News

Brad Keselowski
No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger
AdvoCare 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sunday, September 2, 2012
TV: ESPN at 6:30 PM ET   Radio: PRN/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-818 during Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS). Brad Keselowski last raced this chassis to an 18th-place finish at Pocono Raceway in June. It has been updated to the current Penske Racing specification.
• No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger in 2012… After 24 points-paying events, Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked seventh in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) driver and owner point standings. Winners of three races already this season, the team is coming off a 30th-place finish in the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway last Saturday night.
• Clinching the Chase... Several scenarios will be in effect this weekend that would enable Keselowski and the Miller Lite Dodge team to clinch their second-consecutive spot in the Chase for the Championship. If Keselowski is 49 points ahead of 11th place in the series standings following Sunday’s race, he will clinch a spot on points. He can achieve that goal by finishing seventh on Sunday without leading a lap, finish eighth and lead just one lap or finish ninth while leading the most laps.
• Statistically Speaking… The Miller Lite Dodge has displayed impressive speed throughout the 2012 season, supported by the fact that Keselowski ranks at or near the top of the Cup Series in several key categories, including: Quality Passes (first), Fastest Speed in Traffic (fifth), Laps Led (sixth), Laps In The Top 15 (sixth) and Fastest Driver on Restarts (sixth).
• Lite Up Your Night… The featured tag line on the rear bumper of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge this weekend in Atlanta will read “Lite Up Your Night.” Night racing is the perfect opportunity to join friends for an “It’s Miller Time” moment.
• Meet Brad… Keselowski will make an appearance at the Wal-Mart store located at 11465 Tara Blvd. in Lovejoy, Ga. beginning at 2 pm ET on Thursday, August 30.
• The Rest is History... Penske Racing made its first start at AMS on March 26, 1972 as the late Mark Donohue finished 15th in the Atlanta 500. In 88 combined starts at the track, Penske Racing has produced three wins (Rusty Wallace – 1993 and Kurt Busch – 2009-2010), eight poles and 11 top-five finishes. Both Keselowski and Kurt Busch finished inside the top 10 in the 2011 AdvoCare 500.

Brad Keselowski on racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway
“I like the fact that Atlanta is a very slick racetrack. You come in to put tires on and you are almost three seconds a lap faster. That’s huge! A guy that will come in and pit one lap earlier than you do will gain almost half a straightaway on you. That puts pit strategy into focus. It’s just a fun place to race. I’ve had a lot of success running the high line at Atlanta. I don’t really think of myself as a driver that prefers the top, but I’ll definitely search around to see where my Miller Lite Dodge is the fastest. That’s why we love racing at Atlanta. You can go wherever your car is working the best.”

Brad Keselowski on battling for the No. 1 seed in the Chase for the Championship
“For us right now, it’s all about going for wins. We can take some chances and experiment a bit knowing that we are pretty safe as far as making the Chase. We want to go in with the most wins, or at least tied for the most wins. Every point is critical. You look at last year, Tony (Stewart) and Carl (Edwards) tied in points after Homestead. That’s how close it can be so we want all the points we can get before the Chase starts.”

Crew chief Paul Wolfe on Atlanta Motor Speedway
“Atlanta, probably as much as anywhere we go, places a huge emphasis on strategy. With new tires giving you so much of an advantage, you want to make sure you maximize that ‘sweet spot’ as much as you can. But fuel mileage can come into play as well. It can be somewhat hectic and nerve-wracking at times for a crew chief, but it’s a lot of fun to go head-to-head with the other crew chiefs that way. We’ve really improved our mile-and-a-half program recently. That last time we visited one, Brad and the Miller Lite Dodge ended up in Victory Lane (Kentucky). A fourth win of the year would be nice on Sunday night.”