News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Sprint All-Star Showdown
Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 21, 2011

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS-748 during Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This is a new chassis to the No. 2 fleet.
• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in 2011... After 11 points-paying events, Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team sit 24th in the Cup Series driver and owner point standings. The team is coming off a 13th-place finish in the FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway last Sunday.
• 2010 All-Star Rewind… After starting the 2010 All-Star Race from the third position, Keselowski quickly established himself as one of the strongest drivers in the field. He was able to race his way inside the top-five during the third segment and he appeared to have a car that could contend for the win. However, the car’s handling became an issue following the final pit stop of the night and Keselowski’s Penske Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, took home the checkered flag.
• Save Your Summer! Tastepoints.com… The featured tag line on the bumper of the “Blue Deuce” this weekend at Charlotte will be “Save Your Summer! Tastepoints.com.” The Tastepoints.com program encourages people to collect codes off specially-packaged Miller Lite that can be redeemed for a variety of prizes, including the chance to participate in the Miller Lite 1100.
• First Showdown Start … Since becoming a regular competitor in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2009, Keselowski has enjoyed a spot in the All-Star race, thanks to his ‘09 win at Talladega Superspeedway. This will be his first start in the All-Star Showdown as he looks to join Penske Racing teammate, Sam Hornish Jr., on the list of drivers that have transferred into the All-Star race by winning the Showdown.
• Ride Shotgun on All-Star Weekend!.. Thanks to Penske Racing partners Shell-Pennzoil, Miller Lite and Discount Tire, one lucky winner will get to ride in the passenger seat with one of seven NASCAR All-Stars on May 21st. The winner also receives roundtrip airfare for two, a three-day, two-night hotel stay, tickets to the NASCAR All-Star race and $50 in spending money!  Also there are second- and third-place prizes for $50 and $25 Shell Gas Gift Cards. To enter, go to www.facebook.com/discounttire or www.facebook.com/discounttiremotorsports to enter!!
• 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 30 combined starts, Penske Racing drivers have recorded two wins (Ryan Newman – 2002, Kurt Busch – 2010), eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in the non-points paying event. In 2009, Sam Hornish Jr. raced his way into the All-Star race by winning the Showdown qualifying race.

Brad Keselowski on what it will take to transfer from the All-Star Showdown to the All-Star Race
“The All-Star races are very aggressive, as you would expect. There is a lot of money on the line. More often than not, the Showdown can be just as exciting as the All-Star Race. The Showdown is what the 150s were down in Daytona before the top-35 were locked in. There are 28 drivers battling for two spots. Qualifying, as it always is, will be important to winning the Showdown. If you can qualify up front, hopefully you have a car that can stay up there and out of the hornet’s nest behind you.”

Brad Keselowski on using All-Star weekend to prepare for the Coca-Cola 600
“The All-Star Showdown and All-Star Race are great ways to work on the setup of your racecar before you get to the Coke 600, but they are still their own races. The 600 is a ‘monster’ of a race. It starts in the day and ends at night, where the All-Star races do not. They are races 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 Paul Wolfe on his first All-Star weekend as a crew chief
“First and foremost, I’m a fan of this sport. And if you are a true fan, there is no better racing than what you’ll see this weekend. We know that we have our work cut out for us to try to pick up one of the two transfer spots in the Showdown, but I feel like I have one of the best drivers in the garage for this type of racing. He can be aggressive when needed and he’s starting to figure out how to get around Charlotte. There are some advantages to running the Showdown, if you can transfer to the big race. We’ve seen in years past that guys that transfer are immediately setup better for the All-Star race. Would we like to be locked in? Sure, but I feel confident we can get it done in the Showdown.”