NASCAR Insider Acquits Brad Keselowski of Foul Play as He Pins Dega Blame on Jimmie Johnson’s Greenhorn

Aggressive driving frequently emerges as the linchpin of success in NASCAR, with drivers pushing their limits and machines to secure vital passes and take the lead. Brad Keselowski has crafted a legacy marked by audacious maneuvers and daring strategies, leveraging his aggressive driving style to secure advantageous positions. In a memorable 2014 race, Keselowski’s fearless move to seize the lead resulted in contact with Jeff Gordon, ultimately leading to Gordon’s car spinning out due to a flat tire after the collision.

Once again, Keselowski was thrust into the spotlight for a collision, this time with rookie driver Jimmie Johnson at Talladega Superspeedway. Keselowski didn’t hesitate to put the blame on the rookie and his car for sparking the crash. However, many NASCAR fans also pointed fingers at Keselowski. But is it fair to lay all the blame on a single driver in such incidents? According to a NASCAR insider, that might not be the most equitable perspective.

NASCAR insider spills beans of the crash

Brad Keselowski entered the race ranked 7th in the playoff standings, aiming for strong results to stay in contention for the championship. The Talladega race day witnessed aggressive maneuvers from various drivers, with no major crashes until Keselowski’s bold move. This incident raised questions about whether Brad should have exercised more caution to prevent the collision, a query echoed by the host on the American Motormouth episode.

Jeff Burton weighed in, explaining, “When you’re going through the trial while the cars are light when you push somebody and they spun out then yes you have some culpability in it.”

In an interview, Brad Keselowski admitted to pushing Carson Hocevar but cited Jimmie Johnson’s rookie car’s handling issues. Jeff Burton delved deeper into the dynamics of the push Keselowski initiated with Carson.

Jeff said, “When Carson got out of his car and did an interview he talked about learning to learn how to be pushed and maybe he was dragging back too much. Meaning he was dragging the brake or he’d off the gas trying to make a better push.”

Upon analyzing the situation, Jeff reached a verdict, stating, “And so you know what that says to me is yes, Brad pushing him in Brad’s funny morale but Carson could’ve had something to do with it as well. So, there had been incidences, many incidences where Brad has gotten very aggressive and spun some cars out with this car. He is a very aggressive restrictor plate bracer, he just is and he’s today. So yes, he has been aggressive. But simply, you know it takes two people, right? And the guy in the front does influence what happens in the back but certainly it didn’t work out for Brad.”

Brad Keselowski’s race ended disappointingly, despite winning Stage 2. His 32nd-place finish left his playoff prospects uncertain. Following the crash, Keselowski expressed disappointment and placed blame on Jimmie Johnson’s rookie driver.

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Brad Keselowski on the cause of the crash and defended himself

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During an interview with NBC, the driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang provided insight into the crash, stating, “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 described the incident as unfortunate, where he and the 42 car (Hocevar) got shuffled to the outside line. He acknowledged pushing Hocevar, causing him to spin out, but he didn’t believe Hocevar did anything wrong; rather, he thought Hocevar’s car might not have been handling well.

Despite the setback, Keselowski mentioned that they had a strong performance earlier in the race, winning the second stage. It was frustrating for a playoff driver to end his race even after a good run. However, Hocevar refrained from criticizing Keselowski’s actions in his post-race interview and expressed uncertainty about how he could have avoided the crash. What do you think, who was at fault?

READ MORE: Jimmie Johnson’s Pride Refuses to Call Out Brad Keselowski’s Shenanigans Despite Post-Wreck Provocations