PREVIEW: BRAD KESELOWSKI (NO. 25 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET)
VENUE: CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE TRI-OVAL)
CIRCUIT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 19 OF 36)
DATE: JULY 11, 2009 (267 LAPS, 400.5 MILES)
FIRST TIME AT CHICAGO: Driving the No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Brad Keselowski will attempt to qualify for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway this weekend. The 25-year-old Michigan native has made two previous NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at the 1.5-mile racetrack, where he most recently scored a third-place finish last July after starting 13th.
THIS SEASON: Keselowski, who is splitting time this season qualifying Sprint Cup Chevrolets for Hendrick Motorsports and Phoenix Racing, has recorded one win, one top-five finish and three top-10s in six Cup attempts. Keselowski scored a 24th-place finish last weekend driving the No. 09 Phoenix Racing Chevy at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Keselowski scored a seventh-place finish at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway in his most recent attempt with Hendrick Motorsports.
DOUBLE DUTY IN THE WINDY CITY: This weekend, Keselowski also will drive the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet in the Nationwide Series. In this Nationwide Series event last year, Keselowski climbed from his 13th-place starting spot to lead four laps and finish third.
FIRST TIME PAIRING: This weekend will mark the first time that Keselowski will work with crew chief Tony Eury Jr. Prior to this weekend, Keselowski worked with Lance McGrew, and the pair scored a team-high finish of seventh at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. In the Nationwide Series, Keselowski works with Eury's father, crew chief Tony Eury Sr.
THREE MORE: Keselowski will attempt to qualify Hendrick Motorsports' No. 25 GoDaddy.com Chevy three more times this Cup season: at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 16, Kansas Speedway on Oct. 4 and Lowe's Motor Speedway on Oct. 17. The final race was recently added as a replacement for the May 31 event at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
CHASSIS CHOICE: Eury Jr. has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 25-537 for this weekend's event at Chicagoland Speedway. This is the same car that Keselowski raced to a seventh-place finish at Darlington Raceway earlier this season.
HENDRICK AT CHICAGO: Hendrick Motorsports, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, has tallied one win, 12 top-five finishes, 15 top-10s and three pole positions in eight races (33 starts) at Chicagoland Speedway.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS ON FACEBOOK: Become a fan of Hendrick Motorsports on Facebook. Visit www.facebook.com/HendrickMotorsports for information on Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the rest of the organization.
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BRAD KESELOWSKI, DRIVER, NO. 25 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET (ON RETURNING TO CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY.): "Chicagoland is a pretty special place for me as it was the first track I got to race at as a JR Motorsports driver two years ago. Getting in that car and racing for (team owner) Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. pretty much got me to where I am today, which includes having the opportunity to even be sitting in this GoDaddy.com Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. The last time I was in this car, we had a solid top-10 finish, and I really think we can do that again this weekend. I feel like the team is coming together, and I'm hopeful that will continue in Chicago."
KESELOWSKI (ON WORKING WITH TONY EURY JR. FOR THE FIRST TIME.): "I'm really looking forward to the opportunity I have to work with Tony Jr. for the first time this weekend. I've had a chance to talk with him over the past few weeks, and so I think we will definitely be on the same page communication-wise. He brings a lot of experience to the table having the background he does and having worked with Dale Jr. While I haven't raced at this track before (in the Sprint Cup Series), Tony Jr. was able to participate in the tire test a few weeks ago, so I think the information he'll have from that will definitely be helpful. It's going to be good to work with him and see what I can learn from him over these next three races."
TONY EURY JR., CREW CHIEF, NO. 25 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET (ON WORKING WITH KESELOWSKI.): "I'm looking forward to it. I think it's kind of a change of pace, and it's kind of a challenge to me. You know, those young guys, they're eager. I think we'll complement each other well. I've watched Brad the last couple of years, and I look forward to working with him."
EURY (ON IF HE'S ASKED HIS FATHER, TONY EURY SR., FOR ADVICE AS KESELOWSKI'S CREW CHIEF.): "We've talked over the last year or so, just understanding what kind of changes he's making to the cars. But I've had a lot more conversations with Brad than anybody. He just gives me race reports from running the Impala this year. I go back and look at those setups and try to figure out where we're going from here.
"Brad has been really good about giving me his plusses and minuses on what he thinks about himself, and I've given them to him from my perspective. We understand each other going into the weekend, and we're looking forward to it."
EURY (ON THE RECENT TIRE TEST WITH HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS' NO. 88 SPRINT CUP TEAM.): "We just kind of went up there (to Chicagoland Speedway) and validated some of the stuff that the teams have been running around here lately. It worked out real well. It was a very good test. We ought to be able to put that setup in and go for broke at Chicagoland."
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