The driver-owner for RFK Racing has just made some bold comments about the Next Gen stock cars. Brad Keselowski expressed some excitement while comparing one setup to the 2005 NASCAR Cup Series cars.
Keselowski made the comments to FOX Sports reporter Bob Pockrass on the second day of a test at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He explained that there is some difficulty involved with driving the new cars, something that several drivers showed with spins during the two-day test sessions. Keselowski then explained that the shorter spoilers felt like something from NASCAR history.
Keselowski: “We liked everything today just some more than others. … I’m pretty excited about it because the cars are significantly more difficult to drive. … If you make a mistake, the penalty is huge. … The 4-inch felt like it was 2005 Cup cars.”
The teams experimented with multiple setups during the sessions on December 15 and 17. They tested out 550-horsepower packages, as well as those with 670 horsepower. They also used both six-inch and four-inch center-mounted spoilers while trying to determine which aero package will provide the best racing in 2022.
“Next Gen, my view!” – @keselowski
Ride along with BK as he tests 670hp + 4″ spoiler in the final group run of the day.
Keselowski and RFK Racing provided a first-person view of the four-inch setup to cap off the action on Friday, December 17. The 2012 Cup Series champion took part in a group run around Charlotte Motor Speedway and carried a camera with him inside of the No. 6 Kohler Generators Ford Mustang.
Keselowski Raced in a Different Series in 2005
GettyKevin Harvick (left) and Martin Truex Jr. (right) race at Dover in 2005.
Keselowski did not begin racing in the Cup Series until the 2008 season and the Xfinity Series until 2006. He was actually in the midst of a full-time Truck Series season in 2005 while driving for Keselowski Motorsports — then known as K-Automotive Racing.
While he wasn’t active in the Cup Series, Keselowski was around the sport as several of the biggest names competed with each other on a weekly basis. 2005 is the season when Kevin Harvick drove the Reese’s car, Jeff Gordon won the Daytona 500, Carl Edwards did four victory backflips, and Tony Stewart won the championship for Joe Gibbs Racing. Rusty Wallace also retired after the season, ending a 26-year career with 706 Cup Series starts.
There is no guarantee that the Next Gen cars will take NASCAR back to this era defined by major stars and 15 different race winners, but Keselowski’s comments indicate that it is possible. Though NASCAR will first have to confirm that the four-inch spoiler will pair with the 670-horsepower setup at the majority of tracks.
Multiple Drivers Learned About the Mistakes
That was unexpected. 😳
There were several drivers that added authenticity to Keselowski’s comments during the sessions on December 15 and 17. They pushed the cars to the limits and then spun out to varying degrees.
Tyler Reddick had the most incidents during the two-day session. He slid into the pit-road sand barrels on Turn 4 during the Wednesday session. He then spun a few more times on Friday. Reddick later explained that the team was taking “pretty large swings” with the race car and that he was trying to get a gauge on the limits before the season begins.
Reddick was not the only Cup Series driver that spun at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Chase Elliott, William Byron, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Corey LaJoie all had incidents of their own for varying reasons. Stenhouse explained on Twitter that his spin occurred when the No. 47 gained a lot of downforce after Aric Almirola moved up the track, causing it to “snap” and spin down the track.
READ NEXT: FOX Sports’ Josh Sims Embraces Full-Time Move to NASCAR (EXCLUSIVE)
Comments
Brad Keselowski Turns Heads With Strong Next Gen Comments