News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Geico 400
Chicagoland Speedway
September 18, 2011
TV: ESPN at 2:00 PM   Radio: MRN/Sirius Channel 90 at 1:00 PM

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-760 during Sunday’s Geico 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. This is a new chassis to the No. 2 fleet.
• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in 2011... After 26 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will enter the 2011 Chase for the Championship as the 11th seed. Keselowski is tied with Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Denny Hamlin with 2000 points, 12 points back from Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.
• Midwest Homecoming… Keselowski places special emphasis on running well when the series visits the Midwestern part of the country. A native of Rochester Hills, Mich., Keselowski – along with his father, uncle and brother – has won numerous short track races throughout the mid-section of the United States over the years.
• Home Field Advantage … Keselowski, one of the most-determined racers in the Cup Series, will have extra incentive this weekend at Chicago. MillerCoors, the long-time sponsor of the “Blue Deuce” is headquartered in downtown Chicago. Keselowski would like nothing more than to deliver them their first victory at their “home” track this weekend.
• Chasing Great Taste… The featured tag line on the bumper of the “Blue Deuce” this weekend at Chicagoland will be “Chasing Great Taste.’” This is in recognition of Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team securing a place in the 2011 Chase for the Championship, which begins this weekend.
• Meet Brad… Keselowski will make an appearance at the Harrah’s Casino located at 151 North Joliet Street in Joliet, Ill. at 8:00 PM.
• The Rest is History... In 23 combined Cup Series starts at Chicagoland Speedway, Penske Racing has accumulated one win (Ryan Newman – 2003), one pole and two top-five finishes. In addition, Team Penske has garnered two wins, five poles and 10 top-five finishes in 19 combined IndyCar Series starts at the venue.

Brad Keselowski on racing at Chicagoland Speedway
“Chicagoland Speedway is going to provide us with an excellent venue to kickoff the Chase for the Championship. It has become a very racy place over the years. There is a lot of back and forth, side-by-side racing and the track has actually become fairly rough over the years. The Midwestern winters have taken their toll on the surface and have made it a little trickier. There is a lot of banking to go with that so it’s very fast. All in all, it’s a great racetrack and I really enjoy it.”

Brad Keselowski on securing a spot in the 2011 Chase for the Championship
“I can’t say enough about everyone at Penske Racing who has helped us turn our program around this year. It’s not just the guys on the Miller Lite Dodge team. It’s the people in the motor department and the paint shop, the fabricators and the machinists that rarely get the recognition they deserve. All that hard work will now be rewarded with a spot in the Chase and a chance to run for a championship. In Miller Lite, we have one of the most recognized sponsors in the garage. They do a lot for the team, and also for me as a driver, but they also expect results. I’m proud of the fact that we were able to deliver a playoff spot in our first year together, with basically a brand new team. Our confidence is pretty high right now and I feel good about our chances.”

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on Chicagoland Speedway
“Chicagoland Speedway is not like the other 1.5-mile tracks that we visit. The backstretch is one continuous curve and that makes the exit of Turn 2 and the entry of Turn 3 very important. Essentially, you aren’t holding a straight wheel for very long during a lap at Chicago. It’s a very fast race track too. The aero department has worked really hard to make this a strong car for us. We’ve been working on building lighter, faster cars and this is one of the best we’ve produced so far. It’s exciting to be in the Chase and I feel the new cars that we’ll roll out will give us a great chance to bring Mr. Penske his first Cup Series championship.”