Brad Keselowski claimed his second victory in a row and fifth for the season at Chicagoland Speedway in the opening race of the chase. With the victory he secured a spot in the Contender round of the run for the championship. The victory was the first for Ford Motor Company at Chicagoland Speedway.
When NASCAR announced the new Chase grid system, and the expansion to sixteen drivers, I immediately cringed. Sixteen drivers, in my opinion, is too many and it “waters down” the significance of the championship.
Jimmie Johnson’s team found a problem with his helmet’s cooling system that led to his dehydration following the race at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night. After an eighth place finish, as Johnson exited his car, he began experiencing leg cramps and dizziness. He was assisted to the infield care center where he received five liters of intravenous fluids.
Many fans seem to be disappointed in what they saw at Richmond over the weekend. Yes, we had two runaway races—Kyle Busch in the Nationwide race and Brad Keselowski in the Cup race, but there is a reason for that and it is something that many fail to understand. There are the haves and the have nots. The haves always win unless you’re at a road course or Daytona.
With only two more positions to be filled, and one race remaining, Saturday’s race at Richmond International Raceway held the promise of a no holds barred, fight to the finish. Instead it delivered an uneventful event but a dominant fourth win by Brad Keselowski who led 383 out of 400 laps. His fourth win also puts him atop the Chase Grid.
Brad Keselowski put a clinic on at the Richmond International Raceway Saturday night winning the Federated Auto Parts 400. Keselwoski beat Jeff Gordon to the finish line by .797 seconds for his fourth win of the season putting him at the front of the newly formatted Chase for the Sprint Cup grid. He led a whopping 383 of the 400 laps after starting from the pole.
Brad Keselowski won the Coors Light Pole Award at Richmond International Raceway for the Federated Auto Parts 400 with a 21.324 lap at 126.618 mph. It is his fourth pole of the season and the seventh career Sprint Cup pole for the Team Penske driver.
Atlanta Motor Speedway is good to Kevin Harvick as he takes his third Nationwide Series win of the year in the Great Clips 300 to Benefit Feed the Children. He started the race in eighth place but quickly took over the lead from pole winner Chase Elliott on lap 37 and he was gone, leading an incredible 159 laps out of the 195 lap race.
Alex Tagliani won the Keystone Light Pole Award and set a new track qualifying record at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park with a lap of 80.558 seconds at 109.889 mph. As he leads the field to green in Sunday’s Chevrolet Silverado 250 race, he will also be making his debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Heading into this weekend, Jamie McMurray is one of the drivers hoping to reach victory lane so that way he can stamp his ticket for the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup.