Team Penske endured several heightended emotions following the conclusion of the NASCAR Playoff race at Kansas.
Ultimately, one Team Penske driver’s misfortune in the closing stages of the Hollywood Casino 400 snowballed into a significant problem for the entire organization.
And it resulted in Brad Keselowski’s elimination from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
Ryan Blaney struck the wall and littered debris in the apron of Turn 2 on Lap 254 and brought out a decisive caution that would change the course of the race and the playoffs. At the time of the caution, Keselowski was trapped a lap down with a damaged but functional race car and was four points ahead of Chase Elliott for the final transfer spot into the Round of 8.
The caution allowed Elliott, who seemed poised to finish outside of the top-5, to take advantage of fresh tires and challenged for the win. It also meant that Keselowski would take the wave-around and return to the lead lap, albeit on older tires.
The ensuing restart resulted in yet another caution that damaged Joey Logoano’s car but allowed Keselowski to take fresh tires.
During NASCAR overtime, Keselowski was not able to get a quality restart and failed to advance into the next round. Joey Logano was able to make do with a damaged car and Elliott advanced into the Round of 8 over Keselowski.
Keselowski connected with Erik Jones on a restart earlier in the race and suffered damage as a result. His car was never the same.
The 2012 NASCAR champion entered the race 22 points ahead of Elliott but just couldn’t make anything go his way throughout the race.
“We didn’t make it,” Keselowski said after the race. “I pushed as hard as I knew how and didn’t quite do good enough on the last restart and that was it. We clawed as hard as we could and there were times it looked like we were going to be fine and times it didn’t. In the end it just didn’t work out.”
Keselowski was very clearly disadvantaged by the Blaney caution but thought he would be given fresh life on new tires for the green-white-checkered finish.
“Yeah, I did think we were okay but obviously we weren’t,” Keselowski said.
Meanwhile, Elliott was able to capitalize on both restarts to put himself in position to capitalize on Team Penske chaos.
“The good news was the bottom lane rolled good enough on the last restart to at least get back to second,” Elliott said. “So, I appreciate the effort. We were really struggling there at one point in the race. You have to stay fighting in these things, especially with these late race restarts.
“Just proud of the effort today. Just excited we get to fight another race. Back up against the wall, to come out here and battle for a win, that’s what you have to do when you’re in the position that we were in.
“If you ever get to Homestead, you’re going to have to fight for a win down there. Proud of the effort. Learned a lot. To be able to come out here and, like I said, in our minds have to win, come and fight for one, to finish second, I think is a step in the right direction for us. So excited to move on.”
As it turns out, Logano advanced by virtue of winning the first 80-lap stage, with additional stage points with a seventh-place run in the second stage.
All told, he overcame a tumultuous round in which he failed to take the green flag at Dover and was involved in a multi-car crash at Talladega.
“We needed every point we could and it looked like we were in a good spot,” Logano said. “Next thing you know they are wrecking on the outside and I get hit and I am going through the grass. I felt comfortable before that but the next thing you know – I am watching it here on the replay for the first time – I didn’t hit anything so I got lucky for sure.
“I have been lucky a few times. We were able to finish Talladega and I parked the thing and there was a hole in the radiator. It was hard fought and blue-collar round for sure. We just have to smooth it out a little bit. We need to not have as much carnage out there and finish some of these things. On to the next round. We get to reset, thank God. We will fight from there.”
Clint Bowyer of Stewart-Haas Racing was eliminated alongside Keselowski and Hendrick Motorsports drivers Alex Bowman and William Byron.
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