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Keselowski loses ground in title hunt

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor

Sunday, August 31, 2008

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FONTANA, Caif. – About the only bright side to JR Motorsports' Brad Keselowski’s ignition problems Saturday at Auto Club Speedway was that they came on a day when he was struggling to possibly finish in the top 10.
   
But his 33rd-place finish, one that allowed Richard Childress Racing's Clint Bowyer to increase the NASCAR Nationwide Series points margin from 122 to 204 with eight races remaining in the season, certainly impeded Keselowski’s momentum following a win a week earlier at Bristol.
   
“It’s frustrating,” Keselowski said. “But we’ll move on. We’re not out of it. We have to run good, no doubt about that. … The [bad finishes] will kill you. You have got to win to make up for [those].”
   
Bowyer didn’t have the greatest car either, but finished seventh.
   
“You hate to gain them that way, but at this point, we’ll take them any way we can get them,” Bowyer said. “We were off all night long, all weekend long. I just couldn’t get comfortable in the car. It was real finicky to an adjustment. But we raced hard and made smart decisions.”
   
Roush Fenway Racing's Carl Edwards, the defending champion in the series, placed third and inched closer to Bowyer but is still 222 points behind.

“We were 240 behind Clint coming into this, so I guess 30 a night would be great, but it’s hard to pick up 30 points on Clint every week,” said Edwards, who thought he had cut into Bowyer’s lead a little more after the race than he actually did. “Our mission is to win the championship. That’s what we run this 60 car for. That’s what we’re trying to do, so that was a positive night for us.”
   
Edwards lost a bunch of points a week earlier when he finished 37th after an accident resulting from a blown tire. At California, it was
Keselowski’s turn to suffer some bad luck as he lost 22 laps because of the ignition problem.
   
“I thought we were making gains on the track,” said Keselowski, who started 24th after struggling for most of the weekend at the track where his car ended up on its side and in flames a year ago. “I thought we could have knocked out a sixth- or seventh-place finish. We’ll move on to another track where we’re good at and make up some ground but it wasn’t to be [here]. It’s something about California, I seem to be snakebit here. I just can’t do anything right.”

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Comments

14 responses to "Keselowski loses ground in title hunt"
  1. 1
    beth emerson said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 5:45 AM

    I couldnt even watch the race. I am sick of the Kyle and Carl show. I love nascar but this year to me is sickening. I feel really bad for Brad I still think he can win the championship. I am angry with nascar for allowing the cup guys to come over and take the championship from the nationwide only guys.

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  2. 2
    SUSAN OUTEN said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 6:05 AM

    DITTO BETH

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  3. 3
    SUSAN OUTEN said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 6:06 AM

    DITTO BETH

    Report as Abuse
  4. 4
    linda smythers said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 6:41 AM

    i agree with beth the cup guys should stay in the cup and give these nationwide guys a chance to be on top in their series

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  5. 5
    Jeane Busby said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 6:59 AM

    The cup drivers should not be able to earn points in Nationwide only the Nationwide guys should be racing for points. I am sick of Kyle Bush I seldom watch the whole race in Nationwide or cup anymore as its all about Kyle Bush.

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  6. 6
    Tanya Hughes said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 8:01 AM

    I dont think the cup guys should be able to go for the championship either,and I dont think they should be allowed to race in each and every race. If this was the case then Brad would be the leader. I think at the end of the year Nascar should reward the top 5 nationwide only drivers. If the cup guys want to go for a championship they should only do it in the cup.

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  7. 7
    Grover rickman said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 8:02 AM

    How is the #18 so much faster than everyone else? Its not the driver its horse power ,did they really take H.P. away from the Cheaters JGR&Toyo??If they did they gave them something else?? Those motors should be alot closer than they are?????

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  8. 8
    Tina Krenz said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 9:02 AM

    It seems to me, Kyle Bush likes to show how fast he can go and show off how many cars he can lap. Almost like what Tony Stewart likes to do at times. I also agree that the Nation Wide Series should be for those guys only for points and championship, and the Sprint guys full time, should just race for fun or to get a feel of the track if they got to race. Tina

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  9. 9
    sally whan said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 10:10 AM

    WOW,EVERYONE IS RIGHT ON THIS TIME,I HOPE NASCAR READS THIS AND LEARNS FROM IT WHAT THE FANS THINKS,THEY ARE GOING TO LOSE ALOT MORE PEOPLE IF THEY DONT DO SOMEHTING I STOP WATCHING IT LAST NIGHT AND WENT TO A MOVIE IT WAS SO BORING I AM SO SICK OF KYLE AND ALL HE CAN DO LETS GIVE THE NEW GUYS A CHANCE TO DO THERE THING AND KLYE AND THE REST GO BACK WHERE THEY BELONG..GO BACK TO YOUR OWN LEAGE...THEY CANT WIN THERE SO THEY TAKE IT FROM THE NEW GUYS PRETTY SIDE I THINK..GO BRAD AND YOU CAN DO IT.

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  10. 10
    MARTIN said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 12:38 PM

    Let the cup guys race in Nationwide but not for points. Not gonna see it happen. $$$$$$$

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  11. 11
    Tom Meier said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 2:25 PM

    I think the rookie cup drivers should be allowed to run the whole Nationwide schedule. The other cup drivers should be allowed to run six Nationwide races a year, and there should a limit of six cup drivers (other than rookie cup drivers) in each race. The drivers (in the order of their cup finish) would choose the races they want to run. The owners would then we forced to develop other drivers for their cars, and there would be more Nationwide-only drivers.

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  12. 12
    Thomas Shick said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 3:17 PM

    One thing you can say,NASCAR and the Japs are ruining racing

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  13. 13
    Thomas Shick said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 3:21 PM

    The Japs said they would do whatever it takes to win.They said they have the money and will spend it where need be so you have to assume they meant buying NASCAR officials off

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  14. 14
    Thomas Shick said:
    Aug 31, 2008 at 3:39 PM

    To the person approving the comment.Won't NASCAR allow you to post comments against NASCAR and the Japs.I have to assume they control you too as you don't allows posts degrading them

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