NASCAR champion Brad Keselowski reveals the nuances of pushing and driver alliances in NASCAR

Brad Keselowski might be going through a winless 2025 campaign, but he remains one of the most formidable drivers at Talladega Superspeedway. With the Cup Series heading to the 2.66-mile oval for the Jack Link’s 500 this weekend, the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion joined Claire B. Lang to share his thoughts on pushing, drafting, and how alliances work in the chaos of a pack.

High speeds, tight drafting packs, and aggressive pushes define superspeedway races like Talladega. This dynamic, however, has evolved in the current era of NASCAR's Next Gen car. Few know this better than Brad Keselowski, who has six career wins at Talladega.

When Lang asked about his preferences in the draft, Brad Keselowski gave an insightful response on the high-stakes end of a Talladega race:

"There's no bad pushers on the last lap of Talladega. There are different spots that you'd rather be pushed. The cars tend to really like being pushed down the back stretch, and the Next Gen car is pretty forgiving about accepting a push as a whole, particularly when they put the wicker on the car." (0:21 onwards)

The "wicker" Keselowski referred to is a small aerodynamic device added to the car's rear spoiler. Designed to increase drag and reduce lift, it is primarily a safety feature to keep cars grounded at high speeds. Whereas, it also stabilizes airflow and helps cars absorb bumps smoothly, which is vital on superspeedways where constant rear drafting defines the race.

Even with the wicker’s assistance, pushing remains a risky proposition. Keselowski brought up his involvement in a massive crash during the 2024 YellaWood 500 at Talladega, which took out more than half the field in a classic "Big One".

"Last year I was involved in a crash down the backstretch. I was pushing the car in front of me, and we were kind of changing lanes, and I got hit from behind while I was pushing him… it was Austin Cindric that caused a crash. So, it's not a given that you can just push, it's actually a pretty nice balance of some level of comfort," Keselowski recalled (1:03 onwards)

That balance eluded most drivers last fall, when the crash with five laps to go triggered a 28-car pileup, derailing several playoff hopefuls. Despite the chaos, Keselowski finished second in that race, the same as the spring race earlier in the year at the GEICO 500.

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"That's actually really hard": Brad Keselowski on Talladega's high-risk race

NASCAR Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski at Bristol. Source: Imagn

Even as his 2025 season struggles to take off, Brad Keselowski sees Talladega as a unique opportunity. The RFK Racing co-owner is tied with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the second-most Cup Series victories at the track, trailing only Dale Earnhardt Sr. with 10.

The RFK Racing #6 driver's experience is crucial in understanding the thin margins between a race-winning move and a multi-car wreck. Keselowski opened up to NASCAR.com ahead of the Jack Link's 500 this weekend, calling the race a 'challenge':

"The goal is to be in the middle of the bee's nest, right? And come out on top. That's actually really hard...It's because you're in the middle of a pack and you can't see through the cars you're around. 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’s hard to get comfortable with, and I think that’s the challenge."

Superspeedway packs, especially in the closing laps, create unpredictable lane shifts, blocks, and last-ditch pushes. Drivers must learn to trust their spotters, respond to sudden changes, and keep their foot on the throttle, despite limited vision and extreme speeds.

For Brad Keselowski, that chaos is part of the thrill. And if there's one place the veteran driver can still flip the narrative on his underwhelming start to 2025, it's Talladega.