Getty Brad Keselowski arrives for the Daytona 500 on February 20.
Brad Keselowski’s first Daytona 500 with RFK Racing has taken center stage in a new YouTube documentary. The NASCAR Cup Series champion addressed the race, his move to RFK Racing, and some contact that led to on-track incidents.
The new documentary, “6 Days in Daytona,” focused on several aspects of the trip to Florida for the Crown Jewel race, including the RFK Racing sweep during the Bluegreen Vacation Duel races. There was also a significant portion addressing criticism of the pushes from Keselowski that led to wrecks featuring Harrison Burton, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and other drivers.
“Brad the driver is a risk-taker,” Keselowski said in the documentary. “I feel like I try to take calculated risks at all times. Sometimes they work out, sometimes they don’t.”
“Brad describes himself as a risk-taker behind the wheel,” added Matt McCall, crew chief of the No. 6. “To me, that makes it easier, right? Because it’s a lot easier to put the reins on someone that’s pushing and fast than it is to try to whip them to get more out of the vehicle. I think that makes the job easier, for sure.”
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McCall Addressed 1 Incident Between Keselowski & Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
There were some strong comments about the aggressiveness of Keselowski during and after the Daytona 500. Denny Hamlin said that “Brad was just insistent on pushing at all costs” while analyst Clint Bowyer said he felt like it was “pretty aggressive pushing” coming off a corner.
Stenhouse had comments of his own after an incident ended his day with six laps remaining. The driver of the No. 47 told FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass that Keselowski “tried to wreck everybody in the field until he won” while his crew chief, Brian Pattie, had a heated conversation with McCall.
“When the 47 spun off our nose, we weren’t even up to speed yet, so I don’t really know what to take out of that,” McCall said in the documentary. “The crew chief came down — Brian Pattie — and I guess he thinks I was driving the car and he was driving the other one. I don’t really know.
“It seems like he was upset. I get it, you think you’re going to win, but in all reality, it didn’t appear to me that they were going to win. He was speaking a different language from a distance.”
Growth Remains a Focus for RFK Racing
Two races are complete, and there are 34 points-paying events remaining on the schedule. Keselowski has every intention of getting both himself and teammate Chris Buescher into the playoffs, but he also has bigger goals in mind.
As he explained in the YouTube documentary, he wants to look back on RFK Racing and see that the team was continuously capable of winning every race and contending for the championship each year. He specifically mentioned both cars.
Keselowski kicked off his season with a ninth-place finish in the Daytona 500 while Buescher ended his day 16th overall. The trip to Fontana, however, led to finishes outside of the top-25 for both drivers, but they will have an opportunity to rebound at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Buescher has 10 total starts at the 1.5-mile track in Nevada with a ninth-place finish in 2020 as a career-best performance. Though he has seven total top-20 runs at LVMS in his Cup Series career.
Keselowski has achieved more success in the state of Nevada. He has 17 total starts with three wins to his name, as well as an average finish of 10.6. He most recently visited Victory Lane during the 2018 playoffs, but he will strive to make a return trip with his new team.
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