Krysta Burnham, Official Fan Reporter
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Off Season
January 2017
With the off season comes many changes within the NASCAR community. One of the biggest changes was announced during Awards week in Las Vegas. The new title sponsor for the top series in NASCAR was announced as Monster Energy with the series title being changed to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series. NASCAR believes that Monster Energy can help bring in a new group of fans and continually do so throughout the multi-year sponsorship. This announcement was after a lengthy and thorough search by NASCAR to find the successor to Sprint. "We have the good fortune of finding a brand that we believe works for our sport," Phelps said. "They're going to bring their lifestyle to their activation. … They're going to bring their brand, their excitement, their energy to this partnership, and the fans are going to be the winners. It's all about engaging the fans and having the fans have unique, fun experiences whether at the race track or through different mediums, through social, digital, content." (nascar.com)
NASCAR also announced a new logo. The new logo proudly features the Monster Energy logo and was designed to pay tribute to the history of NASCAR and incorporates elements of all four previous marks since 1948.
“Our new NASCAR mark is modern, timeless, and embraces the heritage of our sport," said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "It was important for us to recognize our history and implement a piece of each previous mark in the new design. Our goal was to evolve the sport's visual identity to make it concise, relevant and functional, while respecting and maintaining the unique qualities of the original mark."
Another announcement to come during the off season was the end of Greg Biffle's time with Roush Fenway Racing and the #16 after nearly two decades. Biffle announced the news on Twitter but has yet to announce any plans for 2017. He has hinted in the past about retirement and starting a career in broadcasting but we are all left wondering what Greg is going to do next season. The team has announced that they will field only two cars in 2017, the 6 of Trevor Bayne and the 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. They also announced that they will be leasing the #16 team charter to Chris Buescher at JTG Daugherty Racing for next season.
It was also announced that HScott Motorsports will not field a team(s) for the 2017 season. The team fielded the #15 of Clint Bowyer in 2016 but after the season Clint was moving to Stewart Haas racing to take over the #14 after Tony Stewart's retirement. “Over the past several months I considered a number of options for moving forward with a team. Regrettably there are no viable sponsor/driver options immediately available to allow the team to participate in 2017” said Scott in a statement. The team sold its team charter for the #15 to Premium Motorsports.
Dale Jr has also been given the all clear to return for the Daytona 500 in February. Dale has decided to sit out for the clash which runs the Saturday night before the 500 as Bowman has earned the right to run the clash after fielding the 88 through a number of races in the 2016 season in Earnhardt Jrs place. On a personal note for Dale Jr, he tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann in a ceremony at Childress Vineyards on New Year’s eve. If you haven’t looked at any pictures yet, I suggest you do so. It looked like a very beautiful ceremony.
Brad also took this off season to propose to longtime girlfriend, Paige White and she said yes. A huge congratulations to Brad and Paige and wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
January 2017
With the off season comes many changes within the NASCAR community. One of the biggest changes was announced during Awards week in Las Vegas. The new title sponsor for the top series in NASCAR was announced as Monster Energy with the series title being changed to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series. NASCAR believes that Monster Energy can help bring in a new group of fans and continually do so throughout the multi-year sponsorship. This announcement was after a lengthy and thorough search by NASCAR to find the successor to Sprint. "We have the good fortune of finding a brand that we believe works for our sport," Phelps said. "They're going to bring their lifestyle to their activation. … They're going to bring their brand, their excitement, their energy to this partnership, and the fans are going to be the winners. It's all about engaging the fans and having the fans have unique, fun experiences whether at the race track or through different mediums, through social, digital, content." (nascar.com)
NASCAR also announced a new logo. The new logo proudly features the Monster Energy logo and was designed to pay tribute to the history of NASCAR and incorporates elements of all four previous marks since 1948.
“Our new NASCAR mark is modern, timeless, and embraces the heritage of our sport," said Jill Gregory, NASCAR senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "It was important for us to recognize our history and implement a piece of each previous mark in the new design. Our goal was to evolve the sport's visual identity to make it concise, relevant and functional, while respecting and maintaining the unique qualities of the original mark."
Another announcement to come during the off season was the end of Greg Biffle's time with Roush Fenway Racing and the #16 after nearly two decades. Biffle announced the news on Twitter but has yet to announce any plans for 2017. He has hinted in the past about retirement and starting a career in broadcasting but we are all left wondering what Greg is going to do next season. The team has announced that they will field only two cars in 2017, the 6 of Trevor Bayne and the 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr. They also announced that they will be leasing the #16 team charter to Chris Buescher at JTG Daugherty Racing for next season.
It was also announced that HScott Motorsports will not field a team(s) for the 2017 season. The team fielded the #15 of Clint Bowyer in 2016 but after the season Clint was moving to Stewart Haas racing to take over the #14 after Tony Stewart's retirement. “Over the past several months I considered a number of options for moving forward with a team. Regrettably there are no viable sponsor/driver options immediately available to allow the team to participate in 2017” said Scott in a statement. The team sold its team charter for the #15 to Premium Motorsports.
Dale Jr has also been given the all clear to return for the Daytona 500 in February. Dale has decided to sit out for the clash which runs the Saturday night before the 500 as Bowman has earned the right to run the clash after fielding the 88 through a number of races in the 2016 season in Earnhardt Jrs place. On a personal note for Dale Jr, he tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Amy Reimann in a ceremony at Childress Vineyards on New Year’s eve. If you haven’t looked at any pictures yet, I suggest you do so. It looked like a very beautiful ceremony.
Brad also took this off season to propose to longtime girlfriend, Paige White and she said yes. A huge congratulations to Brad and Paige and wishing them a lifetime of love and happiness.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Homestead
November 20, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 22nd
3rd Practice: 15th
Qualifying: 2nd
Homestead was a very anticipated race as Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch fought to win the 2016 Championship. All four drivers had a great chance and no one knew who was going to run away with it. Although Jimmie Johnson qualified in the 14th position, it was determined just prior to the race that he would have to start in the back for an unapproved body modification. Many people immediately counted Jimmie out thinking he wouldn’t be strong enough to make it to the front ahead of Joey, Carl and Kyle.
Brad earned a 2nd place starting position and remained up front for a majority of the race. It really seemed that the #2 Crew would have a great chance of getting their 5th win of the season.
This was a very emotional race for drivers and fans alike as it was Tony Stewart's last race before he entered retirement. Prior to the green flag, Tony took a lap alone behind a banner that said “Thank you Smoke”. This was a very emotional scene and really cool to see.
When the green flag was waved to start the race, Kevin Harvick immediately took to keep the lead after starting on the pole. By lap 17, Brad was still running in the 2nd position behind Harvick who was leading by about 1 second. Everyone’s eyes were on the championship 4 and on lap 20 Edwards was running 3rd, Kyle Busch 6th, Logano 10th, and Johnson 13th. The first caution came out on lap 27 for the 21 of Ryan Blaney. Brad came down pit road and the 2 crew did a great job of getting him back on the track in the 3rd position.
The green flag came back out on lap 32 and Edwards took the lead from Harvick on lap 33. Harvick quickly gained on Edwards and was able to get the lead back very quickly. By lap 60 Edwards was running 2nd, Logano 3rd, Kyle Busch 4th and Jimmie Johnson 5th. The race for the championship was very tight and no one knew what was going to happen at this point.
The 2nd caution of the day came out on lap 80 when Jeffrey Earnhardt got loose and went around. The leaders all came to pit road even though they had just finished green flag stops a few laps prior. The green flag was waved on lap 86 with Logano leading. Edwards took the lead away from Logano on lap 93. The race for the Championship was still close on lap 113 with Edwards running 1st, Logano 4th, Kyle Busch 5th and Jimmie Johnson 6th.
The strongest car of the day and strongest championship contender thus far was the 19 of Carl Edwards who had led a number of laps and was staying towards the front of the field. The 3rd caution of the day was shown on lap 171 for debris. This caution came at a great time for the 18 of Kyle Busch who pitted significantly earlier than the rest of the field and this caution put him on the same sequence as the leaders.
On lap 188 Logano was running 2nd, Edwards 3rd, Kyle Busch 4th, and Johnson 8th. Brad was flitting around the top 10 and on lap 196 was passed by Johnson for 7th. The 4th caution came out on lap 207 when the 21 of Ryan Blaney got into the wall again. All the leaders made their way down pit road and Brad came out of the pits in the 9th position.
On lap 231 Kyle Busch was running 2nd, Logano 3rd, Edwards 4th and Johnson 6th. The 5th caution flag of the day was shown on lap 253 for Dylan Lupton. All members of the championship 4 started in the top 6 on this restart.
Lap 258 brought Joey Logano and Carl Edwards' championship hopes to an end when Logano moved low to block Carl Edwards from making the pass and they both went into the wall. Many other cars were involved in this wreck including Truex whose car caught on fire and unfortunately the 2 of Brad Keselowski. The red flag was shown as this was going to be a long cleanup process. Keselowski, Kahne, and Smith were officially out of the race due to the heavy damage they all received in the accident.
Many people did not know how Carl Edwards was going to react after his championship hopes were crushed with only 10 laps to go but Carl waved off the ambulance and walked right over to the 22 pit box to shake hands with Todd Gordon, Joey Logano's crew chief. This was a great example of sportsmanship and showed a lot about Carl’s character and the respect he has for all competitors on the track.
The next caution flag was shown on lap 265 for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. It was a quick yellow and the field took the green on lap 266. Jimmie Johnson took the lead in NASCAR OT with 2 laps to go and was able to hold off the field to take home the checkered flag at Miami but more importantly, his 7th Championship of his career matching Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
Jimmie was very emotional about this championship and he proved that he is still a great competitor in the field.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
November 20, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 22nd
3rd Practice: 15th
Qualifying: 2nd
Homestead was a very anticipated race as Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch fought to win the 2016 Championship. All four drivers had a great chance and no one knew who was going to run away with it. Although Jimmie Johnson qualified in the 14th position, it was determined just prior to the race that he would have to start in the back for an unapproved body modification. Many people immediately counted Jimmie out thinking he wouldn’t be strong enough to make it to the front ahead of Joey, Carl and Kyle.
Brad earned a 2nd place starting position and remained up front for a majority of the race. It really seemed that the #2 Crew would have a great chance of getting their 5th win of the season.
This was a very emotional race for drivers and fans alike as it was Tony Stewart's last race before he entered retirement. Prior to the green flag, Tony took a lap alone behind a banner that said “Thank you Smoke”. This was a very emotional scene and really cool to see.
When the green flag was waved to start the race, Kevin Harvick immediately took to keep the lead after starting on the pole. By lap 17, Brad was still running in the 2nd position behind Harvick who was leading by about 1 second. Everyone’s eyes were on the championship 4 and on lap 20 Edwards was running 3rd, Kyle Busch 6th, Logano 10th, and Johnson 13th. The first caution came out on lap 27 for the 21 of Ryan Blaney. Brad came down pit road and the 2 crew did a great job of getting him back on the track in the 3rd position.
The green flag came back out on lap 32 and Edwards took the lead from Harvick on lap 33. Harvick quickly gained on Edwards and was able to get the lead back very quickly. By lap 60 Edwards was running 2nd, Logano 3rd, Kyle Busch 4th and Jimmie Johnson 5th. The race for the championship was very tight and no one knew what was going to happen at this point.
The 2nd caution of the day came out on lap 80 when Jeffrey Earnhardt got loose and went around. The leaders all came to pit road even though they had just finished green flag stops a few laps prior. The green flag was waved on lap 86 with Logano leading. Edwards took the lead away from Logano on lap 93. The race for the Championship was still close on lap 113 with Edwards running 1st, Logano 4th, Kyle Busch 5th and Jimmie Johnson 6th.
The strongest car of the day and strongest championship contender thus far was the 19 of Carl Edwards who had led a number of laps and was staying towards the front of the field. The 3rd caution of the day was shown on lap 171 for debris. This caution came at a great time for the 18 of Kyle Busch who pitted significantly earlier than the rest of the field and this caution put him on the same sequence as the leaders.
On lap 188 Logano was running 2nd, Edwards 3rd, Kyle Busch 4th, and Johnson 8th. Brad was flitting around the top 10 and on lap 196 was passed by Johnson for 7th. The 4th caution came out on lap 207 when the 21 of Ryan Blaney got into the wall again. All the leaders made their way down pit road and Brad came out of the pits in the 9th position.
On lap 231 Kyle Busch was running 2nd, Logano 3rd, Edwards 4th and Johnson 6th. The 5th caution flag of the day was shown on lap 253 for Dylan Lupton. All members of the championship 4 started in the top 6 on this restart.
Lap 258 brought Joey Logano and Carl Edwards' championship hopes to an end when Logano moved low to block Carl Edwards from making the pass and they both went into the wall. Many other cars were involved in this wreck including Truex whose car caught on fire and unfortunately the 2 of Brad Keselowski. The red flag was shown as this was going to be a long cleanup process. Keselowski, Kahne, and Smith were officially out of the race due to the heavy damage they all received in the accident.
Many people did not know how Carl Edwards was going to react after his championship hopes were crushed with only 10 laps to go but Carl waved off the ambulance and walked right over to the 22 pit box to shake hands with Todd Gordon, Joey Logano's crew chief. This was a great example of sportsmanship and showed a lot about Carl’s character and the respect he has for all competitors on the track.
The next caution flag was shown on lap 265 for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. It was a quick yellow and the field took the green on lap 266. Jimmie Johnson took the lead in NASCAR OT with 2 laps to go and was able to hold off the field to take home the checkered flag at Miami but more importantly, his 7th Championship of his career matching Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
Jimmie was very emotional about this championship and he proved that he is still a great competitor in the field.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Phoenix International Raceway
November 13, 2016
1st Practice: 12th
2nd Practice: 2nd
3rd Practice: 2nd
Qualifying: 14th
Phoenix was the last race before the next round of the Chase eliminating four drivers. As always, Brad told the team to “have a good one down there”. Paul advised Brad to be patient and smart throughout the race to bring home a good finish. By lap 6, after the first caution, Brad was running in 11th position and reported back to the team that he had lost stability into turn 3. Brad was quickly told that his lap times were good and the only car running faster was the leader. By lap 50, the #2 Miller Lite Ford was running in the 7th position and Brad told the team that he needed a little more drive off.
The 2nd caution of the race came out on lap 82 for Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman. Brad was advised to pit on this caution and the team made a small air pressure adjustment to hopefully fix any complaints Brad had. When the field took the green flag again on lap 90, Brad was running in the 5th position and by lap 116 was told that he was the fastest car in the top 5. The 3rd caution came out on lap 132 for debris. The field restarted on lap 140 with Brad running in the 3rd position. He reported that the balance was a little worse this run than he had previously reported.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 211 for debris with Brad running in the 5th positon. As he was coming in for his pit stop he overshot his pit box and had to back up costing the team some time on pit road. Brad requested that he be counted in to his box as he doesn’t see the box until he’s right there. The 4th caution flag was shown when the 3 of Austin Dillion spun. The 48 also had issues with heavy damage to the front of his car. Brad was told to save gas and came in to top off during the caution. The field restarted on lap 227 and with 81 to go, Brad was running in the 8th position.
The next yellow came out with 57 laps to go when Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. got into the wall. The team started to discuss their pit stop strategy and Paul asked Brad if he wanted to do a “red dog”. Brad told Paul he would do whatever he wanted but was leaning towards a Corrs. Brad took the green in the 17th position and again apologized to the team telling them he just doesn’t know what he’s doing on pit road today.
The field restarted with 51 laps to go and the next caution came out with 47 laps to go for debris. Brad was up to the 13th position when this came out. Another caution came out with 2 laps to go when the 95 got into the wall hard. The team decided to pit and take 4 tires causing Brad to take the restart in the 15th position.
Another caution came out when the 18 got into the 88 causing Kenseth to get spun around. Unfortunately for Matt, this was the end of his Chase hopes. Brad’s teammate Joey Logano was in the lead and maintained that through the second OT try. Brad unfortunately did not have the day the team wanted and finished 14th. He told the team that they did a great job but was sorry that he wasn’t better.
Texas Motor Speedway
November 6, 2016
1st Practice: 24th
2nd Practice: 27th
3rd Practice: 1st
Qualifying: 4th
Right after the pre-race ceremonies, the rain started to fall at Texas Motor Speedway. After at least five hours of track drying, the race turned into a night race. After running some laps to put some heat in the track, the field took the green. Brad reported that the track seemed to get wetter the more laps they ran but didn’t see the track conditions getting any better. Brad fought a tight race car for the first half of the race and ran within the top 5 until lap 57. Brad was able to bring home a 14th place finish. It was not the win that the team wanted but there were still two races left in the season to bring home his fifth win of the year.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
November 13, 2016
1st Practice: 12th
2nd Practice: 2nd
3rd Practice: 2nd
Qualifying: 14th
Phoenix was the last race before the next round of the Chase eliminating four drivers. As always, Brad told the team to “have a good one down there”. Paul advised Brad to be patient and smart throughout the race to bring home a good finish. By lap 6, after the first caution, Brad was running in 11th position and reported back to the team that he had lost stability into turn 3. Brad was quickly told that his lap times were good and the only car running faster was the leader. By lap 50, the #2 Miller Lite Ford was running in the 7th position and Brad told the team that he needed a little more drive off.
The 2nd caution of the race came out on lap 82 for Kyle Larson and Ryan Newman. Brad was advised to pit on this caution and the team made a small air pressure adjustment to hopefully fix any complaints Brad had. When the field took the green flag again on lap 90, Brad was running in the 5th position and by lap 116 was told that he was the fastest car in the top 5. The 3rd caution came out on lap 132 for debris. The field restarted on lap 140 with Brad running in the 3rd position. He reported that the balance was a little worse this run than he had previously reported.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 211 for debris with Brad running in the 5th positon. As he was coming in for his pit stop he overshot his pit box and had to back up costing the team some time on pit road. Brad requested that he be counted in to his box as he doesn’t see the box until he’s right there. The 4th caution flag was shown when the 3 of Austin Dillion spun. The 48 also had issues with heavy damage to the front of his car. Brad was told to save gas and came in to top off during the caution. The field restarted on lap 227 and with 81 to go, Brad was running in the 8th position.
The next yellow came out with 57 laps to go when Ryan Newman and Martin Truex Jr. got into the wall. The team started to discuss their pit stop strategy and Paul asked Brad if he wanted to do a “red dog”. Brad told Paul he would do whatever he wanted but was leaning towards a Corrs. Brad took the green in the 17th position and again apologized to the team telling them he just doesn’t know what he’s doing on pit road today.
The field restarted with 51 laps to go and the next caution came out with 47 laps to go for debris. Brad was up to the 13th position when this came out. Another caution came out with 2 laps to go when the 95 got into the wall hard. The team decided to pit and take 4 tires causing Brad to take the restart in the 15th position.
Another caution came out when the 18 got into the 88 causing Kenseth to get spun around. Unfortunately for Matt, this was the end of his Chase hopes. Brad’s teammate Joey Logano was in the lead and maintained that through the second OT try. Brad unfortunately did not have the day the team wanted and finished 14th. He told the team that they did a great job but was sorry that he wasn’t better.
Texas Motor Speedway
November 6, 2016
1st Practice: 24th
2nd Practice: 27th
3rd Practice: 1st
Qualifying: 4th
Right after the pre-race ceremonies, the rain started to fall at Texas Motor Speedway. After at least five hours of track drying, the race turned into a night race. After running some laps to put some heat in the track, the field took the green. Brad reported that the track seemed to get wetter the more laps they ran but didn’t see the track conditions getting any better. Brad fought a tight race car for the first half of the race and ran within the top 5 until lap 57. Brad was able to bring home a 14th place finish. It was not the win that the team wanted but there were still two races left in the season to bring home his fifth win of the year.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Close to the Win
Goody’s Fast Relief 500
October 30, 2016
1st Practice: 30th
2nd Practice: 29th
3rd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 19th
Last weekend the Sprint Cup series made their way to Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Martinsville is also known as the paperclip because the track combines long straightaways and flat narrow turns making for hard braking and smooth acceleration in a paper clip shape.
Brad didn’t have the qualifying effort that they wanted but were optimistic going into the race with the focus being on wins rather than making it to the next round now that Brad and the 2 crew are no longer in the Chase.
As always, when the cars were making the pace laps before the waving of the green flag, Brad encouraged the team and told them, “Let’s have a great day. We have a really good car today”. When the green flag waved, Brad quickly began making his way through the field. By lap 6 he was up to the 15th position and reporting that the car was a little loose turning down into 1.
The first caution flag waved on lap 22 when the 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr went around. Brad again reported that he was fighting loose mostly but got better with adjustments. His general recommendation was that he could “stand to be a little tighter in general” and suggested that Paul make him a 2 tighter please. Many cars decided to stay out during this caution but a few cars that made their way down pit road received penalties such as the 19 of Carl Edwards and the 11 of Denny Hamlin for speeding.
The field took the restart on lap 29 with Brad running in the 14th position. Spotter Joey Meier was constantly letting Brad know whether he was running in an even or odd position as this could be a huge factor with a restart. If a driver was in an even position, they would be restarting on the outside which could ultimately mean that the driver would lose a number of positions if they could not get down to the bottom lane.
By lap 43, Brad was up to the 10th position and Joey quickly let him know that he was the fastest car on the track. The 2nd caution came out on lap 61 for the 23 of David Ragan. Brad reported that he was tighter towards the end of a run to which Paul responded that they were going to go back on the adjustments made on the last pit stop.
Unfortunately for Brad and the 2 crew, he lost 2 spots on pit road which resulted in him restarting on the outside in the 10th position. Brad only lost 1 spot while trying to get down to the bottom lane. He continued to fall back and was running in the 14th position on lap 75.
The 3rd caution of the day came out on lap 132 for debris while Brad was running in the 13th position. He reported that he was loose in tight center but the drive off was okay. The 4 of Kevin Harvick received a pit road penalty on this round for being too fast in section 1. The field retook the green on lap 139 with Brad running in the 12th position. Luckily for Brad, he was able to pass some cars as they were stuck on the outside and finally made his way down to the bottom groove in the 10th position.
By lap 166, Brad was running in the 8th position when sparks began to fly between the 48 of Jimmie Johnson and the 11 of Denny Hamlin. Their contact caused Denny to get into Brad which may have caused some slight damage. Joey Meier reported that he did not see anything but advised Paul to take a look to better assess the damage.
Another caution came out on lap 200 and Brad reported to the team that he thought the damage was light. He also reported that that was their best run thus far. Brad lost 2 spots on pit road and took the restart on lap 206 in the 7th position. Brad got stuck in the outside lane and was having an extremely difficult time getting back down to the bottom.
As Brad was falling back, Paul Wolfe came over the radio to let Joey know that “we can’t lose 5 spots every time helping our teammate”. Joey let Paul know that he has already had this discussion with Brad and unfortunately it fell to deaf ears. Brad finally got down to the bottom lane and it appeared that the 5 of Kasey Kahne let Brad down to put himself in an odd position as there was some discussion about debris. Brad began to work through the field again and was up to the 8th position on lap 279. Brad continued to move and after a longer green flag run, Joey let Brad and the team know that they were running a 10th and a ½ better than anybody else.
Green flag stops began on lap 355 and Brad reported that he was going to make his stop on lap 356. It was during this cycle of green flag stops that a caution came out when the 19 of Carl Edwards had a tire go down and made heavy contact with the wall. Brad was scored in the 10th positon 1 lap down but would take the wave around.
This was a very confusing time for Teams, Drivers and Fans alike as NASCAR took an extended yellow flag to straighten out the field. There was so much confusion setting the field because many cars were a lap(s) down, cars were on pit road, and cars were still running on the track under green. Although I agree with NASCAR taking its time to make sure the field is set correctly, as many teams had a lot to lose, wasting laps under yellow was ridiculous. I hope going forward, NASCAR will just throw the red flag to sort out the field.
The field was finally set after close to 20 minutes and it was determined that Brad would restart in the 8th position. The field took the restart with 116 laps to go and only 10 cars on the lead lap. Brad was unfortunately battling lap cars as a typical restart is setup with lead lap cars, cars 1 or more lap down, free pass cars, wave arounds and then cars that have received a penalty. Because Brad took the wave around, he was stuck back in traffic.
Joey Meier reported that the car was “dumb fast” and Brad made his way to the 5th position with 39 to go. Brad was running 2nd with 24 to go and was chasing down leader Jimmie Johnson. With 4 laps go to, Brad was still 2 seconds behind Jimmie Johnson with no hope of catching him unless there was a restart or something were to happen to Jimmie.
Brad was not able to catch Jimmie and brought home a 2nd place finish. Brad received approval from spotter Joey Meier, “That’s a very impressive drive, thank you” and “You did a hell of a job” from Paul Wolfe. Jimmie Johnson punched his ticket to Homestead for a run for his 7th championship.
This weekend we head to Texas Motor speedway for the 2nd race in the round of 8. Brad runs well at Texas and I expect him to carry that into this race. Brad qualified for the Texas race in the 4th position but unfortunately as I write this, we are under a rain delay. Here’s to hoping we make it green tonight, otherwise, I won’t be watching much tomorrow.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Goody’s Fast Relief 500
October 30, 2016
1st Practice: 30th
2nd Practice: 29th
3rd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 19th
Last weekend the Sprint Cup series made their way to Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia. Martinsville is also known as the paperclip because the track combines long straightaways and flat narrow turns making for hard braking and smooth acceleration in a paper clip shape.
Brad didn’t have the qualifying effort that they wanted but were optimistic going into the race with the focus being on wins rather than making it to the next round now that Brad and the 2 crew are no longer in the Chase.
As always, when the cars were making the pace laps before the waving of the green flag, Brad encouraged the team and told them, “Let’s have a great day. We have a really good car today”. When the green flag waved, Brad quickly began making his way through the field. By lap 6 he was up to the 15th position and reporting that the car was a little loose turning down into 1.
The first caution flag waved on lap 22 when the 17 of Ricky Stenhouse Jr went around. Brad again reported that he was fighting loose mostly but got better with adjustments. His general recommendation was that he could “stand to be a little tighter in general” and suggested that Paul make him a 2 tighter please. Many cars decided to stay out during this caution but a few cars that made their way down pit road received penalties such as the 19 of Carl Edwards and the 11 of Denny Hamlin for speeding.
The field took the restart on lap 29 with Brad running in the 14th position. Spotter Joey Meier was constantly letting Brad know whether he was running in an even or odd position as this could be a huge factor with a restart. If a driver was in an even position, they would be restarting on the outside which could ultimately mean that the driver would lose a number of positions if they could not get down to the bottom lane.
By lap 43, Brad was up to the 10th position and Joey quickly let him know that he was the fastest car on the track. The 2nd caution came out on lap 61 for the 23 of David Ragan. Brad reported that he was tighter towards the end of a run to which Paul responded that they were going to go back on the adjustments made on the last pit stop.
Unfortunately for Brad and the 2 crew, he lost 2 spots on pit road which resulted in him restarting on the outside in the 10th position. Brad only lost 1 spot while trying to get down to the bottom lane. He continued to fall back and was running in the 14th position on lap 75.
The 3rd caution of the day came out on lap 132 for debris while Brad was running in the 13th position. He reported that he was loose in tight center but the drive off was okay. The 4 of Kevin Harvick received a pit road penalty on this round for being too fast in section 1. The field retook the green on lap 139 with Brad running in the 12th position. Luckily for Brad, he was able to pass some cars as they were stuck on the outside and finally made his way down to the bottom groove in the 10th position.
By lap 166, Brad was running in the 8th position when sparks began to fly between the 48 of Jimmie Johnson and the 11 of Denny Hamlin. Their contact caused Denny to get into Brad which may have caused some slight damage. Joey Meier reported that he did not see anything but advised Paul to take a look to better assess the damage.
Another caution came out on lap 200 and Brad reported to the team that he thought the damage was light. He also reported that that was their best run thus far. Brad lost 2 spots on pit road and took the restart on lap 206 in the 7th position. Brad got stuck in the outside lane and was having an extremely difficult time getting back down to the bottom.
As Brad was falling back, Paul Wolfe came over the radio to let Joey know that “we can’t lose 5 spots every time helping our teammate”. Joey let Paul know that he has already had this discussion with Brad and unfortunately it fell to deaf ears. Brad finally got down to the bottom lane and it appeared that the 5 of Kasey Kahne let Brad down to put himself in an odd position as there was some discussion about debris. Brad began to work through the field again and was up to the 8th position on lap 279. Brad continued to move and after a longer green flag run, Joey let Brad and the team know that they were running a 10th and a ½ better than anybody else.
Green flag stops began on lap 355 and Brad reported that he was going to make his stop on lap 356. It was during this cycle of green flag stops that a caution came out when the 19 of Carl Edwards had a tire go down and made heavy contact with the wall. Brad was scored in the 10th positon 1 lap down but would take the wave around.
This was a very confusing time for Teams, Drivers and Fans alike as NASCAR took an extended yellow flag to straighten out the field. There was so much confusion setting the field because many cars were a lap(s) down, cars were on pit road, and cars were still running on the track under green. Although I agree with NASCAR taking its time to make sure the field is set correctly, as many teams had a lot to lose, wasting laps under yellow was ridiculous. I hope going forward, NASCAR will just throw the red flag to sort out the field.
The field was finally set after close to 20 minutes and it was determined that Brad would restart in the 8th position. The field took the restart with 116 laps to go and only 10 cars on the lead lap. Brad was unfortunately battling lap cars as a typical restart is setup with lead lap cars, cars 1 or more lap down, free pass cars, wave arounds and then cars that have received a penalty. Because Brad took the wave around, he was stuck back in traffic.
Joey Meier reported that the car was “dumb fast” and Brad made his way to the 5th position with 39 to go. Brad was running 2nd with 24 to go and was chasing down leader Jimmie Johnson. With 4 laps go to, Brad was still 2 seconds behind Jimmie Johnson with no hope of catching him unless there was a restart or something were to happen to Jimmie.
Brad was not able to catch Jimmie and brought home a 2nd place finish. Brad received approval from spotter Joey Meier, “That’s a very impressive drive, thank you” and “You did a hell of a job” from Paul Wolfe. Jimmie Johnson punched his ticket to Homestead for a run for his 7th championship.
This weekend we head to Texas Motor speedway for the 2nd race in the round of 8. Brad runs well at Texas and I expect him to carry that into this race. Brad qualified for the Texas race in the 4th position but unfortunately as I write this, we are under a rain delay. Here’s to hoping we make it green tonight, otherwise, I won’t be watching much tomorrow.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Disappointing End to Chase Hopes
Hollywood Casino 400
October 18th, 2016
Kansas:
1st Practice: 32nd
2nd Practice: 21st
3rd Practice: 9th
Qualifying: 6th
I didn’t get to watch the Kansas race due to a previous commitment but Brad was in the good on the point’s grid and the team was confident that they would be able to bring home another good finish to advance Brad into the next round of the Chase. However, after running in the top 10 for most of the day, Brad clipped the nose of the 11 of Denny Hamlin and spun around. This sent the #2 Miller Lite Ford spinning in the grass where the nose of the car was ripped off. This put Brad below the cut line for the next round of the Chase after finishing 38th.
Hellman’s 500
October 23rd, 2016
Talladega:
1st Practice: 23rd
2nd Practice: Did not make a run
Qualifying: 2nd
Brad has easily made himself one of the top plate racers of this time period with two wins already this season, at both Daytona and Talladega, and with his 3 wins in the last 8 restrictor plate races. Brad and the team were filled with the utmost confidence as they prepared for the Hellman’s 500. The #2 Miller Lite Ford was fast, earning Brad a starting position on the front row beside Martin Truex Jr.
As always, during the pace laps before the green, Brad reached out to his team encouraging them to have a good one on pit road and that he felt “like we have a good shot at winning today”.
When the green flag waved it took Brad 13 laps to get around the 78 of Martin Truex Jr and they continued to race each other hard. During this battle, Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, was one of the most important people. A spotter is particularly important at a restrictor plate track as he was effectively letting Brad know which lines were moving and where he needed to block to keep the lead. Joey used such terms as “air push on Chase with Stenhouse”, “Denny tighter than Truex” and “bottom lane has momentum”. This is a very busy race for spotters as they were constantly watching their drivers and advising them what lane has the most momentum to get them to the front or to stay in the front.
By lap 31, Brad reported back to the team that he had a piece of debris on the grill which was concerning as temperatures continued to rise. Thankfully, Brad made his way down pit road on lap 38 for his first green flag pit stop of the day. During this round of pit stops Denny Hamlin received a penalty for too fast entering, which was his 9th speeding penalty of the year, and Joey Logano received a penalty for equipment outside of the box. Luckily for Kevin Harvick, who was behind Logano coming off pit road, the jack that was taken out of his pit stall stayed attached to the car until he made his way back around to pit road for his penalty.
After this round of pit stops, Brad cycled through back to the lead. The first caution of the day came out on lap 42 when the 78 of Martin Truex Jr blew an engine. This put Truex below the cut line and nothing short of a miracle would keep him in contention. The team decided to stay out on this caution and when the green flag was waved, Brad had a fairly slow restart but was able to keep the lead.
By lap 56 Brad was still running in 1st while Joey Meier continued to relay information to him such as “soft to your right, the high line is gonna come back, middle lane rolling to you”. By lap 64, Brad had been passed by the 24 of Chase Elliott for the lead and continued to fall back to the 7th position. It was during this time that Brad began trying to get a top line moving. It is very hard for a driver to jump out of line and attract a group to go with him and usually the driver tends to fall back. However, Brad has a tremendous record at plate tracks and was eventually able to get a few cars to jump out of line with him.
Brad was able to retake the lead on lap 79 and made his second green flag stop of the day on lap 80. The second pack made their way down pit road on lap 81 led by the 24 of Chase Elliott. During this round of stops, the 47 of AJ Allmendinger received a speeding penalty.
By lap 88, Brad had cycled through to the 2nd position behind Michael Annett who had yet to make his pit stop. He took the lead on lap 89 as Annett made his way down pit road. By lap 100, Brad again reported that he had debris on his grill and the temperatures were rising. Brad began to hatch a plan through his spotter with Ryan Blaney’s spotter to have Blaney go around him and help get it off. Unfortunately, this move cost Brad quite a few positions as he fell back to 8th.
Another caution came out on lap 114 when Greg Biffle, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Casey Mears got together. Brad was running in 10th position and as they planned their next pit stop Joey asked Brad how his windshield was, to which he replied that it was okay to tear off. With a laugh, Joey responded “you’re not emotionally attached to it if they tear it off”, Brad laughed and said “exactly”.
The 2 crew gained Brad 3 spots on pit road and he restarted in the 6th position. By lap 122 he was back up to the 2nd position and battling the 11 of Denny Hamlin for the lead. He finally got around Denny on lap 123.
As the team began to discuss their strategy and next pit stop, Paul Wolfe let Brad know that they were going to take a Miller Lite. Brad again began reporting that they picked up some debris on the grill. I guess the saying is true that the leader cleans the track for the rest of the field. Brad began devising a plan with his spotter to again use Blaney to get the debris off the grill but do it more effectively than they had done earlier in the race. Brad told Joey to let Ryan’s spotter know to “get a run on me next time entering 1”. Brad was satisfied with the move this time but was not sure if all the debris was off the grill.
Unfortunately, the move with Blaney to remove the debris was too late. On lap 145 a caution came out for Brad as the car was blowing up. Brad made his way to the garage and the team knew their day was over as well as their Chase hopes.
The next caution flag came out with 38 to go for Debris, another with 7 to go for the 5 of Kasey Kahne and the last one with 2 to go for the 88 of Alex Bowman. Brad’s teammate Joey Logano won the race and Brad ended up with a 38th place finish and 12th in the points.
This was a heartbreaking day for Brad and the entire 2 team and can really bring in to question the Chase format. It is shocking that two drivers with 4 wins each could be eliminated from the Chase while the current point’s leader, Jimmie Johnson, has only 3 wins, 9 top 5 finishes and 4 DNFs. I get the excitement that NASCAR thinks the new Chase format brings to the sport but I hate that it only takes the last part of the season into account and everything in the beginning and middle doesn’t hold as much weight. Brad had an awesome season with 4 wins, 15 top 5s, 22 top 10s and 2 DNFs. This is a season to be proud of and they can still go out there every week and be competitive and win some races.
Also announced this week were the new guidelines for 2017 in regards to Sprint Cup drivers competing in Xfinity and Truck series races. NASCAR announced that beginning next year, the rules will limit Cup Series drivers with more than 5 years of full-time experience to a maximum of 10 races in the Xfinity series and 7 in the Truck series. The new guidelines will also prohibit these drivers from participating in the final 8 events of both series and restrictions from the Dash 4 Cash events. These new guidelines do not apply to drivers with fewer than 5 years of full-time premier series experience such as Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon. I think it will be very interesting to see how some of the bigger teams such as Team Penske, organize their schedule with Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney (who has less than 5 year’s experience).
Next weekend we head to Martinsville Speedway for the first race of the 3rd round of the Chase. Brad typically runs well at Martinsville with a 5th place finish in the spring race. I expect the team to still be racing hard to try and get the win and continue to be one of the better teams on the track.
It’s been a great year for Brad and the #2 team. They have a lot to celebrate.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Hollywood Casino 400
October 18th, 2016
Kansas:
1st Practice: 32nd
2nd Practice: 21st
3rd Practice: 9th
Qualifying: 6th
I didn’t get to watch the Kansas race due to a previous commitment but Brad was in the good on the point’s grid and the team was confident that they would be able to bring home another good finish to advance Brad into the next round of the Chase. However, after running in the top 10 for most of the day, Brad clipped the nose of the 11 of Denny Hamlin and spun around. This sent the #2 Miller Lite Ford spinning in the grass where the nose of the car was ripped off. This put Brad below the cut line for the next round of the Chase after finishing 38th.
Hellman’s 500
October 23rd, 2016
Talladega:
1st Practice: 23rd
2nd Practice: Did not make a run
Qualifying: 2nd
Brad has easily made himself one of the top plate racers of this time period with two wins already this season, at both Daytona and Talladega, and with his 3 wins in the last 8 restrictor plate races. Brad and the team were filled with the utmost confidence as they prepared for the Hellman’s 500. The #2 Miller Lite Ford was fast, earning Brad a starting position on the front row beside Martin Truex Jr.
As always, during the pace laps before the green, Brad reached out to his team encouraging them to have a good one on pit road and that he felt “like we have a good shot at winning today”.
When the green flag waved it took Brad 13 laps to get around the 78 of Martin Truex Jr and they continued to race each other hard. During this battle, Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, was one of the most important people. A spotter is particularly important at a restrictor plate track as he was effectively letting Brad know which lines were moving and where he needed to block to keep the lead. Joey used such terms as “air push on Chase with Stenhouse”, “Denny tighter than Truex” and “bottom lane has momentum”. This is a very busy race for spotters as they were constantly watching their drivers and advising them what lane has the most momentum to get them to the front or to stay in the front.
By lap 31, Brad reported back to the team that he had a piece of debris on the grill which was concerning as temperatures continued to rise. Thankfully, Brad made his way down pit road on lap 38 for his first green flag pit stop of the day. During this round of pit stops Denny Hamlin received a penalty for too fast entering, which was his 9th speeding penalty of the year, and Joey Logano received a penalty for equipment outside of the box. Luckily for Kevin Harvick, who was behind Logano coming off pit road, the jack that was taken out of his pit stall stayed attached to the car until he made his way back around to pit road for his penalty.
After this round of pit stops, Brad cycled through back to the lead. The first caution of the day came out on lap 42 when the 78 of Martin Truex Jr blew an engine. This put Truex below the cut line and nothing short of a miracle would keep him in contention. The team decided to stay out on this caution and when the green flag was waved, Brad had a fairly slow restart but was able to keep the lead.
By lap 56 Brad was still running in 1st while Joey Meier continued to relay information to him such as “soft to your right, the high line is gonna come back, middle lane rolling to you”. By lap 64, Brad had been passed by the 24 of Chase Elliott for the lead and continued to fall back to the 7th position. It was during this time that Brad began trying to get a top line moving. It is very hard for a driver to jump out of line and attract a group to go with him and usually the driver tends to fall back. However, Brad has a tremendous record at plate tracks and was eventually able to get a few cars to jump out of line with him.
Brad was able to retake the lead on lap 79 and made his second green flag stop of the day on lap 80. The second pack made their way down pit road on lap 81 led by the 24 of Chase Elliott. During this round of stops, the 47 of AJ Allmendinger received a speeding penalty.
By lap 88, Brad had cycled through to the 2nd position behind Michael Annett who had yet to make his pit stop. He took the lead on lap 89 as Annett made his way down pit road. By lap 100, Brad again reported that he had debris on his grill and the temperatures were rising. Brad began to hatch a plan through his spotter with Ryan Blaney’s spotter to have Blaney go around him and help get it off. Unfortunately, this move cost Brad quite a few positions as he fell back to 8th.
Another caution came out on lap 114 when Greg Biffle, Jeffrey Earnhardt and Casey Mears got together. Brad was running in 10th position and as they planned their next pit stop Joey asked Brad how his windshield was, to which he replied that it was okay to tear off. With a laugh, Joey responded “you’re not emotionally attached to it if they tear it off”, Brad laughed and said “exactly”.
The 2 crew gained Brad 3 spots on pit road and he restarted in the 6th position. By lap 122 he was back up to the 2nd position and battling the 11 of Denny Hamlin for the lead. He finally got around Denny on lap 123.
As the team began to discuss their strategy and next pit stop, Paul Wolfe let Brad know that they were going to take a Miller Lite. Brad again began reporting that they picked up some debris on the grill. I guess the saying is true that the leader cleans the track for the rest of the field. Brad began devising a plan with his spotter to again use Blaney to get the debris off the grill but do it more effectively than they had done earlier in the race. Brad told Joey to let Ryan’s spotter know to “get a run on me next time entering 1”. Brad was satisfied with the move this time but was not sure if all the debris was off the grill.
Unfortunately, the move with Blaney to remove the debris was too late. On lap 145 a caution came out for Brad as the car was blowing up. Brad made his way to the garage and the team knew their day was over as well as their Chase hopes.
The next caution flag came out with 38 to go for Debris, another with 7 to go for the 5 of Kasey Kahne and the last one with 2 to go for the 88 of Alex Bowman. Brad’s teammate Joey Logano won the race and Brad ended up with a 38th place finish and 12th in the points.
This was a heartbreaking day for Brad and the entire 2 team and can really bring in to question the Chase format. It is shocking that two drivers with 4 wins each could be eliminated from the Chase while the current point’s leader, Jimmie Johnson, has only 3 wins, 9 top 5 finishes and 4 DNFs. I get the excitement that NASCAR thinks the new Chase format brings to the sport but I hate that it only takes the last part of the season into account and everything in the beginning and middle doesn’t hold as much weight. Brad had an awesome season with 4 wins, 15 top 5s, 22 top 10s and 2 DNFs. This is a season to be proud of and they can still go out there every week and be competitive and win some races.
Also announced this week were the new guidelines for 2017 in regards to Sprint Cup drivers competing in Xfinity and Truck series races. NASCAR announced that beginning next year, the rules will limit Cup Series drivers with more than 5 years of full-time experience to a maximum of 10 races in the Xfinity series and 7 in the Truck series. The new guidelines will also prohibit these drivers from participating in the final 8 events of both series and restrictions from the Dash 4 Cash events. These new guidelines do not apply to drivers with fewer than 5 years of full-time premier series experience such as Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon. I think it will be very interesting to see how some of the bigger teams such as Team Penske, organize their schedule with Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney (who has less than 5 year’s experience).
Next weekend we head to Martinsville Speedway for the first race of the 3rd round of the Chase. Brad typically runs well at Martinsville with a 5th place finish in the spring race. I expect the team to still be racing hard to try and get the win and continue to be one of the better teams on the track.
It’s been a great year for Brad and the #2 team. They have a lot to celebrate.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
1st Race in the 2nd Round
Bank Of America 500
October 9, 2016
1st Practice: 15th
Qualifying: 20th
Charlotte marked the first race in the second round of the Chase and many drivers were hungry for that win. By winning in Charlotte, drivers eased the stress of Talladega which is the third race in this round.
Brad did not have the best qualifying effort on Thursday and secured himself a 20th place starting position. At this point in the week, the forecast and Hurricane Matthew were already looming over the east coast of the United States and many were debating whether the race would actually run on the scheduled Saturday night.
The heavy rain overtook Charlotte and on track activity for both Friday and Saturday were cancelled. This meant that both the NASCAR Sprint Cup series and the Xfinity series would run on Sunday with the Cup series running first.
As the cars ran the pace laps before the start of the race Brad came over the radio telling his team that he thought they were going to have a good one. This was followed up by Crew Chief Paul Wolfe encouraging Brad to have a good race and to make no mistakes, especially on pit road. Because this race was originally supposed to be run at night and was now running during the day, the teams knew they would need to make some adjustments to the car and spotter Joey Meier advised Brad that a competition caution would come out on lap 25.
When the green flag waved Brad immediately lost a few spots and was running in the 21st position by lap 11. He reported that he was really tight in the dirty air but that the car wasn’t too bad otherwise. The competition caution came out on lap 26 and Paul told Brad that they were going to put air in the right rear to try and help with the handling. Brad lost 2 spots on pit road and restarted in the 23rd position. Brad came over the radio and told the team that it would cycle through and they needed to remain patient.
This first round of pit stops brought out quite a number of penalties. The 43, 27, 32 and 20 all received penalties for crew members over the wall too soon. On lap 35 Brad was running in 20th and reported back that the car was a little better this run and he quickly began to move through the field. By lap 46 he was running in the 16th position and reported that he was a little free in and off but better than the last run. Brad thought that he was losing ground on entry but was told by Joey that they were not losing any time there.
The 2nd caution of the day came out on lap 62 for the 88 of Alex Bowman. Bowman blew a tire and got into the wall collecting the 13 of Casey Mears. Brad was up to the 14th position and told the team that his entry and exit were not quite strong enough. He brought the #2 Wurth Ford down pit road for tires, fuel and an adjustment.
It was during this round of stops that the 2 crew was penalized for crew members over the wall too soon. Brad did not let this penalty get to him and instead told his team that they were all in this together and there was a long way to go. Because of this penalty, Brad was sent to the rear and had to restart way back in the 31st position. Paul quickly told Brad that there was no time to waste as the leader would quickly catch them in traffic but advised Brad to be smart.
By lap 76 brad was up to 25th and on the move. Brad reported that the car was running pretty good but he was trying to be smart. By lap 96, Brad was running in 18th and by this point in the race the 18 of Kyle Busch and the 42 of Kyle Larson had both made their way to pit road for a tire problem. This caused concern for many other drivers and Brad always inquired about his tires after a pit stop.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 117 when teammate Joey Logano cut a tire and got into the wall. Brad was running in the 3rd position as some cars had already begun to make their way down pit road. Brad reported that the car was lacking a little bit of speed but was quickly told that his speeds were good but it was his track position that had been holding him back.
Brad made his way down pit road on lap 119 and took 4 tires, fuel, an adjustment and window tear off. Brad was again reminded, “No speeding, drag your butt” on pit road. Because many cars were a lap down there was nothing to lose by taking their time. 22 cars took the wave around on this caution to get back on the lead lap.
After running a few laps under green, Brad told the team that he was a little loose in, a little loose off and a little tight middle. He also recognized that he needed some rear drive to help the car.
The 4th caution of the day was shown on lap 155 when the 4 of Kevin Harvick had an issue and the 22 of Joey Logano got into the wall again. Logano made his way to the garage for repairs as the 4 team tried relentlessly to diagnose the problems with their car. Paul told Brad that they were going to take some out of the right rear. During this round of pit stops the 18 of Kyle Busch was penalized for a crew member over the wall too early and an uncontrolled tire. This didn’t particularly hurt the 18 team as Kyle was on the tail end of the lead lap.
The field went back to green on lap 161 with Brad maintaining his 3rd place position. Brad again reported that he was getting beat late center and was tight and loose at the same time. Joey quickly told Brad that he wasn’t too concerned as Brad was catching the two cars ahead of him. Brad was passed on lap 176 by Chase Elliott and spotter Joey Meier reported that the back of the car started turning before the front.
On lap 203, Brad told the team that he had lost rear grip bad and the track bar was not helping. Brad made his first green flag pit stop of the day on lap 213 and came out in the 13th position, 1 lap down. As the field cycled around, Brad was back on the lead lap and running 4th by lap 218. The 17 of Stenhouse Jr was penalized with too fast entering during this round.
Brad ran a few green flag laps and let Paul Wolfe know that he was quite a bit tighter center to start. The 5th caution flag was shown on lap 229 for debris. Brad told the team that he was getting spit off and later center is better but needs front and rear. He also told him that he felt tighter this run. Brad made another pit stop and lost 1 spot for a position of 5th.
The field restarted on lap 237 and the 6th caution came out on lap 253 when AJ Allmendinger got into the wall hard. Brad was running in 7th and he said that he was still fighting all the same things from earlier. Brad lost 3 spots on pit road and restarted in 10th.
Right before the field took the green Brad joked with Joey Meier that “This oughta be a show, huh”. When the field took the green flag, there was an immediate wreck as the 3 of Austin Dillon started on the front row with 2 tires. He had a good restart but did not get going as good as the 78 of Martin Truex Jr. Martin caused Dillon to spin around and hit the wall hard collecting the 24 of Chase Elliott and the 27 of Paul Menard. A number of other cars also sustained some damage. The red flag was thrown on lap 260 while the track was cleaned up. The red flag lasted 12 minutes and the 2 crew decided not to pit as Brad only had a half lap on his tires.
The field retook the green on lap 266 with Brad running in the 6th position. By lap 299, Brad reported that this was the worst they had been all day and that the car was very evil here as he was about an 8 loose.
The 7th caution came out on lap 308 for the 11 of Denny Hamlin who was blowing up. This was a particularly bad race for quite a number of Chase drivers. As the team prepared to pit, Brad told the team that the previous adjustment had taken a giant step backwards. The 2 crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road. Brad restarted 6th with 18 laps to go.
This was the first race since Kansas in 2007 that 5 Chase drivers would finish 30th or worse. Brad brought home a solid 7th place finish and Jimmie Johnson won, punching his ticket into the next round of the Chase.
After the Bank of America 500, Brad made his way over to the #22 Discount Tire Ford for Team Penske in the Xfinity race. Brad was able to bring home a 9th place finish while his teammate Joey Logano won the race in a 2nd car fielded by Team Penske.
Next weekend we head to Kansas for the 2nd race and the last race before the field heads to Talladega. Many teams will be aggressive as they try to punch their ticket before Talladega. Brad runs fairly well at Kansas with a 10th place finish in the spring race. I expect him to qualify in the top 10 and bring home a 10th place finish as the 2 team has been very consistent throughout the Chase.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Bank Of America 500
October 9, 2016
1st Practice: 15th
Qualifying: 20th
Charlotte marked the first race in the second round of the Chase and many drivers were hungry for that win. By winning in Charlotte, drivers eased the stress of Talladega which is the third race in this round.
Brad did not have the best qualifying effort on Thursday and secured himself a 20th place starting position. At this point in the week, the forecast and Hurricane Matthew were already looming over the east coast of the United States and many were debating whether the race would actually run on the scheduled Saturday night.
The heavy rain overtook Charlotte and on track activity for both Friday and Saturday were cancelled. This meant that both the NASCAR Sprint Cup series and the Xfinity series would run on Sunday with the Cup series running first.
As the cars ran the pace laps before the start of the race Brad came over the radio telling his team that he thought they were going to have a good one. This was followed up by Crew Chief Paul Wolfe encouraging Brad to have a good race and to make no mistakes, especially on pit road. Because this race was originally supposed to be run at night and was now running during the day, the teams knew they would need to make some adjustments to the car and spotter Joey Meier advised Brad that a competition caution would come out on lap 25.
When the green flag waved Brad immediately lost a few spots and was running in the 21st position by lap 11. He reported that he was really tight in the dirty air but that the car wasn’t too bad otherwise. The competition caution came out on lap 26 and Paul told Brad that they were going to put air in the right rear to try and help with the handling. Brad lost 2 spots on pit road and restarted in the 23rd position. Brad came over the radio and told the team that it would cycle through and they needed to remain patient.
This first round of pit stops brought out quite a number of penalties. The 43, 27, 32 and 20 all received penalties for crew members over the wall too soon. On lap 35 Brad was running in 20th and reported back that the car was a little better this run and he quickly began to move through the field. By lap 46 he was running in the 16th position and reported that he was a little free in and off but better than the last run. Brad thought that he was losing ground on entry but was told by Joey that they were not losing any time there.
The 2nd caution of the day came out on lap 62 for the 88 of Alex Bowman. Bowman blew a tire and got into the wall collecting the 13 of Casey Mears. Brad was up to the 14th position and told the team that his entry and exit were not quite strong enough. He brought the #2 Wurth Ford down pit road for tires, fuel and an adjustment.
It was during this round of stops that the 2 crew was penalized for crew members over the wall too soon. Brad did not let this penalty get to him and instead told his team that they were all in this together and there was a long way to go. Because of this penalty, Brad was sent to the rear and had to restart way back in the 31st position. Paul quickly told Brad that there was no time to waste as the leader would quickly catch them in traffic but advised Brad to be smart.
By lap 76 brad was up to 25th and on the move. Brad reported that the car was running pretty good but he was trying to be smart. By lap 96, Brad was running in 18th and by this point in the race the 18 of Kyle Busch and the 42 of Kyle Larson had both made their way to pit road for a tire problem. This caused concern for many other drivers and Brad always inquired about his tires after a pit stop.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 117 when teammate Joey Logano cut a tire and got into the wall. Brad was running in the 3rd position as some cars had already begun to make their way down pit road. Brad reported that the car was lacking a little bit of speed but was quickly told that his speeds were good but it was his track position that had been holding him back.
Brad made his way down pit road on lap 119 and took 4 tires, fuel, an adjustment and window tear off. Brad was again reminded, “No speeding, drag your butt” on pit road. Because many cars were a lap down there was nothing to lose by taking their time. 22 cars took the wave around on this caution to get back on the lead lap.
After running a few laps under green, Brad told the team that he was a little loose in, a little loose off and a little tight middle. He also recognized that he needed some rear drive to help the car.
The 4th caution of the day was shown on lap 155 when the 4 of Kevin Harvick had an issue and the 22 of Joey Logano got into the wall again. Logano made his way to the garage for repairs as the 4 team tried relentlessly to diagnose the problems with their car. Paul told Brad that they were going to take some out of the right rear. During this round of pit stops the 18 of Kyle Busch was penalized for a crew member over the wall too early and an uncontrolled tire. This didn’t particularly hurt the 18 team as Kyle was on the tail end of the lead lap.
The field went back to green on lap 161 with Brad maintaining his 3rd place position. Brad again reported that he was getting beat late center and was tight and loose at the same time. Joey quickly told Brad that he wasn’t too concerned as Brad was catching the two cars ahead of him. Brad was passed on lap 176 by Chase Elliott and spotter Joey Meier reported that the back of the car started turning before the front.
On lap 203, Brad told the team that he had lost rear grip bad and the track bar was not helping. Brad made his first green flag pit stop of the day on lap 213 and came out in the 13th position, 1 lap down. As the field cycled around, Brad was back on the lead lap and running 4th by lap 218. The 17 of Stenhouse Jr was penalized with too fast entering during this round.
Brad ran a few green flag laps and let Paul Wolfe know that he was quite a bit tighter center to start. The 5th caution flag was shown on lap 229 for debris. Brad told the team that he was getting spit off and later center is better but needs front and rear. He also told him that he felt tighter this run. Brad made another pit stop and lost 1 spot for a position of 5th.
The field restarted on lap 237 and the 6th caution came out on lap 253 when AJ Allmendinger got into the wall hard. Brad was running in 7th and he said that he was still fighting all the same things from earlier. Brad lost 3 spots on pit road and restarted in 10th.
Right before the field took the green Brad joked with Joey Meier that “This oughta be a show, huh”. When the field took the green flag, there was an immediate wreck as the 3 of Austin Dillon started on the front row with 2 tires. He had a good restart but did not get going as good as the 78 of Martin Truex Jr. Martin caused Dillon to spin around and hit the wall hard collecting the 24 of Chase Elliott and the 27 of Paul Menard. A number of other cars also sustained some damage. The red flag was thrown on lap 260 while the track was cleaned up. The red flag lasted 12 minutes and the 2 crew decided not to pit as Brad only had a half lap on his tires.
The field retook the green on lap 266 with Brad running in the 6th position. By lap 299, Brad reported that this was the worst they had been all day and that the car was very evil here as he was about an 8 loose.
The 7th caution came out on lap 308 for the 11 of Denny Hamlin who was blowing up. This was a particularly bad race for quite a number of Chase drivers. As the team prepared to pit, Brad told the team that the previous adjustment had taken a giant step backwards. The 2 crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road. Brad restarted 6th with 18 laps to go.
This was the first race since Kansas in 2007 that 5 Chase drivers would finish 30th or worse. Brad brought home a solid 7th place finish and Jimmie Johnson won, punching his ticket into the next round of the Chase.
After the Bank of America 500, Brad made his way over to the #22 Discount Tire Ford for Team Penske in the Xfinity race. Brad was able to bring home a 9th place finish while his teammate Joey Logano won the race in a 2nd car fielded by Team Penske.
Next weekend we head to Kansas for the 2nd race and the last race before the field heads to Talladega. Many teams will be aggressive as they try to punch their ticket before Talladega. Brad runs fairly well at Kansas with a 10th place finish in the spring race. I expect him to qualify in the top 10 and bring home a 10th place finish as the 2 team has been very consistent throughout the Chase.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
The Monster Mile
Citizen Soldier 400
October 2, 2016
1st Practice: 19th
2nd Practice: 22nd
Qualifying: 1st
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series started off the last race in the first round of the Chase at Dover International Speedway in Dover Delaware. Dover is a one mile concrete track that hosts NASCAR’s top series twice a year.
Mother Nature does not seem to be agreeing with the NASCAR schedule this year and Dover race weekend was no exception. Qualifying was cancelled on Friday due to rain and the starting grid was set by the current points, earning Brad the pole. The rain also carried over to Saturday’s Xfinity race where Brad’s teammate Joey Logano was scheduled to run the Team Penske car. NASCAR decided to run a double header Sunday with the Xfinity race in the morning and the Cup race in the afternoon. Because of this, Team Penske decided to have Ryan Blaney run the race allowing Joey more time to focus on the Chase.
This was an elimination round for the Chase but Keselowski was pretty much set as long as nothing catastrophic occurred during the race. Other guys such as Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon had their Chase hopes on the line.
When the first caution of the race came out, Brad made his way down pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments including air pressure and wedge. He gained a spot on pit road and restarted in the 2nd position, however, by lap 100 he had fallen back to the 7th position.
Brad remained in the top 10 through the first quarter of the race and when the 2nd caution came out for the 21 of Ryan Blaney, Brad came into the pits and took tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. By lap 150 he was running in the 8th position.
At this point in the race there were only 19 cars on the lead lap and on lap 183 the 3rd caution came out for the 42 of Kyle Larson. This was a tough break for Larson as his Chase hopes were smashed. Brad again came down pit road for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The 2 Crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road.
By lap 232, Brad was running in the 4th position where he ended up finishing at the end of the race.
Brad was the only Chase driver to finish this round of the Chase with all top 5 finishes. Martin Truex Jr brought home his 2nd win of this round and his longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex thanked Brad for delivering a congratulatory note and a case of Miller Lite. A lot of people do not know this, but Brad presents the winner of each race with a note and Miller Lite.
Unfortunately for Larson, McMurray, Stewart and Buescher, they were eliminated from this round of the Chase.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Citizen Soldier 400
October 2, 2016
1st Practice: 19th
2nd Practice: 22nd
Qualifying: 1st
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series started off the last race in the first round of the Chase at Dover International Speedway in Dover Delaware. Dover is a one mile concrete track that hosts NASCAR’s top series twice a year.
Mother Nature does not seem to be agreeing with the NASCAR schedule this year and Dover race weekend was no exception. Qualifying was cancelled on Friday due to rain and the starting grid was set by the current points, earning Brad the pole. The rain also carried over to Saturday’s Xfinity race where Brad’s teammate Joey Logano was scheduled to run the Team Penske car. NASCAR decided to run a double header Sunday with the Xfinity race in the morning and the Cup race in the afternoon. Because of this, Team Penske decided to have Ryan Blaney run the race allowing Joey more time to focus on the Chase.
This was an elimination round for the Chase but Keselowski was pretty much set as long as nothing catastrophic occurred during the race. Other guys such as Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon had their Chase hopes on the line.
When the first caution of the race came out, Brad made his way down pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments including air pressure and wedge. He gained a spot on pit road and restarted in the 2nd position, however, by lap 100 he had fallen back to the 7th position.
Brad remained in the top 10 through the first quarter of the race and when the 2nd caution came out for the 21 of Ryan Blaney, Brad came into the pits and took tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment. By lap 150 he was running in the 8th position.
At this point in the race there were only 19 cars on the lead lap and on lap 183 the 3rd caution came out for the 42 of Kyle Larson. This was a tough break for Larson as his Chase hopes were smashed. Brad again came down pit road for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. The 2 Crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road.
By lap 232, Brad was running in the 4th position where he ended up finishing at the end of the race.
Brad was the only Chase driver to finish this round of the Chase with all top 5 finishes. Martin Truex Jr brought home his 2nd win of this round and his longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex thanked Brad for delivering a congratulatory note and a case of Miller Lite. A lot of people do not know this, but Brad presents the winner of each race with a note and Miller Lite.
Unfortunately for Larson, McMurray, Stewart and Buescher, they were eliminated from this round of the Chase.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Forward Momentum
New Hampshire
September 25, 2016
1st Practice: 12th
2nd Practice: 18th
3rd Practice: 12th
Qualifying: 11th
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series spent the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire. The track is located about 80 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts and is a one mile asphalt and granite speedway that opened in 1990. The Sprint Cup series meets in Loudon in both July and September.
The weather for the September race in New Hampshire is always the perfect mix of summer and fall weather and this weekend was no exception. Brad was able to secure an 11th place starting position during qualifying on Friday night.
Sunday was another beautiful fall day and as Brad made the pace laps before the race he came over the radio to encourage his team by telling them that it’s a “Beautiful day. We will dig hard and make the best of every opportunity”. Paul also reminded Brad to be patient and do his best while not making any mistakes, especially on pit road.
When the green flag was waved, Brad managed to hold his ground in 11th and reported on lap 12 that he was, “3 loose 1, 5 tight center 3, 3 loose off of 2”. He also let Paul know that he needed more air pressure in the right rear.
As the first round of green flag stops loomed, Crew Chief Paul Wolfe requested that spotter Joey Meier let Paul know when the #24 of Chase Elliott was pitting so that they could avoid coming down pit road at the same time. Green flag stops began on lap 75 but Brad decided to stay out a little longer than the rest of the field to lead a lap.
Brad finally came down pit road on lap 80 after reporting that he was still tight in center and needed more drive off. The 2 Crew gave him 4 fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and made a wedge adjustment. Brad cycled through to the 17th position on lap 82. Brad reported back to the team that the car was turning much better this run. By lap 96 Brad was running in 15th but was 24 seconds behind the leader, Martin Truex Jr. It seemed that staying out longer to lead a lap was costly to his track position.
By lap 109, Joey Meier was warning Brad that the leader was gaining on him and it would only be a matter of time before he would go a lap down like his teammate Joey Logano. Luckily for Brad the first caution came out on lap 124 for Josh Wise.
As the team prepared for a pit stop, Brad reported that he was a tiny bit better but was still loose in, better center. He also told Paul Wolfe that he was “3 free in, 2 loose off, 4 tight center”. The 2 Crew gained 1 spot on pit road for Brad and he restarted in the 14th position.
Brad quickly dropped back to the 16th position by lap 135 and told the team that he was still loose, “The second I get into the throttle, I get sideways”. By lap 144 he reported that he lost his entry. Joey Meier let Brad know that they were not good in traffic but were better alone.
The 2nd caution came out on lap 165 for debris. Paul decided that he would go back part way on the last adjustment they made to the car to try and help Brad. The 2 crew again gained Brad spots on pit road and he was scored in the 12th position. Brad let the team know that the “Deuce is fast but out of control”. Paul told Brad that he put ½ the wedge back in.
The field restarted on lap 171 and by lap 207, Joey Meier was letting Brad know that he was the 2nd fastest car on the track. Joey described it as going fast but not racing well. By lap 221, Brad was running in 13th and realized that he abused the front tires.
The 2nd round of green flag pit stops began on lap 231. Brad made his way to pit road with the #2 Miller Lite Ford on lap 234 from the 1st position after staying out a little longer than some other cars in the field. Brad cycled back through to 13th with 65 laps to go.
The 3rd caution on the day was thrown on lap 240 when a car got into the wall. Paul figured they might as well pit as they do not have many positions to lose at this point. Brad debated this and it was decided that if all the other cars stayed out, Brad would as well. This was not the case and Brad made his way to pit road for 4 tires and fuel.
Brad restarted on lap 248 in the 14th position but the field did not run many green laps when the caution came out again for the 95 of Michael McDowell. Brad reported that he was loose in but tight off and he had gotten better as he went. The team again decided to pit as there were not many positions to lose by pitting.
By lap 270 Brad was up to the 10th position and on the move. It was during this run that Joey Meier reported he touched the wall. Brad quickly came over the radio to clear up any confusion by stating, “I didn’t touch no wall”. By lap 267 Brad was up to the 7th position and battling hard to get a good finish out of a lackluster race thus far.
The 5th caution came out with 16 to go when the #6 of Trevor Bayne hit the wall hard. The team decided not to pit as this was going to be a short run for the checkered flag. Brad quickly encouraged and thanked his team saying “we’ve dug hard all day. I appreciate it”.
With only 10 laps to go, Brad had moved into the 4th position when another caution came out for the #17 of Stenhouse Jr. Paul Wolfe reminded Brad to be smart on the restart as all the cars around them were in the Chase and they didn’t want to ruin someone else’s Chase hopes.
Kevin Harvick in the 4 won the 2nd race of the Chase and Brad was able to bring home a solid 4th place finish. He congratulated his team on a nice job and later told reporters that he believes in his team.
Brad and the #2 have some great momentum that they will carry with them to the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. Brad typically runs pretty well at Dover and was able to bring home a 6th place finish in the spring race after leading 49 laps. I expect Brad to qualify within the top 15 and bring home a top 10 finish. The team has had great momentum over the past few races and I believe Brad will be battling in the 2nd round of the Chase after this weekend at Dover.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
New Hampshire
September 25, 2016
1st Practice: 12th
2nd Practice: 18th
3rd Practice: 12th
Qualifying: 11th
The NASCAR Sprint Cup series spent the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire. The track is located about 80 miles north of Boston, Massachusetts and is a one mile asphalt and granite speedway that opened in 1990. The Sprint Cup series meets in Loudon in both July and September.
The weather for the September race in New Hampshire is always the perfect mix of summer and fall weather and this weekend was no exception. Brad was able to secure an 11th place starting position during qualifying on Friday night.
Sunday was another beautiful fall day and as Brad made the pace laps before the race he came over the radio to encourage his team by telling them that it’s a “Beautiful day. We will dig hard and make the best of every opportunity”. Paul also reminded Brad to be patient and do his best while not making any mistakes, especially on pit road.
When the green flag was waved, Brad managed to hold his ground in 11th and reported on lap 12 that he was, “3 loose 1, 5 tight center 3, 3 loose off of 2”. He also let Paul know that he needed more air pressure in the right rear.
As the first round of green flag stops loomed, Crew Chief Paul Wolfe requested that spotter Joey Meier let Paul know when the #24 of Chase Elliott was pitting so that they could avoid coming down pit road at the same time. Green flag stops began on lap 75 but Brad decided to stay out a little longer than the rest of the field to lead a lap.
Brad finally came down pit road on lap 80 after reporting that he was still tight in center and needed more drive off. The 2 Crew gave him 4 fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and made a wedge adjustment. Brad cycled through to the 17th position on lap 82. Brad reported back to the team that the car was turning much better this run. By lap 96 Brad was running in 15th but was 24 seconds behind the leader, Martin Truex Jr. It seemed that staying out longer to lead a lap was costly to his track position.
By lap 109, Joey Meier was warning Brad that the leader was gaining on him and it would only be a matter of time before he would go a lap down like his teammate Joey Logano. Luckily for Brad the first caution came out on lap 124 for Josh Wise.
As the team prepared for a pit stop, Brad reported that he was a tiny bit better but was still loose in, better center. He also told Paul Wolfe that he was “3 free in, 2 loose off, 4 tight center”. The 2 Crew gained 1 spot on pit road for Brad and he restarted in the 14th position.
Brad quickly dropped back to the 16th position by lap 135 and told the team that he was still loose, “The second I get into the throttle, I get sideways”. By lap 144 he reported that he lost his entry. Joey Meier let Brad know that they were not good in traffic but were better alone.
The 2nd caution came out on lap 165 for debris. Paul decided that he would go back part way on the last adjustment they made to the car to try and help Brad. The 2 crew again gained Brad spots on pit road and he was scored in the 12th position. Brad let the team know that the “Deuce is fast but out of control”. Paul told Brad that he put ½ the wedge back in.
The field restarted on lap 171 and by lap 207, Joey Meier was letting Brad know that he was the 2nd fastest car on the track. Joey described it as going fast but not racing well. By lap 221, Brad was running in 13th and realized that he abused the front tires.
The 2nd round of green flag pit stops began on lap 231. Brad made his way to pit road with the #2 Miller Lite Ford on lap 234 from the 1st position after staying out a little longer than some other cars in the field. Brad cycled back through to 13th with 65 laps to go.
The 3rd caution on the day was thrown on lap 240 when a car got into the wall. Paul figured they might as well pit as they do not have many positions to lose at this point. Brad debated this and it was decided that if all the other cars stayed out, Brad would as well. This was not the case and Brad made his way to pit road for 4 tires and fuel.
Brad restarted on lap 248 in the 14th position but the field did not run many green laps when the caution came out again for the 95 of Michael McDowell. Brad reported that he was loose in but tight off and he had gotten better as he went. The team again decided to pit as there were not many positions to lose by pitting.
By lap 270 Brad was up to the 10th position and on the move. It was during this run that Joey Meier reported he touched the wall. Brad quickly came over the radio to clear up any confusion by stating, “I didn’t touch no wall”. By lap 267 Brad was up to the 7th position and battling hard to get a good finish out of a lackluster race thus far.
The 5th caution came out with 16 to go when the #6 of Trevor Bayne hit the wall hard. The team decided not to pit as this was going to be a short run for the checkered flag. Brad quickly encouraged and thanked his team saying “we’ve dug hard all day. I appreciate it”.
With only 10 laps to go, Brad had moved into the 4th position when another caution came out for the #17 of Stenhouse Jr. Paul Wolfe reminded Brad to be smart on the restart as all the cars around them were in the Chase and they didn’t want to ruin someone else’s Chase hopes.
Kevin Harvick in the 4 won the 2nd race of the Chase and Brad was able to bring home a solid 4th place finish. He congratulated his team on a nice job and later told reporters that he believes in his team.
Brad and the #2 have some great momentum that they will carry with them to the Monster Mile of Dover International Speedway. Brad typically runs pretty well at Dover and was able to bring home a 6th place finish in the spring race after leading 49 laps. I expect Brad to qualify within the top 15 and bring home a top 10 finish. The team has had great momentum over the past few races and I believe Brad will be battling in the 2nd round of the Chase after this weekend at Dover.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Chris Trotman
Solid Start
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400
September 18, 2016
1st Practice: 4th
2nd Practice: 25th
3rd Practice: 9th
Qualifying: 2nd
The first race of the Chase is always an exciting time for drivers, teams and fans alike and this year was no exception. Chicagoland Speedway is located in Joliet, Illinois which is a short distance southwest of Chicago. It is a 1.5 mile tri-oval speedway that opened in 2001 and hosts just 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup race a year. This can make it especially challenging for teams as they have to rely on last year’s set-up and be open to try new things.
Unfortunately, mother nature was not as excited for the first Chase race as everyone else was as qualifying was cancelled on Friday due to inclement weather. The field was set by points earning Brad a 2nd place starting position for Sundays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 beside Kyle Busch in the 18.
Even though the weather Friday wasn’t great, Sunday was beautiful. It was some of the warmest temperatures the teams had seen all weekend and as Brad got ready for the race he wished the team well telling them “have a good one. We’ll see you in a little bit. I’ll do the best I can for you today”. Brad was also running a new paint scheme this week that he will be running throughout the Chase. The new paint scheme incorporates the team's hashtag of #goingfor2 on the back bumper.
When the green flag waved, Brad quickly fell back to the 3rd position and reported that he was really free in but not too bad. He also said the car was tight center but again, not too bad. Brad moved back up to the 2nd position when the 11 of Denny Hamlin began to fall back to get a large piece of debris off his grill. By lap 23, he reported that he was getting beat in center and exit so some adjustments were necessary to improve the car.
By lap 34 Brad had fallen back to the 3rd position but was able to pass Kyle Busch for 2nd on lap 39. The first round of green flag pit stops came on lap 49 as the first caution flag came out. Brad had yet to make his way down pit road but finally came down on lap 51, during the caution, for 4 fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.
Brad restarted in the 4th position on lap 55 and ran there for a while. Brad reported that he was pretty good in turns 1 and 2 but not good in 3 and 4. He however wasn’t sure yet if it was better this run compared to last run. By lap 93, Brad was running in 2nd and was told by spotter Joey Meier to just look ahead as there was no immediate threat on his bumper.
Brad then reported that the drive in and off were reasonable but was tight 3 and 4 late center. The 2nd round of green flag stops came out on lap 103 when Kyle Larson was the first to make his way down pit road. Brad cycled through to the lead as the other cars around him made their way to the pits. Brad finally made his stop on lap 105 for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. After his stop, he cycled back to the 3rd position.
The 2nd caution of the day came out on lap 120 when the 44 of Brian Scott spun around. Brad reported that the car felt the same as the last run with 3 and 4, late center turn being his weak spot. Paul Wolfe made a small air pressure change and Brad made sure to let him know that he didn’t want to lose what he already had as he could run well with the current set up.
The field restarted on lap 125 with Brad running in the 3rd position. By lap 153, Brad was reporting that the car had a little less stability this run and no more turn than they previously had but he was still running in the 3rd position. Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott were leading the field with Brad at least 4 seconds behind them.
Brad made his 3rd pit stop of the day on lap 172 and as he made his way down pit road he was reminded numerous times to watch his pit road speeds as NASCAR had been busting many teams for speeding. On this round of pit stops, they busted the 18 of Kyle Busch who had been running in the top 10 throughout a majority of the day.
The 4th caution of the race came out on lap 192 for debris. Brad lost 1 position on pit road and restarted in 3rd. By lap 224 he had been passed for the 3rd position and found himself sitting in 4th. He continued to fall back and by lap 229 was running 5th. Brad reported that he was not quite as good at the end of the run as he has previously been. He said he lost entry and exit quite a bit, at the end of a long run.
The next round of green flag stops came out on lap 235 when Jimmie Johnson made his way down pit road. Paul told Brad that he was thinking of a Blue Moon for this stop and Brad agreed. As they had been doing all race thus far, Paul planned their pit stops based on when the 3 of Austin Dillon was pitting so there would be no run in as Brad made his way into his pit stall.
With 19 laps to go, Brad was still running in the 5th position and began battling teammate Joey Logano for 4th. The 5th caution flag flew on lap 263 with 5 laps to go for the 95 of Michael McDowell. Brad requested the team take 4 tires and add some tape on to the nose of the car. Brad lost 1 spot on pit road and restarted in the 9th position.
Martin Truex Jr quickly made his way to the front of the field as Brad made his way to the 5th position. Brad was able to maintain 5th through the finish and brought home a solid finish for the first Chase race. He quickly told his team how good of a job they had done and encouraged them to keep moving forward. Martin Truex Jr was able to bring home the win and will move on to the next round of the Chase.
It was also announced this week that NASCAR would solidify its post-race inspection penalty structure for infractions from the LIS, eliminating the P2 and P3 levels of violation. The P4 level remains and violations at this level will remain encumbered. This comes after both the 78 of Martin Truex Jr and the 48 of Jimmie Johnson failed post-race LIS inspection after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said that “this was the most fair decision we could get to”. He went on to explain that a points penalty assessed to a team still trying to get into the next round of the Chase would have dramatically different effects than on a team that is already locked into the round of 12 with a win. He also said “those penalties will not have the same impact on the competitors, based on the Chase format and the increased emphasis on win bonuses”.
This weekend we head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 2nd race of the Chase. Loudon is not one of Brad’s best tracks but he typically runs in the top 20. In July he qualified 9th and finished 15th after a late race tire incident. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish within the top 10 as well. The #2 team is carrying some momentum after a few good finishes from the past few weeks and I expect them to continue this into the next round of the Chase.
Since New Hampshire is my home track, I will be visiting the track on Saturday for some Sprint Cup practice, Modified Race and the Truck race but will be watching the Sprint Cup race from the comfort of my home.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400
September 18, 2016
1st Practice: 4th
2nd Practice: 25th
3rd Practice: 9th
Qualifying: 2nd
The first race of the Chase is always an exciting time for drivers, teams and fans alike and this year was no exception. Chicagoland Speedway is located in Joliet, Illinois which is a short distance southwest of Chicago. It is a 1.5 mile tri-oval speedway that opened in 2001 and hosts just 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup race a year. This can make it especially challenging for teams as they have to rely on last year’s set-up and be open to try new things.
Unfortunately, mother nature was not as excited for the first Chase race as everyone else was as qualifying was cancelled on Friday due to inclement weather. The field was set by points earning Brad a 2nd place starting position for Sundays Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 beside Kyle Busch in the 18.
Even though the weather Friday wasn’t great, Sunday was beautiful. It was some of the warmest temperatures the teams had seen all weekend and as Brad got ready for the race he wished the team well telling them “have a good one. We’ll see you in a little bit. I’ll do the best I can for you today”. Brad was also running a new paint scheme this week that he will be running throughout the Chase. The new paint scheme incorporates the team's hashtag of #goingfor2 on the back bumper.
When the green flag waved, Brad quickly fell back to the 3rd position and reported that he was really free in but not too bad. He also said the car was tight center but again, not too bad. Brad moved back up to the 2nd position when the 11 of Denny Hamlin began to fall back to get a large piece of debris off his grill. By lap 23, he reported that he was getting beat in center and exit so some adjustments were necessary to improve the car.
By lap 34 Brad had fallen back to the 3rd position but was able to pass Kyle Busch for 2nd on lap 39. The first round of green flag pit stops came on lap 49 as the first caution flag came out. Brad had yet to make his way down pit road but finally came down on lap 51, during the caution, for 4 fresh Goodyear tires, fuel and a wedge adjustment.
Brad restarted in the 4th position on lap 55 and ran there for a while. Brad reported that he was pretty good in turns 1 and 2 but not good in 3 and 4. He however wasn’t sure yet if it was better this run compared to last run. By lap 93, Brad was running in 2nd and was told by spotter Joey Meier to just look ahead as there was no immediate threat on his bumper.
Brad then reported that the drive in and off were reasonable but was tight 3 and 4 late center. The 2nd round of green flag stops came out on lap 103 when Kyle Larson was the first to make his way down pit road. Brad cycled through to the lead as the other cars around him made their way to the pits. Brad finally made his stop on lap 105 for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. After his stop, he cycled back to the 3rd position.
The 2nd caution of the day came out on lap 120 when the 44 of Brian Scott spun around. Brad reported that the car felt the same as the last run with 3 and 4, late center turn being his weak spot. Paul Wolfe made a small air pressure change and Brad made sure to let him know that he didn’t want to lose what he already had as he could run well with the current set up.
The field restarted on lap 125 with Brad running in the 3rd position. By lap 153, Brad was reporting that the car had a little less stability this run and no more turn than they previously had but he was still running in the 3rd position. Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott were leading the field with Brad at least 4 seconds behind them.
Brad made his 3rd pit stop of the day on lap 172 and as he made his way down pit road he was reminded numerous times to watch his pit road speeds as NASCAR had been busting many teams for speeding. On this round of pit stops, they busted the 18 of Kyle Busch who had been running in the top 10 throughout a majority of the day.
The 4th caution of the race came out on lap 192 for debris. Brad lost 1 position on pit road and restarted in 3rd. By lap 224 he had been passed for the 3rd position and found himself sitting in 4th. He continued to fall back and by lap 229 was running 5th. Brad reported that he was not quite as good at the end of the run as he has previously been. He said he lost entry and exit quite a bit, at the end of a long run.
The next round of green flag stops came out on lap 235 when Jimmie Johnson made his way down pit road. Paul told Brad that he was thinking of a Blue Moon for this stop and Brad agreed. As they had been doing all race thus far, Paul planned their pit stops based on when the 3 of Austin Dillon was pitting so there would be no run in as Brad made his way into his pit stall.
With 19 laps to go, Brad was still running in the 5th position and began battling teammate Joey Logano for 4th. The 5th caution flag flew on lap 263 with 5 laps to go for the 95 of Michael McDowell. Brad requested the team take 4 tires and add some tape on to the nose of the car. Brad lost 1 spot on pit road and restarted in the 9th position.
Martin Truex Jr quickly made his way to the front of the field as Brad made his way to the 5th position. Brad was able to maintain 5th through the finish and brought home a solid finish for the first Chase race. He quickly told his team how good of a job they had done and encouraged them to keep moving forward. Martin Truex Jr was able to bring home the win and will move on to the next round of the Chase.
It was also announced this week that NASCAR would solidify its post-race inspection penalty structure for infractions from the LIS, eliminating the P2 and P3 levels of violation. The P4 level remains and violations at this level will remain encumbered. This comes after both the 78 of Martin Truex Jr and the 48 of Jimmie Johnson failed post-race LIS inspection after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400. Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell said that “this was the most fair decision we could get to”. He went on to explain that a points penalty assessed to a team still trying to get into the next round of the Chase would have dramatically different effects than on a team that is already locked into the round of 12 with a win. He also said “those penalties will not have the same impact on the competitors, based on the Chase format and the increased emphasis on win bonuses”.
This weekend we head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the 2nd race of the Chase. Loudon is not one of Brad’s best tracks but he typically runs in the top 20. In July he qualified 9th and finished 15th after a late race tire incident. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish within the top 10 as well. The #2 team is carrying some momentum after a few good finishes from the past few weeks and I expect them to continue this into the next round of the Chase.
Since New Hampshire is my home track, I will be visiting the track on Saturday for some Sprint Cup practice, Modified Race and the Truck race but will be watching the Sprint Cup race from the comfort of my home.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Sarah Crabill
Tire Shortage
Federated Auto Parts 400
1st Practice: 20th
2nd Practice: 11th
Qualifying: 17th
September 10, 2016
As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made their way to Richmond International Raceway, Brad and the #2 crew were ready for a great race weekend. Brad typically runs well at Richmond so getting his 5th win of the season here wasn’t so far-fetched.
Brad didn’t have the typical qualifying run he usually has at Richmond, and qualified the Miller Lite Ford in the 17th position. This weekend, NASCAR and fans celebrated Fan Appreciation Weekend and when the cars began their pace laps prior to the green flag, the cars formed into a “4 wide salute” and the crews held signs on pit road that read “thank you fans”. I believe that NASCAR and drivers alike truly understand what the fans mean to the sport and how fans have helped develop the sport into what it is now. I do however feel that most drivers appreciate their fans every weekend as opposed to one specific weekend as every time I have met Brad he has shown nothing but appreciation that his fans took the time to come out and see him.
When the green flag flew, everyone was on the move fast. Seeing as this was the last race before the Chase, many bubble drivers were being aggressive such as Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and Austin Dillon. The first caution of the night came out on lap 11 when the 21 of Ryan Blaney got into the wall. Brad was up to the 13th position and was moving up through the field quickly.
The tire wear at Richmond is always concerning to teams as over the years, tire wear has caused heartbreak for many drivers and teams. During this caution, the whole field came down pit road for tires and fuel.
By lap 37, Brad was up to the 10th position and trying to work his way through the field. Brad continued to move through the field and was up to the 7th position by lap 80. The #2 team was trying a different set-up this weekend and so far were really happy with it. The biggest problem they were finding was trying to balance short and long run speed.
The 2nd caution of the night came out on lap 85 when the 47 of AJ Allmendinger went around. Again, most, if not all, teams came down pit road for tires and fuel. Brad came out of the pits 7th. The race restarted on lap 92 and by lap 94 Brad had moved himself in to the 6th position.
The 3rd caution flag flew on lap 95 when Jeff Gordon in the 88 got into the 24 of Chase Elliott causing Elliott to cut a tire and get into the wall. Brad did not pit on this round of spots and restarted in the 6th position. By lap 170 Brad was running 4th and keeping lap times consistent with the leaders.
Green flag pit stops began on lap 186 and Brad made his way down pit road from 2nd position on lap 187. The 4th caution came out on lap 201 when Jimmie Johnson got into the wall. Jimmie had not made his way down pit road yet and was running on much older and worn down tires. Jimmie Johnson has been filled with inconsistencies lately and the question has been asked on many different occasions, is Jimmie Chase ready?
During this caution, many lead lap cars made their way down pit road, including Brad. The field restarted on lap 211 with Brad in the 5th position. Soon after, the 5th caution of the night came out for Debris.
The leaders chose to come back down pit road and Brad received a penalty for speeding on pit road as he was too fast exiting. Jimmie Johnson also received a penalty for a tire violation. This penalty caused Brad to start in the back of the pack in the 21st position.
6th caution flag flew on lap 245 when David Ragan had a tire issue. The 4 of Harvick, 20 of Kenseth, and 43 of Almirola, received Penalties during this caution. There seemed to be an increase in speeding penalties this race compared to previous races. This was due to the fact that NASCAR increased the number of pit road timing lines to reduce any pit road advantages that teams had found.
The field restarted on lap 250 with Brad running in the 11th position. Unfortunately, another caution came out soon after. On lap 166 the 7th caution came out when Paul Menard in the 27 made contact with Stenhouse JR in the 17.
Teams again had to make the decision on whether they were going to make their way down pit road. This was a tough decision as NASCAR and Goodyear mandate how many new sticker tires each team gets per race. The leaders all decided to come down pit road for either sticker tires or scruffs. Scruff tires are tires that teams have used for only one or two laps. Scruffs can be especially helpful if a driver needs instant grip during a late race restart. Scruffs however, are used less frequently now than they used to be.
The 2 crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road. Martin Truex Jr received a pit road penalty for speeding on this round of stops. The next caution came out on lap 279 for the 13 of Casey Mears. Brad was advised to stay out on this caution. Brad restarted on lap 285 in the 5th position and another caution came quick on lap 291. This caution was for Michael Annett. Brad was running in the 3rd position and he came down pit road to get tires and fuel.
He unfortunately lost 2 positions on pit road and restarted in the 13th position (some drivers did opt to stay out during this caution). Again, Brad started his charge to the front. By lap 318 he was up to the 7th position and still moving. The 10th caution came out on lap 322 for Carl Edwards. Brad again came down pit road and gained 1 spot on his stop.
The 11th caution of the night was shown on lap 73, again for Allmendinger. By lap 333, Brad was up to the 4th position and it seemed that everyone on track was being aggressive, trying to get every position they could.
Soon after lap 333, spotter Joey Meier reported seeing some damage on the right rear from contact with Kyle Busch on a restart but reassured the team that it wasn’t anything concerning. Kyle Busch however, was not very pleased with Brad for seemingly missing a gear.
With 65 laps to go the 12th caution came out when the 20 of Matt Kenseth got into the wall. Brad quickly questioned whether he got into Kenseth causing him to get into the wall. During his interview after being looked at in the infield care center, Matt said “It’s all on Brad. I’m sure he’ll send a tweet out or go on a TV show and explain how it wasn’t his fault but he knows better than that and he knows his angle was bad and he just drove way up into the corner because he made a mistake and he was trying to make up for it. He had no respect for anyone in the outside lane”. Brad responded to this dig by Kenseth during a media stop in Chicago where he said "I don't want to play the conversation game. I don't think I need to have a whole media discussion any time there is a small bump on the race track, whether it is me or somebody else. That is just how racing is going to be. We don't have to play drama queen for everything. That is how I feel about it."
The field restarted with 57 to go and another caution quickly came out with 55 to go. Again for AJ Allmendinger. The 2 team decided to stay out this time as tires were a real concern for many teams. The 14th caution flag was flown with 47 to go for Matt Dibenedetto. Brad again, opted to stay out. At this point in the race, the team had only 1 set of sticker tires left.
With 38 laps to go, a big wreck occurred involving a large number of cars included the 14, 31, 44, 19 and a number more, while Brad was running in 3rd. NASCAR decided to red flag the race to ensure that adequate clean up occurred without running a lot of pace laps.
Brad wanted to discuss strategy during the red flag and Paul Wolfe told him that the call was probably going to be for a Miller Lite. This wreck caused an interesting feud between Tony Stewart in the 14 and Ryan Newman in the 31. This incident ended any chance Newman had of racing himself into the Chase. After his trip to the infield care center Newman voiced his frustrations with Stewart stating “Just disappointing that you have somebody old like that that should be retired the way he drives. It’s just ridiculous”. He went on to say “…he thinks he owns everything. It’s unfortunate. But we shouldn’t expect anything less from him”. Stewart didn’t take offense to what Newman said and smiled slightly as he said. “He’ll get his wish in 10 weeks. Maybe next year without us here, he’ll get his spot in the Chase that way.” Stewart also stated that one night does not dictate the Chase as there were 26 weeks prior.
The red flag lasted just under 20 minutes and when pit road opened, Brad came down for a Miller Lite. This was the last pair of sticker tires that the team had and Brad restarted in 15th with 32 laps left.
By lap 375, Brad was up to the 8th position and still on the move with his new tires. The last caution of the race came out with 2 to go and Brad running in the 3rd position. The race went into overtime and Brad was able to bring home a 4th place finish. He quickly apologized to the team for not getting them more but he had a strong race with a good finish and gained some momentum to carry the #2 Penske Team into the Chase.
The first Chase race will be Sunday in Chicago. Brad typically runs pretty well in Chicago, with an 8th place finish last September. Brad has 2 wins at Chicago with the first in 2012 and the most recent in 2014. I expect Brad to run well this weekend and bring home a top 10 finish.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Federated Auto Parts 400
1st Practice: 20th
2nd Practice: 11th
Qualifying: 17th
September 10, 2016
As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made their way to Richmond International Raceway, Brad and the #2 crew were ready for a great race weekend. Brad typically runs well at Richmond so getting his 5th win of the season here wasn’t so far-fetched.
Brad didn’t have the typical qualifying run he usually has at Richmond, and qualified the Miller Lite Ford in the 17th position. This weekend, NASCAR and fans celebrated Fan Appreciation Weekend and when the cars began their pace laps prior to the green flag, the cars formed into a “4 wide salute” and the crews held signs on pit road that read “thank you fans”. I believe that NASCAR and drivers alike truly understand what the fans mean to the sport and how fans have helped develop the sport into what it is now. I do however feel that most drivers appreciate their fans every weekend as opposed to one specific weekend as every time I have met Brad he has shown nothing but appreciation that his fans took the time to come out and see him.
When the green flag flew, everyone was on the move fast. Seeing as this was the last race before the Chase, many bubble drivers were being aggressive such as Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and Austin Dillon. The first caution of the night came out on lap 11 when the 21 of Ryan Blaney got into the wall. Brad was up to the 13th position and was moving up through the field quickly.
The tire wear at Richmond is always concerning to teams as over the years, tire wear has caused heartbreak for many drivers and teams. During this caution, the whole field came down pit road for tires and fuel.
By lap 37, Brad was up to the 10th position and trying to work his way through the field. Brad continued to move through the field and was up to the 7th position by lap 80. The #2 team was trying a different set-up this weekend and so far were really happy with it. The biggest problem they were finding was trying to balance short and long run speed.
The 2nd caution of the night came out on lap 85 when the 47 of AJ Allmendinger went around. Again, most, if not all, teams came down pit road for tires and fuel. Brad came out of the pits 7th. The race restarted on lap 92 and by lap 94 Brad had moved himself in to the 6th position.
The 3rd caution flag flew on lap 95 when Jeff Gordon in the 88 got into the 24 of Chase Elliott causing Elliott to cut a tire and get into the wall. Brad did not pit on this round of spots and restarted in the 6th position. By lap 170 Brad was running 4th and keeping lap times consistent with the leaders.
Green flag pit stops began on lap 186 and Brad made his way down pit road from 2nd position on lap 187. The 4th caution came out on lap 201 when Jimmie Johnson got into the wall. Jimmie had not made his way down pit road yet and was running on much older and worn down tires. Jimmie Johnson has been filled with inconsistencies lately and the question has been asked on many different occasions, is Jimmie Chase ready?
During this caution, many lead lap cars made their way down pit road, including Brad. The field restarted on lap 211 with Brad in the 5th position. Soon after, the 5th caution of the night came out for Debris.
The leaders chose to come back down pit road and Brad received a penalty for speeding on pit road as he was too fast exiting. Jimmie Johnson also received a penalty for a tire violation. This penalty caused Brad to start in the back of the pack in the 21st position.
6th caution flag flew on lap 245 when David Ragan had a tire issue. The 4 of Harvick, 20 of Kenseth, and 43 of Almirola, received Penalties during this caution. There seemed to be an increase in speeding penalties this race compared to previous races. This was due to the fact that NASCAR increased the number of pit road timing lines to reduce any pit road advantages that teams had found.
The field restarted on lap 250 with Brad running in the 11th position. Unfortunately, another caution came out soon after. On lap 166 the 7th caution came out when Paul Menard in the 27 made contact with Stenhouse JR in the 17.
Teams again had to make the decision on whether they were going to make their way down pit road. This was a tough decision as NASCAR and Goodyear mandate how many new sticker tires each team gets per race. The leaders all decided to come down pit road for either sticker tires or scruffs. Scruff tires are tires that teams have used for only one or two laps. Scruffs can be especially helpful if a driver needs instant grip during a late race restart. Scruffs however, are used less frequently now than they used to be.
The 2 crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road. Martin Truex Jr received a pit road penalty for speeding on this round of stops. The next caution came out on lap 279 for the 13 of Casey Mears. Brad was advised to stay out on this caution. Brad restarted on lap 285 in the 5th position and another caution came quick on lap 291. This caution was for Michael Annett. Brad was running in the 3rd position and he came down pit road to get tires and fuel.
He unfortunately lost 2 positions on pit road and restarted in the 13th position (some drivers did opt to stay out during this caution). Again, Brad started his charge to the front. By lap 318 he was up to the 7th position and still moving. The 10th caution came out on lap 322 for Carl Edwards. Brad again came down pit road and gained 1 spot on his stop.
The 11th caution of the night was shown on lap 73, again for Allmendinger. By lap 333, Brad was up to the 4th position and it seemed that everyone on track was being aggressive, trying to get every position they could.
Soon after lap 333, spotter Joey Meier reported seeing some damage on the right rear from contact with Kyle Busch on a restart but reassured the team that it wasn’t anything concerning. Kyle Busch however, was not very pleased with Brad for seemingly missing a gear.
With 65 laps to go the 12th caution came out when the 20 of Matt Kenseth got into the wall. Brad quickly questioned whether he got into Kenseth causing him to get into the wall. During his interview after being looked at in the infield care center, Matt said “It’s all on Brad. I’m sure he’ll send a tweet out or go on a TV show and explain how it wasn’t his fault but he knows better than that and he knows his angle was bad and he just drove way up into the corner because he made a mistake and he was trying to make up for it. He had no respect for anyone in the outside lane”. Brad responded to this dig by Kenseth during a media stop in Chicago where he said "I don't want to play the conversation game. I don't think I need to have a whole media discussion any time there is a small bump on the race track, whether it is me or somebody else. That is just how racing is going to be. We don't have to play drama queen for everything. That is how I feel about it."
The field restarted with 57 to go and another caution quickly came out with 55 to go. Again for AJ Allmendinger. The 2 team decided to stay out this time as tires were a real concern for many teams. The 14th caution flag was flown with 47 to go for Matt Dibenedetto. Brad again, opted to stay out. At this point in the race, the team had only 1 set of sticker tires left.
With 38 laps to go, a big wreck occurred involving a large number of cars included the 14, 31, 44, 19 and a number more, while Brad was running in 3rd. NASCAR decided to red flag the race to ensure that adequate clean up occurred without running a lot of pace laps.
Brad wanted to discuss strategy during the red flag and Paul Wolfe told him that the call was probably going to be for a Miller Lite. This wreck caused an interesting feud between Tony Stewart in the 14 and Ryan Newman in the 31. This incident ended any chance Newman had of racing himself into the Chase. After his trip to the infield care center Newman voiced his frustrations with Stewart stating “Just disappointing that you have somebody old like that that should be retired the way he drives. It’s just ridiculous”. He went on to say “…he thinks he owns everything. It’s unfortunate. But we shouldn’t expect anything less from him”. Stewart didn’t take offense to what Newman said and smiled slightly as he said. “He’ll get his wish in 10 weeks. Maybe next year without us here, he’ll get his spot in the Chase that way.” Stewart also stated that one night does not dictate the Chase as there were 26 weeks prior.
The red flag lasted just under 20 minutes and when pit road opened, Brad came down for a Miller Lite. This was the last pair of sticker tires that the team had and Brad restarted in 15th with 32 laps left.
By lap 375, Brad was up to the 8th position and still on the move with his new tires. The last caution of the race came out with 2 to go and Brad running in the 3rd position. The race went into overtime and Brad was able to bring home a 4th place finish. He quickly apologized to the team for not getting them more but he had a strong race with a good finish and gained some momentum to carry the #2 Penske Team into the Chase.
The first Chase race will be Sunday in Chicago. Brad typically runs pretty well in Chicago, with an 8th place finish last September. Brad has 2 wins at Chicago with the first in 2012 and the most recent in 2014. I expect Brad to run well this weekend and bring home a top 10 finish.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Bojangles’ Southern 500
September 4, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 1st
Qualifying: 2nd
Throwback weekend is a highly anticipated weekend for drivers, teams and fans as it gives the teams the opportunity to pay tribute to another driver or era by showcasing past paint schemes or retro designs. Many driver's loved ones take part in dressing up like a blast from the past such as Austin Dillon's fiancé Whitney Ward who showcased her best throwback look. This year Brad paid tribute to the 1972 design by Miller Lite that showcases a lighter shade of blue with gold lines between the primary colors.
Unfortunately NASCAR had to cancel all Friday track activity because of Hurricane Hermine. This was a great move by NASCAR as it gave drivers and teams more time to spend at home with their families but it unfortunately caused qualifying to be cancelled. The qualifying order was set by points which means that Brad was able to start on the front row in the 2nd position.
The nasty weather did not stay long as Sunday night had clear skies and warm temperatures. As Brad does during the pace laps of every race he came over the radio and wished his team well on pit road and told them that he was super pumped about this one.
Brad maintained his second place position for the opening laps but began to report a small vibration by lap 15. He reported to the team that it was a 3 on a scale of 10 but other than that he had no complaints about the balance of the car. Even with this vibration, Brad ran the fastest lap of the group of cars around him on lap 26.
As the team began to prepare for their first pit stop, Brad requested a little bit of everything saying “I don’t feel great or terrible anywhere”. Green flag stops began on lap 48 when Kyle Larson made his way down pit road, others were soon to follow. Brad made his green flag stop on lap 49 from the 2nd position. As stops came to an end, Brad cycled through back to 2nd.
The dominant car thus far in the race was clearly the 4 of Kevin Harvick who had led a majority of the race. Brad was quickly informed by spotter Joey Meier that his lap times were shadowing those of the 4 but Brad reported back that he was tight late center.
The next round of green flag stops began on lap 90 but Crew Chief Paul Wolfe made the decision to stay out a little longer and lead some laps. The first caution of the race came on lap 95 when Trevor Bayne spun around. Brad had not made his pit stop yet and would make it on this caution. He reported to the team that he was loose off and it took him 2-3 laps to get off the splitter. Brad came out of the pits in first as he had previously put the whole field down a lap as they made their green flag stops. They all took the wave around to get back on the lead lap.
Brad had a great restart and took off but the 2nd caution came soon after on lap 113 when Brian Scott spun around. Brad came back down pit road for more tires and some wedge and again came off pit road in the 1st position. He had another great restart but Kevin Harvick was coming quick. The top 4 at the time (Keselowski, Harvick, Elliott, and Truex) pulled away from the rest of the field while Brad and Kevin continued to battle for the lead.
Harvick was finally able to get around the #2 Miller Lite Ford on lap 140 and Brad reported that he needed some rear grip. Brad was also reporting that he was loose but Paul let him know that basically the whole field was reporting the same thing and they would work on it during the next stop.
Brad came down pit road on lap 163 and cycled through to 2nd. He was still chasing Harvick when again, he started to feel a vibration. This time it was a 5 out of 10 on the scale. He told the team that he didn’t have much longer left that he would be able to run and he came down pit road on lap 191. He came out of the pits 1 lap down in the 18th position and Paul Wolfe let him know that it was a loose wheel.
The 3rd caution of the night came out on lap 204, again for Brian Scott in the #44. Brad was in the lucky dog position which meant that he was the first car 1 lap down and was able to take the wave around. Brad reported that the car was a lot freer and that they had made a step in the right direction from the previous run. Even though the team had faced 2 loose wheels thus far, Brad was quick to encourage the team and ensure them that there was plenty of time left in the race to capture that 5th win of the year.
The 4th caution flag flew on lap 214 for a spin by 6 time champion Jimmie Johnson. Brad was running in the 17th position and opted to stay out this run. A lot of teams choose to come down pit road so Brad restarted in the 11th position. As Brad saw many cars running down pit road he doubted his decision to stay out instead of pit but unfortunately at that point there was nothing to do but see how it played out.
After the restart, Brad quickly dropped to the 13th position but was informed by his spotter that they were running better than cars that did take tires. When the 5th caution of the night came out, Brad was running in the 10th position. Another caution came soon after when Greg Biffle got into the wall. Brad reported that he was tight to start and expressed concern for how many sets of tires the team still had. The 2 crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road and he restarted in the 10th position (not all cars came down pit road).
Brad continued to move through the field and was up to the 6th position on lap 277. The caution flag flew again on lap 279 when AJ Allmendinger wrecked. The 2 crew again gained Brad 3 spots on pit road where he restarted 4th. Brad quickly began to fall back and reported that he was loose everywhere and let it be known that he wanted to come back down pit road as he expressed a concern for the left rear tire. He came down pit road on lap 304 and this was the 2nd loose wheel for the #2 Miller Lite Team. Brad came off pit road 1 lap down in the 21st position.
Another caution came out on lap 317 when Tony Stewart’s car started to blow up. Brad again found himself in the lucky dog position and was able to take the wave around to get back on the lead lap. Brad quickly reported that he felt like he was getting another loose wheel and that he was terrible in 1 and 2 with no turning. The team decided that they would weld the next set of tires on to ensure that they do not get another loose wheel. Another caution came out with 41 laps to go when the 41 of Kurt Busch wrecked. Brad was running in the 17th position and the team opted to stay out as they only had 1 set of tires left.
Brad restarted with 34 laps to go on the front row and unfortunately spun the tires causing a bad restart. He fell back to the 3rd position with 33 laps to go and continued to fall back when the caution came out with 19 to go when Aric Almirola wrecked. Brad brushed the wall slightly and reported some right rear damage that he requested the gas man fix on this round of pit stops.
The field restarted with 12 laps to go and Brad was able to bring home a 9th place finish. At the end of the race he thanked his team and told them, “We had a lot of diversity today. We can build off of it." Martin Truex Jr in the 78 was able to bring home his 2nd win of the year.
One of the biggest stories this week was the announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would sit out the remaining races of the 2016 season and hopefully come back strong in February when the new season begins in Daytona. Alex Bowman and Jeff Gordon will split time behind the wheel of the #88. Dale Jr suffered a concussion in Michigan earlier this season and has been battling the symptoms over the past few weeks. Earnhardt’s condition does continue to improve says Dr. Collins who is working with Jr. on his recovery. Drivers and fans alike were saddened to see that Dale will not be returning this year but support his decision and wish him well on his recovery.
Next weekend we head to Richmond International Raceway for the last race before the Chase starts. Brad, luckily, is already locked in to the Chase with 4 wins this season but is hoping for another win to add some bonus points for the first round of the Chase. Brad typically qualifies pretty well at Richmond with a top 10 starting position the last 6 starts at the track. He also finishes pretty well with an 11th place finish in April and an 8th place finish in September of 2015. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish inside the top 10 as well. This will be a very interesting race as those drivers who are on the Chase bubble try to race their way in.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
September 4, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 1st
Qualifying: 2nd
Throwback weekend is a highly anticipated weekend for drivers, teams and fans as it gives the teams the opportunity to pay tribute to another driver or era by showcasing past paint schemes or retro designs. Many driver's loved ones take part in dressing up like a blast from the past such as Austin Dillon's fiancé Whitney Ward who showcased her best throwback look. This year Brad paid tribute to the 1972 design by Miller Lite that showcases a lighter shade of blue with gold lines between the primary colors.
Unfortunately NASCAR had to cancel all Friday track activity because of Hurricane Hermine. This was a great move by NASCAR as it gave drivers and teams more time to spend at home with their families but it unfortunately caused qualifying to be cancelled. The qualifying order was set by points which means that Brad was able to start on the front row in the 2nd position.
The nasty weather did not stay long as Sunday night had clear skies and warm temperatures. As Brad does during the pace laps of every race he came over the radio and wished his team well on pit road and told them that he was super pumped about this one.
Brad maintained his second place position for the opening laps but began to report a small vibration by lap 15. He reported to the team that it was a 3 on a scale of 10 but other than that he had no complaints about the balance of the car. Even with this vibration, Brad ran the fastest lap of the group of cars around him on lap 26.
As the team began to prepare for their first pit stop, Brad requested a little bit of everything saying “I don’t feel great or terrible anywhere”. Green flag stops began on lap 48 when Kyle Larson made his way down pit road, others were soon to follow. Brad made his green flag stop on lap 49 from the 2nd position. As stops came to an end, Brad cycled through back to 2nd.
The dominant car thus far in the race was clearly the 4 of Kevin Harvick who had led a majority of the race. Brad was quickly informed by spotter Joey Meier that his lap times were shadowing those of the 4 but Brad reported back that he was tight late center.
The next round of green flag stops began on lap 90 but Crew Chief Paul Wolfe made the decision to stay out a little longer and lead some laps. The first caution of the race came on lap 95 when Trevor Bayne spun around. Brad had not made his pit stop yet and would make it on this caution. He reported to the team that he was loose off and it took him 2-3 laps to get off the splitter. Brad came out of the pits in first as he had previously put the whole field down a lap as they made their green flag stops. They all took the wave around to get back on the lead lap.
Brad had a great restart and took off but the 2nd caution came soon after on lap 113 when Brian Scott spun around. Brad came back down pit road for more tires and some wedge and again came off pit road in the 1st position. He had another great restart but Kevin Harvick was coming quick. The top 4 at the time (Keselowski, Harvick, Elliott, and Truex) pulled away from the rest of the field while Brad and Kevin continued to battle for the lead.
Harvick was finally able to get around the #2 Miller Lite Ford on lap 140 and Brad reported that he needed some rear grip. Brad was also reporting that he was loose but Paul let him know that basically the whole field was reporting the same thing and they would work on it during the next stop.
Brad came down pit road on lap 163 and cycled through to 2nd. He was still chasing Harvick when again, he started to feel a vibration. This time it was a 5 out of 10 on the scale. He told the team that he didn’t have much longer left that he would be able to run and he came down pit road on lap 191. He came out of the pits 1 lap down in the 18th position and Paul Wolfe let him know that it was a loose wheel.
The 3rd caution of the night came out on lap 204, again for Brian Scott in the #44. Brad was in the lucky dog position which meant that he was the first car 1 lap down and was able to take the wave around. Brad reported that the car was a lot freer and that they had made a step in the right direction from the previous run. Even though the team had faced 2 loose wheels thus far, Brad was quick to encourage the team and ensure them that there was plenty of time left in the race to capture that 5th win of the year.
The 4th caution flag flew on lap 214 for a spin by 6 time champion Jimmie Johnson. Brad was running in the 17th position and opted to stay out this run. A lot of teams choose to come down pit road so Brad restarted in the 11th position. As Brad saw many cars running down pit road he doubted his decision to stay out instead of pit but unfortunately at that point there was nothing to do but see how it played out.
After the restart, Brad quickly dropped to the 13th position but was informed by his spotter that they were running better than cars that did take tires. When the 5th caution of the night came out, Brad was running in the 10th position. Another caution came soon after when Greg Biffle got into the wall. Brad reported that he was tight to start and expressed concern for how many sets of tires the team still had. The 2 crew gained Brad 2 spots on pit road and he restarted in the 10th position (not all cars came down pit road).
Brad continued to move through the field and was up to the 6th position on lap 277. The caution flag flew again on lap 279 when AJ Allmendinger wrecked. The 2 crew again gained Brad 3 spots on pit road where he restarted 4th. Brad quickly began to fall back and reported that he was loose everywhere and let it be known that he wanted to come back down pit road as he expressed a concern for the left rear tire. He came down pit road on lap 304 and this was the 2nd loose wheel for the #2 Miller Lite Team. Brad came off pit road 1 lap down in the 21st position.
Another caution came out on lap 317 when Tony Stewart’s car started to blow up. Brad again found himself in the lucky dog position and was able to take the wave around to get back on the lead lap. Brad quickly reported that he felt like he was getting another loose wheel and that he was terrible in 1 and 2 with no turning. The team decided that they would weld the next set of tires on to ensure that they do not get another loose wheel. Another caution came out with 41 laps to go when the 41 of Kurt Busch wrecked. Brad was running in the 17th position and the team opted to stay out as they only had 1 set of tires left.
Brad restarted with 34 laps to go on the front row and unfortunately spun the tires causing a bad restart. He fell back to the 3rd position with 33 laps to go and continued to fall back when the caution came out with 19 to go when Aric Almirola wrecked. Brad brushed the wall slightly and reported some right rear damage that he requested the gas man fix on this round of pit stops.
The field restarted with 12 laps to go and Brad was able to bring home a 9th place finish. At the end of the race he thanked his team and told them, “We had a lot of diversity today. We can build off of it." Martin Truex Jr in the 78 was able to bring home his 2nd win of the year.
One of the biggest stories this week was the announcement that Dale Earnhardt Jr. would sit out the remaining races of the 2016 season and hopefully come back strong in February when the new season begins in Daytona. Alex Bowman and Jeff Gordon will split time behind the wheel of the #88. Dale Jr suffered a concussion in Michigan earlier this season and has been battling the symptoms over the past few weeks. Earnhardt’s condition does continue to improve says Dr. Collins who is working with Jr. on his recovery. Drivers and fans alike were saddened to see that Dale will not be returning this year but support his decision and wish him well on his recovery.
Next weekend we head to Richmond International Raceway for the last race before the Chase starts. Brad, luckily, is already locked in to the Chase with 4 wins this season but is hoping for another win to add some bonus points for the first round of the Chase. Brad typically qualifies pretty well at Richmond with a top 10 starting position the last 6 starts at the track. He also finishes pretty well with an 11th place finish in April and an 8th place finish in September of 2015. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish inside the top 10 as well. This will be a very interesting race as those drivers who are on the Chase bubble try to race their way in.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Home Track Disappointment
Pure Michigan 400
August 28, 2016
1st Practice: 13th
2nd Practice: 14th
3rd Practice: 5th
Qualifying: 18th
Michigan International Speedway, located in Brooklyn, Michigan. MIS is Brad’s home track as he is from Rochester Hills located a short distance from the track. The home track win has eluded Brad thus far in his career but Michigan has always been a good track for him.
The weather forecast for race day had only a 15% chance of rain but as the television cameras panned over the track, dark clouds could be seen just beyond. Luckily, this was not an issue for the race.
Brad spent the pace laps of the race discussing the restart zone and reiterating to the team how badly he wanted that hometown win. Team owner Roger Penske wished Brad well before the race and Brad encouraged his team to “have a good day” and thanked them for the hard work they had put in on this car.
The #2 Miller Lite Ford took the green flag in the 18th position and by lap 9, was only up one spot. Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, reported back to the team that the leaders were losing a lot of speed but the #2 team had yet to do so. Brad was still not gaining a lot of ground on the leaders and reported that the “tightness was mostly center off” and he was “a little free in traffic. It’s not bad”.
The competition caution came out on lap 21 with Brad running in the 15th position. Paul Wolfe called for a Blue Moon and Brad made his way down pit road. Brad took the restart from the 15th position and the second caution followed soon after on lap 26 when Kyle Busch in the #18 spun around. The team decided to stay out on this caution and Brad took this restart in the 17th position.
Brad quickly began discussing the handling issues he was having this run and described the car as very very tight center off 3 and 4 and that the car was not turning at all. By lap 42 Brad had moved to the 14th position and was told that he was better than the next 5 cars ahead of him. By lap 62, Brad was up to the 11th position and the team began discussing their next pit stop. Paul let Brad know that they were taking a Miller Lite on this round of stops and by lap 68 Brad had taken the lead as most of the cars on the lead lap came down pit road.
Brad made his first green flag stop of the night on lap 70 and cycled through to the 12th position. Brad’s biggest complaint after the stop was that the car was very tight to start a run but would come in later. The next round of green flag stops began on lap 108 and the next round of pit stop discussion began. Brad again asked for a Miller Lite but Crew Chief Paul Wolfe wasn’t sold. Brad was adamant that he thought it would work so Paul decided to give it a shot. Brad and the #2 crew can take risks and try different things as Brad is locked into the Chase. Brad finally made his way down pit road on lap 116 after leading a few laps.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 118 for debris. Brad was immediately advised to save fuel. He restarted in the 6th position and began inquiring about the leaders. This run was Brad’s strongest long run but he was also informed that his short run speeds were good too. They were not running better than anyone else but they were equal.
By lap 126 Brad was up to the 6th position and on the move. Green flag pit stops started on lap 152 when Joey Logano made his way down pit road a little earlier than expected. Paul let Brad know that they were taking a Blue Moon this time around and Brad agreed. By lap 169, Brad was up to the 3rd position but still not happy with the car. Spotter Joey Meier was relaying Brad’s dissatisfaction with the car back to Paul Wolfe but all that Paul could tell him was that Brad had to figure it out for himself at this point in the race.
As the race dwindled down, there were two young guns battling for the lead, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Could this be the race to breed a first time winner? At this point in the race Brad was the fastest car on track but he wouldn’t be able to run down the leaders without a caution.
The next caution came out with 13 laps to go for debris. Brad was again told to save as much fuel as he could. Brad took the green flag from the 3rd position and was able to get by Chase Elliott for the 2nd position. Kyle Larson in the #42 had a great restart and quickly took off with the lead. Elliott was able to run down Brad pretty quickly but could he catch Larson? Brad was quick to let the team know that he was not overdriving the car but was working with what he had, which wasn’t much. Brad was able to bring home a 3rd place finish for the #2 Miller Lite Ford and the 2 crew.
It was Kyle Larson who brought home the checkered flag for his first ever Sprint Cup win. Everyone knew Kyle’s time was coming and it was very cool to see so many drivers visiting him in Victory Lane, Brad included.
The #2 Team Penske team failed post-race inspection after the race in Michigan. It was announced on Wednesday that NASCAR assessed a P-2 penalty for the failure. This means that Crew Chief Paul Wolfe was fined $15,000.00 and the team was docked 10 championship driver points and 10 championship owner points. The team also received a written warning for failing pre-race laser inspection twice.
Next weekend we head to Darlington for NASCAR throwback weekend. Brad will be driving a 1972 design by Miller Lite with a lighter shade of blue and lines of gold between the blue and white colors of the car. Brad runs fairly well at Darlington with a 2nd place finish in 2015. He also won the pole for that race so expect Brad to qualify well and be running up front all day.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Pure Michigan 400
August 28, 2016
1st Practice: 13th
2nd Practice: 14th
3rd Practice: 5th
Qualifying: 18th
Michigan International Speedway, located in Brooklyn, Michigan. MIS is Brad’s home track as he is from Rochester Hills located a short distance from the track. The home track win has eluded Brad thus far in his career but Michigan has always been a good track for him.
The weather forecast for race day had only a 15% chance of rain but as the television cameras panned over the track, dark clouds could be seen just beyond. Luckily, this was not an issue for the race.
Brad spent the pace laps of the race discussing the restart zone and reiterating to the team how badly he wanted that hometown win. Team owner Roger Penske wished Brad well before the race and Brad encouraged his team to “have a good day” and thanked them for the hard work they had put in on this car.
The #2 Miller Lite Ford took the green flag in the 18th position and by lap 9, was only up one spot. Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, reported back to the team that the leaders were losing a lot of speed but the #2 team had yet to do so. Brad was still not gaining a lot of ground on the leaders and reported that the “tightness was mostly center off” and he was “a little free in traffic. It’s not bad”.
The competition caution came out on lap 21 with Brad running in the 15th position. Paul Wolfe called for a Blue Moon and Brad made his way down pit road. Brad took the restart from the 15th position and the second caution followed soon after on lap 26 when Kyle Busch in the #18 spun around. The team decided to stay out on this caution and Brad took this restart in the 17th position.
Brad quickly began discussing the handling issues he was having this run and described the car as very very tight center off 3 and 4 and that the car was not turning at all. By lap 42 Brad had moved to the 14th position and was told that he was better than the next 5 cars ahead of him. By lap 62, Brad was up to the 11th position and the team began discussing their next pit stop. Paul let Brad know that they were taking a Miller Lite on this round of stops and by lap 68 Brad had taken the lead as most of the cars on the lead lap came down pit road.
Brad made his first green flag stop of the night on lap 70 and cycled through to the 12th position. Brad’s biggest complaint after the stop was that the car was very tight to start a run but would come in later. The next round of green flag stops began on lap 108 and the next round of pit stop discussion began. Brad again asked for a Miller Lite but Crew Chief Paul Wolfe wasn’t sold. Brad was adamant that he thought it would work so Paul decided to give it a shot. Brad and the #2 crew can take risks and try different things as Brad is locked into the Chase. Brad finally made his way down pit road on lap 116 after leading a few laps.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 118 for debris. Brad was immediately advised to save fuel. He restarted in the 6th position and began inquiring about the leaders. This run was Brad’s strongest long run but he was also informed that his short run speeds were good too. They were not running better than anyone else but they were equal.
By lap 126 Brad was up to the 6th position and on the move. Green flag pit stops started on lap 152 when Joey Logano made his way down pit road a little earlier than expected. Paul let Brad know that they were taking a Blue Moon this time around and Brad agreed. By lap 169, Brad was up to the 3rd position but still not happy with the car. Spotter Joey Meier was relaying Brad’s dissatisfaction with the car back to Paul Wolfe but all that Paul could tell him was that Brad had to figure it out for himself at this point in the race.
As the race dwindled down, there were two young guns battling for the lead, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott. Could this be the race to breed a first time winner? At this point in the race Brad was the fastest car on track but he wouldn’t be able to run down the leaders without a caution.
The next caution came out with 13 laps to go for debris. Brad was again told to save as much fuel as he could. Brad took the green flag from the 3rd position and was able to get by Chase Elliott for the 2nd position. Kyle Larson in the #42 had a great restart and quickly took off with the lead. Elliott was able to run down Brad pretty quickly but could he catch Larson? Brad was quick to let the team know that he was not overdriving the car but was working with what he had, which wasn’t much. Brad was able to bring home a 3rd place finish for the #2 Miller Lite Ford and the 2 crew.
It was Kyle Larson who brought home the checkered flag for his first ever Sprint Cup win. Everyone knew Kyle’s time was coming and it was very cool to see so many drivers visiting him in Victory Lane, Brad included.
The #2 Team Penske team failed post-race inspection after the race in Michigan. It was announced on Wednesday that NASCAR assessed a P-2 penalty for the failure. This means that Crew Chief Paul Wolfe was fined $15,000.00 and the team was docked 10 championship driver points and 10 championship owner points. The team also received a written warning for failing pre-race laser inspection twice.
Next weekend we head to Darlington for NASCAR throwback weekend. Brad will be driving a 1972 design by Miller Lite with a lighter shade of blue and lines of gold between the blue and white colors of the car. Brad runs fairly well at Darlington with a 2nd place finish in 2015. He also won the pole for that race so expect Brad to qualify well and be running up front all day.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
The Last Great Colloseum
Bristol
August 21, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 10th
Qualifying: 9th
Last weekend was a much anticipated off weekend for drivers and their families and Brad Keselowski was no exception. Brad spent his off weekend with a family trip to the race shop, a touring of the Yorktown in Charleston, SC and watching some races at NASCAR home tracks.
My off weekend was spent in Charlotte, NC visiting my brother and sister in-law and visiting some really cool NASCAR landmarks. I was able to visit the Team Penske Race shop, The Hendrick Museum, JR Motorsports, DEI, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Team Penske had a little museum when you walk in featuring merchandise, trophies won by various drivers within the organization and cars in the lobby. They also had a “fan walk” where you can overlook the whole shop and view the teams working on the race cars. The NASCAR Hall of Fame was really neat to visit, as well. There was so much history in one building and I really enjoyed the simulator. I know women drivers are often ridiculed but I put both my brother and Dad to shame when I was able to finish 6th the first time and 7th the second time trying the simulator. I have included some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Everyone was excited to get racing after the weekend off and Bristol never disappoints. Bristol Motor Speedway is located in Bristol, Tennessee and held its first NASCAR race in July of 1961. It is among the most popular tracks on the schedule because of its steep banking, concrete surface, pit road setup and stadium-like seating.
Bristol has been an up and down track for Brad. He’s experienced some highs, as well as, many lows. In 2015, Brad finished 35th in the spring race and 6th in the summer race. He typically qualifies in the top 10 and his qualifying effort for Saturday night’s race was no different. Brad was able to qualify the #2 Auto Trader Ford in the 9th position.
The big question Saturday night was how much racing NASCAR was actually going to get in. The race had a delayed start as rain and storms swept through the area. When the drivers were finally told to start their engines, Brad came over the radio and encouraged his team to “have a good one down there and be prepared for anything. But mostly for a win”. After running a few laps, Brad’s spotter Joey Meier, let Brad know that they were not running as low as everyone else was in the corners and this could be why they had fallen back to the 12th position by lap 23.
When the first caution came out on lap 30 for rain, Brad let Crew Chief Paul Wolfe know that he “Started strong but started to lose all grip”. As the rain continued to fall Brad was told that NASCAR is trying to decide if they want to keep the track dry with the jet dryers or the cars. Brad’s only response was “we’ve lost it”. The cars were finally brought down pit road and the race was red flagged.
The red flag was finally lifted at about 10:43 PM after an hour and 22 minutes. The teams were quickly trying to figure out when the next rain cell would hit the track and figuring that this was a race to halfway. After running quite a few pace laps Brad didn’t understand what was taking so long as he reported that the track was in great shape but was told that they were waiting on pit road.
Before the field had a chance to go green again another rain storm hit. Brad came over to report, “Awe, it’s raining again, yep it’s raining hard. See you in a minute or two”. He also made the right prediction when he said, “It’s a see you tomorrow rain”. The field was brought back down pit road and another red flag was thrown on lap 49. NASCAR finally decided that it was a lost cause and postponed the race until the following day.
One of the biggest concerns prior to the start of the race was how all the rain was going to affect the cars. When the pouring rain started on Saturday night the cars were still on track and once they were parked on pit road they remained there with covers on. Bristol does not have garages so the cars sat on pit road all night in the pouring rain. Teams were allowed to check basic equipment to make sure it was okay which included the radios. It was reported that Kurt Busch’s team took everything to do with their radios out of the car Saturday night to ensure that no water had the chance to get in and mess up any electronics. However, none of the cars seemed to have any problems come Sunday afternoon.
The race was scheduled to start at 1PM but rain was still in the area so the red flag continued until 4:30 PM. Brad was advised to clean up his tires well as they went from hot to cold really fast the previous evening . Brad took the green in the 12th position and many teams were anxious for the competition caution on lap 85. When the competition caution came out Brad relayed back to the team that he was “Tight in 2/3rd, really good take off”. Brad restarted in the 11th position and by lap 118 was up to 8th.
Brad was again told that he was not running as low as everyone else and this seemed to be where he was getting beat. By lap 148, Brad was up to the 9th position but reporting that he was “Really tight center”. The caution flag was shown at lap 157 when Regan Smith got into the wall. This was just in time for Brad’s teammate Joey Logano who was close to going a lap down.
As the team prepared for their pit stop Brad let them know that he was “Sliding front into the middle really bad” and that he had “Good short run speed”. Brad was given a slight air pressure adjustment, tires and fuel. He restarted in the 10th position and was on the move.
By lap 176 he was up to the 7th position and reporting that he was still tight then loose in and off. He unfortunately started to fall back again and was in 12th by lap 199. He continued to fall back and was down to 15th by lap 246. The 4th caution came out on lap 254 for debris after Ryan Newman got into the wall. This was a welcome caution for Brad and the #2 crew as adjustments were needed to fix an ill handling car. The next caution came on lap 308 as Kyle Larson spun around and again Brad reported that he was “Wicked tight man”.
Brad restarted in the 8th position and finally got into the top 5 on lap 328. The 6th caution of the night came on lap 358 when something broke in the 18 of Kyle Busch and he spun. Unfortunately this caused a wreck that involved Busch, Larson, Truex, and Allgaier.
Brad reported back to the team that that was the best they have been all day and that he was a little loose to start then built tight. Unfortunately, Brad’s night ended soon after. On lap 374, Kurt Busch got loose causing him to get sideways. Brad got into the side of him while Blaney, Larson, Kenseth and Brian Scott were also involved. Brad got on the radio letting the team know that “We’re done guys. I don’t have a steering wheel or a brake pedal”. Luckily, Brad was able to get the car moving again and make his way on to pit road.
Brad brought the car behind the wall so the team could assess the damage and attempt to make repairs. The #2 crew did a great job of getting the car repaired so Brad could get out there and run a few more laps. When he made his way on to the track he was 39 laps down but the car didn’t seem to have any further issues. Brad voiced his appreciation to his team for getting him back out on to the track and was told to just find a place and ride.
Another caution came out on lap 434 for rain and the red flag was quickly thrown to get the race track dried. Kevin Harvick finally took the lead and was able to maintain it for the rest of the race. The top 5 for the race at Bristol had some wild cards thrown in there with Stenhouse Jr. finishing 2nd, Austin Dillon 4th, and Chris Buescher 5th. Brad brought home a 33rd place finish which was not what the team wanted to see but they gave it their all.
After Harvick took the checkered flag he invited his team owner and friend Tony Stewart out to do a victory lap with him. This turned into the two of them doing donuts and was truly a great way for Kevin Harvick to pay tribute to his retiring friend and let him enjoy the win as well.
Next weekend we head to Michigan, Brad’s home track, where he has yet to get a win. Although Brad runs well at Michigan and was able to finish 4th in the spring race and in the top 10 every race since 2014, the win has continued to evade him. Brad will be giving the race this weekend everything he has to try and bring home the win.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Bristol
August 21, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 10th
Qualifying: 9th
Last weekend was a much anticipated off weekend for drivers and their families and Brad Keselowski was no exception. Brad spent his off weekend with a family trip to the race shop, a touring of the Yorktown in Charleston, SC and watching some races at NASCAR home tracks.
My off weekend was spent in Charlotte, NC visiting my brother and sister in-law and visiting some really cool NASCAR landmarks. I was able to visit the Team Penske Race shop, The Hendrick Museum, JR Motorsports, DEI, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Team Penske had a little museum when you walk in featuring merchandise, trophies won by various drivers within the organization and cars in the lobby. They also had a “fan walk” where you can overlook the whole shop and view the teams working on the race cars. The NASCAR Hall of Fame was really neat to visit, as well. There was so much history in one building and I really enjoyed the simulator. I know women drivers are often ridiculed but I put both my brother and Dad to shame when I was able to finish 6th the first time and 7th the second time trying the simulator. I have included some pictures for your viewing pleasure.
Everyone was excited to get racing after the weekend off and Bristol never disappoints. Bristol Motor Speedway is located in Bristol, Tennessee and held its first NASCAR race in July of 1961. It is among the most popular tracks on the schedule because of its steep banking, concrete surface, pit road setup and stadium-like seating.
Bristol has been an up and down track for Brad. He’s experienced some highs, as well as, many lows. In 2015, Brad finished 35th in the spring race and 6th in the summer race. He typically qualifies in the top 10 and his qualifying effort for Saturday night’s race was no different. Brad was able to qualify the #2 Auto Trader Ford in the 9th position.
The big question Saturday night was how much racing NASCAR was actually going to get in. The race had a delayed start as rain and storms swept through the area. When the drivers were finally told to start their engines, Brad came over the radio and encouraged his team to “have a good one down there and be prepared for anything. But mostly for a win”. After running a few laps, Brad’s spotter Joey Meier, let Brad know that they were not running as low as everyone else was in the corners and this could be why they had fallen back to the 12th position by lap 23.
When the first caution came out on lap 30 for rain, Brad let Crew Chief Paul Wolfe know that he “Started strong but started to lose all grip”. As the rain continued to fall Brad was told that NASCAR is trying to decide if they want to keep the track dry with the jet dryers or the cars. Brad’s only response was “we’ve lost it”. The cars were finally brought down pit road and the race was red flagged.
The red flag was finally lifted at about 10:43 PM after an hour and 22 minutes. The teams were quickly trying to figure out when the next rain cell would hit the track and figuring that this was a race to halfway. After running quite a few pace laps Brad didn’t understand what was taking so long as he reported that the track was in great shape but was told that they were waiting on pit road.
Before the field had a chance to go green again another rain storm hit. Brad came over to report, “Awe, it’s raining again, yep it’s raining hard. See you in a minute or two”. He also made the right prediction when he said, “It’s a see you tomorrow rain”. The field was brought back down pit road and another red flag was thrown on lap 49. NASCAR finally decided that it was a lost cause and postponed the race until the following day.
One of the biggest concerns prior to the start of the race was how all the rain was going to affect the cars. When the pouring rain started on Saturday night the cars were still on track and once they were parked on pit road they remained there with covers on. Bristol does not have garages so the cars sat on pit road all night in the pouring rain. Teams were allowed to check basic equipment to make sure it was okay which included the radios. It was reported that Kurt Busch’s team took everything to do with their radios out of the car Saturday night to ensure that no water had the chance to get in and mess up any electronics. However, none of the cars seemed to have any problems come Sunday afternoon.
The race was scheduled to start at 1PM but rain was still in the area so the red flag continued until 4:30 PM. Brad was advised to clean up his tires well as they went from hot to cold really fast the previous evening . Brad took the green in the 12th position and many teams were anxious for the competition caution on lap 85. When the competition caution came out Brad relayed back to the team that he was “Tight in 2/3rd, really good take off”. Brad restarted in the 11th position and by lap 118 was up to 8th.
Brad was again told that he was not running as low as everyone else and this seemed to be where he was getting beat. By lap 148, Brad was up to the 9th position but reporting that he was “Really tight center”. The caution flag was shown at lap 157 when Regan Smith got into the wall. This was just in time for Brad’s teammate Joey Logano who was close to going a lap down.
As the team prepared for their pit stop Brad let them know that he was “Sliding front into the middle really bad” and that he had “Good short run speed”. Brad was given a slight air pressure adjustment, tires and fuel. He restarted in the 10th position and was on the move.
By lap 176 he was up to the 7th position and reporting that he was still tight then loose in and off. He unfortunately started to fall back again and was in 12th by lap 199. He continued to fall back and was down to 15th by lap 246. The 4th caution came out on lap 254 for debris after Ryan Newman got into the wall. This was a welcome caution for Brad and the #2 crew as adjustments were needed to fix an ill handling car. The next caution came on lap 308 as Kyle Larson spun around and again Brad reported that he was “Wicked tight man”.
Brad restarted in the 8th position and finally got into the top 5 on lap 328. The 6th caution of the night came on lap 358 when something broke in the 18 of Kyle Busch and he spun. Unfortunately this caused a wreck that involved Busch, Larson, Truex, and Allgaier.
Brad reported back to the team that that was the best they have been all day and that he was a little loose to start then built tight. Unfortunately, Brad’s night ended soon after. On lap 374, Kurt Busch got loose causing him to get sideways. Brad got into the side of him while Blaney, Larson, Kenseth and Brian Scott were also involved. Brad got on the radio letting the team know that “We’re done guys. I don’t have a steering wheel or a brake pedal”. Luckily, Brad was able to get the car moving again and make his way on to pit road.
Brad brought the car behind the wall so the team could assess the damage and attempt to make repairs. The #2 crew did a great job of getting the car repaired so Brad could get out there and run a few more laps. When he made his way on to the track he was 39 laps down but the car didn’t seem to have any further issues. Brad voiced his appreciation to his team for getting him back out on to the track and was told to just find a place and ride.
Another caution came out on lap 434 for rain and the red flag was quickly thrown to get the race track dried. Kevin Harvick finally took the lead and was able to maintain it for the rest of the race. The top 5 for the race at Bristol had some wild cards thrown in there with Stenhouse Jr. finishing 2nd, Austin Dillon 4th, and Chris Buescher 5th. Brad brought home a 33rd place finish which was not what the team wanted to see but they gave it their all.
After Harvick took the checkered flag he invited his team owner and friend Tony Stewart out to do a victory lap with him. This turned into the two of them doing donuts and was truly a great way for Kevin Harvick to pay tribute to his retiring friend and let him enjoy the win as well.
Next weekend we head to Michigan, Brad’s home track, where he has yet to get a win. Although Brad runs well at Michigan and was able to finish 4th in the spring race and in the top 10 every race since 2014, the win has continued to evade him. Brad will be giving the race this weekend everything he has to try and bring home the win.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
So Close
Cheez-It 355
1st Practice: 7th
2nd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 12th
August 7, 2016
Watkins Glenn International, located in Watkins Glen, New York is one of only two road courses on the Sprint Cup circuit. The track features 11 unique turns with names such as the boot, the inner loop, and the bus stop. Brad typically runs pretty good at Watkins Glen and this weekend was no exception.
Many people were concerned that after the wreck Brad was involved in during testing at Watkins Glen that he would end up being a little cautious throughout the race weekend but that was not even a factor. Brad had great practice speeds throughout the weekend and earned himself a 12th place starting position for the Cheez-It 355 last weekend.
I’m not going to lie, I missed the first few laps of the race because I had a manicure emergency but luckily I was home by lap 10.
The first caution flag flew on lap 13 due to debris while Brad was running in the 7th position. He took this time to touch base with Crew Chief Paul Wolfe about their race strategy and if it was the same one they discussed prior. Paul Wolfe assured Brad that their strategy was to win. Once the field was green again, Brad continued to make up ground on the track and finally came down pit road on lap 21 for the first round of green flag stops. He came out of the pits in the 22nd position.
By lap 28, spotter Joey Meier let Brad know that he was the fastest car on the track and had quickly moved up to the 11th position. By lap 35 Brad had gained some more ground and was being scored in the 6th position and still on the move.
The second caution of the race came at lap 48 due to an uncontrolled tire on pit road. Brad was running 2nd and assured the team that he didn’t want any changes. He did however request a cold beverage and a tear off. Brad restarted 11th and was told to “be smart here and take care of it”.
The third caution came out on lap 54 due to a wreck involving Greg Biffle, Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Brad was immediately told to save fuel. NASCAR red flagged the race for clean-up which gave Brad time to talk to the team. His first concern was where he was getting beat. He was told by Joey that he wasn’t getting beat anywhere and that he was especially strong in 10 and 11. Brad did not come to pit road on this caution and was told to save fuel the best he could and that they would need one more yellow to make it to the end on fuel.
The field took the green flag again with 35 to go and Brad getting a great restart. Unfortunately, another caution came out immediately involving Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and David Ragan. Joey Meier again reminded Brad to “save gas, save gas, save gas”. Brad is one of the best fuel savers in the business and after his great fuel saving at Kentucky, I had all the confidence in the world that he would save enough fuel to make it to the end.
When the green flag was waved again, Brad got another great restart and many cars began coming down pit road for fuel only. Paul Wolfe and the 2 team made the decision to stick to their strategy and try and stretch their fuel mileage. Another caution came out with 26 to go and again Brad was reminded to save fuel. Paul told Brad that they were very close on fuel but every caution lap got them a little more. Brad got a great restart but the 18 of Kyle Busch seemed to be setting a fast pace and catching up to Brad.
Another caution came out with 14 to go for the 55 of Alex Kennedy. Brad was still running in the 1st position and still working to save as much fuel as possible. Brad was told that they were good to go but still advised to save in case the race went into overtime. Brad informed Paul that as soon as he was able to pull away from Kyle Busch he began saving fuel. It was during this caution that Rusty Wallace in the booth reached out to Brad and how he was on fuel mileage. Brad told Rusty that he “can’t see in the gas tank but the guys tell me I do and I trust them”.
The field restarted with 10 laps to go and Brad and Kyle Busch got loose and went way up the race track. Brad fell back to the 3rd positon and Denny Hamlin in the 11 took over the lead. Paul reassured Brad that he was better than the 11 and that they were “in it to win it”. They restarted again with 7 laps to go but Brad did not get the restart he needed. He unfortunately went wide again and fell back even further to the 5th position.
Another caution came out when Kevin Harvick and David Ragan got together. NASCAR again put out the red flag which made me very happy. I would rather have a few minutes of red flag than have the field waste away precious racing laps running caution laps. The race restarted with 4 laps to go and Brad was able to move into the 3rd position.
On the last lap of the race all hell broke loose. Brad got into the back of Martin Truex Jr causing Truex to spin around and A.J. Allmendinger got into the 42 of Kyle Larson pushing him into the wall. Brad was able to bring home a 3rd place finish but Martin Truex was quick to let Brad know he was not happy with what went down.
As soon as the cars were parked on pit road Brad made his way over to Martin to apologize for what transpired. Brad quickly admitted it was his fault and told NBCSN that “obviously it’s my fault when I run into the back of somebody. I didn’t’ think he’d come back up”. Much to the disappointment of some fans, there was no yelling, hitting or mean words said during Brad’s apology to Martin.
In other big news, it was announced this weekend that Furniture Row Racing would field a second Sprint Cup Car in 2017 to be driven by Erik Jones. The car will be sponsored by 5hour Energy for 22 of the races and will be the #77. Erik is truly a talented racecar driver with a Camping World Truck Series Championship under his belt and 3 wins this season in the NASCAR Xfinity series. I expect Erik to have a great career and do wonderful things for the sport.
Next weekend is an off weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Brad tweeted that he was looking forward to spending time with his girlfriend Paige and his daughter Scarlett. This off weekend I am heading to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit my brother and sister in-law and take in some sights such as the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the Team Penske shop. Everyone enjoy their off weekend and we will catch up at Bristol Motor Speedway.
On a sadder note…
It was announced Monday morning that Bryan Clauson, a sprint-car specialist had passed away on Sunday 8/7/16. Clauson crashed Saturday night during a midget car race at the Belleville High Banks. His car had flipped into turn 4 when it was struck by another vehicle. He was airlifted to a hospital in Nebraska where he later died. This was devastating to the NASCAR community and many drivers tweeted their thoughts including Clauson’s close friends Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Danica Patrick. Danica tweeted Monday, “It’s surreal to think Bryan Clauson is gone. He was one of the good ones. He was kind, funny, and a damn good driver. Heavy heart today.” She followed that up a few hours later by posting a picture of herself and Ricky with Kyle Larson, Katelyn Sweet, Bryan Clauson and his fiancé Lauren Stewart saying, “this was just a couple weeks ago… Feels like I took the night for granted now that you’re gone.”
“Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure… you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure” (author unknown). My thoughts and prayers are with Bryan’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time. Rest in Peace Bryan.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Cheez-It 355
1st Practice: 7th
2nd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 12th
August 7, 2016
Watkins Glenn International, located in Watkins Glen, New York is one of only two road courses on the Sprint Cup circuit. The track features 11 unique turns with names such as the boot, the inner loop, and the bus stop. Brad typically runs pretty good at Watkins Glen and this weekend was no exception.
Many people were concerned that after the wreck Brad was involved in during testing at Watkins Glen that he would end up being a little cautious throughout the race weekend but that was not even a factor. Brad had great practice speeds throughout the weekend and earned himself a 12th place starting position for the Cheez-It 355 last weekend.
I’m not going to lie, I missed the first few laps of the race because I had a manicure emergency but luckily I was home by lap 10.
The first caution flag flew on lap 13 due to debris while Brad was running in the 7th position. He took this time to touch base with Crew Chief Paul Wolfe about their race strategy and if it was the same one they discussed prior. Paul Wolfe assured Brad that their strategy was to win. Once the field was green again, Brad continued to make up ground on the track and finally came down pit road on lap 21 for the first round of green flag stops. He came out of the pits in the 22nd position.
By lap 28, spotter Joey Meier let Brad know that he was the fastest car on the track and had quickly moved up to the 11th position. By lap 35 Brad had gained some more ground and was being scored in the 6th position and still on the move.
The second caution of the race came at lap 48 due to an uncontrolled tire on pit road. Brad was running 2nd and assured the team that he didn’t want any changes. He did however request a cold beverage and a tear off. Brad restarted 11th and was told to “be smart here and take care of it”.
The third caution came out on lap 54 due to a wreck involving Greg Biffle, Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Brad was immediately told to save fuel. NASCAR red flagged the race for clean-up which gave Brad time to talk to the team. His first concern was where he was getting beat. He was told by Joey that he wasn’t getting beat anywhere and that he was especially strong in 10 and 11. Brad did not come to pit road on this caution and was told to save fuel the best he could and that they would need one more yellow to make it to the end on fuel.
The field took the green flag again with 35 to go and Brad getting a great restart. Unfortunately, another caution came out immediately involving Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and David Ragan. Joey Meier again reminded Brad to “save gas, save gas, save gas”. Brad is one of the best fuel savers in the business and after his great fuel saving at Kentucky, I had all the confidence in the world that he would save enough fuel to make it to the end.
When the green flag was waved again, Brad got another great restart and many cars began coming down pit road for fuel only. Paul Wolfe and the 2 team made the decision to stick to their strategy and try and stretch their fuel mileage. Another caution came out with 26 to go and again Brad was reminded to save fuel. Paul told Brad that they were very close on fuel but every caution lap got them a little more. Brad got a great restart but the 18 of Kyle Busch seemed to be setting a fast pace and catching up to Brad.
Another caution came out with 14 to go for the 55 of Alex Kennedy. Brad was still running in the 1st position and still working to save as much fuel as possible. Brad was told that they were good to go but still advised to save in case the race went into overtime. Brad informed Paul that as soon as he was able to pull away from Kyle Busch he began saving fuel. It was during this caution that Rusty Wallace in the booth reached out to Brad and how he was on fuel mileage. Brad told Rusty that he “can’t see in the gas tank but the guys tell me I do and I trust them”.
The field restarted with 10 laps to go and Brad and Kyle Busch got loose and went way up the race track. Brad fell back to the 3rd positon and Denny Hamlin in the 11 took over the lead. Paul reassured Brad that he was better than the 11 and that they were “in it to win it”. They restarted again with 7 laps to go but Brad did not get the restart he needed. He unfortunately went wide again and fell back even further to the 5th position.
Another caution came out when Kevin Harvick and David Ragan got together. NASCAR again put out the red flag which made me very happy. I would rather have a few minutes of red flag than have the field waste away precious racing laps running caution laps. The race restarted with 4 laps to go and Brad was able to move into the 3rd position.
On the last lap of the race all hell broke loose. Brad got into the back of Martin Truex Jr causing Truex to spin around and A.J. Allmendinger got into the 42 of Kyle Larson pushing him into the wall. Brad was able to bring home a 3rd place finish but Martin Truex was quick to let Brad know he was not happy with what went down.
As soon as the cars were parked on pit road Brad made his way over to Martin to apologize for what transpired. Brad quickly admitted it was his fault and told NBCSN that “obviously it’s my fault when I run into the back of somebody. I didn’t’ think he’d come back up”. Much to the disappointment of some fans, there was no yelling, hitting or mean words said during Brad’s apology to Martin.
In other big news, it was announced this weekend that Furniture Row Racing would field a second Sprint Cup Car in 2017 to be driven by Erik Jones. The car will be sponsored by 5hour Energy for 22 of the races and will be the #77. Erik is truly a talented racecar driver with a Camping World Truck Series Championship under his belt and 3 wins this season in the NASCAR Xfinity series. I expect Erik to have a great career and do wonderful things for the sport.
Next weekend is an off weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. Brad tweeted that he was looking forward to spending time with his girlfriend Paige and his daughter Scarlett. This off weekend I am heading to Charlotte, North Carolina to visit my brother and sister in-law and take in some sights such as the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the Team Penske shop. Everyone enjoy their off weekend and we will catch up at Bristol Motor Speedway.
On a sadder note…
It was announced Monday morning that Bryan Clauson, a sprint-car specialist had passed away on Sunday 8/7/16. Clauson crashed Saturday night during a midget car race at the Belleville High Banks. His car had flipped into turn 4 when it was struck by another vehicle. He was airlifted to a hospital in Nebraska where he later died. This was devastating to the NASCAR community and many drivers tweeted their thoughts including Clauson’s close friends Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Danica Patrick. Danica tweeted Monday, “It’s surreal to think Bryan Clauson is gone. He was one of the good ones. He was kind, funny, and a damn good driver. Heavy heart today.” She followed that up a few hours later by posting a picture of herself and Ricky with Kyle Larson, Katelyn Sweet, Bryan Clauson and his fiancé Lauren Stewart saying, “this was just a couple weeks ago… Feels like I took the night for granted now that you’re gone.”
“Your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure… you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure” (author unknown). My thoughts and prayers are with Bryan’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time. Rest in Peace Bryan.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Puddle Jumping
Pennsylvania 400
1st Practice: 19th
2nd Practice: 2nd
Qualifying: 7th
August 1, 2016
Pocono Raceway, also known as the Tricky Triangle, is located in Long Pond; Pennsylvania nestled between mountains and beautiful country side views. However, Pocono has easily become my least favorite track for one reason only, it always rains.
Brad typically runs pretty well at Pocono and I didn’t expect Sunday to be any different. He had a great qualifying effort, earning the #2 Team Penske Ford a 7th place starting spot. He also had a great 2nd practice session where he was able to end it with a 2nd place run.
Sunday dawned to torrential downpour and imaginable fog and as the pre-race show was ongoing, many were not optimistic that cars would get on track for a 160 lap event, they were right. All we saw from Pocono Raceway on Sunday was an incredible amount of driver interviews and drivers having fun with their children, each other, and their pets. One of the most memorable moments for everyone seemed to be Kevin Harvick's son, Keelan, playing in the puddles outside the motor coach. After NBCSN interviewed Brad, he decided to join Keelan for one of the cutest sessions of puddle jumping.
Luckily for drivers and fans, NASCAR didn’t wait too long to assess the weather and track conditions and make a decision to postpone the race until Monday. I went to Pocono in June when this same scenario happened and I think one of the most frustrating parts of the day was knowing that there was just no way the race was going to run, but sitting there getting soaked waiting for the inevitable call.
The weather Monday didn’t seem to be a vast improvement from Sunday’s but NASCAR was confident that they would be able to get some racing in. Unfortunately for me, I was stuck at work on Monday and was pretty desperate to find some way to watch the race. I found a way to stream the race but unfortunately, I could not have audio at the risk of getting caught watching it. Therefore, I will apologize ahead of time that for all but 12:30-1:30 (my lunch hour) I pretty much had no idea what was going on.
The race was delayed slightly as the morning had been foggy and drizzly and the jet dryers had been working on the track since early in the morning and were putting the finishing touches on the track. Once the green flag waved, Brad quickly began to fall back and was back to the 11th position by the 4th lap.
Luckily for Brad, a competition caution waved at lap 15 allowing teams to come down pit road, get tires and make adjustments. When the field went green again, Brad was leading the pack but was reporting that the handling just wasn’t what he wanted.
By lap 27 he had fallen back to the 8th position and told the team that they had to “find a rhythm”. Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, let Brad and the team know that although they were decent in turns 1 and 2, turn 3 was their Achilles. By lap 36, Meier let Brad know that their exit 1 was the best on the track. But Brad was quick to report back that the “front end doesn’t work in 3”.
Brad made his first green flag stop on lap 39. This put Brad on a different pit strategy than a majority of the field. This also put Brad at the back of the pack and was scored in the 33rd position on lap 45. After a few laps run with the adjustments made, Brad reported that he was turning better but was still loose in 1. On lap 48, most of the field began to make their first green flag stops moving Brad up through the field. By lap 51 Brad was running in the 18th position and on the move.
The looming weather was staying on everyone’s minds and on lap 52, Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier started to report drops in turn 1 but was told that there was nothing on the radar at that time. Brad took the lead on lap 52 and on lap 59, Joey reported to Brad that he was currently the 3rd fastest car on track even on his old tires. Unfortunately, Kevin Harvick was catching Brad and was able to make a pass for the lead on lap 60.
As the next round of stops loomed, Brad reported to the team that he was looser in and tighter late center. He let them know that he was so good into 1 but nowhere else. A caution came out on lap 66 that involved Aric Almirola in the #43. Brad came down pit road for 4 tires, fuel and an adjustment. As he was getting ready to leave pit road, Joey Meier reminded him not to speed as NASCAR had been calling a great deal of penalties on pit road. This put Brad on the same round of pit stops as the rest of the field and he quickly realized this. He immediately came over the radio apologizing and doubting his decision to come down pit road. Brad seemed concerned with the track position as dark clouds were looming all around the track but he was told that the race wasn’t at the halfway mark yet so it didn’t matter that he came down pit road.
NASCAR ran a few extra yellow laps due to some rain drops on the windshield of the pace car and Brad was impatient to start the race again. He reported to Joey that there was no reason to hold them up anymore. Another caution came out on lap 85 while Brad was running in the 20th positon due to a light rain. The field was able to get back green on lap 91.
By lap 98, Brad was running in the 11th position and seemed to be on the move. On lap 107, the heavy fog that had been looming all week seemed to be on the horizon and trying hard to make its way back to blanket the track.
Brad made what would be his final green flag stop on lap 121 from the 4th position and came out in the 26th position. Many teams started to pit and Brad was able to cycle back to the 3rd position. On lap 132 a caution flag was thrown for the fog that was creeping its way across the entire track. Brad was running 2nd behind the 34 of Chris Buescher. NASCAR pulled the cars down pit road and red flagged the race. Many drivers began to get out of their cars and after what seemed like a long red flag, the race was called on lap 138. Brad had a solid run and with a few more laps he might have been able to take the lead from Buescher but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans.
A huge congratulation goes out to Chris Buescher and his team on his first Sprint Cup win. This was the first time in History that rookies swept all three national series events in one weekend. William Byron took home the win in the Camping World Truck series and Erik Jones in the Xfinity series.
All this rain at Pocono this season, as well as, the previous seasons really makes me question its date on the NASCAR schedule. I truly believe that NASCAR needs to find another date to run at this track, not during the summer or install lights at the track so the race can run into the night if necessary. It really is sad for the fans that buy tickets and go to the race only to be sent home and unable to go the next day. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the race in June when it was postponed to Monday, but a majority of fans cannot do so. I understand that the weather is something completely beyond NASCAR’s control but this weather pattern should result in a 2nd look at Pocono’s dates on the NASCAR schedule.
This weekend we head to Watkins Glen where Brad was involved in a very scary wreck while testing right before Pocono. Thankfully, Brad is okay and suffered no major injuries from this crash. Brad typically runs good at Watkins Glen and had put down the fastest lap during his test at Watkins Glen before he crashed. Last summer he qualified 11th and finished in the 7th position. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 15 and finish in the top 10 continuing his string of strong runs.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Pennsylvania 400
1st Practice: 19th
2nd Practice: 2nd
Qualifying: 7th
August 1, 2016
Pocono Raceway, also known as the Tricky Triangle, is located in Long Pond; Pennsylvania nestled between mountains and beautiful country side views. However, Pocono has easily become my least favorite track for one reason only, it always rains.
Brad typically runs pretty well at Pocono and I didn’t expect Sunday to be any different. He had a great qualifying effort, earning the #2 Team Penske Ford a 7th place starting spot. He also had a great 2nd practice session where he was able to end it with a 2nd place run.
Sunday dawned to torrential downpour and imaginable fog and as the pre-race show was ongoing, many were not optimistic that cars would get on track for a 160 lap event, they were right. All we saw from Pocono Raceway on Sunday was an incredible amount of driver interviews and drivers having fun with their children, each other, and their pets. One of the most memorable moments for everyone seemed to be Kevin Harvick's son, Keelan, playing in the puddles outside the motor coach. After NBCSN interviewed Brad, he decided to join Keelan for one of the cutest sessions of puddle jumping.
Luckily for drivers and fans, NASCAR didn’t wait too long to assess the weather and track conditions and make a decision to postpone the race until Monday. I went to Pocono in June when this same scenario happened and I think one of the most frustrating parts of the day was knowing that there was just no way the race was going to run, but sitting there getting soaked waiting for the inevitable call.
The weather Monday didn’t seem to be a vast improvement from Sunday’s but NASCAR was confident that they would be able to get some racing in. Unfortunately for me, I was stuck at work on Monday and was pretty desperate to find some way to watch the race. I found a way to stream the race but unfortunately, I could not have audio at the risk of getting caught watching it. Therefore, I will apologize ahead of time that for all but 12:30-1:30 (my lunch hour) I pretty much had no idea what was going on.
The race was delayed slightly as the morning had been foggy and drizzly and the jet dryers had been working on the track since early in the morning and were putting the finishing touches on the track. Once the green flag waved, Brad quickly began to fall back and was back to the 11th position by the 4th lap.
Luckily for Brad, a competition caution waved at lap 15 allowing teams to come down pit road, get tires and make adjustments. When the field went green again, Brad was leading the pack but was reporting that the handling just wasn’t what he wanted.
By lap 27 he had fallen back to the 8th position and told the team that they had to “find a rhythm”. Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, let Brad and the team know that although they were decent in turns 1 and 2, turn 3 was their Achilles. By lap 36, Meier let Brad know that their exit 1 was the best on the track. But Brad was quick to report back that the “front end doesn’t work in 3”.
Brad made his first green flag stop on lap 39. This put Brad on a different pit strategy than a majority of the field. This also put Brad at the back of the pack and was scored in the 33rd position on lap 45. After a few laps run with the adjustments made, Brad reported that he was turning better but was still loose in 1. On lap 48, most of the field began to make their first green flag stops moving Brad up through the field. By lap 51 Brad was running in the 18th position and on the move.
The looming weather was staying on everyone’s minds and on lap 52, Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier started to report drops in turn 1 but was told that there was nothing on the radar at that time. Brad took the lead on lap 52 and on lap 59, Joey reported to Brad that he was currently the 3rd fastest car on track even on his old tires. Unfortunately, Kevin Harvick was catching Brad and was able to make a pass for the lead on lap 60.
As the next round of stops loomed, Brad reported to the team that he was looser in and tighter late center. He let them know that he was so good into 1 but nowhere else. A caution came out on lap 66 that involved Aric Almirola in the #43. Brad came down pit road for 4 tires, fuel and an adjustment. As he was getting ready to leave pit road, Joey Meier reminded him not to speed as NASCAR had been calling a great deal of penalties on pit road. This put Brad on the same round of pit stops as the rest of the field and he quickly realized this. He immediately came over the radio apologizing and doubting his decision to come down pit road. Brad seemed concerned with the track position as dark clouds were looming all around the track but he was told that the race wasn’t at the halfway mark yet so it didn’t matter that he came down pit road.
NASCAR ran a few extra yellow laps due to some rain drops on the windshield of the pace car and Brad was impatient to start the race again. He reported to Joey that there was no reason to hold them up anymore. Another caution came out on lap 85 while Brad was running in the 20th positon due to a light rain. The field was able to get back green on lap 91.
By lap 98, Brad was running in the 11th position and seemed to be on the move. On lap 107, the heavy fog that had been looming all week seemed to be on the horizon and trying hard to make its way back to blanket the track.
Brad made what would be his final green flag stop on lap 121 from the 4th position and came out in the 26th position. Many teams started to pit and Brad was able to cycle back to the 3rd position. On lap 132 a caution flag was thrown for the fog that was creeping its way across the entire track. Brad was running 2nd behind the 34 of Chris Buescher. NASCAR pulled the cars down pit road and red flagged the race. Many drivers began to get out of their cars and after what seemed like a long red flag, the race was called on lap 138. Brad had a solid run and with a few more laps he might have been able to take the lead from Buescher but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans.
A huge congratulation goes out to Chris Buescher and his team on his first Sprint Cup win. This was the first time in History that rookies swept all three national series events in one weekend. William Byron took home the win in the Camping World Truck series and Erik Jones in the Xfinity series.
All this rain at Pocono this season, as well as, the previous seasons really makes me question its date on the NASCAR schedule. I truly believe that NASCAR needs to find another date to run at this track, not during the summer or install lights at the track so the race can run into the night if necessary. It really is sad for the fans that buy tickets and go to the race only to be sent home and unable to go the next day. I was lucky enough to be able to attend the race in June when it was postponed to Monday, but a majority of fans cannot do so. I understand that the weather is something completely beyond NASCAR’s control but this weather pattern should result in a 2nd look at Pocono’s dates on the NASCAR schedule.
This weekend we head to Watkins Glen where Brad was involved in a very scary wreck while testing right before Pocono. Thankfully, Brad is okay and suffered no major injuries from this crash. Brad typically runs good at Watkins Glen and had put down the fastest lap during his test at Watkins Glen before he crashed. Last summer he qualified 11th and finished in the 7th position. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 15 and finish in the top 10 continuing his string of strong runs.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
The Brickyard
Crown Royal presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400
1st Practice: 14th
2nd Practice: 18th
Qualifying: 5th
July 24, 2016
Every summer NASCAR’s top series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the most highly sought after trophies on the NASCAR circuit. Roger Penske has many wins at Indianapolis but none of them from his Sprint Cup team which is why this race was so important for Brad Keselowski and his teammate Joey Logano.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5 mile asphalt surface with the start/finish line marked with bricks. The term “Brickyard” is in reference to the nickname given to Indianapolis Motor Speedway because in 1909 when the race course opened, the surface was made of crushed stone and tar. This surface caused many accidents so the track was repaved with 3.2 million bricks in 1911. Over time the bricks have been covered except for the one-yard strip at the start/finish line.
Brad typically runs pretty well at Indianapolis and although his practice speeds were not the best, he was able to secure a 5th place starting position.
Since this race is run in July of every year, the drivers and fans are no strangers to the heat and humidity and this weekend was certainly no exception. The temperatures at the track were 93 degrees but had a heat index of just over 100 degrees. It was important for drivers, crew members and fans at the track to stay hydrated and ahead of the heat. Paul Wolfe, Brad’s crew chief, reminded Brad to stay hydrated and encouraged spotter Joey Meier to remind Brad to take a drink when he has a chance.
Once the green flag waved a caution came out very quickly when Matt Dibenedetto in the 83 started blowing up on the 4th lap. Brad reported back to the team that he was fighting tight center and pretty loose off. He was still riding around in the 5th position and the team opted to stay on the track instead of coming down pit road. After the restart Brad let the team know that he was free on exit and lacking center turn. By lap 17 he was up to the 4th position but was still fighting the handling of the #2 Miller Lite Ford.
Green flag pit stops started on lap 25 and Brad had cycled up to the lead as all the cars came down pit road. It appeared that Paul Wolfe was trying to eliminate an entire pit stop and try making the race on just 3 by stretching the fuel mileage. Brad made his first green flag stop on lap 42 and came off of pit road in the 13th position. By lap 45 Brad was up to the 8th position and his lap times were good. Joey Meier let him know that he was gaining ground on the leader.
The 2nd caution came out on lap 53 when Greg Biffle got into the wall hard. Brad reported that he was freer off this run but he thought they needed to pit but ultimately left the decision up to Paul Wolfe. The team opted to come down pit road to take 2 tires and adjustment to try and help improve the handling of the car for Brad. Brad did not get a very good restart and quickly fell back. By lap 62 he had fallen back to the 11th position and seemed to still be struggling and losing spots. Brad reported back to the team that he needed everything and was “mostly loose into 2 and 4”.
As the laps continued to tick down, Brad continued to inform the team about his ill handling race car. On lap 80 he let the team know that “fighting loose off of 2” was probably his worst thing but he was also tight center. Right before green flag pit stops started Brad came over the radio and told the guys that he was “trying to get a little more but just don’t have it”.
Brad made his 2nd green flag pit stop on lap 85 and although the team probably would have liked to wait, the car was just too terrible. Brad came off of pit road in the 14th position and by lap 89 was up to 9th. Brad quickly reported that he was really, really tight now. Although Brad was struggling with the handling of the car he had moved into the top 10 and Joey Meier encouraged him to hold onto the top 10 for now. At this point in the race there were only 20 cars on the lead lap showing just how dominant Kyle Busch in the 18 was.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 120 when David Ragan had a tire go down and got into the wall. Brad was able to come down pit road during the yellow and the 2 crew picked up 2 spots on pit road for him. Brad restarted in the 6th position and was able to get down to the bottom lane fairly quickly after the restart which was exactly what he wanted.
The 4th caution flag came out with 30 laps to go for the 7 of Regan Smith. Brad was able to restart and hold onto the 7th position.
Unfortunately for Brad, his day got even worse when he was involved in a big wreck on the restart with 7 laps to go, after a debris caution. The race was then red flagged but Brad was able to make it down pit road prior to the red being shown which allowed his team to assess the damage and come up with a game plan to get working as fast as possible once the red was changed to a yellow. Brad had heavy right side damage and was scored in the 19th position. This wreck involved Carl Edwards, Ryan Blaney, Ryan Newman and of course Brad.
When the red flag was finally lifted the team went right to work making repairs. Joey Meier was constantly on the radio letting the crew know where the field was to prevent Brad from going a lap down.
The restart came with 2 laps to go and Paul advised Brad, “let’s not get collected in anything else”. Unfortunately on this restart another caution came out when the 15 of Clint Bowyer and the 6 of Trevor Bayne made contact. The 2 team decided to pit for 4 tires and Brad reported that he felt like he was “pulling a parachute” and that the “exhaust is busted”.
Brad restarted in the 18th position and another quick caution came out when Brian Scott, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman got into each other. Brad was able to bring home a 17th place finish. Although this wasn’t the finish they were looking for, it wasn’t a complete loss either.
Kyle Busch won the race and broke a new NASCAR record as being the only driver to sweep both poles and both races in Xfinity and Sprint Cup. Kyle Busch and the whole Joe Gibbs organization have been having a tremendous year and I believe that some, if not all, of these teams will be a factor in the Chase. Although Kyle was the race winner, I think his son Brexton stole the show as he was not interested in kissing the bricks for a 2nd day in a row and chose to instead pick up Skittles off the track and eat those while occasionally making a run for it.
The biggest story to come out of Indianapolis this weekend was that Jeff Gordon was coming out of retirement to sub for Dale Earnhardt Jr of the 88 who had been suffering from concussion like symptoms. Gordon told the media that Rick Hendrick called him while he was vacationing in France to ask him to fill in for Dale. Gordon had not been in a race car since Homestead in November of 2015 and was able to bring the #88 Axalta Chevy home in the 13th position. Gordon will be on track again this coming weekend at the Tricky Triangle of Pocono International Raceway. After that, Dale Jr’s status is still unknown.
Another big story to come out of this weekend was that it was Tony Stewart's last race at Indianapolis which is where he grew up. Stewart ran a pretty good race and was able to bring home an 11th place finish after getting involved in a late race incident. One of the coolest moments after the race was when Tony Stewart invited Jeff Gordon to take one more lap around the speedway after the checkered flag. Tony told NBC Sports that he “knew when we got the checkered, I just didn’t want to come in quite yet. I wanted to run one more lap. Jeff was around us. Before that last green run, I told my spotter to get his spotter and say after this thing is over, we need to go a lap together”. “It was most likely the last time we both get a chance to do that, so I couldn’t think of a better guy to share that final lap with”. Once the drivers parked their cars they shared a hug and a few smiles and Jeff Gordon later said, “That meant the world to me. Tony and I, our relationship has gone through a lot of obstacles over the years. But the last few years, I’ve gained so much respect and admiration for who he is as a person and as a race car driver”.
After the Brickyard, Stewart-Haas racing, where Tony is part owner, announced that they would be fielding an Xfinity team in the 2017 season. The driver and sponsor line up will be announced near the end of this season. SHR vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli said in a statement that, “In order to maintain the competitiveness that has earned SHR two championships since our debut in 2009, we needed an outlet to develop new drivers and team personnel for the Sprint Cup Series”. I look forward to hearing more details about the Stewart-Haas Xfinity series team.
Next weekend we head to Pocono International raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the second time this year. In the June race Brad started on the pole and brought home a 3rd place finish after an early penalty for a body modification. Brad typically runs well at Pocono and I expect him to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 10. Brad, and some other Sprint Cup teams are testing at Watkins Glenn this week and yesterday Brad was involved in a hard hit after a brake failure. He is thankfully okay. Last time Brad was involved in a bad wreck testing at Watkins Glenn he went on to win the following weekend in Pocono. Let’s see if Brad and the 2 crew can bring home their 5th win of the season this weekend!
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Crown Royal presents the Combat Wounded Coalition 400
1st Practice: 14th
2nd Practice: 18th
Qualifying: 5th
July 24, 2016
Every summer NASCAR’s top series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for one of the most highly sought after trophies on the NASCAR circuit. Roger Penske has many wins at Indianapolis but none of them from his Sprint Cup team which is why this race was so important for Brad Keselowski and his teammate Joey Logano.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a 2.5 mile asphalt surface with the start/finish line marked with bricks. The term “Brickyard” is in reference to the nickname given to Indianapolis Motor Speedway because in 1909 when the race course opened, the surface was made of crushed stone and tar. This surface caused many accidents so the track was repaved with 3.2 million bricks in 1911. Over time the bricks have been covered except for the one-yard strip at the start/finish line.
Brad typically runs pretty well at Indianapolis and although his practice speeds were not the best, he was able to secure a 5th place starting position.
Since this race is run in July of every year, the drivers and fans are no strangers to the heat and humidity and this weekend was certainly no exception. The temperatures at the track were 93 degrees but had a heat index of just over 100 degrees. It was important for drivers, crew members and fans at the track to stay hydrated and ahead of the heat. Paul Wolfe, Brad’s crew chief, reminded Brad to stay hydrated and encouraged spotter Joey Meier to remind Brad to take a drink when he has a chance.
Once the green flag waved a caution came out very quickly when Matt Dibenedetto in the 83 started blowing up on the 4th lap. Brad reported back to the team that he was fighting tight center and pretty loose off. He was still riding around in the 5th position and the team opted to stay on the track instead of coming down pit road. After the restart Brad let the team know that he was free on exit and lacking center turn. By lap 17 he was up to the 4th position but was still fighting the handling of the #2 Miller Lite Ford.
Green flag pit stops started on lap 25 and Brad had cycled up to the lead as all the cars came down pit road. It appeared that Paul Wolfe was trying to eliminate an entire pit stop and try making the race on just 3 by stretching the fuel mileage. Brad made his first green flag stop on lap 42 and came off of pit road in the 13th position. By lap 45 Brad was up to the 8th position and his lap times were good. Joey Meier let him know that he was gaining ground on the leader.
The 2nd caution came out on lap 53 when Greg Biffle got into the wall hard. Brad reported that he was freer off this run but he thought they needed to pit but ultimately left the decision up to Paul Wolfe. The team opted to come down pit road to take 2 tires and adjustment to try and help improve the handling of the car for Brad. Brad did not get a very good restart and quickly fell back. By lap 62 he had fallen back to the 11th position and seemed to still be struggling and losing spots. Brad reported back to the team that he needed everything and was “mostly loose into 2 and 4”.
As the laps continued to tick down, Brad continued to inform the team about his ill handling race car. On lap 80 he let the team know that “fighting loose off of 2” was probably his worst thing but he was also tight center. Right before green flag pit stops started Brad came over the radio and told the guys that he was “trying to get a little more but just don’t have it”.
Brad made his 2nd green flag pit stop on lap 85 and although the team probably would have liked to wait, the car was just too terrible. Brad came off of pit road in the 14th position and by lap 89 was up to 9th. Brad quickly reported that he was really, really tight now. Although Brad was struggling with the handling of the car he had moved into the top 10 and Joey Meier encouraged him to hold onto the top 10 for now. At this point in the race there were only 20 cars on the lead lap showing just how dominant Kyle Busch in the 18 was.
The 3rd caution came out on lap 120 when David Ragan had a tire go down and got into the wall. Brad was able to come down pit road during the yellow and the 2 crew picked up 2 spots on pit road for him. Brad restarted in the 6th position and was able to get down to the bottom lane fairly quickly after the restart which was exactly what he wanted.
The 4th caution flag came out with 30 laps to go for the 7 of Regan Smith. Brad was able to restart and hold onto the 7th position.
Unfortunately for Brad, his day got even worse when he was involved in a big wreck on the restart with 7 laps to go, after a debris caution. The race was then red flagged but Brad was able to make it down pit road prior to the red being shown which allowed his team to assess the damage and come up with a game plan to get working as fast as possible once the red was changed to a yellow. Brad had heavy right side damage and was scored in the 19th position. This wreck involved Carl Edwards, Ryan Blaney, Ryan Newman and of course Brad.
When the red flag was finally lifted the team went right to work making repairs. Joey Meier was constantly on the radio letting the crew know where the field was to prevent Brad from going a lap down.
The restart came with 2 laps to go and Paul advised Brad, “let’s not get collected in anything else”. Unfortunately on this restart another caution came out when the 15 of Clint Bowyer and the 6 of Trevor Bayne made contact. The 2 team decided to pit for 4 tires and Brad reported that he felt like he was “pulling a parachute” and that the “exhaust is busted”.
Brad restarted in the 18th position and another quick caution came out when Brian Scott, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman got into each other. Brad was able to bring home a 17th place finish. Although this wasn’t the finish they were looking for, it wasn’t a complete loss either.
Kyle Busch won the race and broke a new NASCAR record as being the only driver to sweep both poles and both races in Xfinity and Sprint Cup. Kyle Busch and the whole Joe Gibbs organization have been having a tremendous year and I believe that some, if not all, of these teams will be a factor in the Chase. Although Kyle was the race winner, I think his son Brexton stole the show as he was not interested in kissing the bricks for a 2nd day in a row and chose to instead pick up Skittles off the track and eat those while occasionally making a run for it.
The biggest story to come out of Indianapolis this weekend was that Jeff Gordon was coming out of retirement to sub for Dale Earnhardt Jr of the 88 who had been suffering from concussion like symptoms. Gordon told the media that Rick Hendrick called him while he was vacationing in France to ask him to fill in for Dale. Gordon had not been in a race car since Homestead in November of 2015 and was able to bring the #88 Axalta Chevy home in the 13th position. Gordon will be on track again this coming weekend at the Tricky Triangle of Pocono International Raceway. After that, Dale Jr’s status is still unknown.
Another big story to come out of this weekend was that it was Tony Stewart's last race at Indianapolis which is where he grew up. Stewart ran a pretty good race and was able to bring home an 11th place finish after getting involved in a late race incident. One of the coolest moments after the race was when Tony Stewart invited Jeff Gordon to take one more lap around the speedway after the checkered flag. Tony told NBC Sports that he “knew when we got the checkered, I just didn’t want to come in quite yet. I wanted to run one more lap. Jeff was around us. Before that last green run, I told my spotter to get his spotter and say after this thing is over, we need to go a lap together”. “It was most likely the last time we both get a chance to do that, so I couldn’t think of a better guy to share that final lap with”. Once the drivers parked their cars they shared a hug and a few smiles and Jeff Gordon later said, “That meant the world to me. Tony and I, our relationship has gone through a lot of obstacles over the years. But the last few years, I’ve gained so much respect and admiration for who he is as a person and as a race car driver”.
After the Brickyard, Stewart-Haas racing, where Tony is part owner, announced that they would be fielding an Xfinity team in the 2017 season. The driver and sponsor line up will be announced near the end of this season. SHR vice president of competition Greg Zipadelli said in a statement that, “In order to maintain the competitiveness that has earned SHR two championships since our debut in 2009, we needed an outlet to develop new drivers and team personnel for the Sprint Cup Series”. I look forward to hearing more details about the Stewart-Haas Xfinity series team.
Next weekend we head to Pocono International raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania for the second time this year. In the June race Brad started on the pole and brought home a 3rd place finish after an early penalty for a body modification. Brad typically runs well at Pocono and I expect him to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 10. Brad, and some other Sprint Cup teams are testing at Watkins Glenn this week and yesterday Brad was involved in a hard hit after a brake failure. He is thankfully okay. Last time Brad was involved in a bad wreck testing at Watkins Glenn he went on to win the following weekend in Pocono. Let’s see if Brad and the 2 crew can bring home their 5th win of the season this weekend!
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
A Flat
The New Hampshire 301
1st Practice: 11th
2nd Practice: 8th
3rd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 9th
July 17, 2016
If you didn’t already know, I am from Plymouth, Massachusetts which makes New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire my “home track”. Because Loudon is only about 2 hours away, I typically attend a Sprint Cup Race here once a year and with my birthday being on race day, I had to attend. However, my weekend did not start on Sunday.
Last Monday I learned that Brad Keselowski was doing an autograph session at a restaurant in Loudon and knew I needed to attend. The autograph session was on Thursday and I wasn’t scheduled to go up to the track until Friday evening, I took the 5 hour round trip drive Thursday with one of my friends to meet Brad. I was able to get another picture with him and have him sign a collage that I had made from my race trips this year. It was a great experience and if he does it again in September you can bet I’ll be there!
Brad typically runs very well at New Hampshire and I didn’t expect this weekend to be any different. His practice speeds were great and he was able to qualify in the 9th position, putting himself in a good position to run up front.
Sunday morning at the track was a little iffy, as there was rain and thunderstorms but once those moved through the area the clouds gave way to blue skies and hot temperatures (trust me I know). Jimmie Johnson started the race on the pole but when the green flag waved it was Kyle Busch in the 18 who took over with the lead. Kyle was able to put a sizeable gap between himself and the 2nd place car that seemed to continually grow. Due to the early morning rain, a competition caution was thrown to allow teams to take a look at tire wear and make necessary adjustments. Brad was hanging out in the top 10 throughout the first 50 laps of the race.
On lap 88, Martin Truex Jr, who had been quietly making a charge toward leader Kyle Busch, was able to make the pass and take over the 1st position. The 2nd caution came out when Chris Busecher spun out on the back stretch. When the green flag came out again Brad was running in the 3rd position behind Kyle Busch in 2nd and Martin Truex Jr in 1st.
Just after the halfway mark in the race, Kyle Busch was able to get the lead back from Truex Jr and they both seemed to be the cars to beat on the track. Alex Bowman in the 88 was also running in the top 15 at this point in the race, as well. However, with 50 laps to go it appeared that Kyle Busch was falling back and the battle for 1st was between Truex and Matt Kenseth. Brad was still running in the top 5 and having a solid race. He was definitely someone to watch at this point in the race.
The last 50 laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway were caution filled. The first was for Alex Bowman in the #88 who was involved in an incident with the #24 of Chase Elliott. When the green flag came back out Matt Kenseth was quick to take back the lead from Denny Hamlin. Another caution came out quickly when Kyle Larson in the #42 went spinning on the back stretch. Brad, unfortunately, was caught sandwiched between Joey Logano and Kurt Busch on a rather chaotic restart which resulted in damage to the #2 Miller Lite Ford. This subsequently cut a tire, ending any hopes the team had of ending the day in Victory Lane and going 3 in a row. He was able to bring the car home in the 15th position. It was Matt Kenseth in the #20 who was able to grab the checkered flag and get his second win of the season.
The biggest story coming into New Hampshire was that Dale Earnhardt Jr would not be driving the #88 this weekend as he had been suffering from concussion like symptoms and sought the care of a neurological specialist who did not clear him to race this weekend. It was announced shortly after that part-time JR Motorsports Xfinity driver Alex Bowman would drive the #88 for Dale Jr. Bowman had been running in the top 15 throughout the day but unfortunately got caught up in a late race incident and brought home a 26th place finish. It was also announced this weekend that if Dale jr was unable to return to the race car for the Brickyard 400 this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon would come out of retirement to drive the #88. Many prayers and well wishes to Dale Earnhardt Jr for a speedy recovery, New Hampshire wasn’t the same without him!
Next weekend we head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. Indianapolis has not always been one of Brad’s best tracks but he has been steadily improving. Last year Brad started 31st and was able to finish in the 10th position after leading 17 laps. In 2014 he started 3rd and brought home a 12th place finish. Brad has never won at Indianapolis and Team Penske has never won a Cup race here putting some added pressure on Brad and his teammate Joey Logano to bring home the big W. I expect Brad to qualify within the top 20 and finish within the top 15. He has a great season so far and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon!
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
The New Hampshire 301
1st Practice: 11th
2nd Practice: 8th
3rd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 9th
July 17, 2016
If you didn’t already know, I am from Plymouth, Massachusetts which makes New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire my “home track”. Because Loudon is only about 2 hours away, I typically attend a Sprint Cup Race here once a year and with my birthday being on race day, I had to attend. However, my weekend did not start on Sunday.
Last Monday I learned that Brad Keselowski was doing an autograph session at a restaurant in Loudon and knew I needed to attend. The autograph session was on Thursday and I wasn’t scheduled to go up to the track until Friday evening, I took the 5 hour round trip drive Thursday with one of my friends to meet Brad. I was able to get another picture with him and have him sign a collage that I had made from my race trips this year. It was a great experience and if he does it again in September you can bet I’ll be there!
Brad typically runs very well at New Hampshire and I didn’t expect this weekend to be any different. His practice speeds were great and he was able to qualify in the 9th position, putting himself in a good position to run up front.
Sunday morning at the track was a little iffy, as there was rain and thunderstorms but once those moved through the area the clouds gave way to blue skies and hot temperatures (trust me I know). Jimmie Johnson started the race on the pole but when the green flag waved it was Kyle Busch in the 18 who took over with the lead. Kyle was able to put a sizeable gap between himself and the 2nd place car that seemed to continually grow. Due to the early morning rain, a competition caution was thrown to allow teams to take a look at tire wear and make necessary adjustments. Brad was hanging out in the top 10 throughout the first 50 laps of the race.
On lap 88, Martin Truex Jr, who had been quietly making a charge toward leader Kyle Busch, was able to make the pass and take over the 1st position. The 2nd caution came out when Chris Busecher spun out on the back stretch. When the green flag came out again Brad was running in the 3rd position behind Kyle Busch in 2nd and Martin Truex Jr in 1st.
Just after the halfway mark in the race, Kyle Busch was able to get the lead back from Truex Jr and they both seemed to be the cars to beat on the track. Alex Bowman in the 88 was also running in the top 15 at this point in the race, as well. However, with 50 laps to go it appeared that Kyle Busch was falling back and the battle for 1st was between Truex and Matt Kenseth. Brad was still running in the top 5 and having a solid race. He was definitely someone to watch at this point in the race.
The last 50 laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway were caution filled. The first was for Alex Bowman in the #88 who was involved in an incident with the #24 of Chase Elliott. When the green flag came back out Matt Kenseth was quick to take back the lead from Denny Hamlin. Another caution came out quickly when Kyle Larson in the #42 went spinning on the back stretch. Brad, unfortunately, was caught sandwiched between Joey Logano and Kurt Busch on a rather chaotic restart which resulted in damage to the #2 Miller Lite Ford. This subsequently cut a tire, ending any hopes the team had of ending the day in Victory Lane and going 3 in a row. He was able to bring the car home in the 15th position. It was Matt Kenseth in the #20 who was able to grab the checkered flag and get his second win of the season.
The biggest story coming into New Hampshire was that Dale Earnhardt Jr would not be driving the #88 this weekend as he had been suffering from concussion like symptoms and sought the care of a neurological specialist who did not clear him to race this weekend. It was announced shortly after that part-time JR Motorsports Xfinity driver Alex Bowman would drive the #88 for Dale Jr. Bowman had been running in the top 15 throughout the day but unfortunately got caught up in a late race incident and brought home a 26th place finish. It was also announced this weekend that if Dale jr was unable to return to the race car for the Brickyard 400 this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon would come out of retirement to drive the #88. Many prayers and well wishes to Dale Earnhardt Jr for a speedy recovery, New Hampshire wasn’t the same without him!
Next weekend we head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400. Indianapolis has not always been one of Brad’s best tracks but he has been steadily improving. Last year Brad started 31st and was able to finish in the 10th position after leading 17 laps. In 2014 he started 3rd and brought home a 12th place finish. Brad has never won at Indianapolis and Team Penske has never won a Cup race here putting some added pressure on Brad and his teammate Joey Logano to bring home the big W. I expect Brad to qualify within the top 20 and finish within the top 15. He has a great season so far and I don’t see that slowing down anytime soon!
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
On A Roll
Quaker State 400
1st Practice: 23rd
2nd Practice: 12th
3rd Practice: 15th
4th Practice: 9th
July 9, 2016
Kentucky Motor Speedway located in Sparta, Kentucky is a 1.5 mile asphalt track that opened in June of 2000. One of the biggest changes to come to Kentucky since last year’s race that made teams basically throw out their notes was the repave and reconfiguration that was announced in December of 2015. This was necessary to fix drainage issues after a rainy weekend in 2015, when “weepers” interfered with the track drying efforts. Additionally, turns 1 and 2 were narrowed and the banking was increased.
Unfortunately, rain in the summer seems to be a common occurrence in Kentucky as Friday's Sprint Cup Qualifying was cancelled. The field was then set by owner's points, granting Brad a 2nd place starting position.
When the green flag waved on Saturday night, Brad was hanging in the front of the pack and when the first caution came out on lap 11 due to Ricky Stenhouse Jr in the 17 hitting the wall, Brad was running in the 3rd position. Most cars opted to not come down pit road, as no fuel could be put into the cars until the competition caution on lap 25. After the restart, Brad started reporting to the team that he was having handling issues, specifically in turns 3 and 4. His spotter Joey Meier was quick to let him know that he was not overdriving at all and was running pace with the leaders. The competition caution came out on lap 25 and the 2 crew opted to get right side tires, fuel and an adjustment.
The third caution of the race came out right after the restart when Jimmie Johnson in the 48 got into the wall. Brad was running in the 3rd position but on the restart he quickly fell back to 8th. The fourth caution came out fairly quick after the restart when Brad’s teammate Joey Logano got into the wall. Most teams opted to come down pit road to get tires and fuel however, Brad stayed out on the track and restarted in the 1st position. At this point in the race Brad was pretty happy with the balance but reported that he was tight in center and randomly getting loose. Brad fell back a little bit, and by lap 73 he was running in the 5th position.
The fifth caution of the race came out when Matt Dibenedetto got into the wall and this was a welcome caution for Brad and the 2 crew as it prevented them from having to pit during a green flag run and go a lap down. Brad was able to come down pit road for four tires and fuel while staying on the lead lap. On lap 88 the sixth caution of the night came out when Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott got into the wall. This was very disappointing for both teams as they are fighting to stay in the top 16 in points to get in to the Chase. Chase Elliott was able to bring home a 31st place finish while Ryan Blaney finished a little further back in the 35th position.
When the seventh caution of the night came out on lap 93, Brad was running in the 11th position and was on the move. By lap 126 he had gained a few spots putting him just inside the top 10 in 8th place. Lap 141 began a round of green flag stops and Brad finally came down pit road on lap 148, getting four ties, fuel and an adjustment. The eighth caution came out on lap 152 when Regan Smith hit hard into the wall. When the field went green on lap 158, Brad was running 7th and only a few laps later the 9th caution came out when Clint Bowyer went around. After only a few green flag laps the tenth caution came out when the 47 of AJ Allmendinger, who was involved in an earlier incident, wrecked again. A very angry and frustrated Allmendinger exited the car and quickly made his way to the ambulance to head to the infield care center.
Green flag stops began again on lap 194, and for many teams this would be their last stop as they tried to stretch fuel mileage. Quickly after this the 11th caution of the day came out tying the track record set in July of 2015. It appeared that most teams predicted another caution at some point in the remaining few laps of the race where they would be able to stop and get more fuel or help them to conserve the fuel they had.
It was during this round of green flag stops that Martin Truex Jr received a rather peculiar penalty. Truex was penalized for passing on pit road entry. As Harvick led the field down pit road, Truex in 2nd place, crossed the first timing line and accelerated to speed into his pit stall. Truex later said, “I’m not sure why we got penalized. It’s a timing line thing, everybody does it. You get your line and you gas it up to your pit, it’s what I did.” Truex’s crew chief Cole Pearn told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that, “It’s not a rule. NASCAR says it’s in the drivers meeting video every week, which it’s not. It’s not in the rule book. It happens every week on pit road.” NASCAR Vice President of competition Scott Miller disagreed and said, “You can’t pass on pit road. If you do pass on pit road, it specifically says it has to be to the right when somebody is peeling off into their box.” I have to believe that NASCAR will come out with some kind of ruling in the next few days that clearly specifies what this rule is and what happens when it is broken.
With 68 laps to go Brad was able to pass Kevin Harvick to take the lead. Many drivers at this point in time were in maximum saving mode including Brad. Brad however, was trying to pull away from the rest of the field while saving his fuel. This is when the commentators began speculating that Brad would not be able to make the race on fuel.
With 19 to go, Brad's spotter Joey Meier relayed back to Brad that the 15 of Clint Bowyer seemed to be shutting off his car and coasting past the start/finish line to try and save fuel and telling Brad to make sure his switchers are set where they need to be for a full run. On lap 16 to go Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick made their way down pit road, both knowing that they were not going to make it on fuel. This seemed to concern Brad and there was much debate over the radio about whether they should pit. Paul Wolfe came on the radio and asked Brad if he had done anything for him to save fuel to which Brad gave a simple yes. Brad told Paul that he could “get you more if I go into full save”. Paul’s response was very simple, “save, save, save”.
With 7 laps to go it seemed that Brad could no longer hold off the 20 of Matt Kenseth. He came over the radio and told the team that he had to let him go. Luckily for Brad, the 20 had to come down pit road for fuel and Brad found himself back in the 1st position. At this point Brad had a very large lead over the rest of the field, specifically Carl Edwards in 2nd. Everyone seemed convinced at this point that Brad was not going to make it on fuel and it was only a matter of time until Carl was able to pass him for the lead.
With 2 laps to go Brad reported to the team that he was out of fuel. He was quickly advised to flip his switches and go into his reserves. Right as Carl Edwards came up on his bumper he was able to fire up the engine and start to drive away from Carl. As Brad took the checkered flag running on nothing but fumes, Joey Meier could be heard on the radio laughing in excitement. Brad had to be pushed into Victory Lane and later said that he “feel(s) terrible for the fans. I didn’t get to do a burnout. Had no gas—the car wouldn’t run. But we’re back in Victory Lane. Great Saturday night.”
In a post-race interview, Carl Edwards told NBCsports that he’s “got to give credit where credit is due: Brad played that perfectly. That was really frustrating, he baited me in there and then he just went and blocked. But he won the race. He did a good job…it’s hard to swallow that one.”
This marks Brad’s fourth win this year and second in a row. He officially clinched a berth in the Chase as he now has multiple wins and enough points to remain in the top 30 of the standings for the remainder of the regular season. Brad now has a 361 point cushion over the 31st place driver in the standings and no matter what happens for the rest of the regular season he cannot fall below 30th in the standings.
Next week we head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Brad typically runs well at New Hampshire and has an average finish of 5.50 since February of 2014. In 2015 he finished the July race in the 2nd position and the September race in 12th. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 10. I think he will lead some laps and be in contention for the win at the end. Brad and the 2 crew are on a roll and I don’t see that changing as they are heading to a track where he is very good at.
I will be attending race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway so make sure you are following me on Twitter (@Krysta5699) and snapchat (krystaburnham) for race updates.
Follow and chat with me here: @Krysta5699
Quaker State 400
1st Practice: 23rd
2nd Practice: 12th
3rd Practice: 15th
4th Practice: 9th
July 9, 2016
Kentucky Motor Speedway located in Sparta, Kentucky is a 1.5 mile asphalt track that opened in June of 2000. One of the biggest changes to come to Kentucky since last year’s race that made teams basically throw out their notes was the repave and reconfiguration that was announced in December of 2015. This was necessary to fix drainage issues after a rainy weekend in 2015, when “weepers” interfered with the track drying efforts. Additionally, turns 1 and 2 were narrowed and the banking was increased.
Unfortunately, rain in the summer seems to be a common occurrence in Kentucky as Friday's Sprint Cup Qualifying was cancelled. The field was then set by owner's points, granting Brad a 2nd place starting position.
When the green flag waved on Saturday night, Brad was hanging in the front of the pack and when the first caution came out on lap 11 due to Ricky Stenhouse Jr in the 17 hitting the wall, Brad was running in the 3rd position. Most cars opted to not come down pit road, as no fuel could be put into the cars until the competition caution on lap 25. After the restart, Brad started reporting to the team that he was having handling issues, specifically in turns 3 and 4. His spotter Joey Meier was quick to let him know that he was not overdriving at all and was running pace with the leaders. The competition caution came out on lap 25 and the 2 crew opted to get right side tires, fuel and an adjustment.
The third caution of the race came out right after the restart when Jimmie Johnson in the 48 got into the wall. Brad was running in the 3rd position but on the restart he quickly fell back to 8th. The fourth caution came out fairly quick after the restart when Brad’s teammate Joey Logano got into the wall. Most teams opted to come down pit road to get tires and fuel however, Brad stayed out on the track and restarted in the 1st position. At this point in the race Brad was pretty happy with the balance but reported that he was tight in center and randomly getting loose. Brad fell back a little bit, and by lap 73 he was running in the 5th position.
The fifth caution of the race came out when Matt Dibenedetto got into the wall and this was a welcome caution for Brad and the 2 crew as it prevented them from having to pit during a green flag run and go a lap down. Brad was able to come down pit road for four tires and fuel while staying on the lead lap. On lap 88 the sixth caution of the night came out when Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott got into the wall. This was very disappointing for both teams as they are fighting to stay in the top 16 in points to get in to the Chase. Chase Elliott was able to bring home a 31st place finish while Ryan Blaney finished a little further back in the 35th position.
When the seventh caution of the night came out on lap 93, Brad was running in the 11th position and was on the move. By lap 126 he had gained a few spots putting him just inside the top 10 in 8th place. Lap 141 began a round of green flag stops and Brad finally came down pit road on lap 148, getting four ties, fuel and an adjustment. The eighth caution came out on lap 152 when Regan Smith hit hard into the wall. When the field went green on lap 158, Brad was running 7th and only a few laps later the 9th caution came out when Clint Bowyer went around. After only a few green flag laps the tenth caution came out when the 47 of AJ Allmendinger, who was involved in an earlier incident, wrecked again. A very angry and frustrated Allmendinger exited the car and quickly made his way to the ambulance to head to the infield care center.
Green flag stops began again on lap 194, and for many teams this would be their last stop as they tried to stretch fuel mileage. Quickly after this the 11th caution of the day came out tying the track record set in July of 2015. It appeared that most teams predicted another caution at some point in the remaining few laps of the race where they would be able to stop and get more fuel or help them to conserve the fuel they had.
It was during this round of green flag stops that Martin Truex Jr received a rather peculiar penalty. Truex was penalized for passing on pit road entry. As Harvick led the field down pit road, Truex in 2nd place, crossed the first timing line and accelerated to speed into his pit stall. Truex later said, “I’m not sure why we got penalized. It’s a timing line thing, everybody does it. You get your line and you gas it up to your pit, it’s what I did.” Truex’s crew chief Cole Pearn told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio that, “It’s not a rule. NASCAR says it’s in the drivers meeting video every week, which it’s not. It’s not in the rule book. It happens every week on pit road.” NASCAR Vice President of competition Scott Miller disagreed and said, “You can’t pass on pit road. If you do pass on pit road, it specifically says it has to be to the right when somebody is peeling off into their box.” I have to believe that NASCAR will come out with some kind of ruling in the next few days that clearly specifies what this rule is and what happens when it is broken.
With 68 laps to go Brad was able to pass Kevin Harvick to take the lead. Many drivers at this point in time were in maximum saving mode including Brad. Brad however, was trying to pull away from the rest of the field while saving his fuel. This is when the commentators began speculating that Brad would not be able to make the race on fuel.
With 19 to go, Brad's spotter Joey Meier relayed back to Brad that the 15 of Clint Bowyer seemed to be shutting off his car and coasting past the start/finish line to try and save fuel and telling Brad to make sure his switchers are set where they need to be for a full run. On lap 16 to go Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick made their way down pit road, both knowing that they were not going to make it on fuel. This seemed to concern Brad and there was much debate over the radio about whether they should pit. Paul Wolfe came on the radio and asked Brad if he had done anything for him to save fuel to which Brad gave a simple yes. Brad told Paul that he could “get you more if I go into full save”. Paul’s response was very simple, “save, save, save”.
With 7 laps to go it seemed that Brad could no longer hold off the 20 of Matt Kenseth. He came over the radio and told the team that he had to let him go. Luckily for Brad, the 20 had to come down pit road for fuel and Brad found himself back in the 1st position. At this point Brad had a very large lead over the rest of the field, specifically Carl Edwards in 2nd. Everyone seemed convinced at this point that Brad was not going to make it on fuel and it was only a matter of time until Carl was able to pass him for the lead.
With 2 laps to go Brad reported to the team that he was out of fuel. He was quickly advised to flip his switches and go into his reserves. Right as Carl Edwards came up on his bumper he was able to fire up the engine and start to drive away from Carl. As Brad took the checkered flag running on nothing but fumes, Joey Meier could be heard on the radio laughing in excitement. Brad had to be pushed into Victory Lane and later said that he “feel(s) terrible for the fans. I didn’t get to do a burnout. Had no gas—the car wouldn’t run. But we’re back in Victory Lane. Great Saturday night.”
In a post-race interview, Carl Edwards told NBCsports that he’s “got to give credit where credit is due: Brad played that perfectly. That was really frustrating, he baited me in there and then he just went and blocked. But he won the race. He did a good job…it’s hard to swallow that one.”
This marks Brad’s fourth win this year and second in a row. He officially clinched a berth in the Chase as he now has multiple wins and enough points to remain in the top 30 of the standings for the remainder of the regular season. Brad now has a 361 point cushion over the 31st place driver in the standings and no matter what happens for the rest of the regular season he cannot fall below 30th in the standings.
Next week we head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Brad typically runs well at New Hampshire and has an average finish of 5.50 since February of 2014. In 2015 he finished the July race in the 2nd position and the September race in 12th. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 10. I think he will lead some laps and be in contention for the win at the end. Brad and the 2 crew are on a roll and I don’t see that changing as they are heading to a track where he is very good at.
I will be attending race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway so make sure you are following me on Twitter (@Krysta5699) and snapchat (krystaburnham) for race updates.
Follow and chat with me here: @Krysta5699
“It’s Daytona and this is huge”
Coke Zero 400
Qualifying: 5th
July 2, 2016
Nothing is more American to me than a Saturday night race at Daytona International Speedway on Fourth of July weekend, a long standing tradition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series schedule. Daytona International Speedway is located in Daytona Beach, Florida and originally opened in 1959. The Coke Zero 400 marked Brad Keselowski's 250th career start and there is no better race to mark the occasion.
Brad started the weekend off with a solid qualifying run earning himself a 5th place starting position for the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday night. Brad quickly moved up to the first position but was soon noticing that his temperatures were increasing at a rapid pace. He was informed by the team that there was a large piece of debris on the grill that he needed to try and get off. As the car started to spout water, Brad was lucky enough to get the debris off the car and remain in first with seemingly no permanent damage to the car.
Lap 89 brought out the “big one”. The “big one” describes a crash usually involving five or more cars in stock car racing. Unfortunately, dangerous multi-car wrecks can now be considered a normality when racing at Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway. Saturday's “big one” involved 22 cars including Brian Scott, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kevin Harvick. Some cars suffered race ending damage while others were able to make repairs and drive on to finish the race.
Brad reported back to the team that he was free in and tight off but didn’t feel like he had run over any debris from the aftermath of the “big one”. When listening to Brad and the 2 crew on the radio, there is always something interesting being said or discussed and to me, one of the most interesting things they do is refer to their strategy in beer references. This is a great way to ensure that no other teams that are listening to the radio can get on the same strategy as the team thus keeping their findings somewhat private. During this caution, Brad told the team that he was “leaning towards a Coors after this”. Unfortunately for me, I have no idea what that means but it seemed to work out well for them.
As the field was getting ready to take the green again Brad told the team that “it’s been real nice leading laps here today”. After restarting 3rd, Brad was able to battle his teammate Joey Logano and take the lead back on lap 104. Brad was told by the team that fuel was not a concern for them and they had plenty if the race were to go into overtime.
With 12 laps to go, a caution came out for Tony Stewart in the wall. Brad was having great restarts all night but anything can happen with a late race restart. Brad received an awesome push from his teammate Joey Logano which allowed him to keep the lead on this restart. But unfortunately another caution came out quickly thereafter for another wreck involving Bobby Labonte, Carl Edwards and AJ Allmendinger. There was some debate over Brad’s radio about which lane he should restart in. In one lane if he lined up with his teammate behind him that left Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch together and both were running great. Brad ultimately decided to stick with his teammate who had been a great pusher all day. The race finished in overtime with a very aggressive few laps.
Brad Keselowski was able to hold on to the lead and bring the #2 Detroit Genuine Parts Ford to victory for the first time in his career at Daytona. Brad’s excitement was contagious as he told a reporter, “Here we are. It’s Daytona Victory Lane. I don’t care if it’s not the 500. It’s Daytona and this is huge. I love this place. God, it’s amazing."
One of the most important people to help Brad win this race was his spotter Joey Meier. Joey was constantly on the radio telling Brad which lanes had the biggest momentum and where he needed to block. He gave Brad and the team all the information they needed to make sure they stayed in front for a majority of the race and made informed decisions about where to run and who to run with.
This was also the first Sprint Cup Victory Lane celebration that his 13 month old daughter Scarlett was able to be a part of. Brad told NBC Sports that having her there was “really cool”. “She’s been in Victory Lane once with the Xfinity car last year in Kentucky, but every time we win in Cup it seems like she’s asleep, or we didn’t bring her that weekend or something happens.” Brad said that she seemed really mesmerized by everything that was going on and all the excitement surrounding Victory Lane. It was really great to see Brad celebrating such a special win in Victory Lane with Scarlett and his girlfriend Paige White.
Although this win was big for Brad, as it was his first at Daytona, it also marked the 100th win in the Sprint Cup series for Team Penske. “I would just say that the 100th in NASCAR is something special. To do it here on the Fourth of July weekend, it’s amazing. But it’s a byproduct of all the good people we have, and to me we’ve got to continue to remember that," Roger Penske told reporters late Saturday night. The 100 wins by Penske come from various drivers such as Bobby Allison (4), Rusty Wallace (37), Joey Logano (13) and Brad Keselowski (19). Brad was joking around after the race saying that Roger’s next goal will be 200 victories as Roger seems to always be looking ahead and working towards bettering the organization.
Another very important fact to come out of Brad’s victory this past weekend at Daytona is that Brad now leads all drivers in restrictor plate wins since 2009. Brad has back-to-back wins on restrictor plate tracks with a win in May at Talladega and now another win Saturday night in Daytona. Brad led a race high 115 laps at Daytona, bettering his previous 46 laps led from the May race at Talladega. Unfortunately, many people question how someone can be dubbed the greatest based on first place finishes alone and Keselowski is no stranger to the popularity contest that is NASCAR and the unrelenting boos he receives from many fans. However, many people still deny Brad’s plate greatness for various reasons and the top one seems to be that he is threatening the supremacy of a 13-time most popular driver. Dale Jr is having probably the worst plate season of his career and although plate greatness has been a constant throughout Dale’s career, Keselowski can be perceived as snatching this away, which many fans do not take too kindly per Nate Ryan of NBCSports. NASCAR seems to be one of the biggest popularity contests around and fans often do not recognize successes of a driver that is not their favorite or who might be taking away from their favorite. I feel that Brad has finally mastered the restrictor plate races and has learned how to work with his spotter and team to ensure that he is running out front. I expect for Brad to continue this impressive restrictor plate run he is on.
Next weekend we head to Kentucky Motor Speedway for another Saturday night race. Brad typically qualifies and runs well at Kentucky as long as he does not get caught up in something. Last year in Kentucky, Brad started in the 2nd position and was able to finish 6th after leading 62 laps. In 2014, Brad started on the pole and won the race. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 5 to carry on the momentum he has had in the past few races.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Coke Zero 400
Qualifying: 5th
July 2, 2016
Nothing is more American to me than a Saturday night race at Daytona International Speedway on Fourth of July weekend, a long standing tradition in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series schedule. Daytona International Speedway is located in Daytona Beach, Florida and originally opened in 1959. The Coke Zero 400 marked Brad Keselowski's 250th career start and there is no better race to mark the occasion.
Brad started the weekend off with a solid qualifying run earning himself a 5th place starting position for the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday night. Brad quickly moved up to the first position but was soon noticing that his temperatures were increasing at a rapid pace. He was informed by the team that there was a large piece of debris on the grill that he needed to try and get off. As the car started to spout water, Brad was lucky enough to get the debris off the car and remain in first with seemingly no permanent damage to the car.
Lap 89 brought out the “big one”. The “big one” describes a crash usually involving five or more cars in stock car racing. Unfortunately, dangerous multi-car wrecks can now be considered a normality when racing at Daytona International Speedway or Talladega Superspeedway. Saturday's “big one” involved 22 cars including Brian Scott, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kevin Harvick. Some cars suffered race ending damage while others were able to make repairs and drive on to finish the race.
Brad reported back to the team that he was free in and tight off but didn’t feel like he had run over any debris from the aftermath of the “big one”. When listening to Brad and the 2 crew on the radio, there is always something interesting being said or discussed and to me, one of the most interesting things they do is refer to their strategy in beer references. This is a great way to ensure that no other teams that are listening to the radio can get on the same strategy as the team thus keeping their findings somewhat private. During this caution, Brad told the team that he was “leaning towards a Coors after this”. Unfortunately for me, I have no idea what that means but it seemed to work out well for them.
As the field was getting ready to take the green again Brad told the team that “it’s been real nice leading laps here today”. After restarting 3rd, Brad was able to battle his teammate Joey Logano and take the lead back on lap 104. Brad was told by the team that fuel was not a concern for them and they had plenty if the race were to go into overtime.
With 12 laps to go, a caution came out for Tony Stewart in the wall. Brad was having great restarts all night but anything can happen with a late race restart. Brad received an awesome push from his teammate Joey Logano which allowed him to keep the lead on this restart. But unfortunately another caution came out quickly thereafter for another wreck involving Bobby Labonte, Carl Edwards and AJ Allmendinger. There was some debate over Brad’s radio about which lane he should restart in. In one lane if he lined up with his teammate behind him that left Kurt Busch and Kyle Busch together and both were running great. Brad ultimately decided to stick with his teammate who had been a great pusher all day. The race finished in overtime with a very aggressive few laps.
Brad Keselowski was able to hold on to the lead and bring the #2 Detroit Genuine Parts Ford to victory for the first time in his career at Daytona. Brad’s excitement was contagious as he told a reporter, “Here we are. It’s Daytona Victory Lane. I don’t care if it’s not the 500. It’s Daytona and this is huge. I love this place. God, it’s amazing."
One of the most important people to help Brad win this race was his spotter Joey Meier. Joey was constantly on the radio telling Brad which lanes had the biggest momentum and where he needed to block. He gave Brad and the team all the information they needed to make sure they stayed in front for a majority of the race and made informed decisions about where to run and who to run with.
This was also the first Sprint Cup Victory Lane celebration that his 13 month old daughter Scarlett was able to be a part of. Brad told NBC Sports that having her there was “really cool”. “She’s been in Victory Lane once with the Xfinity car last year in Kentucky, but every time we win in Cup it seems like she’s asleep, or we didn’t bring her that weekend or something happens.” Brad said that she seemed really mesmerized by everything that was going on and all the excitement surrounding Victory Lane. It was really great to see Brad celebrating such a special win in Victory Lane with Scarlett and his girlfriend Paige White.
Although this win was big for Brad, as it was his first at Daytona, it also marked the 100th win in the Sprint Cup series for Team Penske. “I would just say that the 100th in NASCAR is something special. To do it here on the Fourth of July weekend, it’s amazing. But it’s a byproduct of all the good people we have, and to me we’ve got to continue to remember that," Roger Penske told reporters late Saturday night. The 100 wins by Penske come from various drivers such as Bobby Allison (4), Rusty Wallace (37), Joey Logano (13) and Brad Keselowski (19). Brad was joking around after the race saying that Roger’s next goal will be 200 victories as Roger seems to always be looking ahead and working towards bettering the organization.
Another very important fact to come out of Brad’s victory this past weekend at Daytona is that Brad now leads all drivers in restrictor plate wins since 2009. Brad has back-to-back wins on restrictor plate tracks with a win in May at Talladega and now another win Saturday night in Daytona. Brad led a race high 115 laps at Daytona, bettering his previous 46 laps led from the May race at Talladega. Unfortunately, many people question how someone can be dubbed the greatest based on first place finishes alone and Keselowski is no stranger to the popularity contest that is NASCAR and the unrelenting boos he receives from many fans. However, many people still deny Brad’s plate greatness for various reasons and the top one seems to be that he is threatening the supremacy of a 13-time most popular driver. Dale Jr is having probably the worst plate season of his career and although plate greatness has been a constant throughout Dale’s career, Keselowski can be perceived as snatching this away, which many fans do not take too kindly per Nate Ryan of NBCSports. NASCAR seems to be one of the biggest popularity contests around and fans often do not recognize successes of a driver that is not their favorite or who might be taking away from their favorite. I feel that Brad has finally mastered the restrictor plate races and has learned how to work with his spotter and team to ensure that he is running out front. I expect for Brad to continue this impressive restrictor plate run he is on.
Next weekend we head to Kentucky Motor Speedway for another Saturday night race. Brad typically qualifies and runs well at Kentucky as long as he does not get caught up in something. Last year in Kentucky, Brad started in the 2nd position and was able to finish 6th after leading 62 laps. In 2014, Brad started on the pole and won the race. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 5 to carry on the momentum he has had in the past few races.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Right Turns
Toyota/Save Mart 350
1st Practice: 21st
2nd Practice: 7th
Qualifying: 12th
June 26, 2016
Nestled in between countless vineyards throughout Northern California you will find one of two road courses that the NASCAR Sprint Cup series visits in a season, Sonoma Raceway. Sonoma is located in Sonoma, California and features twelve turns on a hilly course with 160 feet total elevation change. Sonoma is not one of Brad’s best tracks and since 2010 he has had an average finish of 19.14 and in 2015 he finished in the 19th position.
The weather in Sonoma always seems to be beautiful and Sunday was no exception. Brad had a decent qualifying effort on Saturday and was ready to get the first road course race of 2016 underway. While running the pace laps, Brad came over the radio encouraging his team to “have a good one down there”. Paul Wolfe relayed the same sentiments encouraging Brad to “have a little fun out there”.
The first caution came out on lap six for a problem with the #15 of Clint Bowyer and Brad just wasn’t sure where on the track he was consistently getting beat. His spotter Joey Meier was quick to let him know that he hadn’t seen any mistakes thus far. When the green flag came out again, Brad quickly dropped back to the 14th position and remained quiet on the radio. As green flag stops neared he let the team know that he was getting killed on drive and needed some adjustments made to the #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford. After the pit stops cycled through Brad was up to the 12th position and running lap times consistent with the leaders.
The 2nd caution flag flew on lap forty six with Brad still running in the 12th position. When the green flag came out again drivers immediately started taking whatever they could get which meant going 3 wide. At a road course, the only way to describe 3 wide, in the words of Brad is “this is ridiculous”. Another round of green flag pit stops came on lap 67 and Brad cycled through to the 15th position. At this point in the race it was evident that Brad was frustrated with various aspects of on track activity and even told his spotter that he needed his help more.
The 4th caution came out with seventeen laps to go and when racing went green, Brad reported that he thought he bent a tire rod as his steering was way off. Brad ultimately began to fall back a few spots and brought home a 15th place finish. This ends Brad’s impressive streak of top ten finishes. After the race, Brad posted on his twitter account (@Keselowski) that it “might not have been today, but one day we will conquer Sonoma. Today was the best I’ve felt here. Thank you 2 crew…We had better speed than we’ve ever had before, but I just made too many mistakes."
The biggest story to come out of Sonoma Raceway this weekend was the incredible victory by Tony Stewart. Even if you are not a Tony Stewart fan, the last few laps at Sonoma were some of the most exciting and nail biting laps of a race this year. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Tony would be able to hold off Denny Hamlin for the last ten laps or so. When Denny caught and passed Stewart I truly thought it was over but Stewart was able to make an incredible comeback and pass Denny on the last lap to take the checkered flag. This truly is a feel good NASCAR story as this is Tony’s last season and he was out in the beginning of the season due to injuries sustained in an off track event. Tony is still nine points out of the top thirty in points but with a few more good finishes he should be able to crack the top thirty, securing his spot in the Chase. A big congratulations goes out to Tony Stewart and the entire Stewart-Haas organization.
Next weekend we head to Daytona International Speedway for a race under the lights. Daytona can be a huge hit or miss for many drivers due to relying on other people to push you in the draft and the big wrecks that often occur when drivers are running at such high rates of speed so close together. Brad has been pretty up and down throughout his career at Daytona. In both races in 2015 he finished outside the top 20 with a 41st place finish in the Daytona 500 in February of 2015 and a 29th place finish at this race last year. Brad finished 20th in the 2016 Daytona 500 but it is truly hard to predict where he will finish on Saturday night.
I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July and enjoys some Saturday night Daytona racing!
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Toyota/Save Mart 350
1st Practice: 21st
2nd Practice: 7th
Qualifying: 12th
June 26, 2016
Nestled in between countless vineyards throughout Northern California you will find one of two road courses that the NASCAR Sprint Cup series visits in a season, Sonoma Raceway. Sonoma is located in Sonoma, California and features twelve turns on a hilly course with 160 feet total elevation change. Sonoma is not one of Brad’s best tracks and since 2010 he has had an average finish of 19.14 and in 2015 he finished in the 19th position.
The weather in Sonoma always seems to be beautiful and Sunday was no exception. Brad had a decent qualifying effort on Saturday and was ready to get the first road course race of 2016 underway. While running the pace laps, Brad came over the radio encouraging his team to “have a good one down there”. Paul Wolfe relayed the same sentiments encouraging Brad to “have a little fun out there”.
The first caution came out on lap six for a problem with the #15 of Clint Bowyer and Brad just wasn’t sure where on the track he was consistently getting beat. His spotter Joey Meier was quick to let him know that he hadn’t seen any mistakes thus far. When the green flag came out again, Brad quickly dropped back to the 14th position and remained quiet on the radio. As green flag stops neared he let the team know that he was getting killed on drive and needed some adjustments made to the #2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford. After the pit stops cycled through Brad was up to the 12th position and running lap times consistent with the leaders.
The 2nd caution flag flew on lap forty six with Brad still running in the 12th position. When the green flag came out again drivers immediately started taking whatever they could get which meant going 3 wide. At a road course, the only way to describe 3 wide, in the words of Brad is “this is ridiculous”. Another round of green flag pit stops came on lap 67 and Brad cycled through to the 15th position. At this point in the race it was evident that Brad was frustrated with various aspects of on track activity and even told his spotter that he needed his help more.
The 4th caution came out with seventeen laps to go and when racing went green, Brad reported that he thought he bent a tire rod as his steering was way off. Brad ultimately began to fall back a few spots and brought home a 15th place finish. This ends Brad’s impressive streak of top ten finishes. After the race, Brad posted on his twitter account (@Keselowski) that it “might not have been today, but one day we will conquer Sonoma. Today was the best I’ve felt here. Thank you 2 crew…We had better speed than we’ve ever had before, but I just made too many mistakes."
The biggest story to come out of Sonoma Raceway this weekend was the incredible victory by Tony Stewart. Even if you are not a Tony Stewart fan, the last few laps at Sonoma were some of the most exciting and nail biting laps of a race this year. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see if Tony would be able to hold off Denny Hamlin for the last ten laps or so. When Denny caught and passed Stewart I truly thought it was over but Stewart was able to make an incredible comeback and pass Denny on the last lap to take the checkered flag. This truly is a feel good NASCAR story as this is Tony’s last season and he was out in the beginning of the season due to injuries sustained in an off track event. Tony is still nine points out of the top thirty in points but with a few more good finishes he should be able to crack the top thirty, securing his spot in the Chase. A big congratulations goes out to Tony Stewart and the entire Stewart-Haas organization.
Next weekend we head to Daytona International Speedway for a race under the lights. Daytona can be a huge hit or miss for many drivers due to relying on other people to push you in the draft and the big wrecks that often occur when drivers are running at such high rates of speed so close together. Brad has been pretty up and down throughout his career at Daytona. In both races in 2015 he finished outside the top 20 with a 41st place finish in the Daytona 500 in February of 2015 and a 29th place finish at this race last year. Brad finished 20th in the 2016 Daytona 500 but it is truly hard to predict where he will finish on Saturday night.
I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July and enjoys some Saturday night Daytona racing!
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Hometown Crowd
FireKeepers Casino 400
June 12, 2016
1st Practice: 8th
2nd Practice: 5th
3rd Practice: 2nd
Qualifying: 15th
Every year when the Sprint Cup circuit makes its way to Michigan International Raceway there is a different kind of excitement for Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski. Brad was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan which is just under 100 miles from Michigan International Speedway. This is where he spent much of his youth working at his father’s race shop sweeping and mopping floors and occasionally cutting the lawn. Because of Brad’s youth spent in Michigan, this can be considered his home track. Brad has yet to win at Michigan and says, “If we could win at Michigan, it would be one of the biggest wins of my career—if not the biggest”.
Brad started off the weekend showing just how strong he was going to be during the race. He had great practice speeds although his qualifying effort did not show what the #2 Miller Lite Ford was capable of when Brad earned a starting position for Sundays race of 15th.
Race day dawned to beautiful warm skies in Michigan and everyone was excited to get the race going and see what this new down force package had to offer. As the cars began to pull off pit road for the pace laps Brad quickly came over the radio encouraging his team to, “have a good one down there. Would love a hometown win today”.
One of the biggest issues that arose during the first few laps of the race was the amount of trash flying around on the track. There is a saying in NASCAR that the leader cleans the track for the rest of the field. For Sunday’s race it seemed that more than just the leader was cleaning the track.
It was a windy day in Michigan. Trash was blowing in from everywhere causing concern early for many drivers including Tony Stewart, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin. Brad came over the radio after about 15 laps and relayed back to the team that he was a little tight in 3 and 4. As the laps started to tick by, many cars began making their green flag stops as it was the end of a fuel run.
This was the longest green flag run to start a race in Michigan since June of 2009. Paul Wolfe, crew chief for the 2 car, decided to stretch out their fuel window for as long as possible. The team quickly realized they were in trouble when Brad started to significantly slow down and reported back to the team that he had no fuel pressure. He warned the team that he was coming down pit road next time by and to be ready to push him. Luckily for Brad, right as this was happening, Martin Truex Jr in the 78 was spinning on the track bringing out a caution. Brad was able to make it back to his pit stall and came off pit road in the 10th position.
On lap 54 the first caution for the day flew due to engine failure from the #18 Joe Gibbs Toyota of Kyle Busch. This was just a continuance of the streak of bad luck that Kyle and the 18 team have recently endured. Kyle has not finished inside the top 25 since he won the “Go Bowling 400” at Kansas on May 7, 2016. When the field went back green, Brad was advised by crew chief Paul Wolfe to get all he could on restarts because once they got strung out he wasn’t going to gain much. The next caution came on lap 62 from Dale Earnhardt Jr (cue the screaming) and AJ Allmendinger. Brad was in the 5th position and told to stay out during this caution.
When the field went green, Brad reported back to the team that his biggest problem now was that in traffic he was tight off. He also told the team that there was tightness on exit and free in and that he wanted air pressure put back into the rear tires. Brad was able to gain the lead on lap 96 as cars began green flag pit stops and finally made his way onto pit road on lap 99. He came out of the pits in the 18th position and on lap 102 the yellow flag flew again, this time for Jeffrey Earnhardt.
After another round of green flag pit stops, Brad had cycled up to the 5th position and told to save fuel the best he could. Brad told the team that he felt as though he was as fast as all the guys around him and was quickly assured by spotter Joey Meier that he was in fact running just as good, if not better, than the first few cars in front of him.
The 4th caution of the day came out on lap 147 due to Regan Smith in the wall. Brad quickly told the team that he thought he ran over a piece of tire debris and was luckily able to bring the car down pit road and get that taken care of. Brad came off of pit road in the 3rd position and was told by Paul Wolfe to “do your best bud”.
Another caution came with 46 laps to go when Brian Scott, Casey Mears and Danica Patrick got into each other. Brad got right on the radio asking if the team could see any damage on the nose of his Ford Fusion because on the last restart he felt like he gave teammate Joey Logano a pretty big push and did some damage on his car. The team told him everything looked great and to focus on what he needs to do on a restart.
With 11 laps to go Brad was in the 8th position, his eye on the prize. After the next restart Brad was able to get moving again but it was clear that they would run out of laps before he was able to run down and catch the leader Joey Logano. Brad finished in the 4th position continuing his streak of top 10 finishes. He apologized to the team after the race by telling them he was “sorry I didn’t do a better job for you guys today”.
However, boss man Roger Penske was able to see Brad’s teammate Joey Logano in Victory Lane for the first time since the October Talladega race in 2015. It was great to see this win for Joey as it is his first of the season and now both Penske cars will be competing in the Chase.
After the race, Joey Logano did something I hadn’t seen any other driver do in recent history. Because the team was testing in Kentucky for the next few days, Joey and his wife Brittany decided to ride in the motor coach to Kentucky with his driver. While they were making the drive to Kentucky they did a live Facebook feed where Joey and Brittany answered various questions from fans. It was great to see a driver and his wife interacting with the fans and giving them a brief look into their lives.
We are now into an off week where drivers can enjoy the Father’s day weekend with their families and relax. Unfortunately for Brad, there is no rest and relaxation in his future. Brad will be racing the #22 Discount Tire Ford in this week’s American Ethanol E15 250 at Iowa Speedway. Brad told Alex Sims, writer on Bradracing.com, “Iowa speedway is certainly a track that has been very good to me. The Father’s day weekend race will be special now not only as a dad myself, but also as I think on all the time I spent at the racetrack with my father and what a great bonding experience that was—a lot of terrific memories. I look forward to seeing a full house and hopefully celebrating in Victory Lane”.
Brad ran the Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway in August of 2014 and came home with a win. I expect Brad to run very well in this race qualifying in the top 5 and finishing in the top 3, if not winning the race. Since there is not a Sprint Cup race this weekend make sure to tune in and watch the Xfinity race on Sunday June 19, 2016.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
FireKeepers Casino 400
June 12, 2016
1st Practice: 8th
2nd Practice: 5th
3rd Practice: 2nd
Qualifying: 15th
Every year when the Sprint Cup circuit makes its way to Michigan International Raceway there is a different kind of excitement for Team Penske driver Brad Keselowski. Brad was born in Rochester Hills, Michigan which is just under 100 miles from Michigan International Speedway. This is where he spent much of his youth working at his father’s race shop sweeping and mopping floors and occasionally cutting the lawn. Because of Brad’s youth spent in Michigan, this can be considered his home track. Brad has yet to win at Michigan and says, “If we could win at Michigan, it would be one of the biggest wins of my career—if not the biggest”.
Brad started off the weekend showing just how strong he was going to be during the race. He had great practice speeds although his qualifying effort did not show what the #2 Miller Lite Ford was capable of when Brad earned a starting position for Sundays race of 15th.
Race day dawned to beautiful warm skies in Michigan and everyone was excited to get the race going and see what this new down force package had to offer. As the cars began to pull off pit road for the pace laps Brad quickly came over the radio encouraging his team to, “have a good one down there. Would love a hometown win today”.
One of the biggest issues that arose during the first few laps of the race was the amount of trash flying around on the track. There is a saying in NASCAR that the leader cleans the track for the rest of the field. For Sunday’s race it seemed that more than just the leader was cleaning the track.
It was a windy day in Michigan. Trash was blowing in from everywhere causing concern early for many drivers including Tony Stewart, Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin. Brad came over the radio after about 15 laps and relayed back to the team that he was a little tight in 3 and 4. As the laps started to tick by, many cars began making their green flag stops as it was the end of a fuel run.
This was the longest green flag run to start a race in Michigan since June of 2009. Paul Wolfe, crew chief for the 2 car, decided to stretch out their fuel window for as long as possible. The team quickly realized they were in trouble when Brad started to significantly slow down and reported back to the team that he had no fuel pressure. He warned the team that he was coming down pit road next time by and to be ready to push him. Luckily for Brad, right as this was happening, Martin Truex Jr in the 78 was spinning on the track bringing out a caution. Brad was able to make it back to his pit stall and came off pit road in the 10th position.
On lap 54 the first caution for the day flew due to engine failure from the #18 Joe Gibbs Toyota of Kyle Busch. This was just a continuance of the streak of bad luck that Kyle and the 18 team have recently endured. Kyle has not finished inside the top 25 since he won the “Go Bowling 400” at Kansas on May 7, 2016. When the field went back green, Brad was advised by crew chief Paul Wolfe to get all he could on restarts because once they got strung out he wasn’t going to gain much. The next caution came on lap 62 from Dale Earnhardt Jr (cue the screaming) and AJ Allmendinger. Brad was in the 5th position and told to stay out during this caution.
When the field went green, Brad reported back to the team that his biggest problem now was that in traffic he was tight off. He also told the team that there was tightness on exit and free in and that he wanted air pressure put back into the rear tires. Brad was able to gain the lead on lap 96 as cars began green flag pit stops and finally made his way onto pit road on lap 99. He came out of the pits in the 18th position and on lap 102 the yellow flag flew again, this time for Jeffrey Earnhardt.
After another round of green flag pit stops, Brad had cycled up to the 5th position and told to save fuel the best he could. Brad told the team that he felt as though he was as fast as all the guys around him and was quickly assured by spotter Joey Meier that he was in fact running just as good, if not better, than the first few cars in front of him.
The 4th caution of the day came out on lap 147 due to Regan Smith in the wall. Brad quickly told the team that he thought he ran over a piece of tire debris and was luckily able to bring the car down pit road and get that taken care of. Brad came off of pit road in the 3rd position and was told by Paul Wolfe to “do your best bud”.
Another caution came with 46 laps to go when Brian Scott, Casey Mears and Danica Patrick got into each other. Brad got right on the radio asking if the team could see any damage on the nose of his Ford Fusion because on the last restart he felt like he gave teammate Joey Logano a pretty big push and did some damage on his car. The team told him everything looked great and to focus on what he needs to do on a restart.
With 11 laps to go Brad was in the 8th position, his eye on the prize. After the next restart Brad was able to get moving again but it was clear that they would run out of laps before he was able to run down and catch the leader Joey Logano. Brad finished in the 4th position continuing his streak of top 10 finishes. He apologized to the team after the race by telling them he was “sorry I didn’t do a better job for you guys today”.
However, boss man Roger Penske was able to see Brad’s teammate Joey Logano in Victory Lane for the first time since the October Talladega race in 2015. It was great to see this win for Joey as it is his first of the season and now both Penske cars will be competing in the Chase.
After the race, Joey Logano did something I hadn’t seen any other driver do in recent history. Because the team was testing in Kentucky for the next few days, Joey and his wife Brittany decided to ride in the motor coach to Kentucky with his driver. While they were making the drive to Kentucky they did a live Facebook feed where Joey and Brittany answered various questions from fans. It was great to see a driver and his wife interacting with the fans and giving them a brief look into their lives.
We are now into an off week where drivers can enjoy the Father’s day weekend with their families and relax. Unfortunately for Brad, there is no rest and relaxation in his future. Brad will be racing the #22 Discount Tire Ford in this week’s American Ethanol E15 250 at Iowa Speedway. Brad told Alex Sims, writer on Bradracing.com, “Iowa speedway is certainly a track that has been very good to me. The Father’s day weekend race will be special now not only as a dad myself, but also as I think on all the time I spent at the racetrack with my father and what a great bonding experience that was—a lot of terrific memories. I look forward to seeing a full house and hopefully celebrating in Victory Lane”.
Brad ran the Xfinity race at Iowa Speedway in August of 2014 and came home with a win. I expect Brad to run very well in this race qualifying in the top 5 and finishing in the top 3, if not winning the race. Since there is not a Sprint Cup race this weekend make sure to tune in and watch the Xfinity race on Sunday June 19, 2016.
Follow and chat with me here: @krysta5699
Image courtesy: bradracing.com
So Much Rain
Axalta 400
June 6, 2016
1st Practice: 12th
2nd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 1st
This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend race weekend at Pocono International Raceway so this week I’m going to do something a little different and recap my whole weekend and experiences at the track.
Friday was our first day at the track but there was not much on track activity due to the rain. We had purchased pit/paddock passes for the weekend which allowed us to go on pit road as well as a specific area in the infield where you could view the garage, media center, and “autograph alley”. We decided to wait out qualifying in autograph alley which was the best idea we could have had.
If you have never been to a NASCAR race, one of the best parts of attending is the comradery between fans at the track. I typically find that whenever I attend a race everyone is super nice and wants to talk about their race experiences. All NASCAR fans tend to have this bond between them due to their common interest of racing that provides great conversation and the shared goal of meeting your favorite driver and having a great time. Whether it’s someone offering to watch your cooler in the stands while you run to the restroom or in our case, making room for you to stand at the gate of autograph alley.
When we arrived in autograph alley we were introduced to Joe and his daughter’s boyfriend (sorry I can’t remember his name). They were quick to move over and allow us a place to stand at the end of the autograph line. From that position we were able to get autographs from some of NASCAR's biggest stars such as Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. It was also through talking to our new friends that we learned that Brad was going to be signing autographs at a local bar about 20 minutes from the track. As the day’s activities ended we were quick to hustle back to the car with plans to meet our new friends at the bar for dinner. When we arrived at the bar I was shocked to see that the place was not packed at all and not everyone there was a race fan. The Miller Lite girls quickly saw my Keselowski sweatshirt and came over to give us the scoop about what was about to go down. We were informed that he would be out on the patio signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. About 25 people were there for Brad and when it was my turn to go up I got my picture and was able to chat with Brad briefly. I was pretty amazed that he had recognized me from earlier in the day at Autograph Alley and was also able to congratulate him on his pole, and talk about a recent trip to Daytona. This was probably one of the coolest events I have ever experienced and nothing compares to seeing your favorite driver in such a small venue with minimal people around.
After Friday night I knew that nothing else that happened for the entire trip would compare to talking to Brad.
Saturday started off as a beautiful day where the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity series would run at Pocono. However, just over halfway through the race the rain started falling. NASCAR called the race after just over an hour of red flag as there was no breaks in the immediate future of the forecast. Kyle Larson took home the win for the inaugural race.
Sunday was a complete wash. The fog and rain were unlike anything I had experienced. As we were driving to the track in the morning I drove right past the entrance as the fog was so thick I couldn’t see two feet in front of the car. We had to be at the track early as we had purchased a package called “The Tricky Triangle Club” otherwise we probably would have waited until mid-morning. This package included question and answer sessions with both Dale Earnhardt JR and Kasey Kahne as well as free souvenirs and lunch. I wouldn’t do this again as I didn’t feel it was worth the money we paid but it did provide us a great spot to try and keep dry as the pavilions were covered. I knew it was a matter of when, not if, they would call the race because the rain was just not letting up and the fog was still extremely thick for noon time. The worst part of this day was waiting for the postponement because Pocono has a no re-entry policy meaning that we could not go to the car and come back in. I didn’t dare risk going to the car and then having the day clear up (although unlikely) and not getting back in to see the race.
Monday however, was a beautiful day and well worth the wait. We arrived at the track early and were able to head into the Paddock area to watch the drivers walking to introductions and view the teams rolling the cars out onto the grid. Once we got to our seats we were excited for the race to start. We both had a great time at the race, although I do not think I will be back to Pocono when there are so many other tracks that I would like to go to.
Brad Keselowski had an up and down weekend. He qualified on the pole for the first time this season and his first time ever at Pocono. Brad noted that, “I don’t think of us as a team that is a qualifying-focused team. In general, we work on things that pay off in the race and not qualifying. So when we have speed in qualifying, that’s usually a sign of how strong we are in race trim”.
When the green flag waved Monday at noon, Brad was able to stay within the top 8 until the competition caution at lap 15 and Brad came in to take 4 tires. Many teams decided to take 2 on this stop but the call from Paul Wolfe was for 4. Then on lap 25, during a pit stop, the Jackman for the 2 Crew hit the car with his right leg causing an “unapproved body modification”. There was much confusion throughout the team as to what was going on. Brad's spotter Joey Meier came over the radio telling Brad and the team that they were being black flagged by NASCAR for the body modification but crew chief Paul Wolfe had not heard anything about this.
The team was forced to come down pit road to fix the unapproved modification which was luckily done during a caution. Once the field went green, Brad was forced to come back down pit road for a pass through penalty. Although the team served the penalty, because Pocono is such a large track, they were able to stay on the lead lap. Had this been at another track, the implications could have been more severe. This put Brad way back in the field and he spent the majority of the race working his way back up to the front.
In the last few laps Brad was able to get up to the 3rd position and if the race had a few more miles, Brad would have been able to compete for the win. However, he brought home a 3rd place finish which is his 5th straight top 10. This is a great accomplishment for Brad and the entire 2 team as it shows they are a competitive car week in and week out which is great for their chances during the Chase.
The penalty to the 2 team this weekend seemed to bring out a lot of controversy and Brad is not one to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself. This is one of the things I love about him. During the race, Fox analyst Jeff Gordon indicated that this modification was similar to one that had occurred earlier in the year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brad was quick to voice his opinion telling ESPN, “that’s because Jeff Gordon is in the booth. They need to get some people that aren’t inbred to the sport and own teams and have internal knowledge, because that is pretty crappy. It is what it is”.
Brad quickly followed up saying, “it’s not that I don’t like Jeff Gordon in the booth, it’s just that you need to have people in the booth that don’t own teams or have commercial interest in the sport, because they say things that are very biased”. In case you were not aware, Jeff Gordon is still associated with the #48 of Jimmie Johnson and owns a portion of that team. Brad told NBC sports that “…I would say I would have done something not because the damage was impactful, but because you have to draw the line somewhere”. Brad also compared the body modification to that of holding in football. “Did it impact the play or the race? Absolutely not. Was it wrong? Yes…”. Brad’s penalty in Las Vegas was a speeding penalty and not associated with an unapproved body modification as Jeff Gordon had previously mentioned.
I think one of the coolest things for me about the race at Pocono, besides meeting Brad, was seeing Chase Elliott leading the field. Chase is a great driver and has shown his skill over the past few weeks by running up front and having great finishes. With such a great performance in Pocono, I believe it’s only a matter of time before he wins his first Sprint Cup race.
Next week we head to Brad's home track, Michigan International Speedway. Brad has never won a race at Michigan and it’s one that would be great to check off the list as he grew up in Michigan and spent a lot of time at his dad’s race shop. Brad typically runs pretty well here with two top ten finishes in 2015. I expect him to qualify in the top 15 and again finish in the top 10 to extend his streak of top 10 finishes.
Team Penske, as a whole, is showing a great deal of speed and I expect it to continue through the remainder of the season.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Axalta 400
June 6, 2016
1st Practice: 12th
2nd Practice: 6th
Qualifying: 1st
This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend race weekend at Pocono International Raceway so this week I’m going to do something a little different and recap my whole weekend and experiences at the track.
Friday was our first day at the track but there was not much on track activity due to the rain. We had purchased pit/paddock passes for the weekend which allowed us to go on pit road as well as a specific area in the infield where you could view the garage, media center, and “autograph alley”. We decided to wait out qualifying in autograph alley which was the best idea we could have had.
If you have never been to a NASCAR race, one of the best parts of attending is the comradery between fans at the track. I typically find that whenever I attend a race everyone is super nice and wants to talk about their race experiences. All NASCAR fans tend to have this bond between them due to their common interest of racing that provides great conversation and the shared goal of meeting your favorite driver and having a great time. Whether it’s someone offering to watch your cooler in the stands while you run to the restroom or in our case, making room for you to stand at the gate of autograph alley.
When we arrived in autograph alley we were introduced to Joe and his daughter’s boyfriend (sorry I can’t remember his name). They were quick to move over and allow us a place to stand at the end of the autograph line. From that position we were able to get autographs from some of NASCAR's biggest stars such as Brad Keselowski, Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. It was also through talking to our new friends that we learned that Brad was going to be signing autographs at a local bar about 20 minutes from the track. As the day’s activities ended we were quick to hustle back to the car with plans to meet our new friends at the bar for dinner. When we arrived at the bar I was shocked to see that the place was not packed at all and not everyone there was a race fan. The Miller Lite girls quickly saw my Keselowski sweatshirt and came over to give us the scoop about what was about to go down. We were informed that he would be out on the patio signing autographs and taking pictures with fans. About 25 people were there for Brad and when it was my turn to go up I got my picture and was able to chat with Brad briefly. I was pretty amazed that he had recognized me from earlier in the day at Autograph Alley and was also able to congratulate him on his pole, and talk about a recent trip to Daytona. This was probably one of the coolest events I have ever experienced and nothing compares to seeing your favorite driver in such a small venue with minimal people around.
After Friday night I knew that nothing else that happened for the entire trip would compare to talking to Brad.
Saturday started off as a beautiful day where the inaugural NASCAR Xfinity series would run at Pocono. However, just over halfway through the race the rain started falling. NASCAR called the race after just over an hour of red flag as there was no breaks in the immediate future of the forecast. Kyle Larson took home the win for the inaugural race.
Sunday was a complete wash. The fog and rain were unlike anything I had experienced. As we were driving to the track in the morning I drove right past the entrance as the fog was so thick I couldn’t see two feet in front of the car. We had to be at the track early as we had purchased a package called “The Tricky Triangle Club” otherwise we probably would have waited until mid-morning. This package included question and answer sessions with both Dale Earnhardt JR and Kasey Kahne as well as free souvenirs and lunch. I wouldn’t do this again as I didn’t feel it was worth the money we paid but it did provide us a great spot to try and keep dry as the pavilions were covered. I knew it was a matter of when, not if, they would call the race because the rain was just not letting up and the fog was still extremely thick for noon time. The worst part of this day was waiting for the postponement because Pocono has a no re-entry policy meaning that we could not go to the car and come back in. I didn’t dare risk going to the car and then having the day clear up (although unlikely) and not getting back in to see the race.
Monday however, was a beautiful day and well worth the wait. We arrived at the track early and were able to head into the Paddock area to watch the drivers walking to introductions and view the teams rolling the cars out onto the grid. Once we got to our seats we were excited for the race to start. We both had a great time at the race, although I do not think I will be back to Pocono when there are so many other tracks that I would like to go to.
Brad Keselowski had an up and down weekend. He qualified on the pole for the first time this season and his first time ever at Pocono. Brad noted that, “I don’t think of us as a team that is a qualifying-focused team. In general, we work on things that pay off in the race and not qualifying. So when we have speed in qualifying, that’s usually a sign of how strong we are in race trim”.
When the green flag waved Monday at noon, Brad was able to stay within the top 8 until the competition caution at lap 15 and Brad came in to take 4 tires. Many teams decided to take 2 on this stop but the call from Paul Wolfe was for 4. Then on lap 25, during a pit stop, the Jackman for the 2 Crew hit the car with his right leg causing an “unapproved body modification”. There was much confusion throughout the team as to what was going on. Brad's spotter Joey Meier came over the radio telling Brad and the team that they were being black flagged by NASCAR for the body modification but crew chief Paul Wolfe had not heard anything about this.
The team was forced to come down pit road to fix the unapproved modification which was luckily done during a caution. Once the field went green, Brad was forced to come back down pit road for a pass through penalty. Although the team served the penalty, because Pocono is such a large track, they were able to stay on the lead lap. Had this been at another track, the implications could have been more severe. This put Brad way back in the field and he spent the majority of the race working his way back up to the front.
In the last few laps Brad was able to get up to the 3rd position and if the race had a few more miles, Brad would have been able to compete for the win. However, he brought home a 3rd place finish which is his 5th straight top 10. This is a great accomplishment for Brad and the entire 2 team as it shows they are a competitive car week in and week out which is great for their chances during the Chase.
The penalty to the 2 team this weekend seemed to bring out a lot of controversy and Brad is not one to keep his thoughts and opinions to himself. This is one of the things I love about him. During the race, Fox analyst Jeff Gordon indicated that this modification was similar to one that had occurred earlier in the year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brad was quick to voice his opinion telling ESPN, “that’s because Jeff Gordon is in the booth. They need to get some people that aren’t inbred to the sport and own teams and have internal knowledge, because that is pretty crappy. It is what it is”.
Brad quickly followed up saying, “it’s not that I don’t like Jeff Gordon in the booth, it’s just that you need to have people in the booth that don’t own teams or have commercial interest in the sport, because they say things that are very biased”. In case you were not aware, Jeff Gordon is still associated with the #48 of Jimmie Johnson and owns a portion of that team. Brad told NBC sports that “…I would say I would have done something not because the damage was impactful, but because you have to draw the line somewhere”. Brad also compared the body modification to that of holding in football. “Did it impact the play or the race? Absolutely not. Was it wrong? Yes…”. Brad’s penalty in Las Vegas was a speeding penalty and not associated with an unapproved body modification as Jeff Gordon had previously mentioned.
I think one of the coolest things for me about the race at Pocono, besides meeting Brad, was seeing Chase Elliott leading the field. Chase is a great driver and has shown his skill over the past few weeks by running up front and having great finishes. With such a great performance in Pocono, I believe it’s only a matter of time before he wins his first Sprint Cup race.
Next week we head to Brad's home track, Michigan International Speedway. Brad has never won a race at Michigan and it’s one that would be great to check off the list as he grew up in Michigan and spent a lot of time at his dad’s race shop. Brad typically runs pretty well here with two top ten finishes in 2015. I expect him to qualify in the top 15 and again finish in the top 10 to extend his streak of top 10 finishes.
Team Penske, as a whole, is showing a great deal of speed and I expect it to continue through the remainder of the season.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
A Tear Jerker
The Coca Cola 600
May 29, 2016
1st Practice: 18th
2nd Practice: 23rd
3rd Practice: 19th
Qualifying: 5th
Memorial Day honors men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the U.S. military as well as those actively serving. This holiday was originally known as Decoration Day as it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. The Coca Cola 600 falls on Memorial Day weekend every year and is also NASCAR’s longest race. NASCAR always makes sure that the military is part of every race weekend but for the Coca Cola 600 they go above and beyond. Many drivers including Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Brad Keselowski had patriotic paint schemes on their cars and every driver places the name of a fallen hero on their windshield. The NASCAR community has always been a huge supporter of the military and they make sure to go above and beyond to show their appreciation, as we all should.
Brad was not very fast in practice throughout the weekend but had a solid qualifying effort securing him a 5th place starting position. The weather in Charlotte for the weekend was very rainy and the possibility of rain for the Sunday night race was on everyone’s minds. The main question became, would this race be a halfway race or would the 600 miler be run in its entirety? Because of the rain throughout the day, a competition caution was to be thrown at lap 25 to allow teams to take a look at tire wear and make adjustments as is typically done when a track is considered “green” at the start of a race.
While Brad was running the pace laps before the race, Crew Chief Paul Wolfe came over the radio telling Brad to have a good race and “take care of it here, it’s a long race”. After just 7 laps Brad already was relaying back to the team that he was a little bit free into 1 but was mostly tight center, specifically late center. When the competition caution came out Brad was still running in the 5th position and thanks to the 2 crew, he picked up 1 spot on pit road. After this round of pit stops, Brad fell back to the 6th position and told the team that he couldn’t hook the white line but was informed that the only car faster was the leader of Martin Truex Jr. With the next stop coming quickly, Brad told the team that the long run speed of the car is really good but it didn’t really start to come to him until he was almost out of gas at the end of a run. Brad made his first green flag stop on lap 76 from the 4th position. As green flag stops cycled through he was back up to the 5th position and was putting his focus back on trying to hook the white line. On lap 98, Joey Meier reported to Brad that himself and the 42 of Kyle Larson were the fastest in the top 6. This truly showed how much speed Brad had and how good the car was.
By lap 111, Brad was up to the 3rd position and on lap 114 a caution came out for the 44 of Brian Scott. Brad reported back to the team again that it “takes a little while to get going there” and that he was “getting beat in the center”. Keselowski continued to be one of the fastest cars on the track throughout the first 150 laps. Brad reported back to the team that his “long run speed is incredible”. At the halfway portion of the race, Brad was running in the 5th position.
By lap 303, Brad was up to the 4th position and was told to “just look ahead, no threat behind”. This is when the #4 of Kevin Harvick really seemed to come alive. This did not go unnoticed by the 2 team as Joey Meier voiced his surprise stating “holy cow the 4 is fast”. This was the same car that the 4 team brought for the All Star Race so it was expected that Kevin would have the car to beat. The top 4 cars were a great deal ahead of the remaining lead lap cars so the focus for Brad, running in 4th, was to catch the 3 cars ahead of him. This proved to be no easy task as he only picked up time on them when they were stuck in traffic. Brad was never able to catch any of the leaders and came home with a 5th place finish. This was another great points day for the #2 Penske Ford and this was the 4th straight top 10 finish for Brad. Brad quickly came over the radio and told the team that he was “proud of our day” and the team worked very hard to come home with a good finish.
Brad did something extremely interesting prior to the race. He wanted to show the fans how grueling a race can be on someone’s body so he took a picture of his weight prior to the race with the promise of another weigh in after. Brad’s starting weight for the race was 191.8 and when he weighed himself directly after the race he was down 8 pounds weighing in at 183.8. It’s hard to imagine that someone’s body can take that much dehydration and strain. It truly shows what athletes NASCAR drivers are and how important it is for them to be in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The winner of the Coca Cola 600 was Martin Truex Jr. Truex was the dominant car throughout the entire race and set a number of new records pertaining to NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Next weekend we (including me) head to Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Brad has some ups and downs at Pocono but has an average finish of 11th since 2014. In 2015 he finished in the top 20 for both races with a 17th place finish in the spring and a 2nd place finish in the fall. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish inside the top 12. With the way the 2 team has been running lately, I expect them to continue on the hot streak they are on. I’ll be leaving to drive to Pocono on Thursday so look for pictures and videos on my snapchat account (krystaburnham) and on my Twitter (@krysta5699).
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
The Coca Cola 600
May 29, 2016
1st Practice: 18th
2nd Practice: 23rd
3rd Practice: 19th
Qualifying: 5th
Memorial Day honors men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the U.S. military as well as those actively serving. This holiday was originally known as Decoration Day as it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. The Coca Cola 600 falls on Memorial Day weekend every year and is also NASCAR’s longest race. NASCAR always makes sure that the military is part of every race weekend but for the Coca Cola 600 they go above and beyond. Many drivers including Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Brad Keselowski had patriotic paint schemes on their cars and every driver places the name of a fallen hero on their windshield. The NASCAR community has always been a huge supporter of the military and they make sure to go above and beyond to show their appreciation, as we all should.
Brad was not very fast in practice throughout the weekend but had a solid qualifying effort securing him a 5th place starting position. The weather in Charlotte for the weekend was very rainy and the possibility of rain for the Sunday night race was on everyone’s minds. The main question became, would this race be a halfway race or would the 600 miler be run in its entirety? Because of the rain throughout the day, a competition caution was to be thrown at lap 25 to allow teams to take a look at tire wear and make adjustments as is typically done when a track is considered “green” at the start of a race.
While Brad was running the pace laps before the race, Crew Chief Paul Wolfe came over the radio telling Brad to have a good race and “take care of it here, it’s a long race”. After just 7 laps Brad already was relaying back to the team that he was a little bit free into 1 but was mostly tight center, specifically late center. When the competition caution came out Brad was still running in the 5th position and thanks to the 2 crew, he picked up 1 spot on pit road. After this round of pit stops, Brad fell back to the 6th position and told the team that he couldn’t hook the white line but was informed that the only car faster was the leader of Martin Truex Jr. With the next stop coming quickly, Brad told the team that the long run speed of the car is really good but it didn’t really start to come to him until he was almost out of gas at the end of a run. Brad made his first green flag stop on lap 76 from the 4th position. As green flag stops cycled through he was back up to the 5th position and was putting his focus back on trying to hook the white line. On lap 98, Joey Meier reported to Brad that himself and the 42 of Kyle Larson were the fastest in the top 6. This truly showed how much speed Brad had and how good the car was.
By lap 111, Brad was up to the 3rd position and on lap 114 a caution came out for the 44 of Brian Scott. Brad reported back to the team again that it “takes a little while to get going there” and that he was “getting beat in the center”. Keselowski continued to be one of the fastest cars on the track throughout the first 150 laps. Brad reported back to the team that his “long run speed is incredible”. At the halfway portion of the race, Brad was running in the 5th position.
By lap 303, Brad was up to the 4th position and was told to “just look ahead, no threat behind”. This is when the #4 of Kevin Harvick really seemed to come alive. This did not go unnoticed by the 2 team as Joey Meier voiced his surprise stating “holy cow the 4 is fast”. This was the same car that the 4 team brought for the All Star Race so it was expected that Kevin would have the car to beat. The top 4 cars were a great deal ahead of the remaining lead lap cars so the focus for Brad, running in 4th, was to catch the 3 cars ahead of him. This proved to be no easy task as he only picked up time on them when they were stuck in traffic. Brad was never able to catch any of the leaders and came home with a 5th place finish. This was another great points day for the #2 Penske Ford and this was the 4th straight top 10 finish for Brad. Brad quickly came over the radio and told the team that he was “proud of our day” and the team worked very hard to come home with a good finish.
Brad did something extremely interesting prior to the race. He wanted to show the fans how grueling a race can be on someone’s body so he took a picture of his weight prior to the race with the promise of another weigh in after. Brad’s starting weight for the race was 191.8 and when he weighed himself directly after the race he was down 8 pounds weighing in at 183.8. It’s hard to imagine that someone’s body can take that much dehydration and strain. It truly shows what athletes NASCAR drivers are and how important it is for them to be in shape and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The winner of the Coca Cola 600 was Martin Truex Jr. Truex was the dominant car throughout the entire race and set a number of new records pertaining to NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
- He led 588 miles which was the most ever in a NASCAR race.
- He led 392 laps which was the most led in a Coca Cola 600.
- He earned a Sprint Cup series driver rating of 150.00, which was the first of any driver at Charlotte.
- The race ran 3 hours 44 minutes and 5 seconds, marking the quickest Coca Cola 600 ever.
- The average speed for Sunday’s race was 160.655MPH which was the fastest average speed for a Coca Cola 600 event in race history.
Next weekend we (including me) head to Pocono International Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Brad has some ups and downs at Pocono but has an average finish of 11th since 2014. In 2015 he finished in the top 20 for both races with a 17th place finish in the spring and a 2nd place finish in the fall. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish inside the top 12. With the way the 2 team has been running lately, I expect them to continue on the hot streak they are on. I’ll be leaving to drive to Pocono on Thursday so look for pictures and videos on my snapchat account (krystaburnham) and on my Twitter (@krysta5699).
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Almost Doesn’t Count
Sprint All Star Race
May 21, 2016
1st Practice: 1st
It was a very rainy weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the All Star race. This meant that teams had a very small window of practice time and qualifying was rained out. The starting lineup was determined by owners' points. This put Brad in the 6th starting position with his teammate Joey Logano lined up behind him in the 8th position.
Earlier Saturday morning drivers raced in the “showdown”. This is where drivers who were not already in the All Star race could compete for a starting position. It was run in 3 segments yielding three winners. The #6 of Trevor Bayne won the first segment, the #16 of Greg Biffle won the 2nd and the #42 of Kyle Larson won the 3rd. Danica Patrick and Chase Elliott were voted in with the fan vote which had been taking place over the prior few weeks.
The first segment of the All Star race was delayed due to the rain that seemed to be continually falling in Charlotte over the past few days. When the race command was finally given by Tony Stewart everyone was ready to see some racing. As the cars were running their pace laps DW (Darrell Waltrip) reached out to Brad to see how he was feeling about the race. Brad was fastest in practice and really liked the format of the race and was optimistic that the #2 Miller Lite Ford would be up front fighting for the million dollar prize at the end. He told DW, “I’m pumped DW, I’m really pumped”. Brad also radioed down to his crew members encouraging them to have a good race and thanking them for all their hard work.
The green flag finally flew around 10:11 PM Eastern time and it was an early fight for the lead between Kyle Busch, who was running in the 75 car to commemorate the 75th anniversary of M&M’s, and Kevin Harvick in the 4. Brad reported to the team early that he was “struggling to hold the yellow line off of 2” and that he was “free in and off”. He was up to the 4th position on lap 27 and this is when the green flag stops began.
One of the rules of segment 1 was that drivers had to make a mandatory 2 tire green flag pit stop and because of this many cars were one lap down as the top 5 drivers, including Brad, were waiting to make their pit stop. Brad was up to the 3rd position on lap 43 (of 50) and many were beginning to wonder when these top drivers would make their mandatory stops. Brad finally came down pit road, along with many others, with 5 laps to go. The caution came out as Brad was on pit road and because of this, they knew they would not lose a lap pitting. The team opted to take 4 tires instead of 2 as they had the extra time with the field slowed down to pace car speed.
Unfortunately for Matt Kenseth, he was never able to pit under green during this segment as the race ended under the caution flag. Because of this he was black flagged and forced to start at the back of the pack. The 20 team later stated that they thought NASCAR would red flag the race so it could finish under green.
There was also much confusion surrounding the wave around policy for the cars that were scored a lap down. Typically when a car wants to take the wave around during a race, the car cannot come down pit road. However, a pit stop was mandatory between segments 1 and 2 which meant that the cars could not be eligible to take the wave around. I have read in various places that many fans, drivers and crews believed the cars should have been able to do so as this is not a points race and the rules could have been bent without having a huge impact on the race.
During this caution Brad was able to make a 2 tire stop as the team had taken 4 tires only a handful of laps before. NASCAR also introduced the “lug nut check” which required all cars to come back down pit road after pitting so NASCAR officials could ensure that all the required lug nuts were on the tires. Many drivers were not happy with the lug nut check as Matt Kenseth came over his radio venting his frustrations to his team stating that it is “unbelievable they’d bring the entire field down pit road to check lug nuts. Might as well call timeout in a football game to check shoe laces”. Dale Jr also spoke to his team about the confusion of the race, “this race reminds me of the first time I tried to fly a remote control helicopter—no idea what’s going on”.
For the 2nd segment, Brad started 1st after winning the race off pit road after segment 1. By lap 10, Brad was leading by one and a half seconds but after only a handful of laps a caution was thrown for a weeper. A weeper is when ground water comes through the seams of the asphalt after a significant rain fall. Brad restarted 1st and was again able to pull away as Denny Hamlin had a horrible restart.
On lap 23 another caution came out for a wreck between Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle. Unfortunately for Stewart he was unable to finish his final All Star race. When the race went green again, drivers still needed to make their mandatory 2 tire green flag stop and on lap 33, Brad came down pit road to make his stop. He came out 4th and was quickly able to gain the lead back. He was unable to hold on to it as Kyle Larson in the #42 had a very strong car. Brad was passed with 6 laps to go and with only 13 cars on the lead lap, he finished segment 2 in 2nd.
Another new addition to the All Star race is that for the final segment, a random card will be drawn that shows whether the first 9, 10 or 11 cars must pit. In this case it was the top 11 cars. This put Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch on the front row, but old tires made them sitting ducks to the rest of the field.
Brad restarted the last segment, a 13 lap race, in the 8th position with 4 new Goodyear tires on his Penske Ford. When the race went green, the importance of new tires was quickly realized as Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch started to drop like rocks through the field. Brad was up to the 3rd position by lap 6 and was able to take home a 2nd place finish behind his teammate Joey Logano. Unfortunately, a 2nd place finish at the All Star race has no benefits as it’s a non-point race except for the additional practice for the Coke 600 next weekend. It was a great day for Penske though as they had a 1-2 finish.
The All Star race is meant to be a fun event for drivers and fans where teams are more apt to take risks as it’s not a point race. However, this year the All Star race followed a different format that seemed to cause a lot of confusion for drivers, teams, and fans alike. In my opinion the confusion was not based on the format itself but rather the circumstances and oddities that arose due to the new rules and the handling of these by NASCAR. Many people were blaming Keselowski for the new format as he was one of the drivers involved but it was NASCAR who made strange calls with different situations throughout the race. I also feel that those who did not voice an opinion on the format of the race, have no right to complain as they had a chance to suggest changes and chose not to. I believe that the race came down to strategy. For a lot of teams, a caution destroyed that strategy along with NASCAR making some interesting calls that hurt a lot of teams.
Next week we are back at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coke 600. Brad, the 2 crew and Team Penske proved they had fast cars at the All Star race. I expect that speed to carry over. Brad typically runs well at Charlotte with a 7th place finish in the 2015 spring race and a 9th place finish in the fall race. I believe Brad and his teammate Joey Logano will be running up front for a vast majority of the day and will both finish in the top 10.
Send me a tweet: @kyrsta5699
Sprint All Star Race
May 21, 2016
1st Practice: 1st
It was a very rainy weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the All Star race. This meant that teams had a very small window of practice time and qualifying was rained out. The starting lineup was determined by owners' points. This put Brad in the 6th starting position with his teammate Joey Logano lined up behind him in the 8th position.
Earlier Saturday morning drivers raced in the “showdown”. This is where drivers who were not already in the All Star race could compete for a starting position. It was run in 3 segments yielding three winners. The #6 of Trevor Bayne won the first segment, the #16 of Greg Biffle won the 2nd and the #42 of Kyle Larson won the 3rd. Danica Patrick and Chase Elliott were voted in with the fan vote which had been taking place over the prior few weeks.
The first segment of the All Star race was delayed due to the rain that seemed to be continually falling in Charlotte over the past few days. When the race command was finally given by Tony Stewart everyone was ready to see some racing. As the cars were running their pace laps DW (Darrell Waltrip) reached out to Brad to see how he was feeling about the race. Brad was fastest in practice and really liked the format of the race and was optimistic that the #2 Miller Lite Ford would be up front fighting for the million dollar prize at the end. He told DW, “I’m pumped DW, I’m really pumped”. Brad also radioed down to his crew members encouraging them to have a good race and thanking them for all their hard work.
The green flag finally flew around 10:11 PM Eastern time and it was an early fight for the lead between Kyle Busch, who was running in the 75 car to commemorate the 75th anniversary of M&M’s, and Kevin Harvick in the 4. Brad reported to the team early that he was “struggling to hold the yellow line off of 2” and that he was “free in and off”. He was up to the 4th position on lap 27 and this is when the green flag stops began.
One of the rules of segment 1 was that drivers had to make a mandatory 2 tire green flag pit stop and because of this many cars were one lap down as the top 5 drivers, including Brad, were waiting to make their pit stop. Brad was up to the 3rd position on lap 43 (of 50) and many were beginning to wonder when these top drivers would make their mandatory stops. Brad finally came down pit road, along with many others, with 5 laps to go. The caution came out as Brad was on pit road and because of this, they knew they would not lose a lap pitting. The team opted to take 4 tires instead of 2 as they had the extra time with the field slowed down to pace car speed.
Unfortunately for Matt Kenseth, he was never able to pit under green during this segment as the race ended under the caution flag. Because of this he was black flagged and forced to start at the back of the pack. The 20 team later stated that they thought NASCAR would red flag the race so it could finish under green.
There was also much confusion surrounding the wave around policy for the cars that were scored a lap down. Typically when a car wants to take the wave around during a race, the car cannot come down pit road. However, a pit stop was mandatory between segments 1 and 2 which meant that the cars could not be eligible to take the wave around. I have read in various places that many fans, drivers and crews believed the cars should have been able to do so as this is not a points race and the rules could have been bent without having a huge impact on the race.
During this caution Brad was able to make a 2 tire stop as the team had taken 4 tires only a handful of laps before. NASCAR also introduced the “lug nut check” which required all cars to come back down pit road after pitting so NASCAR officials could ensure that all the required lug nuts were on the tires. Many drivers were not happy with the lug nut check as Matt Kenseth came over his radio venting his frustrations to his team stating that it is “unbelievable they’d bring the entire field down pit road to check lug nuts. Might as well call timeout in a football game to check shoe laces”. Dale Jr also spoke to his team about the confusion of the race, “this race reminds me of the first time I tried to fly a remote control helicopter—no idea what’s going on”.
For the 2nd segment, Brad started 1st after winning the race off pit road after segment 1. By lap 10, Brad was leading by one and a half seconds but after only a handful of laps a caution was thrown for a weeper. A weeper is when ground water comes through the seams of the asphalt after a significant rain fall. Brad restarted 1st and was again able to pull away as Denny Hamlin had a horrible restart.
On lap 23 another caution came out for a wreck between Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle. Unfortunately for Stewart he was unable to finish his final All Star race. When the race went green again, drivers still needed to make their mandatory 2 tire green flag stop and on lap 33, Brad came down pit road to make his stop. He came out 4th and was quickly able to gain the lead back. He was unable to hold on to it as Kyle Larson in the #42 had a very strong car. Brad was passed with 6 laps to go and with only 13 cars on the lead lap, he finished segment 2 in 2nd.
Another new addition to the All Star race is that for the final segment, a random card will be drawn that shows whether the first 9, 10 or 11 cars must pit. In this case it was the top 11 cars. This put Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch on the front row, but old tires made them sitting ducks to the rest of the field.
Brad restarted the last segment, a 13 lap race, in the 8th position with 4 new Goodyear tires on his Penske Ford. When the race went green, the importance of new tires was quickly realized as Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch started to drop like rocks through the field. Brad was up to the 3rd position by lap 6 and was able to take home a 2nd place finish behind his teammate Joey Logano. Unfortunately, a 2nd place finish at the All Star race has no benefits as it’s a non-point race except for the additional practice for the Coke 600 next weekend. It was a great day for Penske though as they had a 1-2 finish.
The All Star race is meant to be a fun event for drivers and fans where teams are more apt to take risks as it’s not a point race. However, this year the All Star race followed a different format that seemed to cause a lot of confusion for drivers, teams, and fans alike. In my opinion the confusion was not based on the format itself but rather the circumstances and oddities that arose due to the new rules and the handling of these by NASCAR. Many people were blaming Keselowski for the new format as he was one of the drivers involved but it was NASCAR who made strange calls with different situations throughout the race. I also feel that those who did not voice an opinion on the format of the race, have no right to complain as they had a chance to suggest changes and chose not to. I believe that the race came down to strategy. For a lot of teams, a caution destroyed that strategy along with NASCAR making some interesting calls that hurt a lot of teams.
Next week we are back at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coke 600. Brad, the 2 crew and Team Penske proved they had fast cars at the All Star race. I expect that speed to carry over. Brad typically runs well at Charlotte with a 7th place finish in the 2015 spring race and a 9th place finish in the fall race. I believe Brad and his teammate Joey Logano will be running up front for a vast majority of the day and will both finish in the top 10.
Send me a tweet: @kyrsta5699
A Costly Run In
AAA 400 Drive for Autism
May 15, 2016
1st Practice: 14th
2nd Practice: 13th
3rd Practice: 14th
Qualifying: 14th
Dover International Speedway, also known as the Monster Mile, is located in Dover, Delaware and is unique because it is exactly one mile in length meaning it is not considered a short track or a superspeedway. It is also one of the few concrete racetracks used in NASCAR’s three major series. Dover received its nickname “the Monster Mile” in 2006 when it went through a multi-year project to improve fan experience known as the “monster makeover”. During phase two of the construction, a 46 foot monster monument was created in Victory Plaza and the winner receives a replica trophy.
Dover isn’t typically one of Brad’s best tracks and this was evident throughout all three practice sessions. Unfortunately qualifying was rained out and starting positions were based off of the fields first practice speeds. Because of this Brad rolled off in the 14th position in the #2 Penske Ford.
Sunday was a typical spring day in the north with a cold start but a lot of sunshine in the sky. With Brad starting in the 14th position he had quite a few cars to work through to get to the lead but the team was confident that they could get there. Because of the rain that occurred overnight, a competition caution came out around lap 25 to allow the teams an opportunity to come down pit road and work on their cars. The first non-scheduled caution came out as Matt Dibenedetto was on the wall and after pit stops the 2 crew got Brad out in the 7th position. By lap 70, Brad was holding strong in the 8th position and reporting that his car did not fall off as much throughout a run. Another caution came out on lap 143 after trouble for Regan Smith and after this round of pit stops the 2 crew was able to pick up 3 positions and restarted in the 4th position. The 4th caution was thrown for debris and on lap 151, Brad restarted in the 6th position and at the halfway point of the race Brad was running in 5th with a strong first half behind him.
This was a great race for young Kyle Larson as he was leading at the halfway point and went on to lead more laps this race than he had in all previous 39 starts. Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, came over the radio at lap 205 to inform Brad that they were as fast as anyone and were “pretty damn good”. It was during the 6th caution flag that the team opted to take only 2 tires and Brad gained 3 spots on pit road allowing him to restart in the 2nd position. The next caution came out on lap 226 and Brad voiced his frustration by telling the team that he needed a long green flag run to get his car dialed in.
Brad took the lead on lap 231 and was able to show how strong his car was in clean air. Kyle Larson however was not letting him get too far ahead and was “tip toeing closer”. By lap 254 Keselowski and Larson were really battling for the lead but Brad was racing really smart and using Larson’s weaknesses against him and making it very hard for him to pass. Larson was finally able to get around Brad on lap 280 and the team finally came over the radio and let Brad know that many of the guys behind him took 4 tires on their last stop as opposed to his 2 and advised Brad to do his best to stay ahead.
Austin Dillion had come back out onto the track after an earlier crash and unfortunately with his beaten and battered race car, Brad ran right into the back of his car causing huge damage to the right front of the #2 Wurth Ford. The team was watching the right front tire carefully looking for any indication that his tire was going down but luckily there was no smoke coming from the tire and Brad was advised to stay out. Brad was able to hang on in the 6th position while running much slower lap times than the leaders. Fortunately for Brad and the 2 crew, a caution came out on lap 289 with Brad only dropping to the 8th position. Brad's team had already been on pit road getting a patch ready for the car when the caution came out. After the first stop Brad was able to come back down pit road a 2nd time to continue to work on the damage without going a lap down. Joey Meier was very important here as he was continually telling the team where the rest of the field was and when it was time to finish up and start moving to keep Brad on the lead lap. Brad had to restart at the tail end due to too many men over the wall but this did not hurt the team and was a wise move to get the damage fixed as quickly as possible. The team was able to come down 1 more time before going green to just take another look and make sure everything looked okay on the car.
When the 9th caution came out for debris Brad let the team know that the car was “really tight, think the toe is knocked out a little bit. Wheel turns to the left. Balance is tight”. Brad restarted back in the 25th position which was the furthest back and the most traffic he had been in all race. Martin Truex Jr was in the 2nd position and catching Larson who was still running in 1st. Could this finally be the day that luck is on Truex’s side? Truex was able to take the lead from Larson with 69 to go and was pulling away from the field. Brad was still running in the back of the pack and Joey Meier informed Brad that they would be lapped in about 12 laps at the pace they were running. Luckily for Brad, the 10th caution came out with 58 laps to go and Brad was up to the 24th position. Paul Wolfe informed the crew that they were just going to come down to make adjustments and not work on the damage as that would be a waste of time at this point. When the race didn’t go green right away, Brad was called back down pit road to fix a lug nut and do a little damage repair all while staying on the lead lap.
As the race went green, a big wreck occurred as they passed the start/finish line. Jimmie Johnson’s car wouldn’t get going and many cars were involved in the “big one”. Brad quickly came over the radio telling everyone that he didn’t know how he didn’t wreck with a little chuckle in his voice. He also made sure to thank Joey Meier as he said he didn’t see it and relied solely on Joey to get him through. This brought out the red flag and the immediate concern of the 2 crew was the state of Brad’s tires as he locked up the brakes avoiding the wreck. 18 cars were involved in the wreck and unfortunately Martin Truex Jr received some front end damage pretty much ending any hopes of a win and continuing his streak of misfortune. Brad’s teammate Joey Logano also got caught up in the wreck for the 3rd week in a row. The team decided to let Brad run a few caution laps and get a feel for the tires before deciding if they were going to bring him down pit road for 4 new Goodyear tires. When the race started rolling again, Brad said that the tires seemed fine and he thought they would be okay. Because of the large wreck, Brad was restarting in the 9th position on lap 356. Immediately when the race went green, Carl Edwards wrecked and Brad again reiterated that the tires were fine.
A great battle was brewing for the lead between Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson with Chase Elliott in 3rd. Both Larson and Elliott were looking for their first Sprint Cup series win. Elliott started to fall back and Kyle Larson was doing everything he could to pass Matt Kenseth respectfully to get the win. He was unable to do so and Matt Kenseth won the race. Brad finished 6th and after taking the checkered flag told the guys that they did a great job and thanked everyone for not giving up. Even though this isn’t the finish the team wanted or deserved, after Brad had a strong car early, it’s another top 10 finish and a good points day.
Next weekend we head to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the All Star Race on Saturday night. NASCAR has made updates to the current rules package for the Sprint All Star Race to reduce both downforce and side force. In case you are unsure, downforce is the pressure created across the surface of a vehicle at speed and side force is generated by the flow of air along the sides of the vehicle. NASCAR has updated three areas of the car with the updates including the truck trailing arm and cross member assembly, electric fans and rear wheel toe alignment. NASCAR also implemented a new format for the All Star Race with input from the drivers that is a throwback to the early years of NASCAR Sprint cup racing.
With the new format, there will be two 50 lap segments with a mandatory green flag pit stop to shuffle up the field. It then ends with a 13 lap shootout to determine the winner. The last 13 lap segment will then feature a random drawing to determine whether the first 9, 10, or 11 cars need to make a mandatory 4 tire pit stop. If the top cars are required to make a pit stop you can bet it will make for an interesting race as drivers with old tires try to hang on to top spots while drivers with fresh tires fight to come back to the lead. Brad typically runs pretty well at Charlotte with an average finish of 10.50 since 2014. In 2015 he finished in the top 10 for both the Spring and the Fall race. I expect for Brad to be aggressive in the All Star Race and for the team to take risks to get to Victory Lane.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
AAA 400 Drive for Autism
May 15, 2016
1st Practice: 14th
2nd Practice: 13th
3rd Practice: 14th
Qualifying: 14th
Dover International Speedway, also known as the Monster Mile, is located in Dover, Delaware and is unique because it is exactly one mile in length meaning it is not considered a short track or a superspeedway. It is also one of the few concrete racetracks used in NASCAR’s three major series. Dover received its nickname “the Monster Mile” in 2006 when it went through a multi-year project to improve fan experience known as the “monster makeover”. During phase two of the construction, a 46 foot monster monument was created in Victory Plaza and the winner receives a replica trophy.
Dover isn’t typically one of Brad’s best tracks and this was evident throughout all three practice sessions. Unfortunately qualifying was rained out and starting positions were based off of the fields first practice speeds. Because of this Brad rolled off in the 14th position in the #2 Penske Ford.
Sunday was a typical spring day in the north with a cold start but a lot of sunshine in the sky. With Brad starting in the 14th position he had quite a few cars to work through to get to the lead but the team was confident that they could get there. Because of the rain that occurred overnight, a competition caution came out around lap 25 to allow the teams an opportunity to come down pit road and work on their cars. The first non-scheduled caution came out as Matt Dibenedetto was on the wall and after pit stops the 2 crew got Brad out in the 7th position. By lap 70, Brad was holding strong in the 8th position and reporting that his car did not fall off as much throughout a run. Another caution came out on lap 143 after trouble for Regan Smith and after this round of pit stops the 2 crew was able to pick up 3 positions and restarted in the 4th position. The 4th caution was thrown for debris and on lap 151, Brad restarted in the 6th position and at the halfway point of the race Brad was running in 5th with a strong first half behind him.
This was a great race for young Kyle Larson as he was leading at the halfway point and went on to lead more laps this race than he had in all previous 39 starts. Brad’s spotter, Joey Meier, came over the radio at lap 205 to inform Brad that they were as fast as anyone and were “pretty damn good”. It was during the 6th caution flag that the team opted to take only 2 tires and Brad gained 3 spots on pit road allowing him to restart in the 2nd position. The next caution came out on lap 226 and Brad voiced his frustration by telling the team that he needed a long green flag run to get his car dialed in.
Brad took the lead on lap 231 and was able to show how strong his car was in clean air. Kyle Larson however was not letting him get too far ahead and was “tip toeing closer”. By lap 254 Keselowski and Larson were really battling for the lead but Brad was racing really smart and using Larson’s weaknesses against him and making it very hard for him to pass. Larson was finally able to get around Brad on lap 280 and the team finally came over the radio and let Brad know that many of the guys behind him took 4 tires on their last stop as opposed to his 2 and advised Brad to do his best to stay ahead.
Austin Dillion had come back out onto the track after an earlier crash and unfortunately with his beaten and battered race car, Brad ran right into the back of his car causing huge damage to the right front of the #2 Wurth Ford. The team was watching the right front tire carefully looking for any indication that his tire was going down but luckily there was no smoke coming from the tire and Brad was advised to stay out. Brad was able to hang on in the 6th position while running much slower lap times than the leaders. Fortunately for Brad and the 2 crew, a caution came out on lap 289 with Brad only dropping to the 8th position. Brad's team had already been on pit road getting a patch ready for the car when the caution came out. After the first stop Brad was able to come back down pit road a 2nd time to continue to work on the damage without going a lap down. Joey Meier was very important here as he was continually telling the team where the rest of the field was and when it was time to finish up and start moving to keep Brad on the lead lap. Brad had to restart at the tail end due to too many men over the wall but this did not hurt the team and was a wise move to get the damage fixed as quickly as possible. The team was able to come down 1 more time before going green to just take another look and make sure everything looked okay on the car.
When the 9th caution came out for debris Brad let the team know that the car was “really tight, think the toe is knocked out a little bit. Wheel turns to the left. Balance is tight”. Brad restarted back in the 25th position which was the furthest back and the most traffic he had been in all race. Martin Truex Jr was in the 2nd position and catching Larson who was still running in 1st. Could this finally be the day that luck is on Truex’s side? Truex was able to take the lead from Larson with 69 to go and was pulling away from the field. Brad was still running in the back of the pack and Joey Meier informed Brad that they would be lapped in about 12 laps at the pace they were running. Luckily for Brad, the 10th caution came out with 58 laps to go and Brad was up to the 24th position. Paul Wolfe informed the crew that they were just going to come down to make adjustments and not work on the damage as that would be a waste of time at this point. When the race didn’t go green right away, Brad was called back down pit road to fix a lug nut and do a little damage repair all while staying on the lead lap.
As the race went green, a big wreck occurred as they passed the start/finish line. Jimmie Johnson’s car wouldn’t get going and many cars were involved in the “big one”. Brad quickly came over the radio telling everyone that he didn’t know how he didn’t wreck with a little chuckle in his voice. He also made sure to thank Joey Meier as he said he didn’t see it and relied solely on Joey to get him through. This brought out the red flag and the immediate concern of the 2 crew was the state of Brad’s tires as he locked up the brakes avoiding the wreck. 18 cars were involved in the wreck and unfortunately Martin Truex Jr received some front end damage pretty much ending any hopes of a win and continuing his streak of misfortune. Brad’s teammate Joey Logano also got caught up in the wreck for the 3rd week in a row. The team decided to let Brad run a few caution laps and get a feel for the tires before deciding if they were going to bring him down pit road for 4 new Goodyear tires. When the race started rolling again, Brad said that the tires seemed fine and he thought they would be okay. Because of the large wreck, Brad was restarting in the 9th position on lap 356. Immediately when the race went green, Carl Edwards wrecked and Brad again reiterated that the tires were fine.
A great battle was brewing for the lead between Matt Kenseth and Kyle Larson with Chase Elliott in 3rd. Both Larson and Elliott were looking for their first Sprint Cup series win. Elliott started to fall back and Kyle Larson was doing everything he could to pass Matt Kenseth respectfully to get the win. He was unable to do so and Matt Kenseth won the race. Brad finished 6th and after taking the checkered flag told the guys that they did a great job and thanked everyone for not giving up. Even though this isn’t the finish the team wanted or deserved, after Brad had a strong car early, it’s another top 10 finish and a good points day.
Next weekend we head to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the All Star Race on Saturday night. NASCAR has made updates to the current rules package for the Sprint All Star Race to reduce both downforce and side force. In case you are unsure, downforce is the pressure created across the surface of a vehicle at speed and side force is generated by the flow of air along the sides of the vehicle. NASCAR has updated three areas of the car with the updates including the truck trailing arm and cross member assembly, electric fans and rear wheel toe alignment. NASCAR also implemented a new format for the All Star Race with input from the drivers that is a throwback to the early years of NASCAR Sprint cup racing.
With the new format, there will be two 50 lap segments with a mandatory green flag pit stop to shuffle up the field. It then ends with a 13 lap shootout to determine the winner. The last 13 lap segment will then feature a random drawing to determine whether the first 9, 10, or 11 cars need to make a mandatory 4 tire pit stop. If the top cars are required to make a pit stop you can bet it will make for an interesting race as drivers with old tires try to hang on to top spots while drivers with fresh tires fight to come back to the lead. Brad typically runs pretty well at Charlotte with an average finish of 10.50 since 2014. In 2015 he finished in the top 10 for both the Spring and the Fall race. I expect for Brad to be aggressive in the All Star Race and for the team to take risks to get to Victory Lane.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Here is a replay of that huge crash which has brought out the red flag at Dover #AAA400 #NASCAR https://t.co/Z56wV67JZD
— L&T Motorsport (@LTMsport) May 15, 2016
Just Not Enough
Go Bowling 400
May 7, 2016
1st Practice: 19th
2nd Practice: 13th
Qualifying: 5th
After winning last weekend at Talladega, Brad Keselowski and the 2 crew were flying high and hoping to carry on the momentum to a win at Kansas Motor speedway. The weekend started off decent for the #2 Penske Ford as Brad ran pretty well in practice sessions one and two and was able to make some adjustments on the car for qualifying and racing. Kansas is a good qualifying track for Brad as he qualified in the top 5 for both races of 2015 and I was not surprised that he qualified in the 5th position for Saturday night's Go Bowling 400.
As the field was running some warm up laps before the race, Brad came over the radio to encourage his team to “have a good one and take care of me down there” and “thanks for everything, let’s go for 2 in a row boys”.
Just after the green flag waved, Brad was already reporting that the car was super tight but this seemed to be the story for many other cars as well. Martin Truex Jr was leading the race by 4 seconds early on and truly showed everyone what a strong race car they brought to the track. When the first caution came out on lap 23 it was a welcome sign to many teams as their cars needed major adjustments. As Brad was leaving his pit box he knocked a Goodyear tire loose from the 13 team’s pit box to what many people thought of as an uncontrolled tire. However, it was ruled by NASCAR that this was not an incident of an uncontrolled tire and no teams were penalized for this. Brad lost a few spots on pit road and restarted in the 9th position with little to no damage to his car. When the next caution came out on lap 56, Brad was reporting that the car got a little better but asked for more adjustments to help with the car. He was able to gain 2 spots on pit road during this cycle and restarted in the 8th position.
As I have previously mentioned, one of the factors that makes Brad such a great racecar driver is the fact that he is constantly observing his surroundings. It was during this run that he observed that the 42 of Kyle Larson, who was running well, seemed to have more air in his tires. It was something that he mentioned over the radio and kind of put a thought into Paul Wolfe’s ear as something that someone else is doing that may help them.
Brad’s car started tightening up again and when the 3rd caution came out on lap 102 Brad told the team that the “front end was awesome in beginning of run but has fell back off”. He also complained that he had lost some exit stability and had been on the splitter a lot in 1 and 2. By lap 87 Brad had fallen back to the 16th position and the car was not getting much better as the laps ticked down.
It was during green flag pit stops with around 50 laps to go that heartbreak hit the leader Martin Truex Jr. He had a loose wheel right after his pit stop and was forced to make another green flag stop putting him deep into the middle of the field. Martin’s Furniture Row team has come so far over the past 2 years and they have had the cars to win numerous races every year. I expect them to win a race very soon and make the 2016 Chase.
Brad finally broke back into the top 10 on lap 233 and during the 5th caution of the night with 32 laps to go. The team opted to take fuel and 2 tires. Brad gained some ground on pit road and restarted in the 4th position. It was shortly after the green flag came out again that Brad’s run for the top seemingly came to an end. Brad got loose when Hamlin went for the split between Brad on the inside and another driver on the outside and both spun, as well as collecting Joey Logano in the mess. Brad was able to drive away with very minimal damage and rode around with a flat tire until pit road opened to change it. He restarted in the 19th position with 19 to go and it was clear that Brad was in a hurry to make up some ground before the end of the race.
Brad was able to finish 10th and made sure to let his team know that it was a good effort for the day and that he was happy with the team. Although it wasn’t a win, it was a great top 10 finish and if nothing else, was a good points day. As long as the team continues to have the finishes they are, they will be up there at the end #GoingFor2.
Next weekend we head to the Monster Mile, Dover International Speedway. Brad typically runs pretty well at Dover with an average finish of 8th since 2014 with one win beforehand in 2012. Last season, Brad finished 12th in the spring race and 16th in the fall race with a decent qualifying effort each race. I expect Brad to qualify within the top 15 and finish within the top 10.
Brad and his team are running well and overcoming obstacles every race so I do not expect Dover to be any different. They will continue to run in the top 10 throughout the race and will bring home a decent finish.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Go Bowling 400
May 7, 2016
1st Practice: 19th
2nd Practice: 13th
Qualifying: 5th
After winning last weekend at Talladega, Brad Keselowski and the 2 crew were flying high and hoping to carry on the momentum to a win at Kansas Motor speedway. The weekend started off decent for the #2 Penske Ford as Brad ran pretty well in practice sessions one and two and was able to make some adjustments on the car for qualifying and racing. Kansas is a good qualifying track for Brad as he qualified in the top 5 for both races of 2015 and I was not surprised that he qualified in the 5th position for Saturday night's Go Bowling 400.
As the field was running some warm up laps before the race, Brad came over the radio to encourage his team to “have a good one and take care of me down there” and “thanks for everything, let’s go for 2 in a row boys”.
Just after the green flag waved, Brad was already reporting that the car was super tight but this seemed to be the story for many other cars as well. Martin Truex Jr was leading the race by 4 seconds early on and truly showed everyone what a strong race car they brought to the track. When the first caution came out on lap 23 it was a welcome sign to many teams as their cars needed major adjustments. As Brad was leaving his pit box he knocked a Goodyear tire loose from the 13 team’s pit box to what many people thought of as an uncontrolled tire. However, it was ruled by NASCAR that this was not an incident of an uncontrolled tire and no teams were penalized for this. Brad lost a few spots on pit road and restarted in the 9th position with little to no damage to his car. When the next caution came out on lap 56, Brad was reporting that the car got a little better but asked for more adjustments to help with the car. He was able to gain 2 spots on pit road during this cycle and restarted in the 8th position.
As I have previously mentioned, one of the factors that makes Brad such a great racecar driver is the fact that he is constantly observing his surroundings. It was during this run that he observed that the 42 of Kyle Larson, who was running well, seemed to have more air in his tires. It was something that he mentioned over the radio and kind of put a thought into Paul Wolfe’s ear as something that someone else is doing that may help them.
Brad’s car started tightening up again and when the 3rd caution came out on lap 102 Brad told the team that the “front end was awesome in beginning of run but has fell back off”. He also complained that he had lost some exit stability and had been on the splitter a lot in 1 and 2. By lap 87 Brad had fallen back to the 16th position and the car was not getting much better as the laps ticked down.
It was during green flag pit stops with around 50 laps to go that heartbreak hit the leader Martin Truex Jr. He had a loose wheel right after his pit stop and was forced to make another green flag stop putting him deep into the middle of the field. Martin’s Furniture Row team has come so far over the past 2 years and they have had the cars to win numerous races every year. I expect them to win a race very soon and make the 2016 Chase.
Brad finally broke back into the top 10 on lap 233 and during the 5th caution of the night with 32 laps to go. The team opted to take fuel and 2 tires. Brad gained some ground on pit road and restarted in the 4th position. It was shortly after the green flag came out again that Brad’s run for the top seemingly came to an end. Brad got loose when Hamlin went for the split between Brad on the inside and another driver on the outside and both spun, as well as collecting Joey Logano in the mess. Brad was able to drive away with very minimal damage and rode around with a flat tire until pit road opened to change it. He restarted in the 19th position with 19 to go and it was clear that Brad was in a hurry to make up some ground before the end of the race.
Brad was able to finish 10th and made sure to let his team know that it was a good effort for the day and that he was happy with the team. Although it wasn’t a win, it was a great top 10 finish and if nothing else, was a good points day. As long as the team continues to have the finishes they are, they will be up there at the end #GoingFor2.
Next weekend we head to the Monster Mile, Dover International Speedway. Brad typically runs pretty well at Dover with an average finish of 8th since 2014 with one win beforehand in 2012. Last season, Brad finished 12th in the spring race and 16th in the fall race with a decent qualifying effort each race. I expect Brad to qualify within the top 15 and finish within the top 10.
Brad and his team are running well and overcoming obstacles every race so I do not expect Dover to be any different. They will continue to run in the top 10 throughout the race and will bring home a decent finish.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Champagne Celebrations
Gieco 500
May 1, 2016
1st Practice: 31st
2nd Practice: 11th
Qualifying: 7th
Talladega always seems to be one of the most anticipated races every spring and fall for race fans. It is easy to understand why with its high banking and extremely fast speeds. As I wrote last week, I was able to take a tour of Talladega and it was more than I could ever put into words. The banking was so high it was like staring at a wall and just the sheer size of the track made it seem like an eighth wonder of the world. I could never imagine going out and doing what these drivers do for 1 mile, never mind 500 miles.
Talladega is a race track that is always so unpredictable and the only sure factor going into Sunday's race was that rain, and a lot of it, was looming in the horizon. The forecast called for a 60% chance of rain and it seemed like the storm clouds were accumulating just beyond the track. NASCAR moved the start time of the race up about 15 minutes to ensure that they could get as much racing in as possible. One of the biggest stories of the week was the lug nut rule change. Teams are now mandated the use of 5 lug nuts on all wheels. If teams fail to do so, penalties will be issued including the suspension of the Crew Chief for 1 week. NASCAR seemed to make good timing with this rule change as Talladega is one of the fastest race tracks making lug nuts very important.
Brad started the race in the 7th position and came over the radio to tell the team that its “nice starting up here in the top 10, I like that”. At the drop of the green flag, there was an immediate sense of urgency as the looming threat of rain was on the forefront of everyone’s mind. A spotter is very important at Talladega as there is so much movement throughout the entire race. Joey Meier, Brad's spotter, was constantly over the radio guiding Brad through the field with such statements as “wide open in front”, “no help” and “3 wide middle”. As the laps started to tick by, Brad had no major complaints about the car and as they prepared to make a green flag stop he told the team that the handling was pretty decent but he was having a hard time keeping up with the cars in front of him. By lap 26 Brad was really tight on exit and just wasn’t able to get the help he needed. By lap 32 Brad was reporting debris on the grill which was causing the temps to keep climbing. While this was going on, Paul just kept reminding Brad that they were “not too far from pit cycle starting”. Green flag stops started on lap 38 and it was just in time for Brad as his car had started to shoot water due to overheating because of the debris on the grill. The first caution came out on lap 50 for Dale Jr, who was the race favorite for many. Brad seemed to just squeak through this wreck as it occurred just behind him. Unfortunately, this wreck also impacted Kasey Kahne and Matt Dibenedetto causing damage to both. It was during this caution that we saw the driver swap from Tony Stewart to Ty Dillion. It’s amazing that they executed this swap flawlessly and all in about a minutes time. Ty Dillion went on to get a 6th place finish which was extremely helpful for Tony Stewart as he was credited with the finish because he started the race in the 14 car.
One of the reasons why Brad is so talented is that he is constantly observing and analyzing throughout the race. It was during this caution flag that Brad came over the radio asking about the Joe Gibbs cars. He was curious as to why their pit stops were faster than his and was quickly assured that it was because of the debris and nothing more. Brad was advised during this caution to keep hydrated as it was getting really humid out. A big shout out goes out to Joey Meier, from me as well, because every time he told Brad to have some water, I had some water. I guess I felt as though he was talking to me. When the green flag waved again, Brad was restarting in the 5th position and was able to move up and get the lead on lap 72. When he took the lead he was tasked with trying to block all 3 lanes of traffic and this is where the driver\spotter relationship is so important at a superspeedway. Some of the phrases that Joey Meier likes to use to communicate include “high lane energy", “bottom lane 2” and “clear low”.
The drivers were racing aggressively throughout the entire race because the threat of rain was constantly looming just beyond the track. All this aggressive racing caused another wreck on lap 96 involving Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson and Chris Buescher and more. This was a particularly bad wreck as Chris Buescher’s car flipped through the air several times but he was evaluated at the infield care center and released with no major injuries. Brad lost 3 spots on pit road and restarted in the 5th position. It was during this caution that Brad and Joey were able to talk a little bit about where they were in the race and where they wanted to go. Joey Meier thought it best to be aggressive telling Brad “better to be aggressive and stay up front than be aggressive to get back to the front”. Brad had a shocking response telling Joey that this was true sometimes. They did however, agree that it was fun to lead laps. Brad was able to make his way back to the front where he was battling Trevor Bayne for the lead.
As the laps winded down it was again important for Joey Meier to get Brad up to the lead and it was with 28 laps to go that Brad was able to avoid another wreck. There was another bad wreck with 8 to go when Danica Patrick collided with Matt Kenseth. This was another scary wreck as Danica plowed into the wall and fans were able to get a rare view of the bottom of Kenseth’s car. The determination of the team was clear when Brad told them “we’ve led a lot of laps, let's lead the last one”. Brad restarted on the outside this time relying on Kyle Busch and Mcmurray to push him ahead of Trevor Bayne. As Brad was crossing the start\finish line with the checkered flag waving, another big wreck occurred impacting many cars. Brad was able to avoid all the big wrecks of the day and brought home his 2nd win of the season. As the team prepared to celebrate their win on the track, Brad and Spotter Joey Meier discussed how cool the lizard trophy is and how exciting the day was for Brad and the 2 crew. After the race, Brad told reporters that he was “super pumped” and that they felt like they could get a lot more wins this season.
One of the biggest concerns to come out of Talladega this past weekend was the safety issues that arise from the close racing at very high rates of speed. NASCAR has made many advancements in safety but with all the crazy wrecks that occurred during the Geico 500 it really makes you wonder what they can do to make this track a little safer for drivers and crew members. Although it was an “edge of your seat” kind of race, the wrecks were continually scarier and I was constantly amazed that the drivers were able to walk away from the wrecks without any major medical concerns.
Next week we head to Kansas Motor Speedway for a Saturday night race. Brad has an average finish at Kansas of 16.25 since 2014 and this definitely isn’t one of his best tracks but Brad did run very well here in 2015. During the spring race he was able to qualify in the 3rd position and brought home a 7th place finish after leading 43 laps. Brad had a good fall race as well, qualifying on the pole and finishing in the 9th position, leading 28 laps. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 10, as well. I think the team has a lot of confidence and will carry the momentum of their win at Talladega over to a great finish at Kansas.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Gieco 500
May 1, 2016
1st Practice: 31st
2nd Practice: 11th
Qualifying: 7th
Talladega always seems to be one of the most anticipated races every spring and fall for race fans. It is easy to understand why with its high banking and extremely fast speeds. As I wrote last week, I was able to take a tour of Talladega and it was more than I could ever put into words. The banking was so high it was like staring at a wall and just the sheer size of the track made it seem like an eighth wonder of the world. I could never imagine going out and doing what these drivers do for 1 mile, never mind 500 miles.
Talladega is a race track that is always so unpredictable and the only sure factor going into Sunday's race was that rain, and a lot of it, was looming in the horizon. The forecast called for a 60% chance of rain and it seemed like the storm clouds were accumulating just beyond the track. NASCAR moved the start time of the race up about 15 minutes to ensure that they could get as much racing in as possible. One of the biggest stories of the week was the lug nut rule change. Teams are now mandated the use of 5 lug nuts on all wheels. If teams fail to do so, penalties will be issued including the suspension of the Crew Chief for 1 week. NASCAR seemed to make good timing with this rule change as Talladega is one of the fastest race tracks making lug nuts very important.
Brad started the race in the 7th position and came over the radio to tell the team that its “nice starting up here in the top 10, I like that”. At the drop of the green flag, there was an immediate sense of urgency as the looming threat of rain was on the forefront of everyone’s mind. A spotter is very important at Talladega as there is so much movement throughout the entire race. Joey Meier, Brad's spotter, was constantly over the radio guiding Brad through the field with such statements as “wide open in front”, “no help” and “3 wide middle”. As the laps started to tick by, Brad had no major complaints about the car and as they prepared to make a green flag stop he told the team that the handling was pretty decent but he was having a hard time keeping up with the cars in front of him. By lap 26 Brad was really tight on exit and just wasn’t able to get the help he needed. By lap 32 Brad was reporting debris on the grill which was causing the temps to keep climbing. While this was going on, Paul just kept reminding Brad that they were “not too far from pit cycle starting”. Green flag stops started on lap 38 and it was just in time for Brad as his car had started to shoot water due to overheating because of the debris on the grill. The first caution came out on lap 50 for Dale Jr, who was the race favorite for many. Brad seemed to just squeak through this wreck as it occurred just behind him. Unfortunately, this wreck also impacted Kasey Kahne and Matt Dibenedetto causing damage to both. It was during this caution that we saw the driver swap from Tony Stewart to Ty Dillion. It’s amazing that they executed this swap flawlessly and all in about a minutes time. Ty Dillion went on to get a 6th place finish which was extremely helpful for Tony Stewart as he was credited with the finish because he started the race in the 14 car.
One of the reasons why Brad is so talented is that he is constantly observing and analyzing throughout the race. It was during this caution flag that Brad came over the radio asking about the Joe Gibbs cars. He was curious as to why their pit stops were faster than his and was quickly assured that it was because of the debris and nothing more. Brad was advised during this caution to keep hydrated as it was getting really humid out. A big shout out goes out to Joey Meier, from me as well, because every time he told Brad to have some water, I had some water. I guess I felt as though he was talking to me. When the green flag waved again, Brad was restarting in the 5th position and was able to move up and get the lead on lap 72. When he took the lead he was tasked with trying to block all 3 lanes of traffic and this is where the driver\spotter relationship is so important at a superspeedway. Some of the phrases that Joey Meier likes to use to communicate include “high lane energy", “bottom lane 2” and “clear low”.
The drivers were racing aggressively throughout the entire race because the threat of rain was constantly looming just beyond the track. All this aggressive racing caused another wreck on lap 96 involving Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson and Chris Buescher and more. This was a particularly bad wreck as Chris Buescher’s car flipped through the air several times but he was evaluated at the infield care center and released with no major injuries. Brad lost 3 spots on pit road and restarted in the 5th position. It was during this caution that Brad and Joey were able to talk a little bit about where they were in the race and where they wanted to go. Joey Meier thought it best to be aggressive telling Brad “better to be aggressive and stay up front than be aggressive to get back to the front”. Brad had a shocking response telling Joey that this was true sometimes. They did however, agree that it was fun to lead laps. Brad was able to make his way back to the front where he was battling Trevor Bayne for the lead.
As the laps winded down it was again important for Joey Meier to get Brad up to the lead and it was with 28 laps to go that Brad was able to avoid another wreck. There was another bad wreck with 8 to go when Danica Patrick collided with Matt Kenseth. This was another scary wreck as Danica plowed into the wall and fans were able to get a rare view of the bottom of Kenseth’s car. The determination of the team was clear when Brad told them “we’ve led a lot of laps, let's lead the last one”. Brad restarted on the outside this time relying on Kyle Busch and Mcmurray to push him ahead of Trevor Bayne. As Brad was crossing the start\finish line with the checkered flag waving, another big wreck occurred impacting many cars. Brad was able to avoid all the big wrecks of the day and brought home his 2nd win of the season. As the team prepared to celebrate their win on the track, Brad and Spotter Joey Meier discussed how cool the lizard trophy is and how exciting the day was for Brad and the 2 crew. After the race, Brad told reporters that he was “super pumped” and that they felt like they could get a lot more wins this season.
One of the biggest concerns to come out of Talladega this past weekend was the safety issues that arise from the close racing at very high rates of speed. NASCAR has made many advancements in safety but with all the crazy wrecks that occurred during the Geico 500 it really makes you wonder what they can do to make this track a little safer for drivers and crew members. Although it was an “edge of your seat” kind of race, the wrecks were continually scarier and I was constantly amazed that the drivers were able to walk away from the wrecks without any major medical concerns.
Next week we head to Kansas Motor Speedway for a Saturday night race. Brad has an average finish at Kansas of 16.25 since 2014 and this definitely isn’t one of his best tracks but Brad did run very well here in 2015. During the spring race he was able to qualify in the 3rd position and brought home a 7th place finish after leading 43 laps. Brad had a good fall race as well, qualifying on the pole and finishing in the 9th position, leading 28 laps. I expect Brad to qualify in the top 10 and finish in the top 10, as well. I think the team has a lot of confidence and will carry the momentum of their win at Talladega over to a great finish at Kansas.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Falling Short
Toyota Owners 400
April 24, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 15th
Rain is never a desired forecast when race weekend approaches and as Sprint cup cars were on the track for first practice on Friday the skies opened up and the rain began falling. Qualifying was supposed to begin shortly after practice but NASCAR made the decision to cancel qualifying and the starting grid was set by the first practice speeds. This worked well for Brad and the #2 Penske Ford, as he started in the 6th position for Sunday's Toyota Owners 400.
Brad typically runs a few races in the Xfinity series driving the #22 Discount Tire Ford and Saturday was one of those days. Brad qualified the car in the 8th position and was optimistic going into the race that they might be able to bring a win home for the team. However, this was not the case and Brad ended up finishing the Toyotcare 250 in the 9th position. Although it wasn’t the win he wanted, Brad was able to gain experience and learn a lot about the track to use in Sunday's race. Dale Earnhardt Jr ended up winning the Xfinity race and Ty Dillon won the dash for cash segment.
Sunday was a beautiful day for a race and with no rain in the forecast there was a loud sigh of relief from everyone as the spring race in Richmond seems to always be postponed by a rainstorm. When the green flag waved, cars were all over the place trying to find the fastest groove to run on the track. Many of the fastest cars such as Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick were running right against the wall and as Brad’s spotter Joey Meier relayed this information back to Brad, Brad was quick to tell Joey that “it’s a little too early to run that high” and that Brad’s car just wasn’t connected enough to run that close to the wall. Adjustments needed to be made and on lap 86 the team came down pit road for the first round of pit stops. Brad’s spotter made sure to remind Brad of pit road speed and make him aware to avoid any unnecessary penalties as this has been a major concern within the Penske organization throughout the 2016 season. As green flag stops cycled through Brad was back up in the top 10 running in the 4th position. Brad was still very unhappy with is car and told the team “the faster I try to go, the slower I go”. The caution finally came out on lap 157 for debris. This was the longest green flag run to start a race at Richmond since 1979. As the team planned a stop Brad relayed back that he was happy with the short run speed but the 2/3rd turn was costing them. Restarts were a very dicey time in the race as cars were running 4 wide at the wave of the green flag and to quote Jeff Gordon, “that’s not Richmond, that’s I-95”. Brad was still very unhappy with his car and they just couldn’t seem to make the adjustments to get him where he needed to be and with 89 to go, Brad was running back in the 18th position. Cautions began coming pretty quickly at this point in the race which really helped Brad. When the 4th caution came out, the team chose to stay out and fell back on older tires so when the 5th caution came out with 88 to go, it gave the team what they needed to come down and make adjustments. The 6th and 7th caution both flew almost immediately after the green flag allowing for many teams to take the wave around. After 2 more cautions, Brad was running in the 12th position and knocking on the door of the top 10 however he was never able to quite get there. Brad finished the race in the 11th position. Team Penske as a whole has seemed to be struggling lately and if they want to go for a championship both the 2 and the 22 have a lot of work to do.
The 2016 season so far has been known for its awesome finishes with a photo finish at Daytona between Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr and another at Phoenix between Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards. Sunday also produced an exciting finish when Carl Edwards did a little bump and run on his teammate Kyle Busch to take the lead on the last lap and go on to win the race. Joe Gibbs has been a very strong organization so far in 2016 with 3 of the 4 drivers already winning races. I believe they will continue to be strong and are a force to be reckoned with for the championship.
One of the biggest stories surrounding Brad and his team and even the Penske organization as a whole has been the pit road penalties they are receiving. Brad and the 2 crew have received 5 pit road penalties in the last 6 races including uncontrolled tires and numerous speeding penalties. This was something that the team had to really focus on because in order to go for their 2 nd championship, they needed to eliminate these unnecessary penalties and the fact that it is occurring early in the season gives them time to work on correcting these errors. They seemed to have made progress as no penalties were issued to the team at Richmond this past weekend.
Next week we head to Talladega Superspeedway for what is sure to be an exciting race. Last June I toured Talladega, unfortunately not on a race weekend but it was an amazing experience and really allowed me to see how massive the track is and gave me great appreciation for what NASCAR drivers do here. Talladega is not one of Brad’s best tracks but it’s pretty much a crap shoot and relying on someone else to “draft” you is not always the best feeling. Brad has an average finish of 16.25 and with a little help from Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, I think he can get a top 20 finish. The team needs to minimize pit road penalties this weekend and try not to get caught up in “the big one”.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Toyota Owners 400
April 24, 2016
1st Practice: 6th
2nd Practice: 15th
Rain is never a desired forecast when race weekend approaches and as Sprint cup cars were on the track for first practice on Friday the skies opened up and the rain began falling. Qualifying was supposed to begin shortly after practice but NASCAR made the decision to cancel qualifying and the starting grid was set by the first practice speeds. This worked well for Brad and the #2 Penske Ford, as he started in the 6th position for Sunday's Toyota Owners 400.
Brad typically runs a few races in the Xfinity series driving the #22 Discount Tire Ford and Saturday was one of those days. Brad qualified the car in the 8th position and was optimistic going into the race that they might be able to bring a win home for the team. However, this was not the case and Brad ended up finishing the Toyotcare 250 in the 9th position. Although it wasn’t the win he wanted, Brad was able to gain experience and learn a lot about the track to use in Sunday's race. Dale Earnhardt Jr ended up winning the Xfinity race and Ty Dillon won the dash for cash segment.
Sunday was a beautiful day for a race and with no rain in the forecast there was a loud sigh of relief from everyone as the spring race in Richmond seems to always be postponed by a rainstorm. When the green flag waved, cars were all over the place trying to find the fastest groove to run on the track. Many of the fastest cars such as Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick were running right against the wall and as Brad’s spotter Joey Meier relayed this information back to Brad, Brad was quick to tell Joey that “it’s a little too early to run that high” and that Brad’s car just wasn’t connected enough to run that close to the wall. Adjustments needed to be made and on lap 86 the team came down pit road for the first round of pit stops. Brad’s spotter made sure to remind Brad of pit road speed and make him aware to avoid any unnecessary penalties as this has been a major concern within the Penske organization throughout the 2016 season. As green flag stops cycled through Brad was back up in the top 10 running in the 4th position. Brad was still very unhappy with is car and told the team “the faster I try to go, the slower I go”. The caution finally came out on lap 157 for debris. This was the longest green flag run to start a race at Richmond since 1979. As the team planned a stop Brad relayed back that he was happy with the short run speed but the 2/3rd turn was costing them. Restarts were a very dicey time in the race as cars were running 4 wide at the wave of the green flag and to quote Jeff Gordon, “that’s not Richmond, that’s I-95”. Brad was still very unhappy with his car and they just couldn’t seem to make the adjustments to get him where he needed to be and with 89 to go, Brad was running back in the 18th position. Cautions began coming pretty quickly at this point in the race which really helped Brad. When the 4th caution came out, the team chose to stay out and fell back on older tires so when the 5th caution came out with 88 to go, it gave the team what they needed to come down and make adjustments. The 6th and 7th caution both flew almost immediately after the green flag allowing for many teams to take the wave around. After 2 more cautions, Brad was running in the 12th position and knocking on the door of the top 10 however he was never able to quite get there. Brad finished the race in the 11th position. Team Penske as a whole has seemed to be struggling lately and if they want to go for a championship both the 2 and the 22 have a lot of work to do.
The 2016 season so far has been known for its awesome finishes with a photo finish at Daytona between Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr and another at Phoenix between Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards. Sunday also produced an exciting finish when Carl Edwards did a little bump and run on his teammate Kyle Busch to take the lead on the last lap and go on to win the race. Joe Gibbs has been a very strong organization so far in 2016 with 3 of the 4 drivers already winning races. I believe they will continue to be strong and are a force to be reckoned with for the championship.
One of the biggest stories surrounding Brad and his team and even the Penske organization as a whole has been the pit road penalties they are receiving. Brad and the 2 crew have received 5 pit road penalties in the last 6 races including uncontrolled tires and numerous speeding penalties. This was something that the team had to really focus on because in order to go for their 2 nd championship, they needed to eliminate these unnecessary penalties and the fact that it is occurring early in the season gives them time to work on correcting these errors. They seemed to have made progress as no penalties were issued to the team at Richmond this past weekend.
Next week we head to Talladega Superspeedway for what is sure to be an exciting race. Last June I toured Talladega, unfortunately not on a race weekend but it was an amazing experience and really allowed me to see how massive the track is and gave me great appreciation for what NASCAR drivers do here. Talladega is not one of Brad’s best tracks but it’s pretty much a crap shoot and relying on someone else to “draft” you is not always the best feeling. Brad has an average finish of 16.25 and with a little help from Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney, I think he can get a top 20 finish. The team needs to minimize pit road penalties this weekend and try not to get caught up in “the big one”.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Brian Lawdermilk/ Getty Images
Unscheduled Disappointment
Food City 500
April 17, 2016
1st Practice - 3rd
2nd Practice - 28th
3rd Practice - 15th
Qualifying - 12TH
Sunday dawned to a beautiful spring day at Bristol Motor Speedway located in Bristol Tennessee. The track is also known as “The Last Great Colosseum” and is the fourth largest sports venue in America and the 8th largest in the world. Bristol is often seen as the track that breeds the highest number of cautions during a race, as there is a large amount of cars in such a small space, Sunday was an example of this.
The weekend started off mediocre for Brad as he was running in varying positions during practices but had a decent qualifying effort, securing 12th place starting position. When the green flag waved Brad immediately began to move forward and was up to the 10th position by lap 10 and requested that his spotter Joey Meier be aggressive and move him towards the front. The first caution came out on lap 52 and Brad had no major complaints about the car. He said it was “really good, if I were to have a complaint its 3 loose in”. It was during this round of pit stops that Brad received a penalty on pit road for too fast entering section 7. This was just one of many races where Brad and the 2 Crew received a pit road penalty. After receiving one at Fontana and Martinsville as well, it really puts a red flag up to the team that something needs to be done to reduce these penalties and it needs to be addressed before the chase starts. Brad had to start at the back of the field in the 31st position but was lucky that this occurred during the beginning of the race giving the team plenty of time to overcome the penalty. The 2nd caution came out on lap 70 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr Spun. Brad hit pit road for 4 new Goodyear Tires and the removal of some tape on the grill as his temperatures were running a little on the high side. It was on the restart after the 3rd caution that Brad ran into some trouble when he rammed into the back of the 34 car of Chris Buescher. Brad immediately came over the radio annoyed stating that he “barely touched the damn guy and the hood falls off the car”. Brad was still running back in the 27th position and was having a hard time coming through the pack. The crew worked on fixing the damage to the nose without going a lap down and Brad just told the team “I don’t know what to say about the nose” and he got a quick response from Joey Meier “that’s what happens when you’re running back in 27th”. Brad was finally up to the 18th position after a caution on lap 187 when he body slammed the 6 of Trevor Bayne. This did not cause any significant damage to the #2 Miller Lite Ford and Brad was able to carry on.
Unfortunately Brad was not able to stay in the top 20 very long as he was heard yelling over the radio with about 105 laps to go “I have a flat”. He brought the car down pit road and came back out in the 27th position 2 laps down. Paul Wolfe came over the radio telling Brad that it looked like contact was made at some point because of marks on the tires. He took the wave around on the 10th caution to get one of his laps back but was still down one. Brad didn’t receive the lucky dog until there were only 16 laps to go in the race. The team had been waiting a while to be in the position and were happy that it was finally their turn, although it was too little too late. Brad finished the race in the 18th position which was not the run he had wanted going into the weekend.
The biggest story from the race had to be a 6th place finish from BK Racing driver of the #83 Matt Dibenedetto. This was a career best finish for Matt and his emotions after the race were truly touching. During a post-race interview, Matt told Fox Sports “a sixth place finish for BK Racing and for all my guys, this is like a win for us”. As a fan, it was awesome to see a smaller team able to run up there with the “big dogs” and come home with a great finish I wish the brightest of futures for Matt and hope his team can continue to grow and be competitive.
Next weekend we head to Richmond International Speedway in Richmond Virginia. Brad typically runs well at Richmond and has an average finish of 7.5 since February of 2014. The Spring race of 2015 was set to be a Saturday night race but was postponed until Sunday due to inclement weather at the track. Brad finished 17th last spring due to a dropped cylinder in the middle stages of the race while he was running in the 3rd position. Prior to this happening, Brad had a very fast car and was quickly hunting down the leaders. He seemed to be one of the only cars in the early stages of the race that could compete with Kurt Busch in the 41 at all. After the race Brad said “Once we dropped a cylinder, we were sitting ducks on the restarts. All you can do is try not to ruin everybody else’s’ day and make the most of the situation”. I expect Brad to have a solid day on Sunday and get a top 10 finish as long as mistakes on pit road are eliminated.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Food City 500
April 17, 2016
1st Practice - 3rd
2nd Practice - 28th
3rd Practice - 15th
Qualifying - 12TH
Sunday dawned to a beautiful spring day at Bristol Motor Speedway located in Bristol Tennessee. The track is also known as “The Last Great Colosseum” and is the fourth largest sports venue in America and the 8th largest in the world. Bristol is often seen as the track that breeds the highest number of cautions during a race, as there is a large amount of cars in such a small space, Sunday was an example of this.
The weekend started off mediocre for Brad as he was running in varying positions during practices but had a decent qualifying effort, securing 12th place starting position. When the green flag waved Brad immediately began to move forward and was up to the 10th position by lap 10 and requested that his spotter Joey Meier be aggressive and move him towards the front. The first caution came out on lap 52 and Brad had no major complaints about the car. He said it was “really good, if I were to have a complaint its 3 loose in”. It was during this round of pit stops that Brad received a penalty on pit road for too fast entering section 7. This was just one of many races where Brad and the 2 Crew received a pit road penalty. After receiving one at Fontana and Martinsville as well, it really puts a red flag up to the team that something needs to be done to reduce these penalties and it needs to be addressed before the chase starts. Brad had to start at the back of the field in the 31st position but was lucky that this occurred during the beginning of the race giving the team plenty of time to overcome the penalty. The 2nd caution came out on lap 70 when Ricky Stenhouse Jr Spun. Brad hit pit road for 4 new Goodyear Tires and the removal of some tape on the grill as his temperatures were running a little on the high side. It was on the restart after the 3rd caution that Brad ran into some trouble when he rammed into the back of the 34 car of Chris Buescher. Brad immediately came over the radio annoyed stating that he “barely touched the damn guy and the hood falls off the car”. Brad was still running back in the 27th position and was having a hard time coming through the pack. The crew worked on fixing the damage to the nose without going a lap down and Brad just told the team “I don’t know what to say about the nose” and he got a quick response from Joey Meier “that’s what happens when you’re running back in 27th”. Brad was finally up to the 18th position after a caution on lap 187 when he body slammed the 6 of Trevor Bayne. This did not cause any significant damage to the #2 Miller Lite Ford and Brad was able to carry on.
Unfortunately Brad was not able to stay in the top 20 very long as he was heard yelling over the radio with about 105 laps to go “I have a flat”. He brought the car down pit road and came back out in the 27th position 2 laps down. Paul Wolfe came over the radio telling Brad that it looked like contact was made at some point because of marks on the tires. He took the wave around on the 10th caution to get one of his laps back but was still down one. Brad didn’t receive the lucky dog until there were only 16 laps to go in the race. The team had been waiting a while to be in the position and were happy that it was finally their turn, although it was too little too late. Brad finished the race in the 18th position which was not the run he had wanted going into the weekend.
The biggest story from the race had to be a 6th place finish from BK Racing driver of the #83 Matt Dibenedetto. This was a career best finish for Matt and his emotions after the race were truly touching. During a post-race interview, Matt told Fox Sports “a sixth place finish for BK Racing and for all my guys, this is like a win for us”. As a fan, it was awesome to see a smaller team able to run up there with the “big dogs” and come home with a great finish I wish the brightest of futures for Matt and hope his team can continue to grow and be competitive.
Next weekend we head to Richmond International Speedway in Richmond Virginia. Brad typically runs well at Richmond and has an average finish of 7.5 since February of 2014. The Spring race of 2015 was set to be a Saturday night race but was postponed until Sunday due to inclement weather at the track. Brad finished 17th last spring due to a dropped cylinder in the middle stages of the race while he was running in the 3rd position. Prior to this happening, Brad had a very fast car and was quickly hunting down the leaders. He seemed to be one of the only cars in the early stages of the race that could compete with Kurt Busch in the 41 at all. After the race Brad said “Once we dropped a cylinder, we were sitting ducks on the restarts. All you can do is try not to ruin everybody else’s’ day and make the most of the situation”. I expect Brad to have a solid day on Sunday and get a top 10 finish as long as mistakes on pit road are eliminated.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Matt Hazlett/ Getty Images
Disappointing Run
The Duck Commander 500
April 9, 2016
1st Practice: 2nd
2nd Practice: 14th
Qualifying: 8th
The week prior to Texas started off with some family fun at the Birmingham Zoo courtesy of Talladega Superspeedway for Brad, girlfriend Paige White and daughter Scarlett. They got to spend the day at the zoo, where they rode a camel, held a parrot and got kissed by the sea lions. This was a great way to spend the beginning of the week before what was expected to be a great weekend for Brad and 2 crew at Texas.
The Duck Commander 500
April 9, 2016
1st Practice: 2nd
2nd Practice: 14th
Qualifying: 8th
The week prior to Texas started off with some family fun at the Birmingham Zoo courtesy of Talladega Superspeedway for Brad, girlfriend Paige White and daughter Scarlett. They got to spend the day at the zoo, where they rode a camel, held a parrot and got kissed by the sea lions. This was a great way to spend the beginning of the week before what was expected to be a great weekend for Brad and 2 crew at Texas.
Image Courtesy: Talladega Superspeedway
The weekend started off just as anyone would have expected with Brad running well in both practices and qualifying in the 8th position. Brad typically runs well at Texas so it was no surprise that his weekend was off to a great start and it was expected that this momentum would carry over to the race on Saturday night.
The excitement in the air on Saturday evening was electric as this was the first points night race of the season. However, the electricity was quickly extinguished by rain showers moving throughout the Fort Worth area. This delayed the start of the Duck Commander 500 by a few hours and when the command was finally given for drivers to start their engines there was a sign of relief from fans and team. The race started under the yellow flag and finally went green 6 laps in, once the drivers had given their okay for track conditions. Right before the green flag, Brad came over the radio and told the team that he felt good about this one and was told by his spotter Joey Meier to “do your best and work with your tools—have fun”. Brad wasn’t happy with the car early on and stated that he was very tight on exit and had lost 5 spots from the start to lap 27. The scheduled competition caution came out on lap 29 and everyone came down to pit lane. Adjustments were then made on the car to get the #2 Miller Lite Ford to where it was previously running the day before. Brad restarted in the 9th position and ran some laps without any incident. Green flag stops started on lap 69 and Brad came down pit road on lap 74. Keselowski made his second green flag stop on lap 111 and came out in the 21st position. He unfortunately had to go back down pit road on lap 128 for an unscheduled pit stop for a loose left rear. He came off pit road in the 27th position 2 laps down. By lap 194 there were only 15 cars on the lead lap with Martin Truex Jr proving himself as the dominant car. Brad tried to fight his way back up the field but around lap 200 he was still in 21st and 2 laps down. Brad was never able to fully recover from his unscheduled pit stop and finished in the 18th position.
Even though Martin Truex Jr was the car to beat, he started to fall off towards the end of the race and Kyle Busch seemingly came out of nowhere. I don’t think it was a surprise to anyone that Kyle Busch was there at the end of the race and that he is carrying his championship momentum on to the 2016 season. Kyle has won 4 races in a row in a NASCAR touring series. He has also earned top 5 finishes in 6 of the last 7 Sprint Cup races.
We head to Bristol next weekend to visit the “Last Great Colosseum”. Bristol is a hit or miss track for the 2 crew as Brad has led a total of 499 laps at the track in his career but also has 3 finishes where he has finished 30th or worse. Last year during the spring race at Bristol, Brad and teammate Joey Logano crashed only 19 laps into a rain delayed race. Both drivers were able to return to the race but Brad finished 35th, 22 laps down. Brad even tweeted after the race “days like today are times when I wish I knew where to find the poop emoji”. I expect Brad to get a top 10 finish at Bristol and make up for the disappointing run he had this past weekend in Texas.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
The excitement in the air on Saturday evening was electric as this was the first points night race of the season. However, the electricity was quickly extinguished by rain showers moving throughout the Fort Worth area. This delayed the start of the Duck Commander 500 by a few hours and when the command was finally given for drivers to start their engines there was a sign of relief from fans and team. The race started under the yellow flag and finally went green 6 laps in, once the drivers had given their okay for track conditions. Right before the green flag, Brad came over the radio and told the team that he felt good about this one and was told by his spotter Joey Meier to “do your best and work with your tools—have fun”. Brad wasn’t happy with the car early on and stated that he was very tight on exit and had lost 5 spots from the start to lap 27. The scheduled competition caution came out on lap 29 and everyone came down to pit lane. Adjustments were then made on the car to get the #2 Miller Lite Ford to where it was previously running the day before. Brad restarted in the 9th position and ran some laps without any incident. Green flag stops started on lap 69 and Brad came down pit road on lap 74. Keselowski made his second green flag stop on lap 111 and came out in the 21st position. He unfortunately had to go back down pit road on lap 128 for an unscheduled pit stop for a loose left rear. He came off pit road in the 27th position 2 laps down. By lap 194 there were only 15 cars on the lead lap with Martin Truex Jr proving himself as the dominant car. Brad tried to fight his way back up the field but around lap 200 he was still in 21st and 2 laps down. Brad was never able to fully recover from his unscheduled pit stop and finished in the 18th position.
Even though Martin Truex Jr was the car to beat, he started to fall off towards the end of the race and Kyle Busch seemingly came out of nowhere. I don’t think it was a surprise to anyone that Kyle Busch was there at the end of the race and that he is carrying his championship momentum on to the 2016 season. Kyle has won 4 races in a row in a NASCAR touring series. He has also earned top 5 finishes in 6 of the last 7 Sprint Cup races.
We head to Bristol next weekend to visit the “Last Great Colosseum”. Bristol is a hit or miss track for the 2 crew as Brad has led a total of 499 laps at the track in his career but also has 3 finishes where he has finished 30th or worse. Last year during the spring race at Bristol, Brad and teammate Joey Logano crashed only 19 laps into a rain delayed race. Both drivers were able to return to the race but Brad finished 35th, 22 laps down. Brad even tweeted after the race “days like today are times when I wish I knew where to find the poop emoji”. I expect Brad to get a top 10 finish at Bristol and make up for the disappointing run he had this past weekend in Texas.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Robert Laberge/GettyImages
Blue Collar
STP 500
April 3, 2016
1st Practice: 16th
2nd Practice: 28th
3rd Practice: 20th
Qualifying: 11th
After a much needed week off, NASCAR reconvened at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia where tempers fly and cars can look like they belong at the junkyard by the end of the race. Brad typically runs well at the paperclip and Sunday was no exception. However, by looking at Brad’s practice speeds, it was truly unclear what his car was capable of. Keselowski had a strong qualifying effort by securing an 11th place starting position. This was just the start of a very solid race weekend for Brad and the 2 crew.
The race favorite was definitely Brads Team Penske teammate, Joey Logano who secured his third consecutive Martinsville pole and seemed to have a fast racecar. The first caution came out on lap 5 and after just a few laps Brad had no complaints about his car. He continued to move up and fans had proof that the statement he made to Michael Waltrip on the grid walk about having a really strong long run car was accurate. Brad was up to the 3rd position by lap 45 and having a very solid run.
The 2nd caution came out on lap 91 due to a spin by Michael Annette. Brad told the team that his car was still really good and he had no complaints. However, It was during this round of pit stops that Brad’s great day was halted. He was busted on pit road for too fast exiting and he immediately came over the radio telling his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, that he “didn’t even get to my lights, I don’t know how that’s possible”. Brad had to restart in the back with the #2 Miller Lite Ford in the 18th position. Once Brad was back in traffic he seemed to have a hard time making his way up through the field and remained in the 17th position for a number of laps. After a round of pit stops during the 3rd caution Brad restarted 15th. On this restart he sustained substantial front end damage when cars stacked up in front of him. Paul Wolfe and spotter Joey Meier were not too concerned with the damage and it was decided that it was not worth losing positions trying to fix. When the 4th caution came out on lap 221 because Denny Hamlin's wheel hopped and got into the wall, Brad's biggest complaint was that the car was loose into turn 1 but as a whole the car was running great. Once the adjustment was made, Brad told the team that the car was a little better this run. Lap 312 brought out the 5th caution and Brad lost 1 spot on pit road, coming out 6th. This put him in the dreaded outside lane which proved to a surefire way to lose a substantial number of positions. Brad was only shuffled back to the 8th position, showing how important it is to get down to the bottom lane as quick as possible. By lap 380 Brad was up to the 2nd position again showing how strong his car was on the long runs. Brad suffered the outside lane fate again on the next round of pit stops when he had to restart 2nd after a caution. He was again able to get to the bottom lane very quickly and only fell back one spot. The last caution came out with 17 to go and while the top few cars stayed out, Brad was the first to come down pit road stating that they don’t care about top 10’s, they are there to try and win. Brad restarted 12th with 12 laps to go and was able to make up some ground in that very short amount of time. Brad and the 2 crew came home with a solid 5th place finish and continue to build their championship run.
The top 10 for the STP 500 was a very versatile group of drivers including AJ Allmendinger in 2nd, Kyle Larson in 3rd and Austin Dillon in 4th. It was great to see these guys have solid runs and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon in victory lane during the 2016 season. After the race Brad told reporters “It was a blue collar day for sure. Somewhat proud to come home fifth”. This is another finish showing how well Brad continually runs at Martinsville and look for him to have a solid run when the series returns in the fall.
Next weekend brings our first points night race of the season at Texas Motor Speedway. Brad typically runs very well at Texas with an average finish of 6.25. In 2015, he finished 5th in the fall race and 2nd in the spring race. Brad also qualifies well at Texas and won the poll for the fall race. I expect Brad to show speed in practice and qualifying and believe that he will run well and stay towards the front the entire race to bring home a strong finish. Expect for Team Penske as an organization to have a solid weekend and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brad or his teammate, Joey Logano in Victory Lane.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
STP 500
April 3, 2016
1st Practice: 16th
2nd Practice: 28th
3rd Practice: 20th
Qualifying: 11th
After a much needed week off, NASCAR reconvened at Martinsville Speedway in Ridgeway, Virginia where tempers fly and cars can look like they belong at the junkyard by the end of the race. Brad typically runs well at the paperclip and Sunday was no exception. However, by looking at Brad’s practice speeds, it was truly unclear what his car was capable of. Keselowski had a strong qualifying effort by securing an 11th place starting position. This was just the start of a very solid race weekend for Brad and the 2 crew.
The race favorite was definitely Brads Team Penske teammate, Joey Logano who secured his third consecutive Martinsville pole and seemed to have a fast racecar. The first caution came out on lap 5 and after just a few laps Brad had no complaints about his car. He continued to move up and fans had proof that the statement he made to Michael Waltrip on the grid walk about having a really strong long run car was accurate. Brad was up to the 3rd position by lap 45 and having a very solid run.
The 2nd caution came out on lap 91 due to a spin by Michael Annette. Brad told the team that his car was still really good and he had no complaints. However, It was during this round of pit stops that Brad’s great day was halted. He was busted on pit road for too fast exiting and he immediately came over the radio telling his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, that he “didn’t even get to my lights, I don’t know how that’s possible”. Brad had to restart in the back with the #2 Miller Lite Ford in the 18th position. Once Brad was back in traffic he seemed to have a hard time making his way up through the field and remained in the 17th position for a number of laps. After a round of pit stops during the 3rd caution Brad restarted 15th. On this restart he sustained substantial front end damage when cars stacked up in front of him. Paul Wolfe and spotter Joey Meier were not too concerned with the damage and it was decided that it was not worth losing positions trying to fix. When the 4th caution came out on lap 221 because Denny Hamlin's wheel hopped and got into the wall, Brad's biggest complaint was that the car was loose into turn 1 but as a whole the car was running great. Once the adjustment was made, Brad told the team that the car was a little better this run. Lap 312 brought out the 5th caution and Brad lost 1 spot on pit road, coming out 6th. This put him in the dreaded outside lane which proved to a surefire way to lose a substantial number of positions. Brad was only shuffled back to the 8th position, showing how important it is to get down to the bottom lane as quick as possible. By lap 380 Brad was up to the 2nd position again showing how strong his car was on the long runs. Brad suffered the outside lane fate again on the next round of pit stops when he had to restart 2nd after a caution. He was again able to get to the bottom lane very quickly and only fell back one spot. The last caution came out with 17 to go and while the top few cars stayed out, Brad was the first to come down pit road stating that they don’t care about top 10’s, they are there to try and win. Brad restarted 12th with 12 laps to go and was able to make up some ground in that very short amount of time. Brad and the 2 crew came home with a solid 5th place finish and continue to build their championship run.
The top 10 for the STP 500 was a very versatile group of drivers including AJ Allmendinger in 2nd, Kyle Larson in 3rd and Austin Dillon in 4th. It was great to see these guys have solid runs and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon in victory lane during the 2016 season. After the race Brad told reporters “It was a blue collar day for sure. Somewhat proud to come home fifth”. This is another finish showing how well Brad continually runs at Martinsville and look for him to have a solid run when the series returns in the fall.
Next weekend brings our first points night race of the season at Texas Motor Speedway. Brad typically runs very well at Texas with an average finish of 6.25. In 2015, he finished 5th in the fall race and 2nd in the spring race. Brad also qualifies well at Texas and won the poll for the fall race. I expect Brad to show speed in practice and qualifying and believe that he will run well and stay towards the front the entire race to bring home a strong finish. Expect for Team Penske as an organization to have a solid weekend and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brad or his teammate, Joey Logano in Victory Lane.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Action Sport Photograhy
California or Bust
Auto Club 400
March 20, 2016
1st Practice - 14th
2nd Practice - 24th
Final Practice - 12th
Qualifying - 15th
Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California holds a lot history for Team Penske. The track was built in 1994 by Roger Penske and Kaiser Architecture for one hundred million dollars and opened for racing in 1997. Roger Penske merged his tracks with International Speedway Corp in 1999, which allowed him to start Penske Automotive Group. Roger Penske still shows great love for this track and never misses a race. Brad told USA Today Sports, “I think if Roger could buy that track back tomorrow, he would. I think he loves that track and loved the track ownership business.” Because of his ties with the Track, a win by Brad last year meant a great deal to Roger and the hope for a repeat was on everyone’s minds.
Brad ran consistently in all three practices and when it was time to qualify the team was optimistic. Brad’s spotter Joey Meier was relaying information back to Brad about where the fastest cars such as Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano were running so Brad knew which lines were fastest. In the first round of qualifying Brad Keselowski broke the track record of 38.248 set by Kyle Busch in February of 2005 with a time of 38.200. In the second round of qualifying, Denny Hamlin broke Brad’s record setting a new time of 38.194. This is a great example of how fast these cars are now running and the changes NASCAR is making with the low down force package to improve the racing.
This was the last race on the West Coast Swing and it was a beautiful day for racing. As the green flag waved, Kevin Harvick took the lead early which was no surprise, as he always runs well during the west coast swing. Brad had no big complaints about the car in the first few laps and received a good job nod from spotter Joey Meier who let Brad know that his lap times were consistently improving. Tire trouble is always a huge concern in Fontana and the problems started early for many race teams. The first caution came on lap 26 and the 2 crew gave Brad 4 new Goodyear tires, fuel, air pressure and a little bit of wedge as well as cleaning off some debris from the grill. Carl Edwards in the 19 won the race off pit road but was soon caught by Harvick. On lap 48, Kyle Larson in the 42 hit the wall head on causing the caution to come out. Brad noted that the wedge adjustment they made on the last stop did not help him and he “lost more center than I gained on entry”. Paul Wolfe ordered the wedge back out in hopes that Brad would find what he is looking for. During this round of pit stops, the 2 crew received a pit road penalty for an uncontrolled tire and Brad was forced to start in the back of the longest line which put him in the 34th position. Brad started to move through the field very quickly and was told that he was back inside the top 20 in less than 10 laps. As the run continued Brad had some more issues with the car and relayed that he “lost all rear grip” and was “very very loose turn 3” and Brad dropped again to the 27th position.
Brad was very anxious to pit on the first round of green flag stops and get the car fixed up so he could continue to move through the field. After the stop Brad noted that the car was better this run than the last but tire fall off was on everyone’s minds. Brad moved up to the 18th position by lap 95 and when the 3rd caution came out for Trevor Bayne in the wall, Brad told the team that he kept “loosing rear grip” and “lost entry and exit turns”. Thanks to the 2 crew, Brad came out of the pits 15th and restarted 14th due to Bowyer having to restart in the back. The fourth caution came out for Danica Patrick in the wall with 80 to go and the #2 Penske Ford came in for 4 tires and fuel. He restarted 14th and finally broke the top 10 on lap 67. This was the first time all race that Brad was able to get into the top 10. Brad knew the laps were ticking away and he needed to move and assured Paul that he was “trying to take care of it, but need to move forward”. Brad was up the 6th position when the 5th caution came out for debris with 45 to go. He came out of the pits 5th and with 37 to go, Brad was in an intense fight for the lead with Johnson, Logano, Harvick, Edwards and Busch. Tire fall off was a major concern and Brad quietly faded back as he put laps on his tires.
The last caution came out with 2 laps to go and #2 Wurth Ford came in for 4 tires and because of a good pit stop he restarted 6th. He wasn’t able to hang on and ultimately finished 9th. Brad noted that he got really loose on those last few laps but this was a solid day for the 2 team and Brad could be heard at the end of race voicing his appreciation to the team and letting them know that they made a good effort. It wasn’t the win that Team Penske wanted but Brad had a great points day and was able to gain experience.
As we go into an off week for the Easter holiday we look ahead to Martinsville. Brad typically runs fairly well at Martinsville and in the spring race of 2015 he finished in the 2nd position leading 18 laps. However, In the fall race, Brad finished 32nd after contact with Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch. Brad had one of the strongest cars all race and I expect him to run very well at Martinsville. For now I think it’s a much needed break for the drivers and their families as they head home after 3 weeks on the west coast.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Auto Club 400
March 20, 2016
1st Practice - 14th
2nd Practice - 24th
Final Practice - 12th
Qualifying - 15th
Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California holds a lot history for Team Penske. The track was built in 1994 by Roger Penske and Kaiser Architecture for one hundred million dollars and opened for racing in 1997. Roger Penske merged his tracks with International Speedway Corp in 1999, which allowed him to start Penske Automotive Group. Roger Penske still shows great love for this track and never misses a race. Brad told USA Today Sports, “I think if Roger could buy that track back tomorrow, he would. I think he loves that track and loved the track ownership business.” Because of his ties with the Track, a win by Brad last year meant a great deal to Roger and the hope for a repeat was on everyone’s minds.
Brad ran consistently in all three practices and when it was time to qualify the team was optimistic. Brad’s spotter Joey Meier was relaying information back to Brad about where the fastest cars such as Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano were running so Brad knew which lines were fastest. In the first round of qualifying Brad Keselowski broke the track record of 38.248 set by Kyle Busch in February of 2005 with a time of 38.200. In the second round of qualifying, Denny Hamlin broke Brad’s record setting a new time of 38.194. This is a great example of how fast these cars are now running and the changes NASCAR is making with the low down force package to improve the racing.
This was the last race on the West Coast Swing and it was a beautiful day for racing. As the green flag waved, Kevin Harvick took the lead early which was no surprise, as he always runs well during the west coast swing. Brad had no big complaints about the car in the first few laps and received a good job nod from spotter Joey Meier who let Brad know that his lap times were consistently improving. Tire trouble is always a huge concern in Fontana and the problems started early for many race teams. The first caution came on lap 26 and the 2 crew gave Brad 4 new Goodyear tires, fuel, air pressure and a little bit of wedge as well as cleaning off some debris from the grill. Carl Edwards in the 19 won the race off pit road but was soon caught by Harvick. On lap 48, Kyle Larson in the 42 hit the wall head on causing the caution to come out. Brad noted that the wedge adjustment they made on the last stop did not help him and he “lost more center than I gained on entry”. Paul Wolfe ordered the wedge back out in hopes that Brad would find what he is looking for. During this round of pit stops, the 2 crew received a pit road penalty for an uncontrolled tire and Brad was forced to start in the back of the longest line which put him in the 34th position. Brad started to move through the field very quickly and was told that he was back inside the top 20 in less than 10 laps. As the run continued Brad had some more issues with the car and relayed that he “lost all rear grip” and was “very very loose turn 3” and Brad dropped again to the 27th position.
Brad was very anxious to pit on the first round of green flag stops and get the car fixed up so he could continue to move through the field. After the stop Brad noted that the car was better this run than the last but tire fall off was on everyone’s minds. Brad moved up to the 18th position by lap 95 and when the 3rd caution came out for Trevor Bayne in the wall, Brad told the team that he kept “loosing rear grip” and “lost entry and exit turns”. Thanks to the 2 crew, Brad came out of the pits 15th and restarted 14th due to Bowyer having to restart in the back. The fourth caution came out for Danica Patrick in the wall with 80 to go and the #2 Penske Ford came in for 4 tires and fuel. He restarted 14th and finally broke the top 10 on lap 67. This was the first time all race that Brad was able to get into the top 10. Brad knew the laps were ticking away and he needed to move and assured Paul that he was “trying to take care of it, but need to move forward”. Brad was up the 6th position when the 5th caution came out for debris with 45 to go. He came out of the pits 5th and with 37 to go, Brad was in an intense fight for the lead with Johnson, Logano, Harvick, Edwards and Busch. Tire fall off was a major concern and Brad quietly faded back as he put laps on his tires.
The last caution came out with 2 laps to go and #2 Wurth Ford came in for 4 tires and because of a good pit stop he restarted 6th. He wasn’t able to hang on and ultimately finished 9th. Brad noted that he got really loose on those last few laps but this was a solid day for the 2 team and Brad could be heard at the end of race voicing his appreciation to the team and letting them know that they made a good effort. It wasn’t the win that Team Penske wanted but Brad had a great points day and was able to gain experience.
As we go into an off week for the Easter holiday we look ahead to Martinsville. Brad typically runs fairly well at Martinsville and in the spring race of 2015 he finished in the 2nd position leading 18 laps. However, In the fall race, Brad finished 32nd after contact with Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch. Brad had one of the strongest cars all race and I expect him to run very well at Martinsville. For now I think it’s a much needed break for the drivers and their families as they head home after 3 weeks on the west coast.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Bradracing.com
Are you there Goodyear? It’s me, Brad’s right front.
March 13, 2016
Good Sam 500
1st Practice - 11th
2nd Practice - 21st
Final Practice - 7th
Qualified - 19th
As race weekend in Phoenix kicked off, Brad Keselowski was still riding the high and momentum of his win the previous week in Las Vegas. He had a right to do so as he ran well in 1st practice and final practice. However, qualifying did not provide the result that Brad and the 2 crew were looking for. Brad qualified 19th for Sundays race and that was just the beginning of his frustrations. One of the most bizarre stories of the weekend actually had nothing to do with Brad but was one that many wondered about. Jimmie Johnson, a six time champion hit the wall hard during qualifying and many were stumped as to what happened. It wasn’t until a few hours later that Jimmie tweeted explaining the wreck “…about qualifying, the steering wheel came off” he also noted “…yesterday is on me. Nothing is wrong with the wheel, coupler or steering shaft. I didn’t get the wheel locked in place”. Even the best drivers sometimes make mistakes that wreck racecars however; even his backup car was fast.
Sunday dawned to blue skies and warm temperatures for the Good Sam 500 and as fans filed into the grandstands excitement was everywhere. Brad and the 2 crew were optimistic on the pace laps as Brad told the team how much fun Vegas was and Crew Chief Paul Wolfe noted that the idea was to “do our best to get track position and be there at the end”. As the green flag dropped, it quickly became clear that Brad’s car was not doing what he needed to move through the field. As Kyle Busch in the 18, cruised around the track with the lead, Brad was relaying information back to the team to help fix his car. One of the biggest issues with the #2 Penske Alliance Truck Parts Ford was that he was getting clobbered center turn 3 & 4 and that the back of the car felt really high as he was not bottoming out in the dog leg as he expected to be. Even though the car was not running as the team had hoped, Brad had begun to run top 5 lap times, keeping everyone optimistic that once they made adjustments on the car they would be able to move through the field. The first caution flag flew on lap 52 for a car in the wall. Ryan Newman in the 31 had a melted bead on the right front and hit the wall ending his day. Brad told the team that every aspect of the car needed work so much so that it was hard to pick just one area. The team made a four tire stop with adjustments and picked up two spots on pit road restarting in the 16th position. Kyle Busch restarted in the lead but due to a two tire call, he fell back after about 20 laps with a pass from Dale Earnhardt Jr (and the crowd goes wild). Brad started to pick up a few positions around lap 75 noting that the car was “a little better center” and “free both ends but manageable”. A few laps later his spotter Joey Meier noted that Brad could get under cars but could not complete the pass. The second caution flag flew when Paul Menard in the 27 hit the wall due to a melted bead on the right front, just as Ryan Newman had experienced. This was an unfortunate day for RCR as they went from having three cars in the race to just one, Austin Dillion in the 3, who ended the race in the 9th position. What a great start to the season for Austin and the 3 team! As they were preparing to pit, Brad told team that he needed lateral drive. Brad came into the pits in the 11th position but thanks to the 2 crew, he came out in 9th. This was the first time that he was able to break the top 10. Brad’s car didn’t get much better as the laps ticked down and as the 3rd caution flag waved on lap 162, it was determined that the best thing to do would be to go the other way on the previous adjustments. Ricky Stenhouse Jr was the one who brought out the caution flag, which was very unfortunate for him as he was off to a great start in 2016. Brad entered the pits 12th and due to another great stop by the 2 crew he came out in the 9th position. Kevin Harvick took the lead at lap 169 and at lap 193 Brad once again was having issues with his car. Brad was running in the top 12 for quite some time after the last pit stop but with 87 laps to go Brad blew a right front tire due tire bead melting which in turn resulted in a broken brake line. Although the repair seems quick to an outsider, it put Brad 5 laps down and in the 32nd position, not where anyone expected him to be at the start of the race. Brad was eventually put another lap down and finished the race 6 laps down in the 29th position.
The main story of the race was the photo finish at the end between Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards. When the yellow flag came out due to the 5 of Kasey Kahne in the wall no one knew that was going to happen. Most cars went down pit road for 2 tires except Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr who decided to stay out. As the green flag waved, Kevin Harvick maintained the lead but it was clear that Carl Edwards was coming fast. On the final lap, Carl caught Kevin and as they got into each other coming off of turn 4 no one knew who was going to win the race. Harvick won the race in true photo finish fashion with the closest finish in Phoenix International Raceway History. It was hard to believe that they did not wreck each other coming to the checkered flag. Although Brad didn’t have the finish he expected it’s another week in the books. All the 2 crew can do is focus on what to do next weekend instead of worrying about what has already happened.
Next week Nascar makes its way to Fontana and this typically isn’t a great track for Brad. Prior to his win last year, Brad had not finished higher than 18th in six starts at the Auto Club Speedway. He stole the show last year by passing pole sitter Kurt Busch on the last lap of a caution extended race. On the first late race caution, Paul Wolfe made the decision to take four tires while many others took two. This proved to be very beneficial with Brad passing Kurt Busch and beating Kevin Harvick to the line by .711 seconds. The race was dominated by Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick and I believe we will see much of that this year as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of those Stewart-Haas Chevy’s in victory lane in Fontana. As for Brad, I expect him to finish within the top 15, as both Penske cars have shown speed through the first four races of the season.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
March 13, 2016
Good Sam 500
1st Practice - 11th
2nd Practice - 21st
Final Practice - 7th
Qualified - 19th
As race weekend in Phoenix kicked off, Brad Keselowski was still riding the high and momentum of his win the previous week in Las Vegas. He had a right to do so as he ran well in 1st practice and final practice. However, qualifying did not provide the result that Brad and the 2 crew were looking for. Brad qualified 19th for Sundays race and that was just the beginning of his frustrations. One of the most bizarre stories of the weekend actually had nothing to do with Brad but was one that many wondered about. Jimmie Johnson, a six time champion hit the wall hard during qualifying and many were stumped as to what happened. It wasn’t until a few hours later that Jimmie tweeted explaining the wreck “…about qualifying, the steering wheel came off” he also noted “…yesterday is on me. Nothing is wrong with the wheel, coupler or steering shaft. I didn’t get the wheel locked in place”. Even the best drivers sometimes make mistakes that wreck racecars however; even his backup car was fast.
Sunday dawned to blue skies and warm temperatures for the Good Sam 500 and as fans filed into the grandstands excitement was everywhere. Brad and the 2 crew were optimistic on the pace laps as Brad told the team how much fun Vegas was and Crew Chief Paul Wolfe noted that the idea was to “do our best to get track position and be there at the end”. As the green flag dropped, it quickly became clear that Brad’s car was not doing what he needed to move through the field. As Kyle Busch in the 18, cruised around the track with the lead, Brad was relaying information back to the team to help fix his car. One of the biggest issues with the #2 Penske Alliance Truck Parts Ford was that he was getting clobbered center turn 3 & 4 and that the back of the car felt really high as he was not bottoming out in the dog leg as he expected to be. Even though the car was not running as the team had hoped, Brad had begun to run top 5 lap times, keeping everyone optimistic that once they made adjustments on the car they would be able to move through the field. The first caution flag flew on lap 52 for a car in the wall. Ryan Newman in the 31 had a melted bead on the right front and hit the wall ending his day. Brad told the team that every aspect of the car needed work so much so that it was hard to pick just one area. The team made a four tire stop with adjustments and picked up two spots on pit road restarting in the 16th position. Kyle Busch restarted in the lead but due to a two tire call, he fell back after about 20 laps with a pass from Dale Earnhardt Jr (and the crowd goes wild). Brad started to pick up a few positions around lap 75 noting that the car was “a little better center” and “free both ends but manageable”. A few laps later his spotter Joey Meier noted that Brad could get under cars but could not complete the pass. The second caution flag flew when Paul Menard in the 27 hit the wall due to a melted bead on the right front, just as Ryan Newman had experienced. This was an unfortunate day for RCR as they went from having three cars in the race to just one, Austin Dillion in the 3, who ended the race in the 9th position. What a great start to the season for Austin and the 3 team! As they were preparing to pit, Brad told team that he needed lateral drive. Brad came into the pits in the 11th position but thanks to the 2 crew, he came out in 9th. This was the first time that he was able to break the top 10. Brad’s car didn’t get much better as the laps ticked down and as the 3rd caution flag waved on lap 162, it was determined that the best thing to do would be to go the other way on the previous adjustments. Ricky Stenhouse Jr was the one who brought out the caution flag, which was very unfortunate for him as he was off to a great start in 2016. Brad entered the pits 12th and due to another great stop by the 2 crew he came out in the 9th position. Kevin Harvick took the lead at lap 169 and at lap 193 Brad once again was having issues with his car. Brad was running in the top 12 for quite some time after the last pit stop but with 87 laps to go Brad blew a right front tire due tire bead melting which in turn resulted in a broken brake line. Although the repair seems quick to an outsider, it put Brad 5 laps down and in the 32nd position, not where anyone expected him to be at the start of the race. Brad was eventually put another lap down and finished the race 6 laps down in the 29th position.
The main story of the race was the photo finish at the end between Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards. When the yellow flag came out due to the 5 of Kasey Kahne in the wall no one knew that was going to happen. Most cars went down pit road for 2 tires except Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr who decided to stay out. As the green flag waved, Kevin Harvick maintained the lead but it was clear that Carl Edwards was coming fast. On the final lap, Carl caught Kevin and as they got into each other coming off of turn 4 no one knew who was going to win the race. Harvick won the race in true photo finish fashion with the closest finish in Phoenix International Raceway History. It was hard to believe that they did not wreck each other coming to the checkered flag. Although Brad didn’t have the finish he expected it’s another week in the books. All the 2 crew can do is focus on what to do next weekend instead of worrying about what has already happened.
Next week Nascar makes its way to Fontana and this typically isn’t a great track for Brad. Prior to his win last year, Brad had not finished higher than 18th in six starts at the Auto Club Speedway. He stole the show last year by passing pole sitter Kurt Busch on the last lap of a caution extended race. On the first late race caution, Paul Wolfe made the decision to take four tires while many others took two. This proved to be very beneficial with Brad passing Kurt Busch and beating Kevin Harvick to the line by .711 seconds. The race was dominated by Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick and I believe we will see much of that this year as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of those Stewart-Haas Chevy’s in victory lane in Fontana. As for Brad, I expect him to finish within the top 15, as both Penske cars have shown speed through the first four races of the season.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Bradracing.com
“Winner Winner Chicken Dinner”
March 6, 2016
Las Vegas Motor speedway-Kobalt 400
1st Practice- 1st
2nd Practice- 5th
Final Practice- 15th
Qualified- 4th
Finished- 1st
Sunday marked the first race of the Nascar “west coast swing”—and what a fabulous start it was for Brad Keselowski and the 2 crew. Both Penske cars were fast in Friday’s first practice, with Brad landing the fastest lap with a speed of 195.327, only nine thousandths of a second ahead of teammate Joey Logano. Qualifying was also a success for Brad as he qualified in the 4th position, alongside Matt Kenseth in the 20. The biggest story prior to the race was all the crazy weather at the track, most notably the wind. However, it wasn’t the wind that delayed the start of the Kobalt 400, but some rain drops instead. After a slight delay, the green flag dropped with Kurt Busch in the 41 leading the first 30 laps until the competition caution. However, after pit stops he had to restart in the back of the pack due to a pit road penalty, giving Denny Hamlin in the 11 the lead. Joey Logano took the lead from Hamlin and ultimately led 75 laps with a second place finish. Brad passed Joey for the lead early in the race and was not too pleased when NASCAR threw the yellow for debris on the track. Jimmie Johnson restarted first after taking 2 tires when most took 4, and led 76 laps, finishing 3rd. It was on the 3rd caution round of pit stops with less than 90 laps to go that Brad was hit with a “too fast on pit road” penalty. If you are like me, your heart sank to your stomach. But everyone should know better than to count Brad out. On lap 225 the “big one” hit, taking out Matt Kenseth and Chase Elliott with Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards receiving damage. Brad’s crew chief, Paul Wolfe, made the decision for Brad to stay out and make up track position instead of coming to pit road. With his last stop on lap 199, many were questioning whether Brad and his teammate Joey Logano could make it to the end on fuel. With 6 laps to go, Brad passed Kyle Busch for the lead and later said “he had a really good short-run car, but it fell off on the long run”. Keselowski also noted that they had a really good long run car which is why he was able to catch and pass both Logano and Busch. This was Brad’s first win since The Auto Club 400 in March of 2015, ending a 33 race drought and the only thing missing from an awesome victory lane celebration was Brad’s daughter Scarlett! But it’s not the pass for the lead or the celebration in victory lane that people will remember about Brad’s win, its Brad’s respect for the American Flag. In case you missed it, Brad always holds the American Flag on his victory laps because he is a proud supporter of American Troops and says that if he did not make it as a racecar driver he would have enlisted in the Military. As the headlines stated, the wind was very strong Sunday and the flag blew out the window of Brad’s #2 Miller Lite Ford on his victory lap. Brad stopped his celebration, climbed out of the car and retrieved the American Flag from the track. Brad is truly a class acts and the only four words that come to mind to sum up Las Vegas for Brad is, “winner winner chicken dinner”.
Although Brad’s in the chase, there are still a lot of races until the Playoffs begin and ample opportunity for more wins. Next weekend we tackle Phoenix but before race weekend let’s look back at the 2015 spring race at Phoenix. Brad qualified in the 6th position for Sundays race but Harvick was the dominating force, leading 224 of 312 laps, coming home with the win. Brad had a solid day finishing 6th which was one of 25 top 10 finishes in the 2015 season, setting a personal single season best record for Brad. Brad will also be driving the #22 Discount Tire Ford in the Xfinity race on Saturday. This will be a great opportunity for him to get some extra time on track and gain some insight for Sunday. Team Penske as a whole is off to a great start in 2016 so look for both Brad and Joey to have a strong finish in Phoenix.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
March 6, 2016
Las Vegas Motor speedway-Kobalt 400
1st Practice- 1st
2nd Practice- 5th
Final Practice- 15th
Qualified- 4th
Finished- 1st
Sunday marked the first race of the Nascar “west coast swing”—and what a fabulous start it was for Brad Keselowski and the 2 crew. Both Penske cars were fast in Friday’s first practice, with Brad landing the fastest lap with a speed of 195.327, only nine thousandths of a second ahead of teammate Joey Logano. Qualifying was also a success for Brad as he qualified in the 4th position, alongside Matt Kenseth in the 20. The biggest story prior to the race was all the crazy weather at the track, most notably the wind. However, it wasn’t the wind that delayed the start of the Kobalt 400, but some rain drops instead. After a slight delay, the green flag dropped with Kurt Busch in the 41 leading the first 30 laps until the competition caution. However, after pit stops he had to restart in the back of the pack due to a pit road penalty, giving Denny Hamlin in the 11 the lead. Joey Logano took the lead from Hamlin and ultimately led 75 laps with a second place finish. Brad passed Joey for the lead early in the race and was not too pleased when NASCAR threw the yellow for debris on the track. Jimmie Johnson restarted first after taking 2 tires when most took 4, and led 76 laps, finishing 3rd. It was on the 3rd caution round of pit stops with less than 90 laps to go that Brad was hit with a “too fast on pit road” penalty. If you are like me, your heart sank to your stomach. But everyone should know better than to count Brad out. On lap 225 the “big one” hit, taking out Matt Kenseth and Chase Elliott with Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards receiving damage. Brad’s crew chief, Paul Wolfe, made the decision for Brad to stay out and make up track position instead of coming to pit road. With his last stop on lap 199, many were questioning whether Brad and his teammate Joey Logano could make it to the end on fuel. With 6 laps to go, Brad passed Kyle Busch for the lead and later said “he had a really good short-run car, but it fell off on the long run”. Keselowski also noted that they had a really good long run car which is why he was able to catch and pass both Logano and Busch. This was Brad’s first win since The Auto Club 400 in March of 2015, ending a 33 race drought and the only thing missing from an awesome victory lane celebration was Brad’s daughter Scarlett! But it’s not the pass for the lead or the celebration in victory lane that people will remember about Brad’s win, its Brad’s respect for the American Flag. In case you missed it, Brad always holds the American Flag on his victory laps because he is a proud supporter of American Troops and says that if he did not make it as a racecar driver he would have enlisted in the Military. As the headlines stated, the wind was very strong Sunday and the flag blew out the window of Brad’s #2 Miller Lite Ford on his victory lap. Brad stopped his celebration, climbed out of the car and retrieved the American Flag from the track. Brad is truly a class acts and the only four words that come to mind to sum up Las Vegas for Brad is, “winner winner chicken dinner”.
Although Brad’s in the chase, there are still a lot of races until the Playoffs begin and ample opportunity for more wins. Next weekend we tackle Phoenix but before race weekend let’s look back at the 2015 spring race at Phoenix. Brad qualified in the 6th position for Sundays race but Harvick was the dominating force, leading 224 of 312 laps, coming home with the win. Brad had a solid day finishing 6th which was one of 25 top 10 finishes in the 2015 season, setting a personal single season best record for Brad. Brad will also be driving the #22 Discount Tire Ford in the Xfinity race on Saturday. This will be a great opportunity for him to get some extra time on track and gain some insight for Sunday. Team Penske as a whole is off to a great start in 2016 so look for both Brad and Joey to have a strong finish in Phoenix.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
Image Courtesy: Robert Laberge Photo/Getty Images
About Me
March 8, 2016
My name is Krysta and I’m from Plymouth, Massachusetts, yes where the Pilgrims landed in 1620. I’m 26 years old and have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Bridgewater State University. I currently work full time in the student financial services department at a local community college.
My dad has always been a huge race fan so I started off watching it when I was younger. I even attended a race at Pocono and toured Daytona. However, as I became a teenager I got “too cool” for racing and stopped watching completely. In 2013 a friend asked me to join his Fantasy Nascar league with Yahoo racing. Even though I hadn’t watched racing in a number of years I agreed. From that moment on I was hooked and determined to win the league. I have been a race fan ever since and oh by the way, I did win our Fantasy league that year!
When I first started watching again I wasn’t sure what driver I wanted to support. I leaned toward the younger generation of drivers, because let’s be honest, they’re cute. I started supporting Joey Logano because he was a fellow New Englander but soon began to take notice of his teammate Brad Keselowski. There was something about Brad that drew me in and made me want to learn more about him. It could have been his reputation as “Bad Brad” (which is a completely false representation of him by the way), his determination to work with his team for better results or his drive to have a successful business venture for his truck program, Brad Keselowski Racing. No matter the reason, I have been a huge fan of Brad for about 2-2 ½ seasons now with no end in sight.
I love to attend races and most frequently attend race weekends at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. I attended the Sprint Unlimited in February of 2016 and completely fell in love with Daytona. This is also where I got to meet Brad for the first time. He was super polite and gladly took a selfie with me. Our picture even ended up on Fox Sports 1! I also love to travel and have plans to attend the June race weekend at Pocono this year. I love country music and you can usually find me at a few concerts a year. My favorites include Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and Carrie Underwood. Aside from that I enjoy spending time with my friends and family.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
March 8, 2016
My name is Krysta and I’m from Plymouth, Massachusetts, yes where the Pilgrims landed in 1620. I’m 26 years old and have a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Bridgewater State University. I currently work full time in the student financial services department at a local community college.
My dad has always been a huge race fan so I started off watching it when I was younger. I even attended a race at Pocono and toured Daytona. However, as I became a teenager I got “too cool” for racing and stopped watching completely. In 2013 a friend asked me to join his Fantasy Nascar league with Yahoo racing. Even though I hadn’t watched racing in a number of years I agreed. From that moment on I was hooked and determined to win the league. I have been a race fan ever since and oh by the way, I did win our Fantasy league that year!
When I first started watching again I wasn’t sure what driver I wanted to support. I leaned toward the younger generation of drivers, because let’s be honest, they’re cute. I started supporting Joey Logano because he was a fellow New Englander but soon began to take notice of his teammate Brad Keselowski. There was something about Brad that drew me in and made me want to learn more about him. It could have been his reputation as “Bad Brad” (which is a completely false representation of him by the way), his determination to work with his team for better results or his drive to have a successful business venture for his truck program, Brad Keselowski Racing. No matter the reason, I have been a huge fan of Brad for about 2-2 ½ seasons now with no end in sight.
I love to attend races and most frequently attend race weekends at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. I attended the Sprint Unlimited in February of 2016 and completely fell in love with Daytona. This is also where I got to meet Brad for the first time. He was super polite and gladly took a selfie with me. Our picture even ended up on Fox Sports 1! I also love to travel and have plans to attend the June race weekend at Pocono this year. I love country music and you can usually find me at a few concerts a year. My favorites include Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and Carrie Underwood. Aside from that I enjoy spending time with my friends and family.
Send me a tweet: @krysta5699
