News

Food City 250
Bristol Motor Speedway
(1/2 mile oval, Bristol, Tenn.)
Friday, August 23, 2013

THE BROADCAST

TV

Friday
9:00am ET, Practice (FS1)
3:30pm ET, Qualifying (FS1)
7:30pm ET, Food City 250 (EPSN)

Radio

7:00pm ET, PRN/SiriusXM

THE CARS

No. 12 Snap-on Ford Mustang
Driver: Sam Hornish Jr.

No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang
Driver: Brad Keselowski

THE NEWS AND NOTES

No. 12 Snap-on Ford Mustang

• BACK ON TOP: After 22 races Hornish and the No. 12 Snap-on Ford team are once again atop the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings. This marks the third time this season that they have held the top spot. Hornish currently leads second-place contender, Elliot Sadler by 13 points.
• MOST CONSISTENT: Of all the regular Nationwide Series drivers, Hornish has the highest average finish (9.8) and he has four top-three finishes over the last five races.
• PRIMED TO POUNCE: The No. 12 Penske Ford has made steady gains on its short-track program and Hornish is well-positioned to make his way to the front this weekend. The Ohio native started third and finished fourth at the spring race at Bristol.
• SNAP-ON UNDER THE LIGHTS: The No. 12 Penske Ford Mustang will race the Snap-on livery this Friday night at Bristol. It is the second appearance this season for the long-time Penske partner.
• LEADING ROLLS: Through 22 races, Hornish has the highest driver rating (110.2), the most fast laps (329), and he is the fastest driver on restarts among the series regulars.

THE Q & A

SAM HORNISH JR., NO. 12 SNAP-ON FORD MUSTANG
YOU'RE BACK ON TOP OF THE STANDINGS AND RACING UNDER THE LIGHTS AT BRISTOL. WHAT IS YOUR MINDSET?
"It is exciting to be back on top of the points battle, though we still have a lot of racing in front of us. This championship is shaping up to be one of the most-competitive ever as there are five guys with a legitimate shot at it. We know exactly what we need to do, and our team is hitting stride as we approach this last third of the season. As to Bristol, it is one of the places that I feel we have made huge gains. Racing there is always challenging, but fun too and I am looking forward to another strong finish in the Snap-on Ford."

GREG ERWIN, NO. 12 SNAP-ON FORD CREW CHIEF
YOU HAVE HAD A CONSISTENT RUN OF TOP FINISHES, IS BRISTOL A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN WIN?
"This team has been executing remarkably well lately, and our driver has been fast and smart. Our Ford Mustang had speed at the spring race at Bristol, and we ran particularly well. Since then we've done some testing and continued to make small improvements across the board. Looking at the way our team has been executing and how well Sam has been driving; I will not be at all surprised to see this Snap-on Ford in victory lane Friday night."

THE NEWS AND NOTES

No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang

• THE DRIVE FOR FIVE: Brad Keselowski is running a limited NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) schedule in 2013, but he has made the most of his starts. The 2010 NNS champion has won the last four races he has entered at Richmond, Kentucky, Iowa and Watkins Glen, respectively. He will attempt to go for five-in-a-row at a track where he picked up his second-career series victory. Former Penske Racing driver Ryan Newman was the last driver to win races in five-consecutive series starts.
• FORMER WINNER: In the 2008 edition of this race, Keselowski picked up his second series victory. In addition, he owns two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at the famous, half-mile oval.
• NEW POINTS LEADER: Since Keselowski's win at Richmond International Raceway in April the No. 22 Ford Mustang team has been white-hot in NNS competition. The eight wins by the team since that time are the most NNS wins by a Penske Racing team in one season. It has vaulted Roger Penske into the lead in the NNS owner point standings. .
• 24 AND COUNTING: Keselowski's win at Watkins Glen International two weeks ago gives him 24 career NASCAR Nationwide Series victories, which ties him with Tommy Houston for eighth-place on the all-time list.

THE Q & A

BRAD KESELOWSKI, NO. 22 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD
THIS NO. 22 TEAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL RECENTLY. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS TO?
"Jeremy Bullins and all the guys on the No. 22 team have been building fantastic racecars over the last several months. I don't think it's any surprise that we've had tremendous success. Keep in mind that this team is only 3 and-a-half years old. We've come a long way in that time. With the support we get from all of our sponsors we have everything we need to compete at a high level. And Joey (Logano), AJ (Allmendinger), Ryan (Blaney) and I are going to tracks we like and can run well. The goal for this team in 2013 was simple: win the owner's title. We're in a good place to do that, but it's not over."

JEREMY BULLINS, NO. 22 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD CREW CHIEF
HOW DO YOU KEEP THE SUCCESS AND MOMENTUM GOING?
"The answer lies in continuing to do the fundamental things that have gotten us to this point in the season. Being solid in our preparation and executing when we get to the track will let us continue to perform at a high level. I think the key is not getting caught up in it, but realizing that in a season this long there will be ups and downs and it's about not letting that affect our approach over the next 11 races."