Verizon Wireless Dodge Heads West to Texas
March 31, 2009
Justin Allgaier
No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger
Texas Motor Speedway – O'Reilly 300
April 4, 2009
No. 12 Penske Racing Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge team will race chassis PRS-020 during Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Texas Motor Speedway. This is a brand new car to the Verizon Wireless team.
• Top-Five Finish… Justin Allgaier, driver of the Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger, captured his first career top-five finish at the .533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway on March 21 The rookie racer started in the 14th spot, but fought his way into the top-five before taking the checkered flag.
• Taking the Lead… With his top-five performance two weeks ago at Bristol, Allgaier captured the lead in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. The 22-year-old Illinois native leads Brendan Gaughan by one point in the rookie rankings after four events.
• Movin’ On Up… With its solid performance in Bristol, the No.12 Verizon Wireless Dodge team moved up three spots to eighth in the year-long Nationwide Series championship point battle. The team sits only 46 points out of the fourth spot in the standings.
• New Look... The No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge will sport a new scheme this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Verizon FiOS will adorn the hood and TV panel of the No.12 car. Verizon FiOS is Verizon’s state-of-the-art fiber network that uses cutting-edge technology to let the consumer experience communications at lightning speeds. Verizon FiOS transmits signals using hair-thin strands of glass fiber and laser-generated pulses of light, preparing households for future high-tech applications that will demand higher bandwidth.
• Dialed In… Allgaier will visit the Verizon Wireless store in Burleson, Tex. on Friday afternoon, April 3. The talented rookie racer will sign autographs and visit with employees from 6-7 pm CST.
• Watch and Listen… The O'Reilly 300 can be seen live on Saturday, April 4, on ABC-TV with coverage beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET. The event can also be heard live on PRN Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 128.
Justin Allgaier on driving at Texas Motor Speedway
“I am looking forward to Texas. It is the first time this season I have been to a track where I have raced before in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. I feel like my experience there last season will help me. I know what to expect when I roll out onto the track for the first time during practice.
“The track is really fast. (Crew chief) Chad [Walter] has been really working on our downforce package. Las Vegas was our first big test to see how the cars react, and now we go to an even faster place where the cars have to handle even more.
“The guys on our team are just awesome. They work so hard every day to make sure our Verizon Wireless Dodge is fast week in and week out. It is just such a pleasure to work with them and to be the driver of this car.”
Crew Chief Chad Walter on racing at Texas Motor Speedway
“Texas Motor Speedway is a great mile-and-a-half track. Handling and track position are the keys to success. You have to have your car pinned to the bottom on both ends of the track in order to have a shot to win. Track position is crucial. These cars are so aero dependent that you need to keep your machine in clean air, and the only way to do that is to be leading. It is great knowing Justin [Allgaier] has been to Texas before. This will be the first time as a team we have been to a track where he has experience behind the wheel of a NASCAR Nationwide Series car. I am looking forward to seeing what happens. He impresses me every time we get on the track.”
Justin Allgaier Nationwide Series Career Totals
Races Wins Top-Fives Top-Tens Poles Money Won
8 0 1 2 0 $226,037
Justin Allgaier 2009 Totals
Races Wins Top-Fives Top-10s Poles Money Won
4 0 1 2 0 $152,167