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CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 28: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Keystone Light Ford, talks to the media in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28, 2021 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 28: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Keystone Light Ford, talks to the media in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28, 2021 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
As the new season is on the horizon, NASCAR drivers are intensely testing the Next Gen cars to get up to speed with them. The most recent tests were at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and several drivers got the first taste of the new car, including Brad Keselowski.
But during all of his laps at testing, Keselowski did an interesting thing; he turned the engine off every time he approached the line.
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This resulted in a weird but fascinating sound of the car just piercing through the wind that one fan captured and thanked the RFK driver for on Twitter. And Keselowski responded with an explanation of why he was turning off the engine at the end of every lap.
“Early in my career we were testing at IRP and the engine blew on the last lap of the test. We couldn’t afford to fix it and I almost never raced again. From there on out I always shut the engine off rather than drive it in. Never know when you’ll need that extra lap of engine,” Keselowski wrote.
Early in my career we were testing at IRP and the engine blew on the last lap of the test. We couldn’t afford to fix it and I almost never raced again. From there on out I always shut the engine off rather than drive it in. Never know when you’ll need that extra lap of engine… https://t.co/YpaeBauqTd
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) December 18, 2021
Brad Keselowski gives his verdict on the Next Gen Cars
Keselowski, who moved from Team Penske to Roush-Fenway Keselowski Racing as a driver and as a team owner, had two separate verdicts on the new car.
From an owner’s point of view, Keselowski expressed his concerns with the limited number of cars RFK Racing will have in the opening five races of the season. Instead of the standard seven, they will have five, which include a test car and two separate cars for both teams.
This is because of the supply chain issues which are affecting most teams at the moment.
But as a driver, Keselowski seems to be a fan of the new cars.
He wrote on Twitter, “The cars are so far proving to be a significant improvement in terms of how they require talent to drive & cost to operate- compared to years past.”
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 21: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Discount Tire Ford, stands by his car during practice for NASCAR Cup Series Penzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on February 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
NASCAR has several more tests lined up for the Next Gen cars in the coming weeks.
So, team owner and driver Brad Keselowski might have a few sleepless nights due to his excitement as a driver and his concern as a team owner.
Also Read: Did Team Penske Place a Copyright on Brad Keselowski’s Name Font?
