Keselowski: "We'll have to reap what we sow" on road courses
Brad Keselowski believes the increase of road course races in the Cup Series presents some challenges this season for NASCAR – including some it may not have anticipated.
The three races on the Daytona Road Course this weekend – Trucks, Xfinity and Cup – each were different in their own right, but all featured drivers “going for broke” late in the race leading to many on-track incidents and usually many cautions.
Sunday’s Cup race was a fairly low-key affair until NASCAR decided to throw a caution on Lap 57 of 70 because there was light rain failing in some areas of the track.
By doing so, NASCAR put the decision on teams for the remainder of the race on whether to use wet weather tires, but as it turned out, no one used them, and the track was never wet enough to even require track drying equipment to be used.
Asked if the rain affected the track, Keselowski said: “No, I could definitely tell it was raining pretty hard a couple of times. The track might have got wet, but we were OK.”
Instead, the caution presented the opportunity for a big shakeup in the running order as several teams pit for new slick tires but a large number of cars – many who had not been up front the entire race – stayed out.
Late-race chaos
The lineup shuffle, combined with drivers now in the back trying to desperately return to the front, contributed to numerous incidents on the track and three more cautions in the final 11 laps.
“I think the tough part here is the reality is a stock car is not meant to race on a road course and there are some compromises that are made across the board. There’s some limitations that come with that, not just for how the drivers drive the car, but with how NASCAR officiates the race,” Keselowski said.
“I think part of what people love about watching us race on road courses is the fact that the cars drive so incredibly awful bad that it can sometimes make for a very compelling race because there are a ton of mistakes.
“I think normally you don’t see that at most types of NASCAR racing, so with that in mind the cars not being made for the track, there are some considerations that NASCAR has to make that I’m sure they would rather not make.”
Keselowski, himself, was all over the map in Sunday’s race, running up front, spinning out, running off course. In the end, he managed to persevere for a fifth-place finish.
NASCAR’s tricky decision-making is part of the “trade-off” of having more road courses, Keselowski said.
“The alternative is we could go back and run more short tracks,” he said. “I think I would be OK with that, but as of now that’s not the way the pendulum has swung, and we’ll have to reap what we sow.”
Related video
Previous article
Bell tops Logano on Daytona Road Course for first Cup win
Next article
Elliott's road course win streak ends with late spin
About this article
| Series | NASCAR Cup |
| Event | Daytona Road Course |
| Drivers | Brad Keselowski |
| Teams | Team Penske |
| Author | Jim Utter |
From the archive: Dale Earnhardt’s final Autosport interview
The death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500 shocked NASCAR to the core. At the Daytona 24 Hours, two weeks before his fatal accident, ‘The Intimidator’ shared his expectations of challenging for an eighth Cup title with JONATHAN INGRAM, in an article first published in the 15 February 2001 issue of Autosport magazine. Little did we know then what tragedy would unfold…
The lasting NASCAR legacy after Dale Earnhardt’s death
On February 18, 2001, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt – the fearless ‘Intimidator’ – was in his element at Daytona International Speedway. While his own DEI team’s cars ran 1-2 towards the finish line, his famed #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo was playing rear gunner to block any late runs from the chasing pack. As the cars tore through Turns 3 and 4 on that fateful final lap, Earnhardt maintained the strongarm tactics that encapsulated his persona… but his actions in those moments sadly proved to be his last.
Inspired by Pitbull, the “revolution” sweeping through NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series is changing. Whether it be the gradual morphing out the seasoned drivers of yesterday as the next generation step up, a radical calendar shake-up featuring more road courses than ever before and the prospect of an all-new car on the horizon, stock car racing’s highest level is nearing the end of a huge facelift.
The NASCAR storylines to watch out for in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season…
Why Kyle Larson can't blow his big shot at redemption
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a chance of redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Effectively replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith...
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future…
Why Kyle Larson deserves his second chance in a cancel culture
“You can’t hear me? Hey n*****” Those fateful words uttered by Kyle Larson, spoken into his esports headset on April 12, were directed at his sim racing spotter – but instead they quickly became amplified around the world via social media, including his own Twitch stream.
