Keselowski Scores 10th-Place Finish at Infineon Raceway
June 26, 2011
SONOMA, Calif. (June 26, 2011) – Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), finished 10th in the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway on Sunday afternoon. The result marked the first top-10 finish in three career NSCS road course races for the Penske Racing driver.
Keselowski began the 110-lap event from the 15th position after he posted a lap of 77.493 seconds, or 92.447 miles per hour, during Friday's qualifying session. As the race began, Keselowski said little over the team radio as he concentrated on settling into a nice rhythm and he began to pick off the cars in front of him, one by one. He and Miller Lite team crew chief Paul Wolfe devised a plan to make it a "two stop" race and when other competitors began to make their way down pit road for service, Keselowski was able to gain significant track position. By lap 25, he had made his way into the third position and began turning the fastest laps on the track. As he worked his way into second-place on the next lap, he and teammate Kurt Busch gave Penske Racing the top-two spots in the running order.
Wolfe called Keselowski down pit road on lap 32 for a four-tire stop that included an air pressure adjustment to give the driver more of the overall grip he was looking for. As soon as he returned to the track, the caution flag was displayed with Keselowski running in the 26th position. As many of the cars in front of him decided to make pit stops under the yellow flag, Keselowski remained on track and was able to restart the race in the sixth position on lap 37.
The Miller Lite machine performed exceptionally well through the "esses" that make up part of the backstretch at Infineon Raceway and this was where Keselowski was able to distance himself from the other competitors during the middle portion of the race. He radioed to Wolfe that he was being careful with his Dodge Charger so that he would have something left for the end of the race. After racing his way back inside the top-five at lap 52, Wolfe informed Keselowski that the team, indeed, could make it to the end of the race on only one more pit stop.
At lap 65, Keselowski made accidental contact with the No. 43 car driven by AJ Allmendinger, which resulted in slight damage to the right front fender of the Miller Lite Dodge. This would have no effect on the handling of the car and Keselowski was able to continue without having to visit pit road. He made his final pit stop on lap 73, while running in the 13th position. After electing to stay on the racing surface during a lap 88 caution, Keselowski restarted the race for the final time in the fifth position. The handling on the No. 2 Dodge deteriorated over the final laps, but Keselowski was able to keep his car positioned inside the top 10 at the checkered flag.
Busch earned his first career NSCS road course victory in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Following Saturday's result, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team are currently ranked 22nd in the Cup Series driver and owner point standings.
"We brought home a 10th-place finish," said Keselowski. "We had a really good Miller Lite Dodge this whole week. I'm really proud of my guys. To finish 10th on a road course is nothing to be disappointed about. I thought for a minute there we were going to get a top five; we just fell off a little bit at the end. I got caught up with all the traffic but still came out of here with a top 10. It's something I'm very proud of."
Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite team will next compete at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 2. Coverage will be seen live beginning at 7:30 pm ET on TNT. The race will also be heard on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel 90.
Keselowski began the 110-lap event from the 15th position after he posted a lap of 77.493 seconds, or 92.447 miles per hour, during Friday's qualifying session. As the race began, Keselowski said little over the team radio as he concentrated on settling into a nice rhythm and he began to pick off the cars in front of him, one by one. He and Miller Lite team crew chief Paul Wolfe devised a plan to make it a "two stop" race and when other competitors began to make their way down pit road for service, Keselowski was able to gain significant track position. By lap 25, he had made his way into the third position and began turning the fastest laps on the track. As he worked his way into second-place on the next lap, he and teammate Kurt Busch gave Penske Racing the top-two spots in the running order.
Wolfe called Keselowski down pit road on lap 32 for a four-tire stop that included an air pressure adjustment to give the driver more of the overall grip he was looking for. As soon as he returned to the track, the caution flag was displayed with Keselowski running in the 26th position. As many of the cars in front of him decided to make pit stops under the yellow flag, Keselowski remained on track and was able to restart the race in the sixth position on lap 37.
The Miller Lite machine performed exceptionally well through the "esses" that make up part of the backstretch at Infineon Raceway and this was where Keselowski was able to distance himself from the other competitors during the middle portion of the race. He radioed to Wolfe that he was being careful with his Dodge Charger so that he would have something left for the end of the race. After racing his way back inside the top-five at lap 52, Wolfe informed Keselowski that the team, indeed, could make it to the end of the race on only one more pit stop.
At lap 65, Keselowski made accidental contact with the No. 43 car driven by AJ Allmendinger, which resulted in slight damage to the right front fender of the Miller Lite Dodge. This would have no effect on the handling of the car and Keselowski was able to continue without having to visit pit road. He made his final pit stop on lap 73, while running in the 13th position. After electing to stay on the racing surface during a lap 88 caution, Keselowski restarted the race for the final time in the fifth position. The handling on the No. 2 Dodge deteriorated over the final laps, but Keselowski was able to keep his car positioned inside the top 10 at the checkered flag.
Busch earned his first career NSCS road course victory in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350.
Following Saturday's result, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team are currently ranked 22nd in the Cup Series driver and owner point standings.
"We brought home a 10th-place finish," said Keselowski. "We had a really good Miller Lite Dodge this whole week. I'm really proud of my guys. To finish 10th on a road course is nothing to be disappointed about. I thought for a minute there we were going to get a top five; we just fell off a little bit at the end. I got caught up with all the traffic but still came out of here with a top 10. It's something I'm very proud of."
Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite team will next compete at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 2. Coverage will be seen live beginning at 7:30 pm ET on TNT. The race will also be heard on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel 90.