News

Justin Allgaier
No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger
Michigan International Speedway – Carfax 250
August 15, 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-022 during Saturday’s 250-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Michigan International Speedway. PRS-022 last saw racing action in July at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The car started in the ninth spot and finished 10th.
• Trackside Live… Verizon Wireless Dodge driver Justin Allgaier will be appearing on SPEED TV’s highly-rated “Trackside Live” program on Friday, August 14th. The show is taped live at the SPEED Stage, which sits outside the frontstretch grandstands at Michigan International Speedway. This will be the Rookie-Of-The-Year contender’s first appearance on the program. 
• ROY Watch… With another strong performance at Watkins Glen International last Saturday afternoon, Allgaier remains the leader in the Nationwide Series Rookie-Of-The-Year battle. The Riverton, Ill. native is currently 11 points ahead of Brendan Gaughan in the rookie standings after 22 of 34 events.
• Sweet Home… Penske Racing considers Michigan International Speedway its “home track.”  Penske Corporation and team owner Roger Penske both call Michigan home.  Roger Penske purchased the two-mile speedway in 1972 and made significant upgrades to the D-shaped oval before International Speedway Corporation bought the track in 1999.
• Come and See Me… Allgaier will be signing autographs at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer on Friday, August 14 from 12:30 p.m. -1 p.m. ET The trailer is located on souvenir row behind the frontstretch grandstands.
• Listen and Watch… The Carfax 250 will be aired live on Saturday, August 15 on ESPN2 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 Michigan International Speedway
“Michigan is a really cool track. It is one of those places where the car does not have to be pinned to the bottom to have a good day. If the car will not run on the bottom, you can move to the middle or upper groove and still be fast. As a driver, these are the kind of places you dream about. There is plenty of room to pass in both the corners as well as the straightaways. We just have to keep our nose clean early in the race. The double-file restarts should make it really exciting. You will see us race two- and sometimes three-wide into turn 1 on the restarts which is always fun. It should be a great race for the fans.”

Crew chief Chad Walter on racing at Michigan International Speedway
“There are several different lines a driver can pick from at Michigan. It is a wide, sweeping track which is conducive to side-by-side racing. As a crew chief, it is a track where the car does not have to be setup perfectly to be fast. If the car is close on the setup, the driver can search the track to find a groove where he is comfortable. Horsepower is critical at Michigan. We have been strong all year in that department and I am confident we will have more of the same this weekend. Being that this is Roger’s [Penske] home track, there is a little added incentive to run well. I am looking forward to getting back to Michigan. It is always a great stop on the NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule.”

Justin Allgaier Nationwide Series Career Totals
Races      Wins      Top-Fives      Top-10s      Poles      Money Won
   26              0                3                      9                0             $697,581

Justin Allgaier 2009 Totals
Races      Wins      Top-Fives      Top-10s      Poles      Money Won
   22              0                3                      9                0             $623,731