News

Brad Keselowski
No. 22 Discount Tire/SKF Dodge Challenger
Zippo 200 at the Glen
Watkins Glen International
Saturday, August 11, 2012
TV: ABC at 2:00 PM ET   Radio: MRN/Sirius 90

No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger News and Notes
• This Week’s Challenger… Brad Keselowski and the Penske Racing Discount Tire Dodge Challenger team will use chassis PRS-211 during Saturday’s Zippo 200 at the Glen at Watkins Glen International (WGI). This is a brand-new chassis to the No. 22 fleet.
• The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger in 2012... Following 20 points-paying events, the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team sits sixth in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) owner point standings following a 10th-place finish at Iowa Speedway last weekend with driver Ryan Blaney.
• Keselowski Climbing the Charts… By taking the checkered flag in the Indy 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway two weeks ago, Keselowski tied Greg Biffle for 14th place on the all-time NNS win list with 20 victories. Keselowski is now one win away from tying NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Harry Gant for 12th place on the list.
• Combo Car… Co-primary sponsors will adorn the No. 22 Dodge this weekend at WGI. Long-time sponsor Discount Tire will be joined by SKF. SKF Group is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. For more information, visit www.skf.com.
• Super Sub… Kurt Busch, subbing for an injured Keselowski, drove the No. 22 to Victory Lane at WGI in 2011.
• Keselowski Road Course Stats… In eight career road course starts in the Nationwide Series, Keselowski has accumulated three top-five finishes and six top-10 finishes. He tied his career-best NNS road course finish of fourth at WGI in August of 2010.
• #PenskePride…Penske Racing is asking fans to show their Penske Pride through a unique social media contest that will last for the balance of the 2012 season. Through the #PenskePride contest, each race weekend fans will Tweet @PenskeRacing pictures showing their support of the Penske Racing organization, their favorite Penske Racing driver(s) or teams in unique and creative ways, using the hashtag #PenskePride. The best weekly photo will be named Fan Photo of the Week. At the end of each month, a Fan Photo of the Month will be selected from the weekly winners.  The best monthly photos will be voted on by @PenskeRacing followers to be named Fan Photo of the Year. The winner of Photo of the Year will receive the Ultimate Penske Racing Fan Experience including tickets and hot passes to the 2013 NASCAR All-Star Race, autographed items and a tour of the Penske Racing facility with a Penske driver.
• Pick 22 To Win… Discount Tire, America’s largest tire and wheel retailer, and NASCAR champion driver Brad Keselowski, are providing an exciting way for race fans to follow the action and win great prizes with the Pick 22 to Win online sweepstakes. At pick22towin.com fans select where Keselowski and his No. 22 Discount Tire/Snap-on Dodge Challenger will finish in a designated Nationwide Series race. There are 15 separate Nationwide Series races for fans to participate in for a chance to win free sets of tires and great autographed Brad Keselowski race gear.

Brad Keselowski on racing at Watkins Glen
“Watkins Glen is a track that I picked up on fairly quickly from the first time I raced there. It’s a ‘speedway type’ road course and that fits my driving style well. The Nationwide cars are a blast to drive at the Glen because they go through the corners so much faster than the Cup cars. You have to back up your braking points in a Cup car, but you can really race hard into the corner in a Nationwide car. I’ve been close to winning a road course race a couple of times in my career and I’m confident that we will have a shot at it this weekend. After watching what Kurt (Busch) was able to do in my car last year, I know the Discount Tire/SKF Dodge will be fast enough to get it done.”

Crew chief Jeremy Bullins 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 play 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. Our goal is to run in the top five again this weekend and challenge for the win at the end.”