News

Brad Keselowski
No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger
Phoenix International Raceway – Bashas’ Supermarket 200
April 9, 2010

No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger News and Notes
• This Week’s Charger… The No. 22 Penske Racing Discount Tire Dodge Charger team will use chassis PRS- 034 during Friday’s Bashas’ Supermarket 200 at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). This is a brand-new chassis to the No. 22 fleet.
• The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Charger in 2010... After five races, Keselowski and the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team currently sit second in the Nationwide Series driver point standings, just 16 points behind leader Carl Edwards.
• Speed Comes Out at Night… This weekend’s race marks the first night race of the 2010 season. In 2009, Keselowski averaged a finishing position of 5.6 over the 13 Nationwide Series races that were run under the lights.   
• Top-Five Streak Continues...  Keselowski earned his fourth consecutive top-five finish of the season with a fifth-place result at Nashville Superspeedway last week. He is a good bet to continue that this weekend as he has garnered top-five finishes in the last two races at PIR.
• “Home” Field Advantage… Keselowski’s sponsor, Discount Tire, is headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz. Employees of the corporation will make up a large organization of Keselowski fan on Friday night.
• The Rest is History... Fresh off his victory in the 2006 Indianapolis 500, Penske Racing driver Sam Hornish Jr. made his stock car debut in the Nationwide Series race at Phoenix in November of the same year. Penske Racing has seven Nationwide starts at PIR, the first coming with Kurt Busch in April of 2006.
• Follow Me on Twitter… Fans can now follow Keselowski on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/keselowski. Fans can get a glimpse inside his everyday life while keeping up-to-date on the latest news for the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team.

Brad Keselowski on his chances to pick up his first victory of the season this weekend
“I feel that every weekend we have a shot at winning in the Nationwide Series. Our team is that strong. The Nationwide program at Penske Racing is that strong. Every weekend is a great opportunity for us to win and I think we can breakthrough for the first win at Phoenix. I’ve always looked forward to going out there to race. I love the fact that Phoenix is its own unique venue and the community really embraces us twice a year. We have a lot of support from Discount Tire and winning in their backyard would be a great way to show them how much we appreciate what they do for Penske Racing.” 
 
Crew chief Paul Wolfe on preparing a car for Phoenix International Raceway
“The biggest key to Phoenix is having the car setup for a long run. Long, green-flag runs are pretty typical for the Nationwide Series at Phoenix and you need to make sure that you car will turn throughout the run. You also need to keep your driver aware of how much brake he’s using. Even though Phoenix is a one-mile track, it still has short-track characteristics. You can wear out the brakes if you’re not careful. It’s a fun place to race, but it can be a challenge at the same time.”