I'm a big Kez fan, and last week didn't go so well.

FenderBumper

FenderBumper

The "good old days" ??
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Brad and the #2 team have showed big improvement over last year, when Brad ran the #12 car with Jay 'who?' Guy as crew chief. I had hoped for a big points day for Brad at Loudon, where he has decent stats for so few starts. Yet another blown tire ended the day, and probably any hope of getting a WC spot in the chase.

The next 7 tracks are mostly bad for Brad. Even factoring out Carls psychotic episode last year and giving him a 6th place finish at Atlanta, Brad is left with a 21st average finish at these tracks.

I don't see another regular season win in the cards for Brad. Based more on his NW performances, he would be a longshot at Bristol and Atlanta. I'm still holding out hope that he can recapture the magic he showed in '09 while driving for Hendrick and Finch, when he had a win and 4 top 10's in 10 race stretch.

I think he'll make the top 20 in solid fashion, but Kasey's bonehead failure to move up when he gased out at Charolette, costing Brad a win, will end up being what keeps him out of the chase in his second full season.

Strange things happen in NASCAR, but they need to happen to bunch of others in the next 7 races for Brad to nab a chase spot.
 
BUT, he had a very good, positive attitude about his misfortune and didn't throw a fit and start blaming others like some may have done. If he can keep it up he'll go far in this sport, even if he does look like Don Knotts. ;)
 
PettyBlue said:
BUT, he had a very good, positive attitude about his misfortune and didn't throw a fit and start blaming others like some may have done. If he can keep it up he'll go far in this sport, even if he does look like Don Knotts. ;)
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Don Knots? lol I just googled a picture.

Brad has a great attitude. I became a fan when he didn't cry and complain when Kvapil knocked him off his first truck win. He impressed me even more when he didn't rag on MM or Carl when they wrecked him out of the lead on the last lap at Vegas.

Even when Jay Guy was screwing up last year, Brad never threw them under the bus. He is goofy as hell, though. An epic nose job is definately called for.
 
FenderBumper said:
I was simply thinking about the balance of the car. :D
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Well unless he sticks it out the window in won't effect the Aero :rolleyes:

Back on topic, he has a few more weeks till crunch time and you never know they just might pull it off......I think TWO Wins should get you into the Chase no matter what!
 
FlFlash said:
he has a few more weeks till crunch time and you never know they just might pull it off......I think TWO Wins should get you into the Chase no matter what!
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He has some tough competition for the top 20. He's competing with Logano, Menard, Martin, AJ, Reutimann, Truex (possibly the 2 weakest), even Burton is still a threat to jump ahead. I think he has the talent to average top 12 in the last 7, and that should get him in the top 20. He wont catch Ragan unless he implodes, which is possible. With Hamlin barely in the top 10 and Stewart knocking on the door for a win, I think there is only one slot open, and Ragan has it.

Beyond all logic, I dislike David. I can't figure out why, but I wouldn't mind seeing him trip over himself on the way out of the chase.
 
I like him and hope he goes far. Makes me wonder how he would be doing in cup if Hendrick could have kept him.
 
FlFlash said:
When did Hendrick have him?
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In '08 and '09. Rick didn't have room, so he used the development rule and then hooked him up with James Finch. Penske offered Brad the 12 car early in '09, but Brad decided to hang with Hendrick until MM retired. For some reason, Hendrick signed Mark to another year, and actually tried to talk him into a 2 year extension, all while telling Brad he would do whatever it took to get him in Cup ASAP.

Brad must have sniffed it out, because he had decided to go to Penske. He convinced Roger to also run a NW car for him, and the deal was done. I remember Rick saying to the press "I want every team owner to hear this. Brad can't get far enough away that I can't get him back".

Brad made the right move. No matter what Rick says, he would have been pushed aside when Kasey became available. In the end, Roger was the only owner willing to fund Brads first year because no sponsors were to be had at the time. That said, Brad ran a whole lot better in HMS equiptment. He's had 5 Cup crew chiefs in his brief career, and that isn't a formula for winning. I expect he and Paul to go far in Cup. They just need time to develop.
 
He drove the 25 Go Daddy car a few races in Cup. Did fairly well if I remember right. He was Jr's guy in Nationwide before Penske. I think there was a rumor that Jrt was going to start a cup team for Kes since Hendrick had a full roster. Turned out to be false.
 
Kez is now a Multi-Millionaire Cup Driver for Penske.. 2 Cup Wins so far..& a Nationwide Championship!! Big Fan!!
 
DJ Rossi said:
Kez is now a Multi-Millionaire Cup Driver for Penske.. 2 Cup Wins so far..& a Nationwide Championship!! Big Fan!!
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Me too, even when he gets a little goofy. He also had some other demands before signing with Roger. After Penske had hired about 40 shop personell and engineers, Brad said Penske needed another 100 people to catch Hendrick. Roger was a little pissed he went public, but he kept hiring people to make Penske better. IMO, if Penske doesn't become a real title threat, as judged by Kurts performance in the chase, Brad will bolt to a better organization.
 
FenderBumper said:
In '08 and '09. Rick didn't have room, so he used the development rule and then hooked him up with James Finch. Penske offered Brad the 12 car early in '09, but Brad decided to hang with Hendrick until MM retired. For some reason, Hendrick signed Mark to another year, and actually tried to talk him into a 2 year extension, all while telling Brad he would do whatever it took to get him in Cup ASAP.

Brad must have sniffed it out, because he had decided to go to Penske. He convinced Roger to also run a NW car for him, and the deal was done. I remember Rick saying to the press "I want every team owner to hear this. Brad can't get far enough away that I can't get him back".

Brad made the right move. No matter what Rick says, he would have been pushed aside when Kasey became available. In the end, Roger was the only owner willing to fund Brads first year because no sponsors were to be had at the time. That said, Brad ran a whole lot better in HMS equiptment. He's had 5 Cup crew chiefs in his brief career, and that isn't a formula for winning. I expect he and Paul to go far in Cup. They just need time to develop.
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Thanks I'd forgotten about that I was just thinking about him being in JR's Nationwide car....but that was kinda a Hendrick back door deal too was'nt it?
 
FlFlash said:
Thanks I'd forgotten about that I was just thinking about him being in JR's Nationwide car....but that was kinda a Hendrick back door deal too was'nt it?
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Which, Kez at JRM? No, Rick had nothing to do with it. Brad started driving for Jr in '07 while Jr was still with DEI.
 
Brads take on it so far.

" KESELOWSKI’S SEASON: Brad Keselowski hasn’t enjoyed much about his Sprint Cup season so far this year. He is currently 23rd in points, 177 behind leader Carl Edwards.

However, he hasn’t given up hope of a rebound.

“The Cup series has been up and down. We’ve shown a lot more speed on a consistent basis lately,” said Keselowski, who drives for Roger Penske. “I feel a lot more comfortable with where we’re heading as a team. It’s just a matter of getting consistent execution, which is really tough.”

Keselowski won the STP 400 at Kansas on June 5, but notched a season-low finish of 36th at last week’s Richmond race.

“I think when my team fires on all eight cylinders that we’re a top 10 team,” he said. “We’ve just got to make an effort to fire on all eight cylinders and we haven’t done that on a consistent basis but I see the potential to do it."
 
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