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Last Lap refuels Keselowski vs. Edwards bumper war

Coming to the checkered flag, Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski tangle as the battle for the victory during the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250.  Credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com

Coming to the checkered flag, Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski tangle as the battle for the victory during the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250. Credit: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images via nascar-assets.americaneagle.com


Just when you thought it was safe to watch Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards race for a win, this happens:

Keselowski had run Edwards up the track to take the lead in turn one.  Coming off of turn 4, Edwards used the PIT* to turn Keselowski right into the wall.  Keso then spun back across the track, collecting Colin Braun before he hit the inside wall and had Shelby Howard slam headfirst into him, as well as Steve Arpin.  Taylor Malsom was also spun during the wreck.

In his victory lane interview Edwards claimed that he was just taking the win back from Keso.  I don't get it, Keso gets him loose, and gives him the chance to win, and Edwards retaliates by wrecking Keso in a disastrous fashion.  I feel that what Edwards did was uncalled for.  Really.  I'm not much of a fan of either of these guys and I think that my opinion is an unbiased one and it was a bad move.  It was a local short track move, not a Nascar move.  And certainly not a move that a former Nationwide Champion should be doing. 

The announcers handled the wreck okay.  We didn't get a Rusty Wallace "Dumbass" comment, like he gave to Kyle Busch last week.  The only thing I had a problem with was them sticking a microphone in front of Bob Keselowski.

Bob, father to Brad and Brian, is a former racecar driver, hence the "I'll put my suit back on" comment he made on the broadcast, but in this case, he's just Brad's dad.  Bob is the listed owner of the K-Motorsports team, which fields the #26 for Brian Keselowski as well as the #92 and #96 part time.  If it was Brian that was turned into the wall, I could see you talking to the team owner.  But it wasn't Brian, he started and parked.

Bob is a father.  It's his job to say his son can do no wrong.  So of course, he's gonna be mad about Carl Edwards wrecking his son.  Even if it would have been Brad's fault (which it wasn't IMHO) Bob would have been mad at Carl.

I did feel for Bob, but saying that Carl Edwards is trying to kill your son is a little much.  Plus, it's incorrect.  Nascar has made these cars the safest form of Racing around.  We can wreck guys like this because it's a 1 in a million chance they will get hurt.  We lost Dale in a wreck that was 1 in a million.

I was surprised they talked to Bob.  I don't see them Skype Chatting with Brad Coleman's Dad after Matt DiBenedetto got loose and collected him.  I didn't see a call to Carl Edwards' dad after he flew into the fence at Dega.  Just cause Bob is there, doesn't mean you gotta talk to him.  Just look at Joey Logano's dad.  He should never have gotten into it with Kevin Harvick. 

We love a sport where guys can take each other out, talk about it, and be sitting around enjoying a Coke the next week.  The problem is, we love drama.  We like to see things like Edwards telling us all he intentionally took out Keso.  We love to hear "he won't kill my boy".  It gets us going.  Makes you love this sport.  It's a necessary evil.

Finishing order, and a few more of my ramblings after the JUMP!

*Precision Immobilization Technique or PIT maneuver is a method by which one car pursuing another can force the pursued vehicle to abruptly turn sideways to the direction of travel, causing the driver to lose control and stop.

Star-divide

 

Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Status
1 8 60 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford 200 Running
2 13 32 Reed Sorenson Dollar General Stores Toyota 200 Running
3 1 99 Trevor Bayne Out! Pet Care Toyota 200 Running
4 5 98 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Ford 200 Running
5 9 66 Steve Wallace 5-hour Energy Toyota 200 Running
6 6 11 Brian Scott # AccuDoc Toyota 200 Running
7 2 16 Colin Braun # Con-way Ford 200 Running
8 34 7 Josh Wise GoDaddy/HowDoYou?.com Chevy 200 Running
9 15 6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. # CitiFinancial Ford 200 Running
10 22 34 Tony Raines Long John Silvers Chevy 200 Running
11 33 15 Michael Annett Pilot Travel Centers Toyota 200 Running
12 12 70 Shelby Howard Foretravel Chevy 200 Running
13 26 88 Steve Arpin Blue Harbor Bank Chevy 200 Running
14 3 22 Brad Keselowski Discount Tire Dodge 200 Running
15 21 5 Willie Allen 31-W Insulation Chevy 200 Running
16 10 33 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John's Chevy 200 Running
17 4 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Casino & Hotel Toyota 198 Running
18 20 10 Tayler Malsam Iron Horse Jeans Toyota 198 Running
19 39 40 Mike Bliss Jansen Chevy Chevy 198 Running
20 32 28 Kenny Wallace Juggle.com Chevy 198 Running
21 41 21 Morgan Shepherd Victory in Jesus Racing Chevy 197 Running
22 37 1 Mike Wallace Bandana's Bar-B-Q Chevy 197 Running
23 24 38 Jason Leffler Great Clips Toyota 196 Running
24 42 23 Alex Kennedy Media Master Chevy 196 Running
25 16 12 Justin Allgaier Verizon Wireless Dodge 194 Accident
26 43 24 Eric McClure Hefty Odor Block Ford 193 Running
27 17 87 Joe Nemechek HostGator.com Chevy 189 Accident
28 19 0 Ryan Truex NAPA Toyota 178 Accident
29 18 20 Matt DiBenedetto Pizza Ranch Toyota 163 Running
30 7 18 Brad Coleman SafeWay Driving Centers Toyota 150 Accident
31 38 9 Landon Cassill RAB Racing Ford 102 Vibration
32 29 27 Kelly Bires Baker-Curb Racing Ford 62 Engine
33 40 43 Brad Baker Baker-Curb Racing Ford 61 Brakes
34 23 35 Jason Keller TriStar Motorsports Chevy 44 Accident
35 31 56 Kevin Lepage RaceDaySponsor.com Chevy 26 Ignition
36 11 91 Chase Miller D'Hondt-Humphrey Motorsports Chevy 24 Electrical
37 28 90 Danny O'Quinn Jr. D'Hondt-Humphrey Motorsports Chevy 20 Vibration
38 27 26 Brian Keselowski K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge 13 Brakes
39 14 37 Kevin Swindell Curb Records Ford 8 Brakes
40 35 89 Johnny Chapman Victory In Jesus Chevy 6 Oil Pressure
41 25 36 Johnny Sauter Long John Silvers Chevy 4 Electrical
42 36 92 Dennis Setzer K-Automotive Motorsports Dodge 3 Vibration
43 30 49 Mark Green Jay Robinson Inc. Chevy 2 Electrical

Great race for Trevor Bayne, he picked up his best career finish. Both Roush Rookies had top 10s in this race.  Steven Wallace also picked up his first top 5 of the year.

I mentioned that the #43 would drop out of the top 30 in points bu that was before Michael McDowell missed the race. Had McDowell raced, he would have moved past the #43.  Instead the team is still locked in, and McDowell had falled back.  Here's the battle:

27 Richardson 23 1,644
28 Cassill 09 1,643
29 Keller 35 1,612
30 Baker 43 1,606
31 McClure 24 1,559
32 Allen 05 1,546
33 Howard 70 1,540
34 McDowell 81 1,501

McDowell just needs to keep making races, and he could have that team back in one or two weeks. 

Next week we head to ORP in Indiana for the Kroger 200.  It's race 3 of 4 straight under the lights racing.  Join us Saturday July 24th at 8 eastern, 7 Central for more great Nationwide Racing!  Enjoy!

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Senior Keselowski

I haven’t read it here. I can’t say that enough.
Since the end of the race Saturday night I have been to countless NASCAR sites and in the comments I see Bob Keselowski being compared to Tom Logano. Where did ESPN interview Bob K? Right outside the care center. Not after a pit road altercation.

Once is an accident, Twice is a coincidence… If I were in Keselowski’s shoes anytime Edwards were near me I’d have serious thoughts.

by RedLeg15 on Jul 19, 2010 1:03 AM EDT reply actions  

Right outside the infield care center waiting for word about his son

he was visibly upset too. Not a time to get a good interview really – more of a knee jerk reaction, which is exactly what it was. That isn’t good reporting as far as I’m concerned – yet at the same time I realize that this is just what the public wants, and that is what it gets and then it screams at the media for being so insensitive!

by 4ever3 on Jul 19, 2010 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions  

It still is the same thing. It’s two guys who have nothing to do with the driver, other than being the father. Tom Logano isn’t working on the car. He isn’t the crew chief, or the owner. Same with Bob Keselowski. Bob did have more of a reason to be upset, since Keso could have been hurt badly. Logano got spun out, didn’t hit anything. So there is a difference there. But we shouldn’t be interviewing family members after wrecks, unless said driver is hurt or god forbid, killed. I’ve never heard them interview Delana Harvick on air, or Ingrid. Delana is actually the listed owner of Kevin Harvicks team, so I COULD see them interviewing her, but they don’t

by Troy J. on Jul 19, 2010 9:14 AM EDT up reply actions  

The Bob Keselowski interview, which I’ve only seen online as I missed the race, appears to be another case of ESPN’s tabloid garbage-style coverage of controversey. Remember, they had to show Katie Kenseth, Tom Logano, and Krissie Newman all in the aftermaths of horrific accidents by the husband or son of all three of those people. In the 1990s I loved ESPN. In the 2000s and now the 2010s, while I like some of the on-air talent a lot, I am not a fan at all of the way they handle situations.

Bob Keselowski is a former winner in the Camping World Truck Series and he’s been hurt in wrecks, so I can respect and understand him being so upset at that moment. I mean, God, that’s his kid in that 22 car. So I don’t begrudge him any for what he said about Carl.

As for the wreck, if I were Carl, I would have put the bumper to Keselowski in the middle of the turn and spun him out, but not hooked him head-on into the wall. Yeah, these things are safe, but that’s just a line I’m not sure should be crossed.

If the spin didn’t work out and Keselowski won, then I’da walked down to Victory Lane and given him the nose job me and a lot of other fans think he’s had coming for a while. Don’t wreck him. Knock him on his ass.

"Come on baby, take a ride with me. I'm up from Indiana down to Tennesee. Everything is cool as can be in a peaceful world..." - John Mellencamp

by A_Rosser14 on Jul 20, 2010 5:12 PM EDT reply actions  

I may be playing devil's advocate here

But I actually liked the coverage of Bob Keselowski after the wreck/race. I, and many others, enjoy the human element of sports. It’s more than just faceless athletes out there. It is men with families who put their lives into the sport we love.

I had no problem with it whatsoever.

by Hatfield on Jul 20, 2010 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

Fair enough. Don’t get me wrong, I like the human element, but I like it when its in positive instances.

One example was at Talladega this spring, showing the emotion of DeLana Harvick after Kevin won the race. Elation to and past the point of tears makes for great, feel-good tv.

When people are upset, though, I dunno. Feels a little intrusive. Sometimes, at least in my opinion, ya just gotta leave people alone, I guess.

"Come on baby, take a ride with me. I'm up from Indiana down to Tennesee. Everything is cool as can be in a peaceful world..." - John Mellencamp

by A_Rosser14 on Jul 21, 2010 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions  

I totally get what you're saying

But in the age of reality TV, they know that kind of intrusion and drama is what sells.

The casual fan checks out that race, sees that coverage…. guarantee they tune for the next one to see how Bob keeps Carl from ‘killing his boy’.

by Hatfield on Jul 21, 2010 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions  

You’re right about casual fans. It’s good from that standpoint. Thats why when I saw the actions detrimental to stock car racing thing, I had to laugh. I doubt ESPN thought it was detrimental and I doubt NASCAR really thinks it was if they’ve got new fans coming in from that – and in turn, their cash.

I’m a diehard that doesn’t like the “manufactured drama,” I guess. Not saying that my way is the right way or that I’m more important being a diehard, just explaining my side.

"Come on baby, take a ride with me. I'm up from Indiana down to Tennesee. Everything is cool as can be in a peaceful world..." - John Mellencamp

by A_Rosser14 on Jul 22, 2010 1:47 AM EDT up reply actions  

I see a new rivalry

where hatred reaches Dale-Rusty levels but excitement reaches Montoya levels(boring)

People have a week dedicated to sharks, sharks have a week dedicated to Jason Heyward, let's follow in the "footsteps" of the sharks.....

by southman on Jul 20, 2010 5:42 PM EDT reply actions  

The difference is that Dale and Rusty were actually best friends off the track.

by Troy J. on Jul 21, 2010 9:25 AM EDT reply actions  

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