Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes
NNS Race Advance
O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge
Texas Motor Speedway
Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011
DODGE AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
• Dodge has two Nationwide Series wins at Texas: Kasey Kahne (2005 spring) and Kurt Busch (2006 spring).
• Dodge has one pole at TMS: Ryan Newman (2005 fall).
• Dodge has 10 top-five and 13 top-10 finishes at Texas.
• Chad Blount scored the first top five for Dodge at Texas, finishing fifth in the 2003 spring race.
DODGE IN THE NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
• Dodge is fielding two entries in the Nationwide Series this season with Penske Racing. Sam Hornish Jr. joins Brad Keselowski for a limited schedule. Hornish will make his 11th Nationwide start of the year at Texas and will compete in the final three Nationwide races this year.
• Dodge has 39 wins in the Nationwide Series, seven coming in the 2010 season.
BRAD KESELOWSKI ON TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: “Texas is an extremely fast track in any kind of car, but no stock car gives you the sensation of speed that the Nationwide Series car does. It actually feels faster than a Cup car. You enter Turn 1 at around 190-195 mph, depending on whether you are in race trim or qualifying trim. If your car is handling the way it needs to, you’ll go through that corner without lifting, or barely lifting, out of the throttle. You’re on the edge the entire lap and if you don’t hit your marks, you can easily end up in the wall. I’m excited about the car we’re bringing and I think we can run up front and contend for the win.”
SAM SAYS “I always love going to Texas. The guys in the shop have been working hard over these last two off weeks to build me a great car, so hopefully I can bring home a solid finish. This weekend is even more exciting because we are bringing Avis on board the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge Challenger as a sponsor.” Sam Hornish Jr., driver, No. 12 AVIS Dodge Challenger R/T
BRAD KESELOWSKI No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
Career Stats: Starts: 165 Wins: 16 Top Fives: 70 Top 10s: 100 Poles: 11 Laps Led: 2,688
2011 Season Stats: Starts: 26 Wins: 4 Top Fives: 11 Top 10s: 18 Poles: 3 Laps Led: 840
Texas Motor Speedway Stats: Starts: 10 Wins: 0 Top Fives: 5 Top 10s: 7 Laps Led: 25
• Finished second in spring race at TMS, a career best at the 1.5-mile track; started second and led 16 laps.
• Has five consecutive top-five finishes at Texas.
• Claimed his 100th career top-10 finish in most recent NNS series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
• Four top 10 finishes in last four races.
• Has qualified eighth or better in last 10 starts.
• Claimed three victories on intermediate tracks this season: Kentucky (No. 18), Chicagoland (No. 28) and Kansas (No. 30).
SAM HORNISH JR.
No. 12 Avis Dodge Challenger R/T
Career Stats: Starts: 30 Wins: 0 Top Fives: 1 Top 10s: 3 Poles: 0 Laps Led: 51
2011 Season Stats: Starts: 10 Wins: 0 Top Fives: 1 Top 10s: 3 Poles: 0 Laps Led: 43
• Fifth at Chicagoland (race No. 28), a career best finish.
• Has one top-five and three-top 10 finishes in 10 starts this season.
• Made three previous Nationwide Series starts at Texas, completing 98.5 percent of total possible laps (591 of 600 laps).
• Led season-high 39 laps at Iowa (race No. 22).
