News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
AAA 400
Dover International Speedway
October 2, 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-748 during Sunday's AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway (DIS). Keselowski last raced this chassis to a ninth-place finish in the Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

· No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in 2011... After 29 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked third in the 2011 Chase for the Championship standings. Keselowski is just 11 points behind leader Tony Stewart following a second-place finish in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway last Sunday.

· Keselowski Hot Streak Stats… Keselowski has earned six top-six finishes over the last eight races. Keselowski has an average finish of 5.1 over that stretch, which ranks as the best in the Cup Series.

· Driver Turned Crew Chief… No. 22 Ruby Tuesday Dodge Charger crew chief Paul Wolfe made 16 starts in the Nationwide Series from 2003-2005. Two of those starts came at Dover in 2003 and 2005, where he finished 16th in each event. In addition, Wolfe competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East from 2000-2004 where he made three starts at the "Monster Mile," capturing one pole award, one outside pole position and two second-place finishes (2002, 2004).

· Man Up At The Monster… The featured tag line on the bumper of the "Blue Deuce" this weekend at Dover will be "Man Up At The Monster." This is a nod to the nickname "The Monster Mile," given to Dover International Speedway over the years by the drivers that have ranked it one of the toughest ovals on the circuit.

· Have a Beer with Brad… Keselowski will make an appearance at Grotto Pizza located at 102 Silicato Way in Milford, Del., beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 30.

· The Rest is History... Penske Racing made its first start at Dover International Speedway in the 1972 Delaware 500 with Dave Marcis driving the No. 16 entry. Over the next four decades, Penske Racing has enjoyed its share of success on the tough one-mile oval. In 71 starts, the organization has recorded six wins, nine poles and 21 top-five finishes at Dover. Penske Racing drivers have led 1,584 laps at the track.
 
Brad Keselowski on a lap around Dover International Speedway
"Dover is a place where I've had success and it's a great track to race on.  A lap around Dover is pretty spectacular.  That roller coaster feeling you get climbing and falling off the corners is amazing.  I feel pretty confident going back there and I'd like to think that Dover is one of my better tracks. (Crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) does a great job in making in-race adjustments and that is very important at Dover because the track changes drastically as rubber gets laid down. There are tracks that are temperamental due to the weather, but at Dover it's the track rubber that can have you scratching your head."
 
Brad Keselowski on his third-place standing in the Chase for the Championship
"We haven't had the fastest cars to start the Chase, but because of hard work and great strategy we've been able to grab a pair of top-five finishes in the first two races. That is exactly what you have to do when you don't have a car that is quite capable of winning the race. I really feel that the upcoming races, especially the intermediate tracks, will be where we can make up a lot of ground on Tony (Stewart). We're only two races into the Chase. It's definitely too early to get excited about where we are in the standings. We just need to continue to focus on each race, trying to get the best finish we can, and we'll be in good shape at the end of the year."
 
Crew chief Paul Wolfe on Dover International Speedway
"What makes Dover so difficult is the fact that it has so much load – you're asking the car to do a lot of different things. Then, you combine the way that the track's concrete rubbers-in and it really makes your front tires slick. It's always a challenge to find front grip and what you end up doing is taking away rear grip. It's very hard on the equipment and the driver, so you have to do a good job of taking care of both."