Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race Report
Track: Dover International Speedway
Race: Gander RV 400
Date: May 6, 2019
____________________________________
No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
Start: 9th
Stage 1: 2nd
Stage 2: 5th
Finish: 12th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 399/400
Laps Led: 58
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 6th (-83)
Notes:
Brad Keselowski scored a 12th-place finish in the Gander RV 400 Monday afternoon at Dover International Speedway. The driver of the Miller Lite Ford is sixth in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, 83 points behind the leader.
Keselowski started ninth and worked his way into contention for a win in Stage 1. The third caution of the race on lap 117 set up a one-lap dash between Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano, who held off Keselowski to win the segment. Keselowski didn’t pit during the stage caution and took the lead on lap 124 when Logano chose to pit.
Keselowski led the next 58 laps until he made a scheduled four-tire stop under green on lap 182. He was third when the pit cycle was complete on lap 190. The No. 2 Ford Mustang was too free in the center of the corner and too tight on exit for the remainder of Stage 2. Keselowski held off Kyle Larson by inches in a battle for fifth-place when the segment ended on lap 240. He made a four-tire stop during the stage caution on lap 244 and restarted third on lap 249.
During the third and final stage, the handling on Keselowski’s Mustang grew worse. He was tight on corner exit during the final green flag run to end the race – 131 laps. He made his final stop of the race on lap 320. Crew chief Paul Wolfe made the call for four tires and a track bar adjustment but unfortunately the Miller Lite Ford was still a handful for Keselowski. He was credited with a 12th-place finish, the first car one lap down to the leaders.
Quotes: “Not the result we wanted today with our Miller Lite Ford. I was just super-tight on corner exit during that last long green flag run. We lost track position and couldn’t get it back.”
________________________________________________
No. 12 Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
Start: 11th
Stage 1: 8th
Stage 2: 7th
Finish: 15th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 399/400
Laps Led: 0
Driver Point Standings (behind first): 9th (-125)
Notes:
· Ryan Blaney finished 15th in Monday’s rain-delayed Gander RV 400 at Dover International Speedway. The driver of the Menards/Duracell Ford Mustang battled a tight-handling Mustang for much of the second half of the race. Blaney now sits ninth in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings –125 points behind the leader.
· Blaney started 11th and within the first 10 laps of the 400-lap event, he had moved into the top-10. He reported the balance of his Menards Ford was loose on entry and tight exit. During a competition caution on lap 40, Blaney came to pit road for four tires and fuel along with a wedge and air pressure adjustment. Speedy service by the Menards pit crew gained Blaney two positions on pit road, moving him up to sixth when racing resumed.
· At lap 75 of the 120-lap Stage 1, Blaney reported he felt looser and was lacking security on corner entry and he fell from sixth to 10th-place. The Menards team made wedge and air pressure adjustments during the second caution on lap 107. Blaney restarted 10th in line and gained two positions to score an eighth place finish in Stage 1. The team opted not to pit during the stage caution and restarted sixth when Stage 2 began on lap 129. Blaney told crew chief Jeremy Bullins the multiple wedge and air pressure adjustments from the two prior stops had helped the balance of the Menards/Duracell Ford.
· A scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 182 saw the No. 12 team make a slight air pressure adjustment. His car begin to go to the tight side as run progressed but he managed a seventh-place finish when Stage 2 ended on lap 240. Blaney returned to pit road during the stage caution on lap 244 for another wedge and air pressure adjustment. Another great stop by the Menards pit crew saw them gain another spot on pit road. Blaney restarted fifth when the final stage began on lap 249.
· The race would see just one caution in the final stage, setting up a 131-lap green flag run to the end. Soon the handling on the Menards Ford would swing way too tight. Blaney fell from running inside the top-five back to 15th position. He made his final pit stop of the day on lap 322. The team made one more adjustment which improved the balance on the No. 12 Mustang. Blaney didn’t gain any more positions over the closing laps of the race and was credited with a 15th-place finish.
Quote: “It was a long day for our Menards/Duracell team. We were struggling especially with our Mustang being too tight on corner exit and couldn’t seem to get it where we needed. I want to thank the pit crew. Those guys had a great day and it seemed like they picked up positions every time we pitted. We know we have some work to do when we come back to Dover in the fall.”
________________________________________________
No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
Start: 4th
Stage 1: 1st
Stage 2: 14th
Finish: 7th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 400/400
Laps Led: 16
Point Standings (behind first): 2nd (-5)
Notes:
· Joey Logano and the No 22 Shell-Pennzoil team survived a Sunday washout and tough race conditions to score a seventh-place finish at Dover International Speedway on Monday afternoon, his eighth top-10 finish of the year. He remains second in the NASCAR Cup Series point standings, trailing Kyle Busch by just five points.
· Logano started the rain-delayed race in the fourth position and quickly jumped to second as the outside lane on double-file restarts proved to be the preferred groove. He stayed in the second spot until the competition caution came out at lap 40.
· The 28-year-old driver slipped back to third following an air pressure adjustment on the first pit stop while still battling a tight-handling Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang. He then took the lead following a two-tire stop with less than 10 laps to go to the end of Stage 1. Logano picked up the Stage 1 win, holding off teammate Brad Keselowski and earning another valuable Playoff point in the process.
· The Shell-Pennzoil Mustang began Stage 2 deep in the field, restarting in the 24th position when most of the lead lap cars chose to stay on track during the caution following Stage 1. Logano made it up to 18th position before green flag stops cycled out – no easy accomplishment considering driving through traffic in dirty air made it tough to pass. He was credited with a 14th position at the end of Stage 2.
· The third and final stage went green on lap 249 with Logano and the Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang in the 13th position. Once again, track position and dirty air ruled. Logano stalled out in the 14th spot, despite saying his Mustang was handling the best it had all day long. A solid pit stop, followed by a great restart on lap 269 saw Logano jump from 10th to sixth and he begin to chase down the leaders with two fresh tires. But the final 131-lap green flag run prevented Logano from making up any other positions as the field spread out. He was credited with a seventh-place finish at the checkered flag.
Quote: “We made the most out of our day today for sure. We took a seventh-place car and won a stage, got a playoff point, and racked up some more stage points. We maximized what we could do. I’m happy with how the Shell-Pennzoil team performed. We were solid in the pits. It was a physical race out there for sure. This is one of the toughest places for a driver to race. I’m proud of my team.”
