Dodge Motorsports NSCS
Race Advance
Advocare 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sunday, Sept. 4, 2011
DODGE AT ATLANTA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
. Dodge has nine NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway – including three of the last four.
.Penske Racing and Dodge claimed six consecutive poles at Atlanta Motor Speedway (2003-2005).
DODGE CHASE CLINCH SCENARIOS . Kurt Busch can clinch his sixth appearance in the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Atlanta if he leaves 49 points ahead of 11th. He is currently 60 points ahead of 11th and can guarantee a top-10 spot with at least a finish of seventh; or eighth and at least one lap led; or ninth and the most laps led. . Brad Keselowski can clinch a Wild Card spot in the Chase if he is 48 points ahead of the driver 21st in the point standings after Atlanta. Keselowski is looking to move into the top 10 in the standings to collect bonus points (three) for each win. The two Wild Card winners do not get the bonus points and are seeded 11th and 12th.
DODGE NEWS AND NOTES . Dodge has won two of the last four Sprint Cup races. . Dodge has four wins, seven top threes, seven top fives and 10 top 10s in the last 12 races. . Kurt Busch is the only Sprint Cup Series driver who has been in the top-10 in the driver point standings all 23 races this season. . Dodge’s Brad Keselowski has gained 10 positions in the Cup Series driver standings in the last four races.
BRAD KESELOWSKI – WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
2010 2011 Wins 0 3
Top Fives 0 6
Top 10s 2 9
Laps Led 41 266
Points Position 25 11
STAT OF THE WEEK
. Brad Keselowski has an average finish of 1.75 in the last four Sprint Cup Series races. His recent finishes include: 1st (Pocono), 2nd (The Glen), 3rd (Michigan) and 1st (Bristol).
2011 DODGE SPRINT CUP REWIND
. Race 1: Kurt Busch won the Bud Shootout and a Gatorade Duel during Speedweeks.
. Races 12-15: Dodge earns four consecutive poles.
. Race 13: Keselowski won at Kansas; first Dodge win of the season.
. Race 16: Busch dominates at Infineon for first win of season and first road-course victory of his career.
. Race 21: Keselowski, racing with a broken left ankle, earns his second win of the season at Pocono Raceway.
. Race 23: Keselowski up to 12th in Cup Series driver points.
. Race 24: Keselowski wins his third race of the season. Moves up to 11th in points. Current No. 1 wild card driver.
THE DODGE BOYS
. Dodge has 211 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories.
. Dodge’s most recent win came at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski led 89 of the 500 laps en route to victory. The victory was the fourth for Dodge in 2011.
. Dodge teams have posted 51 victories since the manufacturer’s return to NASCAR’s premier series in 2001 after being out of the sport since 1977.
. Dodge has posted wins each season since its return in 2001 including seven wins twice (2002 and 2006).
2011 SPRINT CUP SERIES SEASON BEST
. Kurt Busch Start: 1st (Kansas, Pocono & Michigan) Finish: 1st (Infineon) . Brad Keselowski Start: 1st (Charlotte) Finish: 1st (Kansas, Pocono, Bristol) . Robby Gordon Start: 30th (Daytona) Finish: 16th (Daytona)
FROM THE ENGINEER
“Atlanta will provide two different races for two different sets of teams. Those teams still trying to qualify for the Chase will be pressing hard to gain points or get a win. Those teams that already know they’re going to be in the Chase will likely be testing hard.
“Atlanta is the last 1.5-mile track that the Sprint Cup Series competes on before the Chase begins. And with four of the 10 Chase races being contested at the same distance, teams will likely be searching for anything at this track that might work on one of the very similar circuits we’ll visit during the championship run. Look closely at top teams that are running well this week and some that are running not so well; you may find some interesting and new parts in their cars.” Howard Comstock, Dodge Motorsports Engineering
DODGE MOTORSPORTS QUOTE OF THE WEEK “While we know we can lock up a spot in the Chase there in Atlanta on Sunday night with a good finish, we still have to be in the mode of doing what it takes to win and bank us some more bonus points to help with our seeding when the Chase kicks in. There are several guys out there with more than one win like we have and we need to get ourselves up there with them during these next two races.” Kurt Busch, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T
DODGE QUOTES “We’re in a pretty good situation as far as making the Chase in Atlanta and that’s a big feather in our cap. It’ll be a big deal for all the team sponsors and everyone involved with our ‘Double Deuce’ Dodge Team to make the Chase again this season. It has come to be a measuring stick for the level of success a team has during a particular season. Making the Chase is like placing the stamp on the year as officially being successful.
“That said, it’s like accomplishing the first goal of the weekend at Atlanta in making the Chase again. The bottom line is that we also have to look at the Atlanta and Richmond races as opportunities to get additional wins and accumulate the bonus points for when the clock goes back to zero and the points are reset. Heading into Chicago and the opening race of the 10 races that make up the Chase, it would be huge to have more wins and get seeded higher when the Chase begins.” Kurt Busch, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger R/T
“I like the fact that Atlanta is a very slick racetrack. You come in to put tires on and you are almost three seconds a lap faster. That’s huge! A guy that will come in and pit one lap earlier than you do will gain almost half a straightaway on you. That puts pit strategy into focus. It’s just a fun place to race. I had a lot of success running the high line in the spring race last year. I don’t really think of myself as a driver that prefers the top, but I’ll definitely search around to see where my car is the fastest. That’s why we love racing at Atlanta.” Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T
