News

Brad Keselowski
No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger
All-Star Race
Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 22, 2010

No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-706 during Saturday night’s NASCAR All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This will be the first race of the season for PRS-706.
• No. 12 Penske Dodge in 2010... After 12 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team currently sit 24th in the Cup Series driver and owner point standings. Keselowski gained one position after his 18th-place finish at Dover International Speedway on Sunday.
• All-Star Again… Keselowski’s improbable 2009 Cup Series victory at Talladega Superspeedway continues to pay dividends. The victory, which came in Keselowski’s fifth career series start, has placed him in the NASCAR All-Star Race for a second-consecutive season.
• Nationwide Series… Keselowski heads into an off-weekend for the NASCAR Nationwide Series with the lead in the series standings. He owns an 11-point advantage over Kyle Busch.  
• The Rest is History... Penske Racing made its first start in the NASCAR All-Star Race in 1991 when Rusty Wallace drove the No. 2 car to a seventh-place finish. In 28 combined starts, Penske Racing drivers have recorded one win (Ryan Newman – 2002), seven top-five finishes and 14 top-ten finishes in the non-points paying event. In 2009, Sam Hornish Jr. raced his way into the 2009 NASCAR All-Star race by winning the Showdown qualifying race.
• 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 Penske Dodge team.

Brad Keselowski on the honor of racing in the NASCAR All-Star Race
“The All-Star race is an awesome event and really a lot of fun to drive. To be able to race in it is an honor and it is a great moment in my career as a driver. There are fewer cars on the track, which means that more attention is focused on you. There is a little pressure that comes along with that, which you can definitely feel. You get ready to race really quickly, though, when you look around and see that you are racing the best drivers in the world. You want to put on a good show for the fans because that is the reason for this race. It’s a way to say ‘thank you’ by letting us go do some ‘no-holds barred’ racing.”

Brad Keselowski on using the NASCAR All-Star Race as a test session for the Coca-Cola 600
“The All-Star race is a great way to work on the setup of your racecar before you get to the Coke 600, but it’s still its own race. The 600 is a ‘monster’ of a race. It starts in the day and ends at night, where the All-Star race does not. It’s a race of short spurts. What you do to your car is very different for each race. From a driver’s perspective, however, it’s a great way to prepare yourself mentally.”

Crew chief Jay Guy on preparing for the NASCAR All-Star Race
“Most of us in the garage grew up going to the local short tracks and the All-Star race is kind of a throwback to those races. It reminds me of a 50-lap late model stock race, but with $1 million on the line. Obviously, you are not looking to sacrifice a car, but the reins are relaxed and your driver can really be aggressive. I believe we have one of the best drivers in the garage area for this kind of race. Brad can be very aggressive, but he is very calculating as well. There is not a lot of information that translates to the 600, but it definitely gets everyone prepared for the Memorial Day race.”