NASCAR BGN: Jason Keller a proven winner at IRP

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

August 1, 2001

Keller has captured two of his five career Busch Series wins at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He also has one pole, three top fives and five top 10s in just seven starts at the .636-mile short track.

Keller remains third in the points standings. He is 178 points behind leader Kevin Harvick and only 15 points behind second-place driver Greg Biffle.

Keller continues to prove he is the most consistent driver in the Busch Series. He has completed 4,014 out of 4,037 laps this season in the Albertson's Ford, a difference of only 23 laps. It's a completion rate of more than 99 percent. Keller has captured five straight top-10 finishes, including four top-five finishes.

Jason Keller Quotes:

First Top 10 at Pikes Peak... Jason Keller and the Albertson's team captured their fifth straight top-10 finish with their fourth-place effort at Pikes Peak International Raceway this weekend. Keller led 40 laps during the race and captured his first top 10 at the one-mile raceway.

"We had a good car in Pikes Peak," said Keller. "The Albertson's Ford was real strong midway through the race. After our final pit stop the car went away from us. I was chasing the track and couldn't catch back up. The car was just too loose."

On the Championship Battle...Keller remains third in the championship standings. He is 178 points behind leader Kevin Harvick, and only 15 points behind Biffle.

"As a team, we are doing what we need to do to stay in contention for the championship," said Keller. "In order to win the championship though, we need to win races. That will be the only way to gain points on the leaders. I get more anxious with every top-five finish. We are so close to winning another race, but we just haven't been able to get the Albertson's Ford into victory lane. If we continue to beat on the door, eventually we will get the win."

The Quest for Number Three... Keller has captured two of his five Busch Series victories at IRP, including his first career win on August 4, 1995. When the Albertson's Ford takes the green flag on Saturday, it will be exactly six years to the day of his first Busch Series win.

"Indianapolis is one of those tracks that I enjoy running on because I have had a tremendous amount of success there," said Keller. "Even though it's not my favorite track on the circuit, it's one of those flat, slick tracks that reminds me of the tracks where I first started competing. It doesn't drive like those tracks, but you used to be able to run at the top of the track the entire race. It's still fun to drive on it even though the groove has moved down."

Text provided by Heather Kincel

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