News

Kurt Busch
No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby TuesdayDodge Challenger
Zippo 200 at the Glen
Watkins Glen International
August 13, 2011
TV: ESPN at 2:00 PM ET   Radio: MRN at 1:30 PM ET

No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby TuesdayDodge Challenger News and Notes
• This Week’s Challenger… The Penske Racing Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger team will use chassis PRS-219 during Saturday’s Zippo 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International. Jacques Villeneuve drove this chassis to a third-place finish at Road America in June.
• The No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger in 2011... After 22 events, the reigning champion No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge Challenger team is ranked seventhin the 2011NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) owner point standings. The team is coming off a 24th-place finish in the U.S. Cellular 250 last weekend at Iowa Speedway with Sam Hornish Jr., subbing for an injured Keselowski. .
• Fourth-Place³…In the three NASCAR Nationwide Series road course events in 2010, the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge team scored more points than any other team in the series. Brad Keselowski recorded fourth-place finishes in each of the races, cementing his status as one of the up-and-coming road course racers in NASCAR.
• Busch NNS Watkins Glen Stats… In two career road course starts at Watkins Glen in NNS competition, Busch has accumulated one win, two top-five finishes, two top-10 finishes and one pole award. He led the field for a total of 61 laps in those two races. In 2007, his last visit to Watkins Glen in NNS competition, Busch scored a come-from-behind victory after a thrilling, late-race battle with Robby Gordon.
• 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.

Kurt Busch on filling in for Brad Keselowski this weekend at Watkins Glen
“I have always tried to be a great team player throughout my career and I am happy to help out our Penske Racing Team over on the Nationwide side this weekend at the Glen. With the incredible effort Brad Keselowski put forth last weekend in winning Sunday’s race at Pocono, we think it’s a smart move to let him focus on just the Sprint Cup action this weekend. We were able to win the race the last time we battled it out on a Saturday at the Glen back in 2006. We’re looking forward to being behind the wheel of the No. 22 Discount Tire/Ruby Tuesday Dodge this weekend.”

Crew chief Todd Gordon on Watkins Glen
“Watkins Glen is a lot of fun for both the driver and the crew chief. It’s a high-speed road course where aerodynamics really plays a big role. Obviously you have to pay close attention to your brakes because there are long straightaways that lead into some heavy braking zones. You can heat up your brakes quickly. In the end, road course racing always comes down to pit strategy. You want to make your last stop as soon as you can. You will always see someone roll the dice to take a chance on getting a good finish. We were very competitive at Road America earlier this year with Jacques Villeneuve. This weekend we’ll put Kurt in the car as Brad continues to let his ankle recover. It’s great to have that kind of depth within your organization. When you lose your main guy, but you are able to put in a championship-winning driver in his place, it makes a big difference. Kurt knows his way to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen and that’s what we’re shooting for this weekend.”