$45M NASCAR veteran explains to fans the mental grit required at Talladega

Days ahead of the NASCAR Cup Series Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Brad Keselowski revealed what it takes to tackle the nuances of the 2.66-mile racetrack in Lincoln, Alabama. Notably, Sunday’s (April 27) race is going to be his 33rd start at Talladega, also his seventh since joining RFK Racing.

According to the $45 million-worth (As per CelebrityNetWorth.com) former Cup Series champion, going fast is never the primary goal while racing at Talladega. Well, having good speed sure helps, but what matters here the most is survival.

"The goal is to be in the middle of the bee’s nest and come out on top, and that’s actually really hard,” Brad Keselowski explained during a recent interview (via Speedway Digest). “The gaps are very small and the commitment level is very high.”

To make things even more challenging, NASCAR’s racing package at superspeedways like Talladega and Daytona provides leeway for pack racing. Plus, the helmet that wraps the driver’s head limits their vision to a great extent.

“In a lot of ways, you’re driving at 190-plus miles an hour and your reference points are very poor, so it’s a really unique environment that it’s hard to get comfortable with,” Keselowski further explained.

Driver of the No. 6 RFK Ford Mustang, Brad Keselowski, is currently vying for his first win of the season. Winning a race will get him an automatic spot in the playoffs and make him the second Mustang maestro (after Josh Berry) to qualify for the postseason.

As of today, he sits 31st in the driver standings, with 132 points to his name and no top fives or top-10s.

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“33 of them have a realistic shot”- Brad Keselowski sets clear expectations for NASCAR's Talladega weekend

For NASCAR Cup Series regulars like Brad Keselowski, running at Talladega is a gamble. Anything can happen, and anyone can win. Keselowski has won there six times, but never since 2021.

“I do think that it’s a place where I think of the 39 entries, 33 of them have a realistic shot of winning,” Keselowski said in a statement (via Speed Sport).

NASCAR introduced the Next Gen car in 2022. Brad Keselowski has been to Talladega six times since then, finishing P2 on two occasions. But victory has eluded the Rochester Hills native ever since the Next Gen machine debuted.

“It’s a different type of racing than what Talladega was four or five years ago before the Next Gen car,” Keselowski explained.

The Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega marks Keselowski’s tenth race of the 2025 season. Fans can watch him in action from 3 pm ET onwards on FOX or listen to live radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

This race will begin with a tribute to the legendary Bobby Allison of the Alabama Gang. Allison, who recently passed away, was one of the founding members of the group and a four-time winner at Talladega Superspeedway. This also happens to be the first NASCAR Cup Series race that is going to be held at Talladega since Allison’s demise in November 2024.