Race 2 Win: Busch Series Race Notes

NASCAR Busch Series

Emerson Radio 250 - Brad Keselowski Notes

KESELOWSKI CLEARED FOR RICHMOND; SIGNED TO FINISH SEASON IN NO. 88

Brad Keselowski has been cleared by Dr. Jerry Petty for NASCAR competition and will drive the No. 88 Navy Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in Friday’s Emerson Radio 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Last Saturday Keselowski was involved in a wreck in the Camping World 300 at California Speedway. He was airlifted to Loma Linda University Medical Center where he underwent CT scanning and x-rays on his head, left ankle and chest. All tests came back negative. Following standard NASCAR procedure, Keselowski was examined by Dr. Petty upon his return to North Carolina. He underwent an MRI on Sunday and was given a physical on Tuesday before being cleared to race.

JR Motorsports has signed Keselowski to drive the No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS for the remainder of the 2007 season. The 23-year-old driver took over the wheel of the JR Motorsports Busch entry prior to the July 14 race at Chicagoland Speedway and has competed in six races since, earning two top 10s along with finishes of 13th and 14th. Keselowski also scored top-rookie honors in three of those six events.

In 1997, Brad’s dad, Bob Keselowski, won the NASCAR Truck Series event at Richmond International Raceway after leading 82 laps and became the first Keselowski to make his way to Victory Lane in one of NASCAR’s elite divisions. This weekend Brad hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps and become the second Keselowski to earn a win at the 0.75-mile track.

In two previous Busch races at Richmond, Keselowski’s best finish was 35th. The 23-year-old rookie also has one Truck Series start at the 0.75-mile track. In 2005 he started 34th and finished 16th.

In three previous attempts at RIR, the JR Motorsports team’s best finish at the track is 18th. In four total starts at 0.75-mile tracks, the team’s best finish is fifth (Memphis – Oct. ’06). The team also scored its best starting position (third) last October in Memphis.

This weekend the JR Motorsports team will run chassis No. 378, which is the first car the team received from Hendrick Motorsports since the two teams announced the merger of their Busch programs in July. It will be the first time the JR Motorsports team has utilized this car.

In 27 races this year the JR Motorsports team has compiled one top-five and six top-10 finishes. The No. 88 team is currently ranked 17th in the Busch Series owner point standings, just 26 markers out of the top 15.

Brad Keselowski, Driver, No. 88 Navy Accelerate Your Life Chevrolet Monte Carlo
“We’re looking to get back on track at Richmond. The Navy team had a string of top finishes before California and we’re all ready to get back to that after the wreck. It was a hard hit, but I’m OK. I guess it’s just a testament to the safety devices we use in this sport. I really have to thank California Speedway, NASCAR and the other parties who developed the SAFER wall.

“It’s been a fairly busy week, but we were able to finalize everything to keep me in the car for the rest of the season and I’m looking forward to finishing out the year in the JR Motorsports Navy Chevrolet. We’ve had some great runs together so far and I plan to continue that in the last few races we’ve got left to run. It’s been an honor to represent the Navy on the track and have the opportunity to meet different sailors each week and I look forward to continuing that for the rest of the year.

“It’d be pretty cool if I could win my first Busch race at the track my dad scored his first big NASCAR win on. Richmond is a pretty exciting track. The racing is always good under the lights there.

“We’re racing a new chassis brought over from Hendrick Motorsports this weekend. JR Motorsports is just starting to reap the fruits of the merger with Hendrick, and I’m excited to see how well it runs for the Navy team.”

Navy Notables
The fleet honoree for Friday’s race at Richmond is the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69). Construction of the third nuclear-powered and second Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), was authorized by Congress in fiscal year 1970. The carrier, named after the nation's 34th president, was christened at 11:11 a.m., October 11, 1975, by Mrs. Mamie Doud-Eisenhower, the ship's sponsor and widow of the late president. The mission of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower is to provide a wide range of flexible mission capabilities, to include maritime security operations, expeditionary power projection, forward naval presence, crisis response, sea control, deterrence, counter-terrorism, information operations, security cooperation and counter-proliferation. The ship’s embarked air wing is capable of projecting tactical air power over the sea and inland, as well as providing sea-based air, surface and subsurface defense capabilities.

Event Information
Emerson Radio 250
9/7/07
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond, Virginia
0.75-mile oval
TV – ESPN2 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Radio – MRN at 7:30 p.m. ET

Team Information
Chassis – No. 378
Chassis Info – First time raced by JRM
Engine – RCR
Primary Sponsor – U.S. Navy
Associate Sponsors – Chevrolet, Champion, R&B, Puma, Snap-On, Miller, Wix Filters, Sherwin Williams, Racing Radios