Penske Racing FedEx 400 Race Preview
May 28, 2013
THE RACE
The FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway (1-mile oval, Dover, Del.)
Sunday June 2, 1:00 pm ET
THE CARS
The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion
The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion
THE BROADCAST
Race: FedEx 400
Track: Dover International Speedway
Date: Sunday, June 2
Race Start Time: 1:00 pm ET
Radio Broadcast: Live on MRN and SIRIUS XM Channel 90
TV Schedule
Friday
· 11:00 am ET, Practice (SPEED)
· 3:15 pm ET, Qualifying (SPEED)
Saturday
· 10:00 am ET, Practice (SPEED)
· 12:50 pm ET, Practice (SPEED)
Sunday
· 1:00 pm ET, FedEx 400 (FOX)
THE NEWS AND NOTES
The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion
· FULL ROSTER: The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion team will be back at full strength this weekend as crew chief Paul Wolfe, car chief Jerry Kelley, lead engineer Brian Wilson and competition director Travis Geisler all return from their three-race suspension.
· MOST RECENT DOVER WINNER: In the last Cup race at Dover, Keselowski was able to find his way to Victory Lane to score his first series victory at Dover – and the ninth of his career – in the second race of the 2012 Chase for the Championship. Keselowski also has a NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at the “Monster Mile” that came in 2009.
· CRUISING THE “MIGHTY MAC”: By becoming the first Michigan-born driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, Keselowski has established himself as an icon in the state. On Wednesday afternoon, the champ will visit an iconic Michigan structure for the first time. Keselowski will drive the “Blue Deuce” across the Mackinac Bridge in celebration of his championship. In addition, the bridge – the world’s third longest in total suspension – will be lit in blue at 11:02 pm, which is nautical twilight.
· MEET KESELOWSKI: Keselowski will make an appearance at the Grotto Pizza located at 1159 North Dupont Highway in Dover, DE beginning at 8 pm.
· NATIONWIDE SERIES COMMENTARY: Keselowski will visit the ESPN2 booth for the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday afternoon. The 2010 series champion has 21 victories in that series, good for a 10th-place tie with Tommy Ellis, Harry Gant and Dale Earnhardt on the all-time wins list.
THE Q & A
HOW DO YOU RATE THE STRETCH OF RACES WITHOUT YOUR FULL ROSTER?
“I was proud of the way everyone stepped up in the absence of Paul (Wolfe) and the guys. For the most part, we had a lot of speed in our cars. We missed it a bit in the (Coca-Cola) 600, and that has us in a bit of a hole in the standings. I know my guys, and we will be out with something to prove over these next few races. Paul is absolutely chomping at the bit to get back to the track. And going into Dover this weekend as the most-recent winner there gives us a little confidence too.”
DESCRIBE THE RACING AT THE “MONSTER MILE”
“A lap around Dover is pretty spectacular. That roller coaster feeling you get climbing and falling off the corners is amazing. I feel pretty confident going back there and I’d like to think that Dover is one of my better tracks. Paul does a superb job in making in-race adjustments, and that is very-important at Dover because the track changes drastically as rubber gets laid down. Some tracks are temperamental due to the weather, but with Dover, it’s the rubber on the track that will make you scratch your head.”
THE NEWS AND NOTES
The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion
· NOT WANTING TO LEAVE CHARLOTTE: Joey Logano might not want to leave the friendly confines of Charlotte Motor Speedway to head to Dover this weekend. Over the last two weeks, Logano had found some serious success on the track. Logano finished second in the All-Star race at Charlotte two weekends ago and then followed that up with a third-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at CMS and a fifth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.
· THE BOYS ARE BACK: Often before the start of Sprint Cup Series races, the Dropkick Murphys song “The Boys Are Back” is played over the loud speakers. This weekend, that song will be apropos for Logano, who will get his Crew Chief, Car Chief and lead Engineer back this weekend. They come back following a three-week suspension.
· A LITTLE TESTING: Logano and his No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team spent a day this week testing their road course program at Virginia International Raceway in an open test session at the 3.27-mile road course. Both Logano and his Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski, along with the Penske Racing Nationwide Series teams, took part in the test.
· CLIMBING BACK IN THE POINTS: Despite a fifth-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend, Logano remains 19th in the series’ point standings. However, he did make up significant ground in the points. And though the 23-year-old is 19th in the standings, he sits just 37 points outside of the Chase cutoff and only 30 points out of 12th position.
THE Q & A
ARE YOU EXCITED TO GET TODD GORDON BACK THIS WEEKEND?
“I am excited to get Todd back at the track. It’s been tough just talking with him away from the track and seeing him at the shop. But the guys that filled in during the time he and everyone else was out did a great job. I think we really made the best of the situation and I don’t think we really missed a beat and that was obvious the last couple of weeks in Charlotte. But it will be nice having Todd back at the track for sure. I’m ready for things to get back to normal and focus on winning some of these races.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE RIDING A HOT STREAK?
“Well, anytime that you are running good and getting good finishes, it helps pump the team up and helps pump you up as a driver. But I feel like we have been running well all year long, we just don’t have the finishes to show for it. I think we have only had a couple of races where we actually ‘missed it.’ But we will take the last couple of weeks and keep going with it.”
The FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway (1-mile oval, Dover, Del.)
Sunday June 2, 1:00 pm ET
THE CARS
The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion
The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion
THE BROADCAST
Race: FedEx 400
Track: Dover International Speedway
Date: Sunday, June 2
Race Start Time: 1:00 pm ET
Radio Broadcast: Live on MRN and SIRIUS XM Channel 90
TV Schedule
Friday
· 11:00 am ET, Practice (SPEED)
· 3:15 pm ET, Qualifying (SPEED)
Saturday
· 10:00 am ET, Practice (SPEED)
· 12:50 pm ET, Practice (SPEED)
Sunday
· 1:00 pm ET, FedEx 400 (FOX)
THE NEWS AND NOTES
The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion
· FULL ROSTER: The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion team will be back at full strength this weekend as crew chief Paul Wolfe, car chief Jerry Kelley, lead engineer Brian Wilson and competition director Travis Geisler all return from their three-race suspension.
· MOST RECENT DOVER WINNER: In the last Cup race at Dover, Keselowski was able to find his way to Victory Lane to score his first series victory at Dover – and the ninth of his career – in the second race of the 2012 Chase for the Championship. Keselowski also has a NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at the “Monster Mile” that came in 2009.
· CRUISING THE “MIGHTY MAC”: By becoming the first Michigan-born driver to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, Keselowski has established himself as an icon in the state. On Wednesday afternoon, the champ will visit an iconic Michigan structure for the first time. Keselowski will drive the “Blue Deuce” across the Mackinac Bridge in celebration of his championship. In addition, the bridge – the world’s third longest in total suspension – will be lit in blue at 11:02 pm, which is nautical twilight.
· MEET KESELOWSKI: Keselowski will make an appearance at the Grotto Pizza located at 1159 North Dupont Highway in Dover, DE beginning at 8 pm.
· NATIONWIDE SERIES COMMENTARY: Keselowski will visit the ESPN2 booth for the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Saturday afternoon. The 2010 series champion has 21 victories in that series, good for a 10th-place tie with Tommy Ellis, Harry Gant and Dale Earnhardt on the all-time wins list.
THE Q & A
HOW DO YOU RATE THE STRETCH OF RACES WITHOUT YOUR FULL ROSTER?
“I was proud of the way everyone stepped up in the absence of Paul (Wolfe) and the guys. For the most part, we had a lot of speed in our cars. We missed it a bit in the (Coca-Cola) 600, and that has us in a bit of a hole in the standings. I know my guys, and we will be out with something to prove over these next few races. Paul is absolutely chomping at the bit to get back to the track. And going into Dover this weekend as the most-recent winner there gives us a little confidence too.”
DESCRIBE THE RACING AT THE “MONSTER MILE”
“A lap around Dover is pretty spectacular. That roller coaster feeling you get climbing and falling off the corners is amazing. I feel pretty confident going back there and I’d like to think that Dover is one of my better tracks. Paul does a superb job in making in-race adjustments, and that is very-important at Dover because the track changes drastically as rubber gets laid down. Some tracks are temperamental due to the weather, but with Dover, it’s the rubber on the track that will make you scratch your head.”
THE NEWS AND NOTES
The No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Fusion
· NOT WANTING TO LEAVE CHARLOTTE: Joey Logano might not want to leave the friendly confines of Charlotte Motor Speedway to head to Dover this weekend. Over the last two weeks, Logano had found some serious success on the track. Logano finished second in the All-Star race at Charlotte two weekends ago and then followed that up with a third-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at CMS and a fifth-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600.
· THE BOYS ARE BACK: Often before the start of Sprint Cup Series races, the Dropkick Murphys song “The Boys Are Back” is played over the loud speakers. This weekend, that song will be apropos for Logano, who will get his Crew Chief, Car Chief and lead Engineer back this weekend. They come back following a three-week suspension.
· A LITTLE TESTING: Logano and his No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil team spent a day this week testing their road course program at Virginia International Raceway in an open test session at the 3.27-mile road course. Both Logano and his Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski, along with the Penske Racing Nationwide Series teams, took part in the test.
· CLIMBING BACK IN THE POINTS: Despite a fifth-place finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend, Logano remains 19th in the series’ point standings. However, he did make up significant ground in the points. And though the 23-year-old is 19th in the standings, he sits just 37 points outside of the Chase cutoff and only 30 points out of 12th position.
THE Q & A
ARE YOU EXCITED TO GET TODD GORDON BACK THIS WEEKEND?
“I am excited to get Todd back at the track. It’s been tough just talking with him away from the track and seeing him at the shop. But the guys that filled in during the time he and everyone else was out did a great job. I think we really made the best of the situation and I don’t think we really missed a beat and that was obvious the last couple of weeks in Charlotte. But it will be nice having Todd back at the track for sure. I’m ready for things to get back to normal and focus on winning some of these races.”
DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE RIDING A HOT STREAK?
“Well, anytime that you are running good and getting good finishes, it helps pump the team up and helps pump you up as a driver. But I feel like we have been running well all year long, we just don’t have the finishes to show for it. I think we have only had a couple of races where we actually ‘missed it.’ But we will take the last couple of weeks and keep going with it.”