Dodge Motorsports NNS Race Advance
Subway Jalapeno 250 Daytona International Speedway
Friday, July 1, 2011
BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
Career Starts: 154
Wins: 12
Top Fives: 65
Top 10s: 92
Poles: 8
Laps Led: 1,963
Average Start: 15.1
Average Finish: 12.7
Career Highlights:
. Keselowski’s last NASCAR Nationwide Series win came at Gateway last fall (19 races).
. He is the reigning NASCAR Nationwide champion.
. Earned Penske Racing its first NASCAR champion last season.
. 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 DAYTONA
. Keselowski is making his eighth career Nationwide Series start at Daytona International Speedway.
. Highest starting position: 1st (2010)
. Highest finishing position: 4th (2010)
. Average starting position: 10.1
. Average finishing position: 13.7
. Laps Led: 70
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. joins teammate Keselowski for a limited race schedule in 2011. Hornish will not compete this weekend at Daytona.
. Dodge has 34 wins in the Nationwide Series, seven of which came in 2010.
DID YOU KNOW
. In 24 restrictor-plate starts in the Nationwide Series, Keselowski has one win and one pole along with four top five and six top-10 finishes. His only Nationwide restrictor-plate win came at Talladega Superspeedway at the spring race in 2010.
THE NUMBERS
. Dodge’s Brad Keselowski is seeking his first Nationwide win and pole of the season. He started and finished second at Texas earlier this year, both season bests.
. Keselowski’s earned the pole at last year’s summer Nationwide race at DIS. His teammate Parker Kligerman claimed the No. 2 starting spot, making it an all-Dodge Challenger front row. It was the first race at the 2.5-mile track for the “new car” in the series.
STAT OF THE WEEK
. Dodge’s Brad Keselowski has two top-five and three top-10 finishes in eight Nationwide Series starts at Daytona.
DODGE QUOTES:
“There are a lot of things that I’m proud to have accomplished since I began running in the Nationwide Series, but I haven’t been able to win at Daytona. If there is one goal that I still have, it’s a Daytona win. I’ve had cars capable of winning on several occasions. That is encouraging because I feel that if we keep putting ourselves in position to win, we’ll get there. We had a fast car in February and got caught up in an accident. This Discount Tire Dodge team is capable of winning on any given weekend. Hopefully, we can break through on Friday.” Brad Keselowski, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge
FROM THE CREW CHIEF: “After our fourth-place run at Talladega earlier this year, I’m ready to get back down to Daytona. We’ve massaged on that Talladega car a bit – I feel like we’ve made some gains – and we’re taking it this weekend. The two-car draft is going to be a huge part of the racing again. It’s almost like we’re going stag to the prom since we’ll be down there without a teammate. But there will be plenty of good cars with odd numbers of teammates too. They know Brad is a good plate racer, so we shouldn’t have a problem finding someone to work with.” Todd Gordon, crew chief, No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
