Brad Keselowski
Top 15 Power Rankings After Michigan
Remember when all anyone could talk about was the fact Jimmie Johnson hadn’t won a race yet in 2014, and he kept saying over and over again not to worry? Looks like he was right. Johnson played the late-race pit strategy perfectly en route to his first career win at Michigan and third overall in …
Thinkin’ Out Loud: Quicken Loans 400
Key Moment – On lap 150, caution period pit stops took place for the last time. Jimmie Johnson, Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jamie McMurray stayed out. They would pit with 35 or so laps to go and run the remainder of the laps to the finish. That strategy paid off in top …
Best Bet in Brooklyn is Junior’s Michigan Magic
As the Sprint Cup Series heads off to Michigan International Speedway, it’s certainly possible Dale Earnhardt, Jr. could post back-to-back victories for the first time in his career. Having capitalized on a mistake by Brad Keselowski, the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet knocked Pocono off of the list of tracks he’d never won at, …
Who’s Hot / Who’s Not in NASCAR Sprint Cup: Pocono-Michigan Edition
In many ways, the Sprint Cup Series’ venture to the Pocono Mountains was a microcosm of the season to date. There was a singular figure who led many a lap, multi-time champions finding ways to struggle, and frontrunners succumbing because of the not-so-alive half the alliance between man and machine. The end result was very …
Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2014 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega
Key Moment – On lap 137, Brad Keselowski, who was already six laps down thanks to an incident with Danica Patrick on lap 14 while going for the lead, spun in front of the field while trying to get his lap back the old fashioned way. At the time he and Jamie McMurray were the only two cars not on the …
The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega
Some drivers just sneak up on you, and so far in 2014, Brian Vickers has been one of those drivers. He’s quietly put together some strong runs, including his fourth-place finish in Talladega this week. Vickers wasn’t totally stealthy on Sunday; he did lead three times during the race. The No. 55 team does still have some holes to patch (they’re not yet consistent enough to be a title threat), but Vickers sits 10th in points. That’s ahead of race winners Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, as well as three-time champion Tony Stewart and teammate Clint Bowyer. Vickers still needs to win to lock down a Chase spot, but he’s making a case for that happening.
The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond
Kyle Larson continued to show that he’s not only a threat for Rookie of the Year honors, but also for winning. Larson got the top starting spot by virtue of his practice speed after qualifying was rained out, part of showing speed and prowess all weekend long. Unfortunately for Larson, he got tagged by Bowyer on the first lap of the race which dropped him to the rear of the field. Larson was able to recover somewhat to finish 16th, still good for Rookie of the Race honors, but clearly lacked the confidence and speed to get back to the front after that moment.
Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2014 STP 500 at Martinsville
Key Moment – The caution flew with 40 laps to go. Teams came to pit road with Clint Bowyer in the lead, but Jimmie Johnson had it when the pit stops completed, a slow stop on the right-rear dooming the No. 15 Toyota to mid-pack. Kurt Busch came out in the third spot, which let …
The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 STP 500 at Martinsville
During a week when the sport was mourning a loss in its Royal Family, the family race team shone through. Richard Petty Motorsports honored their boss’s wife Lynda, who passed away last week, in the best way a racer can: by putting together a great performance on track. Marcos Ambrose led 22 laps en route to a top-five run Sunday, his best result ever at Martinsville. Meanwhile, driving an STP-sponsored car that harkened back to the days of Richard Petty behind the wheel, Aric Almirola drove from a 20th-place start to finish eighth. Somewhere, the Queen, “Mrs. Lynda,” is smiling.