News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
Quicken Loans 400
Michigan International Speedway
Sunday, June 17, 2012
TV: TNT at 12:00 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-820 during Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). Brad Keselowski last drove this chassis to a 36th-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April, after suffering fuel issues while running solidly inside the top five.  
• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in 2012… After 14 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked 10th in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) driver and owner point rankings. The team is coming off an 18th-place finish in the Pocono 400 at Pocono Raceway last Sunday.
• MIS Rewind 2011… Keselowski entered the last race at MIS in August 2011 on the heels of two consecutive top-two finishes after breaking a bone in his left foot during a testing accident at Road Atlanta. He was able to continue his torrid summer stretch as he finished in third place – the third of four consecutive top-three finishes – in the Pure Michigan 400.
• Defending Home Turf… Keselowski, who hails from Rochester Hills, Mich., always places a priority on the two races held at MIS every year. He was the first driver to take to the new surface when he participated in the Goodyear tire test in April. Keselowski could very well use that experience to give team owner and Michigan resident, Roger Penske, another victory at the track he once owned.
•.  Meet Brad… Keselowski will appear at Wal-Mart located at 7000 East Michigan Avenue in Saline, Mich. on Friday night, June 15, at 7 pm. 
• Home Sweet Home…. The featured tag line on the bumper of the “Blue Deuce” this weekend at Michigan will be “Home Sweet Home.” This is a nod to Keselowski’s ties to the state of Michigan. His family is from Rochester Hills, Mich., and his father, Bob, and uncle, Ron, both competed at MIS in NASCAR and ARCA competition.
• The Rest is History... Penske Racing has enjoyed considerable success at MIS, a track that used to be owned by Roger Penske. In 90 combined Cup Series starts at the venue, Penske Racing drivers have recorded six wins, three pole awards and 24 top-five finishes. The organization made its first start at the track in August of 1972 with Dave Marcis behind the wheel of the No. 2 entry.

Brad Keselowski on what to expect this weekend on the new Michigan International Speedway surface
“Whenever you repave a track or drastically make a change of the nature of a repave, it’s going to change the racing and how it works. You know the question will be – is it going to be better? Is it going to be worse? Is it going to be this or is it going to be that? You know, only time will tell. I think the track has a lot of key events that will probably indicate how the Cup race will go. The Cup race is obviously the Granddaddy race for this track. There is a Nationwide event and an ARCA event beforehand.  I think that will probably provide the biggest indicator of the quality of racing that we will see come Sunday, but I feel pretty good about our chances with the Miller Lite Dodge.” 

Brad Keselowski on what his dad meant to his racing career
“My dad was easily the most influential person in my racing career. He is my hero and I try to model myself after him as much as I can. He was always keenly aware of what went into his cars and trucks, each part and piece and what it was intended to do. Having that knowledge about your racecars is something that I take pride in as well. To get him a win this weekend, at a place that means a lot to our family, would be a great Father’s Day gift – probably the best one I could give him.”

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on the new Michigan International Speedway
“It’s very unusual to have back-to-back races on repaved tracks, but that’s the hand we are dealt and we’ll figure it out. We were able to take part in the Goodyear tire test at Michigan a couple of months ago, so we feel good about our package going back there. The speeds are going to be really high, so that places more of an emphasis on aerodynamics. You’ll see teams working different tire strategies because wear is going to be minimal. We had a solid top-five run there last fall and, even though it’s a different surface, we feel we can be strong again this weekend.”