Music: {allcanada} Tagliani to drive at 2 NASCAR Nationwide races

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

{allcanada} Tagliani to drive at 2 NASCAR Nationwide races

Fuse (Deluxe Version) - Keith Urban / Blown Away - Carrie Underwood

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Canada’s Alex Tagliani will drive for Team Penske in two NASCAR Nationwide Series road course races this season.

Tagliani will compete for the team on June 21 at Road America and Aug. 16 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He’ll be behind the wheel of the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford that AJ Allmendinger used to win both races last season.

“This is a great opportunity to get back in a NASCAR Nationwide Series car and to do it for one of the best teams in the series and one of the greatest owners the sport has ever seen — Roger Penske,” Tagliani said in a release. “I’ve been able to run for ‘The Captain’ one other time in my career in a stock car and we were so close to winning the race. This gives me two great chances to get my first Nationwide Series win.

“And with the team winning both of these races last year, I guess you could say the pressure is on me to get the job done this season.”

Tagliani, from Lachenaie, Que. has competed on several circuits in recent years. He is a former Indianapolis 500 pole winner, capturing the prestigious pole position in 2011.

“I have known Alex for a long time and he has driven for our team before, so he was the ideal choice to race the Discount Tire Ford for these upcoming road course events,” Penske said. “Alex is a proven winner in both open-wheel and stock car competition. He has competed for wins each of the last two times he has raced in the Nationwide Series, including with Team Penske back in 2011. I think he, (crew chief) Jeremy Bullins and the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford team will be tough to beat at both Road America and Mid-Ohio this season.”

Crash My Party - Luke Bryan / Night Train - Jason Aldean