Justin Allgaier Talladega Superspeedway Preview

April 21, 2009


No. 12 Penske Racing Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge team and driver Justin Allgaier will race chassis PRS-551 during Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Talladega Superspeedway. PRS-551 last saw action during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway.
• Rookie Watch… Allgaier is leading the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings for the fourth consecutive week.  Allgaier has a three-point lead over second place contender Brendan Gaughan.
• What’s in Store… Allgaier will be at the Verizon Wireless store in Anniston, Alabama on Friday, April 24 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm CST. The Illinois native will be visiting with store employees and signing autographs for fans. The store is located at 671 Snow Street, Anniston, Alabama, 36203.
• Looking Back… Allgaier’s last appearance at the 2.66-mile high-banked Talladega Superspeedway came in the fall of 2008. The 22-year-old took his No.16 Dodge ARCA RE/MAX Series machine to Victory Lane, outlasting current NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano. The Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender made a pass on the outside of Logano on the last lap to seal the victory.
• Super Star… On Tuesday, April 21, Allgaier was involved in his first national television commercial shoot.  The Riverton, Ill. native, along with the Verizon Wireless’ “Test Man” talk about Allgaier’s friends and family network in the spot. The all-day shoot took place at Penske Racing headquarters in Mooresville, North Carolina. The finished product is scheduled to start airing nationwide this summer.
• Watch and Listen… The Aaron’s 312 be seen live on Saturday, April 25 on ABC-TV with coverage beginning at 2:30 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 Talladega Superspeedway
“I am looking forward to Talladega. Last time I was there, I went to Victory Lane. Having a good race car is very important, and I know the guys on Verizon Wireless Dodge team will bring a car capable of winning the race. 

“Running in Talladega is really tight. You are running three- and sometimes four-wide through the corners.  As a driver, you have to find a couple drafting partners that you feel confident will stay with you and push you to the front. For the first two thirds of the race my goal is to survive. If you can avoid the ‘big one’ you have a really good shot of making it to Victory Lane. The final third of the race is where you take chances and push the car to the limit. I love racing in Talladega and am confident we will have a strong race.”

Crew Chief Chad Walter on racing at Talladega Superspeedway
“Unlike most tracks, track position is not as important at Talladega. You can get from the back to the front in one lap. The keys to having a successful day are having good horsepower and pulling the draft. The guys in the Penske Racing motor department have been doing a great job with our motors. They have been working overtime on our superspeedway package and I am confident we will have some steam under the hood this weekend. I am also excited about the car we are taking. We have worked, since Daytona, on our superspeedway package and I feel like we have made gains. We just need to keep our nose clean all day and I am confident we will have a solid finish.”

Justin Allgaier Nationwide Series Career Totals
Races      Wins      Top-Fives      Top-10s      Poles      Money Won
    11             0                1                      4                0             $306,726

Justin Allgaier 2009 Totals
Races      Wins      Top-Fives      Top-10s      Poles      Money Won
    7               0                1                     4                  0            $232,856