Ford Performance NSCS Notes and Quotes
Quaker State 400 Advance – Kentucky Speedway
Friday, July 10, 2015
Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion, will start second in tomorrow night’s scheduled Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway after qualifying was cancelled earlier today. He came to the infield media center to talk about the new rules package and what to expect in the race.
BRAD KESELOWSKI – No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion – HOW IS YOUR CAR? “First off, second in both races with the XFINITY and Cup car. I felt like we had a shot at the pole in both races and didn’t get to qualify, so I’m a little bummed about that, but I’m happy with the speed that we’ve shown so far. The Cup car is really, really good. It looks like the 18 car is pretty good, too. A little bit more practice to get it a little bit closer, we still have a lot we can work on, so we’re just kind of getting a handle on the different tire that Goodyear has this year compared to last and the different aero package that everyone has been speaking of this week for this specific track. So far, I think we’re off to a good start. Of course, that’s a little self-serving because we’re fast, but I’m looking forward to finding out fully when we get to race time.”
HOW MUCH MORE IMPORTANT IS TONIGHT’S RACE AS FAR AS WHAT YOU MIGHT LEARN FOR TOMORROW? “Usually, when we come here to Kentucky all three series run every year, but by the time the Cup cars get to the track the XFINITY cars and trucks have put down a fair amount of rubber and the track is really in what I would call race condition before we even start. That hasn’t been the case so far because the rain has washed the rubber away, so the cars right now aren’t handling necessarily the way they’re gonna handle in race conditions. So the more time we get the better to try and get as close as we can to race conditions as the track continues to take rubber but then the rain continues to wash it off, so it’s been this see-saw battle, which I’m sure you guys are all aware of because you’re going through the same thing. But the more track time you can get, the greater understanding you can have of what it’s gonna take come tomorrow.”
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THE SENSATION IS INSIDE THE CAR WITH THIS NEW PACKAGE AND WILL IT DECREASE THE CORNER SPEEDS? “First off, how to explain the difference in how the car handles. The car has less grip, and the easiest way to explain that to someone is if you’re from somewhere where it snows it’s the difference between driving in great conditions and driving with a little bit of snow on the road. You have to be more cognizant. If you get into a slide, it’s gonna take longer to recover and it takes more skill in those situations than it does car performance – more driver skill. And I think that’s why the drivers have been fighting so hard for a package of this type because we’re of the opinion that we would like to dictate the winners and losers of the race based on driver talent and perhaps not some of the peripheral items that come into play in a race. So this package is definitely leaning towards having that possibility. Certainly, the car’s performance will always play a role in who wins and who loses a race, but it feels slightly less significant, which I think is a good thing in general. I want to be able to look a fan in the eye after a race that I’ve won and tell him, ‘I had a great car, but I drove a great race, too.’ And to do that the driver has to play a role in it and this is an increased role for the driver. So that’s very good in my opinion and I’m very happy with it. Certainly the car is a little harder to drive. It’s a race car. It should be hard to drive. It shouldn’t be just point and play. This isn’t a video game, nor should it be. So I’m very happy with the package and what I’ve seen so far. As far as corner speed, it feels a little slower to me. It will feel a lot faster if something happens, but I think it might be a little bit too early to give a great answer with the track not being fully conditioned and not being in race mode as it pertains to traffic and so forth. But my guess is it will be, at the very least, a decrease in speed, if not a significant decrease come race time from what we’ve seen here in years past.”
