Brad Keselowski: Injury Fueling Win at Pocono

How Brad Keselowski managed to win the Sprint Cup Series Good Sam RV Insurance 500 yesterday is beyond me.

The Blue Deuce after the wreck.
Credit to Google

On Wednesday, August 3^rd, Brad Keselowski, along with Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, and Max Papis, tested at Road Atlanta in Georgia.  While testing, the brakes of Keselowski’s No. 2 Dodge failed as he was going into a corner at 155 mph – where he hit the wall, head first, in a spot where there was no safer barrier.  Brad got out of the car under his own power, but was airlifted to a local hospital as a safety precaution.  While sitting in the hospital, Brad, being the extreme Tweeter he is, tweeted, “Looks like I’ll be ok to race this weekend.  Blue deuce, not so much.  I’ll keep u posted.”  He also posted pictures, not for the squeamish, of his fractured foot and ankle. 

When Brad got in the “Blue Deuce” yesterday, all he had was a brace on his foot – no Advil or any medication in his system – and Sam Hornish, Jr. there in case he needed to get out of the car at any point during the race because the pain was getting too unbearable. But, with only sixteen laps to go, Keselowski took the lead for the first time with Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson chasing him (not a combination I would want chasing me, fractured ankle or not). 

Credit to Google

On lap 200, the Checkered Flag waved, with Brad Keselowski as your winner.  When he got out of the car in Victory Lane, I’m sure I wasn’t alone in thinking he wouldn’t stand on the window; to my surprise he did – and not only that, he gingerly jumped down afterwards.  (Was I the only one who cringed when he did that?) 

During the post-race interview, Brad said he had trouble braking, which is why he went over the line during a pit stop.  He also said, *“When I woke up this morning I thought I was going to win the race.  I came here to win.  When you let the pain get into your head that far you don’t believe you can win anymore, you’ll never win.”

Race Results click here 

Point Standings click here

*Quote from NASCAR.com