Looking for More

Not many drivers dare to take on NASCAR’s Goliath, but in last years running of the AAA Texas 500, Brad Keselowski did. And he plans on doing it again. Keselowski has already posted victories at historic venues such as Bristol, Talladega, and Charlotte, but nothing is bigger than Texas.

If the race this weekend goes anything like last year’s, we have a lot to be excited for. The race was dominated by Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch, who combine led all but 12 of the 335 laps. Of those, the Champion was able to lead 75 of the circuits around the track, but it wasn’t enough. Running the final laps of the race on two fresh Goodyear Eagles when second place Jimmie Johnson had four new sticker tires proved to be challenging, but somehow, BK was able to do it. Ultimately, his demise came when we saw caution after caution at the end of the race, and the 48 passed the 2. Brad did everything he could to win. He took Jimmie’s lane in turns 1 and 2, and even attempted a gentle bodyslam on the frontstretch.

In the process, BK unleashed one of his most prominent quotes: “I refuse to lose this championship.”

Coming off a win in the last 1.5 mile track race, Keselowski has high hopes coming back to the track where he has the most Sprint Cup starts. But a single win in a full season isn’t enough for a defending champion who only has three more weeks to hold the title. Throughout the season, Brad has been having career best finishes at tracks, including Daytona, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Loudon, Charlotte, and last week at Martinsville. If he wants to better his career best in Texas, there is only one way to do it: with a win.

In the process, BK unleashed one of his most prominent quotes: “I refuse to lose this championship.”

I expect to see him take another shot at the win, and taking every chance to get it. That could be a call from pit road, where Paul Wolfe needs BK to get on an alternate strategy, or even down to Brad himself attempting to save every drop of fuel he can. The theme of the Chase for the No.2 team has been a simple one: capture the checkers at whatever cost. We saw Kes run out of fuel in Kansas, we saw him speeding on pit road at the high banks of Talladega, we saw the late race charge to the front in Loudon, and we will always remember seeing the exchange for the lead late in Charlotte.

The 1.5 mile tracks are often called “cookie cutters,” but no two tracks are identical. The Texas Motor Speedway, located in Fort Worth, opened in 1996, and it has built a rich history since. Owned by race track empire Speedway Motorsports, Inc, the same operator that owns Atlanta, Bristol, Charlotte, and other venues, success would be ensured. Not to be overlooked, the track promoter Eddie Gossage provides one of the best shows for the fans. Scheduled for this weekend, the American rock band O.A.R. will be performing for the fans prior to the 500 mile showdown. The 1.5 mile oval provides excitement to race fans of all kinds, as the track hosts a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck Series races every year in addition to the lone IZOD IndyCar, ARCA, and Global RallyCross series races.

Always a fan favorite, it’s guaranteed that a great show will be put on this weekend.