Brad Keselowski finding another gear in restrictor-plate races
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Brad Keselowski has won two consecutive restrictor-plate races and has more plate wins than anyone — even Dale Earnhardt Jr. — since he started racing regularly in the Sprint Cup Series in 2009.
But his fellow drivers were more interested in talking about Keselowski’s strong car than his plate-racing ability on Saturday night after he won the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.
Joey Logano, who also drives for Team Penske, said Keselowski “had the dominant car.”
“He was really, really good,” Logano said after finishing fourth. “The thing is now more than ever, the car is more important than you think. Handling is equally as important (as speed) on hot nights like tonight.”
Runnerup Kyle Busch said Keselowski’s car had more maneuverability than anyone else. Daytona was a track position race because it took “a lot of guys ganging up and getting together in order to make a move on him.”
“It seemed if we could have got the 2 car out of there, it probably would have been a decent race,” Busch said. “But that thing was just so strong that there wasn't much passing him.”
After Keselowski won the Talladega Superspeedway race in May, Austin Dillon told his Richard Childress Racing team the No. 2 car was the strongest on the track. His opinion didn’t change after Daytona, where Dillon finished seventh.
“He was the same way at Talladega,” Dillon said. “You can’t get to his back bumper. He’s pretty fast and can move side to side and not lose speed. I could never get to him when I had runs.”
Keselowski, whose Daytona win was his fifth career restrictor-plate victory in 30 attempts, said he didn’t mind other drivers were more eager to give credit to his car than himself.
“I would be, too,” he said. “You know, it’s easy to get caught up in the semantics. I would much rather be caught up in the trophies.”
But no matter how good the car, Keselowski and those close to him know there are no guarantees at a restrictor-plate track. The winner of three races this season said the car was the best he’s ever had at Daytona, and added: “I’m just glad I didn’t waste it.”
In Keselowski’s motorhome, girlfriend Paige White paced during the final laps as the couple’s daughter, Scarlett, slept nearby. She certainly wasn’t taking anything for granted.
“My heart was in my throat, my chest was throbbing,” White told Paste BN Sports later. “You never know. I know he’s good at these tracks, but it’s Daytona. You don’t know what’s going to happen in the last turn. Everything can change so fast.”
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