The Verizon Wireless Dodge Team Heads to the Music City
April 7, 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-007 during Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Nashville Superspeedway. PRS-007 was lasted raced at Las Vegas Motor Speedway where rookie sensation Justin Allgaier crossed the finish line in the eighth spot. Allgaier hopes this week’s chassis can help him extend his streak of three straight top-10 finishes in the Verizon Wireless machine.
• Taking the Lead… Driving the Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger, Allgaier leads the rookie of the year standings by eight points over Brendan Gaughan. Allgaier was the top finishing rookie for the second consecutive week at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend, bringing the No. 12 home in the 10th spot.
• Other Hobbies… When Allgaier is not behind the wheel of the Verizon Wireless Dodge, you can find him tinkering on remote control cars. The 22-year-old picked up the hobby three months ago after he moved to North Carolina. His favorite R/C vehicle in the fleet is an off-road truck that has a top speed of over 60 miles per hour.
• Egg Him On… Allgaier will be paired with a media member in an egg-tossing contest on Friday, April 10, in celebration of Easter weekend. The rookie, along with other NASCAR Nationwide Series regulars, will also be designing an egg to be judged by series director Joe Balash. The event will take place at Nashville Superspeedway.
• Past Performance… Allgaier made four starts at Nashville Superspeedway in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. The Illinois native’s best result was an eighth-place finish, which came last season.
• Watch and Listen… The NASCAR Nationwide Series 300 can be seen live on Saturday, April 11 on ESPN with coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET. The event can also be heard live on MRN Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 128.
Justin Allgaier on driving at Nashville Superspeedway
“Glad to get back to a racetrack where I have had some success at in the past. Nashville Superspeedway is a really cool place, but it is very challenging at the same time. There are long straightaways and tight corners, which makes it difficult for the drivers. It is tough to make the car handle well, but carry speed into the corners at the same time. Having laps on the race track and a better understanding of what it takes to run well should make our practices more productive. I will start practice with a better understanding of how the car is going to react and (crew chief) Chad Walter and the guys on the Verizon Wireless team can focus on helping get the car dialed in for the race.
“With the race in Nashville being our first NASCAR Nationwide Series stand-alone event, it is going to have the Nationwide regulars going for the win. I think it is going to be a great show for the fans. Having a Nashville guitar is at the top of my list of trophies I want to get. If I got the guitar, I would have to take lessons and learn how to play it.”
Crew Chief Chad Walter on racing at Nashville Superspeedway
“Nashville Superspeedway is a lot faster race track that people think. The corners are really tight and come up on you in a hurry. One of the keys to success is getting your car to roll through the center of the corner. If you can roll the center with speed you will have a good day. The driver has to be able to manage a free race car all day long. I think by the end of the event there will be two grooves on the track, which gives the drivers the ability to work on both the top and the bottom of the track.
“I always love going to Nashville and knowing that Justin has had success there is a bonus for this team. He impresses me more and more every week and it’s just a pleasure to work with him.”
Justin Allgaier Nationwide Series Career Totals
Races Wins Top-Fives Top-10s Poles Money Won
9 0 1 3 0 $258,080
Justin Allgaier 2009 Totals
Races Wins Top-Fives Top-10s Poles Money Won
5 0 1 3 0 $184,210