Keselowski vows not to change after Edwards’ crash

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Glued to Carl Edwards’ bumper as they raced for the lead around Talladega Superspeedway, young Brad Keselowski showed no signs of letting off the gas. He peeked high, and Edwards cut him off, then ducked low to try to pass.

Edwards, the veteran, quickly swerved down to block the pass, a move that guaranteed disaster if Keselowski didn’t back off. In the blink of an eye, Keselowski found himself in high-stakes game of chicken at speeds approaching 200 mph.

He didn’t give an inch. Nothing slowed Keselowski that day last April, not even after the inevitable contact sent Edwards’ car sailing into the safety fence in a frightening accident that injured seven fans.

Keselowski barreled on, stealing an improbable victory in just his fifth career start in NASCAR’s prestigious Sprint Cup Series.

Looking back at it now, Keselowski was clearly sending a message to his established, experienced competitors: he won’t back down to anyone, ever. That mentality has rankled a long list of top-name drivers, and finally came to the fore last weekend in Atlanta when Edwards intentionally wrecked Keselowski..

For all the public outrage over Edwards’ deliberate act, there was an equal amount of private sentiment that Keselowski had it coming.

Keselowski is well aware of the whispers, but remains unapologetic for anything he’s done that’s gotten him to his prime-time Cup ride with auto racing icon Roger Penske.

“It’s not possible to get a Cup ride right now without being aggressive, and without having some swagger in your step,” Keselowski said. “Does that make you a jerk? To some people, yes. To some people, no. It depends on where you’re coming from. If you look at the sport, there are no new drivers coming in.

“So whatever I’m doing is working, and it’s gotten me to where I’m at.”

Keselowski’s big break came when Dale Earnhardt Jr. plucked him from obscurity to drive his flagship No. 88 for JR Motorsports.

Finally in good equipment, Keselowski bulldozed his way to six Nationwide wins over two-plus seasons with a hard-driving style that impressed car owners but annoyed rival competitors.

“He’s very openly outspoken and cocky about what his intentions are,” said Fox analyst Larry McReynolds. “He has no problem racing people hard, and if they don’t like it, then they are going to have a problem. The thing to remember, though, is most of these drivers are complaining about Brad racing them hard. You’ve got to be kidding me! You are supposed to be racing hard.

Those running bumper-to-bumper with him each week disagree. There’s a finesse required in racing, a certain give-and-take that earns you both respect and the on-track friends a driver needs to be successful.

Keselowski, most believe, doesn’t have it. At least not when it comes to racing against Cup drivers.

Jeff Burton, one of the most respected and cleanest drivers in the garage, understands the disdain for Keselowski’s tactics.

“Brad has got to learn that he doesn’t need to prove to the world that he’s a tough guy,” Burton said. “He’s made the decision that he’s not going to cut anybody any slack. He’s made the decision that he’s going to race aggressively all the time. Those are the decisions he’s made, and he’s going to have to live with the consequences of that.

“There’s nothing wrong with giving a little bit, and there’s nothing wrong with taking a little bit. But if you’re going to only take, then you’re going to come out of the short end of the stick more times than not.”

And that’s where Keselowski currently finds himself. Cup drivers aren’t cutting him any slack, and his transition to the big leagues hasn’t been all that smooth. He heads into next weekend’s race at Bristol ranked 33rd in the standings and in serious danger of falling below the important top-35 mark that guarantees him a spot in the field.

“That’s probably the best revenge there is — to not let it get to me one bit, to not change,” Keselowski said. “That’s a sign to (Edwards) and everyone else that that’s not going to work on me.

“I feel lucky to be in race cars that are as safe as they are, to be able to be here talking today and to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’ll take the lick and I’ll get out of the car and come back the next race weekend and drive just as hard,’ just to prove a point that I wasn’t wrong and I still don’t feel like I’m wrong.”