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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The Atlanta Motor Speedway on February 25 saw Brad Keselowski emerge as a formidable candidate as he looked to end his winless run. However, the results did not turn out to be what he expected. One of the reasons for the 33rd spot finish was a late race pile-up with Kyle Larson and Corey LaJoie.

As the laps wound down, Keselowski’s fate didn’t favor him and he had to settle for a P33 DNF and an almost 100-race winless streak since April 2021 at Talladega. Later, an upset Brad Keselowski however explained what caused him the setbacks as he shared his experience of the wreck-filled Atlanta race.

What led to Brad Keselowski’s poor Atlanta finish?

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It seems even Keselowski himself was left dumbstruck by the debacle. In an interview snippet shared by motorsports journalist Matt Weaver, the driver could be heard saying, “That was what happened. I don’t know. My car just took off in the middle of the corner. I don’t know if it dropped or I lost the rear tire. Once I got up to the wall, I couldn’t get it off the wall.. I don’t know what’s going on. It’s a bummer, but we’re running up front. That’s a good thing, just wasn’t able to finish it off.”

After starting at 24th in the intense Ambetter Health 400 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he was seen making his way to the top 10. The RFK #6 also dashed into the top 5 at times. It was the peak moment for RFK as both Chris Buescher and Keselowski were aiming for a top 5 finish and were so close to it.

Despite a strong performance that had him leading laps, Keselowski encountered a mishap that ultimately led to a 33rd-place finish. His teammate Buescher settled for a P9.

Read More: “I Hate It” – Kyle Busch Disappointed With the Photo Finish After an Exhilarating Finale at Atlanta

The disaster struck at lap 219, when Keselowski’s Ford Mustang spun, causing irreparable damages. Larson and LaJoie, who were right behind, got caught up eventually in the process. LaJoie survived the wreck and finished at P13. Brad Keselowski and Hendricks Motorsports’ #5 Kyle Larson were out of the race.

However, this is not the first instance this season that the RFK racing owner had to be ousted owing to wrecks. In the Daytona 500, too, a similar incident went down.

Keselowski’s wreck at Daytona 500

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Brad Keselowski’s grit and resilience were spot on during the last race at the AMS, and also at Daytona, a week earlier. However, the driver seemed to have started on the wrong foot by wrecking other drivers at the crown-jewel race, which garnered quite some reactions.

The Daytona wreck’s root cause was that Alex Bowman pressed a hard move that caused William Byron’s car to spin. Sensing the danger, Keselowski made a steep turn to the right in front of a dozen other drivers running at high speed. The result is obvious. Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney got caught in the crossfire and got eliminated along with Keselowski. Defending Daytona 500 champions Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Daniel Suarez were affected too.

Read More: “It Was a Bad Day” – Failing to Reach Their Potential, RFK Racing Driver Ready to Leave Drafting Behind

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“We were making the pass for the lead to win the Daytona 500. That’s all you can ask for with eight laps to go, and it just didn’t work out,” said Keselowski in his defense. On the other hand, drivers like Logano, Suarez, and Stenhouse Jr. vented their frustration on the matter.

Before the Atlanta race, Keselowski addressed his winless streak. “I’m not paying any attention to it, to be honest. What matters to me, I would rather be fast every week and contending for wins,” Keselowski said in an interview published by Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass on X. Even though he seems to not bother about being winless, it is certain that Brad Keselowski is trying hard to change that.