LONG POND – It could have been a lot worse for Brad Keselowski on Sunday at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.
Early in the Windows 10 400, the Team Penske driver’s front tires locked under braking as he pulled into his pit stall causing him to slid through the pit box. Because his car didn’t slow and his pit crew already jumping over the wall to service him, Keselowski hit several members of his crew and one of the tires supposed to go on his car went rolling down pit road.
Definitely one of the scariest moments of the day, all the crew members, including the jack man were uninjured. The 2013 Cup champion was later told his crew members were OK, and he apologized for the incident.
Adding insult to injury, Keselowski was penalized after the long pit stop for an uncontrolled tire, forcing a pass-through penalty. The series of events left Keselowski a lap down, but he regained his lead lap status after inheriting the free pass during the sixth caution flag of the race.
The sequences could have easily put a damper on Keselowski’s day. Instead, a fast No. 2 Alliance Truck Parts Ford Fusion was enough to rally back into the top-10.
Sometimes while it’s better to be lucky than good, Keselowski was able to catch a break as the top three drivers in the final three laps all ran out of fuel. While running out of gas at the site of the checkered flag, Keselowski coasted to a second-place finish and his fifth top-five effort of the year.
“We ran out there at the end,” Keselowski told the NBC Sports Network after the race. “We just had a really fast car, made a mistake on pit road earlier in the race and got us behind and we had enough speed in the car to drive up to about fifth or sixth on our own merits.
“I feel like we probably would have won today, but that one is on me, so I feel really guilty for my team on that. Just glad we were able to rally to second.”
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
