What Austin Dillon did to win at Richmond was a shocker. The driver decided to risk it all to find a place in the playoffs by wrecking other cars on his way to the finish line, and although he was granted the win, he will not make it into the playoffs. The whole NASCAR community is talking about the controversial win and Brad Keselowski is one of them.
In an interview before the Michigan race, Brad Keselowski spoke about what exactly happened last weekend and the decision that NASCAR made after the fact. The way Dillon drove on the last turn of the race was dangerous and put the lives of many drivers on the line. Although NASCAR first let him go without any penalty, ultimately he lost his place in the playoffs. Not only did Keselowski speak about the incident, but he also shared what goes on in the minds of most NASCAR drivers.
What Brad Keselowski has to say about the Richmond race
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During the pre-race press conference, Brad Keselowski answered a few questions about the upcoming race and the Cook Out 400. Right off the bat, one of the questions asked of him was about Austin Dillon’s driving, while asking Keselowski if drivers from his team would have done a similar thing to bag a win.
Polls of the day
Poll 1 of 5
Do you agree with Brad Keselowski's warning about NASCAR's complacency?
Absolutely
Somewhat
Not at all
No opinion
Who do you think deserved the Haas Factory Team spot more?
Hailie Deegan
Sheldon Creed
Sam Mayer
Whats your Perspective on:
Is NASCAR getting too complacent? Keselowski thinks so—what's your take on his warning?
Have an interesting take?
Who do you think will be Cole Custer's new teammate at Haas?
Ryan Preece
Chase Briscoe
Aric Almirola
A surprise newcomer
Do you agree with Steve Letarte's opinion on Carson Hocevar's aggressive driving?
Absolutely
Not at all
Somewhat
No opinion
To this question, the No. 6 Ford driver replied, “I don’t know. It’s clear that we’ll keep moving the line, whatever that line is, and if we don’t know where it is, we’ll push to more extremes. That’s not just Austin, but the entire industry. I sympathize with all parties involved—NASCAR, Austin, and the guys who got wrecked last week. The system is set up in a way that I kind of understand.”
There is no doubt that Dillon’s actions fall into the grey area of racing, and unless there is pushback from NASCAR, drivers will always try to see how much they can get away with. In Dillon’s case, although it felt like he would get into the playoffs with his maneuver, NASCAR officials had different plans.
Keselowski explained, “This situation affects not just the Cup Series but other levels as well. NASCAR felt pressured to react, and they did. I can’t say if it was the right or wrong move; time will tell.” All in all, Richard Childress Racing is having a difficult season and they really needed a win. Unfortunately, despite winning the race at Richmond, the team will not be racing in the playoffs unless they score another win
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What’s your perspective on:
Is NASCAR getting too complacent? Keselowski thinks so—what's your take on his warning?
Have an interesting take?
Keselowski believes the Richmond incident to be a “natural evolution” of the sport
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One thing that Keselowski pointed out was that such an incident has not taken place in the playoff formats. Before heading into the FireKeepers Casino 400, the RKF driver said, “It’s an interesting situation, and I’m surprised this didn’t happen earlier in the playoff format. Maybe it’s just a natural evolution. “
The #6 Mustang driver continued to explain, “With NASCAR’s involvement, this will evolve further, though I’m not sure how. It’ll keep evolving until something stops it.” He pointed out the many factors that come into play, such as the driver, garage, and sports culture. He then said, “Culture isn’t just what you preach; it’s what you tolerate in sports or in life.”
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Now that NASCAR has decided to deny Dillon the playoff spot, Keselowski explained how he thinks that his team is going to try to race within the rules. Which leaves no room for them to get penalized. That being said, what do you expect from Keselowski at the upcoming race in Michigan? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Debate
Is NASCAR getting too complacent? Keselowski thinks so—what's your take on his warning?