Can’t Catch a Brake

In a season that’s been up and down for 2012 Champion Brad Keselowski, he has to take good days with the bad. But lately it seems like his performance is really hit or miss – either Keselowski has a dominating race, or might as well stay home. With all the hype and high expectations coming into this years running at Watkins Glen, Brad was bound to have a good race.

But he couldn’t catch a break…or brake.

Literally.

It seems like ever since the pre-Indianapolis break, it’s been a stretch of tough luck for Brad.

A Lap 33 radio transmission from the driver to the crew was the most disappointing thing for the team to hear. “I’m losing the brakes,” were the words out of Keselowski’s mouth. Definitely not the words the 2 crew wanted to hear, but they knew that just over a third of the way through the race, BK would have to do some incredible driving.

During NASCAR Countdown for the Nationwide event on Saturday, former Blue Deuce driver Rusty Wallace said that when his team tested at The Glen, the telemetry showed that the hardest and longest braking zone in all of NASCAR is at the end of the back straightaway and into the bus stop chicane. Before sailing off into the chicane at well over 180 mph, all the drivers will give the left pedal a few gentle taps to become reacquainted with the cars braking system. I can’t think of anything more gut wrenching than to tap the brakes…and have nothing happen.

As a result, BK had to “back the corner up,” or slow down much sooner than he did with full braking force. Luckily all four rotors weren’t useless as his front wheels could still be controlled by the brake pedal, but the rear wheels had no control. It cost Brad a good chunk of time each and every lap, causing him to fade from inside the Top 5, to 19th place in a stretch of only 26 laps. Thanks to a caution, the Team Penske crew would have a chance to complete some needed repairs to the No.2 – but it left them five laps down in the running order.

It seems like ever since the pre-Indianapolis break, it’s been a stretch of tough luck for Brad. Getting stacked up on a restart at The Brickyard, and losing a lap caused for a rough day at a track BK looked forward to. Not to mention trying an alternate strategy at Pocono, which put Kes too far back in the pack – right where he didn’t want to be, in prime territory for a wreck. And now this at Watkins Glen? The poor guy just can’t catch a break.