Talladega, the wild beast of NASCAR, once again lived up to its reputation for chaos and unpredictability. The wildcard race, true to its name, brought misfortune to many, with playoff contender Brad Keselowski finding himself at the center of a big storm. However, this time, it appeared that Keselowski had no one to blame but himself. However, the #6 Mustang driver firmly washed his hands off the wreckage, seemingly pushing the blame onto the rising star of Legacy Motor Club.

As the dwindling laps of the final stage ticked away, chaos erupted on the track. A multi-car pileup unfolded, with Keselowski as the catalyst, triggering a sense of déjà vu reminiscent of the 2022 Daytona 500 where Keselowski turned rookie Harrison Burton on the backstretch, setting off an eight-car calamity. Back to Sunday’s race, the superspeedway’s chaos continues unabated.

Wild at Talladega as Brad Keselowski causes chaos

Jimmie Johnson‘s team’s #42 Chevy was experiencing a remarkable turn of luck although finding himself a lap down. As the final laps of Stage 2 unfolded, Carson Hocevar stumbled upon a stroke of fortune. The young gun managed to cross the Stage 2 finish line ahead of Denny Hamlin, who was also a lap down, effectively earning the coveted free pass. This allowed him to start Stage 3 among the leaders, breathing new life into his race.

Keselowski, on the other hand, had a promising day, securing the Stage 2 victory and collecting 10 race points and 1 playoff point. However, as the final stage approached, the stakes were higher than ever, with the Round of 8 elimination looming. The closing laps were marked by intense moves and lane changes as drivers vied for optimal grid position before the impending pit cycle.

But disaster struck as the cars exited the treacherous tri-oval on lap 163. The stage 2 winner made contact with the rear of Hocevar’s #42, who had just taken the lead in the top line, causing him to spin down into Austin Dillon and Ty Gibbs. The impact sent both #6 and #42 careening into the outside and inside wall, with the #6 briefly going airborne before landing back on its wheels.

After the race, the 2012 Champ shared, “Yeah, I didn’t push that hard, so I’m fine. Probably would have been okay, but the toe link was broke, so I wasn’t able to keep moving. And yeah, just unfortunate. We kinda shuffled to the outside lane near the 42, pulled out in front, my guy. Let’s go; we’re gonna run back to the front. And I just pushed him, and he just kinda easily spun out. I don’t think he did anything wrong; just his car probably wasn’t handling that great. But yeah, 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 kinda unraveled. That’s how it goes here sometimes.”

When questioned, “Carson is very talented. Did it cross your mind that maybe I should be careful with him?” The RFK Racing owner gave a hard verdict, “Only one way to learn. You get out there and learn, right? This is part of racing; you push, and I gave a pretty light push. Just his race car wasn’t handling well enough.”

Red flag: The Talladega wreck fuels Twitter frenzy

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Harrison Burton, Brad Keselowski, Austin Dillon, Ty Gibbs, and Carson Hocevar found themselves sidelined with a DNF next to their names. The incident sparked a storm of comments, with many not holding back their criticism, especially towards Keselowski, who has found himself in such situations before.

One fan commented, “Brad doing what Brad does best, pushing others to an accident,” highlighting Keselowski’s aggressive racing style. Another chimed in, “Bonehead caused his own wreck.”

Keselowski’s reputation for being involved in such incidents was clearly on the minds of fans and the frustration was palpable, as another comment read, “It wouldn’t be a race at Talladega without Brad Keselowski wrecking the field.”

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Some fans expressed concern for the drivers involved in the wreck, with one saying, “Brad Keselowski ruining Austin Dillon’s race. What else is new? Hope he and everyone is OK.” Fortunately, amidst the chaos, there was a silver lining – all drivers involved in the collision made it out safely.

Others found irony in Keselowski’s response, with one fan noting, “Brad Keselowski blaming the 42 car’s handling after wrecking him is hilarious.” The comments highlighted the polarizing nature of Keselowski’s racing style, with one fan humorously noting, “Brad Keselowski does what he does best. Push someone into a spin…”

Read more: “He’s Making Brad [Keselowski] His B*Tch”- Big-Mouthed Insider Rubs Salt in 2012 Cup Champ’s Wounds

In the end, the only person who gained from the collision was the No 11, as the caution meant that he got a free pass and a chance to fight for the lead after having been a lap down due to a speeding penalty. With Hamlin leveraging that fortune and finishing a solid P4, the 2.66-mile witnessed misfortunes often taking unexpected detours, ultimately transforming into golden opportunities for others.