"It isn’t all talent": When Brad Keselowski broke down what makes a winning NASCAR combination

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski once shared his opinion on whether the car or the driver is more important for winning. He explained that it is more than just talent and listed the "ingredients" for winning a race in the stock car series.

In a June 2018 media session at Michigan International Speedway, Keselowski broke down the winning combination by comparing it to baking a cake. The 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion was in his eighth year at Team Penske at the time.

"I think talent definitely makes a difference in Cup but it is a balance right now. It isn’t all talent. Car matters...It takes all those things together. I think there is a decent mix of talent versus engineering and cars, etc. in the sport right now. It is the ingredients of a cake. It isn’t all flour or all sugar. I think that the mix is constantly changing," Brad Keselowski said (via USA Today).

He further stated his belief that the top drivers of that season, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick, were in some of the best cars.

"I would say right now that they are three of the best drivers...in three of the best cars in the sport right now. That makes for lethal combination," he added.

Keselowski’s season started slow in 2018, but he turned it around with back-to-back wins at Darlington and Indianapolis. He also won at Las Vegas in the No. 2 Ford Mustang and gave Team Penske its 500th win.

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"I would say disappointed" - Brad Keselowski on no wins in the first half of 2018 Cup season

Brad Keselowski did not win a race for the first 24 starts in the Cup Series in 2018. During the same media session, he talked about his failure to win races and said:

"I try not to take success for granted and try to appreciate it as it comes. You never know where life is going to take you. Surprised isn’t the right word. I would say disappointed is a better word. I want to win, I want to win a lot of races. I feel like we have a pretty strong team...We have had two or three races where we had the speed to win. That said, we haven’t been able to execute on those," Brad Keselowski said. (via USA Today)

However, Keselowski later won three races in a row in September and kept his streak of winning at least one race in each season since 2011. He qualified for the playoffs but was eliminated after the Round of 12.

Keselowski ended the season eighth in the final points standings. He had an average start of 10.3 and finish of 13.4.