News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks
Dover International Speedway
Sunday, June 3, 2012
TV: FOX at 12:30 PM ET   Radio: MRN/Sirius Channel 90

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-816 during Sunday’s FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway (DIS). Brad Keselowski last drove this chassis to an 18th-place finish at Auto Club Speedway in March. 
• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in 2012… After 12 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked 11th in the 2012 driver and owner point rankings. The team is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday night.
• Pass The Loop Data, Please… Keselowski ranks at or near the top in several loop data statistics following Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. He easily leads the series in Quality Passes (passing a car inside the top 15) with 1,001 passes. He also ranks in the top five in Fastest Speed in Traffic (speed when there is a car within one car length).
• Driver Turned Crew Chief… No. 2 Miller Lite 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).
•.  Have a Beer with Brad… Keselowski will make a Miller Lite appearance at the Buffalo Wild Wings located at 650 Bay Road in Dover, DE on Friday night at 8 pm.
• Cheers to Rusty… The featured tag line on the rear bumper of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend in Dover is “Cheers 2 Rusty.” This is homage to Rusty Wallace’s selection into the 2013 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. Wallace picked up 37 wins for Penske Racing behind the wheel of the No. 2 Miller-sponsored car between 1991-2005.
• 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 73 starts, the organization has recorded seven wins, nine poles and 22 top-five finishes at Dover. Penske Racing drivers have led 1,676 laps at the track. Kurt Busch scored the most-recent win in the fall race of 2011.

Brad Keselowski on a lap around Dover International Speedway
“Dover is a great racetrack, one that I’ve had success on in the Nationwide Series, but we haven’t had the results in the Cup Series. We’ve had fast Miller Lite Dodges, but we haven’t put an entire race together yet.  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 scaled-back Nationwide Series schedule in 2012
“I have a lot of fun racing in the Nationwide Series, but there comes a time when you have to weigh the pros and cons of running in that series when you know you have to accumulate points in the Cup Series. Over the last two plus years we’ve been able to accomplish a lot in the Nationwide Series, and that’s something I’m really proud of, but it’s time to give Parker (Kligerman) a shot. He’s definitely earned it. Is it hard to get out of the car after a win at Charlotte? Sure I have obligations to sponsors and guys on my Nationwide Series team. But at the end of the day, my stepping aside in the Nationwide Series is in the best interest for Penske Racing, long term.”

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.”