Roswell, GA (July 13, 2011) – Rodney Childers, crew chief for the No. 00 TUMS Toyota driven by David Reutimann, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Saturday’s inaugural Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway.
Childers helped lead the team to a bridesmaid finish with calculating, quick pit stops and a setup that allowed Reutimann to be a contender all night. On the last restart with just two laps to go, Reutimann’s car showed incredible strength, vaulting from fourth to runner-up (passing Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson), falling short of the win by a mere 0.179 second to Kyle Busch.
“Rodney and crew came prepared and ready for Kentucky this weekend,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative and FOX/Speed analyst Jeff Hammond. “After all of their struggles this season, this is what they needed. They had such a fast car. Who knows what would have happened if there was another lap or two. He was coming!”
As a result of the finish, Reutimann moved up two spots in the title chase to 24th.
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results
Steve Addington, Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team settled for a ninth place finish after battling handling issues all night.
“The guys fought hard,” explained Addington. “The Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger was fast. We just didn’t have enough at the end to go get us a win and had to settle for another top-10 finish.”
Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge of Brad Keselowski finished seventh, after, they too, fought a tight-handling car at the end.
“It was an incredible Miller Lite Dodge tonight,” said Keselowski, who led three times for 79 laps. “Everyone at Penske Racing has a lot to be proud of. I would have liked to have gotten a better finish from where we ended up. At the end, the restarts are just a crapshoot. If you get the bottom lane, you’re going backwards. I kept getting in an odd position and just kept getting on the bottom lane. Every restart just kept playing against us. A great effort by this race team and that makes me proud.”
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.
