Getty Brad Keselowski practices for the Chicago Street Race.
Brad Keselowski has achieved a significant amount in his NASCAR Cup Series career. However, a road course win remains a big unchecked item on his list of goals.
The 2012 Cup Series champion has come close on multiple occasions. He has posted 11 top-10 finishes and seven top-fives in 39 starts on road courses. This includes three straight runner-ups at Watkins Glen International in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The 2012 race, in particular, saw Keselowski leading before Marcos Ambrose passed him on the final lap.
Marcos Ambrose versus Brad Keselowski in 2012. Still incredible.
“Yeah, it’s frustrating. I’ve had some really good cars,” Keselowski said during a press conference in Chicago. “I think we’re capable of winning, more so probably at The Glen than anywhere else. We had a really good road course car last year at Indianapolis, that I felt like maybe not as good but a good shot at winning with. And I’ve let a few of those chances slip away with mistakes that I’ve made.
“It can be frustrating and some of them circumstantial. At the end of the day, the burden falls on me to make that happen. It’s not the stat I want to have, for sure. But, the season is much bigger than that. You kind of roll with that and do what you can. I’ve certainly put a lot of time and effort into it with different things we’ve done, to try to find another level. It’s something I have to challenge myself with.”
Improving on Road Courses Has Been a Focus
GettyBrad Keselowski prepares for a race at Sonoma.
Keselowski has delivered some solid finishes on road courses throughout his career. This is the result of extensive work. He isn’t someone with a natural affinity for this style of track.
Keselowski has taken advantage of time in the simulator while trying to improve as a road course racer. He has also compared notes with his teammate, Chris Buescher, who has become a prominent name to watch during these events.
“It doesn’t come natural and it’s just a lot of work to put in,” Keselowski said. “Chris, It comes natural to him. It gives him such a huge advantage and puts him in a spot where he can take a weekend like this.
“I look at him and say that he’s one of the favorites to win. He’s got the natural talent to be able to pick these tracks up, immediately dissect them, and figure out what he needs to go faster and not put himself in risky positions.”
The Chicago Street Race Presents a Different Opportunity
The lack of a road course win is something that Keselowski wants to change. He won’t have the opportunity until heading to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August, but he can take on a different event on July 2.
The Chicago Street Race presents Keselowski with the opportunity to capture a different win. He can try to deliver a standout performance on the 2.2-mile, purpose-built street course and capture the unique trophy.
This will not be a simple task. The course is full of tricky areas that will test Keselowski and the other drivers. The tight turns, the manhole covers, and the different types of racing surfaces are prominent examples.
The two RFK Racing drivers delivered similar results during qualifying on the streets of Chicago. Buescher had the 15th-fastest time at 89.687 seconds while Keselowski had the 20th-fastest time at 89.878 seconds. This was not a major difference, but the field was so close together that it led to them lining up two rows apart.
Regardless of how Keselowski performs after starting near the middle of the pack, he has made it clear that the trip to Chicago is important for a different reason. It is something new, and it helps NASCAR grow as part of a series of calculated risks. This should only benefit the sport in the longterm.
“New is exciting. New is concerning,” Keselowski said. “I think there is a mixed bag of emotions, but I think it’s really important for the sport to try different things, to not be scared to fail. We will not grow at all as a sport if we’re overly scared of failing.
“That doesn’t mean we want to fail. It doesn’t mean we want to take reckless chances. But, this seems like a pretty calculated maneuver and a good piece of energy for our sport, and that’s always looking for something new and fresh to move it forward.”