Keselowski Climbs the Charts in “Music City”!

Posted on April 25, 2011 by RLD

Brad Keselowski recorded his third consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series top-five finish with a third-place effort in Saturday’s Nashville 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.  It was his sixth straight top-10 finish.

The first of eight stand-alone races on the 34-race Nationwide Series schedule, Keselowski started ninth in the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge Challenger R/T and raced inside the top 10 throughout the 225-lap event on the 1.333-mile, all-concrete  track.

“It was a decent day for our Discount Tire Dodge,” Keselowski said.  “You hate to be happy with third place, but it was a good effort.  We need to find a little bit more speed.  The Roush cars just have more speed and when you put a driver like Carl Edwards in a car like he had today, he’s going to win the race. You give him the best car and he’s going to win with it.  We’ve got some work to do.  We’ll get our Penske cars faster” said Brad.

After debris brought out the race’s first caution flag on Lap 51, Keselowski, the defending Nationwide Series champion, received quick pit work from his over-the-wall Discount Tire crew to pick up two spots and restart fifth.  By Lap 100, the two-time Nashville event winner was still running fourth as long green flag runs dominated the first-half of the race.  As the leaders took to pit road on lap 133, Keselowski and crew chief Todd Gordon opted to pit one lap later and lead a lap. From laps 135 to 144, three cautions slowed the torrid early-race pace with 15 cars still running on the lead lap.

The fifth caution appeared on Lap 170 with the leaders taking advantage of the opportunity for a final trip to pit road for tires, fuel and adjustments.  Keselowski’s Discount Tire team opted for a two-tire strategy which gained four spots and had the No. 22 restarting second.

With a top-five race car all day, the difference between a podium finish and victory lane was corner speed.  “We’ll keep working on our program,” added Keselowski.  “We’ve made our cars better; we just need to find more speed. We’ll get there and give them a run for their money.  We ran a strong race.  The guys did a great job on pit road.  We just need to find speed in all areas.  We’re a lot better than we were at the start of the season.  I’m not cutting down tires every week like I was at the start of the season.  We’re getting closer.”