News

Brad Keselowski
No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger
Talladega Superspeedway – Aaron’s 499
April 25, 2010

No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-573 during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. PRS-573 is a chassis from teammate Kurt Busch and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team.
• No. 12 Penske Dodge in 2010... After seven events, driver Brad Keselowski and the No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team currently sit 25th in the Cup Series driver and owner point standings. Keselowski moved up two positions with his 14th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway on Monday.
• Defending Winner… In his first NASCAR Cup Series race at the 2.66-mile Talladega oval, Keselowski picked up his first career series win last spring. He passed Carl Edwards on the last lap of the race in one of the most-spectacular finishes in recent memory.
• Quick Learner… Restrictor-plate racing is not something that normally comes easy to young drivers, many of whom cut their racing teeth on tracks of less than .5-mile in length. However, the intimidating oval at Talladega has found a worthy adversary in Keselowski. While only having two starts under his belt at the venue, Keselowski has scored a win and an eighth-place result, for an average finish of 4.5.
• The Rest is History... In 2007, Penske Racing drivers Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman finished inside the top-10 in both races at Talladega Superspeedway, marking the first time in its history that the team achieved the feat at this track. In 77 starts at Talladega, the organization has one pole award and 10 top-five finishes. 
• Follow Me on Twitter… Fans can now follow Keselowski on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/keselowski. Followers can get a glimpse inside his everyday life while keeping up-to-date on the latest news for the No. 12 Dodge team.

Brad Keselowski on his life since his 2009 win at Talladega Superspeedway
“A lot of positive things have happened to me since my win at Talladega, so much so that it does actually seem like it has been a year. Obviously, it is the biggest win in my career and it validated all my beliefs that I could win at this level. I feel very good about my position in the sport, as well as Penske Racing, and I’m ready to see if we can repeat this weekend in the No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger.”

Brad Keselowski on racing at Talladega
“Talladega can be frustrating for a driver because your destiny is out of your hands. There are a few things that you can control and that has to be the focus of your mindset going into that race. If you’re worried about the ‘Big One,’ make sure you don’t cause it. Your best defense is a good offense so you try to be toward the front and ahead of the wrecks. You just need to have good situational awareness and see what makes sense at any given time.”

Crew chief Jay Guy on preparing for Talladega Superspeedway
“All of the work for Talladega is done before the cars are loaded into the transporter. It’s very hard to improve once you are at the track because handling is not a huge deal. It’s all aerodynamics and motor. Attention to detail on the body and the motor is very important. Penske Racing, as a group, was very-competitive during Speedweeks at Daytona, but the two tracks are ‘night and day’ different. We learned a few things at the open test last month that should have us prepared for this weekend.”