Keselowski Feels Unnecessary Caution Laps Hurt His Shot at Winning

 Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

There was one notable interview that NBC didn't cover yesterday following the Goody's Fast Relief 500 and that was second place finisher Brad Keselowski. Brad stopped by the Media Center following the race to discuss his run that day in Martinsville.

Jerry Markland/Getty Images

Keselowski started the race from 19th and made it up to the Top-10 by lap 50. Bouncing in and out of the Top-10 from lap 75 to 250, Brad Keselowski had enough to push past the Joe Gibbs Racing trio of Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, and Kyle Busch. That caution period where confusion was evident in NASCAR and its drivers and Keselowski feels that really hindered his run for the victory in the end.
"We don't need to run a hundred laps under yellow with the field not trying to figure out where they're at. It probably cost us the race."

Sarah Crabill/Getty Images

In the end Keselowski finished second which is a way better result than during the previous weekend at Talladega where the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion lost an engine that ultimately resulted in his elimination from the Chase. Brad commented on that also.
"I think we're the best team in the garage.  If we're not the best, we're right there.  We don't have a shot at winning the championship. But I think today showed how strong we are and I'm really proud of that.
I think we got a great shot at doing that here, as you can tell today. Yeah, I don't care about this format, so I'll just go out there and try to win.  Whatever these guys do, it's still racing at the end of the day.  You should be here to win."
Brad Keselowski returns to Texas, a track he has ran pretty good at in the past almost winning last year before Jimmie Johnson made a late race pass to take the victory. The moderator asked Brad "Jimmie has won the last four at Texas.  If you're him, do you go and try to win again next week to make Phoenix more of a crapshoot for the rest of them?" and his answer honestly doesn't surprise me.
"Absolutely.  Yeah, I think he's got a good shot at it.  He's got a good team.  They're hitting their marks at a really strong level. Yeah, I think why not.  It's what he should do.  I can't speak for him on what he will do. I think the strange part about formats like this is you don't have to, and that seems wrong to me." (Koelle,2016)