News

Brad Keselowski
No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger
Showtime Southern 500
Darlington Raceway
May 8, 2010

No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-720 during Saturday night’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. PRS-720 is a brand-new chassis to the No. 12 fleet and one of the lightest ever built at Penske Racing.
• No. 12 Penske Dodge in 2010... After 10 events, Keselowski and the No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team currently sit 26th in the Cup Series driver and owner point standings. While he didn’t improve his position in the standings, Keselowski gained points on many of the drivers in front of him by finishing 14th at Richmond last Saturday night.
• Dancing with “The Lady”… Darlington has long been considered one of the toughest tracks in racing. Few rookies are able to find quick success on the tricky, egg-shaped layout. In his first Cup Series start at Darlington in 2009, Keselowski scored one of his four career top-10 finishes by taking the checkered flag in the seventh position.
• Hauler Parade … Rick “The Rocket” Johnson, driver of the No. 12 Penske Dodge transporter, will take part in Darlington’s sixth-annual Hauler Parade on Thursday, May 6. The event kicks off at 4 p.m. ET with the parade scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET, from the Florence Civic Center. The parade then winds along US Highway 52 to downtown Darlington. A festival will follow on the Public Square with food and souvenir vendors, a car show, racing simulators and a fireworks display. For more information, contact the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce at (843) 393-2641.
• The Rest is History... Penske Racing made its first start at Darlington Raceway in the 1972 Southern 500. The organization immediately began to show that it would be a force on the 1.33-mile oval. In their first eight races, Penske Racing drivers recorded two wins (both by Bobby Allison) and never qualified outside the top-10. In 59 Darlington starts, Penske Racing has recorded two wins, two poles and 17 top-five finishes.
• Take Me Out to The Ballgame… On Thursday, May 13, Keselowski will throw out the first pitch of the New York Yankees/Detroit Tigers baseball game at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. He will be back in his hometown in advance of the race at Michigan International Speedway, June 11-13.

Brad Keselowski on Darlington Raceway
“Darlington is one of my favorite tracks. I wish we had more like it on the schedule. It’s just a tough, old racetrack that is nothing like anywhere else we go. I never had the opportunity to race there when the asphalt was worn out and I would have loved that. Hopefully I’ll have a long career and I’ll be able to see it get back to that ‘slipping and sliding’ racing that used to be so cool to watch on TV. Back in the day, the Southern 500 was one of our biggest races. It would mean a lot to me to have that trophy.”

Crew chief Jay Guy on preparing for Darlington Raceway
“It’s always a challenge to run at Darlington. There is a fine line of racing other people and racing the track. You find a good race pace and work on handling to keep the car turning from the center out. People get in trouble by racing each other too hard and the ‘Lady in Black’ will reach out and grab you. Race hard and race the track and you will put yourself in contention for the win at the end of the night.”