The second event of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup brings the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion team north to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, a venue where Brad Keselowski has reached the pinnacle of Victory Lane.
BK holds one win, in the 2014 summer event, at Loudon, and his Team Penske teammate Joey Logano won the fall running the very same year, giving the No. 2 and the No. 22 teams confidence going into Sunday’s Bad Boy Off Road 300.
“Both Joey (Logano) and myself have won races at Loudon so we know what it takes,” Brad said.
While a win at The Magic Mile is the sure key to advancing to the Round of 12, BK realizes that winning isn’t necessary to move forward in the Chase. He finished fifth last week in the Chase opener at Chicagoland Speedway, and he’s sitting pretty at No. 2 on the Chase Grid, behind only last week’s race winner, Martin Truex Jr. In solid standing, 22 points head of the 13th-place cutline, Brad knows that another solid finish will be a major boost to his hopes of advancing.
“The first round of the Chase isn’t about going out there and going for broke to get a win,” he said. “It’s about building a strong foundation for the rest of the Chase, working on your speed so you can be ready when it matters.”
In his 14 NHMS starts, Kes has certainly posted some respectable numbers. He has tallied three Coors Light Pole awards throughout his career, more than any other track. The first of those three came in 2010 as the first in his Cup career. BK’s average start in Loudon is 11.5, and he’s started inside the Top 10 in six of his last seven starts. He’ll look to keep that trend going at a venue that puts passing at a premium, making starting position critical to success. Fortunately, he knows how to get it done on The Magic Mile. He won the pole during the 2014 Chase race with track-record 140.598 mph lap.
He’s traditionally been a bit better during the summer running at Loudon, posting two runner-up results, a fourth, and a fifth place, and of course that 2014 victory. One of the signature wins of his career, driving the No. 2 Redd’s Apple Ale Ford, he started from P7, but quickly proved he had the car to beat. Leading 138 of 305 laps, his Deuce drove through the field better than any other racecar on the track.
This weekend, Kes will have a major advantage on top of the pit box in the form of crew chief Paul Wolfe, who made several starts at the northeastern track as a driver. With a majority of his starts coming in the current configuration of the track, his knowledge will be more valuable than ever on Sunday. In his lone XFINITY start dating back to 2004, he ended up in a respectable 12th place. But in his K&N Pro Series East starts, Wolfe had posted a second, third, and a pair of fifth place finishes, while leading 137 laps.
NHMS races have a tendency to result in a fuel saving situation, and Keselowski has to be confident in his ability, as well as Wolfe calling the shots for him. The pair hasn’t wavered on their strategy for this round. While they’d love a win, they won’t risk ruining a solid day by being overly aggressive.
“We got off to a strong start at Chicagoland last weekend,” he said. “It wasn’t flashy or spectacular, but the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford was definitely fast and we ran in the top five all day. It’s exactly what we needed to do going into New Hampshire this weekend.”
In his most recent start at a short, flat track, Brad crossed in fourth at Richmond International Raceway. That finish has the 2 Crew on a high note heading into Loudon despite rough outings of P12 and P15 in their last two NHMS starts.
“New Hampshire had long been one of our best tracks, but the last two races haven’t gone the way we would like,” Brad said. “I thought we were strong at Richmond a couple of weeks ago, so that gives me confidence that we can have another solid weekend at Loudon to put ourselves in a good position to transfer to the next round.”
Brad was 12th on the board after the first practice session Friday morning. Logano wasn’t far behind in 13th. Qualifying is set for 4:45 p.m. ET Friday. Two more practice session follow Saturday at 9 and 11:30 a.m. ET.
Tune into the Bad Boy Off Road 300 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network and see if Brad can work his way into the next round of Chase competition.
Trucks Enter the First Round of Chase Competiton
For Daniel Hemric and his No. 19 Blue Gate Bank F-150 team, the Chase is on. The event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway marks the first Chase race in Camping World Truck Series history, and Hemric looks to perform like he has all season.
“I’m really excited to be kicking off the Chase at New Hampshire Motor Speedway,” he said. “We’re bringing a truck I feel really good about, and I think we are exceptionally prepared going into this race.”
In his first NHMS start just last year, the North Carolinian posted a sixth place result—but in 10 of 16 races so far this season, Hemric has bested his result from last season. Even more impressive are the results in his last four races: a trio of thirds, followed by his career best finish in second to clinch his spot in the postseason. Now, the No. 19 team is locked in on executing in each of these final seven races.
“Our team has been looking ahead and preparing for these final seven races all year, because, ultimately, that trophy depends on them,” Hemric said. “I’m looking at each round of the Chase as a mini point season: we’re coming into each and every race looking to win, but we have to play it smart in each round and not make any big mistakes that could take us totally out of contention.”
Tyler Reddick just missed the Chase field this year, but still plans on going out and scoring his first victory of the year in the No. 29 Cooper Standard Ford. In Reddick’s two Loudon starts, he has posted a best result of eighth in 2014, and a misleading 15th place one year ago. Running well within the Top 10, the California Kid went for a pass, and misjudged it slightly, spinning out underneath a competitor. Focusing on the task at hand this year, he knows qualifying is crucial to success at the Magic Mile.
“Track position is very important at New Hampshire. Whoever can qualify well and stay up front the whole race is usually is in contention for the win. It’s difficult to make a pass on the bottom because it’s flatter than the middle groove where most people run. You have to be smart, because one mistake can make or break your entire race. New Hampshire has long, sweeping corners and the track drives like a short track. It’s going to be important to be able to drive up off the corners and that’s going to be our primary focus with the Cooper Standard Ford F-150.”
The Camping World Truck Series Chase premiere, the UNOH 175, kicks off on Saturday September 24th at 1p.m. ET, airing live on FOX Sports 1.