No. 11 Force Protection Chevrolet / Jason Keller
Dover Post-Race Report
Date: Saturday, June 2, 2007
Event: Dover 200
Track:Dover International Speedway, Dover, DE.
Pole Sitter: Denny Hamlin, 23.443 sec.
Keller’s Qualifying Position: 22nd, 23.895 sec.
Race Winner: Carl Edwards
Keller’s Finishing Position: 13th
Determination and Hard Work Pay Off for the No. 11 Force Protection Team at Dover
(June 2, 2007) Dover, DE. GPg PR – The opportunity to build on CJM Racing’s promising start at Darlington had finally arrived as the hauler pulled into Dover International Speedway on Thursday morning to set the stage for Saturday’s Dover 200. The team would overcome several obstacles along the way but would not disappoint as the No. 11 Force Protection Chevrolet crossed the start/finish line in the 13th position.
Not only did Dover signify the second start for CJM Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series it also gave the team the chance to race a car built in-house from the ground up. Chassis #01 had seen some previous track time at a test session two weeks prior at Lowe’s Motor Speedway where driver Jason Keller posted the 12th fastest lap time one afternoon but it had never experienced race conditions.
After working out a few minor handling issues in practice on Friday, the team felt confident in their ability to become a top competitor in Saturday afternoon’s Dover 200. That confidence would not falter as driver Jason Keller qualified the No. 11 Force Protection Chevrolet in the 22nd position at the famed “Monster Mile.”
“Dover has always been one of my favorite race tracks. Not only do I enjoy racing on the concrete surface, one of my biggest career wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series
came at this track. With 40-laps to go, I passed Mark Martin for the win. That’s a day I’ll never forget,” explained Keller.
As the Dover 200 got under way, Keller maintained track position despite reporting in a tight handling condition to crew chief Todd Gordon. When the caution flag flew on lap 37, Gordon made the call to bring the No. 11 machine down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel, a rubber in the right rear and a slight left side air pressure adjustment. The Force Protection team restarted in the 25th position with 155-laps to go.
Unfortunately, the changes did little to alleviate the handling woes and Keller fell a lap down to the leaders just before the midway point. Lady luck would shine down on the CJM Racing team on lap 88 when the caution flag flew again and the No. 11 was given the “Lucky Dog” award. Jason would regain his spot on the lead lap and remain there for the rest of the 200-lap event.
The tight handling condition continued to plague the team and another pit stop was made under caution on lap 118. The pit stop soon turned ugly as the jack was dropped before the stop was completed, the crew made quick work to rectify the situation and was able to restart on the lead lap with little damage to the race car.
As the laps continued, the on-track action heated up. Thanks to Jason’s driving capabilities and the spotter’s quick calls, Keller managed to maneuver his way through accidents that happened just mere seconds ahead of him.
With 20 laps remaining, Keller found himself the cause of a caution flag. Juan Pablo Montoya, the driver of the No. 42 Havoline Dodge, got into the back of Jason causing him to spin out but never make hard contact with the wall. The Force Protection Chevy was brought down pit road for repairs and on the restart Jason began his quest to the front.
Keller would gain five track positions in the remaining 17-laps and bring home a 13th place finish for the Force Protection team.
“We endured a lot in this 200-lap event. I’m very proud of this team; no one ever gave up regardless of what was handed to us. We battled everything from handling, to a bad pit stop to even being spun out in the closing laps. To walk out of here with a 13th place finish is a testament to this team’s dedication to make this program a success,” remarked Keller
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