News

THE RACE

History  300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-mile speedway, Concord, NC)
Saturday, May 24, 2014

THE RESULTS

The No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang
Driiver: Brad Keselowski
Starting Position: 2
Finish Position: 2
Owner's Points Position: 2

THE RACE REVIEW
    
· Making just his fourth NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) start of the 2014 season, Keselowski qualified on the front-row, starting from the second position.

· Over the opening laps of the 200-lap event, Keselowski slipped back to fifth, which would be the lowest he would run all afternoon long.

· By lap 15, Keselowski worked his way up to third and held that position until the first caution and pit stop. The 2010 NNS Champion reported that his Ford Mustang was a little free on entry to in turn one and a little free on exit in turn four, but overall pretty good.

· As the race wore on, the Discount Tire machine would hold a steady presence in the top-three for the rest of the afternoon.

· Keselowski led 22 laps in the mid portion of the race before slipping back to second at lap 119.

· Late in the race, Keselowski reported that the Discount Tire Ford was becoming progressively looser and that he just didn’t have enough car to challenge eventual race winner, Kyle Larson.

· The last 29 laps of the 300-mile race were contested under green flag conditions and Keselowski tried everything he could to chase down Larson, but had to settle for a second-place finish.

· The result marks the fourth consecutive top-three finish for Keselowski in the No. 22 Discount Tire machine to start the season. The finish allows the No. 22 to hold down the second position in the Owners’ point standings, trailing the No. 54 of JGR by 42 points.
    

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING

BRAD KESELOWSKI, NO. 22 DISCOUNT TIRE FORD MUSTANG

HOW DIFFICULT WAS LAPPED TRAFFIC TODAY?

“It was very difficult, but that’s part of the deal here when you run the Nationwide Series.  As you go down the ladder, those things are gonna become more and more of an issue. The cars are a bit of a handful here during the day and it’s hard to hold the line, so when you get to the back half of the field that really gets exaggerated with drivers of lesser experience.  That’s just part of the game. It’s not something you necessarily like, but it’s something you sign up for when you race in the Nationwide Series as a Cup driver.”

WAS KYLE’S HIGH LINE HELPING HIM MORE OR WAS IT YOUR CAR NOT HAVING THE HANDLING TO CATCH UP?

“He had a fast car. That’s just the reality of it. He had a fast car that was very versatile and could run the top and the bottom.  That’s what you dream for as a driver. That makes your life a lot easier and he did a great job of making the most of that.”