BK 2014 Top 10: No. 5

Brad Keselowski’s 2014 campaign was one to remember in all three NASCAR series. So over the course of the offseason, we’re going to countdown the Top 10 best moments from one of the most successful seasons in BK’s racing career.

Coming in at No. 5 is Brad’s second Nationwide-Sprint Cup sweep of the season: a dominant and memorable weekend in New Hampshire.

No. 5: July 12-13, 2014

LOUDON LAUREATE

Winning a race is difficult. To come out on top of a field a competitors all with the exact same objective is a challenge, no matter the level of racing. 

To emerge victorious twice in one weekend then, at the two highest series in stock car racing, is one of the most difficult tasks in racing. In fact, prior to 2014, no driver had ever checked off that objective in the history of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where the Sprint Cup Series has run annually since 1993 and twice annually 1997. Until Brad Keselowski and Team Penske did just that in one fell swoop during the second weekend in July of this year.

Brad captured victory in the Hertz No. 22 during the Nationwide Series Sta-Green 200 on Saturday, then came back in the Redd’s Apple Ale Deuce on Sunday and won the Sprint Cup Series Camping World RV Sales 301 to cap an incredible weekend and become the first to complete the Loudon sweep.

“This was just such a phenomenal weekend, and these don’t happen that often, and that’s what makes it special,” Brad said. “You try to appreciate them and enjoy them and hope that there’s more but not count on it, because these are big deals, winning races at the Sprint Cup level – sweeping a weekend, and it’s all possible because of the hard work and effort from everyone at Team Penske. I can drive the heck out of a car, but you can only do so much. You’ve got to have a good horse, and we had that today. I’m just really, really thankful and happy with the form we have.”

STRONG START

Brad started the weekend with a dominant performance guiding the No. 22 Hertz Ford Mustang to triumph from pole position in the Nationwide Series.

Kes led 152 of 200 laps in the Sta-Green 200, including the final 56 to mark the Double Deuce team’s second win of the season and first since Kes won to start a sweep at Las Vegas four months earlier.

“What a hell of a Saturday,” Kes told the media after his NNS victory. “I am going to need a little time to soak it in. It has been a really busy day and sometimes on these really busy days you get so caught up in the action that you really can’t appreciate all that has transpired.”

That busy Saturday included practice sessions in both series that had BK trekking back and forth between the NNS and NSCS garages to keep up with his schedule. After spending the morning in a practice whirlwind, Brad grabbed the Nationwide pole by edging out longtime rival Kyle Busch—and the BK-KB battle waged on throughout the weekend, as it often does when the two tangle on the NNS circuit.

Once the race got underway, Busch swiped the lead from Kes on the first lap and held it until the two met lapped traffic 34 laps later. With some other competitors finally in the mix, Brad found a window and took back the top spot.

BK stayed in either first or second through the entire race, and crew chief Jeremy Bullins called for a two-tire stop on the final pit-road trip of the day.

By the end of the day, Busch’s No. 54 Toyota was tuned up to match the Double Deuce, and when the two reached traffic again, Kes was understandably concerned.

“The car was really fast at the beginning and it seemed we leveled off to Kyle the last run,” Brad said. “I thought he might have been a little faster than we were but it was all about getting through lap traffic which was a bit of a dogfight and personally that may not have looked it on TV but it was one of the most challenging races I have ever ran. Knowing you have Kyle Busch behind you, and he is a tiny bit faster, and you have to fight through lap cars and there was always something coming at us.”

With Busch breathing down his neck, Brad weaved masterfully through a gaggle of lapped competition and completed the 200-lap battle in P1 with a 1.88-second cushion.

“This is really satisfying,” BK said. “This team has deserved to win a few races and things just haven’t quite gone their way and it is nice to put it together here at Loudon with a strong car and great team.”

SHELL FINISH

After a hard-fought victory Saturday, Brad got a little rest before yet another grueling test awaited him on the same track Sunday.

BK’s No. 2 Redd’s Apple Ale Ford Fusion was clearly the best machine on the track, but it seemed as though the racing gods were conspiring against him. Seven cautions came out on the day, and they always seemed to come at the wrong time, as Kes explained afterward.

“This might only be a 301‑lap race but it felt like a 1,000‑lap race,” Brad said. “Every yellow kept coming with I think 40 laps on tires, which put the field in a position to take two, to take none, to take four, and no matter what call we made, it was going to be a struggle, and that’s always frustrating because there was no right or wrong call, I guess, and that’s really tough on Paul. And then the yellow comes out while we’re leading the race and dominating with two to go, and you’re like, geez, can I just catch a break?  And that stuff wears on you mentally.”

Fortunately, the rapport built between Brad, crew chief Paul Wolfe and the 2 Crew shined through.

The No. 2 team was forced into tough calls throughout the race, but stuck with their strategy and elected to take four tires on most stops while other teams called for just two-tire stops, granting them better track position.

However, the faith the 2 Crew had in each other and their machine paid off. Brad led 138 laps on seven different occasions.

Brad regularly was able to use fresh tires and a dominant Ford to slice past as many as 12 cars in 20 laps or less. It wasn’t an easy task, and it only become more difficult as more teams had their cars tuned in late in the race.

“It seemed like each and every time, it kept getting a little harder, guys keep working on their cars getting a little bit better,” he said. “From our perspective, our car was so fast you hate to do anything to it because something could happen.  That was kind of how I was feeling about it.”

The final strategy call came during a caution at lap 250.

This time, rather than stick to the four-tire plan, Wolfe’s team changed right-side tires only and sent Brad back out in P9. With just two fresh tires and a field of tough competitors in front of him, this jaunt to the front took a bit longer.

But by lap 270, Brad got the job done, and took the lead for good.

After the win, Kes finally could take a deep breath and just enjoy the phenomenal weekend. The win was Brad’s third of the season, tying rival Jimmie Johnson for the series lead, and he made sure to bask in the afterglow for a little while and savor his signature sweep at Loudon.

“Where do I start?” Brad asked. “The team was just really on it today. It really feels like we’ve hit our stride, and I’m kind of quiet and somber because I want to soak it all in. I don’t want this moment to go away so quick. It seems like you get in Victory Lane and you’re rushed around left and right you don’t really get a chance to soak it in.”