DODGE AT PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
• Dodge has one Nationwide Series wins at Phoenix. Jamie McMurray led 47 laps in the 2004 fall event that was extended from 200 to 205 laps by a late-race caution. He finished .261 seconds ahead of second-place Kyle Busch.
• Dodge has six top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at PIR. The most recent top five was a third by Brad Keselowski in the 2010 spring race.
• Dodge has one pole at Phoenix (Kasey Kahne, 2005 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 12th Nationwide start of the year at Phoenix this weekend.
• Dodge has 39 wins in the Nationwide Series, seven coming in the 2010 season.
BRAD KESELOWSKI No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T
Career Stats: Starts: 166 Wins: 16 Top Fives: 71 Top 10s: 101 Poles: 11 Laps Led: 2,688
2011 Season Stats Starts: 27 Wins: 4 Top Fives: 12 Top 10s: 19 Poles: 3 Laps Led: 840
Phoenix International Raceway Stats: Starts: 9 Wins: 0 Top Fives: 4 Top 10s: 4 Laps Led: 68
• Has four top-five finishes in last five starts at Phoenix.
• Best finish at PIR is a third in 2010 spring event.
• Owns seven top-10 finishes in last eight Nationwide starts including five consecutive. • Has qualified eighth or better in last 11 races.
• Completed all but one lap in last 13 starts (2,504 of 2505 – 99.96 percent).
SAM HORNISH JR. No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T
Career Stats: Starts: 31 Wins: 0 Top Fives: 1 Top 10s: 4 Poles: 0 Laps Led: 51
2011 Season Stats Starts: 11 Wins: 0 Top Fives: 1 Top 10s: 4 Poles: 0 Laps Led: 43
• Fifth at Chicagoland in September (race No. 28), a career-best finish.
• Two top-10 finishes in the last three Nationwide starts.
• Has qualified ninth or better in each of his last eight NNS starts.
• Made his first-ever NASCAR start in the 2006 fall Nationwide race at Phoenix.
• Will be making his third Phoenix start this weekend. Both previous NNS starts also came in the fall event.
• Led season-high 39 laps at Iowa (race No. 22).
BRAD KESELOWSKI ON PHOENIX INT’L RACEWAY “I’ve always looked forward to going out to PIR to race. I love the fact that Phoenix is its own unique venue and the community really embraces us twice a year. It’s been made even more unique with the new surface. We didn’t get a chance to test the Nationwide cars there yet, but I did take part in the Cup Series test there last month. They’ve built a great race track, one that will promote good racing once the surface ages a little. That process shouldn’t take long when the desert elements get a hold of it.”
SAM SAYS “Phoenix has always been a wild card place for me. Anytime we go there, I feel like we can qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 10 as long as we don’t have any issues with the car. We’ve been working on our consistency these last couple of Nationwide Series races, so I’m hoping we can carry the momentum forward this weekend.” Sam Hornish Jr. (Driver, No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T)
