Though they couldn’t come away with a victory to lock them into the Monster Energy Cup Series championship race, in many ways Brad Keselowski and his Wurth Ford Fusion can look at Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway as a win of sorts.
After all, the day nearly ended in catastrophe before BK and his team even got going. So finishing where they did, in the fifth position, was no small feat. And it gave Brad a 19-point cushion on the fourth and final championship spot.
“It was a long day for everybody on the Wurth Ford Fusion team,” Brad said of the AAA Texas 500. “This is the best we ran on a mile-and-a-half in some time, so I’m happy about that. I’m disappointed with the way the race started. It probably cost us 10 or more points, but I’m happy with the rebound.”
However, it wasn’t all good news for the 2 team at Texas. The race win by Kevin Harvick, along with a great points day from Martin Truex Jr. locking the No. 78 into the championship, leaves just that one spot left in the championship.
Brad currently holds that spot, but a win at Phoenix next week by one of the other four playoff drivers: Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott or Jimmie Johnson, would serve to knock Brad from title contention, regardless of his own result. That potential outcome will make for a heart-stopping weekend in the desert.
“We’ll need to go and have a solid race at Phoenix next week and hope none of the other guys win,” BK said. “It’s doable, but it’s going to be a nail-biter next week for sure.”
That edgy action will likely echo Sunday’s race. As it so often seems to in the NASCAR playoffs,
drama took its course early in the second race of the Round of 8.
Incidental contact between the No. 2 and the No. 18 car of Kyle Busch on the opening lap caused a flat tire on the Wurth machine, sending the Deuce, which started the race from P10, down pit road. After a frantic pit stop to change out the worn rubber, the 2 Crew got BK back out on the track. But he resumed the race one lap down, in 39th position, a long road ahead of him to get back to the front of the field.
However, staying focused with championship determination proved to be a recipe for success on Sunday for the No. 2 team. BK pushed forward through the 85-lap first segment, finishing it in P26 even though his Ford was loose on a corner entry and tight on exit. But Kes was clearly resolute to fight through any and all issues he encountered along the way on this day.
Early in the second segment, he caught his first break of the day, when a caution flag came out with the 2 as the first car one lap down. The lucky dog put him back on the lead lap and positioned him well to squeeze his way up to 14th position by the end of the second segment.
From there BK willed his Wurth Ford machine up to 11th position on Lap 178, then not only broke into the Top 10, but the Top 5 before Lap 200. Maintaining a Top 5 position from there on out proved to be a task he was up for, despite several late caution periods near the close of the race, which kept fans on the edge of their seats.
For BK, the fifth-place finish was a masterclass in overcoming adversity. And NBC Sports commentator Kyle Petty said it best regarding the heart of a champion show by the entire 2 Crew on Sunday.
“There are moments in every season and every career that you look at and say, ‘That is a championship level performance’. What Brad Keselowski, Paul Wolfe and that Penske team did today is championship level,” Petty. “They fought their way back.”
The Top 5 finish was BK’s 15th of the season, leaving him two shy of a career-high in that department. Despite earning no bonus points for leading laps or Top 10 stage finishes, Brad still solidified his grip on the fourth championship spot, as he’ll take a 19-point lead over fifth place Hamlin to Phoenix.
However, the looming prospect of a new race winner out of the Round of 8 contenders will keep things competitive from the first green flag through checkers at Phoenix. Coverage of the Can-Am 500 begins at 2 p.m. ET Sunday on NBC with the green flag scheduled to wave at 2:37 p.m. ET.