News

Justin Allgaier
No. 12 Verizon Dodge Charger
Texas Motor Speedway – O’Reilly 300
April 17, 2010

Verizon Team News and Notes
• This Week’s Verizon Dodge … Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-032 in Saturday’s O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway. This is a brand-new Verizon Dodge that will be put through its first paces this weekend.
• Allgaier at Texas … In three previous Nationwide Series starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Allgaier has recorded one top-10 finish. His best finish, 10th, came in the spring race of last year. Additionally, the 23-year-old driver has an average starting position of 13.7, an average finish of 18.7 and has completed 90.3 percent of the laps contested (542 of 600).
• Six Races In … Over the season’s first six races, Allgaier has accumulated three top-five and five top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 13.3 and an average finish of 6.3. The Riverton, Ill. native has led 28 laps of competition and has completed all 1197 laps contested thus far. He enters Phoenix fifth in points, 51 markers behind point leader and Penske Racing teammate, Brad Keselowski.
• Penske Racing at Texas … In nine previous Nationwide Series starts at Texas, Penske Racing entries have recorded one pole (Ryan Newman, 11/05), one win (Kurt Busch, 04/06), one top-five and three top-10 finishes, and have been atop the leaderboard for 192 laps. 
• Penske Racing in 2010 … Six races into the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded one win (Allgaier, Bristol), along with a combined eight top-five and 10 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 185 laps.
• Going Back to School … Allgaier and crew chief Chad Walter headed to Las Vegas following last weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway to attend a road course school in preparation for the events at Road America, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal and Watkins Glen International later this year.
• Go-Kart with Allgaier … Following this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, Allgaier will head to Myrtle Beach, S.C. on April 20 for a go-kart event involving Darlington Raceway and NASCAR SpeedPark. For more information, log onto darlingtonraceway.com
• Meet the Driver … Fans will have two opportunities to meet Allgaier this weekend in Texas. The 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year will sign autographs on Friday, April 16 from 6 - 7 p.m. CDT at the Verizon Wireless store located at 1400 William D Tate Ave. in Grapevine. The following day, he will sign for fans at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer, located in the midway at Texas Motor Speedway, from 10:45 – 11:15 a.m. CDT.

Justin Allgaier on Texas Motor Speedway
“Texas is a fun place. It’s a fast mile-and-a-half track that has a lot of bumps in Turns 1 and 2. It’s got very different banking characteristics than Charlotte or Atlanta. It’s a place where you race hard every lap. We’ve had some decent races there, and we’ve improved our program at intermediate tracks in 2010. I know that Chad (Walter, crew chief) and all the guys on this Verizon team have worked hard to put together a fast Dodge for this weekend, and I’m looking forward to having a good, solid day on Saturday.”

Crew chief Chad Walter on Texas Motor Speedway
“Texas Motor Speedway is a great mile-and-a-half track. Handling and track position are the keys to success. Track position is crucial. These cars are so aero-dependent that we’ll need to do all we can to keep our Verizon Dodge in clean air. We’ve improved our intermediate-track program tremendously, so we’ll head to Texas knowing that we’ve got a shot at another win. It’s a great area, it’s a fan-friendly venue, and I think we’ll put on a good show for everyone this weekend.”