Dodge Challenger at Atlanta Motor Speed
Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), finished seventh in the Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) on Saturday night. The event was the first race back in the Discount Tire Dodge for the reigning NNS champion after a testing accident at Road Atlanta early last month.
After missing three events, “it felt good to be back out there,” said Keselowski. “Certainly would like to get a little bit better finish. I didn’t quite get it done there at the end of the race. I’ve got no one to blame but myself. We still just need to find a little bit more speed in these cars but there not far off for sure and (we’ll) keep plugging away with it with the Discount Tire team.”
The No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge team will visit Richmond International Raceway on Friday, September 9 for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250. Live coverage will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The race will also be heard on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 90.
Sprint Cup Race Postponed Until Tuesday
NASCAR and Penske Racing Team hopes the miserable weather of Hurricane Lee is gone today, though there was still a 30 percent chance of showers. It’s not the best solution but the best NASCAR is going to be able to do under trying circumstances. It was the second Cup race of the year to be run at least a day later than scheduled. This year’s race at Watkins Glen was run on a Monday due to rain. After 2 day delay, green flag was raised at 11 a.m. this morning.
Gordon took the win, with five-time defending Sprint Cup champion Johnson finishing second. Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski rounded out the top six. Rain was the theme of Atlanta, it looked like it just might end under the same conditions as Sunday and Monday. Drivers struggled to get into any kind of rhythm as a misty rain began to steadily interrupt the action shortly after the halfway point of the race this afternoon. The interruptions threatened to alter the race, but in the end had little impact.
Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman, who finished 20th, both clinched spots in the Chase For The Sprint Cup while Keselowski clinched at least one of the two wild-card spots.
Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard and Marcos Ambrose were eligible for a $1 million bonus as part of the Sprint Summer Showdown. A victory in the race would have also earned $1 million for the driver’s charity of choice $1 million and a fan. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on their side for this honor.
Now racers will be preparing for the final race before the qualifying grid is set for the 2011 Chase schedule — this weekend’s race in Richmond, Va. Some racers will also be visiting the White House tomorrow to meet with President Obama.
