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Winless in Phoenix, Brad Keselowski Denounces Title Deciding Venue as Yardstick for Short Track Package

Published 03/10/2024, 3:25 PM EDT

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The new short-track package has been a hot topic among the NASCAR Cup Series drivers, since Friday’s practice in Phoenix. With the new changes in place, the car has a simplified rear diffuser and a shorter rear spoiler. However, there was a split in opinion about how the new changes have worked in favor of racing at the 1-mile tri-oval racetrack. And it’s safe to say, we know where Brad Keselowski stands.

While Denny Hamlin was spot on with his prediction and adjustments to his car, Kyle Busch was not too impressed with the short package improvements. Jumping on the hype train, RFK’s Brad Keselowski had a rather interesting take on his debate, stating that Phoenix is not the best venue to indicate whether the new short package is a hit or a miss for the drivers and team.

Brad Keselowski is not in a hurry to judge the short-track package with its debut in Phoenix

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The new short-track package rolled out by NASCAR was tested last year at Phoenix Raceway. The likes of Ryan Blaney, Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, and a few others had the opportunity to be a part of the testing drive, and at the time, reviews were positive about the changes made. In theory, it tweaked the downforce and aerodynamic features of the car to make it more compatible to maneuver at turns and on passing. But once the actual package saw daylight at Phoenix Raceway during Friday’s practice, there was a lot of chatter in the garage about its effectiveness in real race scenarios.

Read More: Brad Keselowski Comes Clean on RFK Racing’s Decision to Repeal NASCAR’s Chris Buescher Penalty

Speaking in an interview with Bob Pockass, Keselowski shared his opinion about the potential of the newly rolled short-track package. He said, “I don’t know if I would say this is the best track to evaluate a lot of things.”

Interestingly, Phoenix Raceway is not categorized as a short track. However, NASCAR decided to roll out their new tweak at this venue. The 1-mile tri-oval track puts the driver to the test and has its own twists and challenges. Therefore, it would be too early to draw a conclusion about the effectiveness of the short-track package. “It’s a very unique track with the way it’s laid out, with the way it races. So it’s not always a good indicator of the number of things,” Keselowski added.

 

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Despite his clear thinking and working around the nuance of the changes in the sport, Keselowski has yet to put out a winning performance in the Next Gen car era.

Keselowski is already playing catch up to the runaway leader in the Cup Series

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Brad Keselowski has had his troubles racing in the new mean machines rolled out by NASCAR during the 2022 season. After the completion of the Las Vegas race last weekend, the 40-year-old driver reached 101 cup races without a win. Although time and again, the driver has spoken about his measure of progress by performance every weekend, considering how things have panned out, he might have to rethink his approach.

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He had a torrid start at the season’s opener at Daytona, and the same was the case in his next race at Atlanta. There were signs of improvement at Vegas, but a 13th-place finish is not the optimum result for a team like RFK Racing. While luck surely has not been his greatest ally during the accidents in his previous attempts, his position in the points table is indeed concerning. He currently sits in the 28th spot in the standings, with just 40 points to his name so far in the three races.

While one might suggest Phoenix would be a venue where he could change his fortunes, his track record at the racetrack has been pretty grim. So it is difficult to see Keselowski put an end to his winless drought, at least at this particular venue.

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Written by:

Chintan Devgania

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Chintan Mahesh Devgania is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. As someone who likes to dive deep into the sport, he often takes up less explored topics to eventually see them make their way into top stories. His report on Toyota’s young recruit, Jade Avedisian, sharing her thoughts on Late Model Racing, was an example of that.
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Edited by:

Rohan Karnad