No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger Preview - Kroger 200
July 27, 2011
Brad Keselowski
No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger
Kroger 200 benefiting Riley Hospital for Children
Lucas Oil Raceway
July 30, 2011
No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger News and Notes
• This Week’s Challenger… The Penske Racing Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team will use chassis PRS-213 during Saturday’s Kroger 200 benefitting Riley Hospital for Children at Lucas Oil Raceway. Keselowski drove this chassis to a 30th-place finish at Chicagoland Speedway in June.
• The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger in 2011... After 20 events, Brad Keselowski and the reigning champion No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team are ranked eighth in the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) owner point standings. The team is coming off a 12th-place finish in the Federated Auto Parts 300 last weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.
• Pole Winning Streak… Keselowski has won the last two NNS pole awards at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) and Nashville Superspeedway, respectively. This is the first time Keselowski has won consecutive pole awards since NHMS and Daytona International Speedway in 2010 and he’ll try to keep the streak alive this weekend.
• Keselowski Short Track Stats… In 30 short track starts in the Nationwide Series, Keselowski has accumulated four wins, 14 top-five finishes, 19 top-10 results and two pole awards. In addition, he has led the field for 681 laps at tracks less than one mile in length.
• Rate Our Commercials… Fans can visit www.discounttiremotorsports.com to vote for their favorite commercial featuring Keselowski, driver of the Discount Tire Dodge Challenger. By doing so, fans can earn a chance to win $500.
• Follow Brad on Twitter… Fans can follow Keselowski on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/keselowski. Followers can get a glimpse inside his everyday life while keeping up-to-date on the latest Cup Series and Nationwide Series news for the Penske Racing driver.
• Meet Brad…Keselowski will be making an appearance at the Discount Tire store located at 8570 Northwest Blvd. in Indianapolis on Thursday, July 28 from 3-5 pm ET.
Brad Keselowski on racing at Lucas Oil Raceway
“It may have a new name, but it’s the same old, tough racetrack. I’m really going to miss this place after this season, but I can understand the move that the series is making to the ‘big track’ (Indianapolis Motor Speedway). The racing we are able to put on there is unmatched by most of the other racetracks on the circuit. It really brings a grassroots feel back to short track racing in the Nationwide Series. We get a good crowd of Midwesterners that show up to the race, which adds to the excitement. It’s usually a sellout crowd and, as a driver, that’s a cool feeling. The Raceway has a great, unique tradition behind it with the open pit area and no haulers in the infield. It really takes me back a few years to when I was racing late models on the local level.”
Crew chief Todd Gordon on preparing a car for Lucas Oil Raceway
“Lucas Oil Raceway is really a momentum racetrack. The line is very high and you tend to roll the top of the track without using much braking. The straightaways are not long so there is no aerodynamic dependency. It’s just an old-school short track where you rely on mechanical grip more than anything else. The car needs to rotate in the center of the corner without being too loose on exit. Tight in the center and loose off the corner is usually the condition you have to fight when racing there. The driver that can run both lanes of the track is usually the winner because you need to be able to use the bottom to pass.”