Roswell, GA (October 12, 2011) – Chad Knaus, crew chief for the No. 48 Lowes’ Chevrolet driven by reigning champion Jimmie Johnson, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.
The Knaus-led team dominated the event, leading 197 of the 272 laps in the team’s second triumph of the season. After starting, 19th, Johnson showed strength, marching through the field until the first caution came out on lap 21. Knaus rolled the dice for track position with only a two-tire change during the first pit stop, lifting Johnson to the lead.
The team, which was solid in the pits, was never out of the top five the rest of the day. Johnson held on late after a number of re-starts, including a final green-white-checkered finish when he held off Kasey Kahne.
The convincing win, the 55th of Johnson’s career, vaulted the team into third place in the title hunt, just four points behind leader Carl Edwards.
“Two races ago, many people were writing off this team,” said WYPALL Wipers crew chief representative and FOX/Speed analyst Jeff Hammond. “They got off to a slow start to the Chase, but they made a statement in Kansas to let everyone know they intend on winning a sixth consecutive championship. Chad, Jimmie and the entire team were nearly perfect.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results
Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge of Keselowski finished third after starting 12th. The Blue Deuce had handling issues at various parts of the race, but at the end, Wolfe and company made the right adjustments, assisting Keselowski with a solid finish, and placing the team third in the title chase.
“Another solid day for us,” said Keselowski, who now is just 11 points out of the top spot in the championship standings. ” We’re executing very well as a group and as a team. We brought home a third, so I am proud of that.”
Steve Addington, Kurt Busch and the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team finished 13th after making countless adjustments throughout the day. Busch, who started 17th, is now 16 points out the championship lead and sits in sixth.
“It’s a day where, surely we were hoping for better, but we know it could have been not so good,” said Addington. “We were running between 15th and 20th most of the day. We led the race and got the bonus point. We sure would have liked to finish up there in borderline top-five, but have to settle for 13th. There are still six races to go and a ton of stories will be told about the points situation between now and Homestead.”
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.
