SRT Motorsports - Dodge Sprint Cup Series - NASCAR Contenders Press Conference - Keselowski Transcript - Homestead
November 15, 2012 , HOMESTEAD, Fla. -
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Q: What would it mean for you to be the first guy to bring home that title for Penske and that entire group?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Well, to win a championship for Roger would certainly be a huge accomplishment considering everything he's been through in American motorsports and beyond. You look at his legacy in the sport and you can't help but feel that he's been a little bit slighted on the NASCAR side. We'd like to get that job done, and I think we have the opportunity to do it. I think we have the team and car, and it's just a matter of putting all the pieces together.
And so far that's happened this year. There's no guarantee that will continue to happen, but I think you look at trends and you try to label how things can happen, and there's a very strong possibility.
For us it's about focusing on getting the job done and trying not to think about all those other things, whether it's what it means or what obstacles lie ahead. It's about just focusing on what we need to do, and the history books and the life lessons and so forth, those things will work their way out in the end if you just get the job done, and I think that's where our focus is.
Q. This question is for Brad: At the beginning of the season you did something spectacular with social media. You had your phone in your car and during the red flag at Daytona you were able to tweet and it was on Twitter, it was going crazy, people were following you like crazy and it was trending nationwide and it made a big impact on the sport. Coming into last weekend, you got fined for having your phone in your car, so my question is will you still bring it into your car for this race, or what do you think that means for the future of being able to tweet or be a part of Twitter and the social media world during a red flag at the race?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Well, I think your first part was would I put it in my car this weekend? Was that your first question? You've got two questions. He earned two questions. I don't know, you haven't got two questions. You've got to pick one. Which one do you want?
Q. What does it mean for the future of --
BRAD KESELOWSKI: What does it mean for the future? I'll answer that one. That's a good one. I think it means that you can still be involved in social media, but I think NASCAR has certainly said that they want to draw a line as to what you can do specifically in the car, and I think that's what it means for the future.
Q. Both of you know what the scenarios are. Will you have your teams let you know how you stand, or is that too much to think about during the race? Do you want to know where the other guy is, how many positions you've got to get, or do you kind of wait until you get down to the last 50 laps to start thinking about stuff like that?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: I mean, I don't really know how to answer it. I guess you could look at it that way, but you know if you go out there and run well, at least from my position, that it all takes care of itself. With maybe the exception of the last lap or two, I've got a pretty good idea of where I'm at on the racetrack, or I should, and that stuff works its way out if we're in a good position.
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Wow, I thought Jimmie was going to be tough. Dang. Jimmie, you've got a lot of work to do to catch up with her.
Q. Roger has seen Will Power fall victim to it four times, so what are you doing to not let this rattle you?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: This, as in the opportunity to win a championship? Well, I think that it's not something that you can really answer in a sense that's easy for this group to understand. I mean, sorry, maybe that was a jab back. I've been listening to too much Tony Stewart.
But I think it comes from the people that you're surrounded by and how comfortable they are, and that comes into your own world, and I can tell you that the group that I have and that I'm surrounded by, whether it's in my personal life or professional life, they're not known for being very rattled in these opportunities, in these positions, and I think that's probably the biggest thing that you can do is be surrounded by people that share that same passion that you have but also put out a level of calmness that is somewhat addictive.
I feel like if you look at Paul, Paul is pretty stone-faced, and that's his style. He's not a real emotional guy, and certainly you cue off of that, just like Jimmie was saying he does with Chad, and there's other guys. You look at Roger, Roger is the same way. You're not going to see Roger showing a bunch of emotion even if we do win it. He's going to be very stoic, as he always is, which is great.
And my family life, personal life is the same way, whether it's my dad or mom, when they have their successes, they're certainly very passionate and happy for them, but they're also very quiet and very capable of moving forward and looking forward to not get too caught up in the moment.
For me I guess the best way to answer is I'm relying on the people I'm surrounded by.
Q. The points, and as Jimmie stated, 15th place finish is not a lay-up. When you start crunching numbers, if you will, approaching the race, how much of that do you do in terms of affecting your mindset, in terms of affecting your approach to the race? I assume it doesn't change, but I also think that it's human nature not to think about, hey, I've got a pretty good shot here.
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Well, I haven't crunched a lot of numbers to be honest, not those types. I can tell you what kind of fuel mileage we're going to get, but I've got no idea about the trends and patterns of the average finish and so forth, but I know if we go out there and just do our job, everything will take care of itself. To put your focus on those other things is just another distraction that doesn't serve the goal that we have. So I haven't done it.
Q. Brad, no pressure on you, but you'd be the first Michigan-born driver if you win on Sunday to claim the Sprint Cup title. How does it make you feel, obviously pretty proud I'd guess, Detroit needs a boost, the Tigers lost the World Series. How does that all play in?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Well, I mean, I'd be glad to help out. How about that? You know, obviously I'm very proud of the roots that I have back in Michigan and specifically in the metro Detroit area, and have strong roots still to the area with my family living there and car owner, who's based out of the Detroit area. I think it would be a very powerful moment for sure, at least for me and hopefully for the area and the community.
So anything that we can do to serve that just plays into some of the heritage of our team and makes us stronger.
Q. When you think back to Rochester Hills and that little white cinder block shop that your dad raced out of and your grandfather raced out of in Michigan, when you think back to all of that and how far you've come, and it could have gone the other way, you could be where Brian is right now, what does that mean to you? What will that mean to the Keselowski family who's really scraped to get where you are today?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Well, it's hard to speak for everyone in my family, and I don't want to pretend to do that. But I also know that I have somewhat of a read on them, and it's kind of funny when you brought that up, my brother, I was thinking about the parallels between Jimmie and I and our brothers and where we're at in sports, and we both want to see them be successful, and obviously that hasn't worked out for them as far as being a race car driver at this level.
Both of us probably want to see that happen. But it's not easy. It's a difficult balance. I know my brother is planning on coming down here for the weekend on Sunday, or I should say for the day on Sunday, and that's going to be great. Glad to have him here, or any family for that matter. And I think if you know the personal relationship that my brother and I have, you would understand why that's such an accomplishment for him to be here Sunday.
So I think that probably speaks more volumes than anything else as to how my family is feeling that, those moments. You know, my dad is the type of guy that would probably never tell you good job to your face, but if he spoke to you or did an interview with you, he'd say, wow, man, you've got to see what Brad has done, it's great and I feel awesome about it. I have to rely on those outside things, those nuances, so to speak, so it's good to see him, as well, at the racetrack this weekend and my brother and my mom and so forth, sister is coming out. So that makes me feel like it really means a lot to them.
Q. Jimmie, you said that at some point the magnitude hits you for everybody, and it affects the contenders in some way. A few weeks ago Dale Earnhardt Jr. said about Brad Keselowski that he's so mentally tough he didn't think he was going to crack. Is there something you see from Brad that makes you think otherwise, and what happens in that moment when the magnitude does hit you? How do you respond to it? What makes that championship mettle that you need to win a championship?
JIMMIE JOHNSON: Well, me trying to explain what it's like and how I've handled it would probably be kind of stupid of me right now, so I'm going to not answer the second part of your question.
The first part is the magnitude sets in at some point. I mean, he just answered a question about family, and I've been there, and I've been the guy leading the points, and people are so curious to know all these what-ifs, what if it happens, and you're forced to answer questions that you're not used to answering, that you don't want to answer, and it builds through the course of the week.
Again, it hits everybody differently, and there's no guarantees how it'll hit him. But I know from my own experience that there have been those moments. Fortunately I responded well to them. We'll see how the weekend goes.
Q. Brad, this question is for you: You've said all along you're going to come here, you're going to win it, you really only have to finish 15th. How do you change your mindset from being the go-all-out kind of driver you are to maybe kind of being conservative and playing it safe?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: You don't. One of my favorite movies in the whole wide world is this documentary on Ayrton Senna, and there's this really powerful scene in that movie that sticks with me when I think about this weekend. I think about this scene in the movie when they talked about him at Monaco, which was his -- just his phenomenal track that he was so strong at and how he had this huge lead over his teammate at the time, obviously had an identical car, which showcased what kind of talent Ayrton had, and they were coming down to the closing laps of the race, and they told him to slow down, you have a huge lead, don't worry, just slow down, just -- and he wrecked.
And I think of that as I approach this weekend. I'm going to go out there and play my game, race my way. That's got us to this point, and if we do that, we'll be fine, and I think that's our approach.
Q. Jimmie has played little head games on you here, and you said you're relying on people and you're going to race your race this weekend, but what I want to know, this is the championship you're going after, the best of the best in racing. How does this weekend feel different, and if it doesn't, why?
BRAD KESELOWSKI: Well, I've been going for the championship all my life, and specifically this particular one for the last nine races. So Homestead pays the same amount of points as Chicago did and the same amount of points that Martinsville did when Jimmie won. It's the same, and there's no reason to change that approach, and that's why I feel that way.
__________________
Rick
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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (Friday, Nov. 16, 2012) – Dodge and Penske Racing look to add their own chapter to NASCAR’s record books this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dodge’s Brad Keselowski and five-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson have separated themselves from the rest of the Chase field and go head-to-head in quest of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. Keselowski has a 20-point lead and can clinch the 2012 title with a finish of 15th or better; or 16th and lead at least one lap; or 17th and lead the most laps regardless what Johnson does including winning the race and collecting all bonus points for the maximum 48 points. A championship would be Dodge’s fifth in the sport’s premier series and first since its return in 2001. It would also provide legendary team owner Roger Penske his first Sprint Cup championship.
Only four times in NASCAR history has the driver not leading the point standings entering the season finale won the title – Tony Stewart – 2011, Jimmie Johnson – 2010, Alan Kulwicki -- - 1992 and Richard Petty -1979).
The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge has been rock-solid through the first nine races of the Chase with an average finish of 5.3. He’s posted nine consecutive top-12 finishes. The 1.5-mile oval was reconfigured with variable banking nearly a decade ago creating a multiple-groove track well suited for passing. The aging asphalt is expected to be an issue, especially with the temperature changes during the 267-lap race. The race starts mid-afternoon and concludes under the lights.
"Homestead-Miami is the last of the five mile-and-a-half tracks in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup,” said SRT Motorsports engineer Howard Comstock. “At the four previous stops, the pole speeds have been 193 mph, 191 mph, 191 mph, and 182 mph. The pole speed at Homestead-Miami last year was 175 mph, considerably slower than the mile-and-a-half track speed we're used to. Slower lap speeds by that margin can be attributed to the diminished grip levels of the aging Homestead-Miami surface. Engineers will have to come up with setups that can hold on to the slippery track. Softer springs, easier riding shock absorbers, smaller sway bars, and lower tire pressures will all be in the mix of options engineers will consider to get a grip on the Homestead-Miami track surface."
Keselowski remains focused under the heavy pressure of securing his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. The 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion looks to become the first driver in NASCAR modern history to win both the Sprint and Nationwide Series’ titles. From the humble beginnings of his father’s small race shop in nearby Rochester Hills to driving the famed No. 2 Dodge for the ‘Captain’ (Roger Penske), Keselowski is 400 miles from making NASCAR history.
“When I first came to Penske Racing, I viewed it as an organization with so much potential,” said Keselowski. “I had a vision for what I knew this place could become and I shared that with Mr. Penske in our first meeting together. And as he began to give (crew chief) Paul (Wolfe) and I the things that we needed, we began to show results on the racetrack which, in turn, led to a lot of trust among myself, Mr. Penske, Paul and everyone else at Penske Racing. So having a legitimate shot to win the championship this weekend is something that I take great pride in because I know we got there together.”
Sam Hornish Jr. will make his final start at the wheel of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge this weekend at HMS. He replaced A.J. Allmendinger in the middle of the season
“I certainly want to thank Shell-Pennzoil and all the great sponsors we have at Penske Racing for the opportunity they gave me and the confidence they have shown in me,” Hornish said. “We are hoping to have the kind of performance that will make all of our supporters proud during the final race weekend of the season.”
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES Sam Hornish Jr. (No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger) looks to cap off a solid Nationwide Series season. He’s recorded 11 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes in series competition and locked up fourth-place in the season point standings.
“Homestead is a place that I always look forward to for several reasons,” Hornish said. The track is great and the racing is always a challenge. It is a place that has been good to me in the past – I’ve won a few races there in IndyCar. Our Alliance Truck Parts team is ready to put together a strong result this weekend.”
Ryan Blaney (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger) will give Dodge a two-car effort in Saturday afternoon’s 300-mile event. Blaney is making his seventh appearance in the No. 22 Dodge. He had a career-best, runner-up finish two weeks ago at Texas.
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
RAM looks to earn its third win at Homestead-Miami as Ryan Blaney (No. 29 Cooper Standard RAM) makes his ninth start of the season. Blaney gave RAM its lone victory of the season when the 18 year-old driver of the Brad Keselowski Racing entry recorded his first career win at Iowa.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW The Race: Ford EcoBoost 400
The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Date: Sunday, Nov. 18
The Time: 3 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN, 1:30 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps)
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES The Race: Ford EcoBoost 300
The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Date: Saturday, Nov. 17
The Time: 4:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN2, 4 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
Distance: 300 miles (200 laps)
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES The Race: Ford EcoBoost 200
The Place: Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Date: Friday, Nov. 16
The Time: 8 p.m. (ET)
TV: SPEED, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
Distance: 201 miles (134 laps)
Dodge Weekend Motorsports on TV
(All Times Eastern)
SRT Motorsports Weekend Preview
Friday, November 16
1:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Practice (ESPN2)
3:00 p.m. – NNS Final Practice (ESPN2)
4:30 p.m. – NCWTS Qualifying (SPEED)
6:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Qualifying (SPEED)
7:30 p.m. – NCWTS Setup (SPEED)
8:00 p.m. – NCWTS “Ford 200” (SPEED)
Saturday, November 17
11:30 p.m. – Nationwide Pole Qualifying (SPEED)
2:30 p.m. – NASCAR Live (SPEED)
3:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Final Practice (SPEED)
4:00 p.m. – Nationwide Countdown (ESPN2)
4:30 p.m. – Nationwide “Ford 300” (ESPN2)
Sunday, November 18
11:00 p.m. – NASCAR RaceDay (SPEED)
1:30 p.m. – Sprint Cup Countdown (ESPN)
3:00 p.m. – Sprint Cup Ford 400 (ESPN)
7:00 p.m. – NASCAR Victory Lane (SPEED)
__________________
Rick
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SRT Motorsports - Dodge Roger Penske Open Interview - Homestead
November 16, 2012 , HOMESTEAD, Fla. -
Roger Penske (Chairman, Penske Corporation)
Q. Could you just talk about the performance of your race teams this year and in particular the No. 2 car who is points leader heading into the season finale? “Well, obviously we're thrilled to be in the position we are here the last race at Homestead. I think when we look back on the season, I guess it's been a building season from the very starting point with Brad three or four years ago when we first got together.
“I think as I sum it up, he's earned the respect of the garage area, of the drivers, the crews, the officials, and certainly he's gained a lot of fans. And for me basically it's been consistency, and I think he's a great athlete. You'd have to put him right at the top from the standpoint of what he's been able to accomplish over the last several weeks.
“It's his chance on Sunday to get to the top rung that he's been trying for for many years. Obviously his parents have supported him as many of these great drivers who come out of families who have racing backgrounds, and he's certainly done that, and to me we're very fortunate to have him part of Penske Racing. He's made us a better team.”
Q. In your long career in Motorsports you've had so many drivers from Mark Donahue and Rick Mears and dozens and dozens of others. Of whom does Brad Keselowski remind you? “Well, I'd have to say, digging down deep, a lot like Rick Mears, really understated but someone that when it was time to dig deep and make it happen, the consistency, and obviously he's a winner, and I'd have to put him in that category, which is a pretty special class as far as I'm concerned.”
Q. Most people know open wheel is really your true love, but you've dabbled here for 40 years now. Why did you keep coming back, and what is it about this -- when did it change where this really became a focus? Was it after the first Nationwide championship? Was it just Brad in general? What really made you guys dig in and put your emphasis here on NASCAR? “I think I'm a goal-oriented person, and there's no question that winning a NASCAR championship at the elite level is something that everybody in racing wants to accomplish, and we hadn't done that. And I think we spread ourselves through many different series with great success, but we've never quite gotten to the top obviously. In '93 and '94 we were second and third with Rusty (Wallace). And then we really have not had the results, but to me, this is about an opportunity.
“It's not about how much money you have and what you can buy on the racetrack. It's about the people. It's about the human capital that we've been able to put together.
“As I said to Paul Wolfe and certainly to Brad and Tim and Travis Geisler and Mike Nelson, I said you folks are attracting some great people to our organization. This business has changed. It's a little more technical now, it's a little more in our bailiwick, and to me we're executing. And with a leader like Brad who really cares about the team, it's not just about Brad Keselowski, I want to let you know that. He is every day trying to make our team better. So that's motivating me, and this is a great opportunity obviously.
“When you're racing -- I call it the gold standard, the best in the business. Rick Hendrick is a great friend of mine, I have a lot of respect for him both on the business side and certainly on the racing side, and Johnson is a cool cat. He knows how to get it done. He's gotten it done five times. So just being in the league with them, it's the final day, you're teeing up the last 18 and we're in the same foursome, so that's a pretty good day.
Q. Brad has been very clever, he's been very light. He seems to -- we're all looking for a crack. We haven't seen it. Jimmie was sort of trying to get into his head yesterday and saying the pressure really gets in your head when you get on the track. What have you seen in Brad? Do you really believe that he's handling all this the way that we're seeing it, and how much do you think that all of this is going to affect him in one moment before this race is over? “Well, I think that he's been training over the last 13 or 14 weeks to get where he is. Obviously when you look at the consistency, starting 24th and many times during that race he let people go by because he knew where he needed to be ready to go with 100 laps to go, last week, certainly the race at Texas. You know, he's a calculating driver. He's smart. I think his windshield is much wider than many of the drivers'. He's seeing what's going on, and I think he's rehearsed it with Paul, things that can happen. He's done it with the team, and he's a student. And I think today we've got a great athlete, a great race driver but also someone that's thinking. He's a thinking-man's driver, which is very important in today's sport.”
Q. Just looking back in September, the situation with Will Power, wondering what kind of advice you've given Brad and that team about what happened in that race and how you're using that experience to kind of help them this weekend. “We haven't even talked about it. It's not even a factor as far as I'm concerned. You have Will Power, who is the best on road courses trying to get his feet under him on ovals. This is a case we're at a mile and a half track, a place that Brad has excelled this year. So to me two different circumstances. Not a discussion item as far as Penske Racing.”
Q. You move to Ford next year, but can you speak to the commitment Dodge has provided you this year and your relationship with them, and it's strange, they could have a championship and then they're leaving the sport, you're moving over to Ford. But the relationship between you and Dodge? “Well, Dodge obviously has been a great partner. We've been with them for 10 years. The support they've given us over this last 12 months has been doubled up. In fact, the fact that they knew early on, and when you make a move like we had to, they had to know, we had to know that this change was going to be made.
But I would say it's all hands on deck. We have a great relationship. We represent them in the retail auto network, so we're a big supporter of their products. To me it's just one of those things, timing maybe, budgets and other things that really made the difference.
But I hope that they'll be back in in 2014 and maybe our results might help accelerate that for them to get back in the sport on a full-time basis.
Q. You see a lot of young drivers out there that never get a break, never get a chance. A lot has been made about Brad getting that one chance in Ted Musgrave's truck back in 2007 and Jimmie was talking yesterday about had he not hit the wall at Watkins Glen that Jeff Gordon may not have paid a lot of attention to him or put a face with the name. Is that just a product of the sport that there are a lot of those guys like Brad and Jimmie out there that can do what they're doing but that just need those breaks? Have you seen guys just get overlooked? “Well, I think if we go back and look at our team over the last say 20 years, we might not have looked deep enough into the drivers that are out there. I think we're doing that now. Obviously working with Justin, working with Parker, Ryan Blaney, and I think we have to have these younger drivers on our radar screen because it takes time. You just cannot jump into this sport overnight and be at the top. It takes trucks, it takes Nationwide and then obviously Cup.
“And I think there's a lot of young talent out there. But again, you've got to know how to win, so we have to look for drivers who have won in a series or multiple series. I think there has to be today because of technology has gotten to be so much of a part of what's going on, this feedback, this feedback between engineering and the crew chiefs and the driver, and also then of course the main thing is we've got to have sponsors. So we have to have a commercial-oriented driver to a certain extent.
“So when you look at all these different attributes that you have to have by any particular entity as a driver, you've got to build those. They might come with one, they might come with two. But to me we're always looking now for people -- Lewis Hamilton I guess at McLaren, I understand that Ron Dennis hired him when he was just a young man driving go-karts.
“To me I think everybody in this garage area is looking at the young talent to try to build their team.”
Q. I think because of all the success you've had in auto racing in general, some people still find it hard to believe that you haven't won a NASCAR Cup championship yet. Rusty told me yesterday he figured that you guys would have won four or five together when he was driving with you. What was the difference now? What clicked? What made it happen for you guys now after all these years? “Well, we've been close. We've won a lot of races. We haven't had the number of chances because when you look at our statistics the number of starts that we've had on the team. And basically there's been some super competition out there when you look at the great teams that we compete against. I think that what's happened, we've been able to have a focus, and one of the things that probably that people maybe haven't even thought about is we've gone to two cars, and I can tell you that decision to run two cars where we're focusing, and if we've got something good we can get it on both cars, and I think the fact that we had a little bit of a bumpy start with AJ, AJ did a good job for us and I'm a big supporter of his going forward, Sam jumping in and supporting the opportunity to help Brad. But I think the two-car team has helped us. I think from an engineering standpoint we've stepped up our game.
“If you look at our roster of people, we've probably added more people from the engineering side of our business, our wind tunnel program, the guys that are building our cars now, the support we've had from Dodge.
“I think it's a multitude of things that has made a difference. The business was a lot different in the '90s. We didn't have the technology, and to me today the cars are so tight with the templates and things you have to do, and we've got a great driver. I think today Brad is young, and he certainly hasn't -- he's not on a plateau, that's for sure. Every race he gets better. Just watching him last week, I watch him from the spotter's stand. I know when we're good and I know when we're bad.”
Q. Penske Racing in the last 14, 16 months has gone through the split with Kurt, the episode with AJ and the ramifications, the need to reshape your 2013 agenda. How does this equate to the normal ebbs and flows of this business for all the years you've been in it, and how has this impacted you personally, if at all? “Well, I think -- I work in the business world every day, and when you read the newspaper you know something is happening, and every day isn't a good day. And I guess that I've decided every day is not a good day in racing, also.
“I think we're motivated. We've used racing, I've said it before, as a common thread through our company. And to me it shows the execution, the team work and the integrity, and I guess as long as we're able to demonstrate quality on the racetrack and we have sponsors like Miller, been with us now over 20 years, people like Shell-Pennzoil, Discount Tire and the folks that are coming with us and are giving us long-term commitments, that's giving us the ability to maybe some of the other teams haven't had. But that to me is going to give us a chance to build even a better platform as we go forward.
“To me personally, it's another day in the office.
Q. You said last week when asked why you haven't won a Cup championship before, maybe your focus hadn't always been over here. Has the addition of Brad made you focus a little bit more over here? Has he demanded more of your time? “There's no question that Brad is in contact with me every day, and you know how (laughter), so -- text. I'm not a tweeter at this point. Maybe that's going to be next year. I don't know. I don't know what he's got for me.
“But he's passionate about the sport, and he wants me to be involved as he has the rest of the team, and I think that we've stepped it up. I'm very anxious to have Joey join. Joey seems to be the same kind of person, he's on the phone and the kinds of things he wants to get done.
“I'd have to say that Brad has not only pushed me as an individual, he's pushed the team in a positive direction, and he's delivering. It's one thing when someone is pushing you and they don't deliver, but he seems to be able to give us that extra push but deliver on the race weekends, and that's what we're expecting him to do this weekend.
Q. You're not known as a speculator, wild gambler - maybe years ago - but Paul Wolfe appears to have taken some chances with some very good pit calls maybe in connection with Brad. I was wondering what qualities do you see in Paul that you admire? “Well, I think Paul -- the one thing about Wolfe, he was a driver. He's had to build his own cars, and he certainly understands the business. Interesting, as you know, Brad works with Paralyzed Veterans, and after a couple of race weekends, in fact it was at Bristol, he has four or five of these paralyzed veterans come to the track and we have a two-seat car and he takes them for a ride. It was interesting that Paul Wolfe was on the track making some pretty fast laps. I said maybe I can hire you as a driver.
“But he's got experience, and he's been the glue. I think he's been a good sounding board for Brad because he's been a driver and he understands the cars completely, and that's what it takes. He's calm, he's cool. There's been a lot of comparisons with that relationship between Brad and Paul and Chad Knaus and Jimmie. Those guys are the best. And if we can just be in their shadow and in their draft and stay with them this weekend, we're going to have a great season.
“But he's been a big help to us. But Paul was out there. He had run in cars with different drivers back in Nationwide, and Brad and I saw him as someone we could bring him on board. So this team has evolved. It's not something that you just overnight. It's taken some time, certainly the championship in Nationwide was critical, and you think Brad has won now I think 13 Nationwide races, eight or nine Cup races just in three years. So when you think about that, many of those wins have been with Wolfe. So you'd have to say that he's a key part of the formula of our team.”
Q. What attribute that Brad displays most surprises you now that you didn't see when you made the decision that he would be a guy you would hire? “Well, I think the most important thing that's happened, he's gained the respect in the garage area, because early on there were -- he was rough, he was bumping people. There was with Carl Edwards and other people. But I think that he's emerged. He's learned like a lot of the great drivers that have gone through that rough patch. He's emerged, and I think to me, the speed that he's come from where he was when he first started with us to where he is today, smooth, understanding the car, and ultimately being a winner to me is amazing. He's done it in just 36 months with us.
“When you put those stats on the ground and see what he's done, and he's got a great future ahead of him, and we expect him to deliver for us over a long period of time.”
Q. A lot has been made of Brad's upbringing in a racing family, and I was curious if you knew Bob Keselowski or knew that team at all before you ever met Brad. “Well, I knew the Keselowskis, Bob very well, because owning the Michigan Speedway, they were our local guys, and they'd come out there, and I remember, I didn't really meet Brad specifically, but Ron and Bob were guys that I knew very well out at the track because they'd come out there and unload and race at the Michigan track. They're our local guys.
“To me Bob, his dad, is a terrific person. Kay, his mom, they mortgaged everything for these kids to go racing, and I think people might not know that. The fact that Brad is really -- he's paying him back now because he's not only been able to support them as a family but also with the success he's had as an individual and also as a race driver.”
Q. Over the course of three years, when you hired Brad and when you promoted him to Cup, Kurt was part of the package. After Kurt's departure, are you surprised at how quickly he's been able to rise to the level of leadership that he has and fill that void that existed when Kurt left? “Well, obviously that departure, we hadn't planned on that, but as things worked out it happened, and when it did, I sat down with Brad and said, you're going to have to be the leader of this team. He said to me many times when he was racing with Kurt, he said, I've got to get better so I can help Kurt. Interesting when you think about it. He said that to me not once but many times. Once Kurt left and he stepped into the leadership position, he's just taken it over, and I think the whole team feels that when he goes to a test and when he's dealing -- whether it's with Sam and they debrief, I think a lot of things we've come together. We don't have two teams, it's one team, there's no question, because the interface, the way our shop is set up, the way we build our cars, where our crew chiefs sit, they're all together, just like you are here in this media room. You're side by side, not in different buildings, and I think that's helped us, and Brad has been a big catalyst in that society.”
Q. You mentioned earlier your role as a spotter. I assume you're doing that Sunday. Talk some about that. I know you have a lot of folks that you employ that probably could fill that role, but you obviously want to do it. Talk about your role there. “Well, I am kind of a coaching spotter. Joey Meyer, and I don't know if you've listened to him, but I think he might be one of the understated guys on the team. He doesn't set the car up and doesn't drive it, but I can tell you one thing: You listen to that radio and what his insight -- just last week when Jeff was in a mood to go after Bowyer, Joey saw it and he told Brad ahead of him, so he even saw Brad slow down a little bit as he got into 3. I'm up there because quite honestly I can always watch the cars go by the start-finish line. I like to see if we're competitive, who's driving, what's going on out on the racetrack. We've got professional spotters for all the guys. I come over from time to time and I'll make a comment to Brad when I think it's appropriate, but I'm really -- I guess I'm the backup guy if their battery goes down. That's about all.
Q. You mentioned earlier talking about Brad, and it's one thing to say something, but his ability to back it up and how much success he's had in a short period of time. Talking to Paul Wolfe last week, he also said one of the reasons why we don't get too bent out of shape when Brad runs his mouth is because he always backs it up, and I just wonder if you thought -- I know he's gained a lot of respect, but he still seems at times to rub some other competitors the wrong way. I wonder if you thought that was one of the reasons, not sense of jealousy, but how quickly success has found him? “Well, anyone that's had the success that he has in a short period of time, people look up to drivers like that. But I think everybody -- I think the quality that everyone would vote yes on, this guy is a race driver. All the other trappings, everything else you put on the Christmas tree only make it look better. But as far as I'm concerned, he's consistent. I think he cares about the sport, he cares about the fans, and if you asked the officials, I think they feel that he's playing ball, too.
“I can't get into what people think about him. All I know is the people in the garage area, many people have come up to me and said this guy is really doing a job for you. And these are owners who today would love to have him drive for them. Those are my peers who are saying you've got the best in the business. That's my report card, not what might be said by someone else in a different conversation.
“I think even Carl Edwards would say that this young man has really come a long way, and those guys had some real tough fights there for a while. I think that's all changed.”
Q. As a measure of how much you want this thing Sunday, as a yardstick measurement, would you give up next year's Indy 500 win for Sunday? “I was just going to use the top of the flagpole as my measuring stick how much I want it, top of the American flagpole. That's a hard one to ask. Obviously this comes first, and something that we've never achieved as a company, as a team, and to me that's the most important thing I have to deal with right now is Sunday afternoon's race here at Homestead.
“I'll answer the question about Indianapolis after Sunday.”
Q. Talking about how Brad talks to you daily and is so involved as a leader, can you give any specific examples? Is he talking personnel moves with you? Are you guys planning ahead for next year with Ford stuff? What sort of stuff is he in there? “I would say all of the above. We're talking about personnel, we're talking about -- many times what we're -- he has a list, and I guess he and Paul, what I've asked them to do, it's easy to say we want to do this, but generally they provide me with a list of the things that they feel we can make the team better and the car better. In fact to the point Brad thought we should upgrade our fitness center. Nothing to do with racing, but the team, human capital. So we go through that list, and I sit down with Mike Nelson and Travis and sit down with Tim Cindric, and we check those things off and I'm looking for the list because the list has made us a lot better. To me we're talking about our sponsors and what does he need to do to make sure we're delivering what the sponsors want.
“Obviously we're talking a lot today about younger drivers that we can bring on the team. He's a big supporter. And we've had conversations about how to make his truck faster. So it's a myriad of topics. But they're all focused on our team and racing.”
Q. You mentioned young drivers. What are the plans for Ryan Blaney for next year? “Well, right now I know there's some people asking me some questions when I walked in. We've signed Sam up to drive the No. 12 car, Alliance car in Nationwide next year. We have a commitment for a number of Cup races on a third car, which Sam will be there to run those races. And Blaney at this point, we're considering him to be -- to drive the truck. Haven't announced it yet. It's not a done deal. But we'd like to see him in the truck, and also we'll provide him some Nationwide rides.
“We started with him maybe running two or three this year, and I think he'll end up with seven or eight. We think that he's a fine young man, and he's got a lot to learn like they all do, but I think he's certainly coming from a family that's been racing, and he seems to have the talent. There's a lot of good young talent out there today, so we certainly want to support him.”
Q. With all the great accomplishments at Penske Racing, how would you compare and rate chasing the Sprint Cup championship in 2012? “Well, we've talked about it, Tim Cindric and I have, and our people. This is the pinnacle of achievements that we could get in motor racing. This NASCAR Sprint Cup and the competition, the 38 weekends, I heard Jimmie Johnson or someone say it's a war out there, and it is. And to be standing at the end with the American flag in your hand when it's all over and be the champion is something real special, and we've not achieved it. I said I was goal oriented earlier, and one of our goals is to win this championship. I kid these guys and say I don't want to sit down in the front row anymore, I want to be up on the stage so I see who's at the party.”
Q. Detroit is a stick-and-ball town, and a lot of the sports stories up there are about the Lions and the Tigers and the Red Wings, but where would you rate this as a story if Brad can win on Sunday for Detroit, for Michigan? It would be a first for a Michigan-born driver. “Well, obviously I've been in business in Michigan for a long time, lived in Michigan. When we bought the speedway back so many years ago. Motor racing, we come to the track and race two times a year, so it's not like 100 games in baseball and so many football games that they have with the Lions. But I would say this, that if we could bring back to Michigan and to Detroit the NASCAR championship, I think it's a big deal. And for the state, for the city, and obviously for Rochester Hills, for Brad. He's a big Detroit supporter, and if I could do that, it would be a great time for us, and I'm sure that everyone that loves racing will say, hey, it's about time.”
Q. Your advice is always well-respected. What would you suggest Dodge do for 2013 or 2014? You've talked with those people for 10 years. What would your advice be to them for NASCAR? “Well, I've talked to Dodge about what might be available. We've got, what, 16 Nationwide cars and probably 60 engines, and I said that it might be a good idea if there's some young people out there, people you want to support that you take the things that we have, we'd supply them, and they could take them and run them.
“But I think there's a big interest. But as you know, we've got to step back a minute. Chrysler has come out of bankruptcy, they've done a great job in their market share. They're focusing on their retail business. SRT is just one of their lines of business. But I think Reid Bigland, who's attended the races along with Beth Paretta and Ralph Gilles, I think there's a strong interest to get back in.
“I think they looked at what was available to them going into '13 with just a year's notice and they weren't able to put the combination together maybe that they wanted. But I see them very interested in the sport and will support the sport, and I know that Viper is a big program for them that they have in GT going forward. But I hope to see them back in '14. But we've got some parts and pieces that might be pretty good for someone. That's a sales call I just made.”
Q. What do you think of Brad's fine for having a phone in the car? Did you support him having the phone in the car? He got a lot of publicity for NASCAR at Daytona. “Well, I would say this, I probably shouldn't, I don't know if it was a Verizon phone or a Sprint phone. (Laughter.)
“No, on a serious note, Brad has got to work that out with NASCAR. I'm just the car owner. If he's got to pay a fine, that's his fine. I've got to pay mine, he's got to pay his. I think it's all fine.”
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
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NASCAR CUP Qualifying
Last Updated: Friday, Nov 16, 2012
Ford EcoBoost 400
Status: Field Set Homestead-Miami Speedway
Order Driver (No.) Car Qualifying Speed 1 Joey Logano (20) Toyota 176.056
2 Marcos Ambrose (9) Ford 175.342 3 Brad Keselowski (2) Dodge 175.092
4 Carl Edwards (99) Ford 175.001
5 Aric Almirola (43) Ford 174.887
6 Clint Bowyer (15) Toyota 174.752
7 Martin Truex Jr. (56) Toyota 174.644
8 Kyle Busch (18) Toyota 174.565
9 Mark Martin (55) Toyota 174.452 10 Jimmie Johnson (48) Chevrolet 174.081
11 Matt Kenseth (17) Ford 173.980
12 Kasey Kahne (5) Chevrolet 173.969
13 Greg Biffle (16) Ford 173.930
14 Jamie McMurray (1) Chevrolet 173.807
15 Jeff Gordon (24) Chevrolet 173.740
16 Dale Earnhardt Jr. (88) Chevrolet 173.472 17 Sam Hornish Jr. (22) Dodge 173.110
18 Paul Menard (27) Chevrolet 173.077
19 Ryan Newman (39) Chevrolet 172.988
20 Trevor Bayne (21) Ford 172.662
21 Juan Pablo Montoya (42) Chevrolet 172.640
22 David Stremme (30) Toyota 172.563
23 Kevin Harvick (29) Chevrolet 172.546
24 Regan Smith (51) Chevrolet 172.507
25 Michael McDowell (98) Ford 172.474
26 Kurt Busch (78) Chevrolet 172.265
27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (6) Ford 172.106
28 Casey Mears (13) Ford 172.057
29 Mike Bliss (119) Toyota 171.881
30 Landon Cassill (83) Toyota 171.756
31 Dave Blaney (36) Chevrolet 171.745
32 Bobby Labonte (47) Toyota 171.679
33 Jeff Burton (31) Chevrolet 171.630
34 David Ragan (34) Ford 171.581
35 Tony Stewart (14) Chevrolet 171.483
36 Josh Wise (26) Ford 171.445
37 David Reutimann (10) Chevrolet 171.222
38 Travis Kvapil (93) Toyota 170.832
39 J.J. Yeley (37) Chevrolet 170.762
40 David Gilliland (38) Ford 170.665
41 Denny Hamlin (11) Toyota 170.052
42 Ken Schrader (32) Ford 169.476
43 Scott Riggs (23) Chevrolet 170.692
44 Reed Sorenson (179) DNQ 170.277
45 Stephen Leicht (33) DNQ 170.057
46 Jason Leffler (191) DNQ 170.036
47 Joe Nemechek (87) DNQ 169.609
__________________
Rick
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SRT Motorsports - Sprint Cup Post-Qualifying Quotes - Homestead
November 16, 2012 , Homestead, Fla. -
Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger R/T) Qualified 3rd
“That’s a little bit faster than what we ran (in practice). It’s probably going to take a 30.50 or 30.60 here to be on the pole. Marcos (Ambrose) laid down a heck of a lap. Our car was pretty decent. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the 18 or the 48 or somebody lay down a killer lap towards the end here. We knew that qualifying is not our strong suit.”
HOW WAS THE CAR DURING THE AFTERNOON WHEN THE SUN WAS OUT? “I thought it was pretty decent but we can always be better.”
HOW WAS YOUR QUALIFYING LAP? “I thought it was pretty decent. I was pleasantly surprised with the speed. I felt like we’d be lucky to end up in the top 15. It’s not over yet but it looks like it’ll probably be somewhere in that range. I’m happy with that. Qualifying has not been our strong suit, so to put on some kind of decent showing for that is important. We’re going to keep working hard to be the best we can in the race which is what counts the most.”
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE DAY SO FAR? “I think it’s been a pretty simple day for us, just going through the stuff that we always go through and trying to keep the same routines that have made us successful to date.”
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO BLOCK OUT EVERYTHING THAT’S GOING ON AND FOCUS ON WHAT YOU NEED TO DO? “I’m not going to lie to you and say that I’ve blocked everything out but I’m enjoying it, how about that? And that’s just as important.”
YOUR THOUGHTS ON QUALIFYING BETTER THAN JIMMIE JOHNSON? “I mean maybe some kind of mental thing. I totally expected him to out-qualify us, to be quite honest. I was going to be fine with that. At least we were prepared for the worst and that’s not what happened so I guess we’re okay.”
WHAT KIND OF RACE DO YOU THINK WE’LL SEE ON SUNDAY GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK? “I don’t know. I imagine it’ll be very similar to what we saw at Texas. These tracks are probably the most similar, here Texas and Chicagoland, with the grip levels and the configurations. So, I’d expect the racing to be similar to that.”
COMMENT ON THE PRESSURE OF THE WEEKEND. “There’s always pressure. There was pressure all year long. I don’t feel drastically more than what I have. But the pressure is what makes it worth it. That’s part of what makes it special, what makes it mean something, so I’m not going to try to run from it. But I can deal with it very well.”
SAM HORNISH JR (No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge Charger) Qualified 17th
HOW WAS YOUR LAP? "We were pretty free. We just couldn't get it through the corner the way that we needed to. The track tightened up a little bit throughout practice as everything started to cool off. Then the track went free tonight, but we have a pretty good direction for Sunday. All in all, it wasn't a terrible lap by any means. I think that we'll be inside the top 15 to start the race. I'm more worried about race day than I am qualifying day. We have a fast Shell/Pennzoil Dodge. We'll just see what we can do to make our car better tomorrow in practice. We found some stuff today that will help for Sunday. I feel pretty good about it."
YOU'VE BEEN A CHAMPION OVER IN INDYCAR. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN TELL BRAD HEADING INTO SUNDAY'S RACE? "I'm not telling Brad anything because I'd be afraid that I'd tell him something that would screw him up. I just hope that it's a nice, smooth race and the championship is won the way it should be, racing hard and not having someone ruin your day."
WHAT ABOUT THE EMOTIONS THAT A DRIVER FACES HEADING INTO A CHAMPIONSHIP RACE? ARE THE EMOTIONS HARD TO BLOCK OUT? "I had it in different ways. I clinched my first Indy championship before the last race one time. The second time I won a championship I went into the race with an 11-point lead and just had to finish second to win the championship. We won the race and I had a 22 point lead at the end. When I won the championship driving for Roger (Penske), we went into the race knowing that we only had to finish third. There were a lot of variable that had to happen for me to lose the championship so it wasn't that stressful. (Scott) Dixon made a couple of mistakes and I kept getting around him. I knew how smart Roger (Penske) was about the race and just listened to him all day."
WHEN YOU'RE IN POSITION TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING THE 'HUNTER' AND 'HUNTED'? "I would much rather be the hunted because you have the lead. There are fewer scenarios that you have to lose the championship. If you're coming into the race with any type of margin, it makes things a little easier. There's just a better feel that you have and less things to worry about to accomplish your goal."
MEDIA CENTER INTERVIEWS
KESELOWSKI: “Yeah, I mean obviously this is what you want to do, you want to qualify well. I really had no expectation of putting on that exciting of a qualifying effort. I’m very happy, very thankful for that result. It’s a testament to the guys, they pushed really hard to give me the best car possible. We prepared for Homestead under the impression that we’d have to come here and win the race and do all those things to win the championship so the speed out of car is a reflection of that. I’m thankful that showed up and we’re going to do the best we can.”
YOU QUALIFIED THIRD, JIMMIE JOHNSON IS TENTH. HOW DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR THINKING ABOUT SUNDAY OR DOES IT AT ALL? “You know, other than pit stall selection, like I said, I was prepared to qualify drastically behind him. I think our whole team was. You look at the race tracks that we’ve talked about being similar to here to Homestead, Chicago and Texas. Both those race tracks, I felt like we qualified drastically behind them and we were able to get up there. And that shows that if you have a great race car, you’ll be able to get the job done. I think we all know that Jimmie is going to have great race car and he already has a great team. They’ll find a way to make their way up there. That actual track position becomes irrelevant when you have a great team. The only real intangible thing that shows up in the race is the pit stall location.”
JIMMIE SAID THEY SPENT THE WHOLE PRACTICE IN QUALIFYING TRIM. I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU DID TOO? “Yeah I mean, we obviously worked on it but our focus has been primarily on the race.”
IF ANYTHING, YOU SET THE TONE FOR HAVING A GOOD TIME DOWN HERE DESPITE ALL THAT YOU HAVE TO ACCOMPLISH. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR TWEET AND DENNY HAMLIN’S TWEET AND YOUR TWEET BACK TO HIM. THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY. “It wasn’t that funny (laughs). I didn’t think it was that funny. I’ve seen a lot funnier stuff. It was kind of funny; it was as funny as you could expect from a race car driver, which I guess is good. We’re not supposed to be comedians. Some of us are, some of us act like ‘em. But I’m trying to stay loose, I’m trying to have fun with him and with everybody else. This is supposed to be a great time and I want to treat it like that. I want to have fun with it. This is the moment I’ve lived for my whole life, to be down to the line and have an opportunity to run for what it’s worth and I’m going to enjoy it. I’m not going to sit here and be miserable with it. What’s the point of that? That’s not any fun. Why are you doing it if you’re not having any fun? I’m going to enjoy it and it just so happens that it actually makes me better at it when I enjoy it. That’s kind of my outlook, I guess.”
WHAT ARE YOUR SIMPLE JOYS IN LIFE, RACING RELATED OR NOT? “My phone (laughter). That’s all I got.”
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
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NASCAR TRUCK Results
Last Updated: Friday, Nov 16, 2012
Ford EcoBoost 200
Status: Final Homestead-Miami Speedway
James Buescher wins 2012 Camping World Truck Series title
Order Driver (No.) Car Pts/Bonus Laps Laps Led Winnings
1 Cale Gale (33) Chevrolet 47/4 140 1 $45,025
2 Kyle Busch (18) Toyota 43/1 140 45 $23,190
3 Joey Coulter (22) Chevrolet 41/0 140 0 $19,410
4 Nelson Piquet Jr. (30) Chevrolet 41/1 140 33 $17,825
5 Miguel Paludo (32) Chevrolet 39/0 140 0 $16,500
6 Johnny Sauter (13) Toyota 39/1 140 4 $16,275
7 Parker Kligerman (7) Toyota 38/1 140 5 $17,375
8 Timothy Peters (17) Toyota 36/0 140 0 $14,875
9 Justin Lofton (6) Chevrolet 35/0 140 0 $14,675
10 Ross Chastain (08) Toyota 34/0 140 0 $17,950
11 Todd Bodine (11) Toyota 34/1 140 4 $14,375
12 Matt Crafton (88) Toyota 32/0 140 0 $14,200 13 James Buescher (31) Chevrolet 31/0 140 0 $14,075 **
14 Ryan Sieg (39) Chevrolet 30/0 140 0 $13,975
15 German Quiroga (151) Toyota 29/0 139 0 $12,700
16 David Starr (81) Toyota 28/0 139 0 $13,750
17 Jason White (23) Ford 27/0 139 0 $13,650
18 Tim George Jr. (2) Chevrolet 26/0 139 0 $13,550
19 Jason Leffler (27) Chevrolet 25/0 138 0 $13,450
20 Ron Hornaday Jr. (9) Chevrolet 24/0 138 0 $13,975
21 Mario Gosselin (84) Chevrolet 23/0 138 0 $11,900
22 Jake Crum (101) Chevrolet 22/0 137 0 $10,650
23 Max Gresham (8) Chevrolet 21/0 137 0 $10,525
24 Jeff Agnew (07) Chevrolet 20/0 136 0 $11,225
25 Ty Dillon (3) Chevrolet 19/0 135 0 $10,175
26 Travis Miller (225) Chevrolet 0/0 135 0 $9,825
27 Kyle Larson (4) Chevrolet 19/2 131 48 $9,625 28 Ryan Blaney (29) Ram 16/0 131 0 $9,425
29 Norm Benning (57) Chevrolet 15/0 131 0 $9,200
30 Ryan Lynch (93) Chevrolet 14/0 130 0 $9,000
31 Jennifer Jo Cobb (10) Ram 13/0 129 0 $8,450
32 John Wes Townley (09) Toyota 12/0 118 0 $8,425
33 Bryan Silas (99) Ford 11/0 43 0 $8,400
34 Dusty Davis (220) Toyota 10/0 28 0 $8,375
35 Chris Jones (38) Chevrolet 9/0 10 0 $8,350
36 Blake Koch (0) Ford 8/0 3 0 $8,264
SRT Motorsports - RAM Camping World Truck Series Race Recap - Homestead
November 16, 2012 , HOMESTEAD, Fla. -
Brad Keselowski Racing’s Ryan Blaney (No. 29 Cooper Standard RAM) scored a 28th-place after being caught up in a late-race, multi-truck accident in tonight’s Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Blaney started the 134-lap contest in 16th position and quickly moved his way up to ninth on by lap 28. An ill-handling race truck would slow any hopes of contending for the win but Blaney ran respectable, hovering around 10th-place over the remaining 103 laps.
But on lap 132 Blaney’s night dramatically changed as he battled for position in a pack of trucks off Turn 4 within sight of the white flag.
Racing in 11th position, Blaney would get collected in a three-car mishap after
Ty Dillon and Kyle Larson banged fenders racing hard for second-place coming out of Turn 4. The contact sent the two Chevrolets spinning down the frontstretch and clipped the No. 29 RAM, sending him hard into the outside safer barrier, ending his night. He was credited with a 28th-place finish.
“It’s one of the worst hits when you get clipped like that,” Blaney said. “We struggled a little bit all night and just really couldn’t find speed but I really wish we could have at least finished. I think we could have wrestled a decent finish out of it. It was a bad night but hopefully we can go get ‘em tomorrow. Every time you’re getting turned around into the wall it’s not really a good thing.”
The talented Camping World Truck Series rookie ends the 2012 Truck Series campaign scoring one win, two top-five and six top-finishes in nine starts.
Cale Gale was the race winner beating Kyle Busch in a fender-banging finish, crossing the finish line just 0.144 seconds ahead of Busch. Joey Coulter, Nelson Piquet Jr. and Miguel Paludo rounded out the top-five.
Race Results
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Ford Ecoboost 200
Homestead-Miami Speedway
November 16, 2012 1. Cale Gale
2. Kyle Busch
3. Joey Coulter
4. Nelson Piquet Jr.
5. Miguel Paludo
6. Johnny Sauter
7. Parker Kligerman
8. Timothy Peters
9. Justin Lofton
10. Ross Chastain 28. RYAN BLANEY
NCWTS Final Driver Standings (after 22 of 22 events)
1. James Buescher 808 points
2. Timothy Peters -6
3. Joey Coulter -19
4. Ty Dillon -24
5. Parker Kligerman -30
6. Matt Crafton -49
7. Nelson Piquet Jr. -61
8. Justin Lofton -98
9. Johnny Sauter -130
10. Miguel Paludo -140
__________________
Rick
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SRT Motorsports - Dodge NNS Race Final Quotes - Homestead
November 17, 2012 , HOMESTEAD, Fla. -
SAM HORNISH (No. 12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger R/T) Finished 4th TALK ABOUT YOUR RACE TODAY: "We had one of those nights where we had a really good car. We just didn't have what we needed there at the end. We cut a tire under green that we had pit for and got ourselves out of sequence. We were able to come back and have a top-five run which is good for the moral of the guys who fought so hard tonight. I wish we could have gotten a little bit more out of it. A fourth-place tonight, fourth-place in (driver) points for the year. We wish we could have done better for Dodge, Alliance Truck Parts and Wurth. There's still tomorrow. I'm looking for a good day in the Cup race."
YOU GOT OFF SEQUENCE BUT WHEN YOU PUT FOUR TIRES ON, YOUR DODGE LOOKED REALLY FAST. DID YOU HAVE A RACE-WINNING CAR? "Yeah, it was fast. The 5 (Regan Smith) car was really good. There were times that we were better than them, just not at the end of the race. We just didn't have track position at the end of the race and had to come from 11th to try to run down the leaders. Our Dodge was fast. We just didn't have time there at the end. The car was really good at times and felt strong. I wish we would have had more at the end."
ROGER ANNOUNCED THIS WEEKEND THAT YOU'LL BE RUNNING A FULL-TIME NATIONWIDE SERIES SCHEDULE NEXT YEAR. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO HAVE A STRONG RUN TONIGHT? "Really important. Obviously, I'd like to have brought home a win in my last Nationwide Series race with Dodge. We battled all night and I'm proud of my guys who overcame a cut tire and helped me race to a top-five. I'm really excited to get the opportunity to run a full Nationwide Series schedule next year. I hope that we can build off the success of this year and parlay it into a better season. I'm proud of my team. We worked hard all year and raced as hard as we could in our Alliance Truck Parts Dodge. Very excited for next year."
Ryan Blaney (No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger) Finished 8th WAS YOUR CAR THE BEST ON THAT LAST RUN THAT IT WAS ALL NIGHT? “We were always stronger for 15-20 laps and then we would really start getting loose. Jeremy (Bullins) and the team made some really good changes there at the end and that helped it. Man, I just couldn’t pick a line where to go in those four-wide situations. We were better for 15 laps. It was hard to pick a lane on that last restart with those four cars ahead of us. We only got one. Definitely not the way we wanted to finish here but we came home eighth and this is probably the strongest field we’ve had. There were more cars in the field with Regan (Smith) and the 21 car (Joey Coulter) and the 33 (Brendan Gaughan). Not too bad of a finish I guess.”
IT SEEMED LIKE WHICH LINE YOU PICKED TO GET THROUGH THE CORNERS WAS CRITICAL TONIGHT. “It was a very, very touchy deal – when to get back on the throttle, how
much to used and where you were pointed. It’s such a touchy deal. I was kind of on top of the race track all night, kind of four-wheel sliding everywhere. It was tough to predict what it was going to do but yeah, if you hit it right it looks real good. It’s just hard to find that little bit.”
WAS THIS THE TOUGHEST MILE-AND-A-HALF THAT YOU’VE BEEN TO THIS SEASON? “Definitely. This is a very hard mile-and-a-half. There's little room for error when you’re running right up next to the wall. There’s little room for error. It’s a very tough race track, pretty tough to pass too. But it makes for fun racing. It’s one of the tougher mile-and-a-halfs.”
ANY IDEA WHAT YOU’RE DOING NEXT SEASON? “We’ve got a small idea (smiles). Keep tuned in.”
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
CAT-BACK Exhaust, CAI, Projector Head Lamps
Fully-Equipped w/all factory options
Sam Hornish Jr. rallied from an unscheduled green-flag pit stop for a flat tire to post his 12th top-five finish of the season in Saturday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Hornish finished fourth in the 300-mile event on the 1.5-mile track to clinch fourth in the season point standings. In the 33-race series, Hornish had 28 top-10 finishes.
"We had one of those nights where we had a really good car,” said Hornish. “We just didn’t have what we needed at the end. We cut a tire under green. That got us out of sequence with the rest of the field. We were able to come back and have a top-five run which is good for the moral of the guys who fought so hard tonight. We wish we could have done better for Dodge, Alliance Truck Parts and Wurth."
Regan Smith claimed the victory in his first start for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports. It was his first win in 103 Nationwide races. He will run the full nationwide schedule for JR Motorsports in 2013.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. became the sixth driver in Nationwide history to win back-to-back championships, using a sixth-place finish to clinch the title. He finished 23 points in front of second-place Elliott Sadler.
Hornish started 11th but quickly worked his way into the top 10. He led once for six laps.
“Our Dodge was really fast,” he said. “The 5 car (Smith) was fast. There were times that we were better, just not at the end of the race. We just didn't have track position at the end of the race and had to come from 11th to try to run down the leaders. Our Dodge was fast. We just didn't have time there at the end. The car was really good at times and felt strong."
Hornish will be running a full Nationwide schedule in 2013 with Penske Racing. “I’d like to have brought home a win in my last Nationwide race with Dodge,” he said. “We battled all night and I'm proud of my guys who overcame a cut tire and helped me race to a top-five. I'm really excited to get the opportunity to run a full Nationwide Series schedule next year. I hope that we can build off the success of this year and parlay it into a better season. I'm proud of my team. We worked hard all year and raced as hard as we could in our Alliance Truck Parts Dodge."
The second driver from Penske Racing, Ryan Blaney, drove the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger to an eighth-place finish, his seventh top 10 in 13 starts in the series this season.
“This is a very difficult mile-and-a-half,” said Blaney. “There’s little room for error when you’re running right up next to the wall. There’s little room for error. It’s a very tough race track, pretty tough to pass too. But it makes for fun racing.”
Race Results
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Ford 300
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012 1. Regan Smith
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brendan Gaughan 4. SAM HORNISH JR.
5. Austin Dillon
6. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
7. Brian Scott 8. RYAN BLANEY
9. Elliott Sadler
10. Cole Witt
Final NASCAR Nationwide Point Standings
(After 33 of 33 Races)
1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 1251
2. Elliott Sadler -23
3. Austin Dillon -24 4. SAM HORNISH JR. -105
5. Michael Annett -169
6. Justin Allgaier -175
7. Cole Whitt -257
8. Mike Bliss -349
9. Brian Scott -398 10. Danica Patrick -413
__________________
Rick
Nitro Year: 2007 (1 of 113,000 sold)
Nitro Model: R/T 4X4 Stone White
CAT-BACK Exhaust, CAI, Projector Head Lamps
Fully-Equipped w/all factory options
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