AVONDALE, Ariz.: For some, Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski was a dark horse pick for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Season Finale 500 at Phoenix (Ariz.) Raceway.
And at times during the 312-lap race, Keselowski’s No. 2 Discount Tires Ford Mustang was as fast as race dominator Chase Elliott. In fact, Keselowski led the field for 16 laps.
But Keselowski’s presence at the front of the field would be doomed throughout the afternoon after making trips to pit road. Often touted as one of the strongest pit crews in the garage, the band struggled on Sunday costing the four-time 2020 winner multiple positions on pit road and possibility the opportunity to claim his second NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Following the last round of green-flag pit stops around Lap 259, a less-than-ideal stop cost the Rochester Hills, Mich. native costly seconds under green flag conditions shuffling him to third overall after the pit stop cycle was complete.
With a fast race car, Keselowski took second from Team Penske teammate Joey Logano but ran out of laps despite eating into his deficit to Elliott’s lead.
After the race, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion said he was hoping for a late-race caution which appeared in the closing laps of the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and Xfinity Series season finales throwing the lineup into disarray in NASCAR overtime.
“I would have liked to have one of those late-race yellows like we saw in the truck race and the Xfinity race,” said Keselowski. “I thought we were pretty good there and just didn’t have the track position to make it show.
“I knew we had a good shot at the end of the second stage and just couldn’t keep it up in a spot to where we could have the lead. I’m really proud of the speed we had. It was a solid day. I just wish we had one more spot.”
The 34-time Cup Series champion admitted he didn’t have a chance to debrief with crew chief Jeremy Bullins about the mishaps on pit road.
“I haven’t had a chance to look at that,” added Keselowski. “You know, obviously at the end of Stage 2 I was right where I wanted to be, in the lead, and we lost a spot, which is not fun. But it’s a team effort, and just was tough to fight back through.
“We got up to second there at the end, and I feel like we were pretty equal. The No. 9 car (Elliott) and I would have loved to have had a chance to race it out, but that’s not the way it played out.”
Had Keselowski had a perfect race on Sunday, it may have been a closer battle for the Cup Series title, but that thought will remain just that, a thought.
“I feel like I did all I could do,” sounded Keselowski. I’m disappointed, but I’m also proud at the same time. I mean, I can’t change anything about what happened, and I hate it for my
guys that that’s the way it played out, but so it goes.
“My team brought a great car and we ran a hell of a race. You know, won Stage 2 and made a convincing case that we probably could have won the race today, but it just didn’t come together with the track position.
“I can be disappointed in that. I think I’m probably more focused on the positives. We were really fast. I felt like I ran a great race, and I’m proud of that.”
With his best Cup Series championship finish since winning the title eight years ago, the 36-year-old was content with his 11th full-time season.
“I had a lot of fun this year,” Keselowski said. “I can’t speak for everyone else, but we fought through everybody. The industry fought through a lot of stuff and we ran great races and put on some great shows.
“Missed not having the fans, but also enjoyed being able to spend more time at home with my family on Thursdays and Fridays that we would have never had before. Yeah, it’s a bizarre year, but the obstacles kind of were in the way and we made the most of it.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
