Sunday’s race falls right in the middle of the Round of 12, a critical juncture in the championship chase. Four drivers are on the brink of elimination, and their fate will be sealed after next week’s race at the challenging Charlotte Motor Speedway road course. Brad Keselowski, who started the day in P7 with a cushion of eight points above the cutoff, had a tough outing, finishing P32.
In this wildcard race, as its name suggests, chaos was the order of the day. Misfortune struck many drivers, and playoff contender Brad Keselowski found himself right in the eye of the storm. The wreck in the final stage dashed his hopes, and he placed the blame on Jimmie Johnson’s driver for the incident. However, what truly shocked everyone was Jimmie Johnson’s driver’s unexpected response during the post-race interview.
Despite the tricky situation, Jimmie Johnson’s prodigy delivers a shocking response
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As the race unfolded at Talladega’s tri-oval bend, Brad Keselowski found himself pushing rookie Carson Hocevar through the front stretch. Unfortunately, their interaction took a disastrous turn when Keselowski’s car clipped Hocevar’s left rear quarter panel. This contact sent Hocevar sliding into the midst of the pack, causing a chain reaction that ultimately saw Ty Gibbs and Austin Dillon spinning into the outside SAFER barrier.
The incident marked the end of Rowdy’s day and prompted him to place the blame squarely on Carson Hocevar. In his post-race comments, Brad Keselowski mentioned that Carson Hocevar’s race car simply wasn’t handling well enough, implying that this contributed to the unfortunate collision.
On the other side, Carson Hocevar offered his perspective during an interview with Frontstretch. He admitted, “Yeah, I’m fine I’m not sure honestly I haven’t seen a replay just kind of had my wheels straight, and all of sudden I laughed looking, just tried to lock it up and get in the wall left and right.”
BIG CRASH.
Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon and more involved in this one. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/5BKF5Z9fJv
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 1, 2023
“Not one hundred percent sure I don’t know if there’s something I could have done differently to not put myself in that situation I wasn’t that good of a leader so I was kind of thinking myself that the ride in here that I got up in the lead.”
A Presser inquired about the situation and asked Hocevar about his feelings compared to Austin Dillon’s response, “Did you feel squirmy?”
Hocevar replied, “I don’t know about that I felt like that when I was leading I don’t know about that it’s tough it’s racing It’s a tough spot. yeah, I did in the truck race and I pushed the same way and sped a guy out. It’s a tough spot to push that time when you are on the top lane you have to make that decision.”
In the aftermath of the wreck, Brad Keselowski revealed the factor that triggered the incident and expressed his frustration.
WATCH THIS STORY: Kyle Busch Joins the NASCAR Grid in Making Brad Keselowski the Butt of Their Jokes
Frustrated Brad Keselowski unveils the cause of the wreck
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NASCAR’s 75th season had been a promising one for Brad Keselowski, who was hoping for even better results after his Stage 2 victory at Talladega, aiming to secure his spot in the next round of the playoffs. However, his aspirations were abruptly shattered as the crash unfolded, prompting him to shed light on the reason behind the incident.
Talking During an interview with NBC, the No. 6 Ford Mustang driver explained, “I didn’t hit that hard so I’m fine. I would’ve been OK but the toe link was broken, so I wasn’t able to keep moving,” Keselowski told NBC Sports. “Just unfortunate. We got shuffled to the outside line here. The 42 (Hocevar) pulled up in front of me. I’m like, ‘Alright, let’s go. We’re gonna go back up to the front.’ And I just pushed him and he kind of instantly spun out. I don’t think he did anything wrong. I just think his car probably wasn’t driving that good.”
Hear what @keselowski had to say after his incident: pic.twitter.com/lEaEUKFRHK
— RFK Racing (@RFKracing) October 1, 2023
“It’s frustrating, you know? We were able to win the second stage, and we were in a good position there for a long time, and it just kind of unraveled on us. That’s how it goes here sometimes.” Brad Keselowski concluded.
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READ MORE: ‘I Was Just Really Naive’ – Brad Keselowski’s Former Driver Unfolds His Journey in NASCAR’s First Division
Keselowski’s explanation revealed the intricacies of racing at Talladega, where split-second decisions can have significant consequences. However, the upcoming Charlotte Road Course is the last hope for Brad Keselowski to be in the championship for the next round this season. What do you think about his prospects to win the championship?
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