Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – NNS Race Advance – Richmond

Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Advance

Bubba Burger 250

Richmond International Raceway

Friday, April 29, 2011

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BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 Ruby Tuesday/Discount Tire Dodge Challenger

Career Starts: 147

Wins: 12

Top Fives: 63

Top 10s: 88

Poles: 8

Career Highlights:

·  Won last year’s spring event at RIR, leading 189 of the 252 laps en route to his second-consecutive series victory.

·  The defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion.

·  Earned Penske Racing its first NASCAR champion last season.

·  Set career-best results in 2010 in wins (6), top fives (26), top 10s (29) and poles (5).

·  Set a NASCAR record 102 consecutive Nationwide Series races without a DNF (Did Not Finish) that ended at this year’s season-opening race at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

·  First Nationwide victory came at Nashville Superspeedway (2008).

SAM HORNISH

– No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger R/T

Career Starts: 23

Wins: 0

Top Fives: 0

Top 10s: 0

Poles: 0

Career Highlights:

·  Fourth Nationwide start of the season (Daytona, Texas and Talladega).

·  Best-career Nationwide finish at Richmond – 15th in 2008 spring event.

·  Made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut with Penske Racing at Phoenix Int’l Raceway in the fall of 2006.

DID YOU KNOW

·  Brad Keselowski’s last Nationwide win came at Gateway in October (10 races).  His last pole came at Michigan in August (19 races).

·  Sam Hornish is making his third Nationwide start at RIR.  His last start was in the spring event in 2008.

·  In his last four Nationwide starts at the .75-mile track, Brad Keselowski has an average finish of 2.7.

·  Friday night’s Nationwide race will be the 55th at RIR.  Eleven have been won from the pole, 17 from the front row.

DODGE DRIVER QUOTES “I feel as though I have a good understanding of what I need to run well at Richmond and that makes it easy to communicate that to my crew chief and team.  As a result, we’ve been able to put together some good finishes at Richmond.  To me, it’s the ultimate short track.  There is a reason that most drivers put it right at the top of their list of favorite tracks.  (It’s) night racing, under the lights, which is similar to what most of us grew up doing.  You can run side-by-side and rub fenders and do all of the things that the fans want to see.  It’s just an exciting race track and I feel like we can put the Ruby Tuesday/Discount Tire Dodge in Victory Lane this weekend.”

Brad Keselowski No. 22 Ruby Tuesday/Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T (In 28 short track starts in the Nationwide Series, Keselowski has four wins along with 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes).

“I couldn’t be more excited for this weekend’s race at Richmond.  It’s one of my favorite tracks and I have had a lot of success here, both in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the IndyCar Series, so I was thrilled when I saw I would get the opportunity to race here again in the Nationwide Series. The last time I ran a PPG-sponsored Dodge was at Pocono a few years ago and we came home fourth, which has been the best NASCAR finish of my career.  I am hoping that the momentum and luck can carry over to this weekend for the No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger.” Sam Hornish Jr. No. 12 Olympic Paints Dodge Challenger R/T