Brad Keselowski drops a blunt statement after shocking Bristol race

Modified Apr 15, 2025 12:30 GMT

Brad Keselowski- NASCAR: Cup Practice - Source: Imagn

Brad Keselowski expressed his frustration with the shocking Bristol Motor Speedway race which witnessed the fewest cautions for the first time in a 500-lap race since 1982. The RFK Racing driver led the charge of his team with a P16 finish and was blunt about his displeasure with the turnaround.

The Food City 500 had three cautions, something rare on the 1/2-mile oval infamous for wrecks and cautions. Goodyear tire didn't fall much, and the cording of compounds happened much later, with no pitstops in the first stage.

Keselowski confidently entered the battle, courtesy of the Cup Series champion's third-place finish in the 2024 Bristol spring race. That event saw unprecedented tire wear, forcing teams to put on fresh rubber after 50 laps on average. With similar fall-off expectations for the recent race, the #6 Ford driver saw it as the opportunity to place himself in the leaders' mix.

But struggles mired his run. Keselowski's crew chief Jeremy Bullins made chassis changes in the final stage, which helped the driver gain seven track positions in the starting laps. However, long green flag runs meant the RFK driver couldn't make multiple pitstops and had to fight for the position with the NextGen package at hand.

“Just a frustrating day. Nothing really happened to us. We just kept working on the car and got all we could (to) get out of it,” Keselowski said via Speedway Digest.

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RFK drivers Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece rounded out top-25 finishes in the Thunder Valley.

A look into Brad Keselowski's disastrous 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season

Brad Keselowski- NASCAR: Cup Practice - Source: Imagn

Brad Keselowski is named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers. His accolades like the 2012 Cup Series championship, 36 wins including the Brickyard 400, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, and more, have made him a sought-after driver in the industry.

He posted his first win as RFK Racing's co-owner/driver last season at the Darlington Raceway which also guaranteed his playoff spot. However, the Michigan native has seen a slump in performance this season. With the burden of two DNFs from the Atlanta Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway, and zero top 5, Keselowski sits 31st in the standings.

On the other hand, Chris Buescher, the #17 Ford driver, is the best-performing RFK asset with one top-5 and five top-10s from nine races, and Ryan Preece, the team's latest hiring after it expanded to a three-car team, is ranked 14th with one top-5 and three top-10s. Thus, concerns are mounting over Keselowski, while his teammates are currently in a comfortable spot, above the playoff elimination line.

It's worth mentioning that Brad Keselowski had a shot to claim his first top 10 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway but ended up finishing 11th.

About the author

Aneesh is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda and covers both NASCAR and Formula 1. An ardent sports fan since his early lawn tennis days, he has showcased his keenness in NASCAR, and has already garnered 5 million views at Sportskeeda thanks to his meticulous work.

When it comes to NASCAR, his top picks are Kyle Busch and Ross Chastain, while in Formula 1, he fervently supports Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. He believes F1 should continue to have more races in courses than in street circuits and feels NASCAR should be more proactive about global promotions to reach F1’s popularity level.

He is very particular about his sourcing for articles, largely relying on the official website of F1 and NASCAR, and relies on understanding different perspectives by browsing through social media and reputed publications for unique story angles.

Even in his spare time, Aneesh is keen to learn more about F1 cars and studies various aspects of them, including its design and engine. He enjoys driving himself and often explores new parts of his city when he can.

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Edited by Aneesh