Brad Keselowski shrugs off warning from NASCAR during Kansas Cup race
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Hendrick Motorsports driver Brad Keselowski said NASCAR officials warned him after he and Chase contender Juan Pablo Montoya swapped sheet metal in a midrace battle for position in Sunday's Price Chopper 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway.
Keselowski, who finished 13th, found the warning “funny.”
“[Crew chief Tony Eury Jr.] relayed that to me. He just told me NASCAR wanted me to be mindful, that’s all I can remember,” Keselowski said. “I thought he needed to be mindful of me. He’s the one who hit me. I didn’t really change the way I raced him. I thought it was kind of funny. To have NASCAR say something … they were just words, asking us nicely. It would be different if they were black-flagging me.”
Montoya, who finished fourth, said he believes Keselowski’s spotter accidentally led to the contact between the two drivers.
“I don’t think he [Keselowski] expected me to be there,” Montoya said. “I don’t think he did it on purpose or anything. I think he just turned down to try to exit [the turn], and his spotter didn’t realize I was there. I was lucky that he hit the door and not the fender.”
NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp said officials just wanted to make sure Keselowski knew who he was racing.
“Word came down from the tower to the 25 team to make sure they were aware and cognizant of who he was racing against at this particular point in the race,” Tharp said. “The 25 car had every right to every inch of the track, but we sent the message to make sure you’re aware of your surroundings.”
Keselowski said he will not race Chase drivers any differently than anyone else.
“I will race every guy on the race track the same as they race me," Keselowski said. "If they race me aggressively, I’ll race them aggressively. If they race me cool, I’ll race them cool. Regardless of whether they’re in the Chase.”
