News

THE RACE

Ford EcoBoost 300
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Saturday, November 15
 
THE RESULTS

The No. 22 Hertz Ford Mustang
Driver: Brad Keselowski
Starting Position: 1
Finish Position: 8
Owners' Points Position: 1

THE RACE REVIEW

· Brad Keselowski and the No. 22 Hertz Ford team qualified on the pole for the final NASCAR Nationwide Series race of the season. It was Keselowski’s fifth pole and his ninth front row start in just 11 races in 2014.

· As the race began, Keselowski led the opening five laps, but eventually began to lose positions as the Hertz Ford became extremely loose.

· The No. 22 Hertz team had electrical system concerns at lap 33 as Keselowski reported the car’s voltage dropped significantly.  He was able to manage it in the car by turning off a few non vital loads.

· As the night went on, Keselowski continued to have a car that was loose. He would drop as low as 19th at lap 78, but was able to make his way up to the top-10 by lap 86.

· Jeremy Bullins and the No. 22 Hertz crew worked on the ill handling machine throughout the scheduled 200-lap event – making big chassis and air pressure adjustments during each stop.

· Keselowski reported that the balance of his Ford Mustang improved over the course of the evening but did not have the speed he needed to get to the front.

· A series of late-race cautions set up a green-white-checkered finish at lap 204 with Keselowski in 10th. He was able to pick up two spots to finish eighth on the night.

· The finish was enough to earn Team Penske its second-consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series Owners’ Championship.  The team finished 23 points ahead of its closest competition, the No. 54 of JGR.

· With drivers Keselowski, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, Alex Tagliani and Michael McDowell sharing the ride, the No. 22 team accumulated six wins, 10 poles, 25 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes in 33 races.

 
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING    

BRAD KESELOWSKI, NO. 22 HERTZ FORD
THE SECOND OWNERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAM PENSKE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU?

“It is an honor to be a part of this team and be able to drive this car. This No. 22 Hertz Ford team has done a remarkable job of preparing this Mustang all year long. The pit crew has been solid all season long. We’ve had five different drivers in this car – that is impressive in itself. The Team Penske Nationwide program has been an integral part of the success of this organization both in the Nationwide and Cup series. I am happy to be a part of this team and proud that we were able to give Roger another Owners’ title.

JEREMY BULLINS, CREW CHIEF, NO. 22 HERTZ FORD

TALK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WINNING THIS OWNERS CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TEAM PENSKE?

“I think the things we have talked about this week that gets lost a little with the owners championship is it is a team championship. No matter who drove, who worked on the car, if you look at the Nationwide Series the last two years the 22 and 54 have separated themselves from the rest of the teams and have two teams that are 100 points ahead of everyone else for two years in a row, those are two teams that have a lot to be proud of. There are a lot of people at Team Penske that have been a big part of that. With everyone that drove the car, everybody played a role in it, whether it was one race or 10. I am really grateful for the opportunity and for everything Roger has given us to be successful. I am glad we were able to finish it off tonight.”