THE RACE
The Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway (2.5-mile superspeedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.)
No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion driven by Brad Keselowski
No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion driven by Joey Logano
Saturday, February 15, 8:00 pm ET
THE CARS
The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion
The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion
THE NEWS AND NOTES
· THE ORIGINAL: Team Penske will debut the “new” retro white paint scheme on the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford during Saturday night’s non-points race and unofficial start to the 2014 NASCAR season. The “new” paint scheme commemorates the first Miller Lite can that began Miller’s lite beer segment in the early 1970s.
· SECOND TIME AROUND: This will be just the second appearance for Keselowski in the Sprint Unlimited. In his only previous start, in what was then called the Shootout, Keselowski started third and finished in fourth place in 2012.
· SAME GREAT TEAM – NEW MONNIKER: This weekend’s race will mark the first NASCAR event that the championship organization will compete under the iconic Team Penske banner. While the overall company remains Penske Racing – all of its race teams will compete as Team Penske beginning this season.
· CONSTANT IS CONSISTENT: The key core crew members of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford team remain intact with all the individuals from the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship team still on the roster and ready to challenge for another title this season.
· CHANGING A CHANGER AND CARRIER: There have been a couple of minor adjustments made on the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford pit-crew as the team did make tweaks at the tire changer and tire carrier positions (see full crew list below).
· BIG APPLE DETOUR: Keselowski stopped in New York City on his way to Daytona to tape an appearance on “Live with Kelly and Michael.” The interview segment is set to air on Friday, Feb. 21 leading into Daytona 500 race weekend. He also visited several other NYC media outlets including ESPN and FOX News.
· SCHOOL’S BACK IN SESSION: Walking into the garage area at Daytona International Speedway on Friday morning will be reminiscent of summer break ending and the school year starting. And Joey Logano will return “to school” with his same group of friends from last year, returning to the seat of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion for the second consecutive season. Last year Logano set career high marks in top-five finishes (11), top-10 finishes (19), laps led (323), races led (15) and average finishing position (14.1) en route to an eighth-place finish in the final point standings.
· ONLY A FEW CHANGES: There are no major changes to the No. 22 crew this year with the exception of the addition of Canadian Alex Sinoyannis who will take over as vehicle dynamics engineer after working in the Team Penske shop for the last several years. The over-the-wall pit crew will also have a new look as only jackman Ray Gallahan will return from last year’s team.
· HE’S HOW OLD?: Amazing as it seems, Logano will embark on his sixth full-time season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2014. Even more amazing is the fact that after five years as a veteran under his belt, Logano will still be one of the youngest drivers in the series at just 23 years old when the green flag drops for Saturday’s Sprint Unlimited.
· NEVER MISSED A RACE: Since becoming a full-time Sprint Cup Series driver, Logano has never missed a start in the annual Sprint Unlimited. Logano has experienced the highs and lows in the exhibition race. Accidents brought an early end to his races in 2009, 2011 and 2012 while he finished seventh in 2010 and third in 2013.
· FAMILIAR RIDE: The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team will start the season with a car that has seen the track before – but never at an official race. Chassis number 654 last raced as Sam Hornish Jr.’s primary car at last season’s Talladega event. However, despite being fast in practice, Hornish missed the race when qualifying was rained out. The team’s backup for the Sprint Unlimited will be its primary car for the Daytona 500.
THE BROADCAST
Race: The Sprint Unlimited
Track: Daytona International Speedway
Race Start Time: 8:00 pm ET
Radio Broadcast: Live on MRN, 7:00pm ET
TV Schedule
Saturday
8:00pm ET, Sprint Unlimited (FOXSports1)
THE Q&A
BRAD KESELOWSKI, NO. 2 MILLER LITE FORD
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS HEADING INTO THE SPRINT UNLIMITED?
“I’m genuinely looking forward to this race. It is an excellent opportunity to see where our car is in terms of speed and performance. We’ve been working hard over the winter and we are all ready to be back at the track. I’m also curious to see just how good our No. 2 Miller Lite Ford is going to look under the lights with the original paint scheme. We’ve had a ton of positive feedback from the fans about this car and we plan on doing our best to build on the excitement surrounding this commemorative paint scheme.”
PAUL WOLFE, CREW CHIEF NO. 2 MILLER LITE FORD
WHAT IS THE TEAM’S OUTLOOK AS YOU HEAD INTO THE FIRST RACE OF THE YEAR?
“First off – we are ready to get back to racing. While the season is long, racing is what we love to do. We have had a productive offseason and feel as though we are well positioned to challenge for wins this year. Our entire organization has been making a dedicated effort to improve our processes and our equipment. This Saturday night we will get to see how we’ve done. I have a feeling that the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford is going to garner its fair share of attention.”
JOEY LOGANO, NO. 22 SHELL-PENNZOIL FORD
EVERYONE IS READY TO GO RACING, BUT YOU SEEM SO MAYBE MORE THAN OTHERS. WHY IS THAT?
“It’s just my style – my nature. I’m competitive and I want to be racing and winning. If you look at the things I do for fun it’s either riding a four-wheeler or racing my go-kart or hanging out at the shop with my guys. I just live and breathe racing. Heck, I even volunteer to go to the track and test during the off-season as much as I can. So pretty much a week or two after the season ends, I’m ready to start racing again. I can’t wait to get back on the track and get back behind the wheel. This is what I do and I’m just ready to get going again.”
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO COME BACK TO TEAM PENSKE AND HAVE THE SAME GUYS AROUND YOU THIS SEASON?
“It’s really important. Last year, everything was new. It wasn’t just me at a new team and working with a new crew chief. We had a new engineer, a new spotter, a new shock guy and some new guys on the pit crew. This year, it will be like we just left Homestead last week with the exception of one new engineer. So to come back and have that familiarity and get right at it with the same chemistry is a big deal. I’m pretty excited about that and I know all the guys on the team are excited about it. When we unload, we already have notes and we already know what we are doing. No more learning curve. Now, we just continue to adapt.”
THE TEAM
The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion Team
The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion Team
Name
Hometown
Name
Hometown
Driver:
Brad Keselowski
Rochester Hills, MI
Driver:
Joey Logano
Middletown, CT
Crew Chief:
Paul Wolfe
Milford, NY
Crew Chief:
Todd Gordon
Camden, NY
Race Engineer:
Brian Wilson
Detroit, MI
Race Engineer:
Miles Stanley
Akron, OH
Vehicle Dynamics
Darcy Letourneau
Chatham, ONT
Vehicle Dynamics:
Alex Sinoyannis
Montreal, QC
Car Chief:
Jerry Kelley
Sherwood, MI
Car Chief:
Raymond Fox
Concord, NC
Mechanic:
Scott Eldridge
Warsaw, IN
Mechanic:
Eric Baily
Olathe, KS
Mechanic:
Nick Hensley
Asheville, NC
Mechanic:
Steve Williams
Lebanon, OH
Mechanic:
Tim Whitaker
Hamilton, OH
Mechanic:
Daniel Lynch
Cutchogue, NY
Shock Specialist:
Chris Hill
Pittsburgh, PA
Shock Specialist:
Hartwell Pritchett
Durham, NC
Engine Tuner:
Mark Nickels
Damascus, VA
Engine Tuner:
Carroll Luft
West Point, IL
Spotter:
Joey Meier
Hialeah, FL
Spotter:
Tab Boyd
Pensacola, FL
Tire Specialist:
Jim Davis
New Philidelphia, OH
Tire Specialist:
Dave Nichols
Macedon, NY
Front Tire Changer:
Ryan Flores
Howell, NJ
Front Tire Changer:
Thomas Hatcher
Middleburg, FL
Front Tire Carrier:
Jeremy Ogles
Birmingham, AL
Front Tire Carrier:
Dylan Dowell
Fowler, KS
Jackman:
Braxton Brannon
Mooresville, NC
Jackman:
Ray Gallahan
Lake Helen, FL
Rear Tire Changer:
Travis Johnson
Chetek, WI
Rear Tire Changer:
Colin Fambrough
Tyler, TX
Rear Tire Carrier:
Tyler Mitchell
Harrisonburg, VA
Rear Tire Carrier:
Larry Robinett
Garland, TX
Gas Man:
Nick Hensley
Asheville, NC
Gas Man
Kellen Mills
Mesa, AZ
Truck Driver:
Mike Williams
Blue Springs, AL
Truck Driver:
Tim Dixon
Los Angeles, CA
Truck Driver:
Jason Taggert
Mooresville, NC
Truck Driver:
Greg Sorber
Shickshinny, PA
