No. 11 Dutch Quality Stone Chevrolet / Jason Keller
Chicago Post-Race Report
Date: Saturday, July 14, 2007
Event: USG Durock 300
Track: Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.
Pole Sitter: Denny Hamlin, 30.083 sec.
Keller’s Qualifying Position: 5th, 31.110 sec.
Race Winner: Kevin Harvick
Keller’s Finishing Position: 35th
Friday the 13th Comes a Day Late for CJM Racing and Jason Keller at Chicagoland
(July 14, 2007) Joliet, Ill. GPg PR – An aerodynamic handling condition that would not disappear, a loose wheel and a flat rear tire made for a very long day at Chicagoland Speedway Saturday afternoon. The Dutch Quality team forged forward despite the bad luck that plagued the team and crossed the finish line in the 35th position.
CJM Racing made their first appearance on a mile and a half track this year when they arrived in Joliet, Illinois Friday morning for the first of two practice sessions. The team unloaded chassis #02, the same car that gave the team their first top-10 finish at Nashville last month. Within the first few laps of practice it became apparent that aerodynamics would play a significant role in the handling condition of the No. 11 Dutch Quality Stone Chevrolet.
“Being a stand-alone Busch team, we’re sometimes at a disadvantage when it comes to wind tunnel time necessary to match bodies with tracks. This car was strong at Nashville but we soon learned that the aero package did not work for thi s mile and a half track,” explained crew chief Todd Gordon.
The crew worked feverishly to try and resolve the handling woes and hoped for the best as they set their sights on a qualifying effort Saturday morning. Keller went on to qualify the No. 11 machine in the 35th position for the race later that afternoon.
As the green flag dropped, Keller ran competitive laps and gained seven positions by lap 15. The following lap he reported in a handling condition that would continue
to plague the No. 11 Dutch Quality Stone Chevy for the remainder of the 200-lap event. “We’re loose in and tight center off,” radioed Keller.
Over the course of the next 100 laps, Gordon would have Keller bring the No. 11 machine down pit road three times for aggressive adjustments to help relieve the handling condition. The CJM Racing team made adjustments ranging from air pressure, wedge, track bar and a rubber in the right rear all designed to help with the aerodynamic package.
“It became a trial and error situation for us as the day went on. This team is still a fairly new organization and we’re learning more and more every time we come to the race track,” remarked Gordon. We really gained some valuable knowledge today.
Despite the handling concerns, Keller was able to maintain lap times consistent with the top-15 until a loose wheel caused Keller to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 129.
The team, remembering a similar situation in their last race at New Hampshire, quickly changed out four tires and replenished the fuel. When Keller returned to the on-track action he was displayed in the 35th position three laps down to the leaders.
The bad luck continued as less than fifty laps later the left rear tire went flat and Keller returned to pit road for pit stop number seven of the day.
As the laps came to a close, Keller and the Dutch Quality Stone team finished out the day where they started, in the 35th position.
“If it weren’t for bad luck we wouldn’t have had any luck at all today. The team worked hard to fix the handling problems and then everything else seemed to fall apart. We had a top-15 car but unfortunately the cards didn’t fall in our favor today,” a disappointed Keller stated.
Once back at the shop in Mooresville, it was determined that the continued on-track problems with loose wheels was influenced by faulty lug nuts. The CJM Racing team has since made changes to help resolve any further incidents.
CJM Racing with driver Jason Keller will have a four week break following the Chicago race and will resume their racing schedule at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday, August 18th.
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