Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Friday, February 28, 2020
EVENT: NASCAR Cup Series Media Availability
BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang
IF GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO RACE A TRUCK FOR THIS BOUNTY THAT IS OUT THERE, WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED? “Yeah, whether it was with a bounty or without a bounty I would love to run Truck Series races. It just hasn’t presented itself with a feasible opportunity. I have been looking at it for the last two or three years since my team, I did have the team that competed in the series and was able to run a handful here and there. As far as I am aware there aren’t really any opportunities to get in a truck that is capable of winning so that hasn’t been a reality. I am glad to see the things that Kevin (Harvick) said and all that kind of spur into some good energy for the sport. That is a good thing for all of us and specifically that series.”
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE LEVEL OF NEXT WEEK’S RACE AT PHOENIX? “I think it is as important as it has ever been, probably the most important. There are a lot of questions I have about the PJ-1. They are putting it down, will the put it down in the fall? That could potentially make it not as important if they change what they are going to do there. That should be pretty interesting to see how it plays out. I think we would all like to believe that if you go out and win the Phoenix spring race that you will go out and win the fall race but a lot of things can change between now and then. Maybe less so than before though. There is a supposed technology freeze and you aren’t supposed to be able to make your cars any different throughout the season. I would say it is a pretty good tell tale.”
IF WHATEVER THEY DO WITH THE PJ-1, DO YOU WANT THEM TO FREEZE THAT AND HAVE IT THE SAME IN THE FALL? “I am not sure how I feel about it. Probably if I win, yeah (laughing). If I don’t, then they should definitely change that.”
YOU HAD A SECOND PLACE FINISH AT PHOENIX UNDER THE CONFIGURATION THAT IS PROBABLY CLOSEST TO WHAT WE ARE GOING TO RUN. DID THAT GIVE YOU ANY CONFIDENCE GOING THERE? “We ran really well there the last two times. Last fall we ran really strong and lost a cylinder and the spring race we ran really strong and got a flat tire. It has just kind of been a track where for whatever reason we have just been a little snakebit. Hopefully that will turn around.”
THEY ARE DOING A NEXTGEN TEST HERE MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ARE YOU ITCHING TO GET IN ONE OF THOSE CARS ARE DO YOU WANT IT CLOSER TO WHAT IT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE BEFORE YOU GET IN IT? “I want to drive it for sure but I would rather wait until it is a little more proven out. That opportunity will come in the late summer and fall and until then I will just kind of keep an eye on it, one eye on it, and see how it goes.”
ARE YOU KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT NASCAR IS LEARNING FROM WHATEVER THEY ARE SEEING FROM THE NEWMAN CRASH? “Nobody has shared anything with us yet but I am looking forward to seeing whatever it is they have when they are ready.”
DO YOU THINK THAT AREA NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED? YOU SEE RYAN WALK OUT BUT YOU SEE THAT DRIVER COMPARTMENT WHEN IT GETS HIT: “I could make a lot of guesses but I don’t really know what happened because nobody has told us. I could probably make some educated guesses but they are still guesses. I would like to know more before I form an option. I know as much as you do, or probably less. I think all the references I have had is a few pictures. NASCAR has been clear that they want to do the full deal and dive in before they share anything and I respect that as long as it is timely.”
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE HARVICK BOUNTY? “I think it is fun. I think it is healthy to generate some attention to that series. I think it is probably what the series needs to maybe respect a little more what Kyle has done as an owner. I can see that he has put millions of dollars in it, probably 10;s of millions of dollars in it. With respect to that, I think there are some people that want to downplay the success that he has had and maybe not give him credit for the investment he has made but I am not in that camp. I think it is interesting because I think he probably gets more credit than he deserves as a driver and less credit than he deserves as an owner which is a bit peculiar. I think this might be what he needs to get more credit as an owner.”
