News

Justin Allgaier
No. 12 Verizon Dodge Charger
Richmond International Raceway – Bubba Burgers 250
April 30, 2010

Verizon Team News and Notes
• This Week’s Verizon Dodge … Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-017 in Friday’s Bubba Burgers 250 at Richmond International Raceway. This Verizon Dodge last raced at Memphis Motorsports Park in October of 2009, where the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year recorded his first career pole.
• Allgaier at Richmond … In two previous Nationwide Series starts at Richmond International Raceway, Allgaier has recorded one top-10 finish.
• Eight Races In … Over the season’s first eight races, Allgaier has accumulated three top-five and five top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 14.6 and an average finish of eighth. The Riverton, Ill. native has led 28 laps of competition and has completed 99.9 percent of the laps contested (1,516 of 1,517) thus far. Allgaier enters Richmond fourth in points, 153 markers behind point leader and Penske Racing teammate, Brad Keselowski.
• Best in Class… Allgaier’s fourth-place position in the point standings is best among full-time, Nationwide Series-only drivers. Allgaier leads fellow Nationwide-only driver Brian Scott, currently ranked eighth, by 295 points.
• Last Week … When Allgaier was involved in an incident in the final turn of the last lap at Talladega Superspeedway last week, he was credited with his first DNF (did not finish) in 17 races. Despite the tough finish, his streak of top-15 finishes extended to eight races - the longest consecutive top-15 streak of his brief career.
• Penske Racing at Richmond … In eight previous Nationwide Series starts at Richmond International Raceway, Penske Racing entries have recorded two top-five and three top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have been atop the leaderboard for 10 circuits in their time at Richmond, have an average starting position of 16th, and average finish of 16.6 and have completed 82.8 percent of the laps contested (1,661 of 2,005).
• Penske Racing in 2010 … Eight races into the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded two wins, along with a combined 10 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have completed 3,033 of 3,034 laps contested with drivers Allgaier and Keselowski, and have led 196 laps.
• Meet the Driver … Allgaier will sign autographs on Friday, April 30 from 1:30 – 2 p.m. EDT at the Penske Racing souvenir trailer, located in the midway at Richmond International Raceway.

Justin Allgaier on Richmond International Raceway
“I feel that racing at Richmond is as good as it gets. The fans get to see good, close racing - and it’s at night, which makes it that much better. You carry a lot of speed down the straightaways, and when you get to the corner it feels like you almost come to a complete stop. It’s a fun track, I wish there were more like it on the circuit, but I think that if someone tried to create a similar track, they’d have a hard time perfecting it the way that it’s been done there. It truly is a unique race track, and a lot of fun to drive.”

Crew chief Chad Walter on Richmond International Raceway
“We know we need to get a good starting spot in order to have a strong race. You have to keep your car in the lead pack all day to have a shot for the win. The biggest challenge is getting the Verizon Dodge comfortable for the race. We practice during the heat of the day and race at night. We have to make sure we do not over adjust the car for the track conditions. When the sun goes down, the track is going to gain grip and we need to keep up with it all night.”