After finishing second at Richmond Raceway this spring, Brad Keselowski wished he had about 10 more laps to capture the win. This weekend, he’ll have another 400 trips around the 0.75-mile Virginia short track.
The Monster Energy Cup Series closes its regular season with the Federated Auto Parts 400, a 300-mile jaunt around the unique D-shaped oval, and the No. 2 Fitzgerald Glider Kits Ford Fusion driver is confident in his chances to add grab as many points as possible going into the Playoffs.
“Richmond has been a good track for us in the past,” BK said. “We led a ton of laps there a few years ago in winning the fall race, so we know what we need to do to be successful.”
The Cup circuit’s last trip to RR was a successful one for Team Penske, as Joey Logano and Brad executed a dominant one-two finish. Kes led 110 laps in the runner-up result—but that was just his fourth most laps led at Richmond.
“What we needed was about 10 more laps,” BK said this spring. “Wish this was a 410 or I’d take a 500. But it was a really good effort. I’m happy for my teammate and for Team Penske to get a one-two. Certainly wanted to win, but really pleased with the speed and the effort today.”
Brad started second and finished fourth, leading 114 laps in the spring 2014 running at America’s Premier Short Track. He led 142 after started third in the fall of 2013. And first on the list: he started first and finished first, leading 383 of 400 laps along the way to cap the 2014 regular season and enter the Chase playoffs as the No. 1 seed. For his career, Brad has led 764 laps at RR—more than any other track. For that, crew chief Paul Wolfe credits Kes’ aggressive style.
“Richmond is a fast short track that has a lot of challenges,” says the No. 2 crew chief. “It takes the right balance of having the car turn in the center without giving up forward drive off the corner. Richmond is a track where a driver can make a big difference and I feel that plays into our hands with Brad behind the wheel.”
While Brad won’t capture the No. 1 seed going into the 2017 Playoffs—that spot is firmly held by Martin Truex, who leads NASCAR with four wins and 17 stage wins for a whopping 37 points—he can still gain some ground in the standings. He’s currently fifth with 14 playoff points, and he trails Denny Hamlin in the regular-season point standings by 24 after Hamlin’s recent penalty.
The Federated Auto Parts 400 is set for a 7:30 p.m. ET green flag on Saturday, Sept. 9 and will air on NBC Sports Network.