News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Good Sam Club 500
Talladega Superspeedway
October 23, 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-639 during Sunday’s Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Brad Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 15th-place finish at Daytona International Speedway in July.
• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge in 2011... After 31 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked sixth in the 2011 Chase for the Championship standings. Keselowski is just 25 points behind leader Carl Edwards following a 16th-place finish in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Saturday night.
• Cup and Nationwide Winner… Keselowski is one of nine drivers to win both a NASCAR Cup Series race (April 2009) and a NASCAR Nationwide Series race (April 2010) at the 2.66-mile Talladega circuit.
• In Memory Of Dan.… The featured tag line on the bumper of the “Blue Deuce” this weekend at Talladega will be “In Memory Of Dan,” to honor the life and legacy of IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, who passed away last Sunday.
• Deuces Wild… When Brad wins a race during the 2011 Chase for the Championship, two lucky fans will win their own “man cave,” compliments of Miller Lite. The man cave gear includes a “kegerator,” dart board, Miller Lite neon sign, basketball game and pub furniture. Visit MillerLite.com/Brad to enter.
• Checkered Flag Foundation… This weekend at Talladega, the Brad Keselowski Checkered Flag Foundation, with help from Miller Lite, will host 222 wounded veterans and first-responders. The group will have a chance to hang out with their favorite driver throughout the race weekend capped off with Monday afternoon ride-a-longs with Keselowski and Parker Kligerman. For more information visit www.checkeredflagfoundation.org.
• Meet Brad… Keselowski will make an appearance at Montana’s located at 75023 Hwy 77 in Lincoln, Ala. beginning at 6:00 PM CT on Friday, October 21.
• The Rest is History... In 2007, Penske Racing drivers Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman finished inside the top-10 in both races at Talladega Superspeedway, marking the first time in its history that the team achieved the feat at this track. In 85 starts at Talladega, the organization has one pole award and 10 top-five finishes. 

Brad Keselowski examines the Chase for the Championship at the halfway point
“We have an exciting Chase on our hands, no doubt. This new points system is doing exactly what they hoped it would with the top-seven drivers separated by only 28 points. And now we get to go to Talladega, where anything can happen and the points could really be shaken up. The Miller Lite Dodge has been very competitive and very fast, on the restrictor-plate tracks this season but we just haven’t been able to get the finishes that we probably deserve. We need to strive for more consistency over the final five races – and we need to win one or two – to get back in serious contention for the championship. I love Talladega so this would be a great place to start.”

Brad Keselowski on his approach to racing at Talladega Superspeedway
“You really have to pay attention to how the race unfolds at Talladega. There are times when you need to be patient. There are times when you need to keep your head about you and race smart. But you are going to have to be aggressive at the end. Those are three elements of restrictor-plate racing that I work on throughout the race. I learned that from Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. He gets a lot of the credit for the kind of racer that I am on the plate tracks.”

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on racing at Talladega Superspeedway
“All of the work for Talladega is done before the cars are loaded into the transporter. It’s very hard to improve once you are at the track because handling is not a huge deal. It’s all aerodynamics and motor. Attention to detail on the body and the motor is very important. Penske Racing, as a group, has been very competitive on the restrictor-plate tracks this season. I think we’ve learned a few things since then that will make us even more competitive this weekend. Brad really likes Talladega and when you go to a track where your driver has won before it gives you confidence that you can do it again.”