News

Justin Allgaier
No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Charger
Phoenix International Raceway – Able Body Labor 200
November 14, 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-016 during Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Phoenix International Raceway. PRS-016 last saw action at the .75-mile Richmond International Raceway. Allgaier qualified the machine in the 19th spot, but raced his way into the top-10 and crossed the finish line in the eighth position.
• Rookie Race… Allgaier remains the leader in the Nationwide Series Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year race. The 23-year-old driver leads Brendan Gaughan by just eight points with only two races remaining on the 2009 schedule.
• Store Visit… Allgaier will visit the Verizon Wireless store in Chandler, Ariz. on Friday, November 13 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm MT. The Illinois native will meet with store employees and sign autographs for fans.  The store is located at 4200 S. Arizona Ave. in Chandler, Ariz.
• Million Dollar Man… With his top-25 finish last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, Allgaier surpassed the million dollar mark in career earnings. In 37 career Nationwide Series starts, Allgaier has one pole, three top-five, and 12 top-10 finishes.
• Watch and Listen… The Able Body Labor 200 will be seen live on Saturday, November 14 on ESPN2 with coverage beginning at 4 p.m. ET. The event will also be heard live on MRN Radio as well as Sirius Satellite Radio, channel 128.

Justin Allgaier on driving at Phoenix International Raceway
“I really like going out to Phoenix. In the spring, we started in the back due to an unfortunate qualifying incident.  The backup car was really strong and I was able to drive all the way to the front, and got the finish we deserved [eighth place]. It is a really fun track. Turns 1 and 2 are so different than turns 3 and 4. You carry a lot of speed going into [turns] 1 and 2 and have to really slow the car down through [turns] 3 and 4. As a driver, it is challenging because you have to really focus on each lap. It is one of those tracks I have really been looking forward to getting back to. As a team, we have made so much progress since the spring. I am looking forward to seeing if we can finish the season on a strong note.

“[Crew chief] Chad Walter has done such an awesome job putting together this group of guys on the Verizon Wireless Dodge team. They are all so good at what they do. Getting to be a part of it is awesome. We have really made a lot of headway this season and I feel like we are building a program that will contend for the championship in 2010.”

Crew Chief Chad Walter on racing at Phoenix International Raceway
“Phoenix is really tough for the drivers. It is hard to get in a rhythm. Braking into turn 1, you are slowing the car down straight, but getting into turn 3, you are braking sideways. As a crew chief, I think it is more important to set the car up for turns 3 and 4. Those corners are a lot tighter than turns 1 and 2. If you can get the car to rotate through turns 3 and 4 you are going to have a car that, I think, will compete for the win.

“It is also really important to qualify well so you can get a good pit box. Pit road is really tight and having an opening either in or out [of the pit box] is really important. Our pit crew has done a great job all year, but anything we can do to help them I am sure is really appreciated.”

Justin Allgaier Nationwide Series Career Totals
Races      Wins      Top-Fives      Top-10s      Poles      Money Won
   37              0                3                     12               1            $1,017,354

Justin Allgaier 2009 Totals
Races      Wins      Top-Fives      Top-10s      Poles      Money Won
    33             0                3                    12                0             $940,412