Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes
NNS Race Advance
John Deere Dealers 250
Iowa Speedway
Sunday, May 22, 2011
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BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
Career Starts: 150
Wins: 12
Top Fives: 64
Top 10s: 89
Poles: 8
Career Highlights:
· Keselowski’s last NASCAR Nationwide Series win came at Gateway last fall (14 races).
· He is the reigning NASCAR Nationwide champion.
· In 2010, set career-bests in wins (6), top five’s (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).
KESELOWSKI AT IOWA SPEEDWAY
· Keselowski is making his third career Nationwide Series start at Iowa Speedway.
· Highest starting position: Fourth – 2010
· Highest finishing position: Win – 2009
· Average starting position: 7.5
· Average finishing position: 2.5
· Laps Led: 121
THE NUMBERS
· Dodge’s Brad Keselowski is seeking his first Nationwide win of the 2011 season. His best finish of second came at Texas. He has recorded 502 quality passes (passing a car running in the top 15 while under green) in the first 11 races this season, best in the series.
· This weekend’s Nationwide race will be the third at Iowa Speedway, a 7/8-mile oval that opened in 2006. The first NNS race was in 2009.
· Five Sprint Cup regulars have won the first 11 Nationwide races this season.
· There have been 64 cautions for 294 laps in the first 11 Nationwide races this season; three of the last five races have been extended beyond the scheduled distance.
DODGE IN THE NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
· Dodge won its first Nationwide championship last year when Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski claimed the driver’s title.
· Dodge is fielding two entries in the Nationwide Series this year from the Penske Racing stable. Sam Hornish Jr. will join teammate Keselowski for a limited schedule.
· Dodge has 34 wins in the Nationwide Series, seven of which came in 2010.
STAT OF THE WEEK
· In 29 short track starts in the Nationwide Series, Brad Keselowski has four wins along with 13 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes.
DID YOU KNOW
· Dodge is seeking its first win at Iowa Speedway. Brad Keselowski won the inaugural event in 2009 and finished fourth last year. After being involved in accidents in the first two Nationwide events this year, he posted seven consecutive top-10 finishes, but has been caught up in accidents the last two races.
DODGE QUOTE:
“Iowa is a great facility and this race is one that I really look forward to. For one, the layout is almost perfect for stock car racing. They also get tremendous fan support there. As a driver, you love to walk out for driver introductions and see full grandstands. It’s validation that people enjoy what we do. I was fortunate to win the first Nationwide Series race at Iowa. No matter what I do as a driver from now on, that win at Iowa will always be one of my favorites. Now the goal is to become the first two-time winner in the history of Iowa Speedway.”
Brad Keselowski – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge R/T
FROM THE CREW CHIEF:
“Iowa is very similar to Richmond in layout, but it’s just a little bigger. We were able to get out of Richmond with a top-five finish and I believe we have made improvements to our car since that race. Brad is very good on these types of tracks. They fit his driving style very well. It’s a multi-groove race track where you can really attack the corners. The key is maintaining good forward bite off of the turns. If we can do that, I’m confident that Brad can win another race at Iowa.”
Todd Gordon, crew chief, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
