News

Verizon Team News and Notes
• This Week’s Verizon Dodge… Justin Allgaier will pilot Penske Racing chassis PRS-023 in Saturday’s Bucyrus 200 at Road America. This is a brand-new Verizon Dodge that will be put through its first paces this weekend.
• After 14 Races… Over the season’s first 14 races, Allgaier has accumulated five top-five and eight top-10 finishes, an average starting position of 12.6 and an average finish of 9.1. The Riverton, Ill. native has led 116 laps of competition and has completed 99.9 percent of the laps contested (2,748 of 2,749) thus far.
• Get to the Points… Allgaier enters Road America third in points, 313 markers behind point leader and Penske Racing teammate, Brad Keselowski. Allgaier’s ranking is best among full-time, Nationwide Series-only drivers. He leads fellow Nationwide-only driver Steve Wallace, currently ranked eighth, by 457 points.
• Road Racing Averages… In two NASCAR Nationwide Series road course starts, one each at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Watkins Glen International, Allgaier boasts one top-20 finish. His best showing is 17th, where he finished at The Glen in August of last year. The 2009 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year completed 107 of 158 laps in those two starts, recorded an average starting position of 33rd, and a finishing average of 26.5. Additionally, in his only road course start in ARCA competition, Allgaier took home the checkered flag at New Jersey Motorsports Park on September 28, 2008.
• Web Chat … Allgaier will participate in an online chat session with fans on Friday, June 18th at 11 a.m. ET. To submit questions or participate in the chat, log onto www.jsonline.com/sports/
• Hauler Parade… Joe Allen, driver of the No. 12 Verizon transporter, will take part in Road America’s inaugural Hauler Parade on Wednesday, June 16. The event kicks off at 2:30 p.m. at the Times Printing Company, located at 100 Industrial Drive, Random Lake, WI. The parade then winds along Highway 57 to Road America. For more information, log onto visitsheboygancounty.com.
• Last Time Out… Allgaier started third and ran inside the top five for much of last Saturday night’s Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway, but problems on a restart saw the 24-year-old driver fall to the back of the pack with significant left-rear quarter panel damage. A never-give-up attitude demonstrated by the Verizon team saw Allgaier rally to finish eighth when the checkered flag waved.
• Penske Racing in 2010… With 14 races completed in the 2010 season, Penske Racing’s two NASCAR Nationwide Series entries have recorded three poles, four wins, a combined 16 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes. Penske Dodges have an average starting position of 11.5, an average finish of 6.6, have completed 5,497 of 5,498 laps contested, and have been atop the leaderboard for 638 laps with drivers Allgaier and Keselowski.

Justin Allgaier on Road America
“Road America is one of the nicest motorsport facilities in the country. This being the first race there, as drivers, we’re going into the weekend conservatively because we don’t really know what to expect. I’ve made a few laps around the track in a street car, and while there isn’t much you can learn from going around there slowly, you can learn a little about the elevation changes and how tight the corners are. I’m looking forward to this weekend and being part of the first race there.”

Crew chief Chad Walter on Road America
“I’m really looking forward the challenge of a new road course. Justin has put in a lot of effort to improve his road racing skills. Road America is a challenging track, and it will certainly put him to the test. Track position will be key, as the track appears very narrow with limited opportunities to pass. Keys to a good finish will be saving the brakes and not abusing the equipment in all of the hard braking zones. I’m glad to see that the fans in the Wisconsin area have another venue to travel to, as we no longer visit the famed Milwaukee Mile.”