Keselowski's Challenger Meets the Challenge in Michigan Nationwide Race

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(August 14, 2010)

 

BROOKLYN, Mich.—Despite clutch problems that plagued him on pit road, Brad Keselowski dominated Saturday’s Carfax 250 Nationwide Series race at Michigan International Speedway.

 

“I don’t need no stinking clutch,” Keselowski said shortly after crossing the finish line 3.179 seconds ahead of second-place Carl Edwards.

 

No, he didn’t. Clutch or no clutch, Keselowski’s No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge was the class of the field, starting from the pole and leading 89 of the 125 laps, in the first race for NASCAR’s new Nationwide Series car on a downforce track.

 

Keselowski pulled away from Edwards after a Lap 117 restart, necessitated by the second caution of the race. Slow leaving the pits after a green-flag stop on Lap 105, Keselowski was running second, 3.4 seconds behind Edwards and closing, when the caution flag flew.

 

The caution bunched the field and gave Keselowski the opportunity to pass Edwards on the restart. Keselowski now leads second-place Edwards by 347 points in the series standings.

 

“The clutch problems just affect our pit stops, and at the end, it affected my (celebratory) burnout,” Keselowski said. “It still was an awesome racecar. When you’ve got cars this good, man, life is a lot easier.”

 

Kyle Busch finished third, followed by Justin Allgaier and Paul Menard. Joey Logano, Elliott Sadler, Reed Sorenson, rookie Colin Braun and Kevin Harvick completed the top 10. Danica Patrick came home 27th, four laps down, in her sixth race in the series and her first in the new car.

 

The Nationwide Series will use the new car in upcoming races at Richmond and Charlotte before its introduction as the full-time car in 2011. Saturday’s race dramatically increased Keselowski’s comfort level with his new Dodge Challenger.

 

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

 

 

“For me, I was nervous about this car for a lot of reasons,” Keselowski said. “I was nervous because, quite honestly, I haven’t run that well on the (Sprint) Cup side, and this chassis is based off the Cup car. I looked at it and thought, ‘Geez, if I haven’t run that well in the Cup car, what am I going to do when they bring it to the Nationwide side?’

 

“I was a little bit nervous about it from that standpoint, and obviously, the reliability of anything that’s new. So to be able to go out and win in that car, knowing it’s the same chassis as the Cup car—with some very subtle differences—is a huge boost of momentum that, hopefully I can carry over to (Sunday’s Cup race) as well.”

 

Edwards was aware that the second caution had deprived him of his best opportunity to win the race.

 

“Until that last caution, I thought, ‘Man, we might win this thing,’ ” Edwards said. “Then we had the caution, and Brad was able to just launch out front on that last run. It was just a battle for second then.

 

“But I could taste victory. I thought, ‘Man, this is going to work out—we’re going to steal one here today.’ But the best car ended up winning. Those guys did a good job.”

 

Keselowski and Edwards have a history of violent confrontations on the racetrack. In fact, both are on probation until the end of the year after a massive wreck on the last lap of a Nationwide race at Gateway International Raceway in July, where Edwards retaliated after Keselowski bumped him.

 

At Michigan, however, they raced hard but without contact. The ingredients were there for another melee, Keselowski said, but on Saturday it didn’t happen.

 

“The cake didn’t bake,” Keselowski said.

Carfax 250 Nationwide race ends in thriller finish

The 2009 visit by the NASCAR Nationwide teams to the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway provided a stunning show in the midst of a steamy hot August afternoon. Brian Vickers' #32 Dollar General Toyota took the field to green with the #99 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota piloted by rookie speedster Trevor Bayne starting alongside. Dominating the front row and sparking fears into the heartland of American automobiles.

The Carfax 250 took little time to provide a pivotal moment to the fight for the Nationwide championship. As Carl Edwards fought to remain in striking distance of Kyle Busch's Nationwide dream season, the combination of a slick track and slight contact between the young Trevor Bayne would spell doom after just two laps into the race. As the #99 entered turn one in the middle of a three-wide battle, Bayne's car swept up into Edward's #60 Ford Fusion. While the initial contact appeared to be light, the slippery Michigan race track surface caused Carl Edwards to fight for control of the #60 car which resulted in the Ford Fusion nosing hard into the outside wall. With he damage to Edward's Ford too severe to repair, this race promised to become a points breakaway for Kyle Busch's championship hopes.

As the race progressed, Michigan claimed several mechanical casualties running hard through the triple degree weather with 10 cars ending the race behind the wall. At the front of the field, Brian Vickers and later Kyle Busch would share the lead for much of the afternoon. At lap 105, a caution resulted in a pit stop opportunity for the lead vehicles with Busch and Vickers taking fuel and four tires. Running steadily in the top five, the #88 Godaddy.com Chevrolet of Brad Keselowski was pitted for only two tires under the advise of crew chief Tony Eury Sr. Allowing the #88 to leapfrog the teo fast Toyotas, the Carfax 250 would result in a 12-lap climax. On the restart, Vickers and Busch wasted no time to pass Keselowski's car making it a battle amongst to two of them as they put distance on the third place Chevrolet.

With two laps from the finish, Busch fought to overtake the yellow #32 car as they ran down the backstretch. Entering turn three, Vickers moved high then low into turn four blocking Busch's advances. Little did either driver knew, Keslowski used the battle between the Toyotas as a chance to make a three fight at the white flag. Rushing the #88 through the turn three/four complex, Keslowski allowed his speedy car to run along the outside of Vickers and Busch edging a lead as they take the white flag. Getting three wide at times on the final lap, Keslowski and Vickers made slight contact out of turn two as the race remained side by side until out of the final corner where Brad Keslowski beat the Japanese badged contenders for victory.

As Brad Keslowski celebrated his third win of the 2009 NASCAR Nationwide season in victory lane, Kyle Busch provided some post race drama as he was disturbed (to say the least) by Brian Vickers' determined racing to protect the lead. In the pits, Busch slowly collided with the #32 Toyota of Vickers and was intent to share some choiced words with the rival. Angered that Vickers seemingly allowed Brad Keslowski to win simply by blocking his NOS Toyota, a frustrated Kyle Busch called the actions "Stupid". Brian Vickers, on the otherhand, found it important to say in a post race interview that "this is not the Kyle Busch Show". While the altercation between the Toyota drivers was mild, NASCAR may review the pit road collision and issue any penalties in the days to come for potential reckless driving towards Busch.

Finishing third in the Carfax 250, Kyle Busch should have been happy that his Nationwide points lead grew to 339 over Carl Edwards. Keslowski in 3rd place in the season's standings also prospered after the Saturday race closing to within 50 points of Carl Edwards as they race Bristol this upcoming Friday night.