That was the sentiment expressed by Brad Keselowski at the annual NASCAR Awards, held at the end of each season to honor the top drivers, and celebrate the Cup champion.

Winning does not define you as a professional athlete, handling defeat builds character and in Brad Keselowski’s memorable speech showcasing Martin Truex’s Jr. first championship, he displays the strong character that has made him so likable in NASCAR. Overall, NASCAR isn’t just won on the track, as Keselowski demonstrated via a humble speech to the champion of the 2017 season Martin Truex Jr.

The video below displays rivals Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski exchanging friendly jabs with the question, “What are you buying Brad Keselowski for Christmas?” at the 13:20 mark.

As the crowd erupts in laughter they amuse the crowd for a couple more seconds. 

Kurt Busch: I swear, that guy’s reading a road map as he’s driving.

Brad Keselowski: Is it a left?

Ryan Newman: Sometimes in the middle of the straightaway.

Watch NASCAR drivers roast each other during Champion's Week in Vegas

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NASCAR announced on Monday that fans will get a double-dose of racing action to open the 2018 season on Sunday, February 11, with The Advance Auto Parts Clash at Daytona International Speedway capping a day that starts with Coors Light Pole Award qualifying for the 60th Annual Daytona 500.

“A double-header, featuring The Clash and Daytona 500 qualifying, is a great way to start the 2018 season,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “The urgency created by the non-points race sets a tone for the season, providing a strong preview of the competition we expect will be a mainstay all year long.”

A star-studded lineup of elite drivers will battle in the 75-lap event which airs live on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at 3 p.m. ET. The annual preseason race will be run in two segments, with a competition caution at lap 25 separating the segments.

Consistent with the eligibility criteria used to determine last year’s Clash field, there is no pre-determined number of cars. The exclusive field is limited to drivers who were 2017 Coors Light Pole Award winners, former Clash race winners, former Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full-time in 2017 and drivers who qualified for the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Eligible drivers included all 14 Coors Light Pole Award winners from the 2017 season, a list that includes Brad Keselowski thanks to his pole award wins at Las Vegas and Michigan. The other 13 who qualified for the Clash based on pole award wins are:  Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Erik Jones, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Martin Truex Jr.

Additionally any former Daytona 500 Coors Light Pole Award Winners and 2017 Playoff drivers who didn’t win a pole award in 2017 are still qualified for the race. That adds six drivers to the field: Austin Dillon, Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman, bringing the total to 20. For the first time in years, they’ll race in the afternoon sunshine instead of under the lights at Daytona this coming February.

“For four decades, the Advance Auto Parts Clash has been a staple of the Speedweeks lineup,” Daytona International Speedway President Chip Wile said. “The event has a rich history and serves as a preview to the Can-Am Duel qualifying races and the DAYTONA 500. Combining the Advance Auto Parts Clash and DAYTONA 500 Qualifying on the same day will deliver race fans a full day of NASCAR action.”

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But after winning the first stage on Saturday night and avoiding two major wrecks, BK’s hopes of repeating last year’s win were dashed early as he was unable to avoid a third incident sparked by a spinning Kevin Harvick. After finishing 31st, Brad looked at the bright side: His team brought yet another win-worthy machine to the track and tacked on another point for the playoffs.

“Tonight was a ‘glass half full’ night,” he said. “We won another stage and picked up another playoff point, but I really thought we had a Detroit Genuine Parts Ford that could have won this race.”

Starting the unpredictable 400-mile event from third place, his track position allowed him to quickly work his way to the lead in the opening segment of the race. Claiming the lead on lap 5, he was able to maintain it when Stage 1 ended on lap 40.

Pitting under the Stage yellow, the 2 Crew wound up P10, behind those who stayed out and some others that only took two tires. With a Playoff point, and 10 Stage points under their belt already, they knew their driver has a fast car, but the track position became too much to overcome.

Once restarted on lap 47, BK held station right outside the Top 10. Riding there until a Jeffrey Earnhardt caution on lap 49, crew chief Paul Wolfe called in for a two-tire stop and to top off the tank with fuel.

The first Big One of Saturday night’s race wiped out some top running cars, nearly taking the Deuce along with it on lap 70.

Barely squeaking through the pileup, the Michigan native dodged another wreck 20 laps later. With attrition coming into play, Kes just had to survive to score a solid finish. The third multi-car incident struck on lap 102, and this time he couldn’t avoid it. Barely clipped in the right rear after Harvick went spinning, the DGP machine took a few spins with what appeared to be no worse than some flat-spotted Goodyear Eagles.

As it turned out, the damage was a bit worse. The rear quarterpanel was buckled to the point where it almost immediately sliced the right-rear tire. The issue forced the team to change right-side tires under green-flag conditions on lap 113, only five laps before the same tire blew out in turn 3, causing the car to crash by itself.

Leaving Daytona with a P31 finish after leading 35 laps, it certainly wasn’t the night the Miller 2 Crew wanted after showing so much promise. Credited by the driver as one of the most intense plate races in recent years, he attributes it to the rubber on the track.

“It was a much different race tonight that it has been in the past, particularly with the shorter stages and softer tires,” BK said.

Brad remained in fifth in the Monster Energy Cup Series standings, and thanks to his Stage 1 win, he’s tied with Kyle Larson for third with 13 playoff points.

Moving forward, the Team Penske crew looks ahead to another track where it can defend its crown: Kentucky Speedway. Brad was won three of the six Cup Series events at Kentucky, including last year’s running, and he’ll try to make it four on the second consecutive Saturday night race. The Quaker State 400 kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

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Beginning at this weekend’s NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), fans and families of service men and women can visit CheckeredFlagFoundation.org to nominate a person that has sacrificed for our country. Nominees will have their name displayed on the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) race at Phoenix on November 12, Veterans Day weekend across the United States. The special promotion will run through the MENCS regular-season finale at Richmond International Raceway on September 9.

The cost is $100 per nomination, which is fully tax-deductible, and all proceeds go to the Checkered Flag Foundation. In addition to being recognized on the race car, each nominee will receive a piece of the No. 2 Ford Fusion’s sheet metal that shows their name, along with a photo of the car and a letter of thanks from Keselowski. Fans can use the social media hashtag, #Tribute2Veterans, to highlight their nominee online as well.

“The Checkered Flag Foundation (CFF) celebrates veterans and they work to not only honor them but hopefully enrich their lives through various programs,” said Keselowski. “This unique fundraiser will go directly to those programs, while also providing a one-of-a-kind experience to have veterans virtually ride along with me at Phoenix as we try to earn a trip to the Championship 4 the following weekend at Homestead. Whether through the CFF or the Team Penske relationship with the Paralyzed Veterans of America, we are always looking for ways to give back to those that have helped defend our freedom. I think this is another great example of partners working together for a great cause.”

Keselowski is proud of his patriotism, and to make this holiday weekend even more special, the 2012 MENCS champion and last year’s Coke Zero 400 race winner has teamed up with DIS to provide 200 race tickets for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 to local military members and their families. The group will be treated to a private meet and greet with Keselowski and DIS president Chip Wile prior to the race.

“Brad Keselowski has always been a big supporter of our Armed Forces,” said Wile. “It’s great to see last year’s Coke Zero 400 champion utilizing Daytona International Speedway and this July 4th race weekend as a platform to have local military personnel enjoy the excitement of NASCAR on the high banks.”

About Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation

Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation honors and assists those who have sacrificed greatly for our country. Since 2010, the foundation has supported over 50 organizations and individuals in order to help veterans and first responders during their road to recovery. There are numerous ways for those interested to become involved. Visit www.CheckeredFlagFoundation.org for details.

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As is his custom, Kes grabbed the American Flag for a last year’s 4th of July weekend celebration, and he’s excited for the opportunity to once again do a Star Spangled burnout at the sport’s most famous track.

“It’s awesome to be able to celebrate our country’s independence down in Daytona Beach at one of the most important tracks to NASCAR,” BK said. “It’s a Saturday night race, which everyone seems to enjoy, both drivers and fans.”

Bouncing off an unexpected P3 finish last week, his best ever at Sonoma Raceway, Kes looks to keep the hot streak alive under the lights in Daytona. And as the defending winner of the Coke Zero 400, Kes wants nothing more than to extend his restrictor plate legacy. Qualifying fifth in 2016, it only took nine laps for the No. 2 to become No. 1—a spot he held for 115 of 160 laps, including the last one.

While it was the Michigan driver’s fifth career restrictor plate win, it was the first on Daytona’s 2.5-mile circuit.

“I doubted myself here, and we came here for the 500, and quite honestly, we ran like dog crap,” BK said a year ago. “My team worked on it. I didn’t give up on them. I believed in them and they went to work and put together a better car and it really showed today with a great effort for our whole team. I’m really proud of everybody.”

Back behind the wheel of the Detroit Genuine Parts Ford this weekend, which he brought to Victory Lane in last year’s Coke Zero 400, Brad hopes to keep the strong results alive with the scheme. Since last year’s DIS breakthrough, BK wheeled the car once at Richmond in the spring, scoring a P2 finish and a Stage win while leading over a quarter of the race.

While Brad will be looking for just his second win at Daytona, he’ll be in search of his sixth restrictor-plate victory. With four wins to his name at Daytona’s sister track, Talladega Superspeedway, the 2012 Champion says there is less to carry over than most think, recognizing the nuances that separate the two tracks.

“I think Daytona and Talladega have long been two different tracks,” Kes says. “It is wider and a lot harder to block and control the pace at Talladega. That is not a bad thing.”

Most importantly, Brad’s goal this weekend is to display our nation’s colors. As the race falls on Fourth of July weekend, the ever-patriotic driver embraces his chance to proudly wave the Red, White, and Blue under the lights at Daytona.

“I like to think that I’m a pretty patriotic guy,” he says.

The 17th race of 2017 marks the transition to the NBC family of networks, as NBC will broadcast the Coke Zero 400 live. Tune into the action on Saturday, July 1, at 7 p.m. ET and see if BK can go back-to-back in Daytona’s summer race.

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BK led two laps and was among the strongest cars in the field in the early going. However, a wreck on lap 143 of the 200-circuit Monster Energy Cup Series opener snapped the track bar of the No. 2, resulting in a 27th-place finish for Keselowski.

“We were running really well, right up at the front where we needed to be to be in contention for a solid finish and hopefully a win with the Miller Lite Ford,” Brad said. “We had just pitted to make sure we wouldn’t get caught on strategy and all that but I guess everybody decided to wreck on the restart. That is unfortunate.”

Kes earned a seventh-place start after finishing fourth in the Can-Am Duel 1. He quickly drafted his way up into the lead pack, finishing the 60-lap opening stage in fourth place.

Brad pitted for the first time during the 2017 season during this break, taking four fresh tires and coming off in the 12th position. He reported that he was happy with the way the White Lite was running.

Late in the race, the Team Penske restrictor plate magic began to show. Kes linked up with teammates Joey Logano and Ryan Blaney to draft into the Top 10, but the second major wreck of the day followed.

BK managed to avoid the first two big wrecks of the day, and he nearly avoided the third, but he was caught just before he could skirt away from danger at lap 143.

“I just had nowhere to go after everyone started wrecking, but I almost made it through,” Brad said. “We will get through it and go on to Atlanta. We did the best we could and controlled everything we could control on our own today.”

Had he avoided that wreck, there’s little doubt that Brad would’ve been in contention for the win. Logano finished sixth, while Blaney went on to finish second, just two-tenths of a second behind race winner Kurt Busch.

After finishing both the first and second segment in the fourth position, Brad collected 24 points at Daytona, putting him at 12th in the Monster Cup standings with 31 points.

NEXT UP

The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series now heads to Hampton, Ga. for the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

BK has scored consecutive ninth-place finishes at AMS, the first 1.5-mile track of this season. He’ll once again don the AutoTrader colors for the second full points event of the season.

The race is set for a 2:30 p.m. ET start and will air on FOX Sports 1.

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BK finished fourth in the Can-Am Duel 1, leading three times for a race-high 28 laps. With that in mind, the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion driver came away disappointed that he didn’t bring home a victory, though the strong showing bodes well for Sunday’s main event.

“It was a solid night for the Miller Lite Ford,” Brad said. “We had some good speed and learned some more things about this car. There’s always something to be learned. We had some good speed. We led a lot of laps. Most importantly, we took our best car and brought it home in one piece. We still wanted to win.”  

BK’S RESTRICTOR PLATE LEGACY

The Deuce has been running strong all throughout Daytona Speedweeks, and BK looks poised to add to his stellar restrictor-plate resume. In his last start at Daytona International Speedway, Brad won the Coke Zero 400—his first win at the historic track.

“I don’t care that it’s not the 500—It’s Daytona,” he says. “It’s huge. I love this place and here we are in Victory Lane with the Detroit Genuine Parts Ford. It’s amazing. It was a great effort for our whole team. I’m really proud of everybody.”

Now, it is the 500, and BK is ready to make the statement once and for all that he is the driver to beat on restrictor-plate tracks. With a summer win at Daytona, as well as four wins at Talladega Superspeedway (three spring and one fall), the Daytona 500 is the only restrictor-plate race remaining on the checklist.

Kes has already shown this week that he won’t let anyone stand in the way of a Daytona 500 victory. In Sunday’s Advanced Auto Parts Clash, Brad sent Denny Hamlin spinning while making a pass for the lead. Afterward, he made sure his message was heard.

“It is the Clash. It’s not the 500,” Brad said. “I guarantee he knows and everyone else who’s watching today, that I’m going to make that move again and you better move out or you’re going to end up wrecked.”

THE PENSKE PLAN

Team Penske’s No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford driver Joey Logano went on to win the Clash, and he spoke leading up to the 500 about the Penske duo’s clever strategy, which Brad coined “island-hopping.”

They used it to perfection at the Clash, and they’re ready to do it again in the 500.

“The side-draft is huge, like it’s always been. Brad is probably the best at doing that leapfrog or what he calls the ‘island hopping,’ whatever you want to call it, and we were able to pull them apart and get in a hole and pull another one apart and get in the hole,” Logano said. “He’s really good at that, probably better than anybody at it, so he was the right guy at the right time. It was the perfect storm.”

BK and JL combined to win two of the last four Daytona races, as well as three straight Talladega races, as they’ve been the team to beat at Daytona and Talladega.

“I love studying military history and World war II and how they island-hopped to Japan,” Brad said. “That’s what the Toyotas are forcing everyone to do. They have enough strength in numbers, they have six quality cars that they can create strength by having multiple cars…So they only way you can beat them is to island-hop. You have to take one car at a time, destroy it (separate it from the rest via the side-draft) and go to the next one until you get to the main prize, which is, obviously, first.”

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

Often times, strong starting positions are undervalued at restrictor-plate tracks due to the regular shuffling on the leaderboard throughout the race, but lately, Brad has shown that track position matters.

Kes started fifth in his Daytona win last July, as well as in his 2014 Talladega victory. His 2016 spring win at ‘Dega came from a seventh-place start, and he nearly won from second place in the fall, leading 90 laps before his engine expired.

Thanks to a fourth-place finish in the Duel, BK will start seventh, once again within striking distance at Daytona. The last two Daytona 500s have been tough for the No. 2 team, but Kes is confident they can turn that around this weekend.

“Last year, we ran really good in the (Clash) and we were terrible in the 500 and it was really disappointing, to be honest,” Brad said.  “But this year I think we’ve learned a lot from that and have applied it and our car seems to be a lot better for the 500 than even for the (Chase), so I’m excited about it. I’m ready to go.”

Green flag is set for 2:31 p.m. ET and will air on FOX.

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The Monster Energy Cup Series kicked off its 2017 season with a non-points exhibition, but that didn’t make for any less drama and excitement on the 2.5-mile restrictor-plate track.

After taking the white flag, Brad used a big draft from teammate Joey Logano to make a pass attempt on leader Denny Hamlin in the middle of turns one and two, but the No. 11 Toyota blocked the No. 2 SKF Ford Fusion. No caution flag flew, as Hamlin spun out but later regained control. Meanwhile, the loss of momentum ended BK’s chances at a victory as he drifted back to sixth.

Neither BK nor Hamlin were upset after the race, but afterward Brad reiterated the message he sent on the track.

“It is the Clash. It’s not the 500,” Brad said. “I guarantee he knows and everyone else who’s watching today, that I’m going to make that move again and you better move out or you’re going to end up wrecked.”

Logano followed BK right past Hamlin and into the lead, claiming another restrictor-plate triumph for Team Penske.

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