Roswell, GA (June 15, 2011) – Alan Gustafson, crew chief for the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet driven by Jeff Gordon, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway.
Gustafson called his driver to pit road for the final time on lap 178 for fuel and a minor chassis adjustment. Gordon, who was leading as he entered the pits, came back out in third behind Landon Cassill, who opted not to pit, and Kurt Busch. However, the adjustments worked, and Gordon didn’t waste time regaining the lead, passing Cassill and Busch on lap 182 in claiming his 84th career victory.
Gordon, who qualified third, ran in the top five most of the day. The win, second of 2011, ties him for third on the all-time win list with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip.
“I really have to thank Alan and all the engineers on this DuPont Chevrolet,” Gordon said. “They just worked so hard to get me what I needed to go fast. They never lacked confidence in what I could do out there. That is so important and that is what makes it a winning effort like this. We just never gave up. Awesome race car. Awesome pit stops. To win at Pocono again and to do it in the fashion that we did it today, it’s just a great day.”
“Alan and crew put together a great package,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative and FOX/Speed analyst Jeff Hammond. “From a good qualifying position to good adjustments throughout the day, Alan remained cool under fire and it paid dividends in the end.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results Steve Addington, Busch and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team had a great run, starting from the pole, but settled for second place. The Addington-led was a frontrunner most of the day, leading 37 laps.
“They’ve been a great two weeks,” Busch said of his impressive runs – at Kansas last week and Pocono, his best of the season. “I feel like we’ve got what we need to continue to move forward. It’s not all there. We still need to have A-pluses in all areas of our team; whether it’s the motor department, aerodynamics, pit crew, crew chief-driver communications. To run for the win the last two weeks in a row and have two poles, it’s pretty solid.”
“Kurt drove his heart out today and showed why he is the best,” said Addington. “My hat goes off to everybody on this Shell-Pennzoil Dodge team for all the extra effort they put in and double thanks to our driver for always giving us 110 percent every time we get out there.”
Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge of Brad Keselowski finished a disappointing 23rd after dealing with left rear shock mount issues.
“I think the Miller Lite Dodge was a top-five car there at the end when it mattered,” said Keselowski. “We had a broken shock, got it fixed and then it broke again. It’s just unfortunate. We were a really, really strong car and didn’t capitalize on it today. We did what we could, but there are some things you just can’t overcome.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Voting Team Addington and Wolfe, along with Hammond and Sirius NASCAR Radio’s Claire B. Lang, serve as the panel for the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge and vote for the weekly crew chief winners.
Each weekly WYPALL Crew Chief Challenge winner will be a guest on Lang’s “Dialed In” program on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) at 8 p.m. EST on Wednesdays throughout the season. The crew chief with the most weekly top wins will be honored as the WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief of the Year and will be presented a $10,000 check during the weekend of the WYPALL 200 Presented by Kimberly-Clark Professional Nationwide Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on Saturday, November 12, 2011.
About WYPALL Wipers: Since 2004, Kimberly-Clark Professional’s WYPALL Wipers brand has been affiliated with some of racing’s top teams. Offering heavy-duty to versatile light-duty towels, WYPALL Wipers provides race teams with a number of products providing strength and durability. Defeating the toughest of challenges, from absorbing tough grease and oil to wiping down windshields without leaving residue behind, WYPALL Wipers continue to offer performance and versatility.
The WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Challenge will continue throughout the remainder of the 2011 season and spotlight the men behind the machines. For more information, log onto www.wypall.com. About Penske Racing Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 332 major race wins, 396 pole positions and 23 National Championships. The team has also earned 15 Indianapolis 500 victories. For more information about Penske Racing, please visit www.penskeracing.com.
