NASCAR Veteran Lumps “Nervous” Brad Keselowski in the Same Category as Bubba Wallace With Unnerving Claim

With the first round of 12 races out of the way, the NASCAR Cup Series will go to the iconic and challenging Talladega track this coming weekend. While the fans will have a field day watching the action from the grandstands, drivers will be looking to strengthen their claim for a place in the round of eight. However, there will be some for whom Talladega will perhaps be the last opportunity to advance to the next round.

The first race of the round of 12 at Texas was an enthralling affair that saw Hendrick Motorsports earn their 300th Cup Series late win thanks to a stunning drive by William Byron. The 25-year-old is the only one who has confirmed his spot in the next round. This means that for the rest of the field, there is everything to play for and no one would be willing to give an inch to their rivals.

NASCAR insider spills the beans on unique Talladega challenge

But Talladega poses a unique challenge which was alluded to by former Cup Series racer Jeff Burton. There are two races left in the round of 12 as of now. Talladega and Charlotte. But the thing about Charlotte is that it is the unique roval course, which is a hybrid between an oval and a road course.

And unlike Formula One drivers, not all NASCAR drivers are exactly comfortable when it comes to racing on road courses. It plays to the strengths of some and for others, it can be a nightmare. According to Burton, there are a number of drivers who have not been good enough on road courses this season and for them, Talladega is the best opportunity they will have to make it into the round of 8.

Among these drivers, Burton mentioned Bubba Wallace and Brad Keselowski. Now Wallace’s inclusion is not very surprising since he has not been the most consistent of drivers and it’s his first run in the playoffs, but Brad Keselowski? The Roush Fenway Keselowski racer has had a fine season, bringing his team to the forefront of the competition and going into the playoffs as the leading Ford team. Well, the answer lies not in Talladega, but in the Charlotte Roval.

“There are a few drivers, Rick, that I think are super nervous about Talladega because of the roval. There are some that are very confident in the roval, they are good road racers but if I think about Brad Keselowski and the way he has run on road courses lately, Ross Chastain has struggled on road courses lately, which is hard for me to say based on his speed last year but this year in the last few races, I just don’t think that they’ve consistently been fast enough, and Bubba Wallace,” Burton said on Motorsports on NBC.

Bubba Wallace perhaps might not have been in this situation had he won at Texas and the 23XI Racing driver had perhaps his best opportunity all season to win a race. He was in the lead with five laps to go before he was passed by William Byron and Ross Chastain.

Michael Jordan’s driver could only finish in third place which is a fantastic result but given the position he had found himself in, feels like a letdown. After the race on Sunday, Wallace bore a dejected look in the post-race interview.

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The race was restarted after a caution with five laps to go with Wallace in the lead followed by William Byron and non-playoff driver Chase Briscoe. As the 23XI Racing man moved towards the outside of the track to fend off Briscoe, Byron took full advantage of the space left on the inside to storm past Wallace and there was no stopping the HMS man after that.

In the post-race interview, Wallace said, “We’re racing for a win. I just hate it. I should have just kept my line into (Turn) 3 and forced William to get tight. But we’re so vulnerable in these cars, right? Just upset with myself.”

“Really needed a win there, and it was a good showing. I don’t know where that puts us. I don’t really care. But I know what I did, and I choked,” the 29-year-old added.

With two races remaining in the round of 12, Wallace’s good points haul from Texas might play a big role in his quest for the title. The 23XI Racing driver just needs to make sure that he has two clean races in Talladega and Charlotte and gets a decent points finish in both.

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