Verizon to sponsor Penske N'wide No. 12 in 2009

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Penske Racing announced Monday that it will team with Verizon Wireless to field a full-season entry in the 2009 Nationwide Series. The No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge will be driven by Justin Allgaier, the 2008 ARCA Re/Max Series champion. Allgaier, 22, made four Nationwide starts for Penske Racing in '08 after joining the team in late September.

Allgaier

Penske Racing will also continue its participation in the Cup Series with the No. 12 Dodge driven by David Stremme. He will be joined by teammates Kurt Busch in the No. 2 and Sam Hornish Jr., driving the No. 77 in the three-car effort. Stremme, the 2003 Nationwide Series rookie of the year, also promises to be extremely competitive in the coming season in Cup Series competition. The No. 12 Cup Series team also retains Roy McCauley as its crew chief and will debut a new paint scheme in 2009, beginning with the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday, Feb. 7.

"Penske Racing enjoyed a productive, winning relationship with Alltel over the last decade," said Roger Penske, chairman of Penske Racing. "We look forward to building on that solid foundation and in sharing many future successes with our new partner, Verizon Wireless."

"Everyone at Verizon Wireless is very excited to join the Penske Racing team," said Mike Lanman, chief marketing officer for Verizon Wireless. "Innovation, reliability and technology are the cornerstones of our business and we know our partners at Penske Racing value those same ideals. We can't wait for the start of the 2009 racing season."