Dodge finishes 1-2 in the Nationwide Series Indiana 250

This past weekend was a good one for Penske Racing in the
NASCAR Nationwide Series as their two drivers took the top two spots on
Saturday.  Unfortunately, things were not
so great for the Dodge entries in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 although a Dodge still
managed a top 10 finish.

The qualifying effort for the two Penske Racing drivers for
Saturday’s Indiana 250 of the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Brad Keselowski and
his #22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger started in the 8^th spot while
Sam Hornish Jr and his #12 Alliance Truck Parts Dodge Challenger started in the
13^th spot.  Luckily, when the
green flag dropped on Saturday it was a different story as the two Penske
Challengers were among the front runners all day long.  When the checkered flag came down 100 laps
later – Keselowski took the win in the #22 car while teammate Sam Hornish Jr
followed him in second.  This was the
third time in the last three years that the Penske Nationwide cars had finished
1-2 and with the win, Penske Racing took home its 100^th Nationwide
Series win.  This was Keselowski’s second
win in a row.

Sam Hornish Jr continues to hang onto the 4^th
spot in 2012 Nationwide Series standings, 28 points behind leader Elliot
Sadler.  As a Sprint Cup regular, Brad
Keselowski is not in the running for the Nationwide championship.

Qualifying was just as unkind to Keselowski and Hornish for
the Sunday ‘Crown Royal presents the Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard’ –
formerly known as the Brickyard 400 before corporate America had their way with
the naming rights of races.  Keselowski
in the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger started in the 22^nd position
while teammate Sam Hornish Jr started in the 24^th position in the #22
Shell/Pennzoil Charger.  Hornish
continues to fill in for AJ Allmendinger, who has been indefinitely suspended
for failing two drug tests. 

By the end of the race, both Penske Racing Dodge Chargers had
worked their way up through the field a bit but they fell well short of a
repeat from Saturday’s performance. 
Keselowski managed to get up to the 9^th spot while Hornish
settled for a 16^th place finishing position.  Brad Keselowski’s 10^th top 10
finish of the year allowed him to move up one point in the 2012 Sprint Cup
season standings – now sitting in the 9^th position as he jumped Toyota
driver Clint Bowyer.  As a Nationwide
Series regular,  Sam Hornish Jr is not in
the running for the Sprint Cup championship even though it looks as though he
may finish the season in the #22 Shell/Pennzoil car due to Allmendinger’s
suspension.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup heads to Pocono this weekend for the
Pennsylvania 400 while the NASCAR Nationwide Series makes a stop in Iowa for
the U.S. Cellular 250 presented by the Enlist Weed Control System.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

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