Keselowski and Erik Jones came together in Turn 2, the contact sending the No. 2 Team Penske Ford into the outside retaining wall and then into a tire barrier on lap 49 Sunday.
Brad Keselowski was left critical of Indianapolis Motor Speedway safety standards following a crash near the end of the first stage of Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series Brickyard 400.
Keselowski and Erik Jones came together in Turn 2, the contact sending the No. 2 Team Penske Ford into the outside retaining wall and then into a tire barrier protecting an oddly-shaped wall near the track’s infield road course.
Keselowski had lost momentum and pinched Jones against the white line, resulting on Jones losing downforce off the nose of his car and bobbling upward.
The Penske No. 2 landed sideways on the tire barrier, two wheels on the racing surface and the others on the tire barrier. Keselowski had to squeeze out of the car with it still sitting sideways before safety officials arrived.
The hard racing was a result of drivers on newer tires cutting through the field behind drivers that had stayed out on older tires near the end of the first stage.
“We had new tires and were racing some cars that didn’t have new tires and went to make the pass there, got real tight to the 48 (Jimmie Johnson) and lost the nose in the air,” Keselowski said. “And then I was trying to leave room, and I probably came down on Erik just a little bit more than I thought I did and he got loose.
“I hit the wall there, and then there’s this spot on the wall with just an atrocious angle. I don’t know what that spot is for, but it does not need to be there. But we found it. That’s how racing goes, you find the things…
“I think there probably should not be weird angles like that to wreck on. You know, this track really was really part of the safety revolution about 15, 20 years ago, and I think it’s time for another.”
Keselowski conceded that he likely didn’t give Jones enough room, but the younger drivers accepted part of the blame too.
“I didn’t think Brad would be so tight on me and I just lost it,” Jones said. “It’s my fault. I feel bad for the 2 and I feel bad for our team as well. It’s a shame, we had a good Stanley Camry and I just hate seeing it come down like that. I just wasn’t anticipating enough and I drove in too hard for it.”
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