A True All -Star

Ok: so unfortunately, BK went out in lap three of the Sprint All Star Race due to transmission problems, but as I sat there watching the rest of the race, I had time as a Keselowski fan to reflect upon exactly why I think he is so appealing both to sponsors and his fans.

He’s a cool combination of old school stock car driver and modern high-tech wizard, working his magic both on the track and off.

Like so many of the great drivers honored in the Nascar Hall of Fame, Brad is tough and knows how to think his way around the track, pulling every bit of speed out of the car, whether it is running well or held together with bear bond and prayers. He takes what he is given, and stares down adversity to get the car across the finish line.

I grew to admire his gritty style in 2011 as I watched him climb into the car with a painful ankle injury, and race as hard as he could without one word of complaint.

He’s a cool combination of old school stock car driver and modern high-tech wizard.

As a long-time Nascar fan, I get tired of certain former champions who whine and complain their way around the track crying about perceived injustices that they encounter during a race. As our 2012 Sprint Cup Champion, Brad is refreshingly different. I like his style. He doesn’t whine. He’s tough, he says what’s on his mind and he’s not afraid of a challenge. He looks straight ahead and never blinks, challenging anyone that gets in his way as he heads towards the finish line.

He’s also a very smart driver who prepares ahead of time, knows his car, knows the track and on many occasions, thinks his way into a move that provides him with an inside edge that often leads to victory. I’ve watched him win races on fuel mileage while leaving other drivers out of gas and out of luck.

I also admire the fact that when on reflection, he feels the need to correct a situation that occurred during a race, he steps up and shows integrity in his apologies. With Brad, we never get excuses or whining. I like the fact that he deals with the situation, corrects it and moves forward, no excuses.

To me, that’s cool.

It takes a lot of inner strength to go out week after week onto the track, work under so much pressure and still live according to his own heroic code. So, while he may have ended up at the back of the pack in the Sprint All Star Race, our 2012 Champion still rules Cool to his Crew.