Roswell, GA (September 8, 2011) – Alan Gustafson, crew chief for the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet driven by Jeff Gordon, has been named the WYPALL* Wipers Crew Chief of the Race following Tuesday’s rain-delayed AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
On leader Gordon’s last pit stop on lap 284 of the 325-lap event, the Gustafson-led team pulled off another timely change of tires and fuel to help Gordon retain his lead when green flag stops cycled through. He led the final 38 circuits but was challenged by teammate Jimmie Johnson several times over the final laps as the duo battled side-by-side. He held off the charge by 0.598 seconds after leading a race-high 146 laps.
The win came under adverse conditions as rain delays played havoc with crew chiefs, but Gustafson seemed to relish the weather changes. The win pushed Gordon to fifth in the championship standings and also moved him into third place on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win list with 85. He only trails Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105).
“This was one of the race tracks we felt to be an elite team and contend for the title, we had to do well on this style of track,” Gustafson said. “I’m pleased to do that.”
“This was one of the race tracks that Alan Gustafson, Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 team felt that they struggled on – the mile and a half high banked tracks,” said Claire B. Lang, Wypall voting panel member and host of “Dialed In” on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. “Not only did they have the most dominant car but they won the battle of car setup for the continuously changing weather conditions. The track really changed a lot after that rain delay, and Alan’s leadership through a trying rain-soaked and rain-delayed race, helped lead to an epic battle at the front and Jeff Gordon’s historic 85th win.
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Results
Steve Addington led Kurt Busch’s No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team to an impressive fourth place finish and solidified the team’s spot in the 2011 Chase for the Championship.
“It’s a great day for Penske and the Shell-Pennzoil team today,” said Busch after his 13th top-10 finish of the season. “We made great adjustments as the race went on, and solid pit stops. It is great to be locked into the Chase.”
Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge of Brad Keselowski finished sixth and clinched at least a wild card position for the Chase for the Championship. He has a 2.6 average finish over the last five races and enters the Chase as one of the hottest drivers in the series. He battled handling issues for most of the event, but over the last 100 laps, he managed to stay in the top 10 after Wolfe made adjustments throughout the event.
“Today was a huge confidence booster because we took a bad day and got a good finish out of it,” said Keselowski. “That is what we need to do going into the Chase, bring home cars without scratches on them and get solid finishes when we’re not at our best.”
WYPALL Wipers Crew Chief Voting Team
Addington and Wolfe, along with Hammond and Sirius XM 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.
