Roswell, GA (August 10, 2011) – Paul Wolfe, WYPALL crew chief spokesman and crew chief for the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Brad Keselowski, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Good Sam RV Insurance 500 at Pocono Raceway.
Just before the race was red-flagged for inclement weather, Wolfe made a critical call to bring his driver to pit road on lap 122 for four tires and fuel. As a result, Keselowski, who had been in the top 10 most of the day, was mired back in 24th position when NASCAR parked the cars during a two-hour rain delay.
Wolfe knew they would have great track position when the race resumed as the others ahead of Keselowski had to pit. As a result, Keselowski moved up to the lead when the green flag dropped. From that point on, he never left the top three.
The final caution of the event came at lap 180, and with the No. 2 machine in second place, Wolfe chose to keep Keselowski on the track to maintain his position. When the green flag fell, Keseloswki shot past leader Kyle Busch and scored his second victory of the season.
“Paul made a great call at the end,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative and FOX/Speed analyst Jeff Hammond. “And to keep his injured driver (who was injured during a testing session earlier in the week) upbeat all day just proves the value of a strong crew chief/driver relationship.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results
Steve Addington, Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team finished strong in third after leading several times throughout the race.
“Today was definitely a hard-fought battle,” said Busch. “Early on, we were able to benefit from our good qualifying position and run up front, exchanging the lead back and forth with (Joey) Logano and (Denny) Hamlin. Running right there, third, fourth or fifth and just clicking away laps.
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.
