Brad Keselowski will be experiencing a roller-coaster of emotions in the aftermath of the 2024 Go Bowling at The Glen. On one hand, the RFK Racing co-owner will be elated that Chris Buescher secured his first victory of the season in such a dominant fashion. However, the 40-year-old racing veteran would have hoped to finish higher than 26th, with the result leaving him significantly below the cutline with just one Round of 16 playoff race remaining.

Not only was Keselowski’s result at Watkins Glen his worst finish in nine races but the Michigan native was also found guilty of violating pit road rules. If that wasn’t enough, the No. 6 Ford Mustang driver was also involved in a crash, which made his day go from bad to worse.

A race filled with mixed emotions for Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowski wasn’t optimistic about his chances going into the second playoff race of the season at Watkins Glen International. He finished 28th in qualifying, and circumstances didn’t get any better for the veteran driver from that point onwards. Keselowski was involved in three on-track incidents and was subjected to two penalties on pit road. The first of which came on Lap 17 when the 40-year-old was caught speeding on the exit, which forced him to start Stage 2 at the back of the grid. On Lap 37, his pit crew was found guilty of a tire violation, which sent him to the back of the pack once again.

But wait, there’s more! Keselowski was also involved in two multi-car incidents during the race. The first of which occurred on the opening lap, involving Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, Brad Keselowski, and Ryan Blaney, forcing the latter to retire early. If that wasn’t enough, the veteran was also involved in a severe crash on Lap 84 when William Byron tried to overtake him just as Joey Logano made contact. This forced the right front wheel of Byron’s No. 24 Chevy to climb into Keselowski’s window, forcing both drivers into the wall.

While both drivers escaped the incident unscathed, it undoubtedly affected Keselowski’s overall track position, so it should come as no surprise that the No. 6 Ford Mustang driver couldn’t secure a good result. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for RFK Racing as Chris Buescher secured a dramatic victory at Watkins Glen International, holding off Shane van Gisbergen for two overtime laps to enter Victory Lane for only the sixth time in his career.

What does this mean for Brad Keselowski’s playoff hopes? He entered the weekend just one point behind the cutoff line, but a disastrous result at Watkins Glen has made his goal of progressing into the Round of 12 much more difficult. As things stand, the 40-year-old is 12 points below the cutline, with just one race at Bristol Motor Speedway to make up the deficit. The RFK Racing driver will know that a similar result at the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Night Race will end his championship hopes, which means Keselowski will need to get his act together before the final Round of 16 playoff race.

Keselowski blames dirty track for Watkins Glen wreck

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Drivers rarely take responsibility for on-track incidents, but it’s even more infrequent for those at the receiving end of such wrecks to absolve their rivals from any blame. However, that’s exactly what happened at Watkins Glen International, when Joey Logano took responsibility for a severe crash on Lap 84, which involved William Byron and Brad Keselowski. The Team Penske driver has already secured a spot in the Round of 12 after winning the opening playoff race at Atlanta Motor Speedway but blamed the track condition for being the underlying reason behind the incident.

Echoing that sentiment, Keselowski also backed Logano’s claims by expressing his concern about the debris that was scattered on the 2.45-mile track. He went on to say, “The track was really, really dirty and I assume he had marbles on the tires. He just didn’t make the turn, but I got hooked in the left rear. It’s really a shame. We had brand new tires on, we were restarting I guess 16. Just tough way to go.”

It seems like lady luck wasn’t on Brad Keselowski’s side at Watkins Glen, but he will hope for better fortune in the final playoff race before the Round of 12 begins. Whatever could go wrong did go wrong for the No. 6 Ford Mustang team, but Keselowski can take solace in the fact that his driver Chris Buescher showed lightning-quick pace to break his winless streak on a challenging track. If the racing veteran can replicate his teammate’s performance at Bristol, a deep playoff run will become an inevitable reality.