News

Brad Keselowski
No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger
Coca-Cola 600
Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 30, 2010
No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-729 during Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). This will mark the first race for this brand-new chassis.
• No. 12 Penske Dodge in 2010... After 12 events, Keselowski and the No. 12 Penske Dodge Charger team currently sit 24th in the Cup Series driver point standings and 25th in the owner point standings. Keselowski gained one position in the driver standings after his 18th-place finish at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, May 16th. 
• All-Star Rewind… Keselowski ran inside the top-10 for most of the NASCAR All-Star race last Saturday night at CMS. He raced his way inside the top-four cars in the third segment before handling issues relegated him to a seventh-place finish.
• Intermediate Mettle… Keselowski and the No. 12 Penske Dodge team have shown they can run up front on the 1.5-mile, intermediate tracks like CMS. He has finished inside the top-15 in the last two of those races, at Darlington Raceway and Texas Motor Speedway, respectively. At Atlanta Motor Speedway, considered a “sister” track to CMS, in March, Keselowski was on his way to a top-five finish before a late-race incident.
• Trackside Live… Keselowski will be a guest on the “Trackside Live” show on SPEED Friday night. The show will be on location in downtown Charlotte, N.C.
• The Rest is History... Penske Racing made its first start in the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27, 1973 with Dave Marcis behind the wheel of the famous Penske Racing No. 2 car. In 83 combined starts, Penske Racing drivers have recorded seven poles, 12 top-five and 29 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile oval.

Brad Keselowski on the challenge of racing 600 miles
“Racing 600 miles, in one sitting, is very challenging. We’ve had a couple weekends this year where rain has forced us to run both the Nationwide and Cup Series races on the same day. Those equaled to over 800 miles. The difference is they weren’t in one sitting. We were able to get out of the car, stretch our legs and get something to drink. You don’t have that luxury in the Coca-Cola 600. It can wear you down physically, as well as mentally, and you need to be prepared for it.”

Brad Keselowski on racing on Memorial Day weekend
“Memorial Day weekend has to be the biggest weekend of racing of the year. To start the day you can watch the Indianapolis 500, where Team Penske is going for their 16th win. Then you can tune in a few hours later to catch one of the best stock car races in the Coca-Cola 600. Memorial Day weekend has always been one of my favorite weekends not only as a driver, but as a fan as well. There is just so much on-track action that it makes for a perfect day to have people over and watch some great racing.”

Crew chief Jay Guy on preparing for the Coca-Cola 600
“The 600 is such a demanding race on the car, crew and driver. The car has to last all 600 miles without having any mechanical failures and the driver and crew have to stay mentally and physically sharp. We tried some different packages last week in the All-Star event and we feel really good about our chances this week. The car we are taking, from an aerodynamic standpoint, is one of the best that Penske Racing has ever built. This team is close to taking the next step and we need a good, solid finish at Charlotte to continue the momentum we’ve been building.”