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Brad Keselowski -- NNS Phoenix Preview

Tuesday November 4, 2008

 

PREVIEW – Brad Keselowski (No. 88 U.S. Navy Chevrolet)
EVENT – Hefty Odor Block 200 (200 Laps/200 Miles)
TRACK – Phoenix International Raceway (1.0-Mile Oval)
DATE – Saturday, November 8, 2008
 
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SEASON STATS – Keselowski comes into the weekend ranked third in points, 293 back from leader Clint Bowyer and 202 behind second-place driver Carl Edwards. In 33 races so far in 2008, Keselowski and the No. 88 Navy team have scored two wins, one pole award, 10 top-fives and 19 top-10 finishes. Keselowski’s average finish is 10.9. He has led 293 laps and completed 98.4 percent of the total laps run this year.
 
THE LAST OUTTING AT PHOENIX – In the April race at PIR, Keselowski qualified second and finished 12th after leading twice for nine laps. Since that race, he has an average finish of 6.0 at 1.0-mile tracks. On the season, Keselowski has an average finish of 7.8 at short tracks (those measuring 1.0-miles or less), having earned one of his two wins at a short track (Bristol Motor Speedway).
 
DOUBLE DUTY – This weekend, Keselowski will attempt to qualify the No. 19 truck for Brad Keselowski Racing in the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway. This is the fourth time this season the team will field an entry, having raced previously at Nashville, Gateway and Las Vegas with driver Robb Brent. 
 
THE LAST STRAW – Keselowski last raced in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Memphis Motorsports Park in 2007, where he led 62 laps, nearly winning the event before being bumped from behind by Travis Kvapil with 10 laps to go. It was this race that solidified the decision by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to sign the young driver to finish out the season in the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. 
 
GOOD SHOWING – Last weekend, Keselowski made his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway where he finished 19th in the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Keselowski will again try to make the field next weekend in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
 
CHASSIS No. 434 – The No. 88 team will use Chassis No. 434 this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. Keselowski raced this car at the spring race in Phoenix where he finished 12th. This chassis was also raced at New Hampshire, ORP, Milwaukee and Richmond this season. 
 
FLEET HONOREE – The No. 88 Navy team’s Fleet Honoree for Saturday’s race is the Beachmaster Unit One. Beachmaster Unit One, located at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California, is a member command of Naval Beach Group ONE. Other commands in this group are Assault Craft Unit ONE, Amphibious Construction Battalion ONE, and Assault Craft Unit FIVE. Together these units provide the capability of moving combat troops and equipment ashore from ships at sea and providing the beach logistical support once these troops are established on the beach. Beachmaster Unit One is the Naval Element of the Landing Force Shore Party (LFSP). The mission of BMU One is to support the landing movement over the beaches of troops, equipment and supplies, and to facilitate the evacuation of casualties and prisoners of war. In addition, the Beachmasters maintain communications and liaison with designated naval commanders and naval control units, control all craft and amphibious vehicles in the vicinity of the beach from the surf line to the high water mark, coordinate the reembarkation of equipment, troops and supplies, determine and advise on the suitability for landing through coordination with the Oceanographic Section of the Sea, Air, Land (SEAL), control boat salvage, keep appropriate Navy commanders appraised of wind and surf conditions, install causeway beaching range markers and range lights, and assist in the defense of the beach.
 
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KESELOWSKI (on running in the truck race this weekend…) – “It’s been over a year since I last raced in the [Craftsman] Truck series and I’m really excited to be in the No. 19 for Brad Keselowski Racing this weekend. I started my career racing trucks and it’s great to be able to go back to my roots. I don’t think there’s ever been a father/son pair win in the Truck series either so that would be really cool.”
 
KESELOWSKI (on coming back to Phoenix…) – “I’m really excited to come back to Phoenix. We qualified well and had a great car there in the spring and we are bringing back that same car this weekend. My crew has been doing a great job of gaining me spots on pit road these past few weeks and I’m expecting more of the same from them. I just want to stay out of trouble so we can be in contention for the win at the end.”
 
KESELOWSKI (on his Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway…) - "It was a good start. I am very happy with that. I am real happy with everyone on the GoDaddy.com Chevrolet. Lance [McGrew, crew chief] did a great job with pit calls. A good day; I learned a lot. I drove over my head a couple times and got myself in some trouble. It probably cost us a couple spots there at the end. All in all, I was still pretty happy with it. The car has nicks and scratches, but nothing we can't fix up."

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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Beth Lunkenheimer.

 

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