News

Justin Allgaier
No. 12 Verizon Dodge Charger
Phoenix International Raceway – Bashas' Supermarkets 200
April 9, 2010

Verizon Team News and Notes
• This Week’s Verizon Dodge … Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-027 in Friday’s Bashas' Supermarkets 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. This is a brand-new Verizon Dodge that will be put through its first paces this weekend.
• Allgaier at Phoenix … In three previous Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Allgaier has recorded one top-10 finish and has completed 99.8 percent of the laps contested (603 of 604).
• Five Races In … Over the season’s first five races, Allgaier has accumulated three top-five and five top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 14.6 and an average finish of fifth. The Riverton, Ill. native has led 28 laps of competition and has completed all 997 laps contested thus far. He enters Phoenix third in points, 21 markers behind point leader Carl Edwards.
• Streaking … Allgaier heads to Phoenix on the longest consecutive top-10 streak of his brief career - five races.
• Five Years, Five Drivers … Crew chief Chad Walter has only been atop two pit boxes over the last five years at Phoenix, but he has worked with five drivers over that span. As a crew chief with Hendrick Motorsports, Walter worked with Adrian Fernandez, Kyle Busch, Casey Mears, and Landon Cassill. Since joining Penske Racing, Walter has established a familiarity with Allgaier, having called the shots for all three of the 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year’s previous starts at the desert oval.
• New Colors … Allgaier’s Dodge Charger will sport new colors this weekend at Phoenix when the traditional black Verizon paint scheme makes way for a white scheme that will adorn the No. 12 for the first of four scheduled races throughout the 2010 season.
• Take Me Out to the Ballgame … Prior to heading to Phoenix, Allgaier will visit Richmond, Va. and Washington, D.C. on April 7, where among other things he will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals home game.
• Penske Racing at Phoenix … In seven previous Nationwide Series starts at Phoenix, Penske Racing entries have recorded one top-five and two top-10 finishes, and have been atop the leaderboard for 36 laps. 
• Penske Racing in 2010 … Five races into the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded one win (Allgaier, Bristol), along with a combined seven top-five and nine top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have completed 100 percent of the laps contested (1,974 of 1,974) with drivers Allgaier and Keselowski, and have led 126 laps.
• Meet the Driver … Fans can meet Allgaier on Thursday, April 8 from 6 – 7 p.m. MST at the Verizon Wireless store located at 24920 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway, in Peoria, Ariz.

Justin Allgaier on Phoenix International Raceway
“I really enjoy racing at Phoenix. It’s good to head to a race track where we’ve completed almost every lap that we’ve attempted. At the same time, our finishes haven’t been spectacular. We feel like we’ve learned a lot over the three races that we’ve ran, and we feel like we’ve got at least a top-five car for this weekend. Between Brad (Keselowski, teammate) and I, I feel like we can go out there, be competitive and run up front.”

Crew chief Chad Walter on Phoenix International Raceway
“Phoenix is truly a racer’s race track. As a crew chief, there is a challenge in finding the fine line between a good turning car, and having enough rear grip to manage the high-speed corner exit. We practice and qualify in daylight then race at night, so, building a lot of adjustment into our Verizon Dodge is crucial. Phoenix is a fun venue, I always look forward to heading out to the desert.”