.

The open position with RPM is rumored to be going to Aric Almirola, a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. Though no sponsor has been officially announce, it is believed that the organization would announce the sponsor and the driver at the same time. If Almirola is leaving the Nationwide Series, then a spot at JR Motorsports will be open. Reports are the seat filling is between Ragan and Cole Whitt, a former Red Bull Racing NASCAR Camping World Truck series driver. With so few opportunies, Ragan is hoping that he will land in the drivers seat.

- Stock Car Spin

Justin Allgaier

“Our NASCAR program has grown significantly over the years, and because of the strong support our racing program receives from our customers and vendors each year, it was a no-brainer to make it 19 straight seasons of such activity in 2012,” said Steve Cook, Northeastern Supply’s President and CEO.

During the company’s nearly two decades of NASCAR programming, Northeastern Supply has grown from a business with six branches in two Middle Atlantic States to one operating 32 branches and distribution centers conducting business in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

“The associate support we have given so many NASCAR teams in the Nationwide Division over the years has been an interesting journey for our company, and because of how they do business and treat their sponsors, it was an easy decision for us to remain with Turner Motorsports for another season,” Cook explained.

“We enjoyed three good seasons backing the efforts of the Great Clips team and drivers Jason Leffler and Kasey Kahne. Now we’ve decided to move over to Justin Allgaier and the #31 Brandt Farm Equipment Chevrolet team in 2012 in hopes of helping them challenge for the championship,” Cook added.

Allgaier is the 25-year-old Riverton, IL driver who in his last two Nationwide Series campaigns has posted two victories and finished fourth and third, respectively, in the 2010 and 2011 driver championship competition. Allgaier’s 2010 effort came while driving a Dodge for Penske Racing before moving over to a Chevrolet at Turner Motorsports last season in which he recorded six top five and 17 top ten finishes in beating everyone in points except for champ Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and runner-up Elliott Sadler.

Nicknamed “Little Gator” at a young age because of his small size and ferociousness behind the wheel, Allgaier began developing his talents driving quarter midgets and by the time he was 12 had already earned more than 100 feature wins and five championships.

Allgaier steadily progressed up the competition ladder, moving to Late Models at age 13. In 2001, at just 14 years of age, Allgaier made national headlines when he became the youngest driver to ever qualify for the ‘A’ Main in the famed Chili Bowl indoor midget event in Tulsa, OK. That performance enabled Justin to earn a shot to race full bodied stock cars two years later when he debuted in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with a team part-owned by former NASCAR star Ken Schrader. In three starts in this high-level competition that season, Allgaier earned a best finish of 11th and the experience served as a springboard to a full-time ARCA effort in 2006.

In 2007, after returning to the Chili Bowl and earning a third place finish in the ‘A’ Main behind now 3-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and veteran J.J. Yeley, Allgaier ran all 23 ARCA races and finished fourth in driver points after winning once, posting four top five and 11 top ten finishes. He also found time that year to win five UMP Late Model Series and three midget races, displaying ability to successfully drive pretty much anything on four wheels.

Allgaier raced 21 times in 2008 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, and at the age of 22 captured the overall championship with a 6-win, 14 top-five and 16 top-ten campaign that directly propelled him to NASCAR and a driver development contract with Penske Racing. He made his Nationwide Series debut for Penske that same year before competing full-time in the country’s second top stock car circuit in 2009.

In 35 starts that season, Allgaier recorded three top five and 12 top ten finishes en-route to a 6th place finish in driver points. Only a lack of sponsorship dollars kept Allgaier from continuing with the Penske organization beyond the 2010 season when Justin had a breakout year that included his first Nationwide Series victory, two poles, an average 11th place finish and a 4th place effort in driver points. Penske Racing’s loss is obviously Turner Motorsports’ gain and now to the benefit of Justin’s newest sponsor, Northeastern Supply.

Allgaier will be the lone Turner Motorsports driver to carry the Northeastern Supply flag in 2012 that will feature the hard-charging chauffeur in various Northeastern Supply promotions conducted throughout the season. Heading these promotions will be a variety of customer-driven events to be held in conjunction with each of the two NASCAR race weekends at the Dover (DE) International Speedway, Northeastern Supply’s “home” race track.

“We’re excited to have Northeastern Supply back in the Turner Motorsports family next year,” Allgaier stated. “The upcoming season will be Northeastern’s 19th consecutive in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition and fourth straight with Turner Motorsports. I know they have several big events scheduled throughout the year and I’m honored to have the chance to be included and play a more integral part in them.”

Allgaier is the latest top name to be added to the impressive list of drivers who have been sponsored by Northeastern Supply over the years. That list includes Leffler, Kahne, Yeley, Mike and Kenny Wallace, Jason Keller, Phil Parsons, Sterling Marlin, Hank Parker, Jr. and Kevin Lepage.

- On Track Marketing, Inc. Press Release

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

Penske Racing

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 5, 2011)

The team will evaluate its options for the driver of the No. 22 Sprint Cup Series car in the future while Busch will seek new opportunities with another race team.

“I appreciate the victories that Kurt has brought Penske Racing and our sponsors over the past six years,” said Roger Penske. “While I am disappointed that Kurt will not be racing for our team in the future, both Kurt and I felt that separating at this time was best for all parties, including our team and sponsors. I wish Kurt the best in his future racing endeavors.”

“I am grateful to Penske Racing for six very productive years,” said Busch. “Together we won a lot of races -16 in all. Leaving a great organization and a lucrative contract is not easy, but it’s an important step for me and allows me to take a deep breath to work on things that can make me a better driver and a better person. I want to personally thank Roger Penske for the opportunity that he has given me.”

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

Penske Racing's Paul Wolfe and Brad Keselowski - Ronald Martinez/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (December 1, 2011)

“The winning combination of Brad Keselowski and Paul Wolfe has been terrific for Penske Racing and we are excited to announce that they will continue to work together,” said Roger Penske. “With one NASCAR championship and numerous wins in both the Nationwide Series and the Cup Series to their credit, this has proven to be a special pairing. Although Brad, Paul and the No. 2 team fell short of winning the Cup Series title this season, we know they will continue to be championship contenders for years to come.”

In their first season of working together in 2010, Keselowski and Wolfe teamed up to produce six wins and five poles on their way to winning the Nationwide Series championship for Penske Racing. That team also established a new series single-season record with 26 top-five finishes and completed all but one lap of competition throughout the 2010 season.

Wolfe was named crew chief of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team prior to the start of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season and the success continued with Keselowski in his first season behind the wheel of the iconic “Blue Deuce.” The team recorded three victories and one pole position in 2011 as it qualified for The Chase and finished fifth in the final Cup Series standings. Over the course of the last two seasons, Keselowski and Wolfe have worked together to produce nine wins, six poles, 36 top-five finishes and one NASCAR crown combined across Nationwide and Cup Series competition.

“It’s great to know that Paul and I will continue to work together to bring wins and championships to Penske Racing and its sponsors,” said Keselowski, the native of Rochester Hills, Mich., who first joined Penske Racing for the final three races of the 2009 season. “We’ve definitely built something special here with this team and we’ll continue to get better to reach our goals. I’m already fired up about 2012 and the future with the ‘Blue Deuce.’”

A former driver who accumulated six top-20 finishes in 16 career Nationwide Series starts, Wolfe first became a crew chief in 2006 with Fitz Racing. He moved on to CJM Racing in 2009 before he joined Penske Racing as crew chief of the No. 22 Nationwide Series team in November of 2009.

“We have enjoyed tremendous success at Penske Racing and I’m really looking forward to building on the legacy of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team,” said Wolfe. “It’s been a great experience working with Brad – we just seemed to click right away – and we will continue to build on the consistency and success we’ve experienced with the team. We’re already working hard to get ready for another run at the championship next season.”

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

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Logo

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 25, 2011)

NASCAR determined that Kurt Busch violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – inappropriate hand gesture; abusive language) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book.

In issuing the penalty, NASCAR cited Kurt Busch’s “poor judgment in making an inappropriate hand gesture” when he drove his car into the garage early in the race after it experienced transmission problems. In addition, NASCAR said Kurt Busch showed “disrespect towards a media member,” an incident that followed similar inappropriate media confrontations earlier in the season.

- NASCAR, Press Release

Brad Keselowski gets ready to celebrate after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series season-ending Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 19. - Photo Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR

Keselowski began the 200-lap race from the pole position after posting a lap of 32.208 seconds, or 167.660 miles per hour, during the Saturday afternoon qualifying session. As the race began, Keselowski radioed that the car was handling very tight in the center of the HMS corners, yet he was still able to race out to a one-and-a-half second lead before the NASCAR-mandated competition caution at lap 35. Crew chief Todd Gordon called for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment on the team’s first pit stop before Keselowski restarted the race in the lead at lap 39.

Just after the restart, Keselowski moved to the top of the track in an effort to keep the No. 60 car of Carl Edwards at bay. While Edwards was able to make his way around the Discount Tire machine, Keselowski kept his car at the front of the field during the ensuing green-flag run. After visiting pit road under the green flag at lap 92, Keselowski was caught one lap down to the race leaders as the caution flag flew prior to the pit stops cycling through. Keselowski, however, was able to earn the “Lucky Dog” award to get back to lead-lap racing. He then proceeded to take advantage of the opportunity.

Following the pit stop, which included a left side wedge adjustment, Keselowski radioed that his car was running great from the center to the exit of the corners, but it still needed some help on corner entry. He was able to race his way back inside the top five by clicking off consistent lap times and showing determination to finish off the NNS season with a solid result. As the race entered its final 50-lap segment, Keselowski began turning the fastest laps on the track as he moved into the second position.

At lap 181, following a lap 180 restart, Keselowski reclaimed his spot at the front of the field. Racing in an all-NNS champions group at the front of the field, Keselowski was able to hold off Stenhouse Jr., and Edwards over the final laps to secure the victory.

Penske Racing teammate, Sam Hornish Jr., finished seventh in the Ford 300 on Saturday evening.

Following Saturday’s result, Keselowski and the No. 22 team ended the season ranked fifth in the Nationwide Series owner point standings.

“You couldn’t ask for a better way to end the season,” said Keselowski. “Not being able to win the championship, it’s good to be able to finish on a high note, winning the pole and the race today at Homestead. It’s a great exclamation point to the season for the whole Discount Tire Dodge team.”

Brad Keselowski Ford 300 Race Statistics

Start: 1

Finish: 1

Laps: 200 / 200

Laps Led: 4 times for 66 laps

Status: Running

Owner Points Position: 5

- Penske Racing Press Release

Dodge Motorsports

BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Finished 20th

YOU FINISHED FIFTH IN POINTS. “I don’t think anyone really expected that out of us, but I never stopped believing that we could be, you know, be a contender and have a lot of fun and do well as a team. I think we’ve got a lot to build off of. We’ll have to work on it, build off it too. I’m real proud of the effort for the whole team.”

HOW DID THE END OF THE RACE PLAY OUT FOR YOU GUYS? YOU HAD TO PIT LATE. “We were just doing what we could to try to get up to third (in the Chase standings). We were going to finish fifth in the points, so we just took a chance to try to get to third. It just didn’t pay off. If we caught a yellow, we could have been in really good position, but just wasn’t meant to be. I think we did all the right things and just didn’t catch the breaks we needed and really just didn’t quite have a fast enough car. We put ourselves in position to have good things happen to us and that’s okay.”

DOES THIS RACE ENCOMPASS YOUR ENTIRE CHASE? “We do an excellent job as a team putting ourselves in position where good things can happen to us and I think we’re rewarded accordingly. The big thing that we have to work on as a team is we’ve got to be a little faster, have faster race cars. If we can do that, we’ll rely less on strategy.”

YOU WON LAST NIGHT AND RAN STRONG TONIGHT. HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOUR OFFSEASON AND AS YOU LOOK AHEAD TO 2012? “Well, you know, we’d like to have had a better finish today but, you know, like I said, I was only surprised with how we ran. I’m ready for the offseason (smiles).”

DID YOU CAR GET BETTER AFTER THE RAIN DELAY? “Yeah, when the track didn’t have rubber on it, I thought the car was really strong.”

DID YOU HAVE A BETTER CAR THAN WHERE YOU FINISHED? “We were better than 20th, but we took our chances and just didn’t catch the breaks. I’m not frustrated with that. I think that’s the right strategy. I would just like to be a little bit faster. That’s the only thing I can be frustrated about.”

WHICH IS THE BIGGER ACCOMPLISHMENT: TOP FIVE IN POINTS OR MAKING THE CHASE? “They’re pretty damn equal (smiles).”

HOW WAS YOUR RACE? “We had an up-and-down night here at Homestead. At the end, we took some chances trying to get ourselves up to third in points and it just didn’t pay off. Ended up finishing 20th and if we catch a yellow there, we’ll probably have a fifth to 10th-place day and move up to third in points. But we just didn’t catch the right breaks for that to happen, but still had a decent day and probably a better day than where the finish was. You know, we just need a little more speed in our cars to be able to do something here. You look at the 14 (Tony Stewart) and the 99 (Carl Edwards) and they just had a lot of speed. If we can get a little more speed in our cars, I feel like we can go out there and win a championship.”

DID THE TRACK CHANGE A LOT AFTER THE RAIN DELAY? “Yeah, every time it would rain or do any of that kind of stuff, my Dodge got really good. I could have used a couple more of those showers (smile).”

THOUGHTS ON THE CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE COMING DOWN TO STEWART AND EDWARDS. “Did it come down to a tie and Tony won it? Wow – that’s pretty cool. I guess I didn’t do the math. Congrats to him. He had a great year and I don’t think you can ask for much more than that.”

DID YOU EVER THINK THE CHAMPIONSHIP MIGHT COME DOWN TO LITERALLY THE LAST LAP? “Well, you know one year, it’s got to (laughs). This is the year and I don’t think we’ll ever see that again.”

PAUL WOLFE (crew chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T)

“We just didn’t have the car that we were hoping to have tonight. It really would have been nice to finish with a win. We just didn’t have the car we needed. We worked on it and never could really put it all together. We got to the point where we were just trying strategy stuff to see if we could pull something off with this Miller Lite Dodge Charger. It just didn’t work out. I’m proud of the effort by everyone on this team. We were able to earn a top-five spot in the driver point standings and that’s a great accomplishment for this team. I’m proud of the effort. We feel like we know where we need to go during the off-season to make our cars faster and run strong for the championship. It wasn’t from a lack of effort. Everybody put the best effort they could to make this car a championship-caliber car and we did that. I’m very proud of this Miller Lite Dodge team. We’ve made big steps this year. We just have to continue to try and be better and ready once the flag drops at Daytona in a few months.”

KURT BUSCH (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T) Finished 34th

“I’ve never been so disappointed in my life. I think I missed a race once my rookie year and this almost tops that.”

- Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports, Press Release

Dodge Motorsports

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Ford 300

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Final Post-Race Quotes

(POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES)

BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T)

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOU WIN TONIGHT?

“Yeah. It’s been up-and-down year on all sides, whether the Cup or Nationwide side. We finished this year strong with a win and sitting on the pole today. We had a very fast Dodge today in qualifying. There were a couple moments that we struggled in the race. We worked on it and didn’t spend a lot of time whining about it. Carl (Edwards) definitely put up a good fight. It was going to come down to the last restart. I really thought that once I had him cleared that I could drive away with the clean air, but I got to pushing really bad and (he) was able catch up. From there, it was going to be a dogfight. He fought hard and I fought hard. We were able to come out on top.”

HOW COOL WAS IT THAT YOU’RE LAST YEAR’S NNS CHAMPION RACING AGAINST THIS YEAR’S NNS CHAMPION RICKY STENHOUSE?

“It was really unique. My spotter was telling me during the race with Carl being a past Nationwide champion and myself being last year’s, racing with Ricky is kind of cool. It’s nice to see this sport and the progression. It’s a good moment to reflect on where this sport is and is heading.”

WHERE YOU WORRIED ABOUT RACING AGAINST CARL LATE IN THE RACE?

“I only put a move on him once. One move is cool, two moves is not. You get one move and I used my one move. That’s how I feel about it. I guess every driver has his own ‘code’. I used up my one move. He never made a second one.”

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR NATIONWIDE PLANS ARE FOR NEXT YEAR?

“Well, you know, the thing about the Nationwide car to me, there’s a lot of things about it, but the Nationwide program was a great opportunity for me to come into Penske Racing and be a part of creating something special in multiple ways, from being able to win a first championship for Roger (Penske) to creating depth in the company that would service for years to come. And for me to have a shot at just being successful and feeling like that if the Cup side didn’t go so well, which I think, to be honest, I had some suspicions it wouldn’t, that I wouldn’t lose my own confidence and those around me wouldn’t.

“To make that all happen, it took commitments from people. And those people work on the team, those people work in the shop and those people sponsor the race car. And so in order for me to live up to my end of that, and I’ve certainly been rewarded with it and we’re starting to see success from that on the Cup side. You know, I can’t just run away from that. I’ve got to live up to that and the commitments that those people have made to me. I’ve got to make the commitment back to them. You know, I plan on continuing that commitment to them and slowly scaling that down as the time passes by. I think we looked at this year and I ran somewhere around 28 races approximately (29) and, you know, I would suspect that over the next few years that you will continue to see that roll back. We lost six or seven races this year and I would assume that I would probably shed a few more next year and then the year after. You know, those things are always changing so it’s hard to give a definitive answer, but that would be my own expectations.”

DO SOME OF THESE WINS MEAN MORE TO YOU THAN OTHERS?

“You’re only as good as your last one. To me, I always feel like not only are you only as good as your last win, but you never know when you’re last win is going to be. So, you better savor it. And I’ve been through the up and down patches in my life as a race car driver. I can remember being a crew member and going through a patch of four or five years not winning a race and damn, it sure made me appreciate the ones that I was able to win before that. I sure as hell don’t take it for granted. This could be the last win of my career as far as I’m concerned. You know, I feel like every time I get in the race car I have something to prove. When you are able to prove it like we’re able to do today as a team, it feels pretty damn good to me.”

DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WE SAW ON THE RESTARTS TODAY WILL BE TRIED TOMORROW? THE GUY RESTARTING SECOND WAS ABLE TO GET A GOOD RUN.

“Sure, well you know that’s just the way the Nationwide cars are. It’s quite a bit different than the Cup cars as far as restarts are concerned. With the low power situation, it’s almost like a tag-team on a restart. Whoever has the best tag-team comes out front. It can be a little awkward at times, but I think on almost every restart whoever restarted second took the lead or at least more than not. It’d be an interesting stat, but you know that’s kind of par for the course on the Nationwide side. That’s got more to do with power situation and the side drafting than I think anything else. Cup cars seem to be quite a bit more immune to that.”

YOU WON THE NATIONWIDE TITLE LAST YEAR. YOU’VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THE LAST TWO SEASONS ON THE TRACK WITH RICKY. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY YOU THINK HE MADE SUCH A GREAT IMPROVEMENT FROM LAST SEASON TO BECOMING A CHAMPION THIS YEAR?

“Well I think with Ricky, I think his cars were pretty far off last year and I think the same thing for Carl and really all that team. And by the end of the season, they found something and they got their cars better. They got that new engine over there which is a huge gain for them in both power and weight savings. So, I think that was a huge gain for them. I think once his cars got more competitive, he was able to be more competitive without pushing as hard and I think that’s a big learning curve. When you find yourself running 90 percent and you’re able to run fifth to tenth, you know, you’re okay with running 90 percent for a little while.

You can kind of settle in. When you find yourself running 90 percent and you’re running 15th-20th or whatever that might be, you find yourself driving at a hundred percent and you find yourself taking chances or kind of going all-in on some bad hands, so to speak. And so it makes life a lot easier on you when your cars are more competitive. I think his cars are more competitive and that has allowed him, or has opened a box in his own mind, that allows him to understand better how hard he needs to push. He’s done a great job picking that up this year.

That’s what every driver needs to learn. That’s why teams are so important because the first brick, the foundation of any race team, is the speed that you have in the car and from there, you know, you put up the sides of the house with the pit crew and you worry about the roof, the roof being the race car driver. But you’ve got to have that good foundation and that’s speed in the car. Everything else is built off of that. You know, I think that camp over there did a good job of making their program better, making their cars better, and Ricky was able to make something out of that, so he deserves some credit too.”

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

“We made a couple of adjustments after practice. Not having that second practice. we thought that we would get a little bit more aggressive with travels and that really over-traveled the car and got on the splitter really hard the first half of the race. We struggled with trying to get off of (that) all day. We just kept plugging away at it. Brad never gave up. (We made) several rounds at the car trying to get the car off the splitter. It just comes down to Brad’s talent on restarts. He pulled it out today. We probably didn’t give him the best piece to work with today.”

FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DOES WINNING THIS FINAL RACE OF THE SEASON MEAN, ESPECIALLY COMING OFF THE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON LAST YEAR? WHAT DOES BRAD REDUCING HIS SCHEDULE MEAN TO YOU AND THE TEAM?

“To reflect on the year, we kind of made that my pre-race comment, but we kind of lost some continuity from what the 22 team was from last year. We had a lot of new faces, myself being one of ‘em. Car chief came over from a different place, the engineer; we’ve had a couple different that weren’t here last year. We built a lot of chemistry this year and I think the last half of the season shows a lot for that. A couple of things that are unique about this year, Brad has won five races in the 22 car this year, none of which were at race tracks he won at last year. We’ve got 11 wins over the last two seasons at 11 different race tracks.

And Kurt (Busch) won at Watkins Glen which was the 12th race track. We’ve had some success at some different places and I think winning this sends the team in the off-season with an extra little hitch in their step. It gives us something to build off of for the off-season and look forward to for next year. However it works out, I think we went through the summer months when Brad had his injuries and we shuffled four different race car drivers and I think we were competitive with all four. That’s one of the things we’ve got here at Penske, we’ve got talent. Roger does a good job of supplying us with that. I don’t want to give Brad up, but I understand where the program is at. We’ll be here together for the majority of the races next year and we’ll work in the offseason pretty hard to make sure that whatever we’re going to do to fill the little voids will be ready in step for 2012.”

(QUOTES PRIOR TO POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE)

BRAD KESELOWSKI (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T) Race Winner

“You couldn’t ask for a better way to end the season. Not being able to win the championship, it’s good to be able to finish on a high note, winning the pole and the race today at Homestead. It’s a great exclamation point to the season for the whole Discount Tire Dodge team.”

WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN WATCHING THE RACING OUT THERE TONIGHT. IS IT THAT MUCH FUN BEHIND THE WHEEL? “Hell yeah, I mean, it is when you win. It was tough, it was frustrating, it was hot here in Miami and that’s what makes it worth it.”

WHAT DID YOU LEARN TODAY THAT YOU CAN APPLY TO THE CUP RACE TOMORROW? “Man, I can’t tell you that (smiles). Just driving the hell out of it; I’m going to drive hard I guess. And thanks to all the fans for coming out.”

SAM HORNISH JR. (No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished Seventh

“It was a pretty solid night for the Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger. We just didn’t have the short run that we needed late in the race to crack into the top five. We had our ups and downs all night. We felt that we had really good long-run speed in the car to compete all night. We just got down to the end of the race and it became a short-run race with all the cautions. We made a small change and it wasn’t enough to get us where we needed to be. We got stuck on the inside on that last restart; it slowed us down a bit. We were good. We just needed more short-run speed.”

HAS THE LAST FOUR RACES GIVEN YOU GUYS A GOOD BUILDING BLOCK HEADING INTO THE 2012 SEASON?

“I think so. It’s not easy when you’re not running a full-time season, but we certainly didn’t waste any of the opportunities that we had all year. We raced to some top 10s, won at Phoenix and had another top 10 tonight. We need to continue to work on our short run speed. I think everyone on this team gained a lot of valuable experience and that can only be a positive thing heading into next year. Our race changes have been improving. Our team has become stronger in the pits. Everything that we’ve done the last four races has helped make us a team to contend with next season.”

TRAVIS GEISLER (Director of Competition, Penske Racing)

“A great night. The last couple of weeks have been really good. To get Sam (Hornish) in victory lane with his Alliance Truck Parts Dodge last weekend at Phoenix and Brad (Keselowski) tonight in his Discount Tire Dodge is awesome. This is pretty sweet. It’s always great to go out on a high note. Our Nationwide program did a great job all year with six wins and six poles. To come here and beat Carl Edwards is a real testament to everyone that touches these Dodge Challengers. This is why we go racing, to be able to share in great moments like this. It certainly makes the off-season a lot shorter.”

- Dodge Motorsports / Darnell Communications Press Release