“I needed to win that race”: When Brad Keselowski came clean on his controversial move against Carl Edwards

Brad Keselowski once reflected on his rivalry with Carl Edwards, offering his perspective on the pivotal moments when they clashed. He delved into the details of his first NASCAR Cup Series victory, a race that ended with Edwards flipping before the finish line.

In a March 2014 blog post on BradRacing.com, Keselowski revealed that he was under immense pressure to deliver strong results in 2009. At the time, he was competing full-time in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports while also running a part-time Cup Series schedule with Hendrick Motorsports and Phoenix Racing.

On the final lap of the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega, Keselowski was drafting in tandem with race leader Edwards, pushing him to the checkered flag. As they approached the final corner, Keselowski knew it was his opportunity to leave a mark at the highest level, and was in desperation to make the winning move.

"Carl had the lead. But as we went into the final turn, I knew that I was going to have one last chance to try and pass him. I also knew that it was going to become a game of chicken. I didn’t want it to be that. It didn’t matter." he wrote.

Keselowski faked a move to the right before diving left, but the #99 Ford driver blocked both attempts. With no other options besides dropping below the yellow line or holding his ground, he chose the latter. The result was Edwards flipping violently into the catch fence while he took the checkered flag for his first Cup Series victory.

"I made a move on Carl. He blocked it. What went through my mind was a combination of two things. One was: Don’t blow this opportunity. You might never get it again. You need to prove that you’re a winner on this level. The other was frustration and anger at Carl. He was going to test my will to win, my resolve," he added.

"Everyone has a moment where they have a tough decision to make. And when faced with adversity, you either define the moment, or the moment defines you. I needed to win that race." Keselowski wrote.

In the blog post, Brad Keselowski insisted he didn’t wreck Edwards and stood by the decision he made in on the final lap of the race.

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Carl Edwards spoke about his "worst decision" wrecking Brad Keselowski

The clash between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski at Talladega ignited a fierce rivalry, which escalated in Atlanta in 2010. This time, Edwards was the aggressor, and Keselowski flipped and wrecked in an eerily similar fashion to the Talladega crash.

In an appearance on NASCAR Inside the Playoffs, Carl Edwards admitted that wrecking Brad Keselowski in Atlanta was one of the worst decisions of his racing career. He said:

"This was one of the worst decisions I have ever made in my career. Pulled back in my garage, go back out, and think, “Oh, I’m gonna wreck him.” When I looked in my mirror and saw this, it was one of the most terrifying things I have ever seen" [from 1:20]

Despite their fierce on-track rivalry, Brad Keselowski wrote in his blog that there was mutual respect between them. He even declared Edwards the best driver in the Cup Series at the time, ranking him above Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson.