A rough weekend at Texas Motor Speedway brings Brad Keselowski to the penultimate race of the 2016-17 season at Phoenix International Raceway, where he hopes to add to his win total and climb up the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings in the Can-Am 500.
The No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion driver is No. 10 in the point standings, second among drivers out of championship contention. He boasts four wins and 16 Top 5s on the season, giving him a solid shot at his two remaining goals: lead the series in wins and finish fifth in points.
“It does matter to me,” Brad said of the final standings. “I don’t agree with that claim that points position doesn’t matter at all.”
In his 14 Phoenix races, Kes is yet to visit Victory Lane, but he’s been right there, finishing in the Top 5 four times. His most memorable trip to PIR came in the fall of 2012 in the thick of a championship battle with Jimmie Johnson. Johnson, who had a tire let go on the exit of turn four, made hard contact with the frontstretch wall. Entering the race in a points deficit, the No. 48’s misfortune became a blessing for the No.2 team as they soon after took the championship points lead.
While Johnson’s day was over, it didn’t mean BK was in the clear either — he still needed to finish the race in a decent position. After slight contact from a huge accident on the final lap, he was able to leave the desert with a sixth-place finish and a lead that carried him through Homestead.
That came as part of an eight-race streak of finishes of 11th or better for the No. 2 Miller Lite team.
“Phoenix has been a pretty good track for us the last half dozen or so times we’ve run it,” he said. “We’ve run up front, led laps, or at least been solid Top 5, solid Top 10s and we want to keep that streak going.”
The streak ended this spring in Phoenix, but the 2 Crew’s streak of strength in the desert didn’t. Brad looked bound for a Top 10 in his most recent trip to Phoenix. However, a blown left-rear tire bit the Yellow Deuce, leaving with a 29th-place finish.
“The Alliance Truck Parts Fusion was probably about a 10th place car, but you never know how things would have played out without the tire issue,” he said on the day.
At the Cup circuit’s most recent short track in Martinsville, Brad’s second-place finish, and outstanding long-run speed surely provides a boost of confidence. Matched with a pair of fourth-place finishes in the two most recent mile-long tracks at New Hampshire and Dover, the Team Penske’s short-track program is among the best in the Cup field.
While six drivers will be battling for the final two spots in next week’s Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Brad will be racing for a win and points at PIR. The Can-Am 500 is slated to take the green flag on Sunday, Nov. 13, at 2:30 p.m. ET live on NBC, with grid setting qualifications taking place on Friday, Nov. 11 at 6:45 p.m. ET, live on NBC Sports Network.