"You race what the rules are" - $45M Brad Keselowski addresses whether RFK will follow Austin Dillon's tactics after NASCAR's crackdown

Veteran NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski has addressed NASCAR's recent decision to strip Austin Dillon's playoff eligibility and speculated on how an alternate decision would have affected the racing etiquette on the grid, particularly within RFK Racing.

Dillon wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the final lap at Richmond Raceway, to clinch the victory and his playoff ticket. However, NASCAR subsequently penalized the #3 driver, revoking his playoff eligibility. This decision dropped him to 31st in the standings.

Brad Keselowski, who is worth $45 million (according to Celebrity Net worth), weighed in on the landmark decision and sympathized with all the parties involved in the wreck and the decision-making process. He suggested NASCAR made a good attempt at putting a line on the sand, but reckons drivers will adapt and the rules will be further tested.

Speaking to the media in Michigan, the RFK Racing co-owner told Bob Pockrass:

"I think NASCAR had to decide what could be tolerated. I think they made a good attempt at putting a line in the sand. We'll see how that sticks, but that said, we would all adapt to it. If that became the norm every week then I think actions would speak louder than words and we would all probably fall into that reality." [at 2:11]

Keselowski added that RFK Racing has no intention of replicating Dillon's tactics, despite Chris Buescher barely hanging on to his playoff spot. However, the 40-year-old suggested that his team would exploit the rules like any other team.

"So I don't think we don't have any intentions of getting to that being the norm every week, particularly at RFK, but you race what the rules are. And if the rules are something's okay, we're going to probably find a way to do it, whether that's on the car or around the racetrack," he added.

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Brad Keselowski shares his thoughts on NASCAR's decision

The #6 RFK Racing driver, Brad Keselowski, reckoned NASCAR was compelled to impose a penalty on Austin Dillon's last-lap actions. He argued that failing to do so could have set a dangerous precedent for the lower echelons of stock car racing.

Keselowski, however, admitted that he wasn't sure if the penalties issued against Dillon were justified or not. Here's what he said in the aforementioned interview:

"That has an effect that transcends not just the Cup Series, but on down, and something that I think NASCAR felt a lot of pressure to react on and they did. I don't have an idea whether they made the right move or the wrong move. I guess time will tell." [at 0:47]

Brad Keselowski also expressed surprise that it took so long since the introduction of the playoff format for a driver to exploit the "win and you're in" rule, suggesting that such aggressive tactics were a natural evolution of racing etiquette.