BK 2014 Top 10: No. 3

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. 3, Brad’s slays Chicagoland for his second straight win and becomes the first driver to advance in NASCAR’s new Chase for the Sprint Cup elimination playoff format.

No. 3: September 14, 2014

The Windy City Split

Brad Keselowski’s win at Chicagoland Speedway to start the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup could be summed up in one word: confidence.

BK headed to the Windy City for the Chase’s first race with a gust in his sails after a dominant victory at Richmond in the final weekend of the regular season. That win gave Brad the No. 1 seed in the Cup playoffs, and the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion squad was firmly positioned as the team to beat for the championship.

The confidence built by those accomplishments played a huge role in the No. 2 Crew’s chase-opening win. It allowed Kes to charge from a P25 start all the way to Victory Lane, and it helped his tire changer when he faced a make-or-break decision after a pit road mishap.

But in the end, what it did most was motivate Brad to make the pass of the season, splitting two competitors to roar to victory.

“You couldn’t ask for a better way to start the Chase,” Brad said afterward. “It was phenomenal the way things played out. I’m not sure if we were the fastest car…but we just fought, we climbed and clawed. We just put it all together and that was very, very special.”

After victory came rather commandingly for BK and Co. in Richmond, the start to the weekend at Chicagoland ensured that the No. 2 team would not have it that easy as the Chase got underway.

Mother Nature gave the No. 2 team its first shot of adversity on Friday. After BK turned in a poor time in the first practice, qualifying was called off due to rain, and as a result, the Miller Lite Ford was stuck starting in 25th position. Still, the White Lite couldn’t be snuffed out. Within 25 laps of the green flag to start the race, Brad had made up 10 spots to P15, and moved to P13 before the first round of green-flag pit stops less than 50 laps in.

The No. 2 broke the Top 10 at lap 60, and BK kept moving forward from there. At lap 107, the Deuce grabbed the lead and held it for 39 laps until a caution flag flew at lap 182 of the 267-lap event.

On this stop, front tire changer Hunter Masling failed to tighten one of the wheels of the No. 2. Rather than trying to sweep the mistake under the rug, Masling alerted crew chief Paul Wolfe, and Brad came back down pit road to remedy the issue.

It looked like the miscue would end Brad’s hopes at victory, as it forced BK to restart in P16 and at the back of the field. However, the confident 2 Crew overcame the issue without worry. And after the race, Masling earned high praise for his actions from both Wolfe and car owner Roger Penske.

“The real winner today is the young man who changes the rear tire who put his hand up and said, ‘Hey I screwed up. The wheel might be loose.'” Penske said. “Paul had the guts to say, “Look were not gonna run it and find out, we’re gonna come in now.” Those were two of the critical calls.”

On the ensuing green-flag run, the No. 2 was white hot, as it burned through the field and up to P8 before the end of the pit cycle. Wolfe called for Brad to wait until the end of the cycle to head down pit road, and a caution came out while Kes was in the pits. The decision gave Brad four more spots, and with just 15 laps left, he was in third with the lead in his sights.

Eventual Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson and eventual Cup champion Kevin Harvick battled side-by-side for the lead, and Kes bided his time until an opening came. When the window creaked open, Brad darted between the No. 4 and the No. 42 and into first place.

“I just saw a hole and I went for it,” Brad said of his critical pass. “The 4 and the 42 were racing really hard and doing all the things they needed to. It just opened a hole. I didn’t know if my car would stick or not, but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t try it.”

One more caution came late in the race, forcing Brad to fend off Larson and his No. 42 Target Chevrolet, but from the inside line on the final restart, Kes rocketed to the lead and ran away with a comfortable victory.

The win locked Brad into the second round of the Chase and solidified the No. 2 team as one of the biggest title threats in the field.

“I want to enjoy the moment, and I feel conflicted because I know there are still nine weeks left to go,” Kes said. “We have a bit of a hall pass for the next two, which is great. But those other seven, nobody cares that we won at Chicago. It keeps resetting, and you have to reset yourself and keep developing the car and pushing as a team. So I want to be thankful for today, but I know there’s a long way to go. Today was about as much of a statement as you can make after one week, but there are nine weeks to go.”