Clutchelowski

“I don’t need no stinking clutch” were the words from Brad Keselowski’s mouth after a dominant performance at Michigan in 2010, but in last week’s race at Talladega, Keselowski threw a whole new meaning to that word: Clutch.

As a fan, I came into Sunday’s 500 mile brawl at Talladega hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. I was prepared for elimination, and was ready for BK’s year to end prematurely.

But I was happily wrong.

In those final laps, seeing that Deuce right there in the lead was beautiful.

It was evident through practices and qualifying that the Team Penske Ford Fusion had speed, and a lot of it. It looked like the dominoes started to fall early when Brad was relegated to the back of the field for an alternator change, because putting yourself in harm’s way is never a great idea at the unpredictable Talladega Superspeedway.

An early crash involving Keselowski looked like it could be the end of the day. It had to be a stomach-in-throat type feeling for everyone on the #2crew — except for the driver. When asked if he can drive the car back to the front, Brad didn’t hesitate to say yes.

And when it came time to get to the lead, it looked like a non-issue for the Redd’s Wicked Ale 2. Thanks to a great teammate in Joey Logano, BK was able to not only get in the pack, but move up to the front, and stay there.

Coming into a race knowing you have to win seems like a tough challenge, because it is. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be a challenge. But in those final laps, seeing that Deuce right there in the lead was beautiful. In the back of my mind, all I could say was when will it happen. Things like this rarely ever work out, and these Cinderella stories are usually shattered before they even get to happen. I thought the Green-White-Checkered finish would be the deciding factor in it all.

Again, I was happily wrong.

As the leader on a restart at the end of a restrictor plate race, you truly are a sitting duck. And with all the friends that Keselowski’s made lately, I knew he would have to work that much harder for the win. Watching those final two laps made me cringe silently. I was speechless, and I probably didn’t even blink once.

The clutch performance was unlike anything I’ve ever seen from Brad. And while it may have been great to watch from home, I’m sure it couldn’t be enjoyable to replicate in the drivers seat.

After the race, Brad was asked if this was the biggest win of his career. Responding with it’s equal to his first win, I would agree they are similar in magnitude. In a few short weeks, we’ll know if it was worth it or not.

But for now, Brad’s alive, and we can never count him out. Never.