The Bristol race caught us off-guard with its unique tire dilemma. Drivers were left scrambling for their short-track racing expertise to somehow survive till the end of the race. As the Bristol track gnawed into the tires, NASCAR had to supply an extra set of wheels to each team. Meanwhile, veteran drivers like Brad Keselowski proved their talents behind the wheel and outshone others.
Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr from JGR, and Keselowski and Chris Buescher from RFK, all four drivers demonstrated remarkable tire strategy and racecraft. Keselowski was already a three-time winner on the Bristol track and finished third, 7.284 seconds behind Hamlin. Now heads are turning towards COTA, and Keselowski has revealed his superpower in acing races.
Brad Keselowski unveils his immortal racing talent
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Keselowski started the 2024 season on a dismal note, but is slowly finding his mojo now. Finishing 33rd successively in Daytona and Atlanta, he leaped to 13th place in Las Vegas. After that, it was only a tale of top fives for him. After an impressive 4th-place finish in Phoenix, Keselowski upped his game a little and snatched a podium finish in Bristol.
NASCAR expert Trey Ryan tweeted about Keselowski’s remarkable potential. “Brad Keselowski earned back-to-back top 5 finishes at Phoenix and Bristol…This was the first time he’s done this since Talladega and Kansas in the Spring of 2021 (the race at Talladega was his most recent win)”.
Brad Keselowski earned back-to-back top 5 finishes at Phoenix and Bristol
This was the first time he’s done this since Talladega and Kansas in the Spring of 2021 (the race at Talladega was his most recent win) pic.twitter.com/WMAk5dAkS7
— Trey Ryan (@TreyRyan99) March 18, 2024
Now it is time to pay attention to the Circuit of the Americas race this weekend. Measuring 3.41 miles in width, it is NASCAR’s longest and arguably most technical circuit. This means COTA is the polar opposite of the 0.533-mile Bristol track, and drivers will have to shift gears to adjust to the new environment.
But it seems that Keselowski is well-prepared for the new challenge. He said: “The thing that makes being a NASCAR driver so difficult is the tracks and the venues change week-to-week. What it takes to win on one week is not what it takes the next week. (It) requires a significant amount of versatility.”
The 2024 season is barely down five races and has already witnessed so much variability. Some races were decided on pit row and some by a few milliseconds. Even Bristol was infected by tire wear issues. However, Brad Keselowski liked it just fine: “It’s different. Variety is the spice of life.”
While other younger drivers fumbled to save their tires in Bristol, Keselowski relished the novel challenge.
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Read More: Brad Keselowski Compares NASCAR’s ‘Horsepower’ Hesitation With Daughter’s Lovable Antics
Keselowski had ‘fun’ in Bristol
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While Kyle Busch got spun out early and Kyle Larson asked for a crisis management team, other drivers were enjoying in Bristol. Brad Keselowski was one of them, perfecting the tire management strategy. The only negative outcome could be the smoldering remains of the tire burning on his car post-race.
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Keselowski explained how much he loved the Bristol race. “It was an interesting day. There was a lot of discipline required and it was a fun race, to be honest, because you just had to be so smart behind the wheel. It would bite you in a heartbeat and you had to have a good set-up. I think we had a good set-up and tried to run the smartest race I could.”
Brad Keselowski is close to achieving his first win of the season. We cannot wait to watch the RFK driver add another feather to his cap soon!